The circMYBL2-encoded p185 protein suppresses colorectal cancer progression by inhibiting serine biosynthesis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of covalently closed single-stranded loop RNAs that have been implicated to play a functional role in almost all types of cancers. Previous studies have revealed that circMYBL2 acts as a tumor-promoting circRNA. Here, we found that circMYBL2 in colorectal cancer (CRC) encodes a 185-amino acid protein, p185. Functionally, circMYBL2-encoded p185 suppressed the growth and aggressiveness of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, p185 counteracted UCHL3-mediated deubiquitination of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) by competitively binding to the C1 domain of UCHL3, resulting in PHGDH degradation and a subsequent reduction in serine and glycine biosynthesis. These data revealed that the circMYBL2-encoded p185 isoform serves as a tumor suppressor to inhibit the progression of CRC by reducing serine biosynthesis.

Role of LGL1 in cerebellar primordium of embryonic mice

Lethal giant larvae 1 (LGL1) is originally recognized as a tumor suppressor, implicated in maintaining cell polarity in Drosophila and mammalian cells. Cell polarity plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis. We previously established Pax2-LGL1 -/- conditional knockout mice but did not focus on the tumorigenesis in cerebellar primordium. HE staining was used to detect the morphological structure of the cerebellar primordium during early embryonic development in Pax2-LGL1 -/- mice. Immunofluorescence assays were used to detect the expression of polar molecules. TUNEL staining assessed tissue apoptosis. Our findings reveal that deletion of LGL1 leads to the emergence of neuroblastoma-like tissues within the cerebellum primordium during early embryogenesis. This outcome can be attributed to alterations in expression patterns of polar molecules Cdc42 and β-catenin following early deletion of LGL1, resulting in loss of cell polarity among neuroepithelial cells and subsequent formation of tumor-like tissues. However, further histological examination demonstrated that these tumor-like tissues disappear from embryonic day 15.5 onwards within the cerebellar primordium of Pax2-LGL1 -/- mice due to apoptosis-mediated cellular compensation. Our data emphasize the importance of LGL1 in maintaining neuroepithelial cell polarity and reveal a novel role for LGL1 in regulating tumorigenesis and ablation in the cerebellar primordium.

Construct validation of machine learning for accurately predicting the risk of postoperative surgical site infection following spine surgery

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for machine learning (ML) algorithms in predicting postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) following spine surgery.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included 986 patients who underwent spine surgery at Taizhou People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University from January 2015 to October 2022. Supervised ML algorithms included support vector machine, logistic regression, random forest, XGboost, decision tree, k-nearest neighbour, and naïve Bayes (NB), which were tested and trained to develop a predicting model. The ML model performance was evaluated from the test dataset. We gradually analysed their accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, as well as the positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and area under the curve.

RESULTS

The rate of SSI was 9.33%. Using a backward stepwise approach, we identified that the remarkable risk factors predicting SSI in the multi-variate Cox regression analysis were age, body mass index, smoking, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, drain duration and pre-operative albumin level. Compared with other ML algorithms, the NB model had the highest performance in seven ML models, with an average area under the curve of 0.95, sensitivity of 0.78, specificity of 0.88, and accuracy of 0.87.

CONCLUSIONS

The NB model in the ML algorithm had excellent calibration and accurately predicted the risk of SSI compared with the existing models, and might serve as an important tool for the early detection and treatment of SSI following spinal infection.

Alteration of White Matter Connectivity for MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound in the Treatment of Essential Tremor

BACKGROUND

Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy has been implemented as a therapeutic alternative for the treatment of drug-refractory essential tremor (ET). However, its impact on the brain structural network is still unclear.

PURPOSE

To investigate both global and local alterations of the white matter (WM) connectivity network in ET after MRgFUS thalamotomy.

STUDY TYPE

Retrospective.

SUBJECTS

Twenty-seven ET patients (61 ± 11 years, 19 males) with MRgFUS thalamotomy and 28 healthy controls (HC) (61 ± 11 years, 20 males) were recruited for comparison.

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE

A 3 T/single shell diffusion tensor imaging by using spin-echo-based echo-planar imaging, three-dimensional T1 weighted imaging by using gradient-echo-based sequence.

