ViMIC: a database of human disease-related virus mutations, integration sites and cis-effects

Molecular mechanisms of virus-related diseases involve multiple factors, including viral mutation accumulation and integration of a viral genome into the host DNA. With increasing attention being paid to virus-mediated pathogenesis and the development of many useful technologies to identify virus mutations (VMs) and viral integration sites (VISs), much research on these topics is available in PubMed. However, knowledge of VMs and VISs is widely scattered in numerous published papers which lack standardization, integration and curation. To address these challenges, we built a pilot database of human disease-related Virus Mutations, Integration sites and Cis-effects (ViMIC), which specializes in three features: virus mutation sites, viral integration sites and target genes. In total, the ViMIC provides information on 31 712 VMs entries, 105 624 VISs, 16 310 viral target genes and 1 110 015 virus sequences of eight viruses in 77 human diseases obtained from the public domain. Furthermore, in ViMIC users are allowed to explore the cis-effects of virus-host interactions by surveying 78 histone modifications, binding of 1358 transcription regulators and chromatin accessibility on these VISs. We believe ViMIC will become a valuable resource for the virus research community. The database is available at http://bmtongji.cn/ViMIC/index.php.

Critical role of FPR1 in splenocyte migration into brain to worsen inflammation and ischemic brain injury in mice

Background: Splenocyte contribution to ischemic brain injury has been suggested. It is not known whether this effect is due to systemic action or direct influence in ischemic brain tissues. It is also not known how splenocytes migrate into the brain and worsen neurological outcome after brain ischemia. We determined the role of formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1), a receptor expressed in monocytes, in the migration of splenocytes into ischemic brain tissues and the contribution of these splenocytes to ischemic brain injury. Methods: Mice with or without fpr1 knockout were subjected to transient focal brain ischemia. The migration of splenocytes was assessed under in vivo and in vitro conditions. Results: cFLFLF, a FPR1 antagonist, inhibited splenocyte migration into the brain and neuroinflammation after ischemic stroke. cFLFLF improved neurological outcome assessed 24 hours or 28 days after stroke. cFLFLF did not alter blood-brain barrier permeability in the ischemic brain. fpr1 ^-/- mice had an attenuated peripheral monocyte and neutrophil infiltration into the brain, a reduced proinflammatory cytokine level and an improved neurological outcome compared with wild-type mice after brain ischemia. cFLFLF did not affect the proinflammatory cytokine levels in the spleen and brain of fpr1 ^-/- mice after ischemic stroke. Conclusions: These results suggest that FPR1 facilitates splenocyte migration into the brain and proinflammatory cytokine production to worsen neurological outcome after brain ischemia, indicating a direct effect of splenocytes on ischemic brain tissues. Our results support the notion that cFLFLF via blocking FPR1 signaling inhibits those pathological processes and is a potential agent for neuroprotection.

Abstract P040: Harness the immune-modulatory activities of Toxoplasma gondii to improve lymphocyte infiltration into brain tumors

While checkpoint inhibitors carry great promises for T-cells-based immunotherapy for brain tumors, the presence of abundant T cells supported by the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a prerequisite for it to be effective. Our lab and others' work using mouse models and patient samples demonstrated that, Shh-subtype medulloblastoma, a well-studied pediatric brain tumor, lacks both T cell infiltration and a supportive TME, posing a critical barrier for immunotherapy. I envision that the protozoans Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii) as a biological agent could provide a unique solution, because T.gondii can naturally disseminate to the brain and induce significant infiltration and activation of T cells asymptomatically. We hypothesize that T.gondii could attract T cells into brain tumors while at the same time convert the non-supportive TME into one that is conducive for T cells. Using a mouse model for medulloblastoma based on a genetic system called Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers (MADM) that recapitulates the tumorigenic process in human by producing few and precisely labeled mutant cells, I was able to assess the immuno-modulatory potential of T.gondii in the context of an intact immune system and endogenous TME. Our preliminary data revealed three exciting facets about T.gondii's immunotherapeutic potential. Via histological assessment and flow cytometry, we found that at 24 days post infection, abundant T cells are recruited into TME. Correspondingly, we detected significant elevation of IFNg and IFNg-driven genes in the tumors, suggesting Th-1 immunity presence in TME. Lastly, we found that T.gondii challenge is associated with reduced tumor incidence. These results indicates T.gondii holds potent immuno-modulatory capability and potentially anti-tumoral functions. My follow-up studies with dive more deeply into three aspects: 1) determine whether T. gondii can sustainably recruit functional T cells into the tumor mass; 2) determine whether T. gondii can help shape a T cell-supportive TME, especially through activating Th1-immune response in innate immune cells; and 3) identify the underlying mechanisms for T.gondii to exert tumor-suppressing activities.

