Selenium and Bacillus proteolyticus SES increased Cu-Cd-Cr uptake by ryegrass: highlighting the significance of key taxa and soil enzyme activity

Many studies have focused their attention on strategies to improve soil phytoremediation efficiency. In this study, a pot experiment was carried out to investigate whether Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES promote Cu-Cd-Cr uptake by ryegrass. To explore the effect mechanism of Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES, rhizosphere soil physiochemical properties and rhizosphere soil bacterial properties were determined further. The findings showed that Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES reduced 23.04% Cu, 36.85% Cd, and 9.85% Cr from the rhizosphere soil of ryegrass. Further analysis revealed that soil pH, organic matter, soil enzyme activities, and soil microbial properties were changed with Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES application. Notably, rhizosphere key taxa (Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Patescibacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Chloroflexi, etc.) were significantly enriched in rhizosphere soil of ryegrass, and those taxa abundance were positively correlated with soil heavy metal contents (P < 0.01). Our study also demonstrated that in terms of explaining variations of soil Cu-Cd-Cr content under Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES treatment, soil enzyme activities (catalase and acid phosphatase) and soil microbe properties showed 42.5% and 12.2% contributions value, respectively. Overall, our study provided solid evidence again that Se and Bacillus proteolyticus SES facilitated phytoextraction of soil Cu-Cd-Cr, and elucidated the effect of soil key microorganism and chemical factor.

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals recruitment of the M2-like CCL8high macrophages in Lewis lung carcinoma-bearing mice following hypofractionated radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a pivotal role in reshaping the tumor microenvironment following radiotherapy. The mechanisms underlying this reprogramming process remain to be elucidated.

METHODS

Subcutaneous Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) murine model was treated with hypofrationated radiotherapy (8 Gy × 3F). Single-cell RNA sequencing was utilized to identify subclusters and functions of TAMs. Multiplex assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were employed to measure serum chemokine levels. Bindarit was used to inhibit CCL8, CCL7, and CCL2. The infiltration of TAMs after combination treatment with hypofractionated radiotherapy and Bindarit was quantified with flow cytometry, while the influx of CD206 and CCL8 was assessed by immunostaining.

RESULTS

Transcriptome analysis identified a distinct subset of M2-like macrophages characterized by elevated Ccl8 expression level following hypofractionated radiotherapy in LLC-bearing mice. Remarkbly, hypofractionated radiotherapy not only promoted CCL8high macrophages infiltration but also reprogrammed them by upregulating immunosuppressive genes, thereby fostering an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Additioinally, hypofractionated radiotherapy enhanced the CCL signaling pathway, augmenting the pro-tumorigenic functions of CCL8high macrophages and boosting TAMs recruitment. The adjunctive treatment combining hypofractionated radiotherapy with Bindarit effectively reduced M2 macrophages infiltration and prolonged the duration of local tumor control.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypofractionated radiotherapy enhances the infiltration of CCL8high macrophages and amplifies their roles in macrophage recruitment through the CCL signaling pathway, leading to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. These findings highlight the potential of targeting TAMs and introduces a novel combination to improve the efficacy of hypofractionated radiotherapy.

Fisetin suppresses chondrocyte senescence and attenuates osteoarthritis progression by targeting sirtuin 6

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis and is an age-related joint disease that is particularly prevalent in subjects over 65 years old. The chronic rise of senescent cells has a close correlation with age-related diseases such as OA, and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) is implicated in OA cartilage degeneration pathogenesis. Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) is likely to be a key senescence-related regulator. Fisetin (FST) is a natural flavonol of the flavonoid family that is recommended as a senolytic drug to extend health and lifespan. However, the potential chondroprotective effects of FST on OA rats are largely unclarified. The aim of this study is to investigate the ameliorative effects of FST on OA joint cartilage and the relationship with SIRT6 and the detailed mechanisms from anti-inflammatory and anti-senescent perspectives. Rats were subjected to destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) surgery as a means of inducing the experimental OA model in vivo. Chondrocytes treated with IL-1β were utilized for mimicking the OA cell model in vitro. Intra-articular injection of FST, OSS_128,167 (OSS, SIRT6 inhibitor), and MDL800 (MDL, SIRT6 agonist) in vivo or administering them in IL-1β-induced rat chondrocytes in vitro were performed in order to determine the effects FST has on OA and the link with SIRT6. This study found SIRT6 level to be negatively correlated with OA severity. SIRT6 downregulation was validated in the joint cartilages of DMM rats and IL-1β-treated chondrocytes. It was also notably demonstrated that FST can activate SIRT6. Both the administration of FST and activation of SIRT6 using MDL were found to rescue cartilage erosion, decrease extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, prevent cartilage from apoptosis, and improve detrimental senescence-related phenotype. The alleviative effects of FST against inflammation, ECM degradation, apoptosis, and senescence in IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes were also confirmed. SIRT6 loss occurs in articular cartilage in OA pathogenesis, which is linked to aging. FST attenuates injury-induced aging-related phenotype changes in chondrocytes through the targeting of SIRT6.

