Observation of Directed Flow of Hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in sqrt[s_{NN}]=3 GeV Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report here the first observation of directed flow (v_{1}) of the hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in mid-central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV at RHIC. These data are taken as part of the beam energy scan program carried out by the STAR experiment. From 165×10^{6} events in 5%-40% centrality, about 8400 _{Λ}^{3}H and 5200 _{Λ}^{4}H candidates are reconstructed through two- and three-body decay channels. We observe that these hypernuclei exhibit significant directed flow. Comparing to that of light nuclei, it is found that the midrapidity v_{1} slopes of _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H follow baryon number scaling, implying that the coalescence is the dominant mechanism for these hypernuclei production in the 3 GeV Au+Au collisions.

Beam Energy Dependence of Triton Production and Yield Ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}) in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the triton (t) production in midrapidity (|y|<0.5) Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7-200  GeV measured by the STAR experiment from the first phase of the beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The nuclear compound yield ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}), which is predicted to be sensitive to the fluctuation of local neutron density, is observed to decrease monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity (dN_{ch}/dη) and follows a scaling behavior. The dN_{ch}/dη dependence of the yield ratio is compared to calculations from coalescence and thermal models. Enhancements in the yield ratios relative to the coalescence baseline are observed in the 0%-10% most central collisions at 19.6 and 27 GeV, with a significance of 2.3σ and 3.4σ, respectively, giving a combined significance of 4.1σ. The enhancements are not observed in peripheral collisions or model calculations without critical fluctuation, and decreases with a smaller p_{T} acceptance. The physics implications of these results on the QCD phase structure and the production mechanism of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions are discussed.

Microbial communities and sediment nitrogen cycle in a coastal eutrophic lake with salinity and nutrients shifted by seawater intrusion

Coastal waters are often influenced by seawater intrusion and terrestrial emissions because of its special location. In this study, the dynamics of microbial community with the role of nitrogen cycle in sediment in a coastal eutrophic lake were studied under a warm season. The water salinity gradually increased from 0.9‰ in June to 4.2‰ in July and 10.5‰ in August because of seawater invasion. Bacterial diversity of surface water was positively related with salinity and nutrients of total nitrogen (TN) as well as total phosphorus (TP), but eukaryotic diversity had no relationship with salinity. In surface water, algae belonging to Cyanobacteria and Chlorophyta were dominant phyla in June with the relative abundances of >60%, but Proteobacteria became the largest bacterial phylum in August. The variation of these predominant microbes had strong relationship with salinity and TN. In sediment, the bacterial and eukaryotic diversity was greater than that of water, and a significantly different microbial community was observed with dominant bacterial phyla Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi, and dominant eukaryotic phyla Bacillariophyta, Arthropoda, and Chlorophyta. Proteobacteria was the only enhanced phylum in the sediment with the highest relative abundance of 54.62% ± 8.34% due to seawater invasion. Denitrifying genera (29.60%-41.81%) were dominant in surface sediment, then followed by microbes related to nitrogen fixation (24.09%-28.87%), assimilatory nitrogen reduction (13.54%-19.17%), dissimilatory nitrite reduction to ammonium (DNRA, 6.49%-10.51%) and ammonification (3.07%-3.71%). Higher salinity caused by seawater invasion enhanced the accumulation of genes involved in dentrificaiton, DNRA and ammonification, but decreased genes related to nitrogen fixation and assimilatory nitrogen reduction. Significant variation of dominant genes of narG, nirS, nrfA, ureC, nifA and nirB mainly caused by the changes in Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi. The discovery of this study would be helpful to understand the variation of microbial community and nitrogen cycle in coastal lake under seawater intrusion.

[Application of supraclavicular fasciocutaneous island flap for reconstruction after removal of tumors in parotid and auricle area]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of supraclavicular fasciocutaneous island flap (SIF) for repairing the defect of parotid or auricle regions after tumor resection. Methods: From February 2019 to June 2021, 12 patients (11 males and 1 female, aged 54-77 years old), of whom 4 with parotid adenoid cystic carcinoma and 8 with auricular basal cell carcinoma underwent reconstruction surgery for postoperative defects in the parotid gland area and auricular area with SIF in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University and their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Size of the SIF, time for harvesting SIF, neck lymph node dissection and postoperative complications were recorded. Results: The flap areas were (6-9) cm × (8-13) cm, and the harvesting time for SIF ranged from 40 to 80 min, averaging 51.7 min. The donor sites were directly closed. All patients underwent ipsilateral levels Ⅰ-Ⅲ neck dissection, with 4 cases undergoing additional level Ⅳ neck dissection and 2 cases undergoing level Ⅳ-Ⅴ neck dissection. Of the 12 SIF, 10 were completely survival and 2 had flap arterial crisis with partial flap necrosis, in addition, 1 had donor site wound dehiscence. With follow-up of 10-42 months, there were no tumor recurrences in 10 patients, 1 patient was lost to follow-up at 10 months postoperatively, and 1 patient experienced local tumor recurrence at 11 months after surgery and died 15 months later. Conclusion: SIF is an easily harvested flap with good skin features matching the skin in parotid and auricle regions and less damage to donor site, and this flap has no need for microvascular anastomosis technique. SIF is feasible and effective for repairing defects in parotid and auricle area.

[Prevalence and trends of anemia among pregnant women in eight provinces of China from 2016 to 2020]

This study analyzed the anemia status and change trend of 219 835 pregnant women in eight provinces from 2016 to 2020 in the Maternal and Newborn Health Monitoring Program(MNHMP). The results showed that from 2016 to 2020, the anemia rate of pregnant women in eight provinces was 41.27%, and the rates of mild, moderate and severe anemia were 28.56%, 12.59% and 0.12% respectively; the anemia rates in eastern, central and western regions were 41.87%, 36.09% and 44.63% respectively, and the anemia rates in urban and rural areas were 39.87% and 42.23%. From 2016 to 2020, the anemia rate of pregnant women decreased from 44.93% to 38.22%, with an average annual decline of 3.86% (95%CI:-5.84%, -1.85%). The anemia rate among pregnant women of the eastern region (AAPC=-6.16%, 95%CI:-9.79%, -2.38%) fell faster than that among pregnant women of the central region (AAPC=0.71%, 95%CI:-6.59%, 8.57%) and western region (AAPC=-1.53%, 95%CI:-5.19%, 2.28%). From 2016 to 2020, the moderate anemia rate in pregnant women decreased from 14.98% to 10.74%, with an average annual decline of 8.72% (95%CI:-12.90%, -4.34%), with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05); AAPC for mild and severe anemia in pregnant women was 1.56% (95%CI: 3.44%, 0.36%) and 18.86% (95%CI: 39.88%, 9.52%), respectively, without statistically significant difference (P>0.05).

RNF123 Mediates Ubiquitination and Degradation of SOCS1 To Regulate Type I Interferon Production during Duck Tembusu Virus Infection

Many RING domain E3 ubiquitin ligases play critical roles in fine-tuning the innate immune response, yet little is known about their regulatory role in flavivirus-induced innate immunity. In previous studies, we found that the suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) protein mainly undergoes lysine 48 (K48)-linked ubiquitination. However, the E3 ubiquitin ligase that promotes the K48-linked ubiquitination of SOCS1 is unknown. In the present study, we found that RING finger protein 123 (RNF123) binds to the SH2 domain of SOCS1 through its RING domain and facilitates the K48-linked ubiquitination of the K114 and K137 residues of SOCS1. Further studies found that RNF123 promoted the proteasomal degradation of SOCS1 and promoted Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)- and interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 7 (IRF7)-mediated type I IFN production during duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) infection through SOCS1, ultimately inhibiting DTMUV replication. Overall, these findings demonstrate a novel mechanism by which RNF123 regulates type I IFN signaling during DTMUV infection by targeting SOCS1 degradation. IMPORTANCE In recent years, posttranslational modification (PTM) has gradually become a research hot spot in the field of innate immunity regulation, and ubiquitination is one of the critical PTMs. DTMUV has seriously endangered the development of the waterfowl industry in Southeast Asian countries since its outbreak in 2009. Previous studies have shown that SOCS1 is modified by K48-linked ubiquitination during DTMUV infection, but E3 ubiquitin ligase catalyzing the ubiquitination of SOCS1 has not been reported. Here, we identify for the first time that RNF123 acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that regulates TLR3- and IRF7-induced type I IFN signaling during DTMUV infection by targeting the K48-linked ubiquitination of the K114 and K137 residues of SOCS1 and the proteasomal degradation of SOCS1.

