Prognostic nomogram incorporating cytokines for overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between pretreatment cytokine status and overall survival and establish a prognostic nomogram incorporating cytokines in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients.

METHODS

A total of 121 patients with NDMM from the Wuhan Union Hospital were included in our study. Patient serum levels of cytokines, including macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1α), migration inhibitory factor (MIF), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor-α (VEGF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and soluble interleukins IL-17A, IL-6, IL-21 and IL-10 were assessed before treatment. Based on the results of the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, we developed a prognostic nomogram. We used the concordance index (C-index) and a calibration curve to measure the predictive performance of the nomogram.

RESULTS

Three important variables (lactate dehydrogenase, MIP-1α and creatinine) were incorporated in the nomogram using multivariate Cox analysis. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate and progression-free survival (PFS) rate were 83.8% and 21.8% in the low-risk group of the nomogram and 17.4% and 8.4% in the high-risk group, respectively. The C-index of the nomogram for OS prediction was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.68-0.92), showing superiority over the predictive power of the Durie-Salmon staging system (C-index = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.49-0.67), International Staging System (C-index = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.61-0.79) and Revised-International Staging System (C-index = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.63-0.80). The calibration curve showed that the nomogram accurately predicted the 1-year, 2-year and 3-year OS of NDMM patients.

CONCLUSION

The established nomogram provides accurate and individualized OS risk estimation for NDMM patients.

Single-metal-atom catalysts supported on graphdiyne catalyze CO oxidation

Single-metal-atom catalysts supported on graphdiyne (GDY) exhibit great potential for catalyzing low temperature CO oxidation in solving the increasingly serious environmental problems caused by CO emissions due to the high catalytic activity, clear structure, uniform metal distribution and low cost. First principle calculations were employed to study CO oxidation activities of four M@GDY single-atom catalysts (M = Pt, Rh, Cu, and Ni). For each catalyst, five possible reaction mechanisms including bi-molecular and tri-molecular reactions were discussed. According to the calculated reaction barriers, the preferred reaction pathway is via the bi-molecular Langmuir-Hinshelwood (BLH) ((CO + O₂)* → OCOO* → CO₂ + O*) route to yield the first CO₂ molecule with 0.55, 0.51, and 0.53 eV as the energy barriers of the rate-limiting steps of Pt@GDY, Rh@GDY, and Cu@GDY, respectively, whereas for Ni@GDY, it switches to the tri-molecular Eley-Rideal (TER1) ((2CO)* + O₂→ OCOOCO* → 2CO₂) mechanism with the reaction barrier of the rate-limiting step being 1.27 eV. Based on the energy difference in the initial states of the five reaction mechanisms, TER1 is generally viable. No matter it is based on the calculated reaction barrier or the energy of the initial state of each mechanism, the non-noble Cu@GDY is supposed to be an efficient catalyst as the noble ones. The electronic properties are calculated to explain the bonding strength and origin of the catalytic performance. The GDY support plays an important role in the electron transfer process.

[Research advances on the effect of mechanical tension in post-traumatic hypertrophic scar formation]

Traumatic scar can not only exert influence on appearance and function of patients, but also affect psychological health status and life quality of patients to varying degrees. At present, scholars have confirmed from basic research that mechanical tension promotes the proliferation of inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, and other cells, as well as angiogenesis and epithelialization through a variety of mechanical conduction pathways and plays an important role in the formation of hypertrophic scar. Clinical studies have confirmed that surgical methods and adjuvant treatment to reduce the mechanical tension on wound can promote wound healing and inhibit hyperplasia of scar. This article summarizes the mechanism of hypertrophic scar formation, and surgical methods and adjunct means of reducing mechanical tension in traumatic wounds, aiming to provide a reference for reducing formation of hypertrophic scar in clinics.

The relationship among primary anatomic subsite and risk and distribution of second malignant neoplasms in patients with stage I/II diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: An analysis of the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database

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Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL) involving different primary extranodal sites have distinct clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis.

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Patients with extranodal DLBCL have an increased risk of SMN than the US general population(SIR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.11–1.26).

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The risk of SMN significantly differs according to the location of DLBCL, age, sex and latency.

