Structural and excitonic properties of the polycrystalline FAPbI3thin films, and their photovoltaic responses

Faormamadinium based perovskites have been proposed to replace the methylammonium lead tri-iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite as the light absorbing layer of photovoltaic cells owing to their photo-active and chemically stable properties. However, the crystal phase transition from the photo-activeα-FAPbI3to the non-perovksiteδ-FAPbI3still occurs in un-doped FAPbI3films owing to the existence of crack defects, which degrads the photovoltaic responses. To investigate the crack ratio (CR)-dependent structure and excitonic characteristics of the polycrystalline FAPbI3thin films deposited on the carboxylic acid functionalized ITO/glass substrates, various spectra and images were measured and analyzed, which can be utilized to make sense of the different devices responses of the resultant perovskite based photovoltaic cells. Our experimental results show that the there is a trade-off between the formations of surface defects and trapped iodide-mediated defects, thereby resulting in an optimal crack density or CR of the un-dopedα-FAPbI3active layer in the range from 4.86% to 9.27%. The decrease in the CR (tensile stress) results in the compressive lattice and thereby trapping the iodides near the PbI6octahedra in the bottom region of the FAPbI3perovskite films. When the CR of the FAPbI3film is 8.47%, the open-circuit voltage (short-circuit current density) of the resultant photovoltaic cells significantly increased from 0.773 V (16.62 mA cm-2) to 0.945 V (18.20 mA cm-2) after 3 d. Our findings help understanding the photovoltaic responses of the FAPbI3perovskite based photovoltaic cells on the different days.

Galectins induced from hemocytes bridge phosphatidylserine and N-glycosylated Drpr/CED-1 receptor during dendrite pruning

During neuronal pruning, phagocytes engulf shed cellular debris to avoid inflammation and maintain tissue homeostasis. How phagocytic receptors recognize degenerating neurites had been unclear. Here, we identify two glucosyltransferases Alg8 and Alg10 of the N-glycosylation pathway required for dendrite fragmentation and clearance through genetic screen. The scavenger receptor Draper (Drpr) is N-glycosylated with complex- or hybrid-type N-glycans that interact specifically with galectins. We also identify the galectins Crouching tiger (Ctg) and Hidden dragon (Hdg) that interact with N-glycosylated Drpr and function in dendrite pruning via the Drpr pathway. Ctg and Hdg are required in hemocytes for expression and function, and are induced during dendrite injury to localize to injured dendrites through specific interaction with exposed phosphatidylserine (PS) on the surface membrane of injured dendrites. Thus, the galectins Ctg and Hdg bridge the interaction between PS and N-glycosylated Drpr, leading to the activation of phagocytosis.

[Interpretation of specification for service of cancer screening for workers]

As the backbone force of China's social and economic construction, the health status of workers is closely related to the nation's productivity and social development. Currently, cancers have become one of the major diseases threatening the health of workers. However, there are still many shortcomings in the cancer screening services for the workers. To standardize cancer screening services for workers, ensure the quality of screening services, and improve the overall screening effectiveness, 19 institutions, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, have jointly formulated the Group Standard "Specification for service of cancer screening for workers (T/CHAA 023-2023)". This standard follows the principles of "legality, scientific rigor, advancement, and feasibility" and combines the frontier scientific advances in cancer screening. It clarifies the relevant requirements for service principles, service design, service delivery, service management, service evaluation, and improving worker cancer screening. Implementing this group standard will help connect the common screening needs of workers, employers, and cancer screening service providers, standardize the screening process, improve screening quality, and ultimately increase the early diagnosis rate and survival rate of cancer patients. Consequently, this group standard will help safeguard workers' health rights and interests, ensure the labor force resources, promote the comprehensive coordinated and sustainable development of society, and contribute to realizing the "Healthy China 2030" strategic policy.

