Viral communities locked in high elevation permafrost up to 100 m in depth on the Tibetan Plateau

Permafrost serves as a natural cold reservoir for viral communities. However, little is known about the viromes in deep permafrost soil, as most studies of permafrost were restricted to shallow areas. Here, permafrost soil samples of up to 100 m in depth were collected from two sites in the Tuotuo River permafrost area on the Tibetan Plateau. We investigated the viral composition in these permafrost soil samples and analyzed the relationship of viral composition and diversity along with depths. Our study revealed that greater permafrost thickness corresponds to higher diversity within the viral community. Bacteriophages were found to be the dominant viral communities, with "kill the winner" dynamics observed within the Siphoviridae and Myoviridae. The abundance and diversity of viral communities may follow a potential pattern along soil layers and depths, influenced by pH, trace elements, and permafrost thickness. Notably, strong correlations were discovered between the content of inorganic elements, including B, Mg, Cr, Bi, Ti, Na, Ni, and Cu, and the viral composition. Moreover, we discovered highly conserved sequences of giant viruses at depth of 10, 20, and 50 m in permafrost, which play a crucial role in evolutionary processes. These findings provide valuable insights into the viral community patterns from shallow to 100-m-depth in high-elevation permafrost, offering crucial data support for the formulation of strategies for permafrost thaw caused by climate change and anthropogenic activities.

Bibliometric Analysis of Development Trends and Research Hotspots in the Study of Data Mining in Nursing Based on CiteSpace

Backgrounds

With the advent of the big data era, hospital information systems and mobile care systems, among others, generate massive amounts of medical data. Data mining, as a powerful information processing technology, can discover non-obvious information by processing large-scale data and analyzing them in multiple dimensions. How to find the effective information hidden in the database and apply it to nursing clinical practice has received more and more attention from nursing researchers.

Aim

To look over the articles on data mining in nursing, compiled research status, identified hotspots, highlighted research trends, and offer recommendations for how data mining technology might be used in the nursing area going forward.

Methods

Data mining in nursing publications published between 2002 and 2023 were taken from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace was utilized for reviewing the number of articles, countries/regions, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords.

Results

According to the findings, the pace of data mining in nursing progress is not encouraging. Nursing data mining research is dominated by the United States and China. However, no consistent core group of writers or organizations has emerged in the field of nursing data mining. Studies on data mining in nursing have been increasingly gradually conducted in the 21st century, but the overall number is not large. Institution of Columbia University, journal of Cin-computers Informatics Nursing, author Diana J Wilkie, Muhammad Kamran Lodhi, Yingwei Yao are most influential in nursing data mining research. Nursing data mining researchers are currently focusing on electronic health records, text mining, machine learning, and natural language processing. Future research themes in data mining in nursing most include nursing informatics and clinical care quality enhancement.

Conclusion

Research data shows that data mining gives more perspectives for the growth of the nursing discipline and encourages the discipline's development, but it also introduces a slew of new issues that need researchers to address.

Viromes of Haemaphysalis longicornis reveal different viral abundance and diversity in free and engorged ticks

Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks, commonly found in East Asia, can transmit various pathogenic viruses, including the severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) that has caused febrile diseases among humans in Hubei Province. However, understanding of the viromes of H. longicornis was limited, and the prevalence of viruses among H. longicornis ticks in Hubei was not well clarified. This study investigates the viromes of both engorged (fed) and free (unfed) H. longicornis ticks across three mountainous regions in Hubei Province from 2019 to 2020. RNA-sequencing analysis identified viral sequences that were related to 39 reference viruses belonging to unclassified viruses and seven RNA viral families, namely Chuviridae, Nairoviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Parvoviridae, Phenuiviridae, Rhabdoviridae, and Totiviridae. Viral abundance and diversity in these ticks were analysed, and phylogenetic characteristics of the Henan tick virus (HNTV), Dabieshan tick virus (DBSTV), Okutama tick virus (OKTV), and Jingmen tick virus (JMTV) were elucidated based on their full genomic sequences. Prevalence analysis demonstrated that DBSTV was the most common virus found in individual H. longicornis ticks (12.59%), followed by HNTV (0.35%), whereas JMTV and OKTV were not detected. These results improve our understanding of H. longicornis tick viromes in central China and highlight the role of tick feeding status and geography in shaping the viral community. The findings of new viral strains and their potential impact on public health raise the need to strengthen surveillance efforts for comprehensively assessing their spillover potentials.

Burden of lung cancer attributed to particulate matter pollution in China: an epidemiological study from 1990 to 2019

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to examine the disease burden of lung cancer attributable to particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in China from 1990 to 2019.

STUDY DESIGN

Data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 were used to estimate the disease burden of tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer attributed to PM2.5 over time in China.

METHODS

Joinpoint regression models were applied to disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to assess the time trends and estimate the impact of PM2.5 on the overall disease burden of lung cancer. Furthermore, age-period-cohort models were conducted to assess the relationships between lung cancer DALYs attributed to PM2.5 exposure and age, calendar period and birth cohort trends in China from 1990 to 2019.

RESULTS

Lung cancer DALYs attributable to household air pollution from solid fuels decreased with an average annual percent change (AAPC) of 2.9 % per 100,000 population, while those attributable to ambient particular matter pollution (APE) increased (AAPC: -4.7 % per 100,000 population) over the past 30 years. The burden of lung cancer in terms of DALYs in males was higher than in females, and it demonstrated an age-dependent increase. The period and cohort effects also had significant impacts on the DALYs rates of lung cancer attributable to APE, indicating an overall increase in lung cancer DALYs for all age groups in each year.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the need for effective strategies to reduce PM2.5 exposure in China, particularly from outdoor sources. Gender differences and age, period and cohort effects observed in the study provide valuable insights into long-term trends of lung cancer burden attributed to PM2.5.

Retinal vessel segmentation based on multi-scale feature and style transfer

Retinal vessel segmentation is very important for diagnosing and treating certain eye diseases. Recently, many deep learning-based retinal vessel segmentation methods have been proposed; however, there are still many shortcomings (e.g., they cannot obtain satisfactory results when dealing with cross-domain data or segmenting small blood vessels). To alleviate these problems and avoid overly complex models, we propose a novel network based on a multi-scale feature and style transfer (MSFST-NET) for retinal vessel segmentation. Specifically, we first construct a lightweight segmentation module named MSF-Net, which introduces the selective kernel (SK) module to increase the multi-scale feature extraction ability of the model to achieve improved small blood vessel segmentation. Then, to alleviate the problem of model performance degradation when segmenting cross-domain datasets, we propose a style transfer module and a pseudo-label learning strategy. The style transfer module is used to reduce the style difference between the source domain image and the target domain image to improve the segmentation performance for the target domain image. The pseudo-label learning strategy is designed to be combined with the style transfer module to further boost the generalization ability of the model. Moreover, we trained and tested our proposed MSFST-NET in experiments on the DRIVE and CHASE_DB1 datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that MSFST-NET can effectively improve the generalization ability of the model on cross-domain datasets and achieve improved retinal vessel segmentation results than other state-of-the-art methods.