Gastrointestinal manifestations of critical ill heatstroke patients and their associations with outcomes: A multicentre, retrospective, observational study

BACKGROUND

Extreme heat exposure is a growing health problem, and the effects of heat on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is unknown. This study aimed to assess the incidence of GI symptoms associated with heatstroke and its impact on outcomes.

AIM

To assess the incidence of GI symptoms associated with heatstroke and its impact on outcomes.

METHODS

Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to heatstroke were included from 83 centres. Patient history, laboratory results, and clinically relevant outcomes were recorded at ICU admission and daily until up to day 15, ICU discharge, or death. GI symptoms, including nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea, flatulence, and bloody stools, were recorded. The characteristics of patients with heatstroke concomitant with GI symptoms were described. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to determine significant predictors of GI symptoms.

RESULTS

A total of 713 patients were included in the final analysis, of whom 132 (18.5%) patients had at least one GI symptom during their ICU stay, while 26 (3.6%) suffered from more than one symptom. Patients with GI symptoms had a significantly higher ICU stay compared with those without. The mortality of patients who had two or more GI symptoms simultaneously was significantly higher than that in those with one GI symptom. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that older patients with a lower GCS score on admission were more likely to experience GI symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The GI manifestations of heatstroke are common and appear to impact clinically relevant hospitalization outcomes.

Selenium-induced rhizosphere microorganisms endow salt-sensitive soybeans with salt tolerance

Soil salinization is a prevalent abiotic stress that adversely affects soybean production. Rhizosphere microorganisms have been shown to modulate the rhizosphere microenvironment of plants, leading to improved stress resistance. Selenium is known to optimize the rhizosphere microbial community, however, it remains uncertain whether selenium-induced rhizosphere microorganisms can enhance plant salt tolerance. In this study, we selected two soybean varieties, including salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive, and conducted pot experiments to explore the impact of selenium application on the structure and composition of the rhizosphere microbial community of soybean plants under salt stress. Four salt-tolerant bacteria from salt-tolerant soybean rhizosphere soil fertilized with selenium under salt stress were isolated, and their effects on improving salt tolerance in salt-sensitive soybean were also investigated. Our results showed that selenium application enhanced soybean salt tolerance by optimizing the structure of the plant rhizosphere microbial community and improving soil enzyme activities in both salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive varieties. Moreover, compared with salt-only treatment, inoculation of the four bacteria led to a significant increase in the plant height (7.2%-19.8%), aboveground fresh weight (57.3%-73.5%), SPAD value (8.4%-30.3%), and K+ content (4.5%-12.1%) of salt-sensitive soybean, while reducing the content of proline (84.5%-94%), MDA (26.5%-49.3%), and Na+ (7.1%-21.3%). High-throughput sequencing of the 16 S ribosomal RNA gene indicated that the four bacteria played a crucial role in changing the community structure of salt-sensitive soybean and mitigating the effects of salt stress. This study highlighted the importance of selenium combined with beneficial microorganisms in the plant rhizosphere in alleviating salinity stress.

High temperature stress induced oxidative stress, gut inflammation and disordered metabolome and microbiome in tsinling lenok trout

Tsinling lenok trout (Brachymystax lenok tsinlingensis Li) is a species of cold-water salmon that faces serious challenges due to global warming. High temperature stress has been found to damage the gut integrity of cold-water fish, impacting their growth and immunity. However, limited research exists on the causal relationship between gut microbial disturbance and metabolic dysfunction in cold-water fish induced by high temperature stress. To address this gap, we conducted a study to investigate the effects of high temperature stress (24 °C) on the gut tissue structure, antioxidant capacity, gut microorganisms, and metabolome reactions of tsinling lenok trout. Our analysis using 16 S rDNA gene sequencing revealed significant changes in the gut microbial composition and metabolic profile. Specifically, the abundance of Firmicutes and Gemmatimonadetes decreased significantly with increasing temperature, while the abundance of Bacteroidetes increased significantly. Metabolic analysis revealed a significant decrease in the abundance of glutathione, which is synthesized from glutamate and glycine, under high temperature stress. Additionally, there was a notable reduction in the levels of adenosine, inosine, xanthine, guanosine, and deoxyguanosine, which are essential for DNA/RNA synthesis. Conversely, there was a significant increase in the abundance of D-glucose 6 P. Furthermore, high temperature stress adversely affects intestinal structure and barrier function. Our findings provide valuable insights into the mechanism of high temperature stress in cold-water fish and serve as a foundation for future research aimed at mitigating the decline in production performance caused by such stress.

