Measurements of All-Particle Energy Spectrum and Mean Logarithmic Mass of Cosmic Rays from 0.3 to 30 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

We present the measurements of all-particle energy spectrum and mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays in the energy range of 0.3-30 PeV using data collected from LHAASO-KM2A between September 2021 and December 2022, which is based on a nearly composition-independent energy reconstruction method, achieving unprecedented accuracy. Our analysis reveals the position of the knee at 3.67±0.05±0.15  PeV. Below the knee, the spectral index is found to be -2.7413±0.0004±0.0050, while above the knee, it is -3.128±0.005±0.027, with the sharpness of the transition measured with a statistical error of 2%. The mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays is almost heavier than helium in the whole measured energy range. It decreases from 1.7 at 0.3 PeV to 1.3 at 3 PeV, representing a 24% decline following a power law with an index of -0.1200±0.0003±0.0341. This is equivalent to an increase in abundance of light components. Above the knee, the mean logarithmic mass exhibits a power law trend towards heavier components, which is reversal to the behavior observed in the all-particle energy spectrum. Additionally, the knee position and the change in power-law index are approximately the same. These findings suggest that the knee observed in the all-particle spectrum corresponds to the knee of the light component, rather than the medium-heavy components.

[Reconsideration of the indications for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty]

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), a procedure that has gradually emerged in recent years, is considered an effective treatment for resolving knee pain and restoring good function due to its significant clinical advantages. In the 1980s, Kozinn and Scott proposed the classic indications as selection criteria to identify ideal candidates for UKA. However, as treatment concepts, surgical instruments, surgical techniques, and prosthesis designs for this disease have improved, these indications proposed more than 30 years ago appear too limited, leading to some limitations in the widespread use of UKA. Specifically, surgeons have offered new perspectives on issues related to obesity, age, patellofemoral arthritis, severe varus deformity of the knee, anterior cruciate ligament deficiency, flexion contracture, failed high tibial osteotomy and post-traumatic arthritis. For this reason, this article will briefly discuss modern perspectives involving the indications for UKA based on current evidence with the aim of providing a reference for the reader.

Measurement of Ultra-High-Energy Diffuse Gamma-Ray Emission of the Galactic Plane from 10 TeV to 1 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

The diffuse Galactic γ-ray emission, mainly produced via interactions between cosmic rays and the interstellar medium and/or radiation field, is a very important probe of the distribution, propagation, and interaction of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. In this Letter, we report the measurements of diffuse γ rays from the Galactic plane between 10 TeV and 1 PeV energies, with the square kilometer array of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). Diffuse emissions from the inner (15°10  TeV). The energy spectrum in the inner Galaxy regions can be described by a power-law function with an index of -2.99±0.04, which is different from the curved spectrum as expected from hadronic interactions between locally measured cosmic rays and the line-of-sight integrated gas content. Furthermore, the measured flux is higher by a factor of ∼3 than the prediction. A similar spectrum with an index of -2.99±0.07 is found in the outer Galaxy region, and the absolute flux for 10≲E≲60  TeV is again higher than the prediction for hadronic cosmic ray interactions. The latitude distributions of the diffuse emission are consistent with the gas distribution, while the longitude distributions show clear deviation from the gas distribution. The LHAASO measurements imply that either additional emission sources exist or cosmic ray intensities have spatial variations.

The molecular neural mechanism underlying the acceleration of brain aging due to Dcf1 deficiency

Owing to the continuous increase in human life expectancy, the management of aging-related diseases has become an urgent issue. The brain dominates the central nervous system; therefore, brain aging is a key area of aging-related research. We previously uncovered that dendritic cell factor 1 (Dcf1) maintains the stemness of neural stem cells and its expression in Drosophila can prolong lifespan, suggesting an association between Dcf1 and aging; however, the specific underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, we show for the first time that hippocampal neurogenesis is decreased in aged Dcf1-/- mice, which leads to a decrease in the number of brain neurons and an increased number of senescent cells. Moreover, astrocytes proliferate abnormally and express elevated mRNA levels of aging-related factors, in addition to displaying increased activation of Akt and Foxo3a. Finally, behavioral tests confirm that aged Dcf1-/- mice exhibit a significant decline in cognitive abilities related to learning and memory. In conclusion, we reveal a novel mechanism underlying brain aging triggered by Dcf1 deficiency at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and behavioral levels, providing a new perspective for the exploration of brain aging.

TMEM59 ablation leads to loss of olfactory sensory neurons and impairs olfactory functions via interaction with inflammation

The olfactory epithelium undergoes constant neurogenesis throughout life in mammals. Several factors including key signaling pathways and inflammatory microenvironment regulate the maintenance and regeneration of the olfactory epithelium. In this study, we identify TMEM59 (also known as DCF1) as a critical regulator to the epithelial maintenance and regeneration. Single-cell RNA-Seq data show downregulation of TMEM59 in multiple epithelial cell lineages with aging. Ablation of TMEM59 leads to apparent alteration at the transcriptional level, including genes associated with olfactory transduction and inflammatory/immune response. These differentially expressed genes are key components belonging to several signaling pathways, such as NF-κB, chemokine, etc. TMEM59 deletion impairs olfactory functions, attenuates proliferation, causes loss of both mature and immature olfactory sensory neurons, and promotes infiltration of inflammatory cells, macrophages, microglia cells and neutrophils into the olfactory epithelium and lamina propria. TMEM59 deletion deteriorates regeneration of the olfactory epithelium after injury, with significant reduction in the number of proliferative cells, immature and mature sensory neurons, accompanied by the increasing number of inflammatory cells and macrophages. Anti-inflammation by dexamethasone recovers neuronal generation and olfactory functions in the TMEM59-KO animals, suggesting the correlation between TMEM59 and inflammation in regulating the epithelial maintenance. Collectively, TMEM59 regulates olfactory functions, as well as neuronal generation in the olfactory epithelium via interaction with inflammation, suggesting a potential role in therapy against olfactory dysfunction associated with inflamm-aging.