ASSESSMENT

Patients were undergoing MRgFUS thalamotomy and their clinical data were collected from pre-operation to 6-month post-operation. Network topological metrics, including rich-club organization, small-world, and efficiency properties were calculated. Correlation between the topological metrics and tremor scores in ET groups was also calculated to assess the role of neural remodeling in the brain.

STATISTICAL TESTS

Two-sample independent t-tests, chi-squared test, ANOVA, Bonferroni test, and Spearman's correlation. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

RESULTS

For ET patients, the strength of rich-club connection and clustering coefficient significantly increased vs. characteristic path length decreased at 6-month post-operation compared with pre-operation. The distribution pattern of rich-club regions was different in ET groups. Specifically, the order of the rich-club regions was changed according to the network degree value after MRgFUS thalamotomy. Moreover, the altered nodal efficiency in the right temporal pole of the superior temporal gyrus (R = 0.434-0.596) and right putamen (R = 0.413-0.436) was positively correlated with different tremor improvement.

DATA CONCLUSION

These findings might improve understanding of treatment-induced modulation from a network perspective and may work as an objective marker in the assessment of ET tremor control with MRgFUS thalamotomy.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 4.

The role and mechanism of PDZ binding kinase in hypobaric and hypoxic acute lung injury

Background

Acute lung injury (ALI) caused by hypobaric hypoxia (HH) is frequently observed in high-altitude areas, and it is one of the leading causes of death in high-altitude-related diseases due to its rapid onset and progression. However, the pathogenesis of HH-related ALI (HHALI) remains unclear, and effective treatment approaches are currently lacking.

Methods

A new mouse model of HHALI developed by our laboratory was used as the study subject (Chinese patent No. ZL 2021 1 1517241 X). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of PDZ-binding kinase (PBK), sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), and PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) in mouse lung tissue. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe the main types of damage and damaged cells in lung tissue, and the lung injury score was used for quantification. The wet-dry (W/D) ratio was used to measure lung water content. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect changes in inflammatory factors and oxidative stress markers in the lungs. Western blotting verified the expression of various mitochondrial autophagy-related proteins. The 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimi-dazoylcarbocyanine iodide (JC-1) method was used determined the health status of mitochondria based on changes in mitochondrial membrane potential. Transmission electron microscopy was used to directly observe the morphology of mitochondria. Multicolor immunofluorescence was used to observe the levels of mitochondrial autophagy markers. Other signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms that may play a role in epithelial cells were analyzed via through RNA sequencing.

Results

Low pressure and hypoxia caused pathological changes in mouse lung tissue, mainly ALI, leading to increased levels of inflammatory factors and intensified oxidative stress response in the lungs. Overexpression of PBK was found to alleviate HHALI, and activation of the p53 protein was shown to abrogate this therapeutic effect, while activation of SIRT1 protein reactivated this therapeutic effect. The therapeutic effect of PBK on HHALI is achieved via the activation of mitochondrial autophagy. Finally, RNA sequencing demonstrated that besides mitochondrial autophagy, PBK also exerts other functions in HHALI.

Conclusions

Overexpression of PBK inhibits the expression of p53 and activates SIRT1-PINK1 axis mediated mitochondrial autophagy to alleviate HHALI.

ESKtides: a comprehensive database and mining method for ESKAPE phage-derived antimicrobial peptides

'Superbugs' have received increasing attention from researchers, such as ESKAPE bacteria (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp.), which directly led to about 1 270 000 death cases in 2019. Recently, phage peptidoglycan hydrolases (PGHs)-derived antimicrobial peptides were proposed as new antibacterial agents against multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, there is still a lack of methods for mining antimicrobial peptides based on phages or phage PGHs. Here, by using a collection of 6809 genomes of ESKAPE isolates and corresponding phages in public databases, based on a unified annotation process of all the genomes, PGHs were systematically identified, from which peptides were mined. As a result, a total of 12 067 248 peptides with high antibacterial activities were respectively determined. A user-friendly tool was developed to predict the phage PGHs-derived antimicrobial peptides from customized genomes, which also allows the calculation of peptide phylogeny, physicochemical properties, and secondary structure. Finally, a user-friendly and intuitive database, ESKtides (http://www.phageonehealth.cn:9000/ESKtides), was designed for data browsing, searching and downloading, which provides a rich peptide library based on ESKAPE prophages and phages. Database URL:  10.1093/database/baae022.