Single Cell Analysis of Macrophage Heterogeneity and NK-Cell Exhaustion in Lewis Lung Cancer Xenograft Tumor

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has attracted much attention because of its ability to stimulate anti-tumor immune response. However, the mechanism of SBRT reprogramming the tumor microenvironment remains to be elucidated.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Using Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) xenograft mice model treated with SBRT (8Gy x 3F), multiplex assay was performed to measure serum chemokine levels, and single-cell RNA sequencing was performed to assess tumor microenvironment. The differential expression genes of each cell subcluster were identified by the "Find-All markers" function with default parameters provided by Seurat. Intercellular communication analysis was explored by using CellPhone DB package.

RESULTS

The majority of serum chemokines involved macrophage recruitment, including CCL3, CCL4, CCL8, and CCL20, were highly secreted at 7 days after SBRT. Single-cell RNA sequencing of 108,741 cells were contained from 6 mouse Lewis lung carcinoma samples (n = 3 tumors for SBRT, n = 3 tumors pooled for SHAM). Besides Lewis cancer cells, myeloid cells were 57.61% ,70.82% in Sham-irradiation (SHAM) and SBRT while NT and T cells were 20.50%, 7.81% in SHAM and SBRT, respectively. When compared with SHAM group, upregulation of Ccl3, Ccl4, Ccl8 chemokine genes were observed in cancer cells of SBRT group. Differential expression genes analysis showed high expression level of Ccl8 (Log2FC 2.54, p<0.01) in cluster of Mrc1+macrophage. The SBRT group consisted of more Ccl8+Mrc1+macrophages (proportion 36.28% for SBRT, 27.44% for SHAM) and exhausted NK cells (proportion 22.56% for SBRT, 13.70% for SHAM). More importantly, intercellular communication analysis revealed a potential communication network between Ccl8+Mrc1+macrophages and exhausted NK cells.

CONCLUSION

Our results provide a potential therapeutic strategy by disrupting Ccl8+ Mrc1+macrophages and NK-cell interaction to facilitate the stimulation of the anti-tumor immune response by SBRT.

High-Flux Neutron Generator Based on Laser-Driven Collisionless Shock Acceleration

A novel compact high-flux neutron generator with a pitcher-catcher configuration based on laser-driven collisionless shock acceleration (CSA) is proposed and experimentally verified. Different from those that previously relied on target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA), CSA in nature favors not only acceleration of deuterons (instead of hydrogen contaminants) but also increasing of the number of deuterons in the high-energy range, therefore having great advantages for production of high-flux neutron source. The proof-of-principle experiment has observed a typical CSA plateau feature from 2 to 6 MeV in deuteron energy spectrum and measured a forward neutron flux with yield 6.6×10^{7}  n/sr from the LiF catcher target, an order of magnitude higher than the compared TNSA case, where the laser intensity is 10^{19}  W/cm^{2}. Self-consistent simulations have reproduced the experimental results and predicted that a high-flux forward neutron source with yield up to 5×10^{10}  n/sr can be obtained when laser intensity increases to 10^{21}  W/cm^{2} under the same laser energy.

Preoperative frailty assessment could be a predictive factor for the prognosis of elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: a retrospective case-control study

BACKGROUND

Frailty has been considered to be associated with major mortality and increased length of stay after cardiac surgery. This study aimed to explore the predictive potential of frailty assessment in the prognosis of elderly patients undergoing bypass surgery.

METHODS

This study assessed the preoperative frailty according to the Fried's frailty phenotype, and included 150 frail and 150 non-frail elderly patients (≥ 65 y) who underwent bypass surgery. The present study evaluated the prognosis of elderly patients based on sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and collected clinical indicators to construct logistic regression models with the prognosis as the dependent variable, to explore the potential predictive ability of preoperative frailty. Moreover, this study focused on the complications and analyzed the relationship between preoperative frailty and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

In the present study, 244 patients were divided into the favorable prognosis group and 56 patients were divided into the unfavorable prognosis group. Logistic regression analysis showed that increased myoglobin and high cardiac function classification were independent risk factors for unfavorable prognosis in elderly patients undergoing bypass surgery. The discrimination of the clinical prediction model was determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the area under curve (AUC) was 0.928. After adding preoperative frailty assessment, the AUC was improved to 0.939. This study found a significant correlation between preoperative frailty and postoperative complications, mainly in the circulatory system.

