JPT2 in subclinical hypothyroidism-related miscarriage as a transcription co-factor: involvement of LEPR/STAT3 activation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) has been identified to be associated with implantation failure, in which the dysfunction of trophoblast cells is involved. In this study, the transcriptomics of aborted placenta from SCH rats were analyzed. Jupiter microtubule-associated homolog 2 (JPT2) was downregulated in the aborted placenta. This study aims to investigate its role in SCH-associated miscarriage.

METHODS

Spontaneous abortion was observed in SCH rats generated by thyroidectomy combined with levothyroxine administration. The transcriptomics analysis was performed using aborted placenta. Afterward, the effects of JPT2 on trophoblast cells were explored using gain-and loss-of-function experiments.

RESULTS

Transcriptomics analysis showed 1286 downregulated genes and 2300 upregulated genes in the aborted placenta, and JPT2 was significantly downregulated in the aborted placenta from SCH rats. Afterward, gain-and loss-of-function experiments exhibited that overexpression of JPT2 promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion, spheroid formation of HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells and their attachment to endometrial stromal cells, while these biological behaviors were suppressed by JPT2 knockdown. Furthermore, JPT2 accelerated the transcription of leptin receptor (LEPR), and activated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signal in a transcription factor AP-2γ-dependent manner. In addition, silencing of LEPR abolished the role of JPT2.

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed that JPT2, which was downregulated in the aborted placenta from SCH rats, promoted proliferation, migration, invasion, spheroid formation, and attachment of trophoblast cells via regulating LEPR/STAT3 axis as a transcription co-factor. It is indicated that low expression of JPT2 may contribute to the abortion in individuals with SCH.

The cool brown dwarf Gliese 229 B is a close binary

Owing to their similarities with giant exoplanets, brown dwarf companions of stars provide insights into the fundamental processes of planet formation and evolution. From their orbits, several brown dwarf companions are found to be more massive than theoretical predictions given their luminosities and the ages of their host stars1-3. Either the theory is incomplete or these objects are not single entities. For example, they could be two brown dwarfs each with a lower mass and intrinsic luminosity1,4. The most problematic example is Gliese 229 B (refs. 5,6), which is at least 2-6 times less luminous than model predictions given its dynamical mass of 71.4 ± 0.6 Jupiter masses (MJup) (ref. 1). We observed Gliese 229 B with the GRAVITY interferometer and, separately, the CRIRES+ spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope. Both sets of observations independently resolve Gliese 229 B into two components, Gliese 229 Ba and Bb, settling the conflict between theory and observations. The two objects have a flux ratio of 0.47 ± 0.03 at a wavelength of 2 μm and masses of 38.1 ± 1.0 and 34.4 ± 1.5 MJup, respectively. They orbit each other every 12.1 days with a semimajor axis of 0.042 astronomical units (AU). The discovery of Gliese 229 BaBb, each only a few times more massive than the most massive planets, and separated by 16 times the Earth-moon distance, raises new questions about the formation and prevalence of tight binary brown dwarfs around stars.

Tislelizumab plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (final analysis of RATIONALE-304: a randomized phase III trial)

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to report an updated, final analysis with longer follow-up for the open-label phase III RATIONALE-304 study of first-line tislelizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (nsq-NSCLC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with histologically confirmed stage IIIB/IV nsq-NSCLC were randomized (2 : 1) to 4-6 cycles of tislelizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy and pemetrexed every 3 weeks, followed by maintenance tislelizumab and pemetrexed, or platinum-based chemotherapy and pemetrexed alone every 3 weeks followed by maintenance pemetrexed. The primary endpoint was independent review committee (IRC)-assessed progression-free survival (PFSIRC). Overall survival (OS), safety, and tolerability were secondary endpoints.