Navigating the landscapes of spatial transcriptomics: How computational methods guide the way

Spatially resolved transcriptomics has been dramatically transforming biological and medical research in various fields. It enables transcriptome profiling at single-cell, multi-cellular, or sub-cellular resolution, while retaining the information of geometric localizations of cells in complex tissues. The coupling of cell spatial information and its molecular characteristics generates a novel multi-modal high-throughput data source, which poses new challenges for the development of analytical methods for data-mining. Spatial transcriptomic data are often highly complex, noisy, and biased, presenting a series of difficulties, many unresolved, for data analysis and generation of biological insights. In addition, to keep pace with the ever-evolving spatial transcriptomic experimental technologies, the existing analytical theories and tools need to be updated and reformed accordingly. In this review, we provide an overview and discussion of the current computational approaches for mining of spatial transcriptomics data. Future directions and perspectives of methodology design are proposed to stimulate further discussions and advances in new analytical models and algorithms. This article is categorized under: RNA Methods > RNA Analyses in Cells RNA Evolution and Genomics > Computational Analyses of RNA RNA Export and Localization > RNA Localization.

Quantitative Optical Coherence Elastography of the Optic Nerve Head In Vivo

OBJECTIVE

Optical coherence elastography (OCE) was used to demonstrate the relationship between the elasticity of the optic nerve head (ONH) and different intraocular pressure (IOP) levels in an in-vivo rabbit model for the first time.

METHOD

Both ex-vivo and in-vivo rabbit ONH were imaged using OCE system. A mechanical shaker initiated the propagation of elastic waves, and the elasticity of the ONH was determined by tracking the wave propagation speed. The elasticity of the ONH under varying IOP levels was reconstructed based on the wave speed. Notably, the ONH exhibited increased stiffness with elevated IOP.

RESULTS

In the in-vivo rabbit models, the Young's modulus of ONH increased from 14 kPa to 81 kPa with the IOP increased from 15 mmHg to 35 mmHg. This revealed a positive correlation between the Young's modulus of the ONH and intraocular pressure.

CONCLUSION

The OCE system proved effective in measuring the mechanical properties of ONH at different IOP levels, with validation in an in-vivo rabbit model.

SIGNIFICANCE

Considering ONH plays a critical role in vision and eye diseases, the capability to image and quantify in vivo ONH biomechanical properties has great potential to advance vision science research and improve the clinical management of glaucoma patients.

The presence of micropapillary and/or solid subtypes is an independent prognostic factor for patients undergoing curative resection for stage I lung adenocarcinoma with ground-glass opacity

Background

Non-predominant or even minimal micropapillary and/or solid (MP/S) subtypes have been reported to exert an unfavorable prognostic influence on surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). Currently, there is a lack of evidence to demonstrate that high-grade pathological subtypes, including MP/S components, impact the prognosis of patients with surgically resected lung ADCs with ground-glass opacity (GGO). In this investigation, we explored the prognostic implications of minimal MP/S components in lung ADCs with GGO.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 1,004 consecutive patients undergoing curative resection for pathologic stage (p-stage) I lung ADCs featuring GGO on computed tomography (CT) scans between January 2014 and December 2016. Tumors were categorized into MP/S positive (MP/S+) group and MP/S negative (MP/S-) group. MP/S+ tumors were defined when MP/S subtypes constituted ≥1% of the entire tumor. The prognostic impact of MP/S subtypes was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis, Cox proportional hazard model and restricted cubic spine (RCS) model.

Results

A total of 86 (8.6%) cases with MP/S+ tumors and 918 (91.4%) cases with MP/S- tumors were identified. The solid component tumor diameter and pathological invasive tumor size of MP/S+ tumors were both significantly larger than that of MP/S- tumors (13.0 vs. 4.0 mm, P<0.001, and 18.0 vs. 10.0 mm, P<0.001, respectively). After a median follow-up of 7.3 years, the presence of MP/S components was significantly associated with decreased RFS (5-year RFS, MP/S+ 88.3% vs. MP/S- 97.4%; P<0.001; HR =1.02). The presence of a histologic lepidic (Lep) component demonstrated a prognostic advantage in both MP/S- (5-year RFS, MP/S-Lep+ 98.0% vs. MP/S-Lep- 95.3%; P=0.01; HR =0.89) and MP/S+ subgroups (5-year RFS, MP/S+Lep+ 93.4% vs. MP/S+Lep- 83.2%; P=0.10; HR =0.84). MP/S+ components ≥5% were the only tumor-related factor that independently affected RFS [hazard ratio (HR) =1.77; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-2.94] according to multivariate analysis. There was a progressively negative impact of the proportion of MP/S subtypes on RFS as illustrated by RCS model.