CONCLUSION

Preoperative frailty assessment could be a predictive factor for the prognosis of elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. According to our study, frailty assessment and appropriate intervention before bypass surgery may be beneficial to the enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The clinical study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (2021-SR-393). All patients signed an informed consent form.

Radiation-induced PD-L1 expression in tumor and its microenvironment facilitates cancer-immune escape: a narrative review

Background and Objective

Radiotherapy (RT) is one of the fundamental anti-cancer regimens by means of inducing in situ tumor vaccination and driving a systemic anti-tumor immune response. It can affect the tumor microenvironment (TME) components consisting of blood vessels, immunocytes, fibroblasts, and extracellular matrix (ECM), and might subsequently suppress anti-tumor immunity through expression of molecules such as programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1). Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), especially anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 therapies, have been regarded as effective in the reinvigoration of the immune system and another major cancer treatment. Experimentally, combination of RT and ICIs therapy shows a greater synergistic effect than either therapy alone.

Methods

We performed a narrative review of the literature in the PubMed database. The research string comprised various combinations of "radiotherapy", "programmed death-ligand 1", "microenvironment", "exosome", "myeloid cell", "tumor cell", "tumor immunity". The database was searched independently by two authors. A third reviewer mediated any discordance of the results of the two screeners.

Key Content and Findings

RT upregulates PD-L1 expression in tumor cells, tumor-derived exosomes (TEXs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and macrophages. The signaling pathways correlated to PD-L1 expression in tumor cells include the DNA damage signaling pathway, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway, interferon gamma (IFN-γ) pathway, cGAS-STING pathway, and JAK/STATs pathway.

Conclusions

PD-L1 upregulation post-RT is found not only in tumor cells but also in the TME and is one of the mechanisms of tumor evasion. Therefore, further studies are necessary to fully comprehend this biological process. Meanwhile, combination of therapies has been shown to be effective, and novel approaches are to be developed as adjuvant to RT and ICIs therapy.

The main influencing factors of customer satisfaction and loyalty in city express delivery

At present, customers’ low satisfaction and loyalty to city express service have restricted the development of city express. It is particularly important to analyze the factors causing customers’ low satisfaction and loyalty, which will promote the development of city express industry effectively. Based on SERVQUAL model and CCSI model, this paper constructs a new evaluation index system from the perspective of service quality. Through this new system, this paper first explores the factors that affect customers’ satisfaction and loyalty, respectively, by fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and hierarchical regression analysis, taking the expected and perceived service quality as conversion variables. And then it analyzes the common factors that affect customers’ satisfaction and loyalty comprehensively. These two analyses will provide reference for solving the problem of low customer satisfaction and loyalty of city express enterprises. The results show that popularity and credibility, delivery time commitment, and mailing security are the common main factors affecting customer satisfaction and loyalty. Easy-to-understand receipts, the three-level index corresponding to the empathy dimension, is the most significant factor affecting customers’ loyalty in city express industry; Delivery time commitment, the three-level index corresponding to the reliability dimension, is the most significant factor affecting customers’ loyalty in city express industry.

Association Between the Early Serum Lipid Metabolism Profile and Delayed Neurocognitive Recovery After Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Cardiac Surgical Patients: a Pilot Study

Cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation is considered to be one of the surgical types with the highest incidence of delayed neurocognitive recovery (DNR), but the mechanism is unclear. Metabolomics technology can be used to understand the early postoperative metabolic profile and find the relationship between serum metabolites and disease. We performed untargeted analyses of postoperative serum metabolites in all surgical groups, as well as serum metabolites in healthy nonsurgical adults, by using liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry (LC‒MS). DNR after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery occurred in 35% of surgical patients. Sixty-nine metabolites were found to be associated with DNR. Lipids and lipid-like molecules occupy a total of 55 positions. Lipid metabolism occupies an important position in the serum metabolic profile of DNR patients in the early postoperative period. Phosphatidylinositol (PI), sphingomyelin (SM), and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) appear at the highest frequency. Correlation analysis and receiver operator characteristic curve analysis confirmed PI and SM as potential biomarkers for an increased risk of DNR.