Dysfunctional Bladder Morphology and Functional Impairments Are Identified in the Alzheimer's Disease APPNL-G-F/NL-G-F Murine Model

BACKGROUND

While symptoms related to lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) are common in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), pathophysiological links between AD and LUTD remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate whether AD neuropathology would cause autonomic dysfunction along the spinal cord-bladder axis, which could result in alterations in bladder muscle kinetics.

METHODS

We utilized APPNL-G-F/NL-G-F knock-in (APP KI) and APPwt/wt (wild-type) mice at two different ages, 4- and 10-month-old, to investigate how AD impacts bladder tissue function by immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and pharmacomyography.

RESULTS

We showed that the mucosal layer partially separated from the detrusor in 10-month-old APP KI mouse bladders. Although there was no detectable amyloid deposition in the APP KI bladder, we found amyloid plaques in APP KI lumbar spinal cord. Further immunoblot analysis revealed that tyrosine hydroxylase protein levels were significantly reduced in both 4- and 10-month-old bladder tissues, suggesting reduction of norepinephrine synthesis in APP KI mouse bladders. In contrast, the level of β2 adrenergic receptor was increased in 4-month-old but not 10-month-old APP KI bladders. In bladder strips, the adrenergic agonist isoproterenol induced increased relaxation in 4- but not 10-month-old APP KI bladders. With 10 Hz electrical field stimulation, 10-month-old APP KI bladder strips were more responsive than wild-type controls, with no differences observed in 4-month-old APP KI bladders.

CONCLUSIONS

APP KI mice exhibit LUTD, which is likely arising from amyloid pathology in the spinal cord, and results in maturational declines in presynaptic activity combined with compensatory postsynaptic upregulation.

Application and challenges of a metaverse in medicine

Metaverse has been confirmed as a relatively amorphous concept of innovation, which refers to technological advancement. Metaverse, i.e., a coalition between reality world and virtual world, has created significant significance and convenience in education, communication, economy, etc. The COVID-19 outbreak has stimulated the growth of metaverse applications in medicine. The above-mentioned technology has broad applications while comprising online remote medical treatment, online conferences, medical education, preparation of surgical plans, etc. Moreover, technical, security, and financial challenges should be tackled down by the future widespread use of metaverse. Metaverse is limitlessly promising, and it will exert a certain effect on future scientific and technological advancements in the medical industry. The review article primarily aims to summarize the application of the metaverse in medicine and their challenge in the future of medicine.

[Pay attention to the infectious complications in the clinical application of biological agents]

Biological agents have been widely used in the treatment of many clinical diseases by targeting specific immune cells or cytokines. In the course of clinical use, biological agents can lead to secondary immune deficiency, which increases the risk of infection. At present, there are no evidence-based guidelines or management opinions on the differences of infections caused by various biological agents, how to identify infectious complications in the course of treatment with different biological agents at an early stage, and how to take effective and targeted prevention. This paper summarizes the infection complications and their characteristics that need to be paid attention to in the clinical introduction of biological agents, aiming to help clinicians make reasonable decisions for infection complications in the process of using biological agents, reduce the incidence of infection, and improve the success rate of diagnosis and treatment.

The impact of informal caregivers' preparedness on short-term outcomes of heart failure patients with insufficient self-care

AIMS

Even though self-care is essential in the long-term management of heart failure (HF), it is often not performed adequately in HF populations. Mobilizing informal caregivers may be one way to help patients perform self-care, support individual needs, and maintain health. However, informal caregivers often face insufficient preparation for providing long-term care. This insufficient caregiver preparedness may lead to a decline in caregiver contributions and affect the outcomes of care in patients with HF. This study aimed to explore whether informal caregivers' preparedness is a predictor that influences short-term outcomes of HF patients; to analyse whether caregiver contribution to self-care of HF (CC-SCHF) plays a mediating role between informal caregivers' preparedness and HF short-term outcomes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A prospective observational study was conducted in China. After controlling for covariates, higher levels of informal caregivers' preparedness were significantly associated with lower 3-month mortality [odds ratio (OR) = 0.919, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (0.855-0.988), P = 0.022] and 3-month readmission rate [OR = 0.883, 95% CI = (0.811-0.961), P = 0.004] and shorter length of hospital stay (β = -0.071, P < 0.001). The informal caregiver's preparedness was positively associated with CC-SCHF maintenance (r = 0.708, P < 0.01), CC-SCHF management (r = 0.431, P < 0.01), and CC-SCHF confidence (r = 0.671, P < 0.01). The CC-SCHF management was a mediator in the relationship between informal caregivers' preparedness and 3-month readmission rate [effect 95% CI = (-0.054 to -0.001)] and length of hospital stay [effect 95% CI = (-0.235 to -0.042)].

CONCLUSION

A higher level of informal caregivers' preparedness is associated with better short-term outcomes of HF patients with insufficient self-care.

Bace1 Deletion in the Adult Reverses Epileptiform Activity and Sleep-wake Disturbances in AD Mice

Alzheimer's disease (AD) increases the risk for seizures and sleep disorders. We show here that germline deletion of β-site amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleaving enzyme-1 (BACE1) in neurons, but not in astrocytes, increased epileptiform activity. However, Bace1 deletion at adult ages did not alter the normal EEG waveform, indicating less concern for BACE1 inhibition in patients. Moreover, we showed that deletion of Bace1 in the adult was able to reverse epileptiform activity in 5xFAD mice. Intriguingly, treating 5xFAD and APPNL-G-F/NL-G-F (APP KI) mice of either sex with one BACE1 inhibitor Lanabecestat (AZD3293) dramatically increased epileptiform spiking, likely resulting from an off-target effect. We also monitored sleep-wake pathologies in these mice and showed increased wakefulness, decreased non-rapid eye movement sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep in both 5xFAD and APP KI mice; BACE1 inhibition in the adult 5xFAD mice reversed plaque load and sleep disturbances, but this was not seen in APP KI mice. Further studies with and without BACE1 inhibitor treatment showed different levels of plaque-associated microgliosis and activated microglial proteins in 5xFAD mice compared with APP KI mice. Together, BACE1 inhibition should be developed to avoid off-target effect for achieving benefits in reducing epileptic activity and sleep disturbance in Alzheimer's patients.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT BACE1 is widely recognized as a therapeutic target for treating Alzheimer's disease patients. However, BACE1 inhibitors failed in clinical trials because of inability to show cognitive improvement in patients. Here we show that BACE1 inhibition actually reduces sleep disturbances and epileptic seizures; both are seen in AD patients. We further showed that one of clinically tested BACE1 inhibitors does have off-target effects, and development of safer BACE1 inhibitors will be beneficial to AD patients. Results from this study will provide useful guidance for additional drug development.