Conclusions

The presence of MP/S patterns in stage I GGO-featured lung ADCs exhibit significant prognostic value and may have implications for tailored postoperative treatment and surveillance strategies, especially when the proportion exceeds 5% of the entire tumor.

Development and validation of a clinic-radiological model to predict tumor spread through air spaces in stage I lung adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Tumor spread through air spaces (STAS) is associated with poor prognosis and impacts surgical options. We aimed to develop a user-friendly model based on 2-[18F] FDG PET/CT to predict STAS in stage I lung adenocarcinoma (LAC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 466 stage I LAC patients who underwent 2-[18F] FDG PET/CT examination and resection surgery were retrospectively enrolled. They were split into a training cohort (n = 232, 20.3% STAS-positive), a validation cohort (n = 122, 27.0% STAS-positive), and a test cohort (n = 112, 29.5% STAS-positive) according to chronological order. Some commonly used clinical data, visualized CT features, and SUVmax were analyzed to identify independent predictors of STAS. A prediction model was built using the independent predictors and validated using the three chronologically separated cohorts. Model performance was assessed using ROC curves and calculations of AUC.

RESULTS

The differences in age (P = 0.009), lesion density subtype (P < 0.001), spiculation sign (P < 0.001), bronchus truncation sign (P = 0.001), and SUVmax (P < 0.001) between the positive and negative groups were statistically significant. Age ≥ 56 years [OR(95%CI):3.310(1.150-9.530), P = 0.027], lesion density subtype (P = 0.004) and SUVmax ≥ 2.5 g/ml [OR(95%CI):3.268(1.021-1.356), P = 0.005] were the independent factors predicting STAS. Logistic regression was used to build the A-D-S (Age-Density-SUVmax) prediction model, and the AUCs were 0.808, 0.786 and 0.806 in the training, validation, and test cohorts, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

STAS was more likely to occur in older patients, in solid lesions and higher SUVmax in stage I LAC. The PET/CT-based A-D-S prediction model is easy to use and has a high level of reliability in diagnosing.

[Effectiveness of comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source in Sichuan Province from 2010 to 2022]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source in Sichuan Province from 2010 to 2022, so as to provide insights into formulation of future control interventions.

METHODS

Data pertaining to comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source and echinococcosis surveillance in Sichuan Province from 2010 to 2022 were collected. The effectiveness of comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source was evaluated with prevalence of human echinococcosis, detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis patients, prevalence of Echinococcus infection in domestic dogs, prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in livestock, prevalence of alveolar echinococcosis in small mammals and awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge, and Spearman's rank correlation analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of human echinococcosis reduced from 1.08% in 2010 to 0.40% in 2022 in Sichuan Province (χ2 = 1 482.97, P < 0.05), with a reduction from 0.30% to 0.02% in the detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases (χ2 = 2 776.41, P < 0.05), a reduction from 15.87% to 0.46% in the prevalence of Echinococcus infection in domestic dogs (χ2 = 20 823.96, P < 0.05), a reduction from 8.05% to 1.07% in the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in livestock (χ2 = 1 296.02, P < 0.05), and the awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge increased from 50.65% to 95.24% (χ2 = 34 938.63, P < 0.05); in addition, there was a year-specific prevalence rate of alveolar echinococcosis in small mammals (χ2 = 164.07, P < 0.05). Spearman's rank correlation analysis revealed that the detection of newly diagnosed echinococcosis cases correlated positively with the prevalence of Echinococcus infections in domestic dogs (rs = 0.823, P < 0.05) and the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in livestock (rs = 0.795, P < 0.05), and correlated negatively with the awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge (rs = - 0.918, P < 0.05), and the prevalence of Echinococcus infection in domestic dogs correlated positively with the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in livestock (rs = 0.753, P < 0.05) and negatively with the awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge (rs = -0.747, P < 0.05); however, there was no correlation between the prevalence of Echinococcus infections in domestic dogs and the prevalence of alveolar echinococcosis in small mammals (rs = -0.750, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source had achieved remarkable effectiveness in Sichuan Province; however, the transmission chain of echinococcosis has not been interrupted. Reinforced comprehensive echinococcosis control measures with emphasis on management of infectious source and sustained tracking evaluation of the effectiveness are recommended in Sichuan Province.