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Different anatomical sites tend to develop different types of second tumors.

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The strategies for cancer surveillance after extranodal DLBCL diagnosis may need to be individualized according to the subsite of extranodal DLBCL.

Background

Recent studies have reported that diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) involving different primary extranodal sites have distinct clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. However, the risk of secondary malignant neoplasms (SMNs) in DLBCL survivors with different primary extranodal sites are unknown.

Methods

A total of 40,714 patients diagnosed with stage I/II DLBCL were included from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 1983 to 2015.The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and absolute excess risk (AER) were used to assess the risk of SMNs.

Results

The results show that the risk of SMN was significantly higher in extranodal DLBCL than in the US general population (SIR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.11–1.26), and the risk of developing SMN remains significantly elevated with increased latency. Moreover, there were multiple site-specific risk patterns. There was a 22%, 44%, 66%, 123% and 151% increased risk of SMN 10 years after primary gastrointestinal tract, head/neck, skeletal, lung and liver/pancreas DLBCL diagnosis, respectively. There was a significant decrease risk of SMN with increasing age at diagnosis for primary gastrointestinal tract and skeletal DLBCL. In addition, DLBCL patients with primary sites in the gastrointestinal tract, thyroid and liver/pancreas had the highest incidences of secondary stomach cancer, second thyroid cancer, and second hepatobiliary cancer, respectively, which indicated that the initial site of DLBCL may predict the type of SMN.

Conclusions

The strategies for cancer surveillance after extranodal DLBCL diagnosis may need to be individualized according to the subsite of extranodal DLBCL.

Ion-Imprinted Polymer Modified with Carbon Quantum Dots as a Highly Sensitive Copper(II) Ion Probe

Fluorescence analysis technology and ion imprinting technology are combined to prepare a copper ion fluorescence sensor. Carbon quantum dots (CQDs), with a quantum yield of 79%, were synthesized by a hydrothermal process using citric acid as the carbon source. The prepared CQDs, acting as the fluorophore, were grafted onto the surface of an SBA-15 mesoporous molecular sieve by an amidation reaction. Then, the fluorescent sensor CQDs@Cu-IIP was prepared using a surface imprinting technique with the modified SBA-15 as the substrate, copper ions as a template, tetraethoxysilane as the crosslinker, and 3-aminopropyl-3-ethoxysilane as the functional monomers. The sensor showed strong fluorescence from CQDs and high selectivity due to the presence of Cu(II)-IIP. After the detection conditions were optimized, the fluorescence intensity of the sensor had good linearity with Cu(II) concentration in a linear range of 0.25-2 mg/L and 3-10 mg/L. This CQDs@Cu-IIP was applied to the determination of traces Cu(II) in real water samples and good recoveries of 99.29-105.42% were obtained. The present study provides a general strategy for fabricating materials based on CQDs for selective fluorescence detection of heavy metals.

Hemodialysis nurse burnout in 31 provinces in mainland China: A cross-sectional survey

INTRODUCTION

Job burnout is an occupational psychological syndrome with a high prevalence among nurses in China. Hemodialysis (HD) nursing work has the characteristics of high intensity, high technical content, and high risk. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence and level of job burnout among HD nurses in China and explore the potential factors associated with burnout among HD nurses.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study in 2019. Survey data were collected from 2738 HD centers in mainland China. Job burnout was measured by the Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The working atmosphere, interpersonal relationships with colleagues, and intention to leave were each assessed by a single question respectively. Multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling were used for the analysis.

FINDINGS

A total of 10,570 surveys were collected. A total of 1199 (11.34%) HD nurses reported a high level of emotional exhaustion, 782 (7.40%) reported a high level of depersonalization, and 6767 (64.02%) reported a low level of personal accomplishment. Job burnout in the Northeastern region of mainland China was higher than that in other regions (p < 0.05). The working atmosphere, interpersonal relationships, region, hospital level, educational level, career planning, age, and number of children were significantly associated with burnout among HD nurses (p < 0.001, adjusted R2 = 0.313). The working environment, individual factors, and specialist nurse training were significantly associated with HD nurse burnout and intention to leave (comparative fit index = 0.907; goodness of fit index = 0.930; root mean square error of approximation = 0.055).