RESULTS

Overall, 334 patients were randomized (tislelizumab plus chemotherapy: n = 223; chemotherapy: n = 111). At final analysis (median follow-up 16.1 months), safety/tolerability profiles in both arms were consistent with the interim analysis. Tislelizumab plus chemotherapy continued to demonstrate prolongation of PFSIRC versus chemotherapy alone {stratified hazard ratio (HR) 0.63 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47-0.86]; median PFSIRC 9.8 months (95% CI 8.9-11.7 months) versus 7.6 months (95% CI 5.6-8.0 months), respectively}. OS stratified HR for tislelizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy was 0.90 (95% CI 0.63-1.28), with median OS of 21.4 months (95% CI 17.7 months-not estimable) versus 21.3 months (95% CI 15.6 months-not estimable), respectively. At a subsequent ad hoc analysis (median follow-up 19.3 months), OS HR between arms was 0.85 (95% CI 0.63-1.14); when adjusted for crossover using the two-stage method, the OS HR was 0.68 (95% CI 0.48-0.96).

CONCLUSIONS

After longer follow-up, first-line tislelizumab plus chemotherapy continued to demonstrate a manageable safety profile and a favorable PFS benefit over chemotherapy alone in patients with advanced/metastatic nsq-NSCLC.

Identification of molecular subtypes for endometrial carcinoma using a 46-gene next-generation sequencing panel: a retrospective study on a consecutive cohort

BACKGROUND

Traditional classification tools for endometrial carcinoma (EC), such as DNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry (IHC), or PCR, are cumbersome and time-consuming. Large next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels have simplified testing but are expensive. In this study, we propose a concise NGS panel as an effectively viable approach for classifying EC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled a consecutive EC cohort of hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between 2020 and 2022. A 46-gene NGS panel was utilized to identify POLE exonuclease domain mutations, microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H), TP53 mutations, and other clinically relevant targets.

RESULTS

Tumor tissue samples from 331 EC patients were evaluated, with 284 (85.8%) cases classified as endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. The median follow-up time was 32.6 months (n = 303), during which 23 patients experienced recurrence or disease progression. Using the concise NGS panel, patients were stratified into four molecular subgroups according to the World Health Organization classification criteria: POLE mut (n = 47; 14.2%), mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) (n = 79; 23.9%), non-specific molecular profile (n = 148; 44.7%), and abnormal p53 expression (p53 abn) (n = 57; 17.2%). POLE mut displayed the most favorable prognosis, while p53 abn had the worst prognosis (P < 0.001). The concordance between NGS and IHC was 91.8% (269/293) for detecting MMR status and 65.3% (201/308) for detecting p53 status. Patients detected solely by NGS had significantly worse prognosis than those detected solely by IHC, indicating higher accuracy of the NGS panel. With the molecular subtyping information, adjuvant treatment plans for 19.6% of patients could potentially be altered, mainly concentrated in the POLE mut and p53 abn subtypes. This panel also aids targeted therapy and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor-related gene mutation detection, as well as auxiliary genetic screening.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that the concise NGS panel is an effective 'one-stop' strategy for precisely classifying EC with high clinical availability.

Age and sex differences in the impact of common comorbidities on stroke and myocardial infarction: results from the China Patient-Centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events Million Persons Project

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to evaluate the age- and sex-specific associations of comorbidities with stroke and MI and further calculate the population-attributable fractions (PAFs) of five comorbid diseases for stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) by age and sex.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a prospective cohort study.

METHODS

This study leveraged data from a sub-cohort of the China Patient-Centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events (PEACE) Million Persons Project. Participants aged 35-75 years without a prevalent stroke and MI were enrolled from January 2016 to December 2020, with follow-up through December 2021. Five common comorbidities were collected at baseline, and the study outcome was hospitalization for stroke and MI identified from the Inpatients Registry.

RESULTS

Of 100,873 participants, the mean age was 54.2 (±10.2) years, 34.2% were ≥60 years old, and 60.8% were women. After a median follow-up of 3.52 years, 4156 participants had stroke/MI. The strengths of the associations between hypertension, diabetes, and obesity with stroke/MI were higher in younger individuals than in seniors, and obesity had a more hazardous impact on stroke/MI in men than in women. The five comorbidities collectively explained a higher population attributable fraction (PAF) for stroke/MI in the young group (51.5[46.9, 55.7] %) than in the senior group (41.3[37.0, 45.4] %), in men (45.6[40.9, 49.9] %) than in women (41.1[36.1, 45.7] %).

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the common comorbidities were significantly associated with stroke and MI. Several age and sex differences in the impacts of comorbidities on stroke/MI were observed, highlighting the importance of age- and sex-specific preventive strategies to reduce premature stroke and MI.

Tislelizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone as first-line treatment for advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer: final analysis of the randomized, phase III RATIONALE-307 trial

PURPOSE

First-line tislelizumab plus chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) versus chemotherapy alone in advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (sq-NSCLC) at the interim analysis of the phase III RATIONALE-307 trial. We present the final analysis of this trial.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with treatment-naive, stage IIIB/IV, sq-NSCLC were randomized (1 : 1: 1) to 21-day cycles of i.v.: tislelizumab plus paclitaxel and carboplatin (arm A); tislelizumab plus nab-paclitaxel and carboplatin (arm B); or paclitaxel and carboplatin (arm C). The primary endpoint was independent review committee-assessed PFS; overall survival was a secondary endpoint.

RESULTS

In total, 360 patients were randomized; 355 received treatment. At the final analysis (median study follow-up: 16.7 months), tislelizumab plus chemotherapy had a manageable safety profile, consistent with that at the interim analysis. Improvement in PFS was maintained for arms A and B versus C {hazard ratio (HR) 0.45 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.33-0.62] and 0.43 (95% CI 0.31-0.60), respectively}. Overall survival HRs for arms A and B versus C were 0.68 (95% CI 0.46-1.01) and 0.75 (95% CI 0.50-1.12), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The RATIONALE-307 final analysis demonstrated superior clinical benefit with addition of tislelizumab to chemotherapy, and a manageable safety profile, as first-line treatment of advanced sq-NSCLC.

Observation of New Charmonium or Charmoniumlike States in B^{+}→D^{*±}D^{∓}K^{+} Decays

A study of resonant structures in B^{+}→D^{*+}D^{-}K^{+} and B^{+}→D^{*-}D^{+}K^{+} decays is performed, using proton-proton collision data at center-of-mass energies of sqrt[s]=7, 8, and 13 TeV recorded by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9  fb^{-1}. A simultaneous amplitude fit is performed to the two channels with contributions from resonances decaying to D^{*-}D^{+} and D^{*+}D^{-} states linked by C parity. This procedure allows the C parities of resonances in the D^{*±}D^{∓} mass spectra to be determined. Four charmonium or charmoniumlike states are observed decaying into D^{*±}D^{∓}: η_{c}(3945), h_{c}(4000), χ_{c1}(4010), and h_{c}(4300), with quantum numbers J^{PC} equal to 0^{-+}, 1^{+-}, 1^{++}, and 1^{+-}, respectively. At least three of these states have not been observed previously. In addition, the existence of the T_{c[over ¯]s[over ¯]0}^{*}(2870)^{0} and T_{c[over ¯]s[over ¯]1}^{*}(2900)^{0} resonances in the D^{-}K^{+} mass spectrum, already observed in the B^{+}→D^{+}D^{-}K^{+} decay, is confirmed in a different production channel.

Study on Thermal Cycling Reliability of Epoxy-Enhanced SAC305 Solder Joint

In this work, epoxy was added into commercial Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305) solder paste to enhance the thermal cycling reliability of the joint. The microstructure and fracture surface were observed using a scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM/EDS), and a shear test was performed on the thermally cycled joint samples. The results indicated that during the thermal cycling test, the epoxy protective layer on the surface of the epoxy-enhanced SAC305 solder joint could significantly alleviate the thermal stress caused by coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch, resulting in fewer structural defects. The interfacial compound of the original SAC305 solder joints gradually coarsened due to the accelerated atomic diffusion, but epoxy-enhanced SAC305 solder joints demonstrated a thinner interfacial layer and a smaller IMC grain size. Due to the reduced stress concentration and the additional mechanical support provided by the cured epoxy layer, epoxy-enhanced SAC305 solder joints displayed superior shear performance compared to the original joint during the thermal cycling test. After 1000 thermal cycles, Cu-Sn IMC regions were observed on the fracture surfaces of the original SAC305 solder joint, exhibiting brittle fracture characteristics. However, the fracture of the SAC305 solder joint with 8 wt.% epoxy remained within the solder bulk and exhibited a ductile fracture mode. This work indicates that epoxy-enhanced SAC305 solder pastes display high thermal cycling reliability and could meet the design needs of advanced packaging technology for high-performance electronic packaging materials.

