CircNRCAM up-regulates NRCAM to promote papillary thyroid carcinoma progression

PURPOSE

Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (PTC) is the most prevalent subtype of Thyroid Carcinoma (THCA), a type of malignancy in the endocrine system. According to prior studies, Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (NRCAM) has been found to be up-regulated in PTC and stimulates the proliferation and migration of PTC cells. However, the specific mechanism of NRCAM in PTC cells is not yet fully understood. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of NRCAM in PTC cells, the findings of which could provide new insights for the development of potential treatment targets for PTC.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Bioinformatics tools were utilized and a series of experiments were conducted, including Western blot, colony formation, and dual-luciferase reporter assays. The data collected indicated that NRCAM was overexpressed in THCA tissues and PTC cells. Circular RNA NRCAM (circNRCAM) was found to be highly expressed in PTC cells and to positively regulate NRCAM expression. Through loss-of-function assays, both circNRCAM and NRCAM were shown to promote the proliferation, invasion, and migration of PTC cells. Mechanistically, this study confirmed that precursor microRNA-506 (pre-miR-506) could bind with m6A demethylase AlkB Homolog 5 (ALKBH5), leading to its m6A demethylation. It was also discovered that circNRCAM could competitively bind to ALKBH5, which restrained miR-506-3p expression and promoted NRCAM expression.

CONCLUSION

In summary, circNRCAM could up-regulate NRCAM by down-regulating miR-506-3p, thereby enhancing the biological behaviors of PTC cells.

[Efficiency of CNV-seq in detecting fetal DMD gene deletion or duplication in prenatal diagnosis]

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) to detect the deletion or duplication of DMD gene in prenatal diagnosis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out on the CNV-seq results of 34 544 fetuses diagnosed in the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province from January 2018 to July 2023. A total of 156 cases of fetuses were collected, including Group 1:125 cases with family history of Duchenne muscular dystrophy or Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD), and Group 2:31 cases with no family history but a DMD gene deletion or duplication was detected unexpectedly by CNV-seq. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was used as a standard method to detect the deletion or duplication. Consistency test was carried out basing on the results of CNV-seq and MLPA of all 156 cases. Results: Comparing to MLPA, CNV-seq had a coincidence rate of 92.3% (144/156) for DMD gene deletion or duplication, with a sensitivity and positive predictive value of 88.2%, with a specificity and negative predictive value of 94.3%, a missed detection rate of 3.8%, and a Kappa value of 0.839. CNV-seq missed 4 cases with deletions and 2 with duplications due to involved fragments less than 100 Kb, among 20 cases of deletions and 6 cases of duplications detected by MLPA in Group 1. In Group 2, the deletions and duplications detected by CNV-seq were 42% (13/31) and 58% (18/31), respectively, in which the percentage of duplication was higher than that in Group 1. Among those 18 cases with duplications, 3 cases with duplication locating in exon 42~67 were likely pathogenic; while 9 cases with duplication covering the 5' or 3' end of the DMD gene, containing exon 1 or 79 and with only one breakpoint within the gene, along with the last 6 cases with duplications locating at chrX: 32650635_32910000 detected only by CNV-seq, which might be judged as variants of uncertain significance. Conclusions: CNV-seq has a good efficiency to detect fetal DMD gene deletion or duplication in prenatal diagnosis, while a further verification test by MLPA is recommended. The duplications on chrX: 32650635_32910000, 5' or 3' end of DMD gene detected by CNV-seq should be carefully verified and assessed because those variants appear to be nonpathogenic polymorphisms.

Optimizing the indication of initial radioiodine oncolytic treatment for metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer by diagnostic 131I scan

AIM

As a classic theranostic radiopharmaceutical, radioiodine (131I) has been utilized in the management of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) for more than 8 decades, and the refinement of its clinical practice has been raised recently. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of a diagnostic (Dx) 131I scan in optimizing the indication of initial radioiodine oncolytic treatment (ROT) for metastatic DTC by predicting therapeutic outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 100 patients (Dx positive, n=29; Dx negative, n=71) were eligible for patient-based analysis. The matching rate was 83.0% between the Dx and the post-therapeutic scans (kappa = 0.648, P<0.001). The biochemical remission rate and structural shrinkage rate induced by the initial ROT in the Dx-positive group were, respectively, greater than those in the Dx-negative group (83.3% vs. 17.4%, P<0.001; 37.9% vs. 4.2%, P<0.001). Notably, the predictive values of positive Dx scans for ROT responsiveness and negative Dx scans for ROT nonresponsiveness reached up to 89.7% and 84.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This Dx scan approach seems viable in characterizing the 131I-avidity of metastatic DTC and plays a pivotal role in optimizing the indication of initial ROT for metastatic DTC.

Deciphering cell states and genealogies of human haematopoiesis

The human blood system is maintained through the differentiation and massive amplification of a limited number of long-lived haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)1. Perturbations to this process underlie diverse diseases, but the clonal contributions to human haematopoiesis and how this changes with age remain incompletely understood. Although recent insights have emerged from barcoding studies in model systems2-5, simultaneous detection of cell states and phylogenies from natural barcodes in humans remains challenging. Here we introduce an improved, single-cell lineage-tracing system based on deep detection of naturally occurring mitochondrial DNA mutations with simultaneous readout of transcriptional states and chromatin accessibility. We use this system to define the clonal architecture of HSCs and map the physiological state and output of clones. We uncover functional heterogeneity in HSC clones, which is stable over months and manifests as both differences in total HSC output and biases towards the production of different mature cell types. We also find that the diversity of HSC clones decreases markedly with age, leading to an oligoclonal structure with multiple distinct clonal expansions. Our study thus provides a clonally resolved and cell-state-aware atlas of human haematopoiesis at single-cell resolution, showing an unappreciated functional diversity of human HSC clones and, more broadly, paving the way for refined studies of clonal dynamics across a range of tissues in human health and disease.

Fe and Zn co-doped carbon nanoparticles as peroxymonosulfate activator for efficient 2,4-dichorophenol degradation

Iron-mediated activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) has been of great interest for the effective removal of contaminants, but it still suffered from ineffective metal redox cycle rate, which resulted in unsatisfactory catalytic efficiency. Constructing bimetallic carbonaceous materials was effective way to improve the catalytic performance of iron-based heterogeneous system. In this study, magnetic bimetallic porous carbon composite (FZCx) was synthesized via Fe/Zn bi-MOFs pyrolysis for 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) degradation by peroxymonosulfate. Influences of different systems exhibited that 100% of 2,4-DCP was rapidly degraded at the conditions of catalyst dosage = 0.1 g L-1, PMS = 0.5 mM and initial pH = 9.0 within 30 min. The as-prepared FZC600 displayed excellent reusability and stability. Quenching experiments and EPR analysis manifested that SO4·- and 1O2 were primarily responsible for the rapid degradation of 2,4-DCP. Moreover, XPS, EPR and EIS was used to elaborate the bimetallic synergy effect, proving that the introduction of zinc can effectively promote periodic cycle of Fe2+/Fe3+ and improve catalysts durability and reusability. These findings highlighted the preparation of bimetallic based carbonaceous material with excellent PMS activation ability to remove refractory organics from wastewater and provided a depth insight into the promotion of bimetal synergy between zinc and iron on PMS activation process.