AI Beam Angle Prediction in Proton Therapy for Brain Patients

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Patients receiving brain Intensity-modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) are treated with 1-3 fields. Typically, beam angles must be selected manually, requiring substantial planner time and experience. The choice of beam angles has a major impact on the treatment plan quality. An AI model was developed to automate this process aiming to improve efficiency and potentially plan quality. AI performance was tested by comparing predicted beam angles to the human ground truth angles and evaluating plans resulting from each set of beam angles.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Previously treated IMPT brain patients were divided into a training (n = 40) and validation set (n = 10) for the AI. Beam-angle selection in the AI was cast as a multi-label classification problem, training the convolution neural network with a Circular Earth Mover's Distance based regularization and multi-label circular-smooth label technique. An analytical post-processing algorithm is employed to minimize distance to the target and avoid organs-at-risk. Finalized gantry angle predictions are discretized in steps of 5°. For an independent test set of n = 10 patients beam angles were predicted by the AI and compared to those chosen by human planners. Both sets of angles were used to create treatment plans with an automated knowledge-based planning (KBP) tool for brain IMPT utilizing single-field optimization and robust optimization. Plan differences are therefore solely due to the choice of beam angles as automated KBP removes human optimization variability. Resulting plan quality was compared by standard clinical dosimetric parameters to the CTV, brain, brainstem, cochlea, cord, eye, lens, optic chiasm, optic nerves, pituitary, and temporal lobes.

RESULTS

All Human and AI selected beam angles are shown in the table. For cases 1-6, AI and Human selected beam angles were within ±15° and resulting plans showed minimal dosimetric differences. In cases 7-9 AI beam angles reduced max dose while keeping organ-at-risk dose within ±2 Gy. In case 10 the AI chosen beam angles reduced cord Dmax by 9.1 Gy but increased left eye Dmax by 4.9 Gy, other organs-at-risk showed minimal differences.

CONCLUSION

Gantry beam angle selection was automated by a newly developed AI model and tested on 10 brain IMPT patients. The comparison showed that the AI often chooses similar beam angles to the human planners. When there are differences, dosimetric analysis demonstrated that plans created from AI beam angles have at least the same quality as the human ones. Results motivate further research into this approach showing the AI being a promising tool to fill a current gap in the strive for automating proton treatment planning, increasing planning efficiency and potentially quality.

The CHCHD2/Sirt1 corepressors involve in G9a-mediated regulation of RNase H1 expression to control R-loop

R-loops are regulators of many cellular processes and are threats to genome integrity. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying the regulation of R-loops is important. Inspired by the findings on RNase H1-mediated R-loop degradation or accumulation, we focused our interest on the regulation of RNase H1 expression. In the present study, we report that G9a positively regulates RNase H1 expression to boost R-loop degradation. CHCHD2 acts as a repressive transcription factor that inhibits the expression of RNase H1 to promote R-loop accumulation. Sirt1 interacts with CHCHD2 and deacetylates it, which functions as a corepressor that suppresses the expression of downstream target gene RNase H1. We also found that G9a methylated the promoter of RNase H1, inhibiting the binding of CHCHD2 and Sirt1. In contrast, when G9a was knocked down, recruitment of CHCHD2 and Sirt1 to the RNase H1 promoter increased, which co-inhibited RNase H1 transcription. Furthermore, knockdown of Sirt1 led to binding of G9a to the RNase H1 promoter. In summary, we demonstrated that G9a regulates RNase H1 expression to maintain the steady-state balance of R-loops by suppressing the recruitment of CHCHD2/Sirt1 corepressors to the target gene promoter.

Atrial Fibrillation in Adult Congenital Heart Increase Ischemic Stroke Risk Even at Low CHA2DS2-VASc Score

Background

The population of adults with congenital heart diseases (ACHDs) is expanding, and atrial fibrillation (AF) emerges as a crucial risk factor for ischemic stroke. However, the evidence regarding the impact of AF on the incidence of ischemic stroke in ACHDs remains limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and effect of AF among ACHDs and assess the suitability of the traditional CHA₂DS₂-VASc score in this specific population.