Echocardiographic phenotype for refined risk stratification and treatment selection in light chain amyloidosis with heart failure

AIMS

Light chain amyloidosis (AL) patients with heart failure (HF) are usually with revised Mayo (rMayo) stage III/IV disease and have a poor prognosis. We sought to investigate whether and what echocardiographic phenotype provides value for further risk stratification and guiding optimal risk-adapted treatment in this subgroup of AL patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

95 AL patients who presented with HF and were on rMayo stage III/IV were retrospectively included. Of them, 51 patients (53.7%) were with stage III, 44 (46.3%) were with stage IV, and 44 (46.3%) underwent chemotherapy. Laboratory and echocardiographic measurements were acquired before the initiation of chemotherapy. The relevance of different variables with survival was assessed in the entire cohort, chemotherapy, and non-chemotherapy group. By Multivariate Cox regression analysis, right ventricular wall thickness (RVT) [HR 1.145, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.026-1.279, P = 0.016], relative wall thickness (RWT) (HR 6.709, 95% CI 1.101-40.877, P = 0.039), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50% (HR 1.939, 95% CI 1.048-3.590, P = 0.035) were found to be independently associated with survival in the entire cohort, RWT (HR 15.488, 95% CI 2.045-117.292, P = 0.008) in the non-chemotherapy group, and RVT (HR 1.331, 95% CI 1.054-1.681, P = 0.016) in the chemotherapy group, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that survival was significantly reduced in the presence of RVT ≥ 6.5 mm or LVEF < 50% in the entire cohort, and the significance of RVT ≥ 6.5 mm was irrespective of rMayo stages. In the chemotherapy group, survival was decreased if RVT ≥ 6.5 mm alone or together with RWT ≥ 0.67 were present, particularly in patients on rMayo stage IV.

CONCLUSIONS

Echocardiographic phenotype provides incremental value beyond rMayo staging for predicting survival and could further guide treatment in advanced AL with HF. Those with high-risk echocardiographic phenotypes as higher RVT and RWT and lower LVEF had a worse prognosis.

Active ingredients screening and pharmacological mechanism research of curcumae rhizoma-sparganii rhizoma herb pair ameliorates liver fibrosis based on network pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Curcumae Rhizoma-Sparganii Rhizoma (CR-SR) is a classic herbal pair to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis in ancient China. However, the molecular mechanism is still unclear.

AIM OF STUDY

To screen out the anti-liver fibrosis active ingredients in CR-SR. Moreover, preliminary exploration the molecular mechanism of CR-SR to ameliorates liver fibrosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this research, plant taxonomy has been confirmed in the "The Plant List" database (www.theplantlist.org). The chemical components of CR-SR were analysed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS). "Component-Target-Pathway-Disease" network of CR-SR components were built by network pharmacology. Then, the interaction between primary components and predicted protein targets based on network pharmacology were validated by molecular docking. The pharmacological actions of CR-SR were verified by blood biochemical indexes, histopathologic examination of CCL₄ induced rats' model. The core protein targets were verified by Western blot. The effects of screened active components by molecular autodocking were verified by HSC-T6 cell experiment.

RESULTS

The result shows that 57 chemical constituents in CR-SR herbal pair were identified by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS, in which, 27 compounds were closely connected with liver fibrosis related protein targets. 55 protein targets screened out by "component-target-pathway-disease network" maybe the underlying targets for CR-SR to cure liver fibrosis. Moreover, the 55 protein targets are mainly related to RNA transcription, apoptosis, and signal transduction. The molecular autodocking predicted that ten components can bond well with PTGS2 and RELA protein targets. The blood biochemical indexes, histopathologic examination of CCL₄ induced rats experiment showed that CR-SR has well intervention effect of liver fibrosis. The Western blot analysis indicated that CR-SR could significantly inhibit RELA, PTGS2, IL-6, SRC, and AKT1 protein expression to exert the anti-fibrosis effect. The HSC-T6 cell experiment indicated that both formononetin (FNT) and curdione could significantly inhibit the activation of HSC and reduce the expression of PTGS2, and p-AKT1 which was accordance with the molecular autodocking results.

CONCLUSION

This study proved the molecular mechanism of CR-SR multi-component and multi-target anti-liver fibrosis effect through mass spectrometry, network pharmacology, and western blotting technology. The research provides a theoretical evidence for the development and utilization of CR-SR herbal pair.

Duck plague virus pUL15 performs a nonspecial cleavage activity through its C terminal nuclease domain in vitro

Duck plague virus (DPV), also known as anatid herpesvirus, is a double-stranded DNA virus and a member of α herpesvirus. DPV pUL15 is a homolog of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) pUL15, a terminase large subunit, and plays a key role in the cleavage and packaging of the viral concatemeric genome. However, the sequence similarity between DPV pUL15 and its homologs is low, and it is not sure if DPV pUL15 has the potential to cleave the concatemeric genome as same as its homologs. Here, we expressed the C terminal domain of DPV pUL15 to explore the nuclease function of DPV pUL15. The main results showed that (Ⅰ) DPV pUL15 C-terminal domain possesses nonspecific nuclease activity and lacks the DNA binding ability. (Ⅱ) DPV pUL15 nuclease activity needs to coordinate with divalent metal ions and tends to be more active at high temperatures. (Ⅲ) Even though the structure of DPV pUL15 nuclease domain is relatively conserved, the mutations of conserved amino acids on the nuclease domain do not significantly inhibit the nuclease activity.

Duck IL-7 as a novel adjuvant improves the humoral immune response to an inactivated duck tembusu virus vaccine

Duck tembusu virus (DTMUV), belonging to the Flavivirus genus, Flaviviridae family, has caused huge economic losses in the duck industry. However, the inactivated DTMUV vaccine requires multiple immunizations and has incomplete effectiveness. The humoral immune response is a key factor in the control of DTMUV infection. IL-7 derived from mammals has the ability to enhance antibody production. Whether duck IL-7 (duIL-7) possesses the ability to improve the humoral immunity of inactivated DTMUV vaccine has not yet been declared. Here, a beta-propiolactone (BPL)-inactivated DTMUV vaccine was employed to characterize the adjuvant property of duIL-7 in humoral immune responses. Intramuscular injection of DTMUV inactivated vaccine with or without duIL-7 was administered twice to the ducks. The results showed that duIL-7 was able to promote rapid antibody responses and enhance DTMUV-specific IgG and neutralizing antibody production to the vaccine. T follicular helper (Tfh) cells play a key role in assisting long humoral immunity. It was found that duIL-7 upregulated duIl-6 and duIl-21 gene expression at 3 w post first vaccination, which encode Tfh cell differentiation-related cytokines duIL-6 and duIL-21, respectively. This may be the reason that duIL-7 could prolong the humoral immune response to the inactivated DTMUV vaccine. Next, the ability of duIL-7 to simplify the immunization procedure of the inactivated DTMUV vaccine was tested. When ducks were immunized once, the titers of neutralizing antibodies in ducks from the inactivated DTMUV vaccine supplemented with duIL-7 group were significantly higher than those of ducks from the inactivated DTMUV vaccine group (P < 0.05). In addition, duIL-7 could assist the inactivated DTMUV vaccine in maintaining neutralizing antibodies at high levels during the whole experimental period. The viral titers in the ducks immunized with the inactivated DTMUV vaccine and duIL-7 were lower than those in the ducks immunized with the inactivated DTMUV vaccine alone at 3 days post infection (3 dpi, P < 0.05). Overall, duIL-7 possessed the ability to promote and prolong humoral immune responses to the inactivated DTMUV vaccine, even at one dose. This study provides a new efficient adjuvant for inactivated DTMUV vaccine development.

Manganese Efflux Achieved by MetA and MetB Affects Oxidative Stress Resistance and Iron Homeostasis in Riemerella anatipestifer

In bacteria, manganese homeostasis is controlled by import, regulation, and efflux. Here, we identified 2 Mn exporters, MetA and MetB (manganese efflux transporters A and B), in Riemerella anatipestifer CH-1, encoding a putative cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) protein and putative resistance-nodulation-division (RND) efflux pump, respectively. Compared with the wild type (WT), ΔmetA, ΔmetB, and ΔmetAΔmetB exhibited sensitivity to manganese, since they accumulated more intracellular Mn2+ than the WT under excess manganese conditions, while the amount of iron in the mutants was decreased. Moreover, ΔmetA, ΔmetB, and ΔmetAΔmetB were more sensitive to the oxidant NaOCl than the WT. Further study showed that supplementation with iron sources could alleviate manganese toxicity and that excess manganese inhibited bacterial cell division. RNA-Seq showed that manganese stress resulted in the perturbation of iron metabolism genes, further demonstrating that manganese efflux is critical for iron homeostasis. metA transcription was upregulated under excess manganese but was not activated by MetR, a DtxR family protein, although MetR was also involved in manganese detoxification, while metB transcription was downregulated under iron depletion conditions and in fur mutants. Finally, homologues of MetA and MetB were found to be mainly distributed in members of Flavobacteriaceae. Specifically, MetB represents a novel manganese exporter in Gram-negative bacteria. IMPORTANCE Manganese is required for the function of many proteins in bacteria, but in excess, manganese can mediate toxicity. Therefore, the intracellular levels of manganese must be tightly controlled. Manganese efflux transporters have been characterized in some other bacteria; however, their homologues could not be found in the genome of Riemerella anatipestifer through sequence comparison. This indicated that other types of manganese efflux transporters likely exist. In this study, we characterized 2 transporters, MetA and MetB, that mediate manganese efflux in R. anatipestifer in response to manganese overload. MetA encodes a putative cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) protein, which has been characterized as a manganese transporter in other bacteria, while this is the first observation of a putative resistance-nodulation-division (RND) transporter contributing to manganese export in Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, the mechanism of manganese toxicity was studied by observing morphological changes and by transcriptome sequencing. Taken together, these results are important for expanding our understanding of manganese transporters and revealing the mechanism of manganese toxicity.