Machine-learning-based performance comparison of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) CT radiomics features for intracerebral haemorrhage expansion

AIM

To investigate the value of non-contrast CT (NCCT)-based two-dimensional (2D) radiomics features in predicting haematoma expansion (HE) after spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) and compare its predictive ability with the three-dimensional (3D) signature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three hundred and seven ICH patients who received baseline NCCT within 6 h of ictus from two stroke centres were analysed retrospectively. 2D and 3D radiomics features were extracted in the manner of one-to-one correspondence. The 2D and 3D models were generated by four different machine-learning algorithms (regularised L1 logistic regression, decision tree, support vector machine and AdaBoost), and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare their predictive performance. A robustness analysis was performed according to baseline haematoma volume.

RESULTS

Each feature type of 2D and 3D modalities used for subsequent analyses had excellent consistency (mean ICC >0.9). Among the different machine-learning algorithms, pairwise comparison showed no significant difference in both the training (mean area under the ROC curve [AUC] 0.858 versus 0.802, all p>0.05) and validation datasets (mean AUC 0.725 versus 0.678, all p>0.05), and the 10-fold cross-validation evaluation yielded similar results. The AUCs of the 2D and 3D models were comparable either in the binary or tertile volume analysis (all p>0.5).

CONCLUSION

NCCT-derived 2D radiomics features exhibited acceptable and similar performance to the 3D features in predicting HE, and this comparability seemed unaffected by initial haematoma volume. The 2D signature may be preferred in future HE-related radiomic works given its compatibility with emergency condition of ICH.

Optimization of Electron Transport Pathway: A Novel Strategy to Solve the Photocorrosion of Ag-Based Photocatalysts

Although Ag-containing photocatalysts exhibit excellent photocatalytic ability, they present great challenges owing to their photocorrosion and ease of reduction. Herein, an electron acceptor platform of Ag2O/La(OH)3/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber was constructed using a heterojunction strategy and electrospinning technology to develop a novel photocatalytic membrane with a redesigned electron transport pathway. Computational and experimental results demonstrate that the optimized electron transport pathway included intercrystal electron transfer induced by the La-O bond between Ag2O and La(OH)3 as well as electron transfer between the catalyst crystal and electrophilic PAN membrane interface. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of the Ag2O/La(OH)3 membrane for tetracycline (TC) removal was still above 97% after five photocatalytic reaction cycles. Furthermore, the carrier life was greatly extended. Mechanistic study revealed that photogenerated holes on the Ag2O/La(OH)3 membrane were the main reactive species in TC degradation. Overall, this study proposes a novel electron transport pathway strategy that effectively solves the problems of photocatalyst photocorrosion and structural instability.

Systematic functional interrogation of SARS-CoV-2 host factors using Perturb-seq

Genomic and proteomic screens have identified numerous host factors of SARS-CoV-2, but efficient delineation of their molecular roles during infection remains a challenge. Here we use Perturb-seq, combining genetic perturbations with a single-cell readout, to investigate how inactivation of host factors changes the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the host response in human lung epithelial cells. Our high-dimensional data resolve complex phenotypes such as shifts in the stages of infection and modulations of the interferon response. However, only a small percentage of host factors showed such phenotypes upon perturbation. We further identified the NF-κB inhibitor IκBα (NFKBIA), as well as the translation factors EIF4E2 and EIF4H as strong host dependency factors acting early in infection. Overall, our study provides massively parallel functional characterization of host factors of SARS-CoV-2 and quantitatively defines their roles both in virus-infected and bystander cells.

Effect of PD-L1 Expression for the PD-1/L1 Inhibitors on Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-analysis Based on Randomised Controlled Trials

AIMS

As PD-L1 expression has been proposed as one of the cancer biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the predictive value of tumour proportional score (TPS) in the effect of immunotherapy [programmed death protein-1/ligand 1 (PD-1/L1) inhibitors] for NSCLC is worth exploring further. Here, we aimed to summarise the outcomes of current NSCLC randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and explore the predictive value of TPS in clinical immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with or without chemotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RCTs published by PubMed, Medline, Embase and Scopus before February 2023 comparing immunotherapy (PD-1/L1 with or without other therapy) versus a control group in advanced or metastatic NSCLC were included to assess the prognosis according to the patients' TPS with 1% and 50% as the thresholds. The primary endpoints were overall survival and progression-free survival.

RESULTS

In total, 28 RCTs containing 17 266 participants with advanced or metastatic NSCLC were included in this meta-analysis. Statistical results showed that compared with TPS <1%, ≥1% or within 1-49%, patients with TPS ≥50% benefited more significantly from the immunotherapy. A subgroup analysis showed that when TPS was <1%, ≥1% or within 1-49%, ICIs + chemotherapy had better efficacy than ICIs alone; PD-1 (such as pembrolizumab) inhibitors had better efficacy than PD-L1 inhibitors (such as atezolizumab).

CONCLUSION

The efficacy of immunotherapy (PD-1/L1 inhibitors) for advanced or metastatic NSCLC is influenced by TPS.

[Inhibitor of growth protein-2 silencing alleviates angiotensin Ⅱ-induced cardiac remodeling in mice by reducing p53 acetylation]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of inhibitor of growth protein-2 (Ing2) silencing on angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ)-induced cardiac remodeling in mice and explore the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

An adenoviral vector carrying Ing2 shRNA or empty adenoviral vector was injected into the tail vein of mice, followed 48 h later by infusion of 1000 ng · kg^-1 · min^-1 Ang Ⅱ or saline using a mini-osmotic pump for 42 consecutive days. Transthoracic echocardiography was used to assess cardiac geometry and function and the level of cardiac hypertrophy in the mice. Masson and WGA staining were used to detect myocardial fibrosis and cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes, and myocardial cell apoptosis was detected with TUNEL assay. Western blotting was performed to detect myocardial expressions of cleaved caspase 3, ING2, collagen Ⅰ, Ac-p53(Lys382) and p-p53 (Ser15); Ing2 mRNA expression was detected using real-time PCR. Mitochondrial biogenesis, as measured by mitochondrial ROS content, ATP content, citrate synthase activity and calcium storage, was determined using commercial assay kits.