Methods

Data of ACHDs from 2000 to 2010 were retrospectively collected from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. We divided ACHDs into those with and without AF, and ischemic stroke incidence was studied among ACHD subtypes and those who received anticoagulant therapy with warfarin or not according to CHA₂DS₂-VASc score.

Results

36,530 ACHDs were retrieved from the database. ACHDs had a 4.7-15.3 times higher AF risk than did the general population, which varied based on the age group. ACHDs with AF had 1.45 times higher ischemic stroke risk than those without AF (p = 0.009). Ischemic stroke incidence among ACHDs with AF aged < 50 years was 1.46 times higher than those without AF (p = 0.207). Ischemic stroke incidence was over 1.47% even in those with a low CHA₂DS₂-VASc score (0-1) with or without anticoagulant therapy.

Conclusions

During the 12-year follow-up, ACHDs with AF were found to have an increased risk of ischemic stroke. The ischemic stroke incidence was high, even in those with a low CHA₂DS₂-VASc score (0-1).

Integrating lipid metabolism, pheromone production and perception by Fruitless and Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4

Sexual attraction and perception are crucial for mating and reproductive success. In Drosophila melanogaster, the male-specific isoform of Fruitless (Fru), FruM, is a known master neuro-regulator of innate courtship behavior to control the perception of sex pheromones in sensory neurons. Here, we show that the non-sex-specific Fru isoform (FruCOM) is necessary for pheromone biosynthesis in hepatocyte-like oenocytes for sexual attraction. Loss of FruCOM in oenocytes resulted in adults with reduced levels of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), including sex pheromones, and show altered sexual attraction and reduced cuticular hydrophobicity. We further identify Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (Hnf4) as a key target of FruCOM in directing fatty acid conversion to hydrocarbons. Fru or Hnf4 depletion in oenocytes disrupts lipid homeostasis, resulting in a sex-dimorphic CHC profile that differs from doublesex- and transformer-dependent CHC dimorphism. Thus, Fru couples pheromone perception and production in separate organs to regulate chemosensory communications and ensure efficient mating behavior.

Association of Echocardiographic Parameter E/e' With Cardiovascular Events in a Diverse Population of Inpatients and Outpatients With and Without Cardiac Diseases and Risk Factors

BACKGROUND

The echocardiographic parameter E/e' has been associated with cardiovascular (CV) events. However, few studies have analyzed multiple associated CV outcomes using E/e' in a diverse population of both inpatients and outpatients with and without cardiac diseases and risk factors.

METHODS

Medical records of 75,393 patients without atrial fibrillation (AF) with first available E/e' were retrieved from our hospital database. Patients with mitral valve disease were excluded, and the remainder were studied in protocol 1 (70,819 patients). Patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, CV diseases, prior CV events, CV surgeries, and left ventricular ejection fraction <50% or missing left ventricular ejection fraction were further excluded, and the remaining patients were studied in protocol 2 (14,665 patients). The study outcomes are major adverse CV events (MACE), which included myocardial infarction (MI), AF, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke (IHS), hospitalization for heart failure (HHF), and cardiac death. The primary outcomes were MACE and each of the MACE components.

RESULTS

At the end of maximal 5-year follow-up (median 22.18 months with interquartile range 7.20-49.08 months for MACE in protocol 1 and 23.46 months with interquartile range 8.15-49.02 months for MACE in protocol 2), compared with an E/e' value of <8, an intermediate value of E/e' 8 to 15 and a high value of E/e' >15 were significantly associated with MACE, MI, AF, IHS, HHF, and cardiac death in protocol 1 (all P < .0001). In protocol 2, an intermediate E/e' value of 8 to 15 and a high value of E/e' >15 were significantly associated with MACE, MI, AF, IHS, HHF, and CV death (all P < .05), except an intermediate value E/e' 8 to 15 was not associated with AF.

CONCLUSIONS

In a diverse population of inpatients and outpatients with and without cardiac diseases and risk factors, the echocardiographic parameter E/e' was associated with CV events and is a useful marker of risk.