Measurement of Sequential ϒ Suppression in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV with the STAR Experiment

We report on measurements of sequential ϒ suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) through both the dielectron and dimuon decay channels. In the 0%-60% centrality class, the nuclear modification factors (R_{AA}), which quantify the level of yield suppression in heavy-ion collisions compared to p+p collisions, for ϒ(1S) and ϒ(2S) are 0.40±0.03(stat)±0.03(sys)±0.09(norm) and 0.26±0.08(stat)±0.02(sys)±0.06(norm), respectively, while the upper limit of the ϒ(3S) R_{AA} is 0.17 at a 95% confidence level. This provides experimental evidence that the ϒ(3S) is significantly more suppressed than the ϒ(1S) at RHIC. The level of suppression for ϒ(1S) is comparable to that observed at the much higher collision energy at the Large Hadron Collider. These results point to the creation of a medium at RHIC whose temperature is sufficiently high to strongly suppress excited ϒ states.

Nonstructural proteins 2B and 4A of Tembusu virus induce complete autophagy to promote viral multiplication in vitro

Tembusu virus (TMUV) is an emerging flavivirus that has broken out in different regions of China. TMUV infection has been reported to induce autophagy in duck embryo fibroblast cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this autophagy induction remain unclear. Here, we explored the interactions between autophagy and TMUV and the effects of the structural and nonstructural proteins of TMUV on autophagy in vitro. Among our results, TMUV infection enhanced autophagy to facilitate viral replication in HEK293T cells. After pharmacologically inducing autophagy with rapamycin (Rapa), the replication of TMUV increased by a maximum of 14-fold compared with the control group. To determine which TMUV protein primarily induced autophagy, cells were transfected with two structural proteins and seven nonstructural proteins of TMUV. Western blotting showed that nonstructural proteins 2B (NS2B) and 4 A (NS4A) of TMUV significantly induced the conversion of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) from LC3-I to LC3-II in HEK293T cells. In addition, through immunofluorescence assays, we found that NS2B and NS4A significantly increased the punctate fluorescence of GFP-LC3-II. Furthermore, we found that both NS2B and NS4A interacted with polyubiquitin-binding protein sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1/p62) in a coimmunoprecipitation assay. Moreover, the autophagic degradation of p62 and LC3 mediated by NS2B or NS4A was inhibited by treatment with the autophagic flux inhibitor chloroquine (CQ). These results confirmed the vital effects of NS2B and NS4A in TMUV-induced complete autophagy and clarified the importance of complete autophagy for viral replication, providing novel insight into the relationship between TMUV and autophagy.

The recovery of upper limb function and postoperative pain in children with lateral humeral condyle fractures were examined retrospectively in relation to the effects of brachial plexus block given in conjunction with general anesthesia

OBJECTIVE

To assess in retrospect the effects of brachial plexus block and general anesthesia on children with lateral humeral condyle fractures in terms of postoperative pain and return of upper limb function.

METHODS

Randomly allocated to either the control group (n = 51) or the study group (n = 55) were children with lateral humeral condyle fractures who were admitted to our hospital between October 2020 and October 2021, depending on the surgical anesthetic technique used. The research group had internal fixation surgery with brachial plexus block in addition to anesthesia on the basis of the control group, whereas both groups of children underwent the procedure with general anesthesia alone. Postoperative pain degree, upper extremity functional recovery, occurrence of adverse reactions, etc. RESULTS: The study group had shorter mean times for surgery, anesthesia, propofol dose, return to consciousness, and extubation than the control group did at every measure of statistical significance. The T2 heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were both significantly lower than the pre-anesthesia HR and MAP, and the T1, T2, and T3 HR and MAP were all significantly lower in the study group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The difference between the SpO2 values at T0 and T3 was not statistically significant (P > 0.05); the VAS scores at 4 h, 12 h, and 48 h after surgery were higher than those at 2 h after surgery, and reached the peak at 4 h after surgery; within 2 h, 4 h, and 12 h of surgery At 48 h, the study group had substantially lower VAS ratings than the control group (P < 0.05). Post-treatment Fugl-Meyer scale scores were considerably higher across the board compared to pre-treatment levels in both groups. When compared to the control group, individuals who participated in the flexion-stretching coordinated exercise and the separation exercise had significantly better ratings. Electrocardiogram, blood pressure, respiratory circulation, and hemodynamic parameters all remained within normal limits during the surgical procedure. The study group had a 9.09% reduced incidence of adverse events compared to the control group. 19.61% (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

When used in conjunction with general anesthesia, brachial plexus block can help children with lateral humeral condyle fractures regulate perioperative signs, maintain their hemodynamic level, lessen postoperative pain and unpleasant reactions, and improve the function of their upper limbs. Functional recovery, with high safety and effectiveness.

Enhanced activation of H2O2 by bimetallic Cu2SnS3: A new insight for Cu (II)/Cu (I) redox cycle promotion

HYPOTHESIS

Despite that the development of Cu₂SnS₃ (CTS) catalyst has attracted increasing interests, few study has reported to investigate its heterogeneous catalytic degradation of organic pollutants in a Fenton-like process. Furthermore, the influence of Sn components towards Cu (II)/Cu (I) redox cycling in CTS catalytic systems remains a fascinating research.

EXPERIMENTS

In this work, a series of CTS catalysts with controlled crystalline phases were prepared via a microwave-assisted pathway and applied in the H₂O₂ activation for phenol degradation. The efficiency of phenol degradation in CTS-1/H₂O₂ system (CTS-1: the molar ratio of Sn (copper acetate) and Cu (tin dichloride) is determined to be Sn:Cu = 1:1) was systematically investigated by controlling various reaction parameters including H₂O₂ dosage, initial pH and reaction temperature. We discovered that Cu₂SnS₃ exhibited superior catalytic activity to the contrast monometallic Cu or Sn sulfides and Cu (I) acted as the dominant active sites. The higher Cu (I) proportions conduce to the higher catalytic activities of CTS catalysts. Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) further proved that the activation of H₂O₂ by CTS catalyst produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequently leads to degradation of the contaminants. A reasonable mechanism of enhanced H₂O₂ activation in Fenton-like reaction of CTS/H₂O₂ system was proposed for phenol degradation by investigating the roles of copper, tin and sulfur species.

FINDINGS

The developed CTS acted as a promising catalyst in Fenton-like oxidation progress for phenol degradation. Importantly, the copper and tin species contribute to a synergetic effect for the promotion of Cu (II)/Cu (I) redox cycle, which thus enhanced the activation of H₂O₂. Our work may offer new insight on the facilitation of Cu (II)/Cu (I) redox cycle in Cu-based Fenton-like catalytic systems.

Toxicity monitoring signals analysis of selenite using microbial fuel cells

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) based biosensors are widely studied to environmental monitoring. The suitable responsive signal is important for microbial electrochemical sensors. However, the responsive signals of toxins have not been investigated in detail. Using sodium selenite as a toxic substance, the different response signals are analyzed over a concentration range from 0 to 150 mg/L in the double chambered. The output voltage and power density had the opposite trend between 0 and 2.5 mg/L and 2.5-150 mg/L. To analyze the reasonable signal of Se(IV) monitoring sensor, correlation analysis of concentrations and responsive signal data (maximum voltage, maximum power density, coulombic recovery, coulombic efficiency, and normalized energy recovery, etc.) has been accomplished. The high concentration of exogenous selenite (2.5-100 mg/L) is negatively correlated with maximum voltage (r = -0.901, p < 0.01) and max power density (r = -0.910, p < 0.01). The low concentration of exogenous selenite is positively correlated with average voltage, max power density, coulombic yield (r = 0.973, 0.999 and 0.975, respectively. p < 0.05). Furthermore, Illumina sequencing results indicate that the addition of sodium selenite solution changes the anode community structure, thereby affecting the removal efficiency of organic matter, which may be the reason why coulombic efficiency and normalized energy recovery are not suitable as sensing signal. Overall, based on the analysis of experimental data, the maximum power density is the best response signal, which provides a reference for the selection of sensor response signal based on microbial fuel cells.

Biological effects on the migration and transformation of microplastics in the marine environment

Microplastics(MPs) are ubiquitous, difficult to degrade, and potentially threatening to organisms in marine environment, so it is important to clarify the factors that affect their biogeochemical processes. The impact of biological activities on the MPs in marine environment is ubiquitous and complex, and there is currently a lack of systematic summaries. This paper reviews the effects of biological actions on the migration, distribution and degradation of MPs in marine environment from four aspects: biological ingestion and digestion, biological movement, biological colonization and biological adhesion. MPs in seawater and sediments can be closely combined with organisms through three pathways: biological ingestion, biofilm formation or adhesion to organisms, and are passed between species at different trophic levels through the food chain. The generation and degradation of faecal pellets and biofilms can alter the density of "environmental MPs", thereby affecting their vertical migration and deposition in water bodies. The movement of swimming organisms and the disturbance by benthic organisms can promote the migration of MPs in water and vertical migration and resuspension in sediments, thereby changing the distribution of MPs in local sea areas. The grinding effect of the digestive tract and the secretion of chemicals from the biofilm (such as enzymes and acids) can reduce the particle size and increase surface roughness of MPs, or even degrade them completely. Besides, biological adhesion may be an important mechanism affecting the distribution, migration and preservation of MPs. There may be complex interactions and linkages among marine dynamical processes, photochemical degradation and biological processes that collectively affect the biogeochemical processes of MPs, but their relative contributions remain to be more studied.