RESULTS

The expression levels of Ing2 mRNA and protein were significantly higher in the mice with chronic Ang Ⅱ infusion than in saline-infused mice. Chronic infusion of AngⅡ significantly increased the left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) in the mice. Ing2 silencing obviously alleviated AngⅡ-induced cardiac function decline, as shown by decreased LVEDD and LVESD and increased LVEF and LVFS, improved myocardial mitochondrial damage and myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, and inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Chronic AngⅡ infusion significantly increased myocardial expression levels of Ac-p53(Lys382) and p-p53(Ser15) in the mice, and Ing2 silencing prior to AngⅡ infusion lessened AngⅡ- induced increase of Ac-p53(Lys382) without affecting p53 (ser15) expression.

CONCLUSION

Ing2 silencing can inhibit AngⅡ-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in mice by reducing p53 acetylation.

Massively parallel base editing to map variant effects in human hematopoiesis

Systematic evaluation of the impact of genetic variants is critical for the study and treatment of human physiology and disease. While specific mutations can be introduced by genome engineering, we still lack scalable approaches that are applicable to the important setting of primary cells, such as blood and immune cells. Here, we describe the development of massively parallel base-editing screens in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Such approaches enable functional screens for variant effects across any hematopoietic differentiation state. Moreover, they allow for rich phenotyping through single-cell RNA sequencing readouts and separately for characterization of editing outcomes through pooled single-cell genotyping. We efficiently design improved leukemia immunotherapy approaches, comprehensively identify non-coding variants modulating fetal hemoglobin expression, define mechanisms regulating hematopoietic differentiation, and probe the pathogenicity of uncharacterized disease-associated variants. These strategies will advance effective and high-throughput variant-to-function mapping in human hematopoiesis to identify the causes of diverse diseases.

Vulnerable newborn types: analysis of subnational, population-based birth cohorts for 541 285 live births in 23 countries, 2000-2021

OBJECTIVE

To examine prevalence of novel newborn types among 541 285 live births in 23 countries from 2000 to 2021.

DESIGN

Descriptive multi-country secondary data analysis.

SETTING

Subnational, population-based birth cohort studies (n = 45) in 23 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) spanning 2000-2021.

POPULATION

Liveborn infants.

METHODS

Subnational, population-based studies with high-quality birth outcome data from LMICs were invited to join the Vulnerable Newborn Measurement Collaboration. We defined distinct newborn types using gestational age (preterm [PT], term [T]), birthweight for gestational age using INTERGROWTH-21st standards (small for gestational age [SGA], appropriate for gestational age [AGA] or large for gestational age [LGA]), and birthweight (low birthweight, LBW [<2500 g], nonLBW) as ten types (using all three outcomes), six types (by excluding the birthweight categorisation), and four types (by collapsing the AGA and LGA categories). We defined small types as those with at least one classification of LBW, PT or SGA. We presented study characteristics, participant characteristics, data missingness, and prevalence of newborn types by region and study.

RESULTS

Among 541 285 live births, 476 939 (88.1%) had non-missing and plausible values for gestational age, birthweight and sex required to construct the newborn types. The median prevalences of ten types across studies were T+AGA+nonLBW (58.0%), T+LGA+nonLBW (3.3%), T+AGA+LBW (0.5%), T+SGA+nonLBW (14.2%), T+SGA+LBW (7.1%), PT+LGA+nonLBW (1.6%), PT+LGA+LBW (0.2%), PT+AGA+nonLBW (3.7%), PT+AGA+LBW (3.6%) and PT+SGA+LBW (1.0%). The median prevalence of small types (six types, 37.6%) varied across studies and within regions and was higher in Southern Asia (52.4%) than in Sub-Saharan Africa (34.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

Further investigation is needed to describe the mortality risks associated with newborn types and understand the implications of this framework for local targeting of interventions to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes in LMICs.

Spatiotemporally resolved transcriptomics reveals the subcellular RNA kinetic landscape

Spatiotemporal regulation of the cellular transcriptome is crucial for proper protein expression and cellular function. However, the intricate subcellular dynamics of RNA remain obscured due to the limitations of existing transcriptomics methods. Here, we report TEMPOmap-a method that uncovers subcellular RNA profiles across time and space at the single-cell level. TEMPOmap integrates pulse-chase metabolic labeling with highly multiplexed three-dimensional in situ sequencing to simultaneously profile the age and location of individual RNA molecules. Using TEMPOmap, we constructed the subcellular RNA kinetic landscape in various human cells from transcription and translocation to degradation. Clustering analysis of RNA kinetic parameters across single cells revealed 'kinetic gene clusters' whose expression patterns were shaped by multistep kinetic sculpting. Importantly, these kinetic gene clusters are functionally segregated, suggesting that subcellular RNA kinetics are differentially regulated in a cell-state- and cell-type-dependent manner. Spatiotemporally resolved transcriptomics provides a gateway to uncovering new spatiotemporal gene regulation principles.

Competitive adsorption of sulfamethoxazole and bisphenol A on magnetic biochar: Mechanism and site energy distribution

Competitive adsorption and complementary adsorption between emerging pollutants has been observed in multiple studies. Investigation of the preference of pollutants for different types of adsorption sites can provide a supplementary perspective for understanding complementary adsorption. In this study, the simultaneous adsorption of two typical emerging pollutants, sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and bisphenol A (BPA), on magnetic biochar (MBC-1) was investigated. The results showed that the modification with ferric chloride optimized the surface properties of biochar (aromaticity, hydrophobicity, and oxygen-containing functional groups, etc.), and helped to remove SMX and BPA through various interactions. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of the two adsorbents was inhibited by competitive adsorption in the mixed solute systems, which was due to the same adsorption mechanism. When pH = 7, the SMX and BPA adsorption mainly involved pore filling, hydrophobic effect, π-π EDA, and hydrogen bonding. In addition, electrostatic force, surface coordination, and ion exchange have also been proven to be related to the adsorption of SMX and BPA. In the co-adsorption system, BPA's competitive advantage might be due to its superior hydrophobicity, charge property, and molecular diameter. In the competitive adsorption experiment, the total adsorption capacity (Q_i) of the competitive solute exceeded the adsorption inhibition (△Q_i) of the main solute, indicating that the two solutes occupied their preferred adsorption sites, which confirmed the complementary adsorption phenomenon. Complementary adsorption can be explained by the preference of SMX and BPA for different types of adsorption sites. BPA preferentially occupied high-energy sites in the co-adsorption system, such as π-π EDA interaction, ion exchange, and surface coordination. At the same time, SMX tended to be removed by hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding.