[Doublecortin-like kinase 1 activates Hippo pathway to promote migration, invasion and proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells]

Objective: To explore the mechanism of Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) in promoting cell migration, invasion and proliferation in pancreatic cancer. Methods: The correlation between DCLK1 and Hippo pathway was analyzed using TCGA and GTEx databases and confirmed by fluorescence staining of pancreatic cancer tissue microarrays. At the cellular level, immunofluorescence staining of cell crawls and western blot assays were performed to clarify whether DCLK1 regulates yes associated protein1 (YAP1), a downstream effector of the Hippo pathway. Reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to analyze the expressions of YAP1 binding transcription factor TEA-DNA binding proteins (TEAD) and downstream malignant behavior-promoting molecules CYR61, EDN1, AREG, and CTGF. Transwell test of the DCLK1-overexpressing cells treated with the Hippo pathway inhibitor Verteporfin was used to examine whether the malignant behavior-promoting ability was blocked. Analysis of changes in the proliferation index of experimental cells used real-time label-free cells. Results: TCGA combined with GTEx data analysis showed that the expressions of DCLK1 and YAP1 molecules in pancreatic cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues (P<0.05). Moreover, DCLK1was positively correlated with the expressions of many effectors in the Hippo pathway, including LATS1 (r=0.53, P<0.001), LATS2 (r=0.34, P<0.001), MOB1B (r=0.40, P<0.001). In addition, the tissue microarray of pancreatic cancer patients was stained with multicolor fluorescence, indicated that the high expression of DCLK1 in pancreatic cancer patients was accompanied by the up-regulated expression of YAP1. The expression of DCLK1 in pancreatic cancer cell lines was analyzed by the CCLE database. The results showed that the expression of DCLK1 in AsPC-1 and PANC-1 cells was low. Thus, we overexpressed DCLK1 in AsPC-1 and PANC-1 cell lines and found that DCLK1 overexpression in pancreatic cancer cell lines promoted YAP1 expression and accessible to the nucleus. In addition, DCLK1 up-regulated the expression of YAP1 binding transcription factor TEAD and increased the mRNA expression levels of downstream malignant behavior-promoting molecules. Finally, Verteporfin, an inhibitor of the Hippo pathway, could antagonize the cell's malignant behavior-promoting ability mediated by high expression of DCLK1. We found that the number of migrated cells with DCLK1 overexpressing AsPC-1 group was 68.33±7.09, which was significantly higher than 22.00±4.58 of DCLK1 overexpressing cells treated with Verteporfin (P<0.05). Similarly, the migration number of PANC-1 cells overexpressing DCLK1 was 65.66±8.73, which was significantly higher than 37.00±6.00 of the control group and 32.33±9.61 of Hippo pathway inhibitor-treated group (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the number of invasive cells in the DCLK1-overexpressed group was significantly higher than that in the DCLK1 wild-type group cells, while the Verteporfin-treated DCLK1-overexpressed cells showed a significant decrease. In addition, we monitored the cell proliferation index using the real-time cellular analysis (RTCA) assay, and the proliferation index of DCLK1-overexpressed AsPC-1 cells was 0.66±0.04, which was significantly higher than 0.38±0.01 of DCLK1 wild-type AsPC-1 cells (P<0.05) as well as 0.05±0.03 of DCLK1-overexpressed AsPC1 cells treated with Verteporfin (P<0.05). PANC-1 cells showed the same pattern, with a proliferation index of 0.77±0.04 for DCLK1-overexpressed PANC-1 cells, significantly higher than DCLK1-overexpressed PANC1 cells after Verteporfin treatment (0.14±0.05, P<0.05). Conclusion: The expression of DCLK1 is remarkably associated with the Hippo pathway, it promotes the migration, invasion, and proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells by activating the Hippo pathway.

Postnatal neuronal Bace1 deletion impairs neuroblast and oligodendrocyte maturation

Beta amyloid cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) is largely expressed by neurons and is the sole β-secretase for initiating the production of neuronal β-amyloid peptides (Aβ). To fully understand the physiological functions of neuronal BACE1, we used mouse genetic approach coupled with unbiased single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) to investigate how targeted deletion of Bace1 in neurons, driven by Thy-1-Cre recombinase, would affect functions in the nervous system. Our transcriptome results revealed that BACE1 is essential for maturation of neural precursor cells and oligodendrocytes in mice. RNA velocity analysis confirmed deficit in the trajectory of neuroblasts in reaching the immature granule neuron state in young Bace1fl/fl; Thy1-cre mice. Further analysis of differential gene expression indicated changes in genes important for SNARE signaling, tight junction signaling, synaptogenesis and insulin secretion pathways. Morphological studies revealed a hypomyelination in Bace1fl/fl;Thy1-cre sciatic nerves, but no detectable myelination changes in the corpus callosum, despite clear reduction in myelination proteins in the brain. Functional studies showed reduction in long-term potential, defects in synaptogenesis and learning behavioral. Altogether, our results show that neuronal BACE1 is critical for optimal development of central and peripheral nervous system, and inhibition of neuronal BACE1 will result in deficits in synaptic functions and cognitive behaviors.

A bibliometric analysis of the global trends and hotspots for the ketogenic diet based on CiteSpace

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a potential nutritional therapy that is frequently utilized in various conditions. More and more studies are being done on KD in recent years. However, as far as we know, few studies have made an effort to offer a thorough synthesis and assessment of this topic. This paper aims to do a rigorous and thorough evaluation of the knowledge structure, development trend, and research hotspot of scientific outputs connected to KD. The bibliographic records connected to KD from January 1, 2001 to April 22, 2022 were collected using the core collection database of Web of Science. The complex data input, that consisted of the amount of publications, journals, authors, institutions, countries, keywords and cited references, was generated and analyzed visually using CiteSpace. A total of 2676 literatures on the KD were published between 2001 and 2022. The most KD-related publications were found in Epilepsia and Epilepsia Research. The authors with the most KD-related papers are Kossoff EH and Rho J. The United States is the country with the most publications, and Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins University Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions are the institutions with the most articles. The high frequency keywords are "KD," "ketone body," "children," "efficacy," "weight loss," "low carbohydrate diet," "metabolism," "epilepsy," "beta hydroxybutyrate," and "modified atkins diet." The 2018 study by Kossoff EH on epilepsia and the 2017 study by Puchalska P on ketone body metabolism earned 127 and 114 citations, respectively. The results of this bibliometric analysis provide information on the state and trends in KD and may be used by researchers to pinpoint hot issues and discover new areas of study.