Expression of Polyadenylate-binding Protein Cytoplasmic 1 (PABPC1) in Combination With RAD51 as Prognostic Biomarker in Patients Who Underwent Postoperative Chemotherapy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Molecular markers in the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients who received postoperative treatments are lacking. This research aims to evaluate the prognostic value of polyadenylate-binding protein cytoplasmic 1 (PABPC1) alone and in combination with RAD51 in ESCC patients who underwent postoperative chemotherapy (CT). A total of 103 ESCC patients who underwent postoperative CT and 103 matched ones who received surgery alone were analyzed in this study. PABPC1 and RAD51 expression was assessed in cancer samples by immunohistochemistry. PABPC1 high expression (PABPC1-HE) but not that of RAD51 was associated with poor patients' survival, regardless of the postoperative treatment or node status. Patients with PABPC1 low expression and RAD51 negative expression [RAD51- (PABPC1-LE/RAD51-)] tumor had good overall survival (OS) in both the CT treated and untreated groups. Patients with PABPC1-LE/RAD51+ and PABPC1-HE/RAD51+ tumors had longer OS in the CT treated group than in the untreated group. However, PABPC1-HE/RAD51- was associated with a poor outcome in both groups and the patients with PABPC1-HE/RAD51- tumor had hardly any benefit from CT in N+ status. PABPC1 alone and in combination with RAD51 was a prognostic biomarker for OS in ESCC patients who received postoperative CT.

Effects of US3 protein kinase activity on localization of UL31/UL34 protein and nucleocapsids egress of duck plague virus

Duck plague virus (DPV) is a pathogen causing duck plague and has caused huge economic losses in poultry industry. In our previous report, US3 gene deletion from DPV genome seriously impaired virus replication. In this study, we constructed a US3 kinase-inactive mutant (US3K213A) to further explore the function of US3 protein (pUS3) in DPV. Our results showed that the loss of pUS3 kinase activity caused lower viral titers, smaller plaque sizes and a blockage of capsids nuclear egress including primary enveloped virion (PEV) accumulation compared to the parental virus infection. It indicates that the effects of DPV pUS3 on viral propagation depended on its kinase activity. In addition, we conducted electron microscopy analysis to show the outer nuclear membrane (ONM) evaginations and the nuclear envelope (NE) deep invagination in US3K213A-infected cells. Finally, an irregular distribution of pUL31/pUL34 in the NE in △US3- and US3K213A-infected cells and an interaction of pUS3 and pUL31 were found, which suggests that pUS3 potentially targets pUL31 and regulates the localization of pUL31/pUL34 to promote nucleocapsids egress through its kinase activity.

Efficient coupling of sulfadiazine removal with microalgae lipid production in a membrane photobioreactor

This study explored the feasibility of a coupled system for antibiotic removal and biofuel production through microalgae cultivation. Initial, batch culture experiments demonstrated that sulfadiazine (SDZ) had an inhibitory effect on Chlorella sp. G-9, and 100.0 mg L-1 SDZ completely inhibited its growth. In order to improve SDZ removal efficiency by microalgae, three membrane photobioreactors (MPBRs) with different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) were established for continuous microalgae cultivation. The efficient coupling of SDZ removal and microalgal lipid production was achieved through the gradual increment of influent SDZ concentration from 0 to 100.0 mg L-1. The reduction in SDZ ranged between 57.8 and 89.7%, 54.7-91.7%, and 54.6-93.5% for the MPBRs with HRT of 4 d, 2 d, and 1 d, respectively. Chlorella sp. Was found to tolerate higher concentrations of SDZ in the MPBR system, and the resulting stress from high concentrations of SDZ effectively increased the lipid content of microalgae for potential biodiesel production. With the increase of influent SDZ concentration from 0 to 100.0 mg L-1, the lipid content of microalgae increased by 43.5%. Chlorophyll content, superoxide dismutase activity, and malondialdehyde content of microalgae were also evaluated to explore the mechanism of microalgae tolerance to SDZ stress in MPBR.

Expression pattern and prognostic value of key regulators for N7-methylguanosine RNA modification in prostate cancer

Alterations in the regulators of RNA methylation modifications, such as N7-methylguanosine (m7G), have been implicated in a variety of diseases. Therefore, the analysis and identification of disease-related m7G modification regulators will accelerate advances in understanding disease pathogenesis. However, the implications of alterations in the regulators of m7G modifications remain poorly understood in prostate adenocarcinoma. In the present study, we analyze the expression patterns of 29 m7G RNA modification regulators in prostate adenocarcinoma using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and perform consistent clustering analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We find that 18 m7G-related genes are differentially expressed in tumor and normal tissues. In different cluster subgroups, DEGs are mainly enriched in tumorigenesis and tumor development. Furthermore, immune analyses demonstrate that patients in cluster 1 have significantly higher scores for stromal and immune cells, such as B cells, T cells, and macrophages. Then, a TCGA-related risk model is developed and successfully validated using a Gene Expression Omnibus external dataset. Two genes ( EIF4A1 and NCBP2) are determined to be prognostically significant. Most importantly, we construct tissue microarrays from 26 tumor specimens and 20 normal specimens, and further confirm that EIF4A1 and NCBP2 are associated with tumor progression and Gleason score. Therefore, we conclude that the m7G RNA methylation regulators may be involved in the poor prognosis of patients with prostate adenocarcinoma. The results of this study may provide support for exploring the underlying molecular mechanisms of m7G regulators, especially EIF4A1 and NCBP2.

Beam Energy Dependence of Fifth- and Sixth-Order Net-Proton Number Fluctuations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the beam energy and collision centrality dependence of fifth and sixth order cumulants (C_{5}, C_{6}) and factorial cumulants (κ_{5}, κ_{6}) of net-proton and proton number distributions, from center-of-mass energy (sqrt[s_{NN}]) 3 GeV to 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. Cumulant ratios of net-proton (taken as proxy for net-baryon) distributions generally follow the hierarchy expected from QCD thermodynamics, except for the case of collisions at 3 GeV. The measured values of C_{6}/C_{2} for 0%-40% centrality collisions show progressively negative trend with decreasing energy, while it is positive for the lowest energy studied. These observed negative signs are consistent with QCD calculations (for baryon chemical potential, μ_{B}≤110  MeV) which contains the crossover transition range. In addition, for energies above 7.7 GeV, the measured proton κ_{n}, within uncertainties, does not support the two-component (Poisson+binomial) shape of proton number distributions that would be expected from a first-order phase transition. Taken in combination, the hyperorder proton number fluctuations suggest that the structure of QCD matter at high baryon density, μ_{B}∼750  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV is starkly different from those at vanishing μ_{B}∼24  MeV at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and higher collision energies.

Nanodrug rescues liver fibrosis via synergistic therapy with H2O2 depletion and Saikosaponin b1 sustained release

Hypoxia and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) accumulation form the profibrogenic liver environment, which involves fibrogenesis and chronic stimulation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Catalase (CAT) is the major antioxidant enzyme that catalyzes H₂O₂ into oxygen and water, which loses its activity in different liver diseases, especially in liver fibrosis. Clinical specimens of cirrhosis patients and liver fibrotic mice are collected in this work, and results show that CAT decrease is closely correlated with hypoxia-induced transforminmg growth factor β1 (TGF-β1). A multifunctional nanosystem combining CAT-like MnO₂ and anti-fibrosis Saikosaponin b1 (Ssb1) is subsequently constructed for antifibrotic therapy. MnO₂ catalyzes the accumulated H₂O₂ into oxygen, thereby ameliorating the hypoxic and oxidative stress to prevent activation of HSCs, and assists to enhance the antifibrotic pharmaceutical effect of Ssb1. This work suggests that TGF-β1 is responsible for the diminished CAT in liver fibrosis, and our designed MnO₂@PLGA/Ssb1 nanosystem displays enhanced antifibrotic efficiency through removing excess H₂O₂ and hypoxic stress, which may be a promising therapeutic approach for liver fibrosis treatment.

BX795, a kinase inhibitor, inhibit duck plague virus infection via targeting US3 kinase

Duck plague virus (DPV) is a typical DNA virus of waterfowl, it causes huge economic losses to the duck industry due to the higher mortality and lower egg production. The disease is one of the frequent epidemics and outbreaks on duck farms because present vaccines could not provide complete immunity and there are no specific antiviral drugs available. Therefore, the development of antiviral drugs is urgently needed. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral activity of BX795, a specific kinase inhibitor of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1), protein kinase B (AKT) and Tank binding kinase 1 (TBK1), against DPV in different duck cells. Our study demonstrated that BX795 reveals prominent antiviral activity in a dose-dependent manner in different types of duck cells. Time-addition and antiviral duration analysis uncovered that BX795 inhibits viral infection therapeutically and its antiviral activity lasts longer than 96 h. Further studies have shown that BX795 prevents cell-to-cell spread of the DPV rather than affects other stage of viral life cycle. Mechanistically, BX795 can inhibit DPV US3 kinase activity, reduce the phosphorylation of US3 substrates, and prevent the interaction between US3 and UL47. Taking together, our study demonstrated BX795, which disrupts the viral kinase activity, is a candidate antiviral agent for DPV.