Functional characterization and transcriptional activity analysis of Dryopteris fragrans farnesyl diphosphate synthase genes

Farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPS), a key enzyme of the terpene metabolic pathway, catalyzes the precursor of sesquiterpene compounds farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) synthesis, and plays an important role in regulating plant growth and development. Dryopteris fragrans is a medicinal plant rich terpenoids. In this study, the function of the gene was verified in vitro and in vivo, the promoter of the gene was amplified and its transcriptional activity was analyzed. In the present study, we report the molecular cloning and functional characterization of DfFPS1 and DfFPS2, two FPS genes from D. fragrans. We found that the two genes were evolutionarily conserved. Both DfFPS genes were highly expressed in the gametophyte and mature sporophyte leaves, and their expression levels increased in response to methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and high temperature. Both DfFPS proteins were localized in the cytoplasm and could catalyze FPP synthesis in vitro. We also found that the overexpression of DfFPS genes in tobacco plants promoted secondary metabolite accumulation but exhibited negligible effect on plant growth and development. However, the transgenic plants exhibited tolerance to high temperature and drought. The promoters of the two genes were amplified using fusion primer and nested integrated polymerase chain reaction (FPNI-PCR). The promoter sequences were truncated and their activity was examined using the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene reporter system in tobacco leaves, and we found that both genes were expressed in the stomata. The transcriptional activity of the promoters was found to be similar to the expression pattern of the genes, and the transcriptional core regions of the two genes were mainly between -943 bp and -740 bp of proDfFPS1. Therefore, we present a preliminary study on the function and transcriptional activity of the FPS genes of D. fragrans and provide a basis for the regulation of terpene metabolism in D. fragrans. The results also provide a novel basis for the elucidation of terpene metabolic pathways in ferns.

Maternal alcohol consumption and risk of postpartum depression: a meta-analysis of cohort studies

OBJECTIVES

The relationship between maternal alcohol consumption and postpartum depression (PPD) is still controversial. The objective of the present study was to assess the association between maternal alcohol consumption and the risk of developing PPD by means of a meta-analysis of cohort studies.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a meta-analysis.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine disc, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Weipu, and Wanfang databases were searched up to February 4, 2021, to identify relevant studies that evaluated the association between maternal alcohol consumption and PPD. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan software and Stata software. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to explore the potential heterogeneity source, and Begg's funnel plots and Begg's linear regression test were conducted to assess the potential publication bias.

RESULTS

A total of 12 studies involving 50,377 participants were identified in our study. Overall, pregnant women who were exposed to alcohol were at a significantly greater risk of developing PPD compared with those who did not consume alcohol (odds ratio = 1.21; 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.41; P = 0.020).

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal alcohol consumption is significantly associated with the risk of developing PPD. These results emphasize the necessity of enhancing health awareness, improving the public health policies and regulations concerning alcohol use, and strengthening the prevention and intervention of maternal alcohol consumption to promote maternal mental health.

Unambiguous Experimental Verification of Linear-in-Temperature Spinon Thermal Conductivity in an Antiferromagnetic Heisenberg Chain

The everlasting interest in spin chains is mostly rooted in the fact that they generally allow for comparisons between theory and experiment with remarkable accuracy, especially for exactly solvable models. A notable example is the spin-1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain (AFHC), which can be well described by the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid theory and exhibits fractionalized spinon excitations with distinct thermodynamic and spectroscopic experimental signatures consistent with theoretical predictions. A missing piece, however, is the lack of a comprehensive understanding of the spinon heat transport in AFHC systems, due to difficulties in its experimental evaluation against the backdrop of other heat carriers and complex scattering processes. Here we address this situation by performing ultralow-temperature thermal conductivity measurements on a nearly ideal spin-1/2 AFHC system copper benzoate Cu(C_{6}H_{5}COO)_{2}·3H_{2}O, whose field-dependent spin excitation gap enables a reliable extraction of the spinon thermal conductivity κ_{s} at zero field. κ_{s} was found to exhibit a linear temperature dependence κ_{s}∼T at low temperatures, with κ_{s}/T as large as 1.70  mW cm^{-1} K^{-2}, followed by a precipitate decline below ∼0.3  K. The observed κ_{s}∼T clarifies the discrepancies between various spin chain systems and serves as a benchmark for one-dimensional spinon heat transport in the low-temperature limit. The abrupt loss of κ_{s} with no corresponding anomaly in the specific heat is discussed in the context of many-body localization.

Predicting survival and immune microenvironment in colorectal cancer: a STAT signaling-related signature

BACKGROUND

Despite research advances, studies on predictive models of colorectal cancer (CRC) remain scarce and none have evaluated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling.

AIM

To develop an effective prognostic signature for and evaluate its association with immune microenvironment.

DESIGN

Comprehensive analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases with experimental validation.

METHODS

Gene expression and clinical profiles of CRC patients were extracted from the databases. Differentially expressed genes with prognostic values were used to construct a signature. Immune cell infiltration and composition were further evaluated by TIMER, single-sample gene set enrichment and CIBERSORT analyses. The impact of the hub gene Caveolin-1 (CAV1) on cell proliferation, apoptosis, senescence and tumor angiogenesis was experimentally validated.

RESULTS

The five-gene-based STAT signaling-related prognostic signature was significantly associated with CRC survival, and the nomogram was with improved prognostic efficacy than the conventional TNM stage. The STAT signaling-related signature was correlated with tumor immune microenvironment. CAV1 was further identified as the hub gene within the signature. CAV1 inhibits the proliferation and induces the apoptosis as well as senescence of CRC cells. In addition, the tumor angiogenesis of CRC can be suppressed by CAV1 overexpression.

CONCLUSIONS

The STAT signaling-related signature effectively predicts the prognosis and regulates tumor immune microenvironment in CRC. Our study underscores the role of STAT regulator, CAV1, as an important tumor suppressor in CRC carcinogenesis. Modulating STAT and its regulators could be a promising strategy for CRC in clinical practice.

Single-cell Stereo-seq reveals induced progenitor cells involved in axolotl brain regeneration

The molecular mechanism underlying brain regeneration in vertebrates remains elusive. We performed spatial enhanced resolution omics sequencing (Stereo-seq) to capture spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomes of axolotl telencephalon sections during development and regeneration. Annotated cell types exhibited distinct spatial distribution, molecular features, and functions. We identified an injury-induced ependymoglial cell cluster at the wound site as a progenitor cell population for the potential replenishment of lost neurons, through a cell state transition process resembling neurogenesis during development. Transcriptome comparisons indicated that these induced cells may originate from local resident ependymoglial cells. We further uncovered spatially defined neurons at the lesion site that may regress to an immature neuron-like state. Our work establishes spatial transcriptome profiles of an anamniote tetrapod brain and decodes potential neurogenesis from ependymoglial cells for development and regeneration, thus providing mechanistic insights into vertebrate brain regeneration.