A tera-electron volt afterglow from a narrow jet in an extremely bright gamma-ray burst

Some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have a tera-electron volt (TeV) afterglow, but the early onset of this has not been observed. We report observations with the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory of the bright GRB 221009A, which serendipitously occurred within the instrument field of view. More than 64,000 photons >0.2 TeV were detected within the first 3000 seconds. The TeV flux began several minutes after the GRB trigger, then rose to a peak about 10 seconds later. This was followed by a decay phase, which became more rapid ~650 seconds after the peak. We interpret the emission using a model of a relativistic jet with half-opening angle ~0.8°. This is consistent with the core of a structured jet and could explain the high isotropic energy of this GRB.

Porous carbon tubes from recycling waste COVID-19 masks for optimization of 8 mol% Y2O3-doped tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline nanopowder

Disposable polypropylene medical masks are widely used to protect people from injury caused by COVID-19 worldwide. However, disposable medical masks are non-biodegradable materials, and the accumulation of waste masks can pollute the environment and waste resources without a reasonable recycling method. The aims of this study are to transform waste masks into carbon materials and to use them as a dispersant in preparing high-quality 8 mol% Y₂O₃-doped tetragonal zirconia nanopowders. The waste masks were carbonized to get a carbon source in the first step, then KOH was used to etch the carbon source creating a micropores structure in the carbon material after the carbon-bed heat treatment method. The resulting carbon material is a porous tube structure with a high specific surface area (1220.34 m²/g) and adsorption capacity. The as-obtained porous carbon tubes were applied as a dispersant to produce 8 mol% Y₂O₃-doped tetragonal zirconia nanopowders, and the resulting nanopowders owned well-dispersed and had the smallest particle size than that prepared by activated carbon as a dispersant. Besides, the sintered 8 mol% Y₂O₃-doped tetragonal zirconia ceramic possessed high density, which resulted in higher ionic conductivity. These findings suggest that waste face masks can be recycled to prepare high-added-value carbon materials and provide a green and low-cost method to reuse polypropylene waste materials.

Constraints on Heavy Decaying Dark Matter from 570 Days of LHAASO Observations

The kilometer square array (KM2A) of the large high altitude air shower observatory (LHAASO) aims at surveying the northern γ-ray sky at energies above 10 TeV with unprecedented sensitivity. γ-ray observations have long been one of the most powerful tools for dark matter searches, as, e.g., high-energy γ rays could be produced by the decays of heavy dark matter particles. In this Letter, we present the first dark matter analysis with LHAASO-KM2A, using the first 340 days of data from 1/2-KM2A and 230 days of data from 3/4-KM2A. Several regions of interest are used to search for a signal and account for the residual cosmic-ray background after γ/hadron separation. We find no excess of dark matter signals, and thus place some of the strongest γ-ray constraints on the lifetime of heavy dark matter particles with mass between 10^{5} and 10^{9}  GeV. Our results with LHAASO are robust, and have important implications for dark matter interpretations of the diffuse astrophysical high-energy neutrino emission.

Circulating myeloid-derived suppressors cells correlate with clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes undergoing neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

Myeloid-derived suppressors cells (MDSCs) are heterogeneous immunosuppressive cells, closely related to the development, efficacy and prognosis in various tumors. The relationship between clinicopathological characteristics, efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NCIO) and circulating MDSCs in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was investigated in this study.

METHODS

This study analyzed the clinical data of patients diagnosed at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Chest Hospital from November 2020 to August 2021. MDSCs and T cells subgroups were measured in fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) at baseline. Flow cytometry was used to detect MDSCs and T cells subgroups.

RESULTS

A total of 78 patients with NSCLC and 20 patients with benign nodule underwent direct surgery. 23 patients with NSCLC scheduled to accept NCIO before surgery. NSCLC had elevated levels of total MDSCs, PMN-MDSCs and M-MDSCs compared to patients with benign nodule. MDSCs subgroups were correlated to the pTNM stage in NSCLC patients. The frequency of total MDSCs were moderately positively correlated with regulatory T cells (Tregs)(r = 0.3597, P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with CD4 + T cells(r = 0.2714, P < 0.05). The baseline levels of total MDSCs, PMN-MDSCs and Tregs in pCR patients were significantly decreased than those of non-pCR patients (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Circulating MDSCs were increased in NSCLC patients. MDSC subgroups were related to pTNM stage in NSCLC patients. Total MDSCs were positively correlated with Tregs levels and negatively correlated with CD4 + T cells in peripheral blood. The level of MDSCs and Tregs in peripheral blood may have potential value in predicting pathological response in NSCLC.

Outcomes during delivery hospitalisations with inflammatory bowel disease

OBJECTIVE

To characterise inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) trends and associated risk during delivery hospitalisations.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

US delivery hospitalisations.

POPULATION

Delivery hospitalisations in the 2000-2018 National Inpatient Sample.

METHODS

This study analysed a nationally representative hospital discharge database based on the presence of IBD. Temporal trends in IBD were analysed using joinpoint regression to estimate the average annual percent change (AAPC). IBD severity was characterised by the presence of diagnoses such as penetrating and stricturing disease and history of bowel resection. Risks for adverse outcomes were analysed based on presence of IBD. Poisson regression models were performed with unadjusted and adjusted risk ratios (aRR) as measures of effect.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Prevalence of IBD and associated adverse outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 73 109 790 delivery hospitalisations, 89 965 had a diagnosis of IBD. IBD rose from 0.06% in 2000 to 0.21% in 2018 (AAPC 7.3%, 95% CI 6.7-7.9%). Among deliveries with IBD, IBD severity diagnoses increased from 4.1% to 8.1% from 2000 to 2018. In adjusted analysis, IBD was associated with increased risk for preterm delivery (aRR 1.50, 95% CI 1.47-1.53), severe maternal morbidity (aRR 1.93, 95% CI 1.83-2.04), venous thrombo-embolism (aRR 2.76, 95% CI 2.39-3.18) and surgical injury during caesarean delivery hospitalisation (aRR 5.03, 95% CI 4.76-5.31). In the presence of a severe IBD diagnosis, risk was further increased for all adverse outcomes.

CONCLUSION

IBD is increasing in the obstetric population and is associated with adverse outcomes. Risk is increased in the presence of a severe IBD diagnosis.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Deliveries among women with inflammatory bowel disease are increasing. Disease severity is associated with adverse outcomes.