Combination of Searches for Higgs Boson Pair Production in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents results from a combination of searches for Higgs boson pair production using 126-140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. At 95% confidence level (CL), the upper limit on the production rate is 2.9 times the standard model (SM) prediction, with an expected limit of 2.4 assuming no Higgs boson pair production. Constraints on the Higgs boson self-coupling modifier κ_{λ}=λ_{HHH}/λ_{HHH}^{SM}, and the quartic HHVV coupling modifier κ_{2V}=g_{HHVV}/g_{HHVV}^{SM}, are derived individually, fixing the other parameter to its SM value. The observed 95% CL intervals are -1.2<κ_{λ}<7.2 and 0.6<κ_{2V}<1.5, respectively, while the expected intervals are -1.6<κ_{λ}<7.2 and 0.4<κ_{2V}<1.6 in the SM case. Constraints obtained for several interaction parameters within Higgs effective field theory are the strongest to date, offering insights into potential deviations from SM predictions.

Search for Time-Dependent CP Violation in D^{0}→π^{+}π^{-}π^{0} Decays

A measurement of time-dependent CP violation in D^{0}→π^{+}π^{-}π^{0} decays using a pp collision data sample collected by the LHCb experiment in 2012 and from 2015 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 7.7  fb^{-1}, is presented. The initial flavor of each D^{0} candidate is determined from the charge of the pion produced in the D^{*}(2010)^{+}→D^{0}π^{+} decay. The decay D^{0}→K^{-}π^{+}π^{0} is used as a control channel to validate the measurement procedure. The gradient of the time-dependent CP asymmetry ΔY in D^{0}→π^{+}π^{-}π^{0} decays is measured to be ΔY=(-1.3±6.3±2.4)×10^{-4}, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic, which is compatible with CP conservation.

Studies of the Energy Dependence of Diboson Polarization Fractions and the Radiation-Amplitude-Zero Effect in WZ Production with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents the first study of the energy dependence of diboson polarization fractions in WZ→ℓνℓ^{'}ℓ^{'}(ℓ,ℓ^{'}=e,μ) production. The dataset used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector. Two fiducial regions with an enhanced presence of events featuring two longitudinally polarized bosons are defined. A nonzero fraction of events with two longitudinally polarized bosons is measured with an observed significance of 5.3 standard deviations in the region with 100200  GeV, where p_{T}^{Z} is the transverse momentum of the Z boson. This Letter also reports the first study of the radiation-amplitude-zero effect. Events with two transversely polarized bosons are analyzed for the ΔY(ℓ_{W}Z) and ΔY(WZ) distributions defined respectively as the rapidity difference between the lepton from the W boson decay and the Z boson and the rapidity difference between the W boson and the Z boson. Significant suppression of events near zero is observed in both distributions. Unfolded ΔY(ℓ_{W}Z) and ΔY(WZ) distributions are also measured and compared to theoretical predictions.

Trifluoroethanol promoted formal nucleophilic substitution of indol-2-yl diaryl methanol for the synthesis of tetraarylmethanes

The synthesis of tetraarylmethanes has long been a challenge in the field of synthetic chemistry. In this study, a series of tetraarylmethanes were successfully synthesized through the formal nucleophilic substitution reaction of indol-2-yl diaryl methanol catalyzed by Brønsted acid. The key success of this study lies in suppressing the influence of water molecules by forming hydrogen bonds with the TFE solvent. This process leads to the formation of active 2-indole imine methide (2-IIM) intermediates, ensuring the successful synthesis of tetraarylmethanes. Furthermore, some of the products also exhibited potential anticancer activity.