RANK-BASED INDICES FOR TESTING INDEPENDENCE BETWEEN TWO HIGH-DIMENSIONAL VECTORS

To test independence between two high-dimensional random vectors, we propose three tests based on the rank-based indices derived from Hoeffding's D , Blum-Kiefer-Rosenblatt's R and Bergsma-Dassios-Yanagimoto's τ * . Under the null hypothesis of independence, we show that the distributions of the proposed test statistics converge to normal ones if the dimensions diverge arbitrarily with the sample size. We further derive an explicit rate of convergence. Thanks to the monotone transformation-invariant property, these distribution-free tests can be readily used to generally distributed random vectors including heavily tailed ones. We further study the local power of the proposed tests and compare their relative efficiencies with two classic distance covariance/correlation based tests in high dimensional settings. We establish explicit relationships between D , R , τ * and Pearson's correlation for bivariate normal random variables. The relationships serve as a basis for power comparison. Our theoretical results show that under a Gaussian equicorrelation alternative, (i) the proposed tests are superior to the two classic distance covariance/correlation based tests if the components of random vectors have very different scales; (ii) the asymptotic efficiency of the proposed tests based on D , τ * and R are sorted in a descending order.

Prenatal exposure to PM2.5 components and the risk of different types of preterm birth and the mediating effect of pregnancy complications: a cohort study

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to reveal the single and mixed associations of PM2.5 and its components with very, moderately, and late preterm births and to explore the potential mediating role of pregnancy complications in PM2.5-induced preterm birth.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

We enrolled 168,852 mothers and matched the concentrations of PM2.5 and its five components (OM, SO42-, BC, NO3-, and NH4+) based on their geographical location. Next, we used generalized linear models, quantile g-computation, and mediation analysis to evaluate the associations of PM2.5 and its components with very, moderately, and late preterm births and the mediating role of pregnancy complications.

RESULTS

Prenatal exposure to PM2.5 and its components was associated with preterm birth, and the association was strongest in the third trimester. Preterm birth was associated with co-exposure to a mixture of PM2.5 components in the third trimester, and the contributions of NO3-, NH4+, and BC to the risk of preterm birth were positive. Meanwhile, pregnancy complications mediated PM2.5-induced preterm birth. Moreover, very and moderately preterm births were associated with PM2.5 and its components in the second and third trimesters, and very and late preterm births were associated with co-exposure to a mixture of PM2.5 components in the third trimester.

CONCLUSIONS

Later exposure to PM2.5 during pregnancy will cause earlier preterm birth. Targeted and positive interventions for anthropogenic sources of specific PM2.5 components and pregnancy complications are helpful for preterm birth prevention.

Multi-channel synthetic aperture infrared imaging and experimental research

The synthetic aperture infrared radio imaging method based on laser local oscillator coherent detection has potential application value for astronomical observations. This paper studies the multi-channel synthetic aperture infrared imaging method and conducts experimental verification using a principle prototype. In the short-wave infrared band, five beam-expanding fiber collimators are used to build an observation structure of five laser local oscillator coherent detection channels at a near-field distance of 5 m to carry out physical experiments. The laser local oscillator wavelength is 1.55 µm, and the AD sampling rate is 4 GHz. For the infrared radiation source signal, the phase relationship of the infrared signals between channels acquired by the prototype principle is stable, and the five-channel synthetic aperture imaging results are consistent with the computer simulated results. The experiment verified the effectiveness of the laser local oscillator comprehensive aperture infrared radio imaging method.

Tumor characteristics, brain functional activity, and connectivity of tinnitus in patients with vestibular schwannoma: a pilot study

Background

The mechanism underlying tinnitus remains unclear, and when it coexists with vestibular schwannoma (VS), it can significantly diminish the quality of life for affected patients. This study aimed to determine the correlation between preoperative clinical characteristics of VS, postoperative changes in brain function, and tinnitus in patients with VS through a cohort study.