Cell polarity opposes Jak/STAT-mediated Escargot activation that drives intratumor heterogeneity in a Drosophila tumor model

In proliferating neoplasms, microenvironment-derived selective pressures promote tumor heterogeneity by imparting diverse capacities for growth, differentiation, and invasion. However, what makes a tumor cell respond to signaling cues differently from a normal cell is not well understood. In the Drosophila ovarian follicle cells, apicobasal-polarity loss induces heterogeneous epithelial multilayering. When exacerbated by oncogenic-Notch expression, this multilayer displays an increased consistency in the occurrence of morphologically distinguishable cells adjacent to the polar follicle cells. Polar cells release the Jak/STAT ligand Unpaired (Upd), in response to which neighboring polarity-deficient cells exhibit a precursor-like transcriptomic state. Among the several regulons active in these cells, we could detect and further validate the expression of Snail family transcription factor Escargot (Esg). We also ascertain a similar relationship between Upd and Esg in normally developing ovaries, where establishment of polarity determines early follicular differentiation. Overall, our results indicate that epithelial-cell polarity acts as a gatekeeper against microenvironmental selective pressures that drive heterogeneity.

Integrating lipid metabolism, pheromone production and perception by Fruitless and Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4

Sexual attraction and perception, governed by separate genetic circuits in different organs, are crucial for mating and reproductive success, yet the mechanisms of how these two aspects are integrated remain unclear. In Drosophila , the male-specific isoform of Fruitless (Fru), Fru M , is known as a master neuro-regulator of innate courtship behavior to control perception of sex pheromones in sensory neurons. Here we show that the non-sex specific Fru isoform (Fru COM ) is necessary for pheromone biosynthesis in hepatocyte-like oenocytes for sexual attraction. Loss of Fru COM in oenocytes resulted in adults with reduced levels of the cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), including sex pheromones, and show altered sexual attraction and reduced cuticular hydrophobicity. We further identify Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 ( Hnf4 ) as a key target of Fru COM in directing fatty acid conversion to hydrocarbons in adult oenocytes. fru - and Hnf4 -depletion disrupts lipid homeostasis, resulting in a novel sex-dimorphic CHC profile, which differs from doublesex - and transformer -dependent sexual dimorphism of the CHC profile. Thus, Fru couples pheromone perception and production in separate organs for precise coordination of chemosensory communication that ensures efficient mating behavior.

Teaser

Fruitless and lipid metabolism regulator HNF4 integrate pheromone biosynthesis and perception to ensure robust courtship behavior.

Risk factors of involuntary referral by police to ER psychiatric services for patients with a severe mental illness: A GEE analysis

This study aimed to identify risk factors for involuntary referral by police to emergency room (ER) psychiatric services for community-based patients with a mental illness via a generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis. The analysis was based on data from the Management Information System of Psychiatric Care (MISPC) system for patients with a severe mental illness in Taipei, Taiwan and registered referral records of the police. Data on 6378 patients aged ≥20 years were used in this study, including 164 patients who were involuntarily referred to the ER by the police and 6214 patients who were not during the period of January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020. GEEs were utilized to explore possible risk factors of repeated involuntary referral to ER psychiatric services for patients with a severe mental illness. The logistic regressions indicated that patients defined as "severe" according to the Mental Health Act of Taiwan (crude odds ratio (OR): 3.840, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 2.407-6.126), with a disability (crude OR: 3.567, 95 % CI: 1.339-9.501), with two or more family members with a psychiatric disorder (crude OR: 1.598, 95 % CI: 1.002-2.548), with a history of a suicide attempt (crude OR: 25.582, 95 % CI: 17.608-37.167), and with a history of domestic violence (crude OR: 16.141, 95 % CI: 11.539-22.579) were positively associated with involuntary referral to ER psychiatric services. However, age (crude OR: 0.971, 95 % CI: 0.960-0.983) and the MISPC score (crude OR: 0.834, 95 % CI: 0.800-0.869) were inversely associated with involuntary referral to ER psychiatric services. After adjusting for demographics and potential confounders, we found that patients defined as "severe" (Exp (β): 3.236), with a disability (Exp (β): 3.715), with a history of a suicide attempt (Exp (β): 8.706), and with a history of domestic violence (Exp (β): 8.826), as well as age (Exp (β): 0.986) and the MISPC score (Exp (β): 0.902) remained significantly associated with repeated involuntary referral to ER psychiatric services. In conclusion, community-based mentally ill patients with a history of a suicide attempt, with a history of domestic violence, with a severe illness, and with a profound level of disability were highly associated with involuntary referral to ER psychiatric services. We suggest that community mental health case managers identify significant factors associated with involuntary referral to ER psychiatric services to accordingly arrange case management plans.