DISCUSSION

There were notable regional differences in the burnout of HD nurses. This study contributes to the knowledge of the possible relationship of job burnout and intention to leave in HD nurses. It is suggested that improving the working atmosphere or interpersonal relationships and providing more training opportunities can alleviate job burnout in HD nurses.

Circulating Plasma Cells as a Biomarker to Predict Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Prognosis: Developing Nomogram Prognostic Models

Background: To investigate the prognostic value of circulating plasma cells (CPC) and establish novel nomograms to predict individual progression-free survival (PFS) as well as overall survival (OS) of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM).

Methods: One hundred ninetyone NDMM patients in Wuhan Union Hospital from 2017.10 to 2020.8 were included in the study. The entire cohort was randomly divided into a training (n = 130) and a validation cohort (n = 61). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on the training cohort to establish nomograms for the prediction of survival outcomes, and the nomograms were validated by calibration curves.

Results: When the cut-off value was 0.038%, CPC could well distinguish patients with higher tumor burden and lower response rates (P < 0.05), and could be used as an independent predictor of PFS and OS. Nomograms predicting PFS and OS were developed according to CPC, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatinine. The C-index and the area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of the nomograms showed excellent individually predictive effects in training cohort, validation cohort or entire cohort. Patients with total points of the nomograms ≤ 60.7 for PFS and 75.8 for OS could be defined as low-risk group and the remaining as high-risk group. The 2-year PFS and OS rates of patients in low-risk group was significantly higher than those in high-risk group (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: CPC is an independent prognostic factor for NDMM patients. The proposed nomograms could provide individualized PFS and OS prediction and risk stratification.

Determination of cesium ions in environmental water samples with a magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotube imprinted potentiometric sensor

A potentiometric sensor, based on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes/cesium ion-imprinted polymer composite (MMWCNTs@Cs-IIP), is introduced for the detection of cesium(i). The IIP was synthesized using cesium ions as the template ions, chitosan as the functional monomer and glutaraldehyde as the cross-linking agent. The membrane, which was coated on the surface of the GCE, was prepared using MMWCNTs@Cs(i)-IIP as the modifier, PVC as the neutral carrier, 2-nitrophenyloctyl ether as the plasticizer and sodium tetraphenylborate as the lipophilic salt. The proposed sensor exhibited a Nernstian slope of 0.05954 V dec⁻¹ in a working concentration range of 1 × 10⁻⁷ to 1 × 10⁻⁴ M (mol L⁻¹) with a detection limit of 4 × 10⁻⁸ M. The sensor exhibited high selectivity for cesium ions and was successfully applied for the determination of Cs(i) in real samples.

A Cs(i)-selective potentiometric microsensor based on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes/cesium ion-imprinted polymer has been developed.

Clinical Value of ctDNA in Hematological Malignancies (Lymphomas, Multiple Myeloma, Myelodysplastic Syndrome, and Leukemia): A Meta-Analysis

Background: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has offered a minimally invasive approach for the detection and measurement of cancer. However, its diagnostic and prognostic value in hematological malignancies remains unclear.

Materials and methods: Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for relating literature. Diagnostic accuracy variables and disease progression prediction data were pooled by the Meta-Disc version 1.4 software. Review Manager version 5.4 software was applied for prognostic data analysis.

Results: A total of 11 studies met our inclusion criteria. In terms of diagnosis, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.51 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.38–0.64) and 0.96 (95% CI 0.88–1.00), respectively. The AUSROC (area under the SROC) curve was 0.89 (95%CI 0.75–1.03). When it comes to the prediction of disease progression, the overall sensitivity and specificity was 0.83 (95% CI 0.67–0.94) and 0.98 (95% CI 0.93–1.00), respectively. Moreover, a significant association also existed between the presence of ctDNA and worse progression-free survival (HR 2.63, 95% CI 1.27–5.43, p = 0.009), as well as overall survival (HR 2.92, 95% CI 1.53–5.57, p = 0.001).