Radiation-induced eosinophil increase ratio predicts patient outcomes in non-small celllung cancer

Background and purpose

Radiotherapy (RT) is a double-edged sword in regulating immune responses. This study aimed to investigate the impact of thoracic RT on circulating eosinophils and its association with patient outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials and methods

This retrospective study included 240 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with definitive thoracic RT from January 2012 to January 2020. Statistics included Kaplan-Meier analysis of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), multivariate Cox analyses to identify significant variables, and Spearman’s correlation to qualify the relationship between dose-volume histogram (DVH) parameters and EIR.

Results

Absolute eosinophil counts (AECs) showed an increasing trend during RT and an obvious peak in the 1^st month after RT. Thresholds of eosinophil increase ratio (EIR) at the 1^st month after RT for both OS and PFS were 1.43. Patients with high EIR above 1.43 experienced particularly favorable clinical outcomes (five-year OS: 21% versus 10%, P<0.0001; five-year PFS: 10% versus 8%, P=0.014), but may not derive PFS benefit from the addition of chemotherapy to RT. The higher a patient’s EIR, the larger the potential benefit in the absence of chemotherapy. DVH parameters including heart mean dose and heart V10 were negatively associated with EIR. None of these DVH parameters was correlated with the clinical outcomes.

Conclusion

EIR may serve as a potential biomarker to predict OS and PFS in NSCLC patients treated with RT. These findings require prospective studies to evaluate the role of such prognostic marker to identify patients at risk to tailor interventions.

Small molecule-mediated rapid maturation of human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): Gravitation Program “Materials Driven Regeneration” by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (RegmedXB #024.003.013) and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (Grant agreement RESCUE #801540). The EU-funded project BRAV3 (H2020, ID:874827)

Background

Human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) do not display all hallmarks of mature human primary cardiomyocytes: the ability to use fatty acids as an energy source, high mitochondrial mass, increased nuclei polyploidism, synchronized electrical conduction, and forceful contractions. Instead, their phenotype is similar to immature cardiomyocytes in the late fetal stage. This immaturity represents a bottleneck to their application in 1) disease modeling – as most cardiac (genetic) diseases have a middle-age onset – and 2) clinical use, where integration and functional coupling are key. So far, the mainly used methods to enhance iPSC-CM maturation include prolonged time-in-culture, 3D culture, cyclic mechanical stretch, and electrical stimulation with specialized media. However, these protocols are laborious, costly, and not easily scalable.

Methods

In this study, we developed a simple, low cost, and rapid protocol using two peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PPARGC1A/PGC-1α) activating small molecules: Asiatic Acid (AA) and GW501516 (GW) to promote cardiomyocyte maturity by inducing a metabolic switch to fatty acid utilization and increased mitochondrial biogenesis.

Results

Monolayers of iPSC-CMs were incubated with AA and GW every other day for 10 days resulting in increased expression of fatty acid-metabolism-related genes (5 and 10-fold increase in CPT1B gene expression, respectively), mitochondria biogenesis (protein expression of ATP5A) and fusion (50 and 100-fold increase in OPA1 gene expression, respectively). In addition, AA treated iPSC-CMs responded in the seahorse mitochondria stress test more rapidly to an artificial increase in mitochondrial activity and showed a higher flexibility in substrate utilization in the seahorse stress test. A more mature electrophysiological functionality was shown by increased ion channel gene expression (KCNA4, SCN5A, GJA1, CACNA1C, and SCN1B) and enhanced synchronous contraction in treated samples. Moreover, maturation was further shown by increased sarcomeric gene expression (5 and 7-fold increase in TNNI3 in AA and GW respectively) and nuclear polyploidism (&gt;4N fold 2.16 and 1.48-fold increase in AA and GW respectively).

Conclusions

Collectively, these findings show that AA and GW trigger a metabolic switch and induce extensive maturation of iPSC-CMs, providing a rapid and cost-effective method to obtain iPSC-CMs that more closely resemble their adult counterparts.

E2F7/8 is involved in cardiomyocyte polyploidy but does not affect myocardial reperfusion injury recovery

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): CSC fellowship

Background

Polyploidy cells consist of more than two complete sets of homologous chromosomes. Although a characteristic feature of cardiomyocytes and observed in all mammalian species, its molecular mechanism and biological functions are still unknown. Cardiomyocytes polyploidy in rodents occurs mainly through incomplete cytokinesis and increases with age. Studies have demonstrated that E2F7/8 transcription factors are key regulators of polyploidy in the liver and pancreas, however, it remains unclear if E2F7/8 control the generation of polyploidy cardiomyocytes and what the functional consequence is post-myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods

By using a tamoxifen inducible Cre/LoxP approach in new-born mice, we deleted E2F7/8 transcription factors ubiquitously and evaluated the biological significance of postnatal E2F7/8 loss. Mice underwent myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) and heart function was assessed by 4D-echocardiography. Cardiomyocyte nucleus polyploidy was measured by FACS and microscope.

