Stress causes lipid droplet accumulation in chondrocytes by impairing microtubules

OBJECTIVE

Abnormal mechanical stress is intimately coupled with osteoarthritis. Microtubules play a vital role in the regulation of mechanotransduction and intracellular transport. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impact of stress-induced microtubule impairment on intracellular transport and lipid droplet (LD) accumulation in chondrocytes.

METHOD

Rats were subjected to unilateral anterior crossbite (UAC), which is inducible for degeneration of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) cartilage. Chondrocytes derived from rat TMJ cartilage were subjected to fluid flow shear stress (FFSS) and analyzed via LCMS/MS-based proteomics. The microtubule destabilization agent nocodazole and/or the microtubule stabilizer docetaxel were used in the UAC and FFSS models.

RESULTS

In both FFSS- and UAC-treated chondrocytes, decreased acetylated α-Tubulin (ac-Tubulin) expression and LD accumulation were observed. Proteomic data revealed increased levels of the LD-associated protein perilipin 3 (Plin3) and decreased levels of cytoskeleton components in FFSS-treated chondrocytes. Live-cell imaging revealed that the colocalization of LDs with lysosomes was significantly decreased after FFSS treatment. Impairment of microtubules by nocodazole reduced the protein level of ac-Tubulin and disrupted the Hsc70-mediated interaction between Plin3 and Lamp2a, as shown by co-IP assays. In contrast, docetaxel reversed the suppression of ac-Tubulin expression, reduced the accumulation of LDs, and decreased the expression of Plin3 in chondrocytes exposed to FFSS and UAC, and docetaxel ameliorated UAC-induced osteoarthritic lesions in the TMJ cartilage.

CONCLUSION

Microtubule impairment under aberrant stress conditions disrupts intracellular transport and blocks lipophagy, causing LD accumulation in chondrocytes. Microtubule stabilization could be a new approach for treating stress-induced cartilage degeneration.

Correlation of Occlusion Asymmetry and Temporomandibular Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

The association between occlusion and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) remains obscure. The present purpose was to explore the asymmetrical occlusion feature(s) potentially linked to TMDs.

METHODS

This study enrolled 148 patients with a chief complaint of malocclusion. Of those, 84 had no signs of TMD (Group-ORD1), and 64 had signs of TMD (Group-ORD2). An additional 84 patients with a chief complaint of TMD symptoms and a history of orthodontic therapy were included (Group-TMD). All patients in the study were female. Asymmetry of six occlusion variables was measured on plaster study casts and recorded as 1 for asymmetry and 0 for symmetry. The variables contain the sagittal asymmetry: the first molar mesial-distal relationship (F1), canine mesial-distal relationship (F2); the horizontal asymmetry: anterior overjet and overbite relationship (F3), posterior overjet and overbite relationship (F4); missing teeth (F5), and the weight of the asymmetrical occluding pair (F6). And logistic regression model was used for data analyses.

RESULTS

In the analyses for Group-ORD2 versus Group-ORD1, the F6 variable and the interactions of F1*F2 and F1*F2*F6 were entered into the model (all OR > 2.68). For Group-TMD versus Group-ORD1, the variables were F1, F5, and F6 (all OR > 2.39) and F4 (OR = 0.28), and the interactions were F5*F6, F1*F2*F6, F1*F5*F6, and F1*F2*F5*F6 (all OR > 2.78) and F2*F4, F3*F5, and F2*F4*F6 (all OR < 0.13). For Group-TMD versus Group-ORD2 the variables and interactions were F5, F5*F6, and F1*F5*F6 (all OR > 4.03) and F4, F4*F6 and F2*F4*F6 (all OR < 0.21) (all P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with sagittal asymmetry, asymmetrical missing teeth, or asymmetrical weight of contact have a higher prevalence of TMD.

[A comparative study on the diagnostic value of 18F-PSMA PET/CT PRIMARY score and PSMA expression score for clinically significant prostate cancer]