Citation Format: Yen Nguyen, Xiaoyu Zhao, Sarah Ewald, Tajie Harris, Hui Zong. Harness the immune-modulatory activities of Toxoplasma gondii to improve lymphocyte infiltration into brain tumors [abstract]. In: Abstracts: AACR Virtual Special Conference: Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2021 Oct 5-6. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2022;10(1 Suppl):Abstract nr P040.

Evaluation of the in vitro Activity and in vivo Efficacy of Anidulafungin-Loaded Human Serum Albumin Nanoparticles Against Candida albicans

Recent decades have seen a significant increase in invasive fungal infections, resulting in unacceptably high mortality rates. Anidulafungin (AN) is the newest echinocandin and appears to have several advantages over existing antifungals. However, its poor water solubility and burdensome route of administration (i.e., repeated, long-term intravenous infusions) have limited its practical use. The objective of this study was to develop anidulafungin-loaded Human Serum Albumin (HSA) nanoparticles (NP) so as to increase both its solubility and antifungal efficacy. HSA was reduced using SDS and DTT, allowing liberation of free thiols to form the intermolecular disulfide network and nanoassembly. Reduced HSA was then added to MES buffer (0.1 M, pH 4.8) and magnetically stirred at 350 rpm and 25°C with AN (m/m 50:1) for 2 h to form nanoparticles (AN NP). We next performed routine antifungal susceptibility testing of Candida strains (n = 31) using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) methodologies. Finally, the in vivo efficacy of both AN and AN NP was investigated in a murine model of invasive infection by one of the most common fungal species—C. albicans. The results indicated that our carrier formulations successfully improved the water solubility of AN and encapsulated AN, with the latter having a particle size of 29 ± 1.5 nm with Polymer dispersity index (PDI) equaling 0.173 ± 0.039. In vitro AN NP testing revealed a stronger effect against Candida species (n = 31), with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values 4- to 32-fold lower than AN alone. In mice infected with Candida and having invasive candidiasis, we found that AN NP prolonged survival time (P < 0.005) and reduced fungal burden in kidneys compared to equivalent concentrations of free drug (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, the anidulafungin nanoparticles developed here have the potential to improve drug administration and therapeutic outcomes for individuals suffering from fungal diseases.

Prevalence and Temporal Trends Analysis of Screening and Diagnostic Instruments in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Text Mining Study

BACKGROUND

Various instruments for patient screening and diagnosis have been developed for and applied in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

OBJECTIVE

This study comprehensively investigates the prevalence and temporal trends of the most widely used instruments in PTSD-related studies.

METHODS

A total of 1345 files of registered clinical trials from ClinicalTrials.gov and 9422 abstracts from the PubMed database from 2005 to 2020 were downloaded for this study. The instruments applied in clinical trials were manually annotated, and instruments in abstracts were recognized using exact string matching. The prevalence score of an instrument in a certain period was calculated as the number of studies divided by the number of instances of the instrument. By calculating the yearly prevalence index of each instrument, we conducted a trends analysis and compared the trends in index change between instruments.

RESULTS

A total of 4178 instrument synonyms were annotated, which were mapped to 1423 unique instruments. In the 16 years from 2005 to 2020, only 10 instruments were used more than once per year; the 4 most used instruments were the PTSD Checklist, the Clinician-Administered PTSD Disorder Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory. There were 18 instruments whose yearly prevalence index score exceeded 0.1 at least once during the 16 years. The changes in trends and time points of partial instruments in clinical trials and PubMed abstracts were highly consistent. The average time duration of a PTSD-related trial was 1495.5 days or approximately 4 years from submission to ClinicalTrial.gov to publication in a journal.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of widely accepted and appropriate instruments can help improve the reliability of research results in PTSD-related clinical studies. With extensive text data obtained from real clinical trials and published articles, we investigated and compared the usage of instruments in the PTSD research community.