Inferring gene regulation from stochastic transcriptional variation across single cells at steady state

Regulatory relationships between transcription factors (TFs) and their target genes lie at the heart of cellular identity and function; however, uncovering these relationships is often labor-intensive and requires perturbations. Here, we propose a principled framework to systematically infer gene regulation for all TFs simultaneously in cells at steady state by leveraging the intrinsic variation in the transcriptional abundance across single cells. Through modeling and simulations, we characterize how transcriptional bursts of a TF gene are propagated to its target genes, including the expected ranges of time delay and magnitude of maximum covariation. We distinguish these temporal trends from the time-invariant covariation arising from cell states, and we delineate the experimental and technical requirements for leveraging these small but meaningful cofluctuations in the presence of measurement noise. While current technology does not yet allow adequate power for definitively detecting regulatory relationships for all TFs simultaneously in cells at steady state, we investigate a small-scale dataset to inform future experimental design. This study supports the potential value of mapping regulatory connections through stochastic variation, and it motivates further technological development to achieve its full potential.

Data-Driven-Based Event-Triggered Control for Nonlinear CPSs Against Jamming Attacks

This brief considers the security control problem for nonlinear cyber-physical systems (CPSs) against jamming attacks. First, a novel event-based model-free adaptive control (MFAC) framework is established. Second, a multistep predictive compensation algorithm (PCA) is developed to make compensation for the lost data caused by jamming attacks, even consecutive attacks. Then, an event-triggering mechanism with the dead-zone operator is introduced in the adaptive controller, which can effectively save communication resources and reduce the calculation burden of the controller without affecting the control performance of systems. Moreover, the boundedness of the tracking error is ensured in the mean-square sense, and only the input/output (I/O) data are used in the whole design process. Finally, simulation comparisons are provided to show the effectiveness of our method.

Fabrication of Pd/Sludge-biochar electrode with high electrochemical activity on reductive degradation of 4-chlorophenol in wastewater

Effective treatment and utilization of sludge contribute to achieve conventional carbon emission reduction and resource recovery, which is of great significance to realize carbon neutralization of WWTPs. Sludge carbonization derived biochar has attracted more interest because of high potential as catalytic materials. Therein, sludge-derived electrode exhibits a promising potential in the case of sludge utilization for electrocatalysis, however, electrocatalytic performance of the already reported sludge-derived electrode is unsatisfactory due to insufficient active sites. In this study, an efficient Pd/sludge-biochar loaded foam nickel (Pd-SAC@Ni) was successfully fabricated using simple pyrolysis and solidification method, and exhibited remarkable electrocatalytic performance for 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) degradation. Furthermore, the morphology, element distribution and crystal composition were characterized by SEM, EDS, XPS and XRD. The Pd-SAC@Ni electrode exhibited superior electrocatalytic performance than Ni, SAC@Ni, Pd-Ni electrodes. The reduction rate of 98.9% was achieved at current density of 5 mA cm^-2, 4-CP concentration of 0.8 mM and initial pH of 7.0. Also, Pd-SAC@Ni electrode showed desirable reusability and achieved 98% of 4-CP removal after multiple runs of experiments. Moreover, the active hydrogen species (H*) generation capacity of electrodes was determined using tert-butanol (TBA) as trapping agent. The mechanism analysis demonstrated that direct reduction process and indirect reduction process both involved in the 4-CP degradation process, and their contribution were 19.5% and 80.5%, respectively. Then, the intermediates formed in the electrochemical degradation of 4-CP were revealed by HPLC and the plausible degradation pathway was proposed. This study provides a cost-effective approach for preparing sludge biochar electrode, and explored a novel way to promote resourceful utilization of sludge for carbon neutrality.

IFN-γ affects pancreatic cancer properties by MACC1-AS1/MACC1 axis via AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Metastasis-related in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) is highly expressed in a variety of solid tumours, but its role in pancreatic cancer (PC) remains unknown. Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) affecting MACC1 expression was explored as the potential mechanism following its intervention.

METHODS

Expressions of MACC1 treated with IFN-γ gradient were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot (WB). Proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of PC cells treated with IFN-γ were analysed by CCK8, EDU, colony formation, Transwell (with or without matrix gel) and wound-healing assays. Expression of antisense long non-coding RNA of MACC1, MACC1-AS1, and proteins of AKT/mTOR pathway, (pho-)AKT, and (pho-)mTOR was also assessed by qRT-PCR and WB. SiRNA kit and lentiviral fluid were conducted for transient expression of MACC1 and stable expression of MACC1-AS1, respectively. Rescue assays of cells overexpressing MACC1-AS1 and of cells silencing MACC1 were performed and cellular properties and proteins were assessed by the above-mentioned assays as well.

RESULTS

IFN-γ inhibited MACC1 expression in a time- and dose-dependent manner; 100 ng/mL IFN-γ generally caused downregulation of most significant (p ≤ 0.05). In vitro experiments revealed that IFN-γ decreased cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities and downregulated the expression of pho-AKT and pho-mTOR (p ≤ 0.05). Conversely, overexpression of MACC1-AS1 upregulated pho-AKT and pho-mTOR proteins, and reversed cellular properties (p ≤ 0.05). Rescue assays alleviated the above changes of pho-AKT/ mTOR and cellular properties.

CONCLUSION

IFN-γ affected PC properties by MACC1-AS1/MACC1 axis via AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, which provides novel insight for candidate targets for treating PC.

Lineage tracing reveals the phylodynamics, plasticity, and paths of tumor evolution

Tumor evolution is driven by the progressive acquisition of genetic and epigenetic alterations that enable uncontrolled growth and expansion to neighboring and distal tissues. The study of phylogenetic relationships between cancer cells provides key insights into these processes. Here, we introduced an evolving lineage-tracing system with a single-cell RNA-seq readout into a mouse model of Kras;Trp53(KP)-driven lung adenocarcinoma and tracked tumor evolution from single-transformed cells to metastatic tumors at unprecedented resolution. We found that the loss of the initial, stable alveolar-type2-like state was accompanied by a transient increase in plasticity. This was followed by the adoption of distinct transcriptional programs that enable rapid expansion and, ultimately, clonal sweep of stable subclones capable of metastasizing. Finally, tumors develop through stereotypical evolutionary trajectories, and perturbing additional tumor suppressors accelerates progression by creating novel trajectories. Our study elucidates the hierarchical nature of tumor evolution and, more broadly, enables in-depth studies of tumor progression.