[Efficacy and safety of daptomycin in the treatment of gram-positive infective endocarditis: a meta-analysis]

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of daptomycin in the treatment of gram-positive infective endocarditis (IE) systematically. Methods: China Biology Medicine Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI), Wanfang Data, VIP Database, PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from the time of establishing databases to April 2022 to obtain relevant controlled and uncontrolled studies of daptomycin for gram-positive infective endocarditis, using key search terms ("daptomycin","gram-positive bacterial infections","endocarditis"). We performed literature screening according to inclusion/exclusion criteria, data extraction, and quality assessment, and performed random-effects meta-analyses for pooled results data using R software. Results: A total of 11 studies (including 13 articles) were included. The findings in the three controlled studies showed that in the treatment of staphylococcus aureus endocarditis, there was no statistically significant differences in in-hospital death risk (RR=0.66, 95%CI: 0.24-1.84, P=0.427) and 6-month death risk (RR=1.27, 95%CI: 0.75-2.14, P=0.374) for daptomycin versus anti-staphylococcal penicillin or vancomycin; in the treatment of enterococcal endocarditis, there was no statistically significant difference in death risk (both P>0.05) for daptomycin versus ampicillin combined with ceftriaxone (RR=0.39, 95%CI: 0.06-2.49) and ampicillin or vancomycin plus or minus gentamicin (RR=0.42, 95%CI: 0.05-3.36); and for daptomycin versus ampicillin or vancomycin combined with an aminoglycoside antibiotic, the differences in in-hospital death risk (RR=0.80, 95%CI: 0.11-5.83) and 6-month death risk (RR=0.47, 95%CI: 0.07-3.21) were not statistically significant(both P>0.05). In a cost-effectiveness study, daptomycin as first-line treatment could save the medical cost of 4 037 pounds per patient compared with vancomycin over a longer period of patient treatment. The results of the meta-analysis of uncontrolled studies showed that the mean clinical success rate of daptomycin for left-side endocarditis was 77% (95%CI: 70% to 83%; I²=28%), for MSSA-infective right-side endocarditis was 87% (95%CI: 73%-95%), and for MRSA-infective right-side endocarditis was 78% (95%CI: 38%-95%; I²=49%); while the mortality rate [mean mortality rate for left-side endocarditis was 13% (95%CI: 11%-17%; I²=0); the mortality rate for right-side endocarditis was reported in only 2 studies, 3% and 27%, respectively] or the rate of daptomycin-related adverse events (4%) was within the acceptable ranges for clinical practice. Conclusions: The death risk in the treatment of infective endocarditis with dattomycin is comparable to that of other antibiotics, and the clinical success rate is higher. Some efficacy may be achieved with daptomycin while other treatments are not effective in treating IE.

Identification of potential biomarkers in cancer testis antigens for glioblastoma

OBJECTIVE

To screen and validate cancer testis antigens (CTAs) as potential biomarkers and explore their molecular mechanisms in glioblastoma (GBM).

METHODS

Ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq) and bioinformatics analyses were utilized to screen the highly expressed CTAs in GBM. Correlation analysis was used to identify potential biomarkers associated with tumor purity and prognosis. Immunohistochemistry was applied for detection of protein expression. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, functional enrichment analysis, and binding domain prediction were performed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of GBM.

RESULTS

A total of 8 highly expressed CTAs were identified in GBM. One of them was PDZ-binding kinase (PBK). PBK messenger RNA (mRNA) was most highly expressed in GBM and associated with tumor purity and prognosis, PBK protein expression was also significantly increased in GBM tissues and correlated with p53 expression. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the PBK related genes were predominantly enriched in cell cycle pathway with 38 genes enriched. The proteins encoding by these 38 genes were performed by binding domain prediction analysis, which demonstrated 15 proteins interacting with PBK. Most of these proteins were up regulated in GBM.

CONCLUSION

PBK is highly expressed in GBM. It may serve as a potential biomarker for GBM targeting therapy and the cell cycle modulator by interacting with certain key molecules of cell cycle in GBM.

Knockdown of hsa_circ_0008922 inhibits the progression of glioma

Background

A glioma is a tumor originating from glial cells in the central nervous system. Although significant progress has been made in diagnosis and treatment, most high-grade glioma patients are prone to recurrence. Therefore, molecular targeted therapy may become a new direction for adjuvant therapy in glioma. In recent years, many studies have revealed that circular RNA (circRNA) may play an important role in the occurrence and development of many tumors including gliomas. Our previous study found that the expression of hsa_circ_0008922 was up-regulated in glioma tissues upon RNA sequencing. The biological mechanism of circ_0008922 is still unreported in gliomas. Therefore, in this study, we preliminarily outlined the expression of hsa_circ_0008922 in glioma and explored its biological functions.

Methods

The expression of hsa_circ_0008922 in forty glioma tissues and four glioma cell lines (A172, U251, SF763 and U87) was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The correlation between hsa_circ_0008922 expression and clinicopathological features of glioma patients was evaluated by Fisher's exact test. To understand the potential function of hsa_circ_0008922 in glioma, we constructed small interfering RNA (siRNA) to hsa_circ_0008922 to downregulate its expression in glioma cell lines A172 and U251. With these hsa_circ_0008922 downregulated cells, a series of assays were carried out as follows. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 assay, migration and invasion were determined by wound healing assay and transwell assay, respectively. Colony formation ability was evaluated by plate clonogenic assay. Moreover, flow cytometry combined with Western blot was performed to analyze apoptosis status and the expression of apoptotic related proteins (caspase 3 and caspase 9). Finally, the possible biological pathways and potential miRNA targets of hsa_circ_0008922 were predicted by bioinformatics.

Results

We found that the expression of hsa_circ_0008922 in glioma tissues was 3.4 times higher than that in normal tissues. The expression of has_circ_0008922 was correlated with WHO tumor grade. After down-regulating the expression of hsa_circ_0008922, malignant biological behavior of glioma cells was inhibited, such as cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion. At the same time, it also induced apoptosis of glioma cells. Predicted analysis by bioinformatics demonstrated that hsa_circ_0008922 may be involved in tumor-related pathways by acting as a molecular sponge for multiple miRNAs (hsa-let-7e-5p, hsa-miR-506-5p, hsa-let-7b-5p, hsa-let-7c-5p and hsa-let-7a-5p). Finally, we integrated our observation to build a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA predictive network.