The risk factors and predictive nomogram of human albumin infusion during the perioperative period of posterior lumbar interbody fusion: a study based on 2015-2020 data from a local hospital

BACKGROUND

Perioperative hypoalbuminemia of the posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) can increase the risk of infection of the incision site, and it is challenging to accurately predict perioperative hypoproteinemia. The objective of this study was to create a clinical predictive nomogram and validate its accuracy by finding the independent risk factors for perioperative hypoalbuminemia of PLIF.

METHODS

The patients who underwent PLIF at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University between January 2015 and December 2020 were selected in this study. Besides, variables such as age, gender, BMI, current and past medical history, indications for surgery, surgery-related information, and results of preoperative blood routine tests were also collected from each patient. These patients were divided into injection group and non-injection group according to whether they were injected with human albumin. And they were also divided into training group and validation group, with the ratio of 4:1. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed in the training group to find the independent risk factors. The nomogram was developed based on these independent predictors. In addition, the area under the curve (AUC), the calibration curve and the decision curve analysis (DCA) were drawn in the training and validation groups to evaluate the prediction, calibration and clinical validity of the model. Finally, the nomograms in the training and validation groups and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of each independent risk factor were drawn to analyze the performance of this model.

RESULTS

A total of 2482 patients who met our criteria were recruited in this study and 256 (10.31%) patients were injected with human albumin perioperatively. There were 1985 people in the training group and 497 in the validation group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed 5 independent risk factors, including old age, accompanying T2DM, level of preoperative albumin, amount of intraoperative blood loss and fusion stage. We drew nomograms. The AUC of the nomograms in the training group and the validation group were 0.807, 95% CI 0.774-0.840 and 0.859, 95% CI 0.797-0.920, respectively. The calibration curve shows consistency between the prediction and observation results. DCA showed a high net benefit from using nomograms to predict the risk of perioperative injection of human albumin. The AUCs of nomograms in the training and the validation groups were significantly higher than those of five independent risk factors mentioned above (P < 0.001), suggesting that the model is strongly predictive.

CONCLUSION

Preoperative low protein, operative stage ≥ 3, a relatively large amount of intraoperative blood loss, old age and history of diabetes were independent predictors of albumin infusion after PLIF. A predictive model for the risk of albumin injection during the perioperative period of PLIF was created using the above 5 predictors, and then validated. The model can be used to assess the risk of albumin injection in patients during the perioperative period of PLIF. The model is highly predictive, so it can be clinically applied to reduce the incidence of perioperative hypoalbuminemia.

[Multi-center real world study of the efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel in the treatment of advanced breast cancer]

Objective: To observe the efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Methods: Multi-center data of patients who accepted single-drug albumin-bound paclitaxel or combination regimens from 2013 to 2019 were collected and the efficacy and safety were evaluated. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, while Log-rank test was used to compare the survival rates. Results: A total of 203 advanced breast cancer cases were enrolled. The median progression-free survival time (PFS) lasted for 4 months, the median overall survival(OS)was 14 months, objective response rate (ORR) was 36.0% while the disease control rate (DCR) was 81.3%. The ORRs of Luminal, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression and triple-negative breast cancer patients underwent albumin-bound paclitaxel treatment were 37.3%, 45.5% and 31.0%, respectively, the DCRs were 85.5%, 68.2% and 78.9%, respectively. The OS of patients with relapse or metastasis who accepted less than two and more than two chemotherapy regimens were 22 months and 11 months (P<0.000 1), the ORRs were 44.9% vs 30.4%, DCRs were 87.2% vs 77.6% (P=0.018). The ORR and DCR of patients who accepted traditional paclitaxel treatment before the albumin-bound paclitaxel treatment were 35.8% and 82.1%, respectively. The common adverse reaction of these patients was numbness of limbs, which incidence rate was 64.5% (131/203), and 61.1% (124/203) were degree 1 to 2. Other adverse reactions including decreased white blood cells, which incidence rate was 56.1% (114/203); nausea and vomit, which incidence rate was 36.9% (75/203); anemia, which incidence rate was 21.2% (43/203); decreased platelet, which incidence rate was 18.7% (38/203); hepatic dysfunction, which incidence rate was 18.2% (37/203). Conclusions: Albumin-bound paclitaxel single or combination regimen is still significant efficient for various molecular subtypes of breast cancer patients or patients with traditional paclitaxel resistance or multi-line chemotherapy failure. Early usage has better prognosis, controllable adverse reaction and prominent clinical application value.