Methods

We collected data from 80 patients with VS preoperatively and 28 patients with VS preoperatively and postoperatively, and recruited 28 healthy controls. We used Chi-squared tests and unpaired t-tests to identify clinical characteristics with a significant preoperative effect. We used paired t-tests to identify brain regions where patients demonstrated significant changes in amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) postoperatively. Tinnitus severity was evaluated using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Pearson correlation coefficients were applied to assess the relationship between the changes in ALFF and ReHo and the changes in THI and VAS scores postoperatively. We also conducted seed- and region of interest (ROI)-based functional connectivity (FC) analyses.

Results

Before surgery, patients with VS with tinnitus (n=49) had smaller tumors (t=3.293; P<0.001), more solid tumor (χ2=4.559; P=0.033), and less extrusion into the cerebellum brain stem (χ2=10.345; P=0.001) than those without tinnitus (n=31). After surgery, the 28 patients with VS showed a significant reduction in ALFF in the left Cerebellum_Crus2 (a lobule in the cerebellum anatomy) (ROI 1) and a significant reduction in ReHo in the left Cerebellum_Crus1 (a lobule in the cerebellum anatomy) (ROI 2) and the right precuneus (ROI 3). Conversely, ReHo was significantly increased in the right precentral gyrus (ROI 4) [cluster-level P value family-wise error (PFWE) <0.05]. The changes in ALFF values were negatively correlated with changes in the VAS score (r=-0.32; P<0.05). The FC strengths of patients between ROI 2 and the left and right posterior cingulate gyrus were significantly decreased postoperatively [false discovery rate (FDR) correction; P<0.05].

Conclusions

Preoperative tinnitus in patients with VS may be influenced by tumor characteristics. The functional activities of brain regions are possibly altered postoperatively, which may be involved in the maintenance of postoperative tinnitus. Notably, the changes in ALFF are correlated with tinnitus.

Gga-let-7a-3p inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of chicken intramuscular preadipocytes

1. Intramuscular fat (IMF) is a key parameter for chicken meat quality. IMF deposition is driven by genetic, nutritional and management factors, with genetics being the determining factor. Previous whole transcriptome sequencing revealed that microRNA gga-let-7a-3p was related to lipid metabolism in breast muscle. This study further investigated the potential role of gga-let-7a-3p in IMF deposition.2. The mimic and inhibitor of gga-let-7a-3p were individually transfected into chicken intramuscular preadipocytes. Subsequently, the proliferation and differentiation states of the cells were detected. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on cells transfected with gga-let-7a-3p mimic.3. The results indicated that gga-let-7a-3p suppressed the mRNA levels of proliferation and differentiation-related genes, as well as the protein levels. EdU and Oil Red O assays revealed that gga-let-7a-3p restrained preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation. In addition, a total of 333 up-regulated genes and 807 down-regulated genes were identified in cells transfected with gga-let-7a-3p mimic. Using Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, differential genes were found to be enriched in processes such as the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) signalling pathway and oxidative phosphorylation.4. The study demonstrated that gga-let-7a-3p inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of chicken intramuscular preadipocytes, which provides new understanding to further unravel the function of gga-let-7a-3p.

Anthropogenic, biogenic, and photochemical influences on surface formaldehyde and its significant decadal (2006-2017) decrease in the Lewiston-Clarkston valley of the northwestern United States

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a key carcinogen and plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry. Both field measurements and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) modeling have been employed to investigate the concentrations and sources of HCHO in the Lewiston-Clarkston (LC) valley of the mountainous northwestern U.S. Different instruments were deployed to measure surface formaldehyde and other related compounds in July of 2016 and 2017. The measurements reveal that the average HCHO concentrations have significantly decreased to 2-5 ppb in the LC valley in comparison to its levels (10-20 ppb) observed in July 2006. This discovery with surface measurements deserves attention given that satellite retrievals showed an increasing long-term trend from 2005 to 2014 in total vertical column density of HCHO in the region, suggesting that satellite instruments may not adequately resolve small valleys in the mountainous region. Our PMF modeling identified four major sources of HCHO in the valley: (1) emissions from a local paper mill, (2) secondary formation and background, (3) biogenic sources, and (4) traffic. This study reveals that the emissions from the paper mill cause high HCHO spikes (6-19 ppb) in the early morning. It is found that biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the area are influenced by national forests surrounding the region (e.g., Nez Perce-Clearwater, Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman, and Idaho Panhandle National Forests). The results provide useful information for developing strategies to control HCHO levels and have implications for future HCHO studies in atmospheric chemistry, which affects secondary aerosols and ozone formation.