Portable Acceleration of CMS Computing Workflows with Coprocessors as a Service

Computing demands for large scientific experiments, such as the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, will increase dramatically in the next decades. To complement the future performance increases of software running on central processing units (CPUs), explorations of coprocessor usage in data processing hold great potential and interest. Coprocessors are a class of computer processors that supplement CPUs, often improving the execution of certain functions due to architectural design choices. We explore the approach of Services for Optimized Network Inference on Coprocessors (SONIC) and study the deployment of this as-a-service approach in large-scale data processing. In the studies, we take a data processing workflow of the CMS experiment and run the main workflow on CPUs, while offloading several machine learning (ML) inference tasks onto either remote or local coprocessors, specifically graphics processing units (GPUs). With experiments performed at Google Cloud, the Purdue Tier-2 computing center, and combinations of the two, we demonstrate the acceleration of these ML algorithms individually on coprocessors and the corresponding throughput improvement for the entire workflow. This approach can be easily generalized to different types of coprocessors and deployed on local CPUs without decreasing the throughput performance. We emphasize that the SONIC approach enables high coprocessor usage and enables the portability to run workflows on different types of coprocessors.

Observation of quantum entanglement with top quarks at the ATLAS detector

Entanglement is a key feature of quantum mechanics1-3, with applications in fields such as metrology, cryptography, quantum information and quantum computation4-8. It has been observed in a wide variety of systems and length scales, ranging from the microscopic9-13 to the macroscopic14-16. However, entanglement remains largely unexplored at the highest accessible energy scales. Here we report the highest-energy observation of entanglement, in top-antitop quark events produced at the Large Hadron Collider, using a proton-proton collision dataset with a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 140 inverse femtobarns (fb)-1 recorded with the ATLAS experiment. Spin entanglement is detected from the measurement of a single observable D, inferred from the angle between the charged leptons in their parent top- and antitop-quark rest frames. The observable is measured in a narrow interval around the top-antitop quark production threshold, at which the entanglement detection is expected to be significant. It is reported in a fiducial phase space defined with stable particles to minimize the uncertainties that stem from the limitations of the Monte Carlo event generators and the parton shower model in modelling top-quark pair production. The entanglement marker is measured to be D = -0.537 ± 0.002 (stat.) ± 0.019 (syst.) for 340 GeV < m t t ¯ < 380 GeV . The observed result is more than five standard deviations from a scenario without entanglement and hence constitutes the first observation of entanglement in a pair of quarks and the highest-energy observation of entanglement so far.

Self-assembling gelatin based delivery of multienzyme activity nanozyme and photosensitizer for ROS storm based cancer therapy

Nanozymes with multienzyme activity for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and intracellular redox imbalance are attractive strategy for cancer therapy. However, it is severely limited by low biocompatibility and catalytic efficiency, hypoxic and high levels of GSH in the tumor microenvironment. To address these issues, a copper doping carbon nanozyme (CC) with multienzyme activity was designed and integrated with photosensitizer Ce6 and gelatin to fabricate ROS amplifier (CCC). Gelatin endowed CCC with good biocompatibility, low hemolysis, and enzyme responsive degradation. CCC with high CAT-like, POD-like, OXD-like, and GSHox-like activities can induce the intracellular ROS storm formation to eliminate the cancer cells. The OXD-like activity and PDT performance mediated 1O2 generation was markedly potentiated by the CAT-like activity of CCC via catalyzing high expression of H2O2 to generate O2. At the same time, a large amount of ·OH were produced through POD-like activity of CCC and GSH was depleted by the GSHox-like activities of CCC, resulting in a destructive ROS storm formation and cellular redox homeostasis disruption. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that CCC displayed satisfactory anti-tumor activity and biocompatibility. Our work provides a novel strategy for the development of nanozyne enhanced photodynamic therapy of cancer.

Ningxiang pig-derived Enterococcus hirae HNAU0516 ameliorates postweaning diarrhoea by promoting intestinal health and modulating the gut microbiota in piglets