Effects of Shared Decision-Making with a Patient Decision Aid for Postangiography Hemostasis Method Selection: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effects of shared decision-making (SDM) with a patient decision aid (PtDA) on hemostasis device selection and reduction of decisional conflicts in patients undergoing transfemoral angiography.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients undergoing angiography were randomized to receive either a standard explanation or the process aid of PtDA for choosing hemostasis devices. The decisional conflict was assessed using the 4-item Sure of myself; Understand information; Risk-benefit ratio; Encouragement (SURE) scale. Differences in demographic variables, clinical variables, and final choice of hemostasis devices were compared via univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

In total, 158 patients were included-80 in the PtDA group and 78 in the standard group. No difference was found between the 2 groups in terms of patient demographic and clinical variables. The PtDA group scored better on all questions of the SURE scale both individually and collaboratively (P <.001). PtDA intervention (P =.031) and reason for angiography (P =.0006) were the main variables that influenced patient hemostasis device choice in the univariate logistic regression analysis. Reason for angiography remained the only deciding factor that affected patient choice in the multivariate logistic regression analysis (P =.015).

CONCLUSIONS

Step-by-step guidance and pictorial explanation with the assistance of PtDA led to improvements in patient knowledge but showed no significant impact in multivariate analysis for the influence on the choice of hemostasis device.

[Management and prognosis of extremely preterm infants with gestational age ≤25+6 weeks]

Objective: To investigate the outcomes including major complications and prognosis of extremely preterm infants with gestational age ≤25⁺⁶ weeks. Methods: The cross-sectional study enrolled 233 extremely preterm infants with gestational age ≤25⁺⁶ weeks who were admitted to the Department of Neonatology of Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital from January 2015 to December 2021. The clinical data including perinatal factors, treatments, complications, and prognosis were extracted and analyzed. These extremely preterm infants were also grouped according to gestational age and year of admission to further analyze their survival rate, major complications, causes of death, and long-term outcomes. The comparisons between the groups were performed with Chi-square test and Kruskal-Wallis. Results: Among these 233 extremely preterm infants, 134 (57.5%) were males and 99 (42.5%) females. The gestational age was (24.6±0.9) weeks, the birth weight was 710.0 (605.0,784.5) g, and the overall survival rate was 61.8% (144/233). Among the surviving extremely preterm infants, the earliest gestational age was 22⁺² weeks and the lowest birth weight was 390 g. There were 17.6% (41/233) of extremely preterm infants had treatment withdrawn and were discharged in line with the will of guardians. Among the rest 192 extremely preterm infants managed with aggressive treatments, 14 (7.3%) died in hospital and 34 (17.7%) had treatment withdrawn later due to severe complications. Of the 192 extremely preterm infants, 144 (75.0%) survived, and the survival rate increased year by year (χ²=26.28, P<0.001) while the mortality decreased year by year (χ²=14.09, P=0.027). Among the survivors, 20.8%(30/144) had no major complications, and the incidence of complications was also negatively related with the gestational age (χ²=7.24, P=0.044), and the length of invasive ventilation was negatively related to the gestational age (χ²=29.14, P<0.001). In the group of less than 23⁺⁶ weeks, all extremely preterm infants had one or more major complications. The follow-up were completed in 122 infants and revealed that delayed motor development, language retardation, and hearing and vision impairment accounted for 17.2% (21/122), 8.2% (10/122) and 17.2% (21/122), respectively. Conclusions: Extremely preterm infants with gestational age ≤25⁺⁶ weeks are difficult to treat, but the survival rate of infants undergoing aggressive treatments increases year by year. Although the prevalence of major complications is still high, most extremely preterm infants have acceptable prognosis during follow-up.