Results

Deficiency of E2F7/8 significantly suppress cardiomyocyte mononucleated and multinucleated polyploidy, as well as dramatically decreased hepatocytes polyploidy. E2F7/8 defect also led to a decrease in cardiac stress related marker lever such as ANP, BNP, MMP2, β-MHC/α-MHC and an increase in CD31 expression level. Surprisingly, E2F7/8 deletion did not have impact on cardiac function and dimensions post-IRI.

Conclusion

In summary, we identified that E2F7/8 activity is involved in the cellular polyploidy in the heart but did not affect myocardial function after myocardial injury.

Myocardial tissue slices for modeling of the human PLN p.Arg14del associated cardiomyopathy

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): NWO - The Dutch Research Council

Background

Current in vivo preclinical models lack the predictability of the clinical efficacy resulting in a high dropout rate of therapeutic candidates. Advanced human-based models are required to bridge this gap and indicate the potential of novel therapeutic approaches[1].  Myocardial tissue slices are an in vitro model that recapitulates the native multicellular architecture of the heart. This allows for modeling cellular processes in a macroscopic context entailing great promise. The most common cardiomyopathy-related mutation in the Netherlands is the loss of arginine at position 14 (p.Arg14del) in the phospholamban protein (PLN). PLN is a critical regulator of calcium cycling and contractility in the heart. The p.Arg14del mutation results in a super inhibition of SERCA2a and thus aberrant calcium handling and reduced contractile force. Mice models harbouring the PLN p.Arg14del do not completely recapitulate the human manifestation mainly due to the difference between species; heart rate, Calcium-cycling and ion properties, and different myosin heavy chain isoforms, showing the unmet need for a human-based model[2,3].

Methods & Results

300 µm thick viable myocardial tissue were sectioned from a PLN p.Arg14del patient’s left ventricle. Although the myocardial tissue slices were kept alive for eight days in static culture, these conditions initiated cell death and dedifferentiation. The tissue slices show the greatest resemblance to the intact architecture of the in vivo human heart, it is the most relevant model for viral transduction in the human heart, and proof-of-principle of this is performed. Myocardial tissue slices of a PLN p.Arg14del patient retain the structural phenotype shown by the fibrofatty deposition. Similarly, functional patient characteristics, aberrant calcium handling, and reduced contractile force are preserved.

Conclusion

Myocardial tissue slices recapitulate the (patho)physiology of the heart, as shown here with the PLN p.Arg14del case. However, the static culture conditions induce remodeling of the heart and thus only allow for acute measures in the native heart. To prolong the period that the slices recapitulate the native heart, culture conditions should mimic the environment of the heart. The tissue slices allow for a currently unmet need to modulate the complex architecture of the human heart with e.g. novel delivery tools or therapeutic interventions. All in all, myocardial tissue slices are a promising model that can give novel insights into the physiology of the human heart, and therapeutic intervention on induced or genetic cardiomyopathies.

MicroRNA-214-3p Ameliorates LPS-Induced Cardiomyocyte Injury by Inhibiting Cathepsin B

Myocardial injury is a common complication of sepsis. MicroRNA (miRNA) miR-214-3p is protective against myocardial injury caused by sepsis, but its mechanism in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- induced cardiomyocyte injury is still unclear. An AC16 cell injury model was induced by LPS treatment. Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry assay showed decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis in LPS-treated AC16 cells. The levels of caspase- 3, Bax, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), myosin 6 (Myh6), myosin 7 (Myh7), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were increased in LPS-treated AC16 cells, but the levels of Bcl-2 and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were decreased. MiR-214-3p was down-regulated and cathepsin B (CTSB) was upregulated in LPS-treated AC16 cells. At the same time, miR-214-3p could target CTSB and reduce its expression. We also found that a miR-214-3p mimic or CTSB silencing could significantly reduce LPSinduced apoptosis, decrease ROS, MDA, caspase-3, and Bax and increase SOD and Bcl-2. CTSB silencing could significantly reduce ANP, BNP, Myh6, and Myh7 in LPS-treated AC16 cells. The effects of CTSB silencing were reversed by a miR-214-3p inhibitor. In summary, miR-214-3p could inhibit LPSinduced myocardial injury by targeting CTSB, which provides a new idea for myocardial damage caused by sepsis.