Attenuation of Avian Flavivirus by Rewiring the Leucine and Serine Codons of Its E-NS1 Protein toward Stop Mutation To Redirect Virus Evolution

Recently, a new strategy for attenuating RNA viruses by redirecting their evolution in sequence space was confirmed for Enterovirus and Influenza viruses. Using avian flavivirus as a model, the 69 serine and 53 leucine codons on the E-NS1 genes were modified to change evolutionary direction of the viral sequence space. This means that all codons encoding serine or leucine residues were substituted with codons that are only one base different from the three stop codons, resulting in the initial position of the virus genome in sequence space being closer to the detrimental areas to achieve attenuation by reducing viral adaptability. The growth curve and plaque size of CQW1-one-to-stop (CQW1-OTS) were similar to those of CQW1-wild type (CQW1-WT) in vitro, but attenuated proliferation was detected when treated with a mutagenic reagent (ribavirin). However, comparably high CQW1-OTS and CQW1-WT lethality rates were detected in 9-day-old duck embryos and 5-day-old ducklings, suggesting that this strategy works but with limitations. With that in mind, homologous hosts in nonsensitive age (25-day-old ducks) and heterologous hosts (3-week-old Kunming mice) were employed to investigate if CQW1-OTS was attenuated under host selection pressure. Minimal attenuation of CQW1-OTS in elder ducks and apparent attenuation in mice were reported, providing reduced viral titers, mild clinical signs, and lower specific infectivity. Collectively, we experimentally demonstrate that the attenuation strategy of redirecting virus evolution in sequence space works for flavivirus. Redirection of the virus is attenuated only under some outside pressure, such as heterologous hosts or antiviral drugs treatment, limiting its usage in flaviviruses. IMPORTANCE Flaviviruses are medically important arboviruses that threaten public health, but no approved treatments are currently available. Vaccines prevent flavivirus infection. We employed duck Tembusu virus (TMUV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, to evaluate virus redirection. TMUV is native to birds and could infect mice by intracerebral injection, making it an experimental animal model to study flavivirus characteristics in vivo. The 69 serine and 53 leucine codons on the E-NS1 proteins of CQW1 were synonymously substituted to change evolutionary direction of the virus in sequence space. In vitro mutagen reagent treatment suppressed CQW1-OTS viral multiplication, but in vivo attenuation depended on host selective pressure. CQW1-OTS viral attenuation was observed in older ducks but not sensitive ducklings; considerable attenuation was also observed in heterogenous host (mice), which provides more selective pressure on viruses. Collectively, these data indicated that there are very important preconditions for application of evaluating whether this strategy shows application prospects in novel flavivirus vaccine development.

The most bioactive fraction of stir-fried Radix Paeoniae Alba regulating IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway in allergic asthma mouse

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Radix Paeoniae Alba (RPA), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used frequently in the treatment of asthma. Previous studies demonstrated the dichloromethane fraction of Stir-Frying RPA (FDCM) enhanced the effect of anti-allergic asthma compared with the dichloromethane fraction of RPA (DCM).

AIM OF THE STUDY

The significant increasing of Paeoniflorin (PF), ethyl gallate (EG), 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloylglucose (PGG) had been observed in FDCM. This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of these compounds from FDCM in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma mouse model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The significant difference contents compounds fraction (FB-40) and other fractions in FDCM were enriched by Medium Pressure Liquid Chromatography (MPLC). The pharmacodynamics was verified among all fractions in OVA-induced allergic asthma mice. Moreover, the drug dose dependence of FB-40 (0.42 mg/kg, 0.21 mg/kg, and 0.07 mg/kg), which were the most active fraction from FDCM for anti-allergic asthma, was explored. The expression of IL-6, p-STAT3, and STAT3 was analyzed by Western blot analysis. In addition, the main components of FB-40 were identified by UPLC with standards. Finally, the anti-inflammatory effects of the main components from FB-40 were detected by LPS-stimulated BEAS-2B cells using an Elisa assay.

RESULTS

The results showed that FB-40 was the most active fraction from FDCM, which could significantly improve the lung tissue pathological condition, and decrease the number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). It had greater pharmacological activity than its main component PF. FB-40 also showed dose dependence and regulated the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway in allergic asthma mice. Besides, PF, Albiflorin (AF), PGG, EG, and 1,2,3,6-Tetra-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (TGG) from FB-40 were identified by UPLC with the standard. At last, in the LPS-induced BEAS-2B cell experiments, EG, PGG, 1,2,3,6-Tetra-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (TGG) showed stronger inhibiting activities of cytokine than the monoterpenoid glycosides (PF and AF).

CONCLUSION

The research proved that FB-40 was an active fraction in FDCM, which regulates IL-6/STAT3 Signaling Pathway to ameliorate allergic asthma. Gallic acids including TGG and PGG, and EG also play a role in the treatment of allergic asthma in FB-40.

Infection and innate immune mechanism of goose astrovirus

Goose astrovirus (GAstV, genus Avian Astrovirus, family Astrovirus) was first discovered in 2005, but was not considered as a pathogen of gosling gout until 2016. Since then, goose astrovirus has erupted in Chinese goslings, causing at most 50% of gosling deaths. By December 2022, the disease had become epidemic and prevailed in goose farms in Jiangsu, Shandong, Anhui, Henan, Guangdong, Liaoning, Sichuan and other places in China. The disease mainly affects goslings within 3 weeks old. The typical symptoms of goose astrovirus are large deposits of urate in the viscera, joint cavity and ureter surface of infected goslings. Goose astrovirus infection can trigger high levels of iNOS, limiting goose astrovirus replication. The ORF2 domain P2 of the goose astrovirus activates the OASL protein, limiting its replication. Goose astrovirus can also activate pattern recognition receptors (RIG-I, MDA-5, TLR-3), causing an increase in MHC-Ia, MHC-Ib and CD81 mRNA, activating humoral and cellular immunity, thereby hindering virus invasion. Goose astrovirus also regulates the activation of IFNs and other antiviral proteins (Mx1, IFITM3, and PKR) in the spleens and kidneys to inhibit viral replication. The innate immune response process in goslings also activates TGF-β, which may be closely related to the immune escape of goose astrovirus. Gaining insight into the infection and innate immune mechanism of goose astrovirus can help researchers study and prevent the severe disease in goslings better.

Duck Circovirus genotype 2 ORF3 protein induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway

Duck circovirus genotype 2 (DuCV2) belongs to the genus Circovirus, family Circoviridae. It can generally cause lymphocyte atrophy and necrosis in ducks, which leads to immunosuppression. The function of the DuCV2 open reading frame 3 (ORF3) protein in viral pathogenesis in host cells remains unclear. Therefore, a series of studies based on ORF3 of the isolate DuCV GH01 strain (belonging to DuCV2) were carried out in duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs) in this study. The results showed that the ORF3 protein could induce nuclear shrinkage and fragmentation in DEFs. Chromosomal DNA breakage was observed by TUNEL assay. The expression levels of caspase-related genes showed that ORF3 primarily promoted caspase 3 and caspase 9 expression. Furthermore, the protein expression levels of cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved caspase 9 in DEFs were enhanced by ORF3. Thus, ORF3 may activate the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. When the 20 amino acid residues at the C-terminus of ORF3 (ORF3ΔC₂₀) were deleted, the apoptosis rates were decreased. Moreover, compared to ORF3, ORF3ΔC₂₀ downregulated the mRNA levels of cytochrome c (Cyt c), poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and apoptosis protease activating factor 1 (Apaf-1), which are the key molecules in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Further study showed that ORF3ΔC₂₀ could reduce the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). This study suggested that the DuCV2 ORF3 protein may primarily activate apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway in DEFs, and this function is ORF3 C₂₀ dependent.