The role of booster vaccination and ongoing viral evolution in seasonal circulation of SARS-CoV-2

Periodic resurgences of COVID-19 in the coming years can be expected, while public health interventions may be able to reduce their intensity. We used a transmission model to assess how the use of booster doses and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) amid ongoing pathogen evolution might influence future transmission waves. We find that incidence is likely to increase as NPIs relax, with a second seasonally driven surge expected in autumn 2022. However, booster doses can greatly reduce the intensity of both waves and reduce cumulative deaths by 20% between 7 January 2022 and 7 January 2023. Reintroducing NPIs during the autumn as incidence begins to increase again could also be impactful. Combining boosters and NPIs results in a 30% decrease in cumulative deaths, with potential for greater impacts if variant-adapted boosters are used. Reintroducing these NPIs in autumn 2022 as transmission rates increase provides similar benefits to sustaining NPIs indefinitely (307 000 deaths with indefinite NPIs and boosters compared with 304 000 deaths with transient NPIs and boosters). If novel variants with increased transmissibility or immune escape emerge, deaths will be higher, but vaccination and NPIs are expected to remain effective tools to decrease both cumulative and peak health system burden, providing proportionally similar relative impacts.

Immunohistochemistry Study of OY-TES-1 Location in Fetal and Adult Human Tissues

OY-TES-1 is reportedly involved in carcinogenesis and spermatogenesis. However, the tissue distribution of OY-TES-1 in the normal human body remains elusive. This study detected OY-TES-1 expression in human fetal and adult normal tissues by immunohistochemistry. We identified a general principle of OY-TES-1 expression. The expression of OY-TES-1 was found in neurons, smooth muscle cells, and cardiac muscle cells from both fetuses and adults. The connective tissue showed no specific staining throughout the fetal and adult samples. With OY-TES-1-positive staining of the epithelium irregular, OY-TES-1 was strongly expressed in the epithelium of the skin and bladder, as well as hepatocytes, pancreatic islets, and acinous cells during the fetal stage but was not detected in the postnatal period. In contrast to the epithelium of blood vessels, the fetal and adult central hepatic vein and glomeruli showed negative expression of the OY-TES-1 protein. Sex-dimorphism was observed in the distribution of OY-TES-1 in male and female germ cells. Collectively, our results indicate that OY-TES-1 is a member of the cancer-testis antigen and autoantigen, with tissue-specific and period-specific expression patterns, revealing potential contributions of OY-TES-1 to the diagnosis and therapeutic treatment for neoplasms and infertility.

727 BOOSTING BONE HEALTH: IMPROVING JUNIOR DOCTORS’ CONFIDENCE IN ASSESSING AND MANAGING FRAGILITY FRACTURES

Introduction

Fragility fractures are a major disease burden in the UK. With an ageing population and number of fragility fractures predicted to double in 50 years, prevention in this high-risk population needs to be addressed. This audit aimed to examine the assessment of fracture risk in patients presenting with fragility fractures and improve awareness amongst trainee doctors through education.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on patients over 65 years admitted with fragility fractures, excluding neck of femur, from January to March 2021 (n = 51). Data was collected on Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) scores, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans, and risk factors including body mass index (BMI), previous fragility fracture, smoking, alcohol intake, and serum calcium and vitamin D. A teaching seminar for junior doctors was delivered to increase confidence in assessing and managing fragility fractures.

Results

The mean age of patients was 79, with most common presentations being proximal humerus, distal femur and ankle fractures. 46% of patients had a previous fragility fracture. Smoking and alcohol history were documented in 72% and 60% of patients respectively, and 29% had BMIs calculated. 68% had calcium and 45% had vitamin D checked. DEXA scans occurred in 12%, all of whom had osteopenia or osteoporosis. Over half of patients were already on bone protection and 28% were subsequently started on bisphosphonates. A teaching session was delivered to junior doctors (n = 10), leading to improved confidence in assessing fracture risk by 30%, and improved confidence in managing fragility fractures by 35%. Knowledge of FRAX score increased from 62% to 100%.

Conclusion

A significant proportion of the over-65 population are likely to present with fragility fractures. Improving awareness and confidence amongst junior doctors can lead to identification of risk factors and help better prevent and manage fragility fractures in this high-risk population.

Prediction and verification of survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer based on an integrated radiomics nomogram

AIM

To develop and validate a nomogram to predict 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by combining optimised radiomics features, clinicopathological factors, and conventional image features extracted from three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) images.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 172 patients with NSCLC were selected to construct the model, and 74 and 72 patients were selected for internal validation and external testing, respectively. A total of 828 radiomics features were extracted from each patient's 3D CT images. Univariable Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to select features and generate a radiomics signature (radscore). The performance of the nomogram was evaluated by calibration curves, clinical practicability, and the c-index. Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis was used to compare the overall survival (OS) between the two subgroups.

RESULT

The radiomics features of the NSCLC patients correlated significantly with survival time. The c-indexes of the nomogram in the training cohort, internal validation cohort, and external test cohort were 0.670, 0.658, and 0.660, respectively. The calibration curves showed that the predicted survival time was close to the actual survival time. Decision curve analysis shows that the nomogram could be useful in the clinic. According to KM analysis, the 1-, 2- and 5-year survival rates of the low-risk group were higher than those of the high-risk group.

CONCLUSION

The nomogram, combining the radscore, clinicopathological factors, and conventional CT parameters, can improve the accuracy of survival prediction in patients with NSCLC.

Clinical outcomes of keratinized mucosa augmentation in jaws reconstructed with fibula or iliac bone flaps

This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the treatment outcomes of keratinized mucosa augmentation (KMA) on the buccal and palatal/lingual sides of implants in jaws reconstructed after oncological surgery. Forty-two implants in 12 patients whose jaws had been reconstructed with a fibula or iliac bone flap were included. KMA was performed at 3 months after implant placement; this included an apically displaced partial-thickness flap and a free gingival graft (FGG) around the implants to increase the keratinized mucosa width (KMW). Patients were followed up for at least 6 months post-surgery. KMW, shrinkage, and patient pain and discomfort measured on a visual analogue scale were analysed. A histological analysis was performed of tissue epithelium from two patients. The results showed that KMW was >2 mm on both the buccal and palatal/lingual sides during follow-up. Before surgery, histological analysis showed epithelium with no epithelial spikes; normal keratinized epithelial spikes were observed at 8 weeks after KMA. Greater KMW was observed around implants in reconstructed maxillae than around those in reconstructed mandibles (P < 0.001). Patients felt more pain at the donor site than at the recipient site during the first 3 days post-surgery. KMA with FGG was predictable in reconstructed jaws and may help maintain the long-term stability of implants.

Cancer-testis antigen ACRBP expression and serum immunoreactivity in ovarian cancer: Its association with prognosis

Introduction

Cancer testis (CT) antigens are attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy because of their expression restriction and immunogenicity. The acrosin binding protein (ACRBP) is a member of CT antigens. This study aimed to evaluate ACRBP expression and immunogenicity in ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods

The expression level of ACRBP in OC tissues, normal ovarian tissues, and cell lines was detected via quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and immunohistochemistry. We determined the levels of ACRBP antigen and antibody in serum samples collected from patients with OC and healthy donors using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), the level of ACRBP in cell‐cultured medium was also tested.