Depression-like symptoms due to Dcf1 deficiency are alleviated by intestinal transplantation of Lactobacillus murine and Lactobacillus reuteri

Depression, characterized by low mood, is a complex mental disorder that is a serious threat to human health. Depression is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental and psychological factors. However, the pathophysiology of depression remains unclear. In the present study, we found that Dcf1 knockout (KO) mice had depression-like symptoms and disruptive changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration and GABA receptor expression were found in the hippocampus of Dcf1 KO and WT mice. Furthermore, the gut microbiota composition of Dcf1 KO mice was significantly different from that of wildtype (WT) mice and Dcf1 KO mice showed lower Firmicutes and Lactobacillus content compared to WT mice. In addition, the depression-like behavior of Dcf1 KO mice was alleviated by the administration of microbiota. More surprisingly, after treatment with Lactobacillus murine and Lactobacillus reuteri, two Lactobacillus species with proportionally greater differences in content between the WT and KO groups, KO mice showed similar GABA content, as well as restored GABA-related receptor expression, as the WT group. Our data elucidated a possible mechanism of depression induction by gut microbiota in Dcf1 KO mice and provide a new avenue to explore the treatment of depression by gut microbiota.

Exploring Lorentz Invariance Violation from Ultrahigh-Energy γ Rays Observed by LHAASO

Recently, the LHAASO Collaboration published the detection of 12 ultrahigh-energy γ-ray sources above 100 TeV, with the highest energy photon reaching 1.4 PeV. The first detection of PeV γ rays from astrophysical sources may provide a very sensitive probe of the effect of the Lorentz invariance violation (LIV), which results in decay of high-energy γ rays in the superluminal scenario and hence a sharp cutoff of the energy spectrum. Two highest energy sources are studied in this work. No signature of the existence of the LIV is found in their energy spectra, and the lower limits on the LIV energy scale are derived. Our results show that the first-order LIV energy scale should be higher than about 10^{5} times the Planck scale M_{Pl} and that the second-order LIV scale is >10^{-3}M_{Pl}. Both limits improve by at least one order of magnitude the previous results.

Dcf1 induces glioblastoma cells apoptosis by blocking autophagy

BACKGROUND

Dcf1 has been demonstrated to play vital roles in many CNS diseases, it also has a destructive role on cell mitochondria in glioma cells and promotes the autophagy. Hitherto, it is unclear whether the viability of glioblastoma cells is affected by Dcf1, in particular Dcf1 possesses broad localization on different organelles, and the organelles interaction frequently implicated in cancer cells survival.

METHODS

Surgically excised WHO grade IV human glioblastoma tissues were collected and cells isolated for culturing. RT-PCR and DNA sequencing assay to estimate the abundance and mutation of Dcf1. iTRAQ sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were performed. Subsequently, immunoprecipitation assay to evaluate the degradation of HistoneH2A isomers by UBA52 ubiquitylation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was applied to observe the structure change of mitochondria and autophagosome. Organelle isolated assay to determine the distribution of protein. Cell cycle and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometric assays.

RESULTS

Dcf1 was downregulated in WHO grade IV tumor without mutation, and overexpression of Dcf1 was found to significantly regulate glioblastoma cells. One hundred and seventy-six differentially expressed proteins were identified by iTRAQ sequencing. Furthermore, we confirmed that overexpression of Dcf1 destabilized the structure of the nucleosome via UBA52 ubiquitination to downregulate HistoneH2A.X but not macroH2A or HistoneH2A.Z, decreased the mitochondrial DNA copy number and inhibited the mitochondrial biogenesis, thus causing mitochondrial destruction and dysfunction in order to supply cellular energy and induce mitophagy preferentially but not apoptosis. Dcf1 also has disrupted the integrity of lysosomes to block autolysosome degradation and autophagy and to increase the release of Cathepsin B and D from lysosomes into cytosol. These proteins cleaved and activated BID to induce glioblastoma cells apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we demonstrated that unmutated Dcf1 expression is negatively related to the malignancy of glioblastoma, Dcf1 overexpression causes nucleosomes destabilization, mitochondria destruction and dysfunction to induce mitophagy preferentially, and block autophagy by impairing lysosomes to induce apoptosis in glioblastoma.

Peta-electron volt gamma-ray emission from the Crab Nebula

The Crab Nebula is a bright source of gamma rays powered by the Crab Pulsar's rotational energy through the formation and termination of a relativistic electron-positron wind. We report the detection of gamma rays from this source with energies from 5 × 10^-4 to 1.1 peta-electron volts with a spectrum showing gradual steepening over three energy decades. The ultrahigh-energy photons imply the presence of a peta-electron volt electron accelerator (a pevatron) in the nebula, with an acceleration rate exceeding 15% of the theoretical limit. We constrain the pevatron's size between 0.025 and 0.1 parsecs and the magnetic field to ≈110 microgauss. The production rate of peta-electron volt electrons, 2.5 × 10³⁶ ergs per second, constitutes 0.5% of the pulsar spin-down luminosity, although we cannot exclude a contribution of peta-electron volt protons to the production of the highest-energy gamma rays.

Extended Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission Surrounding PSR J0622+3749 Observed by LHAASO-KM2A

We report the discovery of an extended very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray source around the location of the middle-aged (207.8 kyr) pulsar PSR J0622+3749 with the Large High-Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). The source is detected with a significance of 8.2σ for E>25  TeV assuming a Gaussian template. The best-fit location is (right ascension, declination) =(95.47°±0.11°,37.92°±0.09°), and the extension is 0.40°±0.07°. The energy spectrum can be described by a power-law spectrum with an index of -2.92±0.17_{stat}±0.02_{sys}. No clear extended multiwavelength counterpart of the LHAASO source has been found from the radio to sub-TeV bands. The LHAASO observations are consistent with the scenario that VHE electrons escaped from the pulsar, diffused in the interstellar medium, and scattered the interstellar radiation field. If interpreted as the pulsar halo scenario, the diffusion coefficient, inferred for electrons with median energies of ∼160  TeV, is consistent with those obtained from the extended halos around Geminga and Monogem and much smaller than that derived from cosmic ray secondaries. The LHAASO discovery of this source thus likely enriches the class of so-called pulsar halos and confirms that high-energy particles generally diffuse very slowly in the disturbed medium around pulsars.