Conclusions: The use of ctDNA in clinical practice for hematological malignancies is promising, as it may not only contribute to diagnosis, but could also predict the prognosis of patients so as to guide treatment. In the future, more studies are needed to realize the standardization of sequencing techniques and improve the detection sensitivity of exploration methods.

Association between ambient air pollution and pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization in Shanghai, China: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The effects of ambient air pollutants on adverse pregnancy outcomes have been reported. However, studies about air pollutants exposure and pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing IVF were limited and inconclusive. To date Shanghai has been the only city in China to implement a compulsory single embryo transfer policy for all patients undergoing their first embryo transfer procedure effective from January 2019. We aimed to investigate the associations between exposure to ambient air pollutants and biochemical pregnancy and live births, and to identify potential vulnerability characteristics of patients undergoing IVF in Shanghai, China.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 2766 infertile patients aged ≤ 45 years who underwent first fresh or frozen-thawed cleavage stage embryo transfer in the Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital during April 2016 and December 2019. Daily average ambient levels of six air pollutants (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, CO and O₃ max-8h) were obtained from fixed air monitors located in closest proximity to patients' residences. The cumulative average level was calculated during three different exposure periods (period1: three months before oocyte retrieval to serum hCG test; period 2: from serum hCG test to live birth outcome; period 3: from three months before oocyte retrieval to live birth). Multiple logistic regression model was performed to investigate associations between exposure to ambient air pollutants and pregnancy outcomes. Stratified analyses were conducted to explore the potential effects modifier.

RESULTS

The biochemical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were 54.2% and 36.4%, respectively. The ambient NO₂ exposure was significantly associated with a 14% lower pregnancy rate during period 1 (aOR = 0.86, 95%CI: 0.75-0.99). The ambient PM₁₀ was related to significantly increased risk of lowering live birth rate among the patients during period 3 [aOR = 0.88(0.79-0.99)]. Stratified analysis showed that ambient PM₁₀ was also significantly associated with a reduced pregnancy rate (aOR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69-0.97) in patients who underwent single embryo transfer during period 1. Subjects who underwent single embryo transfer also had a decreased likelihood of a live birth when exposed to ambient SO₂ and O₃ during period 3 [aOR = 0.74(0.57-0.95), and 0.92 (0.83-0.98), respectively]. Moreover, O₃ exposure was associated with decreased live birth rates in patients living in non-urban areas. Sensitivity analyses indicated robust negative association between PM₁₀ exposure and live birth outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested that exposure to ambient air pollutants, in particular NO₂ and PM₁₀, was associated with an increased risk of lower rates of pregnancy and live birth respectively in patients undergoing IVF. Stratified analyses indicated that ambient SO₂ and O₃ levels were related to adverse pregnancy outcomes in some subgroups of IVF patients in this study. Notably, patients who underwent single embryo transfer were more susceptible to ambient air pollution exposure. Thus, prospective cohort studies are needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms and the susceptibility windows for women undergoing IVF treatment.

Nanoparticles Dual Targeting Both Myeloma Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Simultaneously to Improve Multiple Myeloma Treatment

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and myeloma cells could mutually drive myeloma progression, indicating that drug delivery to kill both CAFs and myeloma cells simultaneously could achieve better therapeutic benefits than to kill each cell type alone. Here, we designed a dual-targeting drug delivery system by conjugating paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles (NPs) with a cyclic peptide (CNPs-PTX) with a special affinity with platelet-derived growth factor/platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR-β) overexpressed on both CAFs and myeloma cells. Cellular uptake experiments revealed that the cyclic peptide modification on CNPs could significantly enhance CNPs uptake by both CAFs and myeloma cells compared with unmodified NPs. Cytotoxicity tests showed that CNPs-PTX was more toxic to both CAFs and myeloma cells compared with its counterpart PTX-loaded conventional NPs (NPs-PTX). In vivo imaging and biodistribution experiments showed that CNPs could abundantly accumulate in tumors and were highly co-localized with CAFs and myeloma cells. The in vivo anti-tumor experiments confirmed that the anti-myeloma efficacy of CNPs-PTX was significantly stronger than that of NPs-PTX and free drugs. In summary, it is the first time that a dual-targeting strategy was utilized in the field of myeloma treatment through targeting both CAFs and myeloma cells simultaneously, which harbors a high potential of clinical translation for myeloma treatment.

