A comprehensive update on CIDO: the community-based coronavirus infectious disease ontology

Background

The current COVID-19 pandemic and the previous SARS/MERS outbreaks of 2003 and 2012 have resulted in a series of major global public health crises. We argue that in the interest of developing effective and safe vaccines and drugs and to better understand coronaviruses and associated disease mechenisms it is necessary to integrate the large and exponentially growing body of heterogeneous coronavirus data. Ontologies play an important role in standard-based knowledge and data representation, integration, sharing, and analysis. Accordingly, we initiated the development of the community-based Coronavirus Infectious Disease Ontology (CIDO) in early 2020.

Results

As an Open Biomedical Ontology (OBO) library ontology, CIDO is open source and interoperable with other existing OBO ontologies. CIDO is aligned with the Basic Formal Ontology and Viral Infectious Disease Ontology. CIDO has imported terms from over 30 OBO ontologies. For example, CIDO imports all SARS-CoV-2 protein terms from the Protein Ontology, COVID-19-related phenotype terms from the Human Phenotype Ontology, and over 100 COVID-19 terms for vaccines (both authorized and in clinical trial) from the Vaccine Ontology. CIDO systematically represents variants of SARS-CoV-2 viruses and over 300 amino acid substitutions therein, along with over 300 diagnostic kits and methods. CIDO also describes hundreds of host-coronavirus protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and the drugs that target proteins in these PPIs. CIDO has been used to model COVID-19 related phenomena in areas such as epidemiology. The scope of CIDO was evaluated by visual analysis supported by a summarization network method. CIDO has been used in various applications such as term standardization, inference, natural language processing (NLP) and clinical data integration. We have applied the amino acid variant knowledge present in CIDO to analyze differences between SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants. CIDO's integrative host-coronavirus PPIs and drug-target knowledge has also been used to support drug repurposing for COVID-19 treatment.

Conclusion

CIDO represents entities and relations in the domain of coronavirus diseases with a special focus on COVID-19. It supports shared knowledge representation, data and metadata standardization and integration, and has been used in a range of applications.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13326-022-00279-z.

An inducible gene from glycoside hydrolase one family of Plutella xylostella decreases larval survival when feeding on host plant

Glycoside hydrolase family 1 (GH1) members exhibit a broad substrate spectrum and play important roles in insect-plant interactions, such as the defensive β-glucosidase and β-thioglucosidase (so-called myrosinase). However, knowledge about the expression profiling and function of glycoside hydrolase family 1 members in a specialist pest of crucifers Plutella xylostella is still limited. In this study, 13 putative glycoside hydrolase family 1 members of P. xylostella were identified based on the sequence characteristics, while no myrosinase activity was detectable in P. xylostella using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Expression profiling of these glycoside hydrolase family 1 members identified the midgut-specific gene Px008848 that is induced by host plant. Further experiments revealed that the in vitro expressed Px008848 protein had β-glucosidase activity and the survival rate of the larvae feeding on wounded Arabidopsis thaliana leaves declined when leaves were treated with purified Px008848 protein. When CRISPR/Cas9-based homozygous mutant larvae of Px008848 and wild-type larvae were respectively transferred onto the A. thaliana, the larval survival rate of the mutant larvae was significantly higher than that of the wild-type individuals. Our work showed that certain insect glycoside hydrolase family 1 gene may have negative effect on the development of larvae feeding on the host plant, which broadened our understandings on the evolutionary function of this gene family in the insect-plant interaction.

Blood pressure and clinical outcomes in patients with diabetes and stable coronary artery disease in THEMIS

Background

Various BP characteristics, e.g., systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and pulse pressure (PP), as well as heart rate (HR) may affect the risk of both cardiovascular events and bleeding events. However, the exact way in which these characteristics and outcomes are associated among patients with diabetes and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) remains debated. Moreover, it is unknown whether the risks and benefits of intensified antiplatelet therapy in this patient population are affected by their baseline BP and HR.

Purpose

To assess the relationship between BP components (including HR) and cardiovascular and bleeding events, and to determine if the effects of ticagrelor vs. placebo varied across the BP and HR spectrum, in patients with diabetes and stable CAD.