[Active surveillance for thyroid micro-malignant nodules]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of ultrasound diagnosis of thyroid micro-malignant nodules and accumulate practical experience for the management of active surveillance for them, so as to avoid overtreatment. Methods: A total of 949 patients who were diagnosed with thyroid malignant nodules using ultrasonography, with the nodules being less than 1 cm in size and without regional lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis, were included. They were treated by the same surgeon of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from February 2014 to December 2020. 112 patients chose immediate surgery. The rest patients were asked to accept ultrasound examination every 6 months to 1 year. Follow-up endpoints: tumor size growth of 3 mm, tumor volume increase greater than 50%, lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis. Results: The median follow-up time was 19 months. 713 patients underwent surveillance for more than 6 months. Of the 713 patients, 570 (79.9%) were women, with mean age at 43.5 years old. Tumor progression was observed in 47 (6.6%) patients with a cumulative incidence of 2.7% (1 year), 7.2% (2 years) and 9.5% (3 years). In multivariate analysis, patient age [HR=0.508, 95%CI: 0.275-0.939, P=0.031], lesion number [HR=2.945, 95%CI: 1.593-5.444, P=0.001] and tumor size [HR=2.245, 95%CI: 1.202-4.192, P=0.011] at the beginning of observation were independent risk factors for tumor progression in patients with minimal thyroid malignant nodules during follow-up. During a median (range) active surveillance of 19 (6-80) months, 74 patients chose surgery during the surveillance. Among the 186 patients who underwent surgery, only 3 patients were diagnosed with fibrotic nodules in pathology, while the rest were papillary thyroid carcinoma. The ultrasound accuracy reached 98.4%(183/186). Conclusions: Ultrasonography is an effective method of diagnosing malignant thyroid nodules. Thyroid micro-malignant nodules progress slowly. As a result, it is safe to observe them instead of taking immediate surgery. Patient age, lesion number and tumor size at the beginning of observation are independent risk factors for the tumor progression of malignant nodules.

Single-cell transcriptomics identifies Keap1-Nrf2 regulated collective invasion in a Drosophila tumor model

Apicobasal cell polarity loss is a founding event in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and epithelial tumorigenesis, yet how pathological polarity loss links to plasticity remains largely unknown. To understand the mechanisms and mediators regulating plasticity upon polarity loss, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of Drosophila ovaries, where inducing polarity-gene l(2)gl-knockdown (Lgl-KD) causes invasive multilayering of the follicular epithelia. Analyzing the integrated Lgl-KD and wildtype transcriptomes, we discovered the cells specific to the various discernible phenotypes and characterized the underlying gene expression. A genetic requirement of Keap1-Nrf2 signaling in promoting multilayer formation of Lgl-KD cells was further identified. Ectopic expression of Keap1 increased the volume of delaminated follicle cells that showed enhanced invasive behavior with significant changes to the cytoskeleton. Overall, our findings describe the comprehensive transcriptome of cells within the follicle cell tumor model at the single-cell resolution and identify a previously unappreciated link between Keap1-Nrf2 signaling and cell plasticity at early tumorigenesis.