New Xanthones with Antiagricultural Fungal Pathogen Activities from the Endophytic Fungus Diaporthe goulteri L17

Six new xanthone dimers, diaporxanthones A-F (1-6), and an unusual xanthone monomer diaporxanthone G (7), in addition to seven known analogues (8-14), were isolated and identified from endophytic Diaporthe goulteri L17 harbored in the fruits of the salt-tolerant plant Vitex trifolia. The chemical structures of these metabolites were elucidated on the basis of nuclear magnetic resonance, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and reported data in the literature. Their absolute configurations were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis together with time-dependent density functional theory electronic circular dichroism calculations. Among these compounds, compounds 1 and 6 exhibited moderate antifungal activities against Nectria sp. and Colletotrichum musae and compound 4 showed significant cytotoxicity against all selected five cancer cell lines.

Establishment and Verification of a Perioperative Blood Transfusion Model After Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Retrospective Study Based on Data From a Local Hospital

Objective: We aimed to analyze the related risk factors for blood transfusion and establish a blood transfusion risk model during the per-ioperative period of posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). It could provide a reference for clinical prevention and reduction of the risk of blood transfusion during the peri-operative period. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 4,378 patients who underwent PLIF in our hospital. According to whether they were transfused blood or not, patients were divided into the non-blood transfusion group and the blood transfusion group. We collected variables of each patient, including age, sex, BMI, current medical history, past medical history, surgical indications, surgical information, and preoperative routine blood testing. We randomly divide the whole population into training group and test group according to the ratio of 4:1. We used the multivariate regression analyses get the independent predictors in the training set. The nomogram was established based on these independent predictors. Then, we used the AUC, calibration curve and DCA to evaluate the nomogram. Finally, we verified the performance of the nomogram in the validation set. Results: Three or more lumbar fusion segments, preoperative low hemoglobin, with hypertension, lower BMI, and elder people were risk factors for blood transfusion. For the training and validation sets, the AUCs of the nomogram were 0.881 (95% CI: 0.865-0.903) and 0.890 (95% CI: 0.773-0.905), respectively. The calibration curve shows that the nomogram is highly consistent with the actual observed results. The DCA shows that the nomogram has good clinical application value. The AUC of the nomogram is significantly larger than the AUCs of independent risk factors in the training and validation set. Conclusion: Three or more lumbar fusion segments, preoperative low hemoglobin, with hypertension, lower BMI, and elder people are associated with blood transfusion during the peri-operative period. Based on these factors, we established a blood transfusion nomogram and verified that it can be used to assess the risk of blood transfusion after PLIF. It could help clinicians to make clinical decisions and reduce the incidence of peri-operative blood transfusion.

Semantic categorization of Chinese eligibility criteria in clinical trials using machine learning methods

BACKGROUND

Semantic categorization analysis of clinical trials eligibility criteria based on natural language processing technology is crucial for the task of optimizing clinical trials design and building automated patient recruitment system. However, most of related researches focused on English eligibility criteria, and to the best of our knowledge, there are no researches studied the Chinese eligibility criteria. Thus in this study, we aimed to explore the semantic categories of Chinese eligibility criteria.

METHODS

We downloaded the clinical trials registration files from the website of Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) and extracted both the Chinese eligibility criteria and corresponding English eligibility criteria. We represented the criteria sentences based on the Unified Medical Language System semantic types and conducted the hierarchical clustering algorithm for the induction of semantic categories. Furthermore, in order to explore the classification performance of Chinese eligibility criteria with our developed semantic categories, we implemented multiple classification algorithms, include four baseline machine learning algorithms (LR, NB, kNN, SVM), three deep learning algorithms (CNN, RNN, FastText) and two pre-trained language models (BERT, ERNIE).

RESULTS

We totally developed 44 types of semantic categories, summarized 8 topic groups, and investigated the average incidence and prevalence in 272 hepatocellular carcinoma related Chinese clinical trials. Compared with the previous proposed categories in English eligibility criteria, 13 novel categories are identified in Chinese eligibility criteria. The classification result shows that most of semantic categories performed quite well, the pre-trained language model ERNIE achieved best performance with macro-average F1 score of 0.7980 and micro-average F1 score of 0.8484.