JunB is a key regulator of multiple myeloma bone marrow angiogenesis

Bone marrow (BM) angiogenesis significantly influences disease progression in multiple myeloma (MM) patients and correlates with adverse prognosis. The present study shows a statistically significant correlation of the AP-1 family member JunB with VEGF, VEGFB, and IGF1 expression levels in MM. In contrast to the angiogenic master regulator Hif-1α, JunB protein levels were independent of hypoxia. Results in tumor-cell models that allow the induction of JunB knockdown or JunB activation, respectively, corroborated the functional role of JunB in the production and secretion of these angiogenic factors (AFs). Consequently, conditioned media derived from MM cells after JunB knockdown or JunB activation either inhibited or stimulated in vitro angiogenesis. The impact of JunB on MM BM angiogenesis was finally confirmed in a dynamic 3D model of the BM microenvironment, a xenograft mouse model as well as in patient-derived BM sections. In summary, in continuation of our previous study (Fan et al., 2017), the present report reveals for the first time that JunB is not only a mediator of MM cell survival, proliferation, and drug resistance, but also a promoter of AF transcription and consequently of MM BM angiogenesis. Our results thereby underscore worldwide efforts to target AP-1 transcription factors such as JunB as a promising strategy in MM therapy.

The Application of Metal-Organic Frameworks and Their Derivatives for Supercapacitors

Supercapacitors (SCs), one of the most popular types of energy-storage devices, present lots of advantages, such as large power density and fast charge/discharge capability. Being the promising SCs electrode materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives have gained ever-increasing attention due to their large specific surface area, controllable porous structure and rich diversity. Herein, the recent development of MOFs-based materials and their application in SCs as the electrode are reviewed and summarized. The preparation method, the morphology of the materials and the electrical performance of various MOFs and their derivatives (such as carbon, metal oxide/hydroxide and metal sulfide) are briefly discussed. Most of recent works concentrate on Ni-, Co- and Mn-MOFs and their composites/derivatives. Conclusions and our outlook for the researches are also given, which would be a valuable guideline for the rational design of MOFs materials for SCs in the near future.

Embryo incubation by time-lapse systems versus conventional incubators in Chinese women with diminished ovarian reserve undergoing IVF/ICSI: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

The time-lapse imaging system (TLS) is a newly developed non-invasive embryo assessment system. Compared with conventional incubators, a TLS provides stable culture conditions and consistent observations of embryo development, thereby potentially improving embryo quality and selection of the best quality embryo. Although TLSs have been routinely used in many in vitro fertilisation (IVF) centres globally, there is insufficient evidence to indicate that TLSs result in higher cumulative live birth rates over conventional incubators. The purpose of this study is to compare the cumulative live birth rates and safety including miscarriage in infertile patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) from both TLSs and conventional incubators.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study is a double-blind randomised controlled clinical trial (1:1 treatment ratio of TLSs vs conventional incubator). A total of 730 patients with DOR undergoing the first or second cycle of IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) will be enrolled and randomised into two parallel groups. Participants will undergo embryo culture in the TLSs (group A) or the conventional incubators (group B), respectively. Embryos are selected for transfer in both groups by the morphological characteristics. The embryo selection algorithm software is not used in the TLSs. The primary outcome is the cumulative live birth rate of the trial IVF/ICSI cycle within 12 months after randomisation. This study is powered to detect an absolute difference of 10% (35% vs 25%) at the significance level of 0.05% and 80% statistical power based on a two-sided test.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This trial has been approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital (KS1958). All participants in the trial will provide written informed consent. The study will be conducted according to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and its amendments. Results of this study will be disseminated in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1900027746).

The Role of Noncoding RNAs in B-Cell Lymphoma

In recent years, emerging evidence has suggested that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) participate in nearly every aspect of biological processes and play a crucial role in the genesis and progression of numerous tumors, including B-cell lymphoma. The exploration of ncRNA dysregulations and their functions in B-cell lymphoma provides new insights into lymphoma pathogenesis and is essential for indicating future clinical trials and optimizing the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. In this review, we summarize the role of ncRNAs in B-cell lymphoma and discuss their potential in clinical applications.