Objective: To compare the diagnostic value of fluorine 18-labelled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT PRIMARY score and PSMA expression score for clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). Methods: The data of 70 patients with prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy at Beijing Hospital from February 1, 2019 to February 29, 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent whole body 18F-PSMA PET/CT examination before surgery and pathological large sections of prostate specimens were made after surgery. According to the pathological section results, the lesions were divided into csPCa group (Gleason scores≥7) and non-csPCa group (Gleason scores=6 or benign). The PRIMARY score and PSMA expression score were used to evaluate prostatic lesions on PSMA PET/CT images, respectively. The differences in PRIMARY score, PSMA expression score, maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), lesion-to-background ratios (LBR), PSMA uptake characteristics, and location distribution were compared between csPCa group and non-csPCa group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the correlation factors for the incidence of csPCa. By plotting the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and calculating the area under the curve (AUC), the optimal diagnostic threshold for csPCa of each factor was determined. The differences in AUC were compared using the Delong test. Quantitative data was represented as M (Q1, Q3). Results: The 70 patients aged 70 (64, 75) years with a total of 108 lesions, including 83 lesions (76.9%) in the csPCa group and 25 lesions (23.1%) in the non-csPCa group. There were differences between csPCa group and non-csPCa group in PRIMARY score [4 (3, 5) vs 2 (1, 4)], PSMA expression score [2 (2, 2) vs 1 (1, 2)], SUVmax [9.10 (5.70, 15.80) vs 5.40 (3.35, 6.90)], LBR [2.86 (2.09, 4.53) vs 1.96 (1.42, 2.58)], and proportion of focal uptake patterns [74.7% (62/83) vs 32.0% (8/25)] (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the location distribution between the two groups (P>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated the higher the PRIMARY score, the higher the risk of developing csPCa (OR=1.863, 95%CI: 1.360-2.552). ROC curves revealed that the AUCs of the PRIMARY score and PSMA expression score for csPCa were 0.751 (95%CI: 0.659-0.829) and 0.697 (95%CI: 0.601-0.781), respectively, without statistically difference (Z=1.438, P>0.05). The cut-off values for diagnosing csPCa were 3 score for PRIMARY score and 2 score for PSMA expression score, respectively. Conclusions: The higher the 18F-PSMA PET/CT PRIMARY score, the higher the risk of developing csPCa. The PRIMARY score has good diagnostic efficacy for csPCa.

[Value of comprehensive evaluation of bladder structure and function in children by multi-modal ultrasound]

To comprehensively evaluate the structure and function of the bladder wall in children using multi-modal ultrasound (MMU). A total of 110 children without urinary symptoms admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2022 to June 2023 were included prospectively. MMU was performed and the vesical volume (VV), bladder wall thickness (BWT), shear wave velocity (SWV) of the anterior wall, resistance index (RI) and vascularization index (VI) were measured in the filled and emptied bladder respectively, and the ultrasound bladder compliance (UBC) was also calculated. The differences in MMU parameters in children among different bladder states, age groups and sexes and the correlation between age and different MMU parameters were analyzed. The age of 110 children was (6.4±3.5) years, of which 60 were boys (54.5%). The VV [127.00 (79.00, 219.50) vs 6.65 (5.10, 9.60) ml, P<0.001] and SWV [(2.25±0.36) vs (1.54±0.20) m/s, P<0.001] of filling condition were higher than that of emptying condition, while BWT [(2.52±0.25) vs (6.72±0.74) mm, P<0.001] and VI [(4.36±0.52)% vs (8.15±1.75) %, P<0.001] were lower than that of emptying condition. There were no significant differences in VV, BWT, SWV, RI, VI and UBC between boys and girls under either bladder emptying or filling conditions (all P>0.05). BWT in emptying condition, VV and BWT in filling condition all increased with age (r was 0.706, 0.891 and 0.298, respectively, and all P<0.05). MMU in children contributes to the comprehensive evaluation of bladder wall, and the influence of age and bladder filling state should be considered when evaluating MMU parameters.

Observation of Exotic J/ψϕ Resonant Structure in Diffractive Processes in Proton-Proton Collisions

The first study of J/ψϕ production in diffractive processes in proton-proton collisions is presented. The study is based on an LHCb dataset recorded at center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5  fb^{-1}. The data disfavor a nonresonant J/ψϕ production but are consistent with a resonant model including several resonant states observed previously only in B^{+}→J/ψϕK^{+} decays. The χ_{c0}(4500) state is observed with a significance over 6σ and the χ_{c1}(4274) is confirmed with a significance of more than 4σ.

First-line cadonilimab plus chemotherapy in HER2-negative advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial

Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors plus chemotherapy have been the standard of care in the first-line treatment of advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) adenocarcinoma; however, the survival benefits are modest in patients with low programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Here we investigated the efficacy and safety of cadonilimab (PD-1/cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) bispecific antibody) plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment in G/GEJ adenocarcinoma. The prespecified interim analysis is reported here. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Eligible patients were adults with untreated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic G/GEJ adenocarcinoma. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive cadonilimab (10 mg kg-1 every 3 weeks) or placebo plus chemotherapy (every 3 weeks). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) in the intention-to-treat population (one-sided significance level, P = 0.025). Secondary endpoints included OS in patients with a PD-L1 combined positive score ≥5, progression-free survival, objective response rate, duration of response and safety. As of 18 August 2023, 610 patients from 75 study centers were randomized to cadonilimab (n = 305) or placebo (n = 305). With a median follow-up of 18.7 months, the cadonilimab group had a significantly longer median OS (14.1 versus 11.1 months; hazard ratio (HR) 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54-0.81; P < 0.001) than the placebo group. The primary endpoint was met. The median progression-free survival was 7.0 months versus 5.3 months (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.44-0.65). The median OS in patients with a PD-L1 combined positive score ≥5 was 15.3 months versus 10.9 months (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.41-0.82). The objective response rate was 65.2% versus 48.9% with a median duration of response of 8.8 months versus 4.4 months. Grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 65.9% of the cadonilimab group and 53.6% of the placebo group, and the most common were decreased platelet count, decreased neutrophil count and anemia. Most of the immune-related adverse events were grade 1 or 2. No new safety signals were observed. Cadonilimab plus chemotherapy significantly improved OS with a manageable safety profile in patients with advanced G/GEJ adenocarcinoma. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT05008783 .

Observation of a rare beta decay of the charmed baryon with a Graph Neural Network

The beta decay of the lightest charmed baryonΛ c + provides unique insights into the fundamental mechanism of strong and electro-weak interactions, serving as a testbed for investigating non-perturbative quantum chromodynamics and constraining the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix parameters. This article presents the first observation of the Cabibbo-suppressed decayΛ c + → n e + ν e , utilizing 4.5 fb-1 of electron-positron annihilation data collected with the BESIII detector. A novel Graph Neural Network based technique effectively separates signals from dominant backgrounds, notablyΛ c + → Λ e + ν e , achieving a statistical significance exceeding 10σ. The absolute branching fraction is measured to be (3.57 ± 0.34stat. ± 0.14syst.) × 10-3. For the first time, the CKM matrix elementV c d is extracted via a charmed baryon decay as 0.208 ± 0.01 1 exp. ± 0.00 7 LQCD ± 0.00 1 τ Λ c + . This work highlights a new approach to further understand fundamental interactions in the charmed baryon sector, and showcases the power of modern machine learning techniques in experimental high-energy physics.

Correlation of semi-quantitative analyses and visual scores in pulmonary perfusion SPECT/CT imaging with pulmonary function test parameters in patients with interstitial lung diseases

AIM

To evaluate the correlation between semi-quantitative analyses and visual scores of pulmonary perfusion Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)/ Computed Tomography (CT) imaging and pulmonary function test parameters (PFTs) in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included 35 patients with ILDs from China-Japan Friendship Hospital between January 2020 and December 2022. All patients underwent pulmonary perfusion SPECT/CT imaging and a pulmonary function test. Visual scores of pulmonary perfusion SPECT/CT images were determined using the Meyer method, and functional lung volumes of pulmonary perfusion were calculated using various cutoff values (5%-95% of the maximum pixel value). PFTs included forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and FEV1 as a percentage of the predicted value (FEV1%), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FVC as a percentage of the predicted value (FVC%), one-second rate (FEV1/FVC), pulmonary carbon monoxide dispersion (DLCO) and DLCO as a percentage of the predicted value (DLCO%). Pearson's correlation was calculated to compare visual scores and lung perfusion functional volumes with PFT indices.

RESULTS

Visual scores correlated with FEV1, FEV1%, FVC% and DLCO%, with a significant correlation observed for FEV1% (r = 0.576, P < 0.001). When taking the maximal pixel value of bilateral lung fields or unilateral lung field as 100%, lung perfusion volumes were significantly correlated with FEV1, FEV1%, FVC and FVC% at a threshold of 15%-30% (rs > 0.6, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Pulmonary perfusion volumes within the threshold of 15%-30% in pulmonary perfusion SPECT/CT imaging reliably reflect lung function and outperform visual scores in patients with ILDs.

Effects of ursolic acid on growth performance, serum biochemistry, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health of broilers