Spatiotemporal transcriptomic atlas of mouse organogenesis using DNA nanoball-patterned arrays

Spatially resolved transcriptomic technologies are promising tools to study complex biological processes such as mammalian embryogenesis. However, the imbalance between resolution, gene capture, and field of view of current methodologies precludes their systematic application to analyze relatively large and three-dimensional mid- and late-gestation embryos. Here, we combined DNA nanoball (DNB)-patterned arrays and in situ RNA capture to create spatial enhanced resolution omics-sequencing (Stereo-seq). We applied Stereo-seq to generate the mouse organogenesis spatiotemporal transcriptomic atlas (MOSTA), which maps with single-cell resolution and high sensitivity the kinetics and directionality of transcriptional variation during mouse organogenesis. We used this information to gain insight into the molecular basis of spatial cell heterogeneity and cell fate specification in developing tissues such as the dorsal midbrain. Our panoramic atlas will facilitate in-depth investigation of longstanding questions concerning normal and abnormal mammalian development.

[Establishment and stress analysis of a finite element model of a marathon runner's hip joint based on material properties given by CT gray value]

In this study, a finite element model of the hip joint of a marathon runner was established based on the method of assigning material properties by CT gray value, and the biomechanics of the hip joint were analyzed when standing on one foot. The results of the study demonstrated that the stress was concentrated in the arcuate line, the greater sciatic notch, the pubic comb, and the acetabular region in the pelvis model; in the femoral model, the stress was concentrated in the femoral head, medial side of femoral neck and femoral shaft. The stress is transmitted from the sacroiliac joint to the acetabular dome through the arcuate line, on one side of the femoral head, from the medial side of the femoral neck to the lower side of the lesser trochanter to the medial side of the femoral shaft, and on the other side from the upper side of the femoral neck to the lateral side of the femoral shaft. The maximum principal stress was distributed in the posterior superior of the acetabular roof (7.22 MPa) and the posterior superior of the femoral head (6.68 MPa). The displacement of the model was about 1 to 3 mm at the upper edge of the ilium, and gradually decreased along the femoral axis, and the displacement at the hip joint was about 0.1 to 0.3 mm.

Mapping transcriptomic vector fields of single cells

Single-cell (sc)-RNA-seq, together with RNA-velocity and metabolic labeling, reveals cellular states and transitions at unprecedented resolution. Fully exploiting these data, however, requires kinetic models capable of unveiling governing regulatory functions. Here, we introduce an analytical framework dynamo, that infers absolute RNA velocity, reconstructs continuous vector-field functions that predict cell fates, employs differential geometry to extract underlying regulations, and ultimately predicts optimal reprogramming paths and perturbation outcomes. We highlight dynamo’s power to overcome fundamental limitations of conventional splicing-based RNA velocity analyses to enable accurate velocity estimations on a metabolically-labeled human hematopoiesis scRNA-seq dataset. Furthermore, differential geometry analyses reveal mechanisms driving early megakaryocyte appearance and elucidate asymmetrical regulation within the PU.1–GATA1 circuit. Leveraging the Least-Action-Path method, dynamo accurately predicts drivers of numerous hematopoietic transitions. Finally, in silico perturbations predict cell-fate diversions induced by gene perturbations. Dynamo thus represents an important step in advancing quantitative and predictive theories of cell-state transitions.

Resilient Model Free Adaptive Distributed LFC for Multi-Area Power Systems Against Jamming Attacks

This article is concerned with distributed resilient load frequency control (LFC) for multi-area power interconnection systems against jamming attacks. First, considering uncertainties and high dimension nonlinearity, the model-free adaptive control (MFAC) model is adopted for the power system, in which only input and output (I/O) data are used. Second, jamming attacks are modeled in a stochastic process, and a multistep predictive compensation algorithm is developed to mitigate the impact of jamming attacks. Then, the distributed MFAC protocol with predictive compensation algorithm is designed such that the frequency tracking errors under the predictive compensation algorithm of multi-area power interconnection systems converge consensually into a small neighborhood of origin in the mean square sense. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the approach.

[G-protein coupled receptor Smo positively regulates proliferation and migration of adult neural stem cells in vitro]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of G-protein coupled receptor Smoothened (Smo) in regulating proliferation and migration of adult neural stem cells (ANSCs) and explore the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

Cultured ANSCs were treated with purmorphamine (PM, an agonist of Smo) or cyclopamine (CPM, an inhibitor of Smo), and the changes in cell proliferation migration abilities were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay and wound healing assay, respectively. The mRNA expressions of membrane receptor Patched 1 (Ptch1), Smo, glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1), axon guidance cue slit1 (Slit1) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the treated cells were detected using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR).

RESULTS

PM significantly promoted the proliferation (P < 0.01) and migration of ANSCs (P < 0.01), and up-regulated the mRNA expressions of Ptch1, Smo, Gli1, Slit1 and BDNF. Treatment with CPM significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of ANSCs.

CONCLUSION

Modulating Smo activity can positively regulate the proliferation and migration of ANSCs possibly by regulating the expressions of BDNF and Slit1.

[CRISPR/Cas9-mediated TEAD1 knockout induces phenotypic modulation of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells in diabetic rats with erectile dysfunction]

OBJECTIVE

To construct a corpus cavemosum smooth muscle cell (CCSMCs) line with TEAD1 knockout from diabetic rats with erectile dysfunction (ED) using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and explore the role of TEAD1 in phenotypic modulation of CCSMCs in diabetic rats with ED.

OBJECTIVE

Models of diabetic ED were established in male Sprague-Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. CCSMCs from the rat models were primarily cultured and identified with immunofluorescence assay. Three sgRNAs (sgRNA-1, sgRNA-2 and sgRNA-3) were transfected via lentiviral vectors into 293T cells to prepare the sgRNA-Cas9 lentivirus. CCSMCs from diabetic rats with ED were infected by the lentivirus, and the cellular expression of TEAD1 protein was detected using Western blotting. In CCSMCs infected with the sgRNA-Cas9 lentivirus (CCSMCs-sgRNA-2), or the empty lentiviral vector (CCSMCs-sgRNA-NC) and the blank control cells (CCSMCs-CK), the expressions of cellular phenotypic markers SMMHC, calponin and PCNA at the mRNA and protein levels were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting, respectively.