Trends in Incidence and Mortality of Waldenström Macroglobulinemia: A Population-Based Study

Background: The incidence of Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) has increased in certain groups over several decades in the United States. It is unclear whether the increasing incidence is associated with mortality trends. Methods: The incidence and incidence-based mortality (IBM) rates were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1980-2016) with SEER^*Stat software. The secular trends stratified by demographic characteristics were analyzed by joinpoint regression. Results: The incidence of WM showed an initial rapid increase from 1980 to 1993 {annual percentage change (APC), 14.1% [95% confidence interval (CI), 10 to 18.4%]}, whereas it began to stabilize from 1993 to 2016 [APC, 0.5% (95% CI, -0.3 to 1.3%)]. The WM IBM trend followed a similar pattern, with a decrease occurring around 1994. The trends in the incidence and mortality significantly differed according to geographic location, race, age, sex, primary site of involvement and subtype, which could help in further investigations into the specific etiology. Moreover, a dramatic increase in the 5-year survival rate from the 1980s to 2010s was observed (47.84 vs. 69.41%). Conclusions: Although both the incidence and IBM of WM continued to increase during the study period, a reduction in the rate of increase occurred around 1993. We believe that further advances in healthcare delivery and research can ensure a low mortality rate. Future studies can use the findings of this paper to monitor the results of WM therapy.

Diversity and distribution of bacteria and archaea in Tuosu Lake in Qaidam Basin

Microbes in plateau lakes are important participants of material circulation and energy flow in plateau ecosystems. Knowledge of the microbiota, such as bacteria and archaea, community distribution and diversity in plateau lakes is the basis to understand the species succession, adaptation, maintenance and metabolic mechanisms of specific environmental microbial ecosystems. This work aimed to reveal the diversity and# succession of the microbiota in Tuosu Lake to provide a biological basis for the exploration and development of microbial resources in the plateau lakes. The distribution and diversity of microflora in Tuosu Lake, hypoxia, high altitude, alkaline, closed plateau lake with fresh water supply, was investigated. The total DNA was extracted from six samples with different salinity from different geographical locations of Tuosu Lake. The 16S rRNA gene of bacteria and archaea were determined by using high-throughput sequencing-based on an Illumina Miseq sequencing platform. The microbiota in Tuosu Lake has a high diversity and complexity and there are a large number of unclassified microbial species. The bacterial communities in Tuosu Lake are dominated by Proteobacteria (44.3%) and Actbacteria (17.2%). Among them, β-Proteobacteria is the dominant genus in the low-salt sample, while γ-Proteobacteria is more advantageous in the samples with higher salinity. The archaeal communities are dominated by Euryarchaeota (50%) and Woesearchaeota__DHVEG-6 (42.6%). The vast majority of the methanogenic archaea in Tuosu Lake samples belong to Methanomicrobia, and the methanogens in low-salinity samples are significantly more abundant than those in high-salt samples. Diversity and distribution appear to be highly influenced by water salinity and pH.

Diversity and distribution of bacteria and archaea in Tuosu Lake in Qaidam Basin

Microbes in plateau lakes are important participants of material circulation and energy flow in plateau ecosystems. Knowledge of the microbiota, such as bacteria and archaea, community distribution and diversity in plateau lakes is the basis to understand the species succession, adaptation, maintenance and metabolic mechanisms of specific environmental microbial ecosystems. This work aimed to reveal the diversity and# succession of the microbiota in Tuosu Lake to provide a biological basis for the exploration and development of microbial resources in the plateau lakes. The distribution and diversity of microflora in Tuosu Lake, hypoxia, high altitude, alkaline, closed plateau lake with fresh water supply, was investigated. The total DNA was extracted from six samples with different salinity from different geographical locations of Tuosu Lake. The 16S rRNA gene of bacteria and archaea were determined by using high-throughput sequencing-based on an Illumina Miseq sequencing platform. The microbiota in Tuosu Lake has a high diversity and complexity and there are a large number of unclassified microbial species. The bacterial communities in Tuosu Lake are dominated by Proteobacteria (44.3%) and Actbacteria (17.2%). Among them, β-Proteobacteria is the dominant genus in the low-salt sample, while γ-Proteobacteria is more advantageous in the samples with higher salinity. The archaeal communities are dominated by Euryarchaeota (50%) and Woesearchaeota__DHVEG-6 (42.6%). The vast majority of the methanogenic archaea in Tuosu Lake samples belong to Methanomicrobia, and the methanogens in low-salinity samples are significantly more abundant than those in high-salt samples. Diversity and distribution appear to be highly influenced by water salinity and pH.