[Rudimentary horn pregnancy: clinical analysis of 12 cases and literature review]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatments and fertility recovery of rudimentary horn pregnancy (RHP). Methods: The clinical data of 12 cases with RHP diagnosed and treated in Peking University Third Hospital from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical informations, diagnosis and treatments of RHP and the pregnancy status after surgery were analyzed. Results: The median age of 12 RHP patients was 29 years (range: 24-37 years). Eight cases of pregnancy in residual horn of uterus occurred in type Ⅰ residual horn of uterus, 4 cases occurred in type Ⅱ residual horn of uterus; among which 5 cases were misdiagnosed by ultrasound before surgery. All patients underwent excision of residual horn of uterus and affected salpingectomy. After surgery, 9 patients expected future pregnancy, and 3 cases of natural pregnancy, 2 cases of successful pregnancy through assisted reproductive technology. Four pregnancies resulted in live birth with cesarean section, and 1 case resulted in spontaneous abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. No uterine rupture or ectopic pregnancy occurred in subsequent pregnancies. Conclusions: Ultrasonography could aid early diagnosis of RHP while misdiagnosis occurred in certain cases. Thus, a comprehensive judgment and decision ought to be made based on medical history, physical examination and assisted examination. Surgical exploration is necessary for diagnosis and treatment of RHP. For infertile patients, assisted reproductive technology should be applied when necessary. Caution to prevent the occurrence of pregnancy complications such as uterine rupture, and application of cesarean section to terminate pregnancy are recommended.

J-2156, a small molecule somatostatin type 4 receptor agonist, alleviated hindpaw hypersensitivity in the streptozotocin-induced rat model of painful diabetic neuropathy but with a 2-fold decrease in potency at an advanced stage in the model, mimicking morphine

There is a large unmet need for novel pain-killers to improve relief of painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). Herein, we assessed the efficacy of the somatostatin type 4 (SST4) receptor agonist, J-2156, for relief of PDN in rats. Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (STZ; 70 mg/kg) and bilateral hindpaw hypersensitivity was fully developed by 8-week post-STZ. In the intervals, 8-12-weeks (morphine-sensitive phase; Phase 1) and 16-18-weeks (morphine-hyposensitive phase; Phase 2) post-STZ, rats received a single dose of intraperitoneal (i.p.) J-2156 (10, 20, 30 mg/kg), gabapentin (100 mg/kg i.p.), subcutaneous morphine (1 mg/kg) or vehicle. Hindpaw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) were assessed using von Frey filaments pre-dose and at regular intervals over 3-h post-dose. In Phase 1, J-2156 at 30 mg/kg evoked significant anti-allodynia in the hindpaws with maximal effect at 1.5 h compared with 1 h for gabapentin and morphine. The durations of action for all three compounds were greater than 3 h. The corresponding mean (±SEM) extent and duration of anti-allodynia (ΔPWT AUC) for gabapentin did not differ significantly from that for J-2156 (30 mg/kg) or morphine. However, in Phase 2, the ΔPWT AUC for morphine was reduced to approximately 25% of that in Phase 1, mirroring our previous work. Similarly, the mean (±SEM) ΔPWT AUC for J-2156 (30 mg/kg) in Phase 2 was approximately 45% of that for Phase 1 whereas for gabapentin the mean (±SEM) ΔPWT AUCs did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) between the two phases. Our findings further describe the preclinical pain relief profile of J-2156 and complement previous work in rat models of inflammatory pain, neuropathic pain and low back pain. SST4 receptor agonists hold promise as novel therapeutics for the relief of PDN, a type of peripheral neuropathic pain that is often intractable to relief with clinically used drug treatment options.