Methods

THEMIS was a randomized, controlled trial in which 19,220 individuals ≥50 years of age with stable CAD and type 2 diabetes were randomized to receive either ticagrelor plus aspirin or placebo plus aspirin. Patients with a prior myocardial infarction or stroke, or already on dual antiplatelet therapy, were excluded. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. The primary safety outcome was TIMI major bleeding. We examined prognostic implications of BP components using 1) restricted cubic splines for the overall trends with outcomes; 2) Cox proportional-hazards regression models with predefined BP component intervals adjusted for demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables; and 3) Cox regression models for the effects of ticagrelor vs. placebo on outcomes across the spectrum of BP component values (test for interaction). THEMIS is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01991795).

Results

Mean values of baseline BP components were similar between the two study groups. Median follow-up duration was 39.9 months (range 0–57), with 1554 primary efficacy events and 306 primary safety events occurring over the course of the study. All BP components (including HR) displayed various, independent relationships with the tested outcomes. For example, in adjusted spline models, SBP displayed non-linear relationships with the primary outcome, all-cause death, any bleeding, serious adverse events, and intracranial bleeding, and linear relationships with the remaining outcomes. Figure 1 shows the associations of each BP component with the primary efficacy outcome. BP components did not substantially modify the risks and benefits of ticagrelor vs. placebo for the tested outcomes.

Conclusions

BP components were independently associated with efficacy and safety outcomes in patients with stable CAD and type 2 diabetes. However, no important modification of BP components on the effect of ticagrelor vs. placebo was detected.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): AstraZeneca

A global burden assessment of lung cancer attributed to residential radon exposure during 1990-2019

This study aimed to explore the spatial and temporal trends of lung cancer burden attributable to residential radon exposure at the global, regional, and national levels. Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019, we collected the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and age-standardized disability-adjusted life rate (ASDR) of lung cancer attributable to residential radon exposure from 1990 to 2019. The Joinpoint model was used to calculate the annual average percentage change (AAPC) to evaluate the trend of ASMR and ASDR from 1990 to 2019. The locally weighted regression (LOESS) was used to estimate the relationship of the socio-demographic index (SDI) with ASMR and ASDR. In 2019, the global ASMR and ASDR for lung cancer attributable to residential radon exposure were 1.03 (95% CI: 0.20, 2.00) and 22.66 (95% CI: 4.49, 43.94) per 100 000 population, which were 15.6% and 23.0% lower than in 1990, respectively. According to the estimation, we found the lung cancer burden attributable to residential radon exposure declined significantly in high and high-middle SDI regions, but substantially increased in middle and low-middle SDI regions from 1990 to 2019. Across age and sex, the highest burden of lung cancer attributable to residential radon exposure was found in males and elderly groups. In conclusion, the global burden of lung cancer attributable to residential radon exposure showed a declining trend from 1990 to 2019, but a relatively large increase was found in the middle SDI regions. In 2019, the burden of lung cancer attributable to residential radon exposure remained high, particularly in males, the elderly, and high-middle SDI regions compared with other groups.

Genotyping of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi from sheep and goats in China

Background

Few studies have molecularly characterized the potential zoonotic protozoa, Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in sheep and goats in China, therefore total 472 fecal samples were collected from eight provinces and infection rates of three protozoa were determined by PCR analysis of corresponding loci. All PCR positive samples were sequenced to identify the genotype.

Results

The overall infection rates for Cryptosporidium, G. duodenalis, and E. bieneusi were 1.9% (9/472), 20.6% (97/472), and 44.5% (210/472), respectively. C. xiaoi (n = 5), C. ubiquitum (n = 3), and C. anderson (n = 1) were identified in goats. 97 G. duodenalis strains were successfully detected, and assembly E (n = 96) and assembly A (n = 1) were identified. Two novel G. duodenalis multilocus genotype (MLGs) were identified, with one belonging to subgroup AI and the other to subgroup E5. Nine known genotype (BEB6, CD6, CHC8, CHG3, CHG5, Peru6, CHG1, CHG2, and COS-I) and four new genotype (CHG26, CHG27, CHG28, and CHS18) were identified in E. bieneusi, with CHG3 dominant in this group.

Conclusions

The present results highlight the role of sheep and goats as reservoir hosts for this three gastrointestinal pathogens. In summary, we provided a platform for more detailed research on genotyping or subtyping intestinal pathogens to better understand their risks and modes of transmission.