Ultrahigh-energy photons up to 1.4 petaelectronvolts from 12 γ-ray Galactic sources

The extension of the cosmic-ray spectrum beyond 1 petaelectronvolt (PeV; 10¹⁵ electronvolts) indicates the existence of the so-called PeVatrons-cosmic-ray factories that accelerate particles to PeV energies. We need to locate and identify such objects to find the origin of Galactic cosmic rays¹. The principal signature of both electron and proton PeVatrons is ultrahigh-energy (exceeding 100 TeV) γ radiation. Evidence of the presence of a proton PeVatron has been found in the Galactic Centre, according to the detection of a hard-spectrum radiation extending to 0.04 PeV (ref. ²). Although γ-rays with energies slightly higher than 0.1 PeV have been reported from a few objects in the Galactic plane^3-6, unbiased identification and in-depth exploration of PeVatrons requires detection of γ-rays with energies well above 0.1 PeV. Here we report the detection of more than 530 photons at energies above 100 teraelectronvolts and up to 1.4 PeV from 12 ultrahigh-energy γ-ray sources with a statistical significance greater than seven standard deviations. Despite having several potential counterparts in their proximity, including pulsar wind nebulae, supernova remnants and star-forming regions, the PeVatrons responsible for the ultrahigh-energy γ-rays have not yet been firmly localized and identified (except for the Crab Nebula), leaving open the origin of these extreme accelerators.

Population risk factors for nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex caesarean birth: a national cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To characterise medical, obstetric and demographic risk factors associated with nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex (NTSV) caesarean birth.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

United States delivery hospitalisations.

POPULATION

NTSV births in 2016-18 US natality data.

METHODS

This study analysed a national sample of natality data generated by the United States National Vital Statistics System. NTSV deliveries were identified. The primary outcome was caesarean birth. Risk factors including maternal age, body mass index (BMI) and pregestational diabetes were analysed. Multivariable log-linear regression models analysed factors associated with NTSV caesarean with adjusted risk ratios (aRR) as measures of effect.

RESULTS

Of 11 622 400 deliveries, 3 764 707 met NTSV criteria, and their caesarean section rate was 25.9%. Maternal age 35-39 years (aRR 1.51, 95% CI 1.50-1.52) and 40-54 years (aRR 2.03, 95% 2.00-2.05) compared with age 19-34 years; BMI 25 to <30 kg/m2 (aRR 1.32, 95% CI 1.31-1.33), 30 to <35 kg/m2 (aRR 1.57 95% CI 1.56-1.58), 35 to <40 kg/m2 (aRR 1.82, 95% CI 1.80-1.83) and ≥40 kg/m2 (aRR 2.17, 95% CI 2.15-2.19) compared with BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2; and pregestational diabetes (aRR 1.54, 95% CI 1.51-1.57) were all associated with increased risk. Risk factors allowed stratification of patients into high-risk versus low-risk groups. The NTSV caesarean rate was 37.9% in women who had one or more of the following characteristics: age ≥35 years, BMI ≥30 kg/m2 or pregestational diabetes. In comparison, the NTSV caesarean rate was 20.8% among women without any of these three risk factors (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Among NTSV births, BMI, maternal age and medical conditions are important risk factors for caesarean delivery.

Proteomics and molecular network analyses reveal that the interaction between the TAT-DCF1 peptide and TAF6 induces an antitumor effect in glioma cells

Glioblastoma is the most lethal brain cancer in adults. Despite advances in surgical techniques, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, their therapeutic effect is far from significant, since the detailed underlying pathological mechanism of this cancer is unclear. The establishment of molecular interaction networks has laid the foundation for the exploration of these mechanisms with a view to improving therapy for glioblastoma. In the present study, to further explore the cellular role of DCF1 (dendritic cell-derived factor 1), the proteins bound to TAT-DCF1 (transactivator of transcription-dendritic cell-derived factor 1) were identified, and biosystem analysis was employed. Functional enrichment analyses indicate that TAT-DCF1 induced important biological changes in U251 cells. Furthermore, the established molecular interaction networks indicated that TAT-DCF1 directly interacted with TAF6 in glioma cells and with UBC in HEK293T (human embryonic kidney 293T) cells. In addition, further biological experiments demonstrate that TAT-DCF1 induced the activation of the RPS27A/TOP2A/HMGB2/BCL-2 signaling pathway via interaction with TAF6 in U251 cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that the TAT-DCF1 peptide possesses great potential for the development of glioblastoma therapy through the interaction with TAF6-related pathways and provides further theoretic evidence for the mechanisms underlying the antitumor effects of TAT-DCF1.

DNF: A differential network flow method to identify rewiring drivers for gene regulatory networks

Differential network analysis has become an important approach in identifying driver genes in development and disease. However, most studies capture only local features of the underlying gene-regulatory network topology. These approaches are vulnerable to noise and other changes which mask driver-gene activity. Therefore, methods are urgently needed which can separate the impact of true regulatory elements from stochastic changes and downstream effects. We propose the differential network flow (DNF) method to identify key regulators of progression in development or disease. Given the network representation of consecutive biological states, DNF quantifies the essentiality of each node by differences in the distribution of network flow, which are capable of capturing comprehensive topological differences from local to global feature domains. DNF achieves more accurate driver-gene identification than other state-of-the-art methods when applied to four human datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas and three single-cell RNA-seq datasets of murine neural and hematopoietic differentiation. Furthermore, we predict key regulators of crosstalk between separate networks underlying both neuronal differentiation and the progression of neurodegenerative disease, among which APP is predicted as a driver gene of neural stem cell differentiation. Our method is a new approach for quantifying the essentiality of genes across networks of different biological states.

Dcf1 deletion presents alterations in gut microbiota of mice similar to Parkinson's disease

The gut-brain communication is increasingly being recognized as a profound effector on Parkinson's disease (PD). Gut microbiota changes have become the focus of attention. However, the mechanism leading to changes in the gut microbiota is not clear. In the present study, we found that knockout of Dcf1 (Dcf1^-/-) caused changes in the gut microbiota in mice. Results indicated that the increased Proteobacteria (phylum-level) and decreased Prevotellaceae (family-level) in the microbiota composition of Dcf1^-/- (KO) mice, which is consistent with the situation of PD patients. On species-level, Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 and Helicobacter_ganmani were significantly different between KO and WT mice, suggesting glycolipid metabolism disorders and inflammatory lesions in KO mice. In the behavior of Y-maze and Open field test, KO mice showed typical PD symptoms such as memory deficits, slowness of movement and anxiety. Further Nissl staining of brain tissue sections confirmed that the deletion of Dcf1 caused damage to amygdala neurons. These results provide a new mechanism for understanding gut microbiota changes, and provide a new basis for PD treatment from a new perspective of Gut-brain axis.