Results

ACRBP mRNA and protein expressions were upregulated in OC tissues relative to normal tissue, especially highly expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Moreover, ACRBP expression was significantly correlated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and chemosensitivity. Serological analysis showed that anti‐ACRBP antibody was detected in the sera of 16 of the 56 (28.5%) patients with OC but not in healthy donors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for ACRBP antibody was 0.802 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.708–0.876), and the sensitivity and specificity for ACRBP antibody was 85.71% and 55.0%, respectively. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that the overall survival (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS) in OC patients with high ACRBP expression were significantly lower than those with low expression (p = 0.040, p = 0.021). However, ACRBP antibody level was not associated with prognosis.

Conclusion

ACRBP expression was upregulated in OC tissues and induced humoral immune response in patients with OC, suggesting that ACRBP is a potential prognostic biomarker and a target of tumor immunotherapy for OC.

Transcript expression profiling of fibromelanosis-related genes in black-bone chickens

1. The aim of the present study was to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and metabolic pathways involved in this phenotype. Fibromelanosis is the most striking feature of black-bone chickens, such as the Silkie and Dongxiang indigenous breeds. Due to the accumulation of eumelanin in connective tissues, fibromelanosis manifests as black colouration of the skin, muscles, gut, and periosteum. Studies on fibromelanosis can provide useful information pertaining to human diseases and offer commercial value to the poultry industry. However, the genetic basis of fibromelanosis remains unclear.2. Digital gene expression analysis was performed on black and white skin samples collected from the HW1 black-bone chicken line to detect differences in genome-wide expression patterns. A total of >30 billion bp were sequenced, and 2,707,926,466 bp and 2,948,782,964 bp of clean data obtained for creation of libraries for black and white skin, respectively. In total, 252 DEGs from 15,508 mapped genes were identified with 83 up-regulated in white skin and 169 up-regulated in black skin.3. Gene ontology analysis highlighted that genes from the extracellular region and associated components were abundant among the DEGs. Pathway analysis revealed that many DEGs were linked to amino acid metabolism and the immune system. qRT-PCR validation using 14 genes showed good conformity with the sequence analysis of fibromelanosis-related genes.4. The results showed that L-dopachrometautomerase precursor (DCT), tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT), 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPD) from the tyrosine metabolism pathway, coagulation factor II (F2), fibrinogen beta chain (FGB), plasminogen (PLG) and complement component 7 (C7) from the complement and coagulation cascades were important genes in the fibromelanosis process in black-bone chickens. These candidate genes require further correlation analysis and functional verification.

Plasma miR-146a and miR-365 expression and inflammatory factors in patients with osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression levels of micro-ribonucleic acid (miR)-146a and miR-365 in the plasma of osteoarthritis (OA) patients, to study their expression with the inflammatory factors and the severity of disease in patients and to analyse their diagnostic significance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 42 OA patients diagnosed with OA and treated in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2018 were selected as the subjects, and 28 healthy people were enrolled as controls. The expressions of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and IL-6 in the plasma of OA patients were detected via immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, the knee joint function of OA patients was evaluated by Lysholm score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) score and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score. The expression levels of plasma miR-146a and miR-365 in OA patients were measured through RT-PCR. Besides, the significance of the expression levels of miR-146a and miR-365 for the diagnosis of OA was analysed by ROC curves.

RESULTS

As compared with healthy people, OA patients had elevated expression levels of plasma IL-1β and IL-6, decreased Lysholm score, increased WOMAC and VAS scores as well as significantly up-regulated levels of plasma miR-146a and miR-365, which were of important significance for diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The expression levels of plasma miR-146a, miR-365 and inflammatory factors are notably higher, the disease is more severe, and the function of knee joint movement is weaker in OA patients than those in healthy controls. It can be concluded that the levels of both miR-146a and miR-365 can serve as biomarkers of OA diagnosis.

Accumulation of saposin in dystrophic neurites is linked to impaired lysosomal functions in Alzheimer's disease brains

Neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains refer to β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques surrounded by dystrophic neurites (DNs), activated microglia and reactive astrocytes. Most recently, we showed that DNs form sequentially in three layers during plaque growth. Although lysosomal proteins such as LAMP1 are found in DNs, it is not clear how many and how early lysosomal proteins are involved in forming neuritic plaques. To answer this unmet question, we examined APP knock-in (APPNL-G-F), 5xFAD and APP/PS1ΔE9 mouse brains and found that the lysosomal activator proteins saposins (SAPs) and LAMP1 were accumulated to surround Aβ plaques at the earliest stage, namely the 1st layer of DNs. Noticeably, lysosomal hydrolases were not detectable in these early DNs, suggesting that DNs at this early stage likely enrich dysfunctional lysosomes. In old AD mouse brains and in the later stage of human AD brains, SAP-C+-DNs and LAMP1+-DNs were gradually reduced in concomitant with the growth of amyloid plaques. Remarkably, the observed LAMP1 immunoreactivity near plaques in aged AD mouse and human brains were actually associated with disease-associated microglia rather than neuronal sources, likely reflecting more severely impaired lysosomal functions in neurons. Western blot analyses showed increased levels of SAP-C in AD mouse brains, and Aβ oligomers induced elevated levels of SAP-C in cellular assays. The elevated protein levels of SAP-C in AD mouse brains during plaque growth potentially contributed lysosomal membrane leakage and loss of hydrolases. Together, our study indicates that lysosomal functions are impaired by being entrapped in DNs early during plaque growth, and this may viciously facilitate growth of amyloid plaques.

Factors associated with Scrub Typhus infection: A case-control study from Luhe, China

INTRODUCTION

Scrub typhus (ST) is an acute febrile infection and remains a significant health problem globally. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with ST infection in Luhe District, China.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The case-control study was conducted among 116 cases identified through passive surveillance systems over three years.The control subjects were 232 living in the same village for more than six months without any history of ST infection were selected by matching to the age (within 5-years) and identified through active surveillance. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v. 25.0 for Windows (IBM SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA).

RESULTS

The mean age of confirmed persons was 58.1(SD=10.15) years, while control subjects were 56.14 (11.57).There is no significant difference in gender, age, education, and occupations between case and control. Farmers had the most significant number of cases among occupational groups. The three factors that were significantly associated with an increased odds of having ST infection are bundling or moving waste straw (OR: 1.94, 95%CI; 0.99,381), morning exercise in the park or field (OR: 4.74 95%CI; 1.19, 18.95), and working as labourer in the vegetable field (OR:1.02, 95%CI:1.02,3.19).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested establishing a prevention and control strategy for these groups to lower ST development risk.