AKR2A interacts with KCS1 to improve VLCFAs contents and chilling tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana

Arabidopsis thaliana AKR2A plays an important role in plant responses to cold stress. However, its exact function in plant resistance to cold stress remains unclear. In the present study, we found that the contents of very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) in akr2a mutants were decreased, and the expression level of KCS1 was also reduced. Overexpression of KCS1 in the akr2a mutants could enhance VLCFAs contents and chilling tolerance. Yeast-2-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BIFC) results showed that the transmembrane motif of KCS1 interacts with the PEST motif of AKR2A both in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of KCS1 in akr2a mutants rescued akr2a mutant phenotypes, including chilling sensitivity and a decrease of VLCFAs contents. Moreover, the transgenic plants co-overexpressing AKR2A and KCS1 exhibited a greater chilling tolerance than the plants overexpressing AKR2A or KCS1 alone, as well as the wild-type. AKR2A knockdown and kcs1 knockout mutants showed the worst performance under chilling conditions. These results indicate that AKR2A is involved in chilling tolerance via an interaction with KCS1 to affect VLCFA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

Roles of noncoding RNAs in drug resistance in multiple myeloma

Despite the administration of new effective drugs in recent years, relapse and drug resistance are still the main obstacles in multiple myeloma (MM) treatment, making MM an incurable disease. To overcome drug resistance in MM, it is critical to understand the underlying mechanisms of malfunctioning gene expression and develop novel targeted therapies. During the past few decades, with the discovery and characterization of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), the landscape of dysregulated ncRNAs of cancers as well as their biological and pathobiological functions in tumorigenesis and drug resistance have been recognized. Studies about ncRNAs improved the understanding of variations of drug response among individuals at a level distinguished from genetic polymorphism, and provided with new orientations for targeted therapies. In this review, we will summarize the emerging impact and underlying molecular mechanisms of the most relevant classes of ncRNAs in drug resistance of MM, and discuss the potential as well as strategies of treating ncRNAs as therapeutic targets.

A Novel Scoring System for Risk Assessment of Elderly Patients With Cytogenetically Normal Acute Myeloid Leukemia Based on Expression of Three AQP1 DNA Methylation-Associated Genes

Background: Aquaporin 1 (AQP-1), a transmembrane water channel protein, has been proven to involve in many diseases' progression and prognosis. This research aims to explore the prognostic value of AQP-1 in elderly cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML).

Methods: Complete clinical and expression data of 226 elderly patients (aged > 60) with cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML) were downloaded from the databases of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). We have explored prognostic significance of AQP-1, investigated the underlying mechanism, and developed a novel scoring system for the risk assessment of elderly patients with AML based on AQP1 methylation.

Results: In the first and second independent group, AQP1 shows lower expression in CN-AML than normal people, while high AQP1 expression and AQP1 promoter hypomethylation were related to better overall survival (OS; P < 0.05). To understand the underlying mechanisms, we investigated differentially expressed genes (DEGs), miRNA and lncRNA associated with AQP1 methylation. A three-gene prognostic signature based on AQP1 methylation which was highly correlated with OS was established, and the performance was validated by Permutation Test and Leave-one-out Cross Validation method. Furthermore, an independent cohort was used to verify the prognostic value of this model.

Conclusions: AQP1 methylation could serve as an independent prognostic biomarker in elderly CN-AML, and may provide new insights for the diagnosis and treatment for elderly CN-AML patients.