Previous studies have shown that adding 450 mg/kg of ursolic acid (UA) can improve the growth performance of broilers. However, the specific mechanism is still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to further explore whether UA promotes the growth of broilers by affecting the intestinal environment of broilers. We randomly divided 120 broilers with similar BW (46.53 ± 0.05 g) into two groups. Each group had six replicates, with 10 broilers per replicate. The broilers were fed either the corn-soybean meal-basal diet (CON group) or the corn-soybean meal-basal diet supplemented with 450 mg/kg UA (UA group). This study lasted 42 days. Adding UA increased the daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio of broilers (P < 0.05). The UA group exhibited reduced aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, interleukin 6 and interleukin 1, and triacylglycerol levels, with increased interleukin 10 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum (P < 0.05). The UA supplementation improved total antioxidant capacity, total superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activity in serum (P < 0.05), and increased these levels in the jejunum (P < 0.05). It reduced malondialdehyde concentration in the jejunum and ileum (P < 0.05), improved jejunal morphology by increasing villus height and villus-to-crypt ratio, and decreased crypt depth (P < 0.05). Gene expression of zona occludens 1 and Claudin-1 was higher, while interleukin 6 was lower in the UA group (P < 0.05). Additionally, interleukin 10 gene expression in jejunal mucosa was higher (P < 0.05). Significant differences were observed in the abundance of Bacteroides, proteobacteria, and desulfurisation bacteria (P < 0.05), with higher Barnesiella and Clostridia_UCG-014, and lower Romboutsia in the UA group (P < 0.05). Barnesiella negatively correlated with interleukin 6, interleukin 1, and triacylglycerol, but positively correlated with interleukin 10 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, adding 450 mg/kg UA to broiler feed can improve serum and jejunal antioxidant capacity, reduce jejunal and ileal inflammation, improve jejunal morphology, and regulate caecal microbiota structure composition, promoting broiler growth.

Laboratory-acquired infection in clinical laboratories and the incidence rate after Brucella exposure risk events: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Personnel in clinical microbiology laboratories face heightened risks of occupational infections, due to the potential for pathogenicity in clinical samples.

AIM

To summarize the characteristics of laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) and review exposure incidents in clinical laboratories, and to conduct a meta-analysis to estimate post-exposure incidence rates and evaluate the efficacy of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) following Brucella exposures.

METHODS

A systematic search across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, CMB, and the ABSA LAI database extracted relevant literature published from January 1st, 1990, to August 31st, 2023, including case reports and laboratory exposure risk events. Negative-binomial regression was used to estimate the relative increase in reported numbers per year of LAIs. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate the incidence rate (IR) of LAIs among exposed laboratory personnel after Brucella exposure risk events.

FINDINGS

A total of 164 LAIs were reported in hospital laboratories. Negative-binomial regression analysis indicated no significant decline in annual LAIs reports (relative risk and 95% CI: 0.98 (0.97, 1.00); P = 0.052). The leading pathogens were Brucella spp. (55.5%), Neisseria meningitidis (7.3%), and Shigella sonnei (5.5%). The meta-analysis revealed that the incidence rate for Brucella-related LAIs among laboratory personnel was 60 per 100,000 laboratory personnel. Laboratory personnel exposed to high-risk Brucella incidents faced a notably elevated infection risk, estimated at 80 per 100,000 laboratory personnel. Compared with high-risk Brucella exposures with PEP, highrisk Brucella exposures without PEP had a 6.33-fold increase in the risk of Brucella infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical laboratory personnel remain at infection risk, with no reduction in reported LAI cases, mainly resulting from Brucella acquisitions. PEP was shown to be effective against high-risk Brucella exposures.

Precise Measurement of the e^{+}e^{-}→D_{s}^{+}D_{s}^{-} Cross Section at Center-of-Mass Energies from Threshold to 4.95 GeV

Using the e^{+}e^{-} collision data collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII collider, at center-of-mass energies from the threshold to 4.95 GeV, we present precise measurements of the cross section for the process e^{+}e^{-}→D_{s}^{+}D_{s}^{-} using a single-tag method. The resulting cross section line shape exhibits several new structures, thereby offering an input for a future coupled-channel analysis and model tests, which are critical to understand vector charmonium-like states with masses between 4 and 5 GeV.

Measurement of Λ_{b}^{0}, Λ_{c}^{+}, and Λ Decay Parameters Using Λ_{b}^{0}→Λ_{c}^{+}h^{-} Decays

A comprehensive study of the angular distributions in the bottom-baryon decays Λ_{b}^{0}→Λ_{c}^{+}h^{-}(h=π,K), followed by Λ_{c}^{+}→Λh^{+} with Λ→pπ^{-} or Λ_{c}^{+}→pK_{S}^{0} decays, is performed using a data sample of proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1} collected by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. The decay parameters and the associated charge-parity (CP) asymmetries are measured, with no significant CP violation observed. For the first time, the Λ_{b}^{0}→Λ_{c}^{+}h^{-} decay parameters are measured. The most precise measurements of the decay parameters α, β, and γ are obtained for Λ_{c}^{+} decays and an independent measurement of the decay parameters for the strange-baryon Λ decay is provided. The results deepen our understanding of weak decay dynamics in baryon decays.