Synergistic regulation of methylation and SP1 on MAGE-D4 transcription in glioma

BACKGROUND

The family of MAGE genes is well known due to the majority of MAGE genes expressing specifically in tumor tissues while restrictedly in normal tissues. MAGE-D4 is one of the MAGE family and considered as a promising target for glioma immunotherapy because of its overexpression in glioma and restricted expression in normal tissues. Whereas the mechanism of MAGE-D4 heterogeneous expression in glioma has not yet been elucidated. In this study, the transcriptional regulation mechanism of MAGE-D4 in glioma is focused from the perspectives of promoter methylation and SP1.

METHODS

Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to identify the core promoter of MAGE-D4 gene. Mass spectrometry was applied to quantify the methylation status of MAGE-D4 promoter in 50 glioma and 9 normal brain tissues. The influence of methylation and SP1 on MAGE-D4 transcriptional activity was evaluated by dual-luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, western blot and ChIP-qPCR. Decitabine, an epigenetic drug, was used to treat the glioma cells. Then the treated cells were evaluated the influence of demethylation on SP1 binding to MAGE-D4 promoter.

RESULTS

The -358 to +172 bp region was identified as the core promoter of MAGE-D4 gene which demonstrated hypomethylated and negative correlation between methylation level and MAGE-D4 mRNA expression in glioma tissues. For single CpG unit analysis, 8 CpG units (CpG unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 12) in MAGE-D4 core promoter showed hypomethylated in glioma and the methylation level of CpG unit 6 was positively associated with the prognosis of glioma patients. Furthermore, the methylation level of CpG unit 1 and 6 was negative negatively correlated with MAGE-D4 mRNA expression. Then, the results demonstrated that the promoter activity of MAGE-D4 was decreased by methylation in glioma cell lines. In addition, SP1 can binds directly to the MAGE-D4 promoter leading to up-regulation of MAGE-D4 mRNA through activation of its promoter. Finally, demethylation of MAGE-D4 promoter could benefit the SP1 binding and resulting co-activation of MAGE-D4 promoter by demethylation and SP1 in glioma cell lines.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that the synergies of promoter hypomethylation and SP1 up-regulated MAGE-D4 transcription in glioma, which implies a potential approach to resolve the heterogeneous expression of MAGE-D4 in order to establish foundation for the MAGE-D4 based glioma therapy.

Identification of Potential Biomarkers From Hepatocellular Carcinoma With MT1 Deletion

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. Metallothioneins (MTs) are metal-binding proteins involved in multiple biological processes such as metal homeostasis and detoxification, as well as in oncogenesis. Copy number variation (CNV) plays a vital role in pathogenesis and carcinogenesis. Nevertheless, there is no study on the role of MT1 CNV in HCC. Methods: Array-based Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH) analysis was performed to obtain the CNV data of 79 Guangxi HCC patients. The prognostic effect of MT1-deletion was analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened based on The Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO) and the Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA-LIHC). Then function and pathway enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) and hub gene selection were applied on the DEGs. Lastly, the hub genes were validated by immunohistochemistry, tissue expression and prognostic analysis. Results: The MT1-deletion was demonstrated to affect the prognosis of HCC and can act as an independent prognostic factor. 147 common DEGs were screened. The most significant cluster of DEGs identified by Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) indicated that the expression of four MT1s were down-regulated. MT1X and other five hub genes (TTK, BUB1, CYP3A4, NR1I2, CYP8B1) were associated with the prognosis of HCC. TTK, could affect the prognosis of HCC with MT1-deletion and non-deletion. NR1I2, CYP8B1, and BUB1 were associated with the prognosis of HCC with MT1-deletion. Conclusions: In the current study, we demonstrated that MT1-deletion can be an independent prognostic factor in HCC. We identified TTK, BUB1, NR1I2, CYP8B1 by processing microarray data, for the first time revealed the underlying function of MT1 deletion in HCC, MT1-deletion may influence the gene expression in HCC, which may be the potential biomarkers for HCC with MT1 deletion.

[The 485th case: fever of undetermined origin and hypoxemia]

A 49-year-old male was admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital presented with fever for more than half a year. The patient was diagnosed as Sjogren's syndrome at local hospital. After oral prednisone 60 mg per day was given, the fever alleviated, but recurred after prednisone tapered to 40 mg/d. Both blood culture and stool culture were positive for Salmonella enteritidis. Antibiotics including ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cilastatin-imipenem were sequentially administrated for 4 weeks, yet not effective. Although there were not respiratory symptoms or certain abnormalities on high-resolution chest CT, arterial blood gas indicated hypoxemia. Serum lactate dehydrogenase and β2 micro-globulin were elevated, and the lung function test demonstrated significant impairment of diffusion function. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT)scan suggested that high fluorodeoxyglucose uptake was diffusely seen in both lungs. The patient was finally diagnosed as pulmonary intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) by transbronchial lung biopsy. This case aims to emphasize the differentiation diagnoses of pulmonary intravascular lymphoma from common situations.

[Consistency of effective orifice area of prosthetic mitral valve estimated using 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the consistency of effective orifice area (EOA) of prosthetic mitral valve estimated using 2- dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted among 34 patients undergoing mitral valve replacement surgery in Nanjing First Hospital between March and June in 2019. The diameter of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) measured by 2D-TEE was used to calculate the cross sectional area of LVOT (CSALVOT). In 3D-TEE method, LVOT area was measured directly by planimetry on an enface view. The EOAs of the prosthetic mitral valve were calculated for both methods using the continuity equation. Bland-Altman plot consistency test was used to analyze the consistency between the two sets of EOA results, and linear regression analysis was used to analyze their correlation.

OBJECTIVE

The EOA of the prosthetic mitral valve differed significantly between 2D method and 3D method (2.22±0.71 cm² vs 2.35±0.70 cm², P < 0.001) with a mean difference of -0.14±0.20 cm² and 95% coherence boundaries of (-0.53, 0.25 cm²). The regression equation for EOA-3D and EOA-2D is y=0.27 + 0.94x, showing a good correlation between the two methods.

OBJECTIVE

EOA estimation of the prosthetic mitral valve using 2D and 3D TEE has a good consistency, and the results estimated by the 2D method are slightly lower by about 6% than those by the 3D method.

CT23 knockdown attenuating malignant behaviors of hepatocellular carcinoma cell is associated with upregulation of metallothionein 1

The cancer-testis antigen 23 (CT23) gene has been reported in association with the pathogenesis and progress of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the alterations of gene expression profiling induced by CT23 knockdown in HCC cells remains largely unknown. In this study, the RNA interfering (RNAi) method was used to silence CT23 expression in BEL-7404 cells. Microarray analysis was performed on mRNA extracted from the CT23 knockdown cells and the control cells to determine the alterations of gene expression profiles. The result showed a total of 1051 genes expressed differentially (two-fold change), including 470 genes upregulated and 581 gene downregulated in the CT23 knockdown cells. A bioinformatic analysis showed that the functional differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were linked to cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis, and metallothionein 1 (MT1) attained the maximum enrichment scores in functional annotation, classification, and pathway analysis of DEGs. Furthermore, Western blot analysis and cell behaviors assays verified that CT23 modulates cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis by regulating MT1 expression in HCC cells and non-neoplastic hepatocytes. In summary, downregulated CT23 gene in BEL-7404 cells might change the expressions of carcinogenesis and progression related genes in HCC by upregulating MT1 expression, which would provide insight into searching for a novel therapeutic target for HCC.