Glucosinolate Sulfatases-Sulfatase-Modifying Factors System Enables a Crucifer-Specialized Moth To Pre-detoxify Defensive Glucosinolate of the Host Plant

Numerous herbivores orally secrete defense compounds to detoxify plant toxins. However, little is known about the role of orally secreted enzymes by a specialized pest, Plutella xylostella, in the detoxification of plant defense compounds. Three glucosinolate sulfatases (GSSs) or two sulfatase-modifying factors (SUMF1s) mutant strains were established on the basis of CRISPR/Cas9 technology to validate the existence of a species-specific GSSs-SUMF1s system. In comparison to the bioassay data from mutant strains of GSS1/GSS2 or SUMF1a/SUMF1b, GSS3 had a minimal role because no significant change was found in GSS3^-/- under different feeding contexts. Antibody-based technologies were used to examine GSSs-related deficient strains, and the results showed that the GSS1 protein was primarily released through larval oral secretion. On the basis of high-performance liquid chromatography, we found that GSS1 was secreted to pre-desulfate the typical plant defensive glucosinolates known as 4-(methylsulfinyl)butyl glucosinolate (4MSOB-GL) to suppress the production of the toxic substance, which is referred to as pre-detoxification strategy. These findings highlighted that the GSSs-SUMF1s system is the key factor for counteradaptation of P. xylostella to cruciferous plants, which strengthens the concept that herbivores deploy pre-detoxification strategies to disrupt the plant chemical defenses to facilitate the colonization process.

Adipocyte IRE1α promotes PGC1α mRNA decay and restrains adaptive thermogenesis

Adipose tissue undergoes thermogenic remodeling in response to thermal stress and metabolic cues, playing a crucial role in regulating energy expenditure and metabolic homeostasis. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is associated with adipose dysfunction in obesity and metabolic disease. It remains unclear, however, if ER stress-signaling in adipocytes mechanistically mediates dysregulation of thermogenic fat. Here we show that inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), a key ER stress sensor and signal transducer, acts in both white and beige adipocytes to impede beige fat activation. Ablation of adipocyte IRE1α promotes browning/beiging of subcutaneous white adipose tissue following cold exposure or β3-adrenergic stimulation. Loss of IRE1α alleviates diet-induced obesity and augments the anti-obesity effect of pharmacologic β3-adrenergic stimulation. Notably, IRE1α suppresses stimulated lipolysis and degrades Ppargc1a messenger RNA through its RNase activity to downregulate the thermogenic gene program. Hence, blocking IRE1α bears therapeutic potential in unlocking adipocytes' thermogenic capacity to combat obesity and metabolic disorders.

Safety and tolerance assessment of milk fat globule membrane-enriched infant formulas in healthy term Chinese infants: a randomised multicenter controlled trial

Background

Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), natural to breast milk, is essential for neonatal development, but lacking from standard infant formulas.

Objectives

To evaluate the safety and tolerability of MFGM supplementation in formula for infants 0 to 12 months.

Methods

In a prospective, multicentre, double-blind, randomized trial, healthy term infants were randomized to a standard formula (SF, n = 104) or an MFGM-enriched formula (MF, n = 108) for 6 months and a corresponding follow-on formula until 12 months. Exclusively breast-fed infants (n = 206) were recruited as the reference group (BFR). Tolerance and safety events were recorded continuously. Anthropometric measurements were assessed at enrolment, 42 days and 4, 6, 8 and 12 months.

Results

Infants (n = 375) completed the study with average dropout of < 20%. Stool frequency, color, and consistency between SF and MF were not significantly different throughout, except the incidence of loose stools in MF at 6 months being lower than for SF (odds ratio 0.216, P < 0.05) and the frequency of green-colored stools at 12 months being higher in MF (CI 95%, odds ratio 8.92, P < 0.05). The BFR had a higher frequency of golden stools and lower rate of green stools (4–6 months) than the two formula-fed groups (P < 0.05). SF displayed more diarrhoea (4.8%) than MF (1%) and BFR (1%) at the 8-month visit (P < 0.05). BFR (0–1%) had significantly less (P < 0.05) lower respiratory infections than MF (4.6–6.5%) and SF (2.9–5.8%) at 6- and 8-months, respectively. Formula intake, frequency of spit-up/vomiting or poor sleep were similar between SF and MF. Growth rate (g/day) was similar at 4, 6, 8 and 12 months between the 3 groups, but growth rate for BFR was significantly higher than for SF and MF at 42 days (95% CI, P = 0.001).