CONCLUSION

As a pilot study of Chinese eligibility criteria analysis, we developed the 44 semantic categories by hierarchical clustering algorithms for the first times, and validated the classification capacity with multiple classification algorithms.

Zoom lens with high zoom ratio design based on Gaussian bracket and particle swarm optimization

In this paper, we use Gaussian brackets and a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to design a 20× four-group zoom lens with a focus tunable lens and two moving groups. This method uses Gaussian brackets to derive the paraxial design equations of the zoom lens and determine the lens parameters. In the optimization stage, we define an objective function as a performance indicator to optimize its first-order design and implement the PSO algorithm in MATLAB to find its global optimal first-order design. The optimized 20× zoom lens has a focal length of 4.5-90 mm and a total length of 145 mm. This method solves the difficulty of solving the initial structure of the zoom. Compared with traditional trial and error, the calculation speed is faster, the accuracy is higher, and it does not rely on the initial value. The results show that this method is suitable for the first-order design of complex optical systems.

Premalignant Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells Stall in a Heterogeneous State of Replication Stress Prior to Gliomagenesis

Cancer evolves from premalignant clones that adopt unusual cell states to achieve transformation. We previously pinpointed the oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) as a cell of origin for glioma, but the early changes of mutant OPCs during premalignancy remained unknown. Using mice engineered for inducible Nf1-Trp53 loss in OPCs, we acutely isolated labeled mutant OPCs by laser-capture microdissection, determined global gene-expression changes by bulk RNA sequencing, and compared with cell-state fluctuations at the single-cell level by stochastic profiling, which uses RNA-sequencing measurements from random pools of 10 mutant cells. At 12 days after Nf1-Trp53 deletion, bulk differences were mostly limited to mitotic hallmarks and genes for ribosome biosynthesis, and stochastic profiling revealed a spectrum of stem-progenitor (Axl, Aldh1a1), proneural, and mesenchymal states as potential starting points for gliomagenesis. At 90 days, bulk sequencing detected few differentially expressed transcripts, whereas stochastic profiling revealed cell states for neurons and mural cells that do not give rise to glial tumors, suggesting cellular dead-ends for gliomagenesis. Importantly, mutant OPCs that strongly expressed key effectors of nonsense-mediated decay (Upf3b) and homology-dependent DNA repair (Rad51c, Slx1b, Ercc4) were identified along with DNA-damage markers, suggesting transcription-associated replication stress. Analysis of 10-cell transcriptomes at 90 days identified a locus of elevated gene expression containing an additional repair endonuclease (Mus81) and Rin1, a Ras-Raf antagonist and possible counterbalance to Nf1 loss, which was microdeleted or downregulated in gliomas at 150 days. These hidden cell-state variations uncover replication stress as a potential bottleneck that must be resolved for glioma initiation. SIGNIFICANCE: Profiling premalignant cell states in a mouse model of glioma uncovers regulatory heterogeneity in glioma cells-of-origin and defines a state of replication stress that precedes tumor initiation.See related articles by Singh and colleagues, p. 1840 and Schaff and colleagues, p. 1853.

Gliomas Interact with Non-glioma Brain Cells via Extracellular Vesicles

Emerging evidence suggests that crosstalk between glioma cells and the brain microenvironment may influence brain tumor growth. To date, known reciprocal interactions among these cells have been limited to the release of paracrine factors. Combining a genetic strategy with longitudinal live imaging, we find that individual gliomas communicate with distinct sets of non-glioma cells, including glial cells, neurons, and vascular cells. Transfer of genetic material is achieved mainly through extracellular vesicles (EVs), although cell fusion also plays a minor role. We further demonstrate that EV-mediated communication leads to the increase of synaptic activity in neurons. Blocking EV release causes a reduction of glioma growth in vivo. Our findings indicate that EV-mediated interaction between glioma cells and non-glioma brain cells alters the tumor microenvironment and contributes to glioma development.