Elucidating the Relationship Between Diabetes Mellitus and Parkinson's Disease Using 18F-FP-(+)-DTBZ, a Positron-Emission Tomography Probe for Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) have been and will continue to be two common chronic diseases globally that are difficult to diagnose during the prodromal phase. Current molecular genetics, cell biological, and epidemiological evidences have shown the correlation between PD and DM. PD shares the same pathogenesis pathways and pathological factors with DM. In addition, β-cell reduction, which can cause hyperglycemia, is a striking feature of DM. Recent studies indicated that hyperglycemia is highly relevant to the pathologic changes in PD. However, further correlation between DM and PD remains to be investigated. Intriguingly, polycystic monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), which is co-expressed in dopaminergic neurons and β cells, is responsible for taking up dopamine into the presynaptic vesicles and can specifically bind to the β cells. Furthermore, we have summarized the specific molecular and diagnostic functions of VMAT2 for the two diseases reported in this review. Therefore, VMAT2 can be applied as a target probe for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to detect β-cell and dopamine level changes, which can contribute to the diagnosis of DM and PD during the prodromal phase. Targeting VMAT2 with the molecular probe ¹⁸F-FP-(+)-DTBZ can be an entry point for the β cell mass (BCM) changes in DM at the molecular level, to clarify the potential relationship between DM and PD. VMAT2 has promising clinical significance in investigating the pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and treatment evaluation of the two diseases.

Circular RNA_LARP4 inhibits the progression of non-small-cell lung cancer by regulating the expression of SMAD7

OBJECTIVE

Researchers have uncovered the importance of circular RNAs (circ) in malignant tumors. Circ LARP4 has been found to serve as a tumor suppressor gene in gastric cancer. However, the exact function of circ LARP4 in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to uncover the role of circ LARP4 in the tumorigenesis of NSCLC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Expression level of circ LARP4 in NSCLC tissues was detected through Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). Subsequently, the association between expression and patients' prognosis was analyzed. Circ LARP4 lentivirus was constructed and transfected into NSCLC cells. The effect of circ LARP4 on NSCLC cell migration and invasion was detected by function assays. Furthermore, Western blot was performed to analyze the expression of predicted protein of circ LARP4.

RESULTS

Compared with adjacent tissues, circ LARP4 was lowly expressed in NSCLC tissues. Meanwhile, expression of circ LARP4 was associated with the prognosis of NSCLC patients. Downregulated circ LARP4 was found in NSCLC cell lines as well. The migration and invasion abilities of NSCLC cells were significantly inhibited via overexpression of circ LARP4. SMAD7, the predicted protein of circ LARP4, increased remarkably via overexpression of circ LARP4.

CONCLUSIONS

Circ LARP4 could suppress the metastasis of NSCLC by up-regulating SMAD7.

Dcf1 Affects Memory and Anxiety by Regulating NMDA and AMPA Receptors

The hippocampus is critical for memory and emotion and both N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl- 4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors are known to contribute for those processes. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. We have previously found that mice undergo memory decline upon dcf1 deletion through ES gene knockout. In the present study, a nervous system-specific dcf1 knockout (NKO) mouse was constructed, which was found to present severely damaged neuronal morphology. The damaged neurons caused structural abnormalities in dendritic spines and decreased synaptic density. Decreases in hippocampal NMDA and AMPA receptors of NKO mice lead to abnormal long term potentiation (LTP) at DG, with significantly decreased performance in the water maze, elevated- plus maze, open field and light and dark test. Investigation into the underlying molecular mechanisms revealed that dendritic cell factor 1 (Dcf1) contributes for memory and emotion by regulating NMDA and AMPA receptors. Our results broaden the understanding of synaptic plasticity's role in cognitive function, thereby expanding its known list of functions.

ATP11B deficiency leads to impairment of hippocampal synaptic plasticity

Synaptic plasticity is known to regulate and support signal transduction between neurons, while synaptic dysfunction contributes to multiple neurological and other brain disorders; however, the specific mechanism underlying this process remains unclear. In the present study, abnormal neural and dendritic morphology was observed in the hippocampus following knockout of Atp11b both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, ATP11B modified synaptic ultrastructure and promoted spine remodeling via the asymmetrical distribution of phosphatidylserine and enhancement of glutamate release, glutamate receptor expression, and intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Furthermore, experimental results also indicate that ATP11B regulated synaptic plasticity in hippocampal neurons through the MAPK14 signaling pathway. In conclusion, our data shed light on the possible mechanisms underlying the regulation of synaptic plasticity and lay the foundation for the exploration of proteins involved in signal transduction during this process.

Zebrafish olfactory receptors ORAs differentially detect bile acids and bile salts

The fish olfactory receptor ORA family is orthologous to the mammalian vomeronasal receptors type 1. It consists of six highly conserved chemosensory receptors expected to be essential for survival and communication. We deorphanized the zebrafish ORA family in a heterologous cell system. The six receptors responded specifically to lithocholic acid (LCA) and closely related C₂₄ 5β-bile acids/salts. LCA attracted zebrafish as strongly as food in behavioral tests, whereas the less potent cholanic acid elicited weaker attraction, consistent with the in vitro results. The ORA-ligand recognition patterns were probed with site-directed mutagenesis guided by in silico modeling. We revealed the receptors' structure-function relationship underlying their specificity and selectivity for these compounds. Bile acids/salts are putative fish semiochemicals or pheromones sensed by the olfactory system with high specificity. This work identified their receptors and provided the basis for probing the roles of ORAs and bile acids/salts in fish chemosensation.