Conclusions

MFGM-enriched formula was safe and well-tolerated in healthy term infants between 0 and 12 months, and total incidences of adverse events were similar to that for the SF group. A few differences in formula tolerance were observed, however these differences were not in any way related to poor growth.

Effect of folic acid supplementation on diminished ovarian reserve: study protocol of a single-centre, open-label, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), a common gynaecological disorder, is approximately 10% across the world. Failure in early diagnosis and treatment may result in continuous decreases in ovarian function and the resultant loss in an opportunity of pregnancy, which greatly affects the happiness of the women's family and women's physical and mental health. Nevertheless, there has been no effective treatment for such a disorder until now. Folic acid, a member of the vitamin B family, is involved in one-carbon cycle and methylation regulation. It has been found that folic acid affects the whole period of pregnancy, and folic acid supplementation has shown effective to remarkably reduce the incidence of fetal neural tube defects and decrease plasma homocysteic acid levels, thereby resulting in a decline in the incidence of abortion. In addition, folic acid is reported to mediate ovarian functions. It is therefore hypothesised that folic acid may improve DOR.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A single-centre, open-label, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial is designed. We plan to recruit 140 women with DOR at ages of 30-35 years. All participants will be randomised into the folic acid group and placebo group, and each subject will be given a tablet with the same appearance daily for 6 months. The primary outcome is antral follicle count, and the secondary outcomes are ovarian reserve markers, ovarian low-dose stimulation responses and safety.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of Nanping First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University on 10 February 2021 (approval number: NPSY202002042). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to randomisation, following a detailed description of the purpose of the study. The results of this clinical trial will be presented at scientific conferences and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100047410.

Exploring structural relations among computer self-efficacy, perceived immersion, and intention to use virtual reality training systems

The use of virtual reality (VR) training systems for education has grown in popularity in recent years. Scholars have reported that self-efficacy and interactivity are important predictors of learning outcomes in virtual learning environments, but little empirical research has been conducted to explain how computer self-efficacy (as a subcategory of self-efficacy) and perceived immersion (as a correlate of interactivity) are connected to the intention to use VR training systems. The present study aims to determine which factors significantly influence behavioral intention when students are exposed to VR training systems via an updated technology acceptance frame by incorporating the constructs of computer self-efficacy and perceived immersion simultaneously. We developed a VR training system regarding circuit connection and a reliable and validated instrument including 9 subscales. The sample data were collected from 124 junior middle school students and 210 senior high school students in two schools located in western China. The samples were further processed into a structural equation model with path analysis and cohort analysis. The results showed that the intention to use VR training systems was indirectly influenced by computer self-efficacy but directly influenced by perceived immersion (β = 0.451). However, perceived immersion seemed to be influenced mostly by learner interaction (β = 0.332). Among external variables, learner interaction (β = 0.149) had the largest total effect on use intention, followed by facilitating conditions (β = 0.138), computer self-efficacy (β = 0.104), experimental fidelity (β = 0.083), and subjective norms (β = 0.077). The moderating roles of gender differences, grade level, and previous experience in structural relations were also identified. The findings of the present study highlight the ways in which factors and associations are considered in the practical development of VR training systems.

Efficacy and Safety of Reirradiation with Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Locally Recurrent Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to report on outcomes of a cohort of patients who were treated with reirradiation with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for locally recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients treated with SBRT reirradiation for locally recurrent pancreatic adenocarcinoma from December 2009 to April 2020 were included in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to record patient demographics, tumour and treatment characteristics. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate overall survival, local progression-free survival (LPFS), distant metastasis-free survival and progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