Early weaning-induced stress precipitates diarrhoea, significantly curtailing the growth performance of piglets. A pivotal contributor to this postweaning affliction is the emergence of gut bacterial dysbiosis. Enterococcus hirae, a promising probiotic, has indicated unclear effects and mechanisms on intestinal health. In this study, we investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of oral supplementation with Ningxiang pig-derived Enterococcus hirae HNAU0516 orally supplementation on the gut bacterial community, immune response and gut barrier function in piglets. 21 d age Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) piglets with a similar BW were randomly allocated to two groups. The Enterococcus hirae HNAU0516 administration group was inoculated orally with Ningxiang pig-derived Enterococcus hirae HNAU0516 throughout the trial period. Conversely, the control group received the same volume of physiological saline. Our findings revealed that Enterococcus hirae HNAU0516 supplementation effectively reduced diarrhoea rates of piglets (P = 0.010). Notably, this probiotic promoted intestinal development and enhanced intestinal barrier function. It also showed potential anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, Enterococcus hirae HNAU0516 supplementation significantly remodelled the colonic microbiota and increased the production of acetate (P = 0.007). In conclusion, our study highlights that Ningxiang pig-derived Enterococcus hirae HNAU0516 improves postweaning diarrhoea by promoting intestinal development, enhancing intestinal barrier function, decreasing intestinal permeability, modulating intestinal microbiota, and increasing short-chain fatty acids production.

Effects of space allowance on patterns of activity in group-housed dairy calves

With increasing use of social housing for dairy calves, there is a need to refine housing management practices that influence animal behavior and may affect welfare. Our aim was to assess the effect of pen space allowance on activity patterns and pen space use. Holstein heifer calves were group-housed (n = 6 pens; 5 calves/pen) at 14 d ± 2.8 d of age (mean ± SD). After a 7-d adaptation, each pen was exposed to 3 different space allowances (3.7, 4.6, and 5.6 m2/calf) in a random order, according to a replicated Latin square design with three 7-d periods (period 1, d 22-28; period 2, d 29-35; and period 3, d 36-42). Calves were provided milk replacer (12 L/d) ad libitum via an automated milk feeder and gradually weaned over 10 d, beginning at 48 ± 3 d of age. Using leg-based accelerometers (HOBO Pendant G data logger, Onset Computer Corp., Pocasset, MA), we obtained data describing standing time, standing bout frequency, and standing bout duration. Daily pen-level average standing time (6.5 h/d; SE = 0.27) did not differ between treatments. However, with greater space allowance, calves had more frequent standing bouts (22.6 vs. 20.3 bouts/d; 5.6 vs. 3.7 m2/calf; SE = 0.96) of shorter duration. To assess effects of space allowance on within-pen individual variability, we calculated the coefficient of variation for daily activity outcomes at the pen level and intra-class correlation coefficients for hourly standing time, by pen and day. The coefficient of variation for standing behavior outcomes decreased with increasing space allowance, and the intraclass correlation for hourly standing time increased, suggesting that increasing space allowance reduced individual variability and may promote more synchronous rest. Finally, we qualitatively assessed use of pen space using motion heat maps generated using computer vision from video recorded of each pen from 0800 to 1200 h on d 6 and 7 of each experimental period for each pen. These images suggest that calves preferentially used space near the perimeter of the pen, but space was used more uniformly when space allowance is restricted. Overall, these results suggest that lower space allowances may restrict patterns of activity at the pen level and reduce behavioral synchrony.

Comparison of cryobiopsy and forceps biopsy for the diagnosis of mediastinal lesions: A randomised clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is the standard approach for lung cancer staging. However, its diagnostic utility for other mediastinal diseases might be hampered by the limited tissue retrieved. Recent evidence suggests the novel sampling strategies of forceps biopsy and cryobiopsy as auxiliary techniques to EBUS-TBNA, considering their capacity for larger diagnostic samples.

METHODS

This study determined the added value of forceps biopsy and cryobiopsy for the diagnosis of mediastinal diseases. Consecutive patients with mediastinal lesions of 1 cm or more in the short axis were enrolled. Following completion of needle aspiration, three forceps biopsies and one cryobiopsy were performed in a randomised pattern. Primary endpoints included diagnostic yield defined as the percentage of patients for whom mediastinal biopsy led to a definite diagnosis, and procedure-related complications.

RESULTS

In total, 155 patients were recruited and randomly assigned. Supplementing EBUS-TBNA with either forceps biopsy or cryobiopsy increased diagnostic yield, with no significant difference between EBUS-TBNA plus forceps biopsy and EBUS-TBNA plus cryobiopsy (85.7 % versus 91.6 %, P = 0.106). Yet, samples obtained by additional cryobiopsies were more qualified for lung cancer molecular testing than those from forceps biopsies (100.0 % versus 89.5 %, P = 0.036). When compared directly, the overall diagnostic yield of cryobiopsy was superior to forceps biopsy (85.7 % versus 70.8 %, P = 0.001). Cryobiopsies produced greater samples in shorter procedural time than forceps biopsies. Two (1.3 %) cases of postprocedural pneumothorax were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

Transbronchial mediastinal cryobiopsy might be a promising complementary tool to supplement traditional needle biopsy for increased diagnostic yield and tissue harvesting.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ChiCTR2000030373.