Improving the productivity of Candida glycerinogenes in the fermentation of ethanol from non-detoxified sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate by a hexose transporter mutant

AIMS

In this study, we attempted to increase the productivity of Candida glycerinogenes yeast for ethanol production from non-detoxified sugarcane bagasse hydrolysates (NDSBH) by identifying the hexose transporter in this yeast that makes a high contribution to glucose consumption, and by adding additional copies of this transporter and enhancing its membrane localisation stability (MLS).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Based on the knockout and overexpression of key hexose transporter genes and the characterisation of their promoter properties, we found that Cghxt4 and Cghxt6 play major roles in the early and late stages of fermentation, respectively, with Cghxt4 contributing most to glucose consumption. Next, subcellular localisation analysis revealed that a common mutation of two ubiquitination sites (K9 and K538) in Cghxt4 improved its MLS. Finally, we overexpressed this Cghxt4 mutant (Cghxt4.2A) using a strong promoter, P_CgGAP , which resulted in a significant increase in the ethanol productivity of C. glycerinogenes in the NDSBH medium. Specifically, the recombinant strain showed 18 and 25% higher ethanol productivity than the control in two kinds of YP-NDSBH medium (YP-NDSBH1_G160 and YP-NDSBH2_G160 ), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The hexose transporter mutant Cghxt4.2A (Cghxt4^K9A,K538A ) with multiple copies and high MLS was able to significantly increase the ethanol productivity of C. glycerinogenes in NDSBH.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Our results provide a promising strategy for constructing efficient strains for ethanol production.

Effect of traditional Chinese medicine formula GeGen decoction on primary dysmenorrhea: A randomized controlled trial study

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

GeGen Decoction, a well-known Chinese herbal formula, is widely used in China and other Asian countries to treat gynecological diseases, including primary dysmenorrhea. Pharmacological studies have confirmed that GeGen Decoction is able to inhibit spasmodic contractions of the uterus in vivo and in vitro.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The objective of this study is to examine the efficacy and safety of GeGen Decoction on primary dysmenorrheic patients.

METHODS

This was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. GeGen Decoction or placebo was administered a week before the expected start of each cycle for three consecutive menstrual periods. Between-group differences in pain intensity were detected by visual analogue scale (VAS). In addition, serum levels of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and estrogen (E) were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Metabolomic analysis was further used to evaluate the influence of GeGen Decoction on the metabolomics of primary dysmenorrheic patients.

RESULTS

A total of 71 primary dysmenorrheic women were recruited and 30 participants met the criteria were randomized into GeGen Decoction or placebo group. After three consecutive menstrual cycles' treatments, the VAS score of the GeGen Decoction group was significantly lower than that of the placebo group. Both serum levels of AVP and E decreased after GeGen Decoction administration, while the placebo seemed to have little effect on either of the index. Moreover, after GeGen Decoction treatment, seven important metabolites were identified by metabolomic analysis compared to the placebo group. No abnormalities in blood biochemical and routine physical examination pre and post GeGen Decoction intervention were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

GeGen Decoction can remarkably relieve the severity of menstrual pain without obvious adverse effects. Its therapeutic effect on primary dysmenorrhea might be related to the regulation of pituitary hypothalamic ovarian hormones, and interfering with the metabolic change.

50X five-group inner-focus zoom lens design with focus tunable lens using Gaussian brackets and lens modules

This study presents a 50X five-group zoom lens design with two moving groups and one focus tunable lens (FTL) by applying Gaussian brackets and lens modules. After qualitative analysis of the paraxial properties, the initial structure is obtained by solving the power equations consisting of five groups by numerical analysis method. The optimized nearly 60X lens has a focal length of 5.1-300mm and f-number of 1.8-5.0 in wide and tele positions, with a total length of 160mm. The lens achieves a maximum FOV of 63° at short focal length. The tolerance analysis indicates that the design is suitable for mass production. The method eases the difficulty in initial structure design of the zoom lens with high zoom ratio, improves its optical design efficiency, and can be applied to the fields such as customs security cameras, military detecting devices, machine vision and industrial inspection, etc.

Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers reveals IGF1R function in granule cell progenitors during cerebellar development

During cerebellar development, granule cell progenitors (GCPs) proliferate exponentially for a fixed period, promoted by paracrine mitogenic factor Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) secreted from Purkinje cells (PCs). Dysregulation of Shh signaling leads to uncontrolled GCP proliferation and medulloblastoma. Serendipitously our previous work discovered insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) as another key driver for medulloblastoma, which led to the current investigation into the role of IGF1 in GCPs during normal development. While the IGF1R conditional knockout model revealed GCP defects in anterior cerebellum, the posterior cerebellum was mostly intact, likely owing to incomplete excision of floxed alleles. To circumvent this hurdle, we enlisted a mouse genetic system called Mosaic Analysis of Double Markers (MADM), which sporadically generates homozygous null cells unequivocally labeled with GFP and their wildtype sibling cells labeled with RFP, enabling phenotypic analysis at single-cell resolution. Using MADM, we found that loss of IGF1R resulted in a 10-fold reduction of GCs in both anterior and posterior cerebellum; and that hindered S phase entry and increased cell cycle exit collectively led to this phenotype. Genetic interaction studies showed that IGF1 signaling prevents GCP cell cycle exit at least partially through suppressing the level of p27kip1, a negative regulator of cell cycle. Finally, we found that IGF1 is produced by PCs in a temporally regulated fashion: it is highly expressed early in development when GCPs proliferate exponentially, then gradually decline as GCPs commit to cell cycle exit. Taken together, our studies reveal IGF1 as a paracrine factor that positively regulates GCP cell cycle in cooperation with Shh, through dampening the level of p27 to prevent precocious cell cycle exit. Our work not only showcases the power of phenotypic analysis by the MADM system but also provides an excellent example of multi-factorial regulation of robust developmental programs.

[Construction and analysis of competitive endogenous RNA regulatory network related to gastric cancer]

Objective: To construct the competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network related to gastric cancer and explore the molecular mechanism. Methods: The expression profiles of lncRNA, miRNA and mRNA in gastric cancer and paracancer tissues were analyzed by biochip technology, edgeR package in R software was used to filtrate differential expression genes (multiple change of >1.5 times, P<0.05) and volcano map was drawn. Based on the online miRNA-lncRNA prediction tool lncBase database and the miRNA Target gene prediction database (miRTarBase, target-scan, miRDB, starBase), the relationship between miRNA, lncRNA and mRNA was predicted. Cytoscape software was used to construct lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network and key genes (hub genes) were identified based on cytohubba calculation of degree score of each node. Then Hub genes related to the prognosis of gastric cancer were verified in the TCGA database. The GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of differentially expressed mRNA was performed using the online biological information annotation database DAVID, P<0.05 and false discovery rate (FDR)<0.05 were used as cut-off criteria. R software was used to download the RNA sequencing data and mirna-seq data of gastric cancer and adjacent tissues in TCGA database, edgeR package was used to screen out differentially expressed mRNA, miRNA and lncRNA, and some differentially expressed genes in our data were verified. In OncoLnc database, STAD project of TCGA data was selected and hub gene was input. Patients were divided into two groups based on the median value for hub genes and Kaplan-meier analysis was performed. Results: The differentially expressed 766 mRNA, 110 lncRNA and 10 miRNA were screened out, among them 90 mRNA, 4 lncRNA and 6 miRNA were used to construct the ceRNA network, and 2 of the 20 hub genes were related to the prognosis of patients. MLK7-AS1, SPP1, SULF1, hsa-miR-1307-3p were upregulated in gastric cancer tissues from our biochip, while MT2A, MT1X were downregulated, which were consistent with the results of TCGA gastric cancer database. The differentially expressed mRNAs were significantly enriched in the biological process (BP) and the mineral absorption pathway. CHST1 was negatively correlated while miR-183-5p was positively corelated with the survival of patients. Conclusion: The establishment of ceRNA network for gastric cancer is conducive to further understanding of the molecular biological mechanism. CHST1 and miR-183-5p can be used as prognostic factors of gastric cancer.

Astrocytic trans-Differentiation Completes a Multicellular Paracrine Feedback Loop Required for Medulloblastoma Tumor Growth

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is critical for tumor progression. However, the establishment and function of the TME remain obscure because of its complex cellular composition. Using a mouse genetic system called mosaic analysis with double markers (MADMs), we delineated TME evolution at single-cell resolution in sonic hedgehog (SHH)-activated medulloblastomas that originate from unipotent granule neuron progenitors in the brain. First, we found that astrocytes within the TME (TuAstrocytes) were trans-differentiated from tumor granule neuron precursors (GNPs), which normally never differentiate into astrocytes. Second, we identified that TME-derived IGF1 promotes tumor progression. Third, we uncovered that insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) is produced by tumor-associated microglia in response to interleukin-4 (IL-4) stimulation. Finally, we found that IL-4 is secreted by TuAstrocytes. Collectively, our studies reveal an evolutionary process that produces a multi-lateral network within the TME of medulloblastoma: a fraction of tumor cells trans-differentiate into TuAstrocytes, which, in turn, produce IL-4 that stimulates microglia to produce IGF1 to promote tumor progression.