In total, 27 patients were included in the study. The median follow-up time from local recurrence was 19.7 months (range 4.2-43.1 months). Most patients received five-fraction SBRT (26/27, 96%). The median overall survival after local recurrence treatment was 18.3 months (range 3.0-42.6 months), with 6-month, 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates of 88.5%, 73.1% and 33.6%. The median LPFS after local recurrence treatment was 16.2 months (range 2.3-33.6 months), with 6-month, 1-year and 2-year LPFS rates of 95.8%, 62.9% and 27.2%. Peri-SBRT chemotherapy improved LPFS (median 17.5 versus 8.5 months; P = 0.010) and overall survival (median 19.3 versus 5.5 months; P = 0.049). Tumours ≤ 3 cm in the greatest dimension showed better local control (median LPFS 19.2 versus 10.2 months; P = 0.130). There was one case (4%) of acute grade 3 pain and one case (4%) of late grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Reirradiation with five-fraction SBRT is safe, but local control remains suboptimal. Patients with smaller tumours experienced improved outcomes, as did patients whose treatment plan included the administration of peri-SBRT chemotherapy.

[Efficacy and prognostic analysis of 125I brathytherapy combined with chemotherapy for pediatric parameningeal rhabdomyosarcoma]

Objective: To analyze the efficacy and prognostic factors in children with parameningeal rhabdomyosarcoma (PMRMS) treated by ¹²⁵I brachytherapy combined with chemotherapy. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 33 pediatric patients treated with ¹²⁵I brachytherapy combined with chemotherapy in Peking University Stomatological Hospital from July 2013 to October 2018 was carried out to analyze the efficacy and prognostic factors. Results: Among the 33 patients, 19 were males and 14 were females; the median age was 4 years old (1-12 years old). There were 17 cases with embryonic type, 9 cases with alveolar type, and 7 with undifferentiated type; 26 cases with original PMRMS, and 7 cases with recurrent PMRMS. The tumors occurred in subtemporal-mastoid area in 15 patients, while nasopalatine-paranasal area in 6 cases, and parapharyngeal-submandibular area in 12 cases. There were 28 patients in IRS Ⅲ, and 5 patients in IRS Ⅳ. As for the risk level, 28 cases were in the middle-risk group and 5 cases in the high-risk group. The median follow-up time was 52 months. The 1, 3, and 5-year local control rates were 87.9%, 58.6%, and 49.9%, and the 1, 3, and 5-year survival rates were 93.8%, 60.5%, and 47.5%, respectively. The 5-year local control rate and 5-year survival rate of 12 patients with the tumor in the parapharyngeal-submandibular area were 91.7% and 100%, respectively. The 5-year local control rate and 5-year survival rate of the 6 patients with tumor in the nasopalatine-paranasal area were both 83.3%. The 3-year local control rate and 3-year survival rate of the 15 patients with tumor in the subtemporal-mastoid area were 17.5% and 21.4%. The multivariate survival analysis using Cox proportional risk regression model showed that the tumor located in the subtemporal-mastoid area was an independent risk factor affecting the 5-year overall survival rate (HR=38.40, 95%CI: 4.87-302.52, P=0.001). Within 3 months after ¹²⁵I seed implantation, the incidence of acute radiotherapy adverse reactions in all patients was 84.8% (28/33). Twenty-one patients (63.6%) had a grade 1 acute radiotherapy reaction, and 7 cases (21.2%) had a grade 2 acute radiotherapy reaction. No acute radiotherapy adverse reactions of grade 3 or 4 occurred. Three months after ¹²⁵I seed implantation, the adverse reactions were significantly alleviated, and no adverse reactions of grade 3 or above such as skin ulcer or salivary gland fibrosis occurred, and no serious cranio-maxillofacial deformities occurred. Conclusions: ¹²⁵I seed brachytherapy combined with chemotherapy has a definite clinical effect in the treatment of children with parameningeal rhabdomyosarcoma. The prognosis of rhabdomyosarcoma in the parapharyngeal-submandibular area and nasopalatine-paranasal area is better than that in the subtemporal-mastoid area.

Factors associated with the mental health of back-to-Wuhan university students based on quantile regression model during the COVID-19 period

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic had brought the increased levels of depression and anxiety on people. Our study investigated the levels of mental health and influencing factors among back-to-Wuhan university students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted from 31 August 2020, to 14 September 2020 by convenience sampling on the back-to-Wuhan university students, which included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Insomnia Severity Index-7 (ISI-7), the revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) scales, and the basic demographic characteristics. Moreover, quantile regression analysis was used to identify the key factors related to the mental health variables of the back-to-Wuhan university students during the COVID-19 period.