Autoimmune experimental orchitis and chronic glomerulonephritis with end stage renal disease are controlled by Cgnz1 for susceptibility to end organ damage

Cgnz1 on chromosome 1 mapped into a 1.34 Mb region of chromosome 1 in NZM2328 confers the progression of immune complex (IC)-mediated glomerulonephritis (GN) from acute GN (aGN) to chronic GN (cGN) with severe proteinuria and end stage renal disease in female mice. This genetic locus mediates podocyte susceptibility to IC-mediated damage. Taking advantage of the published observation that Cgnz1 is derived from NZW and that NZW is susceptible to orchitis, epididymitis and vasitis while C57L/J is resistant to these diseases, the possibility that this genetic region also confers germ cells susceptible to damage with aspermatogenesis and sterility in an active experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) model was investigated. Male mice from multiple intrachromosome (chromosome 1) recombinant strains were subjected to immunization with a sperm homogenate in CFA with concomitant administration of Bordetella pertussis toxin. There was concordance of the progression from aGN to cGN, severe proteinuria and end stage renal disease with susceptibility of EAO in NZM2328 and its congenic strains with various chromosome 1 genetic intervals introgressed from C57L/J to NZM2328. Both resistant and susceptible strains made comparable anti-testis and anti-sperm Abs. Thus the genetic interval that determines susceptibility to EAO is identical to that of Cgnz1 and mapped to the 1.34 Mb region in chromosone 1. This region likely confers germ cells in the male gonad susceptible to damage by immunologically mediated inflammation. This region has been tentatively renamed Cgnz1/Eaoz1. These observations further emphasize the importance of end organ susceptibility to damage in the pathogenesis of both systemic and organ specific autoimmune diseases.

Structure and thermal properties of beeswax-based oleogels with different types of vegetable oil

Beeswax-based oleogels with different types of vegetable oil, including camellia oil (CO), soybean oil (SO), sunflower oil (SFO), or flaxseed oil (FO), were prepared and their structure and thermal properties were evaluated. The critical concentration of oleogel obtained from each of CO, SO, and SFO at 25 °C was 3% (w/w), and that from FO was 4%. Thermal measurements revealed similar thermodynamic curves for oleogels in different lipid phases. X-Ray diffraction showed orthorhombic perpendicular subcell packing and characteristic peaks of the β’ form. Furthermore, a morphology analysis of the crystals showed that they were needle shaped. Fourier transform-infrared spectra revealed that beeswax-based oleogels were formed via non-covalent bonds and may be stabilized with physical entanglements. The oleogels showed oil type-dependent oxidative abilities, but they were all stable and showed no obvious changes in peroxide value during 90 days of storage at 5 °C.

Expression profile of ACTL8, CTCFL, OIP5 and XAGE3 in glioma and their prognostic significance: a retrospective clinical study

Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are attractive therapeutic targets for tumor immunotherapy due to their restrictive expression in normal testis but excessive in majority of tumor types. ACTL8, CTCFL, OIP5 and XAGE3 are members of the CTAs family. Currently, the data of ACTL8, CTCFL, OIP5 and XAGE3 expression in glioma is limited. Methods: ACTL8, CTCFL, OIP5 and XAGE3 mRAN and protein expressions were detected in 108 glioma samples by Reverse Transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry and the correlations between their expressions and clinical indexes were analyzed. Furthermore, their clinical significance on glioma prognosis was determined by follow-up data. Results: The mRNA positive rate of ACTL8, CTCFL, OIP5 and XAGE3 was 15.74% (17/108), 22.22% (24/108), 13.89% (15/108) and 37.96% (41/108), respectively. At least one CTA mRNA was expressed by 61.11% of glioma tissues, while 2 or more by 29.63%. For protein expression, the positive rate of them was 21.30% (23/108), 34.26% (37/108), 19.44% (21/108) and 23.15% (25/108), respectively. At least one CTA protein was expressed by 58.33% of glioma tissues and 2 or more by 29.63%. Although there were no correlations between their mRNA expressions and clinicopathological parameters, the protein expression of ACTL8, OIP5 and XAGE3 was positively correlated with KPS; while the ACTL8 protein was correlated with gender, and OIP5 protein with gender and WHO grade. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between the CTCFL protein expression, combined ACTL8 and/or CTCFL protein expression and survival. Conclusions: The results suggest that the cohort of glioma does express ACTL8, CTCFL, OIP5 and XAGE3 at both mRNA and protein levels indicating glioma is CTAs-rich tumors. CTCFL protein and the combined ACTL8 and/or CTCFL protein might act as poor prognostic markers for glioma and as potential ideal combined antigens for glioma immunotherapy.

Magnetic Direct-Write Skyrmion Nanolithography

Magnetic skyrmions are stable spin textures with quasi-particle behavior and attract significant interest in fundamental and applied physics. The metastability of magnetic skyrmions at zero magnetic field is particularly important to enable, for instance, a skyrmion racetrack memory. Here, the results of the nucleation of stable skyrmions and formation of ordered skyrmion lattices by magnetic force microscopy in (Pt/CoFeSiB/W)_n multilayers, exploiting the additive effect of the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, are presented. The appropriate conditions under which skyrmion lattices are confined with a dense two-dimensional liquid phase are identified. A crucial parameter to control the skyrmion lattice characteristics and the number of scans resulting in the complete formation of a skyrmion lattice is the distance between two adjacent scanning lines of a magnetic force microscopy probe. The creation of skyrmion patterns with complex geometry is demonstrated, and the physical mechanism of direct magnetic writing of skyrmions is comprehended by micromagnetic simulations. This study shows a potential of a direct-write (maskless) skyrmion (topological) nanolithography with sub-100 nm resolution, where each skyrmion acts as a pixel in the final topological image.

Projected Entangled Pair States: Fundamental Analytical and Numerical Limitations

Matrix product states and projected entangled pair states (PEPS) are powerful analytical and numerical tools to assess quantum many-body systems in one and higher dimensions, respectively. While matrix product states are comprehensively understood, in PEPS fundamental questions, relevant analytically as well as numerically, remain open, such as how to encode symmetries in full generality, or how to stabilize numerical methods using canonical forms. Here, we show that these key problems, as well as a number of related questions, are algorithmically undecidable, that is, they cannot be fully resolved in a systematic way. Our work thereby exposes fundamental limitations to a full and unbiased understanding of quantum many-body systems using PEPS.