Dendritic cell factor 1 inhibits proliferation and migration and induces apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells by inhibiting the ERK signaling pathway

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor that affects mainly children and has extremely high mortality and recurrence rates. A previous study revealed that dendritic cell factor 1 (DCF1), also called transmembrane protein 59, could activate apoptosis in glioma cells. In the present study, we applied immunofluorescence, western blot analysis, flow cytometry and cell tumorigenicity to investigate the DCF1 mechanisms involved in NB apoptosis. DCF1 was overexpressed in Neuro-2a and SK-N-SH cells through instantaneous transfection. The data revealed that overexpression of DCF1 could inhibit cell proliferation, migration, invasion and promote cell apoptosis in vitro, and suppress NB growth in vivo. The ERK1/2 signaling pathway, which promotes cell survival, was the target of DCF1 in neuroblastoma cells. All the results indicated that DCF1 could be a potential therapeutic target for the understanding and treatment of NB.

The antitumor effect of TAT-DCF1 peptide in glioma cells

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma is one of the most malignant brain cancer, thus, establishing an effective therapy is paramount. Our previous results indicate that dendritic cell-derived factor (DCF1) is an attractive candidate for therapy against Glioblastoma, since its overexpression in Glioblastoma U251 cells leads to apoptosis. However, the delivery approach limits its clinical application, in this paper, we expressed TAT-DCF1 fusion protein in E.coli in order to surmount its current delivery problems.

METHODS

The coding sequences of the different domains of DCF1 (full length, cytoplasmic, extracellular, 19-amino acid), together with the N-terminal transactivator of transcription (TAT) sequence, were amplified and subcloned into the bacterial expression vector pET30a(+) in order to produce (His)₆-tagged fusion proteins. Coomassie blue-stained SDS-PAGE and Western blotting identification showed that purity of the fusion proteins.

RESULTS

Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry show that U251 cells were efficiently transduced with the fusion proteins. Cell viability, proliferation, and migration assays suggest that the complete TAT-DCF1 fusion protein significantly decreased U251 proliferation and migration. Flow cytometry further reveals that TAT-DCF1 triggered cellular apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, these findings suggest that the TAT-DCF1 fusion protein was efficiently transduced into Glioblastoma U251 cells and induced the antitumor effect and support further investigation into specific targeting and side effects of TAT-DCF1 during drug delivery.

The prognostic significance of serum HBeAg on the recurrence and long-term survival after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: A propensity score matching analysis

The effects of serum hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) on the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after hepatectomy remain controversial. Our aim was to explore the prognostic significance of serum HBeAg on the prognosis of patients with HCC using a propensity matching model. Between January 2009 and March 2015, 953 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy in West China Hospital were analysed. Propensity matching analysis was applied, and survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Risk factors were identified by the Cox proportional hazards model. All patients with HCC were classified into an HBeAg(-) group (n = 775, 81.3%) or an HBeAg(+) group (n = 178, 18.7%). Patients with positive serum HBeAg had poorer recurrence-free survival and overall survival before and after propensity matching. Similar results were found in patients within the Milan criteria. For patients beyond the Milan criteria, the HBeAg(+) group had poor overall survival before and after propensity matching. In term of recurrence-free survival, there was no statistically significant impact after propensity matching (P = .055), although there was a trend for HBeAg(+) patient to have reduced recurrence-free survival. Positive serum HBeAg, positive HBV-DNA load, largest tumour size, multiple tumours, microvascular invasion and a high serum level of preoperative alpha-fetoprotein were risk factors for recurrence. Our propensity model confirmed that positive serum HBeAg had a negative impact on the recurrence and long-term survival irrespective of tumour stages. HBeAg seroconversion might be beneficial for reducing the rate of recurrence.

Esophageal IgG4 levels correlate with histopathologic and transcriptomic features in eosinophilic esophagitis

BACKGROUND

Recent data associate eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) with IgG4 rather than IgE, but its significance and function have not been determined. Our aims were to measure esophageal IgG4 levels and to determine functional correlations as assessed by histologic and transcriptome analyses.

METHODS

This case-control study included pediatric subjects with EoE (≥15 eosinophils/HPF) and non-EoE controls. Protein lysates were analyzed for IgA, IgM, and IgG1-IgG4 using the Luminex 100 system; IgE was quantified by ELISA. Esophageal biopsies were scored using the EoE histology scoring system. Transcripts were probed by the EoE diagnostic panel, designed to examine the expression of 96 esophageal transcripts.

RESULTS

Esophageal IgG subclasses, IgA, and IgM, but not IgE, were increased in subjects with EoE relative to controls. The greatest change between groups was seen in IgG4 (4.2 mg/g protein [interquartile range: 1.0-13.1 mg/g protein] vs 0.2 mg/g protein [0.1-0.9]; P < .0001). Tissue IgG4 levels correlated with esophageal eosinophil counts (P = .0006); histologic grade (P = .0011) and stage (P = .0112) scores; and IL4, IL10, IL13, but not TGFB1, expression and had strong associations with a subset of the EoE transcriptome. Esophageal IgG4 transcript expression was increased and correlated with IgG4 protein levels and IL10 expression.

CONCLUSION

These findings extend prior studies on IgG4 in adult EoE to the pediatric population and provide deeper understanding of the potential significance and regulation of IgG4, demonstrating that IgG4 is a relevant feature of the disease; is closely related to esophageal eosinophil levels, type 2 immunity and T regulatory cytokines; and is likely produced locally.

Dcf1 Deficiency Attenuates the Role of Activated Microglia During Neuroinflammation

Microglia serve as the principal immune cells and play crucial roles in the central nervous system, responding to neuroinflammation via migration and the execution of phagocytosis. Dendritic cell-derived factor 1 (Dcf1) is known to play an important role in neural stem cell differentiation, glioma apoptosis, dendritic spine formation, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), nevertheless, the involvement of the Dcf1 gene in the brain immune response has not yet been reported. In the present paper, the RNA-sequencing and function enrichment analysis suggested that the majority of the down-regulated genes in Dcf1^-/- (Dcf1-KO) mice are immune-related. In vivo experiments showed that Dcf1 deletion produced profound effects on microglial function, increased the expression of microglial activation markers, such as ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1), Cluster of Differentiation 68 (CD68) and translocator protein (TSPO), as well as certain proinflammatory cytokines (Cxcl1, Ccl7, and IL17D), but decreased the migratory and phagocytic abilities of microglial cells, and reduced the expression levels of some other proinflammatory cytokines (Cox-2, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and Csf1) in the mouse hippocampus. Furthermore, in vitro experiments revealed that in the absence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the majority of microglia were ramified and existed in a resting state, with only approximately 10% of cells exhibiting an amoeboid-like morphology, indicative of an activated state. LPS treatment dramatically increased the ratio of activated to resting cells, and Dcf1 downregulation further increased this ratio. These data indicated that Dcf1 deletion mediates neuroinflammation and induces dysfunction of activated microglia, preventing migration and the execution of phagocytosis. These findings support further investigation into the biological mechanisms underlying microglia-related neuroinflammatory diseases, and the role of Dcf1 in the immune response.