Systematic histone H4 replacement in Arabidopsis thaliana reveals a role for H4R17 in regulating flowering time

Despite the broad array of roles for epigenetic mechanisms on regulating diverse processes in eukaryotes, no experimental system is currently available in plants for the direct assessment of histone function. In this work, we present the development of a genetic strategy in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) whereby modified histone H4 transgenes can completely replace the expression of endogenous histone H4 genes. Accordingly, we established a collection of plants expressing different H4 point mutants targeting residues that may be post-translationally modified in vivo. To demonstrate its utility, we screened this new H4 mutant collection to uncover substitutions in H4 that alter flowering time. We identified different mutations in the H4 tail (H4R17A) and the H4 globular domain (H4R36A, H4R39K, H4R39A, and H4K44A) that strongly accelerate the floral transition. Furthermore, we identified a conserved regulatory relationship between H4R17 and the ISWI chromatin remodeling complex in plants: As with other biological systems, H4R17 regulates nucleosome spacing via ISWI. Overall, this work provides a large set of H4 mutants to the plant epigenetics community that can be used to systematically assess histone H4 function in Arabidopsis and a roadmap to replicate this strategy for studying other histone proteins in plants.

Fringe-positive Golgi outposts unite temporal Furin 2 convertase activity and spatial Delta signal to promote dendritic branch retraction

Golgi outposts (GOPs) in dendrites are known for their role in promoting branch extension, but whether GOPs have other functions is unclear. We found that terminal branches of Drosophila class IV dendritic arborization (C4da) neurons actively grow during the early third-instar (E3) larval stage but retract in the late third (L3) stage. Interestingly, the Fringe (Fng) glycosyltransferase localizes increasingly at GOPs in distal dendritic regions through the E3 to the L3 stage. Expression of the endopeptidase Furin 2 (Fur2), which proteolyzes and inactivates Fng, decreases from E3 to L3 in C4da neurons, thereby increasing Fng-positive GOPs in dendrites. The epidermal Delta ligand and neuronal Notch receptor, the substrate for Fng-mediated O-glycosylation, also negatively regulate dendrite growth. Fng inhibits actin dynamics in dendrites, linking dendritic branch retraction to suppression of the C4da-mediated thermal nociception response in late larval stages. Thus, Fng-positive GOPs function in dendrite retraction, which would add another function to the repertoire of GOPs in dendrite arborization.

Developmental regulation of epithelial cell cuboidal-to-squamous transition in Drosophila follicle cells

Epithelial cells form continuous membranous structures for organ formation, and these cells are classified into three major morphological categories: cuboidal, columnar, and squamous. It is crucial that cells transition between these shapes during the morphogenetic events of organogenesis, yet this process remains poorly understood. All three epithelial cell shapes can be found in the follicular epithelium of Drosophila egg chamber during oogenesis. Squamous cells (SCs) are initially restricted to the anterior terminus in cuboidal shape. They then rapidly become flattened to assume squamous shape by stretching and expansion in 12 ​h during midoogenesis. Previously, we reported that Notch signaling activated a zinc-finger transcription factor Broad (Br) at the end of early oogenesis. Here we report that ecdysone and JAK/STAT pathways subsequently converge on Br to serve as an important spatiotemporal regulator of this dramatic morphological change of SCs. The early uniform pattern of Br in the follicular epithelium is directly established by Notch signaling at stage 5 of oogenesis. Later, ecdysone and JAK/STAT signaling activities synergize to suppress Br in SCs from stage 8 to 10a, contributing to proper SC squamous shape. During this process, ecdysone signaling is essential for SC stretching, while JAK/STAT regulates SC clustering and cell fate determination. This study reveals an inhibitory role of ecdysone signaling in suppressing Br in epithelial cell remodeling. In this study we also used single-cell RNA sequencing data to highlight the shift in gene expression which occurs as Br is suppressed and cells become flattened.

The Role of the TSK/TONSL-H3.1 Pathway in Maintaining Genome Stability in Multicellular Eukaryotes

Replication-dependent histone H3.1 and replication-independent histone H3.3 are nearly identical proteins in most multicellular eukaryotes. The N-terminal tails of these H3 variants, where the majority of histone post-translational modifications are made, typically differ by only one amino acid. Despite extensive sequence similarity with H3.3, the H3.1 variant has been hypothesized to play unique roles in cells, as it is specifically expressed and inserted into chromatin during DNA replication. However, identifying a function that is unique to H3.1 during replication has remained elusive. In this review, we discuss recent findings regarding the involvement of the H3.1 variant in regulating the TSK/TONSL-mediated resolution of stalled or broken replication forks. Uncovering this new function for the H3.1 variant has been made possible by the identification of the first proteins containing domains that can selectively bind or modify the H3.1 variant. The functional characterization of H3-variant-specific readers and writers reveals another layer of chromatin-based information regulating transcription, DNA replication, and DNA repair.