RESULTS

The results from 1017 participants suggested that the prevalence rates of the anxiety, depression, insomnia, and distress were 44%, 47.5%, 37.7%, 57.7%, respectively. Quantile regression showed that mental health scores were negatively associated to age, years from graduation, being discriminated against owing to the experience in Wuhan, and the attitude on the future of COVID-19, while was positively related to the education level (P < 0.05). Especially, the education level was highly related with anxiety (25th = 1.64, 50th = 2.54).

CONCLUSION

The finding showed that the respondents who were near graduation, discriminated owing to the experience in Wuhan, and worried about the future trend of COVID-19 had a higher risk of negative psychologic status, especially in the bottom and median quantile, and might require more psycho-social interventions or support.

Determination of adulteration in wheat flour using multi-grained cascade forest-related models coupled with the fusion information of hyperspectral imaging

Wheat flour (WF) is a common ingredient in staple foods. However, the presence of intentional or unintentional adulterants makes it difficult to guarantee WF quality. Multi-grained cascade forest (gcForest) model, a non-neural network deep learning structure, fused with image-spectra features from hyperspectral imaging (HSI) was employed for detecting adulterant type (peanut, walnut, or benzoyl peroxide) and the corresponding concentration (0.03%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%). Based on the spectra of full wavelength and effective wavelength (EW) from hyperspectral images of WF samples, the gcForest-related models exhibited high performance (lowest ACC_P = 92.45%) and stability (lowest area under the curve = 0.9986). Furthermore, the fusion of the EW and the image features extracted by the symmetric all convolutional neural network (SACNN) was used to establish the gcForest-related models. The maximum accuracy improvement of the fusion feature model relative to the single spectral model and the image model was 2.45% and 44.37%, respectively. The results indicate that the gcForest-related model, combined with the image-spectra fusion feature of HSI, provides an effective tool for detection in food and agriculture.

Glycoprotein NMB promotes tumor formation and malignant progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), although one of the most common head and neck cancers, has a static or slightly decreased survival rate because of difficulties in early diagnosis, lack of effective molecular targeting therapy, and severe dysfunction after radical surgical treatments. Therefore, a novel therapeutic target is crucial to increase treatment efficacy and survival rates in these patients. Glycoprotein NMB (GPNMB), whose role in LSCC remains elusive, is a type 1 transmembrane protein involved in malignant progression of various cancers, and its high expression is thought to be a poor prognostic factor. In this study, we showed that GPNMB expression levels in LSCC samples are significantly higher than those in normal tissues, and GPNMB expression is observed mostly in growth‐arrested cancer cells. Furthermore, knockdown of GPNMB reduces monolayer cellular proliferation, cellular migration, and tumorigenic growth, while GPNMB protein displays an inverse relationship with Ki‐67 levels. Therefore, we conclude that GPNMB may be an attractive target for future LSCC therapy.

Finger touching combined X-ray-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy in 640 cases: an 8-years' experience

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of finger touching combined X-ray-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy, and the feasibility of avoiding damage in medical staff caused by X-ray.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From January 2013 to December 2020, 640 cases of percutaneous nephrolithotomy were performed through the 18-24-F channel. Among those cases, 22 (3.4%) cases were double-sided kidney stones surgeries, 294 (45.8%) cases were on the right side and 324 (50.5%) cases were on the left side. The targeted renal calyceal puncture was carried out under the combined guidance of the doctor's finger and X-ray. We assessed the X-ray exposure time of patients and doctors, average number of punctures, postoperative hospitalization, calculus removal rates, and complications.

RESULTS

The average number of punctures was 2.8 ± 1.4. Average X-ray exposure time during procedure: 2.8 s (range: 2-8 s). Average surgical time: 106.5 ± 49.4 min. Postoperative hospitalization: 6.8 ± 4.2 d. Average reduced hemoglobin level: 5.9 g/day. Stone-free rate 4 weeks after surgeries: 95.6%. Patients with upper ureteral calculi: 395 cases (61.72%). The calculus residual rate of patients with staghorn renal calculi or multiple renal calculi complementary treatments was 82.9%, including 0 patients who received shock wave lithotripsy, 2 cases of repeated percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), and 18 cases of ureteroscopy. Postoperative placement of renal drainage tube occurred in 52 cases. As for complications, no perirenal infection occurred, two severe bleeding complication cases occurred, and one case of colon perforation occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

Finger touching combined X-ray-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy in patients with renal calculus is safe and can accurately guide the puncture without radiation hazards. The placement of a renal drainage tube was beneficial to reduce renal effusion, hematocele, and infections.