Proteomic Analysis and Functional Characterization of P4-ATPase Phospholipid Flippases from Murine Tissues

P4-ATPases are a subfamily of P-type ATPases that flip phospholipids across membranes to generate lipid asymmetry, a property vital to many cellular processes. Mutations in several P4-ATPases have been linked to severe neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders. Most P4-ATPases associate with one of three accessory subunit isoforms known as CDC50A (TMEM30A), CDC50B (TMEM30B), and CDC50C (TMEM30C). To identify P4-ATPases that associate with CDC50A, in vivo, and determine their tissue distribution, we isolated P4-ATPases-CDC50A complexes from retina, brain, liver, testes, and kidney on a CDC50A immunoaffinity column and identified and quantified P4-ATPases from their tryptic peptides by mass spectrometry. Of the 12 P4-ATPase that associate with CDC50 subunits, 10 P4-ATPases were detected. Four P4-ATPases (ATP8A1, ATP11A, ATP11B, ATP11C) were present in all five tissues. ATP10D was found in low amounts in liver, brain, testes, and kidney, and ATP8A2 was present in significant amounts in retina, brain, and testes. ATP8B1 was detected only in liver, ATP8B3 and ATP10A only in testes, and ATP8B2 primarily in brain. We also show that ATP11A, ATP11B and ATP11C, like ATP8A1 and ATP8A2, selectively flip phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine across membranes. These studies provide new insight into the tissue distribution, relative abundance, subunit interactions and substrate specificity of P4-ATPase-CDC50A complexes.

Notch Signaling Regulates Lgr5+ Olfactory Epithelium Progenitor/Stem Cell Turnover and Mediates Recovery of Lesioned Olfactory Epithelium in Mouse Model

The Notch signaling pathway regulates stem cell proliferation and differentiation in multiple tissues and organs, and is required for tissue maintenance. However, the role of Notch in regulation of olfactory epithelium (OE) progenitor/stem cells to maintain tissue function is still not clear. A recent study reported that leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5) is expressed in globose basal cells (GBCs) localized in OE. Through lineage tracing in vivo, we found that Lgr5⁺ cells act as progenitor/stem cells in OE. The generation of daughter cells from Lgr5⁺ progenitor/stem cells is delicately regulated by the Notch signaling pathway, which not only controls the proliferation of Lgr5⁺ cells and their immediate progenies but also affects their subsequent terminal differentiation. In conditionally cultured OE organoids in vitro, inhibition of Notch signaling promotes neuronal differentiation. Besides, OE lesion through methimazole administration in mice induces generation of more Notch1⁺ cells in the horizontal basal cell (HBC) layer, and organoids derived from lesioned OE possesses more proliferative Notch1⁺ HBCs. In summary, we concluded that Notch signaling regulates Lgr5⁺ GBCs by controlling cellular proliferation and differentiation as well as maintaining epithelial cell homeostasis in normal OE. Meanwhile, Notch1 also marks HBCs in lesioned OE and Notch1⁺ HBCs are transiently present in OE after injury. This implies that Notch1⁺ cells in OE may have dual roles, functioning as GBCs in early development of OE and HBCs in restoring the lesioned OE. Stem Cells 2018;36:1259-1272.

Biosystems Study of the Molecular Networks Underlying Hippocampal Aging Progression and Anti-aging Treatment in Mice

Aging progression is a process that an individual encounters as they become older, and usually results from a series of normal physiological changes over time. The hippocampus, which contributes to the loss of spatial and episodic memory and learning in older people, is closely related to the detrimental effects of aging at the morphological and molecular levels. However, age-related genetic changes in hippocampal molecular mechanisms are not yet well-established. To provide additional insight into the aging process, differentially-expressed genes of 3- versus 24- and 29-month old mice were re-analyzed. The results revealed that a large number of immune and inflammatory response-related genes were up-regulated in the aged hippocampus, and membrane receptor-associated genes were down-regulated. The down-regulation of transmembrane receptors may indicate the weaker perception of environmental exposure in older people, since many transmembrane proteins participate in signal transduction. In addition, molecular interaction analysis of the up-regulated immune genes indicated that the hub gene, Ywhae, may play essential roles in immune and inflammatory responses during aging progression, as well as during hippocampal development. Our biological experiments confirmed the conserved roles of Ywhae and its partners between human and mouse. Furthermore, comparison of microarray data between advanced-age mice treated with human umbilical cord blood plasma protein and the phosphate-buffered saline control showed that the genes that contribute to the revitalization of advanced-age mice are different from the genes induced by aging. These results implied that the revitalization of advanced-age mice is not a simple reverse process of normal aging progression. Our data assigned novel roles of genes during aging progression and provided further theoretic evidence for future studies exploring the underlying mechanisms of aging and anti-aging-related disease therapy.

Correction: Folic acid-functionalized up-conversion nanoparticles: toxicity studies in vivo and in vitro and targeted imaging applications

Correction for 'Folic acid-functionalized up-conversion nanoparticles: toxicity studies in vivo and in vitro and targeted imaging applications' by Lining Sun et al., Nanoscale, 2014, 6, 8878-8883.