Oxidative damage under As3+ and/or Cu2+ stress leads to apoptosis and autophagy and may be cross-talking with mitochondrial disorders in bursa of Fabricius

Arsenic (As) exists in many forms in the whole natural environment, with As³⁺ the highest toxicity. Herein our study demonstrated that arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) at a dose of 30 mg/kg caused serious oxidative damage to chickens' bursa of Fabricius (BF) in a time-dependent manner. Copper (Cu) is a necessary micronutrient and a key catalytic cofactor of many enzymes. We found excessive Cu (in the form of 300 mg/kg copper sulfate (CuSO₄)) also induced severe oxidative stress (OxS), and its co-exposure with As³⁺ had a greater destructive power against oxidative system. Under electron microscope, swollen mitochondria, disappeared cristae and agglutinated chromatin were observed, accompanied by myeloid structure and autophagosome. The results showed apoptosis and autophagy occurred under the action of As³⁺ and Cu²⁺, and the situation was more serious in combined exposure group, which was further explained by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated 2'-Deoxyuridine 5'-Triphosphate (dUTP) Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL). By quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot, we found that mitochondrial dynamics were disordered under OxS, and the abnormal changes of B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2, p53, Bcl-2-interacting protein (Beclin)-1 and autophagy-related gene (ATG) 4B indicated the crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy. In conclusion, apoptosis and autophagy of BF induced by As³⁺ and Cu²⁺ and mitochondrial disorder are closely related to the collapse of antioxidant system, and their connections are inseparable. Our results provide a reference for environmental risk prevention and selection of poultry feed additives and pesticides to avoid the health risks caused by As³⁺ and Cu²⁺ exposure.

Excessive Cu2+ deteriorates arsenite-induced apoptosis in chicken brain and resulting in immunosuppression, not in homeostasis

Trace elements such as copper (Cu) and arsenic (As) are two of the major contaminants and well-known inducers of cognitive deficits and neurobehavioral changes. This study evaluated the immunotoxicity of their individual or combined exposure on different brain regions in chickens. Consequently, nuclear damage and organelle lesions, especially mitochondria were observed under Cu or/and As stress, in which positive regulation of key proteins, dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), Cytochrome C (Cyt c), BCL2-associated X (Bax), Caspases 3 and P53 was detected by qRCR and Western blot analyses, indicating disturbed mitochondrial dynamic equilibrium and apoptosis execution. In addition, qRCR analysis confirmed the involvement of cytokines secreted by different populations of helper T cells, indicative of cellular immunity. Gene expression studies showed marked up regulation of Th1/Th17 cytokines along with heat shock protein (HSP) 70, a synergism was noted in co-administration group. Interesting, lower apoptosis index was noted in brainstem compared to cerebrum and cerebellum. An intense immunosuppression and heat shock response against Cu or/and As was also seen in cerebrum and cerebellum but not in brainstem. In conclusion, our study suggests a synergistic neurotoxicity in chickens under Cu and As exposure. These findings provide a basic understanding of mitochondrial abnormality-initiated neuropathology in response to environmental pollutant mixtures, suggesting an adaptive response to the frangibility of the central nerve system.

2D organ-like molybdenum carbide (MXene) coupled with MoS2 nanoflowers enhances the catalytic activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction

Our work introduces an emerging route for the synthesis of MoS₂ nanoflowers decorating organ-like Mo₂CT_x MXene. This effective synthesis strategy of MoS₂@Mo₂CT_x nanohybrid structure can shed some light on energy-related applications.

Interfacial superassembly of MoSe2@Ti2N MXene hybrids enabling promising lithium-ion storage

Our work presents an interfacial superassembly by engineering MoSe₂ nanoflowers coupled with ribbon-like Ti₂N MXene frameworks. It can provide a novel synthesis strategy to improve the performance of LIBs.