Achieving ultra-low and -uniform residual magnetic fields in a very large magnetically shielded room for fundamental physics experiments

High-precision searches for an electric dipole moment of the neutron (nEDM) require stable and uniform magnetic field environments. We present the recent achievements of degaussing and equilibrating the magnetically shielded room (MSR) for the n2EDM experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. We present the final degaussing configuration that will be used for n2EDM after numerous studies. The optimized procedure results in a residual magnetic field that has been reduced by a factor of two. The ultra-low field is achieved with the full magnetic-field-coil system, and a large vacuum vessel installed, both in the MSR. In the inner volume of ∼ 1.4 m 3 , the field is now more uniform and below 300 pT. In addition, the procedure is faster and dissipates less heat into the magnetic environment, which in turn, reduces its thermal relaxation time from 12 h down to 1.5 h .

[Comparing the prognostic value of 3 diagnostic criteria of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants]

Objective: To compare the prognostic value of 3 diagnostic criteria of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants with gestational age<32 weeks. Methods: The retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect the clinical data of 285 preterm infants with BPD admitted to the Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2019 to September 2021, who were followed up regularly after discharge. The primary composite adverse outcome was defined as death or severe respiratory morbidity from 36 weeks of corrected gestational age to 18 months of corrected age, and the secondary composite adverse outcome was defined as death or neurodevelopmental impairment. According to the primary or secondary composite adverse outcomes, the preterm infants were divided into the adverse prognosis group and the non-adverse prognosis group. The 2001 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) criteria, 2018 NICHD criteria, and 2019 Neonatal Research Network (NRN) criteria were used to diagnose and grade BPD in preterm infants. Chi-square test, Logistic regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Delong test were used to analyze the prognostic value of the 3 diagnostic criteria. Results: The 285 preterm infants had a gestational age of 29.4 (28.1, 30.6) weeks and birth weight of 1 230 (1 000, 1 465) g, including 167 males (58.6%). Among 285 premature infants who completed follow-up, the primary composite adverse outcome occurred in 124 preterm infants (43.5%), and the secondary composite adverse outcome occurred in 40 preterm infants (14.0%). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that severe BPD according to the 2001 NICHD criteria, gradeⅡand Ⅲ BPD according to the 2018 NICHD criteria and grade 2 and 3 BPD according to the 2019 NRN criteria were all risk factors for primary composite adverse outcomes (all P<0.05). ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the 2018 NICHD criteria and 2019 NRN criteria were both higher than that of the 2001 NICHD criteria (0.70 and 0.70 vs. 0.61, Z=4.49 and 3.35, both P<0.001), but there was no significant difference between the 2018 NICHD and 2019 NRN criteria (Z=0.38, P=0.702). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the secondary composite adverse outcomes were all associated with grade Ⅲ BPD according to the 2018 NICHD criteria and grade 3 BPD according to the 2019 NRN criteria (both P<0.05). ROC curve showed that the AUC of the 2018 NICHD criteria and 2019 NRN criteria were both higher than that of the 2001 NICHD criteria (0.71 and 0.71 vs. 0.58, Z=2.93 and 3.67, both P<0.001), but there was no statistically significant difference between the 2018 NICHD and 2019 NRN criteria (Z=0.02, P=0.984). Conclusion: The 2018 NICHD and 2019 NRN criteria demonstrate good and comparable predictive value for the primary and secondary composite adverse outcomes in preterm infants with BPD, surpassing the predictive efficacy of the 2001 NICHD criteria.

Magnetic graphene oxide nanocomposites induce cytotoxicity in ADSCs via GPX4 regulating ferroptosis

Magnetic graphene oxide nanocomposites (MGO NPs) have been widely studied in biomedical applications. However, their cytotoxicity and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the biosafety of MGO NPs was investigated, and the mechanism involved in ferroptosis was further explored. MGO can produce cytotoxicity in ADSCs, which is dependent on their concentration. Ferroptosis was involved in MGO NP-induced ADSC survival inhibition by increasing total ROS and lipid ROS accumulation as well as regulating the expression levels of ferroptosis-related genes and proteins. GPX4 played a critical role in the MGO NP-induced ADSC ferroptosis process, and overexpressing GPX4 suppressed ferroptosis to increase cell survival. This study provides a theoretical basis for the biosafety management of MGO NPs used in the field of biomedical treatment.