Morphology, Molecular Characteristics, and Demonstration of a Definitive Host for Sarcocystis rommeli from Cattle (Bos taurus) in China

Sarcocysts of Sarcocystis rommeli were found for the first time in 6 of 34 (17.6%) cattle (Bos taurus) in China. With light microscopy, sarcocysts of S. rommeli were up to 1,130 μm long, with a striated, 4-8-μm-thick cyst wall. Using transmission electron microscopy, the villar protrusions (vp) were 4.7-5.2 × 0.2-0.3 μm, and 0.3-0.5 μm apart from each other. The vp contained microtubules extending from the top of the vp to the middle of the ground substance layer (gsl). A BLAST search of the near full-length 18S rRNA and partial mitochondrial cox1 sequences of S. rommeli revealed 98.7% identity and 99.2% identity with sequences of Sarcocystis bovini in GenBank, respectively. Two domestic cats (Felis catus) fed sarcocysts of S. rommeli shed oocysts/sporocysts in their feces with a prepatent period of 14 to 15 days; the partial mitochondrial cox1 sequences of these oocysts/sporocysts shared the high identities, that is, 99.4% and 99.5%, with cox1 sequences of S. rommeli sarcocysts and S. bovini sarcocysts, respectively. This is the first demonstration of a definitive host for S. rommeli.

A biosystems approach to identify the molecular signaling mechanisms of TMEM30A during tumor migration

Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cell migration, which plays an important role in tumor growth and progression, is critical for the development of novel tumor therapeutics. Overexpression of transmembrane protein 30A (TMEM30A) has been shown to initiate tumor cell migration, however, the molecular mechanisms through which this takes place have not yet been reported. Thus, we propose the integration of computational and experimental approaches by first predicting potential signaling networks regulated by TMEM30A using a) computational biology methods, b) our previous mass spectrometry results of the TMEM30A complex in mouse tissue, and c) a number of migration-related genes manually collected from the literature, and subsequently performing molecular biology experiments including the in vitro scratch assay and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to validate the reliability of the predicted network. The results verify that the genes identified in the computational signaling network are indeed regulated by TMEM30A during cell migration, indicating the effectiveness of our proposed method and shedding light on the regulatory mechanisms underlying tumor migration, which facilitates the understanding of the molecular basis of tumor invasion.

Dcf1 Improves Behavior Deficit in Drosophila and Mice Caused by Optogenetic Suppression

Optogenetics play a significant role in neuroscientific research by providing a tool for understanding neural circuits and brain functions. Natronomonas pharaonis halorhodopsin (NpHR) actively pumps chloride ions into the cells and hyperpolarizes neuronal membranes in response to yellow light. In this study, we generated transgenic Drosophila expressing NpHR under the control of the Gal4/UAS system and virus-infected mice expressing NpHR to explore the effect of dendritic cell factor 1 (Dcf1) on the behavior mediated by the mushroom body in Drosophila and the dentate gyrus (DG) in mice. Study of optogenetic behavior showed that NpHR suppressed the behavior in Drosophila larvae and mice, whereas Dcf1 rescued this suppression. These results suggest that Dcf1 plays an important role in behavior induced by the mushroom body and the hippocampus and provides novel insights into their functions. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 4210-4215, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Dcf1 regulates neuropeptide expression and maintains energy balance

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an important neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a pivotal role in food intake and energy storage. Although many studies have focused on these functions, the regulation of NPY expression remains unclear. Here we showed that dendritic cell factor 1 (Dcf1) regulates NPY expression and maintains energy balance. We found that NPY expression is significantly reduced in the hypothalamus of Dcf1 knockout (Dcf1^-/-, KO) mice. In contrast, Dcf1 overexpression significantly increases NPY expression in the cell line. We also found that Dcf1 acts upstream of the NPY gene to regulate NPY expression and modulates the NPY-NPY receptor 1-GABA signal. Notably, we observed a significant increase in the ATP concentration in Dcf1^-/- mice, suggesting a greater demand for energy in the absence of Dcf1. We studied the relationship between Dcf1 and NPY and revealed that Dcf1 plays a critical role in energy balance.

Patients with HBV-related acute-on-chronic liver failure have increased concentrations of extracellular histones aggravating cellular damage and systemic inflammation

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is the most common type of liver failure and associated with grave consequences. Systemic inflammation has been linked to its pathogenesis and outcome, but the identifiable triggers are absent. Recently, extracellular histones, especially H4, have been recognized as important mediators of cell damage in various inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to investigate whether extracellular histones have clinical implications in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related ACLF. One hundred and twelve patients with HBV-related ACLF, 90 patients with chronic hepatitis B, 88 patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis and 40 healthy volunteers were entered into this study. Plasma histone H4 levels, cytokine profile and clinical data were obtained. Besides, patient's sera were incubated overnight with human L02 hepatocytes or monocytic U937 cells in the presence or absence of antihistone H4 antibody, and cellular damage and cytokine production were evaluated. We found that plasma histone H4 levels were greatly increased in patients with ACLF as compared with chronic hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis and healthy control subjects and were significantly associated with disease severity, systemic inflammation and outcome. Notably, ACLF patients' sera incubation decreased cultured L02 cell integrity and induced profound cytokine production in the supernatant of U937 cells. Antihistone H4 antibody treatment abrogated these adverse effects, thus confirming a cause-effect relationship between extracellular histones and organ injury/dysfunction. The data support the hypothesis that the increased extracellular histone levels in ACLF patients may aggravate disease severity by inducing cellular injury and systemic inflammation. Histone-targeted therapies may have potentially interventional value in clinical practice.

Three-Dimensional Stiff Graphene Scaffold on Neural Stem Cells Behavior

Physical cues of the scaffolds, elasticity, and stiffness significantly guide adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of stem cells. In addressable microenvironments constructed by three-dimensional graphene foams (3D-GFs), neural stem cells (NSCs) interact with and respond to the structural geometry and mechanical properties of porous scaffolds. Our studies aim to investigate NSC behavior on the various stiffness of 3D-GFs. Two kinds of 3D-GFs scaffolds present soft and stiff properties with elasticity moduli of 30 and 64 kPa, respectively. Stiff scaffold enhanced NSC attachment and proliferation with vinculin and integrin gene expression were up-regulated by 2.3 and 1.5 folds, respectively, compared with the soft one. Meanwhile, up-regulated Ki67 expression and almost no variation of nestin expression in a group of the stiff scaffold were observed, implying that the stiff substrate fosters NSC growth and keeps the cells in an active stem state. Furthermore, NSCs grown on stiff scaffold exhibited enhanced differentiation to astrocytes. Interestingly, differentiated neurons on stiff scaffold are suppressed since growth associated protein-43 expression was significantly improved by 5.5 folds.