Proliferative behaviours of CD90-expressing chondrocytes under the control of the TSC1-mTOR/PTHrP-nuclear localization segment pathway

OBJECTIVE

Some cells in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) cartilage undergo proliferation in response to negative pressure, which can be induced in vivo by creating bilateral anterior elevation (BAE). TMJ cartilage harbours CD90-expressing cells, and CD90 expression increases under certain controlled conditions. The parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) nuclear localization segment (NLS) promotes chondrocyte proliferation, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling plays a regulatory role in promoting PTHrP transcription. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of the mTOR/PTHrP-NLS axis in the proliferative responses of CD90+ chondrocytes in TMJ cartilage to BAE.

METHODS

CD90+ cells were isolated from TMJ cartilage and subjected to negative pressure followed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). A PTHrP-NLS conditional mutation (CD90-CreER;Pthlh84STOP-fl/fl) mouse model was developed to obtain CD90+ cell-specific PTHrP-NLS conditional mutation (Pthlh84STOP) littermate. CD90-Cre;Tsc1fl/fl mice and CD90-Cre;mTORfl/fl mice were generated to obtain Mtor conditional knockout (Mtor-CKO) and Tsc1-CKO littermates.

RESULTS

Using RNA-seq, the mTOR signalling pathway was identified as the most significant biological process occurring in superficial zone cells of the TMJ condylar cartilage under negative pressure. Proliferation of CD90+ cells was stimulated in Tsc1-CKO littermates but inhibited in both Mtor-CKO and Pthlh84STOP littermates. BAE did not promote chondrocyte proliferation in either Mtor-CKO or Pthlh84STOP littermates. Administration of the PTHrP87-139 peptide to Mtor-CKO mice restored chondrocyte proliferation and rescued the promoting effect of BAE in TMJ cartilage.

CONCLUSIONS

CD90+ chondrocytes in TMJ cartilage proliferate in response to negative pressure under the control of the TSC1-mTOR/PTHrP-NLS pathway.

R(3780) Resonance Interpreted as the 1^{3}D_{1}-Wave Dominant State of Charmonium from Precise Measurements of the Cross Section of e^{+}e^{-}→Hadrons

We report the precise measurements of the cross section of e^{+}e^{-}→hadrons at center-of-mass energies from 3.645 to 3.871 GeV. We thereby perform the most precise study of the cross sections and find a complex system composed of three resonances of R(3760), R(3780), and R(3810). For the first time, we measure the R(3810) electronic width to be (19.4±7.4±12.1)  eV. For the R(3760) resonance, we measure the mass to be (3751.9±3.8±2.8)  MeV/c^{2}, the total width to be (32.8±5.8±8.7)  MeV, and the electronic width to be (184±75±86)  eV. For the R(3780) resonance, we measure its mass to be (3778.7±0.5±0.3)  MeV/c^{2}, total width to be (20.3±0.8±1.7)  MeV, and electronic width to be (265±67±83)  eV. Forty-seven years ago, the ψ(3770) resonance was discovered, and was subsequently interpreted as the 1^{3}D_{1}-wave dominant state of charmonium. However, our analysis of the total-hadron cross sections indicates that the ψ(3770) is not a single state, but a complex system composed of the R(3760), R(3780), and R(3810) resonances. Among these, we interpret the R(3780) is a resonance dominated by the 1^{3}D_{1} charmonium state.

Bound-State Beta Decay of ^{205}Tl^{81+} Ions and the LOREX Project

Stable ^{205}Tl ions have the lowest known energy threshold for capturing electron neutrinos (ν_{e}) of E_{ν_{e}}≥50.6  keV. The Lorandite Experiment (LOREX), proposed in the 1980s, aims at obtaining the longtime averaged solar neutrino flux by utilizing natural deposits of Tl-bearing lorandite ores. To determine the ν_{e} capture cross section, it is required to know the strength of the weak transition connecting the ground state of ^{205}Tl and the 2.3 keV first excited state in ^{205}Pb. The only way to experimentally address this transition is to measure the bound-state beta decay (β_{b}) of fully ionized ^{205}Tl^{81+} ions. After three decades of meticulous preparation, the half-life of the β_{b} decay of ^{205}Tl^{81+} has been measured to be 291_{-27}^{+33}  days using the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at GSI, Darmstadt. The longer measured half-life compared to theoretical estimates reduces the expected signal-to-noise ratio in the LOREX, thus challenging its feasibility.