OBJECTIVE

The primarily cultured CCSMCs from diabetic rats with ED showed a high α-SMA-positive rate of over 95%. The recombinant lentivirus of TEAD1-sgRNA was successfully packaged, and stable TEAD1-deficient CCSMC lines derived from diabetic rat with ED were obtained. Western blotting confirmed that the protein expression of TEAD1 in TEAD1-sgRNA-2 group was the lowest (P < 0.05), and this cell line was used in subsequent experiment. The results of qRT-PCR and Western blotting showed significantly up-regulated expressions of SMMHC and calponin (all P < 0.05) and down-regulated expression of PCNA (all P < 0.05) at both the mRNA and protein levels in TEAD1-deficient CCSMCs from diabetic rats with ED.

OBJECTIVE

We successfully constructed a stable CCSMCs line with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated TEAD1 knockout from diabetic rats with ED. TEAD1 gene knockout can induce phenotype transformation of the CCSMCs from diabetic rats with ED from the synthetic to the contractile type.

Fetal growth at different gestational periods and risk of impaired childhood growth, low childhood weight and obesity: a prospective birth cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the longitudinal associations of fetal growth with adverse child growth outcomes and to assess whether maternal metabolic factors modify the associations.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study, China.

POPULATION

A total of 4818 mother-child pairs.

METHODS

Fetal growth was assessed according to estimated fetal weight (EFW) from 22 weeks of gestation until birth and the measurement of the birthweight. Fetal growth Z-scores were computed from random effects in the multilevel linear spline models to represent fetal size in early pregnancy (22 weeks of gestation) and growth in mid-pregnancy (22-27 weeks of gestation), early third trimester (28-36 weeks of gestation) and late third trimester (≥37 weeks of gestation).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Z-scores for childhood stunting, low weight, overweight or obesity, length/height for age (LAZ/HAZ), weight for age (WAZ) and body mass index for age (BMIZ) at the age of 3 years. Adjusted associations were examined using multiple Poisson or linear regression models.

RESULTS

Increased Z-scores of fetal size in early pregnancy and growth in mid-pregnancy and early third trimester were associated with a higher risk of childhood overweight or obesity (risk ratios 1.25-1.45). Fetal growth in each period was negatively associated with stunting and low weight, with the strongest associations observed for fetal size in early pregnancy and growth in mid-pregnancy. The results for continuous outcomes (LAZ/HAZ, WAZ and BMIZ) were similar. The associations of fetal growth with overweight or obesity in childhood were stronger among mothers who were underweight and who were overweight or obese than among mothers of normal weight.

CONCLUSIONS

Accelerated fetal growth before 37 weeks of gestation is associated with children who are overweight or obese, whereas the critical period for stunting and low weight occurs before 28 weeks of gestation.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Fetal growth during different periods is differentially associated with childhood stunting, underweight and overweight or obesity.

Accurate diagnosis of colorectal cancer based on histopathology images using artificial intelligence

BACKGROUND

Accurate and robust pathological image analysis for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis is time-consuming and knowledge-intensive, but is essential for CRC patients' treatment. The current heavy workload of pathologists in clinics/hospitals may easily lead to unconscious misdiagnosis of CRC based on daily image analyses.

METHODS

Based on a state-of-the-art transfer-learned deep convolutional neural network in artificial intelligence (AI), we proposed a novel patch aggregation strategy for clinic CRC diagnosis using weakly labeled pathological whole-slide image (WSI) patches. This approach was trained and validated using an unprecedented and enormously large number of 170,099 patches, > 14,680 WSIs, from > 9631 subjects that covered diverse and representative clinical cases from multi-independent-sources across China, the USA, and Germany.

RESULTS

Our innovative AI tool consistently and nearly perfectly agreed with (average Kappa statistic 0.896) and even often better than most of the experienced expert pathologists when tested in diagnosing CRC WSIs from multicenters. The average area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of AI was greater than that of the pathologists (0.988 vs 0.970) and achieved the best performance among the application of other AI methods to CRC diagnosis. Our AI-generated heatmap highlights the image regions of cancer tissue/cells.

CONCLUSIONS

This first-ever generalizable AI system can handle large amounts of WSIs consistently and robustly without potential bias due to fatigue commonly experienced by clinical pathologists. It will drastically alleviate the heavy clinical burden of daily pathology diagnosis and improve the treatment for CRC patients. This tool is generalizable to other cancer diagnosis based on image recognition.

Genomic epidemiology of Corynebacterium striatum from three regions of China: an emerging national nosocomial epidemic

BACKGROUND

Corynebacteritum straitum has been considered as an emerging multi-drug-resistant (MDR) pathogen. Isolation of MDR C. striatum as the only organism from respiratory samples from hospitalized patients is increasing in China.

AIM

To elucidate the genomic epidemiology and evolution of C. striatum in China.

METHODS

A total of 260 isolates from 2016 to 2018 were collected from three hospitals in three regions of China. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was performed on all isolates. Whole-genome sequencing was applied to all isolates to assess their genomic diversity and relationships and detect the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) and ARG cassettes.

FINDINGS

Almost all isolates (96.2%, 250/260) showed multi-drug-resistance. Genome sequencing revealed four major lineages with lineage IV emerging as the epidemic lineage. Most of the diversity was developed in the last 6 years. Each hospital has its own predominant clones with potential spread between Hebei and Guangdong hospitals. Genomic analysis further revealed multiple antimicrobial resistance genes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggested that four lineages of C. striatum have spread in parallel across China, causing persistent and extensive transmissions within hospitals. MDR C. striatum infection has become a national epidemic. Antibiotic-driven selection pressure may have played significant roles in forming persistent and predominant clones. Our data provide the basis for surveillance and prevention strategies to control the epidemic caused by MDR C. striatum.

Modified staging system for gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma based on American Joint Committee on Cancer and European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society systems

BACKGROUND

The prognostic values of the AJCC staging system for gastric cancer (GC-AJCC), the AJCC staging system for gastric neuroendocrine tumours (NET-AJCC) and the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) system for gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma and mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MA)NEC remain controversial.

METHODS

Data on patients with (MA)NEC from 21 centres in China were analysed. Different staging systems were evaluated by performing Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and calculating the concordance index (C-index) and Akaike information criterion (AIC). Based on three existing systems, a modified staging system (mTNM) was developed.

RESULTS

A total of 871 patients were included. In the GC-AJCC system, an overlap was noticed for pT2 and pT3 categories. Patients with stage IIIC disease had a similar prognosis to those with stage IV disease. The pT categories of the NET-AJCC system had a lower C-index and higher AIC than those of the other systems. In the ENETS system, there was a low proportion (0·2 per cent) of patients with stage IIIA and a high proportion (67·6 per cent) of stage IIIB disease. The mTNM system adopted the NET-AJCC pT and GC-AJCC pN and pM definitions, and was developed based on the ENETS stage definitions. The proportion of patients in each stage was better distributed and the mTNM system showed improved prognostic performance in predicting overall and disease-free survival.