Bioprinted anisotropic scaffolds with fast stress relaxation bioink for engineering 3D skeletal muscle and repairing volumetric muscle loss

Viscoelastic hydrogels can enhance 3D cell migration and proliferation due to the faster stress relaxation promoting the arrangement of the cellular microenvironment. However, most synthetic photocurable hydrogels used as bioink materials for 3D bioprinting are typically elastic. Developing a photocurable hydrogel bioink with fast stress relaxation would be beneficial for 3D bioprinting engineered 3D skeletal muscles in vitro and repairing volumetric muscle loss (VML) in vivo; however, this remains an ongoing challenge. This study aims to develop an interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogel with tunable stress relaxation using a combination of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) and fibrinogen. These IPN hydrogels with faster stress relaxation showed higher 3D cellular proliferation and better differentiation. A 3D anisotropic biomimetic scaffold was further developed via a printing gel-in-gel strategy, where the extrusion printing of cell-laden viscoelastic FG hydrogel within Carbopol supported gel. The 3D engineered skeletal muscle tissue was further developed via 3D aligned myotube formation and contraction. Furthermore, the cell-free 3D printed scaffold was implanted into a rat VML model, and both the short and long-term repair results demonstrated its ability to enhance functional skeletal muscle tissue regeneration. These data suggest that such viscoelastic hydrogel provided a suitable 3D microenvironment for enhancing 3D myogenic differentiation, and the 3D bioprinted anisotropic structure provided a 3D macroenvironment for myotube organization, which indicated the potential in skeletal muscle engineering and VML regeneration. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The development of a viscoelastic 3D aligned biomimetic skeletal muscle scaffold has been focused on skeletal muscle regeneration. However, a credible technique combining viscoelastic hydrogel and printing gel-in-gel strategy for fabricating skeletal muscle tissue was rarely reported. Therefore, in this study, we present an interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogel with fast stress relaxation for 3D bioprinting engineered skeletal muscle via a printing gel-in-gel strategy. Such IPN hydrogels with tunable fast stress relaxation resulted in high 3D cellular proliferation and adequate differentiation in vitro. Besides, the 3D hydrogel-based scaffolds also enhance functional skeletal muscle regeneration in situ. We believe that this study provides several notable advances in tissue engineering that can be potentially used for skeletal muscle injury treatment in clinical.

Trends in incidence, survival and initial treatments of gynecological sarcoma: a retrospective analysis of the United States subpopulation

BACKGROUND

To estimate the incidence, prevalence and incidence-based mortality in patients with gynecologic sarcoma (GS), and described the trends of survival and initial treatments in the US by using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

METHODS

GS cases aged 20 years or older between 1975 and 2015 were identified from SEER 9 registries. Incidence, prevalence, and incidence-based mortality were estimated, all rates were age adjusted to the 2000 US standard population and presented as per 100,000 persons. Annual percentage change (APC) and average APC (AAPC) were calculated to describe the trends. In addition, stage distribution, cancer-specific survival (CSS) and initial treatment pattern over time were also reported.

RESULTS

The overall age-adjusted incidence of GS increased from 2.38 to 3.41 per 100,000 persons from 1975 to 2015, with an AAPC of 1.0 (P < 0.05), and the AAPC increased to 1.3 (P < 0.05) in the last decade. The incidence of population aged ≥ 55 years was three or more times than that of population aged 20-54 year from 1975 to 2015. Corpus and uterus GS was the main subtype, and it increased significantly during last three decades (an APC of 1.5). In addition, the prevalence of corpus and uterus GS increased mostly among all GSs. The incidence of GS with regional and distant stages increased pronouncedly, but not for local stage. GS cases showed increasing 3-year and 5-year CSS rates except for other sites GS. Approximately 87.7% GS cases received surgery during the first-course treatment, but the proportion decreased over years. In contrast, the proportion of receiving multiple treatment modalities increased.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of GS increased significantly with improved survival, which might due to the strategy of combination of multiple treatment. However, no obvious improvement on the early detection of GS was found, which should be facilitated to further improve the prognosis of GS.

Efficient microalgal lipid production driven by salt stress and phytohormones synergistically

In this study, a novel method of coupling phytohormones with saline wastewater was proposed to drive efficient microalgal lipid production. All the six phytohormones effectively promoted microalgae growth in saline wastewater, and further increased the microalgal lipid content based on salt stress, so as to achieve a large increase in microalgal lipid productivity. Among the phytohormones used, abscisic acid had the most significant promoting effect. Under the synergistic effect of 20 g/L salt and 20 mg/L abscisic acid, the microalgal lipid productivity reached 3.7 times that of the control. Transcriptome analysis showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of microalgae in saline wastewater were mainly up-regulated under the effects of phytohormones except brassinolide. Common DEGs analysis showed that phytohormones all regulated the expression of genes related to DNA repair and substance synthesis. In conclusion, synergistic effect of salt stress and phytohormones can greatly improve the microalgal lipid production efficiency.

Bacterial DNA methyltransferase: A key to the epigenetic world with lessons learned from proteobacteria

Epigenetics modulates expression levels of various important genes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. These epigenetic traits are heritable without any change in genetic DNA sequences. DNA methylation is a universal mechanism of epigenetic regulation in all kingdoms of life. In bacteria, DNA methylation is the main form of epigenetic regulation and plays important roles in affecting clinically relevant phenotypes, such as virulence, host colonization, sporulation, biofilm formation et al. In this review, we survey bacterial epigenomic studies and focus on the recent developments in the structure, function, and mechanism of several highly conserved bacterial DNA methylases. These methyltransferases are relatively common in bacteria and participate in the regulation of gene expression and chromosomal DNA replication and repair control. Recent advances in sequencing techniques capable of detecting methylation signals have enabled the characterization of genome-wide epigenetic regulation. With their involvement in critical cellular processes, these highly conserved DNA methyltransferases may emerge as promising targets for developing novel epigenetic inhibitors for biomedical applications.

DHAV 3CD targets IRF7 and RIG-I proteins to block the type I interferon upstream signaling pathway

Duck hepatitis A virus type 1 (DHAV-1) is an acute, highly lethal infectious agent that infects ducklings and causes up to 95% mortality in ducklings up to 1 week of age, posing a significant economic threat to the duck farming industry. Previous studies have found that the proteolytic enzyme 3 C encoded by DHAV-1 can inhibit the IRF7 protein from blocking the upstream signaling pathway of the type I interferon to promote viral replication. However, there are still few studies on the mechanism of DHAV-1 in immune evasion. Here, we demonstrate that the DHAV-1 3CD protein can interact with IRF7 protein and reduce IRF7 protein expression without directly affecting IRF7 protein nuclear translocation. Further studies showed that the 3CD protein could reduce the expression of RIG-I protein without affecting its transcription level. Furthermore, we found that the 3CD protein interacted with the N-terminal structural domain of RIG-I protein, interfered with the interaction between RIG-I and MAVS, and degraded RIG-I protein through the proteasomal degradation pathway, thereby inhibiting its mediated antiviral innate immunity to promote DHAV-1 replication. These data suggest a novel immune evasion mechanism of DHAV-1 mediated by the 3CD protein, and the results of this experiment are expected to improve the understanding of the biological functions of the viral precursor protein and provide scientific data to elucidate the mechanism of DHAV-1 infection and pathogenesis.

Evolutionary and reverse engineering in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a Pdr1p mutation-dependent mechanism for 2-phenylethanol tolerance

BACKGROUND

2-Phenylethanol (2-PE), a higher alcohol with a rose-like odor, inhibits growth of the producer strains. However, the limited knowledge regarding 2-PE tolerance mechanisms renders our current knowledge base insufficient to inform rational design.

RESULTS

To improve the growth phenotype of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under a high 2-PE concentration, adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was used to generate an evolved 19-2 strain. Under 2-PE stress, its OD₆₀₀ and growth rate increased by 86% and 22% than that of the parental strain, respectively. Through whole genome sequencing and reverse engineering, transcription factor Pdr1p mutation (C862R) was revealed as one of the main causes for increased 2-PE tolerance. Under 2-PE stress condition, Pdr1p mutation increased unsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid ratio by 42%, and decreased cell membrane damage by 81%. Using STRING website, we identified Pdr1p interacted with some proteins, which were associated with intracellular ergosterol content, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the ATP-binding cassette transporter. Also, the results of transcriptional analysis of genes encoded these proteins confirmed that Pdr1p mutation induced the expression of these genes. Compared with those of the reference strain, the ergosterol content of the PDR1_862 strain increased by 72%-101%, and the intracellular ROS concentration decreased by 38% under 2-PE stress. Furthermore, the Pdr1p mutation also increased the production of 2-PE (11% higher).

CONCLUSIONS

In the present work, we have demonstrated the use of ALE as a powerful tool to improve yeast tolerance to 2-PE. Based on the reverse engineering, transcriptional and physiological analysis, we concluded that Pdr1p mutation significantly enhanced the 2-PE tolerance of yeast by regulating the fatty acid proportion, intracellular ergosterol and ROS. It provides new insights on Pdr1p mediated 2-PE tolerance, which could help in the design of more robust yeasts for natural 2-PE synthesis.

Evaluation of the immunoprotection efficacy of Riemerella anatipestifer fur-deficient mutant as an attenuated vaccine

Riemerella anatipestifer (R. anatipestifer, RA) is an infectious pathogen that causes septicemia and polyserositis in ducks. Our previous studies showed that RA CH-1 ∆fur was significantly attenuated in ducklings, which highlights the potential of this strain as a live attenuated vaccine. In this study, it was shown that infection with 10⁹ CFU of the fur mutant did not cause any clinical symptoms or significant histological lesions in 3-day-old ducklings and that the bacteria were readily cleared by the host within 3 d. Compared with the nonvaccinated group, the group inoculated with the mutant strain RA CH-1 ∆fur exhibited protection of ducklings against a high-dose (2.28 × 10¹⁰ CFU) challenge with the wild-type strain RA CH-1. Moreover, the average body weights and body weight gains of the Δfur-inoculated group were not significantly affected by the challenge. Further analysis revealed that RA CH-1 ∆fur elicited higher IgY titers and that the serum antibody levels persisted for at least 49 d after immunization. Overall, our study showed that RA CH-1 ∆fur is a safe and effective vaccine candidate that is expected to play an important role in RA CH-1 infection prevention in the duck industry.