β-Lactoglobulin separation from whey protein: A comprehensive review of isolation and purification techniques and future perspectives

Cow milk, although rich in essential nutrients, is a well-known food allergen that can cause allergic reactions in infants and young children. β-Lactoglobulin accounts for 10% of the total protein in milk and 50% of the whey protein, which has high nutritional value and excellent functional properties but is also the main allergen leading to milk protein allergy. Exploring the mechanism of milk allergy and selecting suitable separation and purification methods to obtain high-purity β-LG is the premise of research on reducing allergenicity. In this review, the research progress in membrane technology, gel filtration chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, precipitation, and aqueous 2-phase system separation for the separation and purification of milk β-LG is reviewed in detail to promote the further development of milk β-LG separation and purification methods and provide a new method for the development of hypoallergenic dairy products in the future. Among these methods, ion exchange chromatography and gel chromatography are widely used, precipitation is generally used as a crude purification step, and HPLC and membrane technology are used for further purification to improve the purity of allergens.

Temporomandibular joint disc responses to installation and removal of the experimental malocclusion

BACKGROUND

Aberrant occlusion and aging are two main risks for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) degeneration.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the combined impact of occlusion and age on TMJ disc.

METHODS

To avoid the confounding impact of gender, presently, 126 female C57BL/6J mice, 63 youngsters, 6-week old and 63 adults, 28-week old, were used. An experimental bilateral anterior crossbite (BAC) relation was created by installing metal tubes onto the mandibular incisors. Mice were sacrificed at 3, 7 and 11 weeks (n = 9). Additionally, the installed tubes were removed at 7 weeks in removal groups and the TMJs were sampled after another 4 weeks (n = 9). Disc changes were detected by histomorphology, immunohistochemistry, and western blot assays.

RESULTS

Disc deformation was obvious in BAC groups. The typical change was hyperplasia at the posterior region of the disc where there was significant infiltration of inflammatory cells. Expressions of the inflammatory markers, including tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β, and the catabolic markers, including fibronectin (FN), FN N-terminal fragments, and vascular endothelial growth factor-A, were all increased. The changes were more obvious in adults than in youngsters. Removal of BAC attenuated inflammatory and catabolic changes in the youngsters, but the inflammatory markers recovered little in the adults.

CONCLUSION

TMJ disc responds to BAC by degeneration and inflammation, and respond to BAC removal by rehabilitation. Adult discs show severer degeneration responses to BAC and a lower level of anti-inflammatory capability to BAC removal than the youngster's discs. Animals cannot be equated with humans. The human disc response to occlusion changes worth further exploration.

Nuclear Structure of Dripline Nuclei Elucidated through Precision Mass Measurements of ^{23}Si, ^{26}P, ^{27,28}S, and ^{31}Ar

Using the Bρ-defined isochronous mass spectrometry technique, we report the first determination of the ^{23}Si, ^{26}P, ^{27}S, and ^{31}Ar masses and improve the precision of the ^{28}S mass by a factor of 11. Our measurements confirm that these isotopes are bound and fix the location of the proton dripline in P, S, and Ar. We find that the mirror energy differences of the mirror-nuclei pairs ^{26}P-^{26}Na, ^{27}P-^{27}Mg, ^{27}S-^{27}Na, ^{28}S-^{28}Mg, and ^{31}Ar-^{31}Al deviate significantly from the values predicted assuming mirror symmetry. In addition, we observe similar anomalies in the excited states, but not in the ground states, of the mirror-nuclei pairs ^{22}Al-^{22}F and ^{23}Al-^{23}Ne. Using ab initio VS-IMSRG and mean field calculations, we show that such a mirror-symmetry breaking phenomenon can be explained by the extended charge distributions of weakly bound, proton-rich nuclei. When observed, this phenomenon serves as a unique signature that can be valuable for identifying proton-halo candidates.

[Relationship between ripretinib concentration and the prognosis of advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors in China: a multicenter study]