Brain Charts for the Rhesus Macaque Lifespan

Recent efforts to chart human brain growth across the lifespan using large-scale MRI data have provided reference standards for human brain development. However, similar models for nonhuman primate (NHP) growth are lacking. The rhesus macaque, a widely used NHP in translational neuroscience due to its similarities in brain anatomy, phylogenetics, cognitive, and social behaviors to humans, serves as an ideal NHP model. This study aimed to create normative growth charts for brain structure across the macaque lifespan, enhancing our understanding of neurodevelopment and aging, and facilitating cross-species translational research. Leveraging data from the PRIMatE Data Exchange (PRIME-DE) and other sources, we aggregated 1,522 MRI scans from 1,024 rhesus macaques. We mapped non-linear developmental trajectories for global and regional brain structural changes in volume, cortical thickness, and surface area over the lifespan. Our findings provided normative charts with centile scores for macaque brain structures and revealed key developmental milestones from prenatal stages to aging, highlighting both species-specific and comparable brain maturation patterns between macaques and humans. The charts offer a valuable resource for future NHP studies, particularly those with small sample sizes. Furthermore, the interactive open resource (https://interspeciesmap.childmind.org) supports cross-species comparisons to advance translational neuroscience research.

Misprogramming of glucose metabolism impairs recovery of hippocampal slices from neuronal GLT-1 knockout mice and contributes to excitotoxic injury through mitochondrial superoxide production

We have previously reported a failure of recovery of synaptic function in the CA1 region of acute hippocampal slices from mice with a conditional neuronal knockout (KO) of GLT-1 (EAAT2, Slc1A2) driven by synapsin-Cre (synGLT-1 KO). The failure of recovery of synaptic function is due to excitotoxic injury. We hypothesized that changes in mitochondrial metabolism contribute to the heightened vulnerability to excitotoxicity in the synGLT-1 KO mice. We found impaired flux of carbon from 13C-glucose into the tricarboxylic acid cycle in synGLT-1 KO cortical and hippocampal slices compared with wild-type (WT) slices. In addition, we found downregulation of the neuronal glucose transporter GLUT3 in both genotypes. Flux of carbon from [1,2-13C]acetate, thought to be astrocyte-specific, was increased in the synGLT-KO hippocampal slices but not cortical slices. Glycogen stores, predominantly localized to astrocytes, are rapidly depleted in slices after cutting, and are replenished during ex vivo incubation. In the synGLT-1 KO, replenishment of glycogen stores during ex vivo incubation was compromised. These results suggest both neuronal and astrocytic metabolic perturbations in the synGLT-1 KO slices. Supplementing incubation medium during recovery with 20 mM D-glucose normalized glycogen replenishment but had no effect on recovery of synaptic function. In contrast, 20 mM non-metabolizable L-glucose substantially improved recovery of synaptic function, suggesting that D-glucose metabolism contributes to the excitotoxic injury in the synGLT-1 KO slices. L-lactate substitution for D-glucose did not promote recovery of synaptic function, implicating mitochondrial metabolism. Consistent with this hypothesis, phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase, which decreases enzyme activity, was increased in WT slices during the recovery period, but not in synGLT-1 KO slices. Since metabolism of glucose by the mitochondrial electron transport chain is associated with superoxide production, we tested the effect of drugs that scavenge and prevent superoxide production. The superoxide dismutase/catalase mimic EUK-134 conferred complete protection and full recovery of synaptic function. A site-specific inhibitor of complex III superoxide production, S3QEL-2, was also protective, but inhibitors of NADPH oxidase were not. In summary, we find that the failure of recovery of synaptic function in hippocampal slices from the synGLT-1 KO mouse, previously shown to be due to excitotoxic injury, is caused by production of superoxide by mitochondrial metabolism.