Lipoprotein(a) is Associated with Cardiovascular Events in Low Risk Males: Results from a Health Checkup Cohort with Long-Term Follow-Up

OBJECTIVE

Elevated lipoprotein(a) level is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, the strength of this association in healthy individuals is unknown.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed medical records obtained from a Health Examination Program. The records, covering the period 2002-2015, were from 2,634 men at low risk, as indicated by their Framingham Risk Score and Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) score, and included lipoprotein(a) data. We categorized the participants on the basis of their lipoprotein(a) level and analyzed the association of this level with cardiovascular events.

RESULTS

The study population had a mean age of 46 years. In total, 32 cardiovascular disease events - 6 strokes and 26 coronary artery events - were identified. An increase of 5 mg/dL in the lipoprotein(a) level (independent of low-density cholesterol) raised the cardiovascular disease risk by 8% over a period of 10 years (p = 0.014). Sensitivity analysis also yielded this result, even after excluding hypertension and diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated lipoprotein(a) may be a risk factor for coronary artery disease, even in male populations defined as having a low risk according to the Framingham Risk Score and SCORE.

The histone H3.1 variant regulates TONSOKU-mediated DNA repair during replication

The tail of replication-dependent histone H3.1 varies from that of replication-independent H3.3 at the amino acid located at position 31 in plants and animals, but no function has been assigned to this residue to demonstrate a unique and conserved role for H3.1 during replication. We found that TONSOKU (TSK/TONSL), which rescues broken replication forks, specifically interacts with H3.1 via recognition of alanine 31 by its tetratricopeptide repeat domain. Our results indicate that genomic instability in the absence of ATXR5/ATXR6-catalyzed histone H3 lysine 27 monomethylation in plants depends on H3.1, TSK, and DNA polymerase theta (Pol θ). This work reveals an H3.1-specific function during replication and a common strategy used in multicellular eukaryotes for regulating post-replicative chromatin maturation and TSK, which relies on histone monomethyltransferases and reading of the H3.1 variant.

[Associations between plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and gestational diabetes mellitus in the second trimester]

Objective: To examine the associations between plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the second trimester and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among Chinese pregnant women. Methods: Based on data from the Tongji-Shuangliu Birth Cohort enrolled from 2017 to 2019 in the Shuangliu Maternal and Child Health Hospital, it conducted a case-control study among 269 GDM cases who were diagnosed by 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, and 538 non-GDM controls matched at a 1∶2 ratio on maternal age and gestational weeks. The age range of the 807 women was 18-40 years. Fasting plasma n-3 PUFAs were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the second trimester (24-28 weeks). Participants were categorized into quartiles (Q1-Q4) of plasma n-3 PUFAs based on distributions in the control group. Conditional logistic regression models were applied to estimate the associations between plasma n-3 PUFAs and GDM. Results: The median (interquartile) relative concentrations of plasma n-3 PUFA C22∶5n-3 was significantly lower in women with GDM 0.87 (0.72, 1.07) compared with women without GDM 0.94 (0.75, 1.19)(P=0.001). Plasma n-3 PUFA C22∶5n-3 was inversely associated with GDM, with an OR (95%CI) of 0.75 (0.62-0.90) for each SD increase of relative concentration. Compared with the Q1 group, the OR values and 95%CIs of Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups were 0.97 (0.62-1.51), 0.72 (0.45-1.15), and 0.54 (0.32-0.90), respectively (P_trend<0.05). However, there were no significant associations of C18∶3n-3, C20∶5n-3, C22∶6n-3, and total n-3 PUFAs with GDM. Conclusion: Plasma n-3 PUFA C22∶5n-3 was inversely associated with GDM during the second trimester.