Objective: To investigate the prognosis and safety of ripretinib in the treatment of patients with advanced gastrointestinal mesenchymal stromal tumors (GISTs) and to analyze the relationship between blood concentrations of this drug and prognosis. Methods: In this retrospective study, we investigated the effects of ripretinib in patients with advanced GISTs. The inclusion criteria comprised: (1) daily oral administration of ripretinib scheduled; and (2) uninterrupted treatment for at least 1month, with a stable and relatively fixed daily dosage maintained for a minimum of 2 weeks. Exclusion criteria comprised concurrent use of other tyrosine kinase inhibitors and presence of significant organ dysfunction. We retrospectively identified 79 patients with advanced GISTs who had received ripretinib across seven medical centers, namely Jiangsu Provincial Hospital, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, from 1 June 2021 to 31 March 2024. The cohort included 48 men and 31 women, 19 of whom had received ripretinib as second-line, 13 as third-line, and 47 as fourth-line therapy. Two peripheral venous blood samples were obtained from each participant and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry used to determine peak (Cmax) and trough (Cmin) concentrations of ripretinib. Machine learning methodologies, specifically the K-nearest neighbor algorithm combined with the Gridsearch CV strategy, were employed to establish the threshold for Cmin. We analyzed adverse reactions, treatment efficacy, median progression-free survival (mPFS), and the relationship between drug blood concentration and selected clinical parameters. Results: In the entire cohort, the Cmin and Cmax of ripretinib were 467 ± 360 μg/L and 986 ± 493 μg/L, respectively. Notably, female patients and individuals in the high-dose group exhibited significantly higher values for both Cmin and Cmax (both P<0.05). However, variations in drug concentrations associated with the line of ripretinib therapy, treatment efficacy, disease progression, and presence of selected specific genetic mutations were not significantly associated with values of Cmin and Cmax (P>0.05). Among the 79 patients with advanced GISTs receiving ripretinib, reported adverse reactions included alopecia (53, 67.09%), hand-foot syndrome (24, 30.38%), fatigue (22, 27.85%), and myalgia (21, 26.58%). Two patients (2.53%) had grade III complications, both classified as hand-foot syndrome. The correlation between Cmax and adverse reactions was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). By the time of the latest follow-up, five deaths (6.3%) had occurred within the cohort. The mPFS for the group was 16.3 months, with a mPFS of 14.4 months for those receiving standard dosage and 7.0 months for those receiving escalating dosage. Among the 65 patients treated with standard doses of ripretinib, those with Cmin exceeding a threshold of 450 μg/L exhibited a significantly longer mPFS (18.0 months vs.13.7 months; P < 0.05). Conclusion: In China, patients with advanced GISTs exhibit a notable tolerance to ripretinib, with no evidence for a correlation between adverse reactions and Cmax for the drug. Additionally, a Cmin exceeding 450 μg/L may be associated with an extended mPFS.

[Prognosis and its influencing factors in patients with non-gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors at low risk of recurrence: a retrospective multicenter study in China]

Objective: To investigate the prognosis and the factors that influence it in patients with non-gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) who are at low risk of recurrence. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study. Clinicopathologic and prognostic data from patients with non-gastric GISTs and at low risk of recurrence (i.e., very low-risk or low-risk according to the 2008 version of the Modified NIH Risk Classification), who attended 18 medical centers in China between January 2000 and June 2023, were collected. We excluded patients with a history of prior malignancy, concurrent primary malignancy, multiple GISTs, and those who had received preoperative imatinib. The study cohort comprised 1,571 patients with GISTs, 370 (23.6%) of whom were at very low-risk and 1,201 (76.4%) at low-risk of recurrence. The cohort included 799 (50.9%) men and 772 (49.1%) women of median age 57 (16-93) years. Patients were followed up to July 2024. The prognosis and its influencing factors were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curves for tumor diameter and Ki67 were established, and the sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) and optimal cut-off value with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Propensity score matching was implemented using the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method with a matching tolerance of 0.02. Results: With a median follow-up of 63 (12-267) months, the 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates of the 1,571 patients were 99.5% and 98.0%, respectively, and the 5- and 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 96.3% and 94.4%, respectively. During postoperative follow-up, 3.8% (60/1,571) patients had disease recurrence or metastasis, comprising 0.8% (3/370) in the very low-risk group and 4.7% (57/1,201) in the low-risk group. In the low-risk group, recurrence or metastasis occurred in 5.5% (25/457) of patients with duodenal GISTs, 3.9% (25/645) of those with small intestinal GISTs, 9.2% (6/65) of those with rectal GISTs, and 10.0% (1/10) of those with colonic GISTs. Among the 60 patients with metastases, 56.7% (34/60) of the metastases were located in the abdominal cavity, 53.3% (32/60) in the liver, and 3.3% (2/60) in bone. During the follow-up period, 13 patients (0.8%) died of disease. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted for tumor diameter and Ki67 and assessed using the Jordon index. This showed that the difference in DFS between the two groups was statistically significant when the cutoff value for tumor diameter was 3.5 cm (AUC 0.731, 95% CI: 0.670-0.793, sensitivity 77.7%, specificity 64.1%). Furthermore, the difference in DFS between the two groups was statistically significant when the cutoff value for Ki67 was 5% (AUC 0.693, 95% CI: 0.624-0.762, sensitivity 60.7%, specificity 65.3%). Multifactorial analysis revealed that tumor diameter ≥3.5 cm, Ki67 ≥5%, and R1 resection were independent risk factors for DFS in patients with non-gastric GISTs at low risk of recurrence (all P<0.05). Furthermore, age >57 years, Ki67 ≥5%, and R1 resection were also independent risk factors for OS in patients with non-gastric GISTs at low risk of recurrence (all P<0.05). We also grouped the patients according to whether they had received postoperative adjuvant treatment with imatinib for 1 or 3 years. This yielded 137 patients in the less than 1-year group, 139 in the 1-year plus group; and 44 in both the less than 3 years and 3-years plus group. After propensity score matching for age, tumor diameter, Ki67, and resection status, the differences in survival between the two groups were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The 10-year DFS and OS were 87.5% and 95.5%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for less than 1 year and 88.5% and 97.8%, respectively, in the group treated for more than 1 year. The 10-year DFS and OS were 89.6% and 92.6%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for less than 3 years and 88.0% and 100.0%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for more than 3 years. Conclusion: The overall prognosis of primary, non-gastric, low recurrence risk GISTs is relatively favorable; however, recurrences and metastases do occur. Age, tumor diameter, Ki67, and R1 resection may affect the prognosis. For some patients with low risk GISTs, administration of adjuvant therapy with imatinib for an appropriate duration may help prevent recurrence and improve survival.