CONCLUSION

The mTNM system offers more accurate prognostic value for gastric (MA)NEC than the AJCC or ENETS staging systems.

Precision Constraints for Three-Flavor Neutrino Oscillations from the Full MINOS+ and MINOS Dataset

We report the final measurement of the neutrino oscillation parameters Δm_{32}^{2} and sin^{2}θ_{23} using all data from the MINOS and MINOS+ experiments. These data were collected using a total exposure of 23.76×10^{20} protons on target producing ν_{μ} and ν[over ¯]_{μ} beams and 60.75 kt yr exposure to atmospheric neutrinos. The measurement of the disappearance of ν_{μ} and the appearance of ν_{e} events between the Near and Far detectors yields |Δm_{32}^{2}|=2.40_{-0.09}^{+0.08}(2.45_{-0.08}^{+0.07})×10^{-3}  eV^{2} and sin^{2}θ_{23}=0.43_{-0.04}^{+0.20}(0.42_{-0.03}^{+0.07}) at 68% C.L. for normal (inverted) hierarchy.

Diagnostic value of combined nucleic acid and antibody detection in suspected COVID-19 cases

OBJECTIVES

Nucleic acid testing is the gold standard method for the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, large numbers of false-negative results have been reported. In this study, nucleic acid detection and antibody detection (IgG and IgM) were combined to improve the testing accuracy of patients with suspected COVID-19.

STUDY DESIGN

The positive rate of nucleic acid detection and antibody detection (IgG and IgM) were compared in suspected COVID-19 patients.

METHODS

A total of 71 patients with suspected COVID-19 were selected to participate in this study, which included a retrospective analysis of clinical features, imaging examination, laboratory biochemical examination and nucleic acid detection and specific antibody (IgM and IgG) detection.

RESULTS

The majority of participants with suspected COVID-19 presented with fever (67.61%) and cough (54.93%), and the imaging results showed multiple small patches and ground-glass opacity in both lungs, with less common infiltration and consolidation opacity (23.94%). Routine blood tests were mostly normal (69.01%), although only a few patients had lymphopenia (4.23%) or leucopenia (12.68%). There was no statistical difference in the double-positive rate between nucleic acid detection (46.48%) and specific antibody (IgG and IgM) detection (42.25%) (P = 0.612), both of which were also poorly consistent with each other (kappa = 0.231). The positive rate of combined nucleic acid detection and antibody detection (63.38%) was significantly increased, compared with that of nucleic acid detection (46.48%) and that of specific antibody (IgG and IgM) detection (42.25%), and the differences were statistically significant (P = 0.043 and P = 0.012, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Nucleic acid detection and specific antibody (IgG and IgM) detection had similar positive rates, and their combination could improve the positive rate of COVID-19 detection, which is of great significance for diagnosis and epidemic control.

Massively parallel and time-resolved RNA sequencing in single cells with scNT-seq

Single-cell RNA sequencing offers snapshots of whole transcriptomes but obscures the temporal RNA dynamics. Here we present single-cell metabolically labeled new RNA tagging sequencing (scNT-seq), a method for massively parallel analysis of newly transcribed and pre-existing mRNAs from the same cell. This droplet microfluidics-based method enables high-throughput chemical conversion on barcoded beads, efficiently marking newly transcribed mRNAs with T-to-C substitutions. Using scNT-seq, we jointly profiled new and old transcriptomes in ~55,000 single cells. These data revealed time-resolved transcription factor activities and cell-state trajectories at the single-cell level in response to neuronal activation. We further determined rates of RNA biogenesis and decay to uncover RNA regulatory strategies during stepwise conversion between pluripotent and rare totipotent two-cell embryo (2C)-like stem cell states. Finally, integrating scNT-seq with genetic perturbation identifies DNA methylcytosine dioxygenase as an epigenetic barrier into the 2C-like cell state. Time-resolved single-cell transcriptomic analysis thus opens new lines of inquiry regarding cell-type-specific RNA regulatory mechanisms.

Improved Constraints on Sterile Neutrino Mixing from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, MINOS+, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments

Searches for electron antineutrino, muon neutrino, and muon antineutrino disappearance driven by sterile neutrino mixing have been carried out by the Daya Bay and MINOS+ collaborations. This Letter presents the combined results of these searches, along with exclusion results from the Bugey-3 reactor experiment, framed in a minimally extended four-neutrino scenario. Significantly improved constraints on the θ_{μe} mixing angle are derived that constitute the most constraining limits to date over five orders of magnitude in the mass-squared splitting Δm_{41}^{2}, excluding the 90% C.L. sterile-neutrino parameter space allowed by the LSND and MiniBooNE observations at 90% CL_{s} for Δm_{41}^{2}<13  eV^{2}. Furthermore, the LSND and MiniBooNE 99% C.L. allowed regions are excluded at 99% CL_{s} for Δm_{41}^{2}<1.6 eV^{2}.

miR-18a expression in basal cell carcinoma and regulatory mechanism on autophagy through mTOR pathway

BACKGROUND

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin carcinoma.

AIM

To investigate the function of key micro(mi)RNAs and to explore the potential molecular mechanisms involved in BCC.

METHODS

The microarray dataset GSE34535, which comprises seven BCC samples and seven control samples, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) were identified. We collected tissue samples from 20 patients with BCC and 20 healthy controls (HCs), to compare the miR-18a expression in their tissue samples. Expression of miR-18a in A431 and HaCaT cells was also assayed. Following this, we upregulated and downregulated miR-18a expression in A431 cells to examine the effects on cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis. To further investigate the relative mechanism, the proteins LC3, Beclin 1, Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) were examined by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting. For further verification, we examined the expression of LC3 in the 20 BCC and 20 HC tissue samples.

RESULTS

In total, 19 DE-miRNAs (13 upregulated and 6 downregulated) that were common to the BCC and HC groups were identified. Levels of miR-18a were about three-fold higher in BCC tissues and A431 cells compared with their respective control groups. In vitro, downregulation of miR-18a was shown to inhibit cell proliferation and activate autophagy via the Akt/mTOR signalling pathway, while upregulation of miR-18a promoted proliferation of these cells. LC3 was decreased in BCC compared with HC tissue samples.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data support an oncogenic role of miR-18a through a novel Akt/mTOR/Beclin 1/LC3 axis, and suggest that the antitumour effects of miR-18a inhibitor may make it suitable for BCC therapy.