Onset of inverse magnetic energy transfer in collisionless turbulent plasmas

Inverse magnetic energy transfer from small to large scales is a key physical process for the origin of large-scale strong magnetic fields in the universe. However, so far, from the magnetohydrodynamic perspective, the onset of inverse transfer is still not fully understood, especially the underlying dynamics. Here, we use both two-dimensional and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations to show the self-consistent dynamics of inverse transfer in collisionless decaying turbulent plasmas. Using the space filtering technique in theory and numerical analyses, we identify magnetic reconnection as the onset and fundamental drive for inverse transfer, where, specifically, the subscale electromotive force driven by magnetic reconnection do work on the large-scale magnetic field, resulting in energy transfer from small to large scales. The mechanism is also verified by the strong correlations in locations and characteristic scales between inverse transfer and magnetic reconnection.

Dithienocoronene diimide (DTCDI)-derived triads for high-performance air-stable, solution-processed balanced ambipolar organic field-effect transistors

Developing ambipolar organic semiconducting materials is essential for use in complementary-like inverters and light-emitting transistors. In this study, three new dithienocoronenediimide (DTCDI)-derived triads, DTCDI-BT, DTCDI-BBT and DTCDI-BNT, were designed and synthesized, in which various sizes of terminal groups, i.e., thiophene (T), benzo[b]thiophene (BT) and naphtha[2,3-b]thiophene (NT) were substituted at the α-positions of the two thiophene rings of DTCDI, respectively. The DFT calculations reveal that the HOMO energy levels of the three triads when compared to that of the parent DTCDI-core (-5.99 eV) are significantly increased to -5.59, -5.59 and -5.45 eV for DTCDI-BT, DTCDI-BBT and DTCDI-BNT, respectively, whereas the LUMO energy levels (-3.07 eV ∼ -3.14 eV) are almost identical with that of the DTCDI-core (-3.10 eV). The results predict that the triads could possess ambipolar transport properties in organic field-effect transistor (OFET) applications. In fact, under an ambient atmosphere, solution-processed bottom-gate top-contact (BGTC) transistors exhibit ambipolar charge transport properties by tuning the HOMOs of the DTCDI-based triads so that they were suitable for hole injection, resulting in balanced maximum electron and hole mobilities of 1.66 × 10-3 and 1.02 × 10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1 for DTCDI-BT, 2.60 × 10-2 and 3.60 × 10-2 cm2 V-1 s-1 for DTCDI-BBT, and 2.43 × 10-3 and 4.15 × 10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1 for DTCDI-BNT, respectively. This is the first time that the DTCDI building block has been used to develop ambipolar small molecular semiconductors, and achieved a device performance comparable to that of the DTCDI-based polymeric semiconductors. In addition, DTCDI-BBT-based complementary-like inverters were made, and the inverter devices operated well in both p-mode and n-mode under ambient conditions. The results show that the DTCDI is a promising π-electron-deficient building block which could be further used to develop ambipolar semiconducting materials for OFET devices.

Express delivery logistics with high-speed railway: a perspective of payment scheme and forecast information sharing

This paper investigates the payment scheme and forecast information sharing issues in the express delivery logistics with the high-speed railway. The HSR carriers need to coordinate the transportation capacity between passenger and freight. It is widely recognized that the advance payment scheme (APS) using as deposit is a beneficial way for the HSR carriers to make decisions on the transportation capacity preserved for express delivery. However, the express service providers, who possess private forecast information of express delivery demand, may share inaccurate information with the HSR carriers to acquire sufficient preserved transportation capacity. This paper discusses what payment scheme is preferred by the HSR carrier, the express service provider through discussing the deposit decisions with or without forecast information sharing. We show that sharing demand forecast information can reduce the prereserved capacity and increase the profits of the HSR carrier. With the delayed payment scheme (DPS), the express service provider has no motivation to share the information; while with the APS, the HSR carrier can reasonably choose the deposit to encourage the express service provider to share the demand information. Our analysis also shows that the HSR carrier's profits with the APS is restricted by the investment returns and the express service provider's information sharing decisions. We also analyze the value range of the deposit, which is a proportion of the overall payment, that allows both the HSR carrier and the express service provider to prefer the APS, as well as to encourage the express service provider to share the demand information.