Deletion of Double Copies of the US1 Gene Reduces the Infectivity of Recombinant Duck Plague Virus In Vitro and In Vivo

Duck plague caused by duck plague virus (DPV) is one of the main diseases that seriously endangers the production of waterfowl. DPV possesses a large genome consisting of 78 open reading frames (ORFs), and understanding the function and mechanism of each encoded protein in viral replication and pathogenesis is the key to controlling duck plague outbreaks. US1 is one of the two genes located in the repeat regions of the DPV genome, but the function of its encoded protein in DPV replication and pathogenesis remains unclear. Previous studies found that the US1 gene or its homologs exist in almost all alphaherpesviruses, but the loci, functions, and pathogenesis of their encoded proteins vary among different viruses. Here, we aimed to define the roles of US1 genes in DPV infection and pathogenesis by generating a double US1 gene deletion mutant and its revertant without any mini-F cassette retention. In vitro and in vivo studies found that deletion of both copies of the US1 gene significantly impaired the replication, gene expression, and virulence of DPV, which could represent a potential candidate vaccine strain for the prevention of duck plague. IMPORTANCE Duck plague virus contains nearly 80 genes, but the functions and mechanisms of most of the genes have not yet been elucidated, including those of the newly identified immediate early gene US1. Here, we found that US1 deletion reduces viral gene expression, replication, and virus production both in vitro and in vivo. This insight defines a fundamental role of the US1 gene in DPV infection and indicates its involvement in DPV transcription. These results provide clues for the study of the pathogenesis of the US1 gene and the development of attenuated vaccines targeting this gene.

Collision-System and Beam-Energy Dependence of Anisotropic Flow Fluctuations

Elliptic flow measurements from two-, four-, and six-particle correlations are used to investigate flow fluctuations in collisions of U+U at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV, Cu+Au at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and Au+Au spanning the range sqrt[s_{NN}]=11.5-200  GeV. The measurements show a strong dependence of the flow fluctuations on collision centrality, a modest dependence on system size, and very little if any, dependence on particle species and beam energy. The results, when compared to similar LHC measurements, viscous hydrodynamic calculations, and trento model eccentricities, indicate that initial-state-driven fluctuations predominate the flow fluctuations generated in the collisions studied.

Specific DNAzymes cleave the 300-618 nt of 5'UTR to inhibit DHAV-1 translation and replication

DNAzymes effectively inhibit the expression of viral genes. Duck hepatitis A virus type-1 (DHAV-1) genomic RNA carries an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). The IRES initiates the translation of DHAV-1 via a mechanism that differs from that of cap-dependent translation. Therefore, it is an attractive target for the treatment of DHAV-1. In this study, we designed 6 DNAzymes (Dzs) specifically targeting 300-618 nt sequence in the DHAV-1 5'untranslated region (UTR; a predicted IRES-like element). In the presence of divalent metal ions, three designed DNAzymes (DZ369, DZ454, and DZ514) efficiently cleaved the 300-618 nt sequence of the DHAV-1 5'UTR RNA. The activity of the Dzs was particularly dependent on Mg²⁺ ions. Subsequently, the translation inhibitory activity of these Dzs was determined by western blotting experiments. The Dzs effectively inhibited the translation mediated by the 300-618 nt of DHAV-1 5'UTR in duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs). Importantly, DZ454 showed the strongest inhibitory effect, and its inhibition was time and dose dependent. However, none of the Dzs showed significant inhibition of cap-dependent translation. These results suggest that these Dzs show specificity for target RNA. Moreover, DZ454 inhibited the replication of DHAV-1. In conclusion, the designed DNAzymes can be used as inhibitors of DHAV-1 RNA translation and replication, providing new insights useful for the development of anti-DHAV-1 drugs.

[Feasibility and efficacy of preserving internal branch of superior laryngeal nerve in endoscopic surgery for hypopharyngeal squamous cancer: an observational study]

Objective: This study was performed to investigate the feasibility of preservation of internal branch of superior laryngeal nerve(ibSLN) during transoral endoscopic surgery for hypopharyngeal squamous cancer(HSCC) and the influence on patient's swallowing function after operation. Methods: From May 2020 to June 2021, the data of 29 HSCC patients who required for transoral endoscopic surgery in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were prospectively included, and the included patients were divided into two groups randomly by lottery. According to whether ibSLN was actively dissected during operation, they were divided into ibSLN preservation group (n=15) and control group (n=14, without ibSLN preservation). Operation time, intraoperative hemorrhage, intraoperative neck dissection, postoperative radiotherapy, postoperative recurrence within 1 year, retention and swallowing function, the recovery of oral soft diet and the quality of life were compared between two groups. SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The study included 29 eligible patients, including 25 males and 4 females.The age ranged from 42 to 67 (56.07±5.93) years. There were no significant differences(P>0.05) between 2 groups in the following data,including age(t=-0.56), gender(χ2=0.01), TNM stage(T stageχ2=0.29, N stage χ2=0.02), pathological diagnosis(χ2=0.03), preoperative swallowing function(χ2=0.00) and M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory(MDADI) score(global t=0.55, emotional t=0.16, functional t=0.60, physical t=0.64), operation time(t=1.62) and intraoperative hemorrhage(t=-1.46), intraoperative neck dissection(χ2=0.01), postoperative radiotherapy(χ2=0.32), postoperative recurrence within 1 year(P>0.050). The swallowing function was evaluated by water swallowing test after operation. The swallowing function of ibSLN preservation group was better than control group, and the difference between two groups was statistically significant on the 1st (χ2=4.44, P=0.035), 5th (χ2=4.24, P=0.039) and 7th (χ2=4.55, P=0.033) day after operation. On the 14th day after operation, the MDADI scores of patients in the ibSLN preservation group were higher than those in the control group in global (t=2.45, P=0.021), functional (t=2.54, P=0.017) and physical (t=2.24, P=0.034) dimensions, except for emotional dimension (t=1.89, P=0.070). The median time of oral soft diet(U=23.00, P<0.001), normal oral diet(U=21.00, P<0.001) and the nasogastric tube removal time (U=18.50, P<0.001) in ibSLN preservation group was 2 days, 5 days and 6 days respectively, earlier than that in control group, which had statistically significant difference. Conclusion: Our results show that it is feasible to preserve the ibSLN during HSCC transoral endoscopic surgery, which can achieve rapid recovery of postoperative swallowing function.

[The relationships between functional gastrointestinal diseases and psychological factors, diet and lifestyles: a network analysis]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between common functional gastrointestinal diseases symptoms with psychological factors, diet and lifestyles by using the network analysis method which has achieved great success in the field of psychology in recent years. Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted in two military units using the cluster sampling method during July 2020, and a total of 1 805 subjects were included. Functional gastrointestinal disease symptoms were evaluated with the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS). The state, trait anxiety scale and stress response scale were used to evaluate the mental and psychological state by self-evaluation. R was used to build the network and calculate statistical parameters. Results: 1 486 of the 1 805 subjects (82.3%) had experienced functional gastrointestinal diseases symptoms within 2 weeks, but most of them were mild. Network analysis shows that there was a strong interaction between digestive system symptoms with different clinical manifestations (Spearman coefficient ranges 0.31-0.56). There was a clear relationship between functional gastrointestinal symptoms and mental and psychological factors (Spearman coefficient ranges 0.16-0.27), but there was no clear interaction with diet, age, education level, body mass index, etc. Functional gastrointestinal diseases symptoms were connected with mental and psychological factors through two nodes: stress and indigestion. The stability coefficient of node strength correlation was 0.75, indicating that the network was stable. Conclusions: The current study revealed the network structure and features of functional gastrointestinal diseases symptoms with mental and psychological factors. The key linking nodes provided potential interfering target for controlling functional gastrointestinal symptoms related to mental and psychological factors.

Light/dark phase influences intra-individual plasticity in maintenance metabolic rate and exploratory behavior independently in the Asiatic toad

Background

It is well-known that light/dark phase can affect energy expenditure and behaviors of most organisms; however, its influences on individuality (inter-individual variance) and plasticity (intra-individual variance), as well as their associations remain unclear. To approach this question, we repeatedly measured maintenance metabolic rate (MR), exploratory and risk-taking behaviors across light/dark phase four times using wild-caught female Asiatic toads (Bufo gargarizans), and partitioned their variance components with univariate and bivariate mixed-effects models.

Results

The group means of maintenance MR and risk-taking behavior increased at night, while the group mean of exploratory behavior remained constant throughout the day. At night, the intra-individual variances were elevated in maintenance MR but reduced in exploration, suggesting that phenotypic plasticity was enhanced in the former but constrained in the latter. In addition, maintenance MR was not coupled with exploratory or risk-taking behaviors in daytime or at night, neither at the inter-individual nor intra-individual levels.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that these traits are independently modulated by the light/dark phase, and an allocation energy management model may be applicable in this species. This study sheds new insights into how amphibians adapt nocturnal lifestyle across multiple hierarchy levels via metabolic and behavioral adjustments.