[Rethinking several issues related to surgical treatment for advanced GIST in the era of targeted therapy]

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors in the gastrointestinal tract, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have achieved great success in the treatment of GISTs. The role and value of surgery in advanced GISTs are still controversial. This article aims to review the progress related to surgery for advanced GIST in the context of targeted therapy, particularly exploring the issues related to the combination of surgery and targeted therapy. Studies have shown that selected advanced GISTs can benefit from surgery, but there is still a lack of universally accepted screening criteria and operational norms, and multiple factors affect the effectiveness of surgical treatment for advanced GISTs. Different surgical strategies should be developed for imatinib-resistant GISTs or multiple TKI-resistant GISTs. During the period when the tumors respond to imatinib, cytoreductive surgery is most likely to improve the survival of patients. Early or localized progression should be identified and promptly intervened with surgery. At present, there are few studies on sunitinib or regorafenib combined with surgery, and their feasibility and value are still controversial. Ripretinib combined with cytoreductive surgery may be a new breakthrough point.

[Analysis of risk factors and establishment of prediction model for immune checkpoint inhibitor related myocarditis and major adverse cardiovascular events]

Objectives: To explore the risk factors of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) related myocarditis and establish a predictive model. Methods: This was a retrospective case-control study. Tumor patients diagnosed with ICI related myocarditis in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from May 2019 to August 2023 were selected and divided into non-MACE group and MACE group based on whether MACE occurred. Clinical and imaging data of the two groups were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the risk factors for MACE in patients with ICI related myocarditis. According to the results of multivariate logistic regression analysis, R 4.1.0 software was used to construct the MACE risk prediction model for these patients and draw a nomogram. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the prediction ability of the prediction model. Results: A total of 35 patients with ICI related myocarditis, aged (63.9±8.2) years, were included, including 28 males (80%). There were 18 patients in the non-MACE group and 17 patients in the MACE group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (OR=1.115, 95%CI 1.007-1.235, P=0.036) and ST-T segment changes (OR=24.942, 95%CI 1.239-502.194, P=0.036) were risk factors for MACE in patients with ICI related myocarditis. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the area under the curve of the prediction model was 0.967 (95%CI 0.916-1.000, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 88.2% and specificity of 100%, demonstrating good predictive ability. Conclusion: Elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and ST-T segment change are independent risk factors for MACE in patients with ICI related myocarditis. Risk prediction model based on the above two indicators can assist in the early identification and individualized intervention of ICI related myocarditis patients.

Mechanistic Studies of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in Skeletal Muscle Cells During Rotator Cuff Injury: An In Vitro Study

The mechanism of rotator cuff injury remains to be elucidated. And COX-2 plays a dual role in skeletal muscle injury and regeneration, would be associated with the development of rotator cuff injury. Therefore, we chose human skeletal muscle cells (HSKMC) as an in vitro muscle tissue model and transfected lentivirus with overexpressed COX-2 to simulate the in vitro environment of rotator cuff injury. To investigate the specific molecular biological mechanism of COX-2, transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to analyze the differentially expressed mRNAs in HSKMC overexpressing COX-2. Enrichment analysis was performed to analyze these differentially expressed genes and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to examine the mRNA levels of genes induced by overexpression. Subsequently, the role of COX-2 in cell proliferation was confirmed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation induced by COX-2 was utilized by western blotting (WB). The results showed that total of 30,759 differentially expressed genes were obtained, and the expression of CYP4F3 and GPR87 was significantly increased. COX-2 could bind CYP4F3 and GPR87 and co-localize with them in the cytoplasm. Finally, COX-2 promoted the proliferation of human skeletal muscle cells by activating the FAK and STAT3 pathways.