Histone H1.2 promotes hepatocarcinogenesis by regulating STAT3 signaling

Linker histone H1.2 (H1.2), encoded by HIST1H1C (H1C), is a major H1 variant in somatic cells. Among five histone H1 somatic variants, upregulated H1.2 was found in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples and in a diethylnitrosamine (DEN)‐induced HCC mouse model. In vitro, H1.2 overexpression accelerated proliferation of HCC cell lines, whereas H1.2 knockdown (KD) had the opposite effect. In vivo, H1.2 insufficiency or deficiency (H1c KD or H1c KO) alleviated inflammatory response and HCC development in DEN‐treated mice. Mechanistically, H1.2 regulated the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which in turn positively regulated H1.2 expression by binding to its promoter. Moreover, upregulation of the H1.2/STAT3 axis was observed in human HCC samples, and was confirmed in mouse models of methionine‐choline‐deficient diet induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or lipopolysaccharide induced acute inflammatory liver injury. Disrupting this feed‐forward loop by KD of STAT3 or treatment with STAT3 inhibitors rescued H1.2 overexpression‐induced proliferation. Moreover, STAT3 inhibitor treatment‐ameliorated H1.2 overexpression promoted xenograft tumor growth. Therefore, H1.2 plays a novel role in inflammatory response by regulating STAT3 activation in HCC, thus, blockade of the H1.2/STAT3 loop is a potential strategy against HCC.

Paramylon from Euglena gracilis Prevents Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Liver Injury

Acute liver injury (ALI) is a life-threatening syndrome with high mortality and lacks effective therapies. Rodents under LPS (lipopolysaccharide)/D-Gal (D-galactosamine) stress mimic ALI by presenting dramatically increased inflammation and cell death in the liver. Euglena gracilis, functioning like dietary fiber, is commonly used as a paramylon (Pa)-rich nutritional supplement that has various biological effects such as regulating immune system, anti-obesity, and anti-tumor. Here, we found that Pa or sonicated and alkalized paramylon (SA-Pa) alleviated the LPS/D-Gal-induced hepatic histopathological abnormalities in mice. Compared with Pa, SA-Pa had lower molecular weights/sizes and showed better efficacy in alleviating injury-induced hepatic functions, as well as the transcriptional levels of inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, SA-Pa treatment promoted M2 macrophage activation that enhanced the anti-inflammatory function in the liver, and downregulated STAT3 target genes, such as Fos, Jun, and Socs3 upon the injury. Meanwhile, SA-Pa treatment also alleviated apoptosis and necroptosis caused by the injury. Our results demonstrated that SA-Pa efficiently protected the liver from LPS/D-Gal-induced ALI by alleviating inflammation and cell death.

A turn-on NIR fluorescence sensor for gossypol based on Yb-based metal-organic framework

The development of analytical method for selective and sensitive detection of gossypol (Gsp), an extraction from the cotton plants, is important but still challenging in food safety and medical field. Herein, we reported a turn-on near infrared (NIR) fluorescence detection strategy for Gsp based on a metal-organic framework (MOF), QBA-Yb, which was prepared from 4,4'-(quinolone-5, 8-diyl) benzoate with Yb(NO₃)₃·5H₂O by solvothermal synthesis. The Gsp acted as another "antenna" to sensitize the luminescence of Yb³⁺, leading to the turn-on NIR emission upon 467 nm excitation. As Gsp concentration increased, the NIR emission at 973 nm enhanced gradually, thus enabling highly sensitive Gsp detection in a turn-on way. The experiment and theoretical calculation results revealed the presence of strong hydrogen bonds between Gsp molecules and the MOF skeleton. The developed QBA-Yb probe showed excellent characteristics for detection of Gsp molecules, accompanied by wide linear range (5-160 μg/mL), low detection limit (0.65 μg/mL) and short response time (within 10 min). We have further demonstrated that the QBA-Yb probe was successfully applied for the determination of Gsp in real samples of cottonseeds.