Mechanism of herpesvirus protein kinase UL13 in immune escape and viral replication

Upon infection, the herpes viruses create a cellular environment suitable for survival, but innate immunity plays a vital role in cellular resistance to viral infection. The UL13 protein of herpesviruses is conserved among all herpesviruses and is a serine/threonine protein kinase, which plays a vital role in escaping innate immunity and promoting viral replication. On the one hand, it can target various immune signaling pathways in vivo, such as the cGAS-STING pathway and the NF-κB pathway. On the other hand, it phosphorylates regulatory many cellular and viral proteins for promoting the lytic cycle. This paper reviews the research progress of the conserved herpesvirus protein kinase UL13 in immune escape and viral replication to provide a basis for elucidating the pathogenic mechanism of herpesviruses, as well as providing insights into the potential means of immune escape and viral replication of other herpesviruses that have not yet resolved the function of it.

Epidemiology and prediction model of patients with carcinosarcoma in the United States

Background

Carcinosarcoma is a rare biphasic tumor composed of both carcinoma and sarcoma elements, which occurs at various sites. Most studies are case reports or small population-based studies for a single disease site, so comprehensive evaluations of epidemiology and prognostic factors for carcinosarcoma are needed.

Methods

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-8 (1975-2019) provided data for the epidemiological analysis. SEER-17 (2000-2019) provided data on the primary tumor sites, initial treatment, construction, and validation of the nomogram.

Results

The age-adjusted incidence per 100,000 persons of carcinosarcoma increased significantly from 0.46 to 0.91 [1975-2019; average annual percent change (AAPC): 1.3%, P = 0.006], with localized stage increasing from 0.14 to 0.26 [2005-2015; annual percent change (APC): 4.2%]. The 20-year limited-duration prevalence per 100,000 increased from 0.47 to 3.36 (1999-2018). The mortality per 100,000 increased significantly from 0.16 to 0.51 (1975-2019; AAPC: 1.9%, P < 0.001). The 5-year relative survival was 32.8%. The greatest number of carcinosarcomas were from the uterus (68.7%), ovary (17.8%), lung and bronchus (2.3%). The main treatment is comprehensive treatment based on surgery; however, surgery alone is preferred in older patients. In multivariate analysis (N = 11,424), age, sex, race, year of diagnosis, disease stage, tumor site, and treatment were associated with survival. A nomogram was established to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival, and the C-indexes were 0.732 and 0.748 for the training and testing sets, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic curve demonstrated that the nomogram provided a comprehensive and accurate prediction [1-year area under the curve (AUC): 0.782 vs. 0.796; 3-year AUC: 0.771 vs. 0.798; 5-year AUC: 0.777 vs. 0.810].

Conclusions

In this study, the incidence, prevalence, and mortality of carcinosarcoma have increased over the past decades. There was a rapid rise in the incidence of localized stage in recent years, which reflected improved early detection. The prognosis of carcinosarcoma remains poor, signifying the urgency of exploring targeted cancer control treatments. Explicating distribution and gender disparities of carcinosarcoma may facilitate disease screening and medical surveillance. The nomogram demonstrated good predictive capacity and facilitated clinical decision-making.

Integrated gut microbiota and serum metabolomics reveal the protective effect of oleanolic acid on liver and kidney-injured rats induced by Euphorbia pekinensis

Euphorbia pekinensis (EP) is a commonly used Chinese medicine treating edema with potential hepatorenal toxicity. However, its toxic mechanism and prevention are remained to be explored. Oleanolic acid (OA) is a triterpene acid with potential hepatorenal protective activities. We investigated the protective effect and potential mechanism of OA on EP-induced hepatorenal toxicity. In this study, rats were given total diterpenes from EP (TDEP, 16 mg/kg) combined with OA (10, 20, 40 mg/kg) by gavage for 4 weeks. The results showed that TDEP administration could lead to a 3-4-fold increasement in hepatorenal biochemical parameters with histopathological injuries, while OA treatment could ameliorate them in a dose-dependent manner. At microbial and metabolic levels, intestinal flora and host metabolism were perturbed after TDEP administration. The disturbance of bile acid metabolism was the most significant metabolic pathway, with secondary bile acids increasing while conjugated bile acids decreased. OA treatment can improve the disorder of intestinal flora and metabolic bile acid spectrum. Further correlation analysis screened out that Escherichia-Shigella, Phascolarctobacterium, Acetatifactor, and Akkermansia were closely related to the bile acid metabolic disorder. In conclusion, oleanolic acid could prevent hepatorenal toxicity induced by EP by regulating bile acids metabolic disorder via intestinal flora improvement.

Research Note: Duck plague virus pUL48 is a late protein that plays an important role in viral replication

Duck plague virus (DPV) pUL48 is a homologous of herpes simplex virus VP16, and some studies have shown that VP16 is essential for viral replication and proliferation, but there are few studies on DPV pUL48. Therefore, in order to study the function of pUL48 protein, we constructed a UL48-deleted mutant (DPV-BAC-∆UL48) that completely reemoved the UL48 gene from the DPV BAC genome and the revertant virus (DPV-BAC-∆UL48R) by using the 2-step red recombination system. Compared with the parental virus (DPV-BAC) and the revertant virus, the titer of UL48-deleted mutant was reduced by more than 38.2%, and the efficiency of producing infectious virions was significantly reduced. In addition, the average size of plaques produced by UL48-deleted mutant was about 30% smaller than that of the parental and revertant viruses, suggesting that pUL48 protein affected the cell-to-cell transmission of DPV. Finally, pharmacological inhibition assay showed that pUL48 is a late protein of DPV. In this study, we found that UL48, as a late gene, plays an important role in viral replication by affecting the formation of DPV infectious virion, virus cell-to-cell transmission, and viral genome transcription, which may provide some help for the study of the function of DPV pUL48 protein and the prevention and control of DPV.

Regulation of alphaherpesvirus protein via post-translational phosphorylation

An alphaherpesvirus carries dozens of viral proteins in the envelope, tegument and capsid structure, and each protein plays an indispensable role in virus adsorption, invasion, uncoating and release. After infecting the host, a virus eliminates unfavourable factors via multiple mechanisms to escape or suppress the attack of the host immune system. Post-translational modification of proteins, especially phosphorylation, regulates changes in protein conformation and biological activity through a series of complex mechanisms. Many viruses have evolved mechanisms to leverage host phosphorylation systems to regulate viral protein activity and establish a suitable cellular environment for efficient viral replication and virulence. In this paper, viral protein kinases and the regulation of viral protein function mediated via the phosphorylation of alphaherpesvirus proteins are described. In addition, this paper provides new ideas for further research into the role played by the post-translational modification of viral proteins in the virus life cycle, which will be helpful for understanding the mechanisms of viral infection of a host and may lead to new directions of antiviral treatment.

Gene regulation in animal miRNA biogenesis

miRNAs are a class of noncoding RNAs of approximately 19-22 nucleotides that are widely found in animals, plants, bacteria and even viruses. Dysregulation of the expression profile of miRNAs is importantly linked to the development of diseases. Epigenetic modifications regulate gene expression and control cellular phenotypes. Although miRNAs are used as an epigenetic regulation tool, the biogenesis of miRNAs is also regulated by epigenetic events. Here the authors review the mechanisms and roles of epigenetic modification (DNA methylation, histone modifications), RNA modification and ncRNAs in the biogenesis of miRNAs, aiming to deepen the understanding of the miRNA biogenesis regulatory network.

Expression of Programmed Death Ligand-2 is associated with Prognosis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Microenviroment

Background: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors have opened a new mode of treatment for solid tumors, their efficacy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) needs to be further investigated. Inhibitors of the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint are one of the hot topics in tumor immunotherapy. Programmed death ligand-2 (PD-L2) is a less studied ligand of PD-1 and has not yet been fully explored, especially in NPC. Understanding the clinical significance of PD-L2 expression, together with immune cell infiltration, might provide clues for biomarker screening in NPC immunotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate the role of PD-L2 as a prognostic factor for NPC patients as well as its role in immune regulation. Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on a tissue microarray including 557 NPC specimens using PD-L2 antibody. The immune cell markers CD4, FOXP3 and CD68 were also stained and quantified. The expression of PD-L2 exhibited different spatial patterns among NPC tumor and stromal tissues. Results: A total of 90.8% of the cases showed membranous PD-L2 expression in tumors, and 80.8% showed membranous PD-L2 expression in stromal tissue. High stromal expression of PD-L2 predicted favorable overall and disease-free survival of NPC patients and was negatively correlated with tumor size, recurrence or metastasis and clinical stage. In contrast, high tumor abundance of PD-L2 correlated with poor disease-free survival, but had no obvious correlation with clinicopathological parameters. Multivariate analysis indicated that stromal PD-L2 was an independent and favorable prognostic factor. Furthermore, we found a positive correlation between stromal PD-L2 expression and the infiltration of CD68⁺ macrophages and CD4⁺Foxp3⁺ Treg cells in NPC stromal tissues (Pearson correlation=0.181 and 0.098, respectively). Conclusions: Our results suggest that different PD-L2 expression patterns have distinct predictive values. PD-L2 expressed on stromal cells might play a role in the regulation of NPC progression, and involve in immune activation in the tissue microenvironment and have an independent good prognosis for NPC patients.