Downregulated long noncoding RNA LUCAT1 inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of cardiomyocyte via miR-612/HOXA13 pathway in chronic heart failure

OBJECTIVE

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play important roles in numerous kinds of cardiovascular disease, including chronic heart failure (CHF). In this study, we mainly focused on investigating the potential roles of lncRNA LUCAT1 patients with CHF.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

RT-PCR was used to detect the expressions of LUCAT1 and miR-612 in serum samples of CHF patients (n=60) and healthy volunteers. Relationships between the expressions of LUCAT1 and miR-612, LUCAT1 and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Si-LUCAT1 and miR-612 mimic were constructed and respectively transfected into AC16 cells to explore the functions of LUCAT1 and miR-612. Cell proliferation abilities were detected by CCK-8 assay AC16 cells. Cell apoptotic rates were measured by flow cytometry (FACS) analysis. Western blot (WB) was performed to detect the protein levels of HOXA13, Bcl-2, Bax, Bad and Cleaved Caspase3. In addition, luciferase gene reporter assay was used to prove the relationships between LUCAT1 and miR-612, miR-612 and HOXA13.

RESULTS

Firstly, we found that LUCAT1 was decreased for 1.7 folds in CHF patients, which was correlated with poor prognosis patients. LUCAT1 repression inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis in human cardiomyocyte cell line AC16 cells. Furthermore, we found that miR-612 was increased for 2.0 folds in CHF patients, which was negatively interacted with LUCAT1 expression. Luciferase gene reporter assay demonstrated that LUCAT1 could directly bind with miR-612 in AC16 cells. Moreover, miR-612 overexpression also inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis in AC16 cells. Luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-612 could directly target at HOXA13 in AC16 cells, which was associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis. Finally, miR-612 inhibitor was transfected into AC16 cells with si-LUCAT1. The results showed that the inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis were reversed, which confirmed that LUCAT1 repression inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis via miR-612/HOXA13 axis in CHF patients.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the above results, our study revealed that LUCAT1 was decreased in CHF patients, which was correlated with poor prognosis of CHF patients. Furthermore, the downregulation of LUCAT1 inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis via targeting miR-612/HOXA13 axis. Our results elucidated a potential mechanism underlying cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which might be used as a promising prognostic marker and a potential target for CHF patients.

Structure and thermal properties of beeswax-based oleogels with different types of vegetable oil

Beeswax-based oleogels with different types of vegetable oil, including camellia oil (CO), soybean oil (SO), sunflower oil (SFO), or flaxseed oil (FO), were prepared and their structure and thermal properties were evaluated. The critical concentration of oleogel obtained from each of CO, SO, and SFO at 25 °C was 3% (w/w), and that from FO was 4%. Thermal measurements revealed similar thermodynamic curves for oleogels in different lipid phases. X-Ray diffraction showed orthorhombic perpendicular subcell packing and characteristic peaks of the β’ form. Furthermore, a morphology analysis of the crystals showed that they were needle shaped. Fourier transform-infrared spectra revealed that beeswax-based oleogels were formed via non-covalent bonds and may be stabilized with physical entanglements. The oleogels showed oil type-dependent oxidative abilities, but they were all stable and showed no obvious changes in peroxide value during 90 days of storage at 5 °C.

Oscillatory surface deformation of paramagnetic rare-earth solutions driven by an inhomogeneous magnetic field

The deformation of the free surface of a paramagnetic liquid subjected to a nonuniform magnetic field is studied. A transient deformation of the surface caused by the interplay of gravity, magnetic field, and surface tension is observed when a permanent magnet is moved vertically downward to the free surface of the liquid. Different concentrations of rare-earth-metal salt (DyCl_{3}) are used and different magnet velocities are studied. The deformation of the interface is followed optically by means of a microscope and recorded with a high-speed camera. The experimental results are compared and discussed with complementary numerical simulations. Detailed results are given for the static shape of the deformed surface and the temporal evolution of the surface deformation below the center of the magnet. The frequency of the surface oscillations is found to depend on the concentration of the salt and is compared with analytical findings. Finally, a potential application of the effects observed is presented.

Improvement of gibberellin production by a newly isolated Fusarium fujikuroi mutant

AIMS

To obtain and investigate the potential mechanism for GA₃ production in Fusarium fujikuroi GA-251, a high GA₃ producer.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Fusarium fujikuroi IMI 58289 was bred with Cobalt-60 (⁶⁰ Co) radiation and lithium chloride treatment. The best mutant strain GA-251 was obtained for the subsequent optimization of fermentation conditions. The yield of GA₃ by GA-251 was 2100 mg l^-1 , while the wild-type strain was 100 mg l^-1 , which is a 21-fold increase in the yield. To elucidate the mechanism of high GA₃ yield of GA-251, the genome was sequenced and compared with wild-type strain IMI 58289. The results showed 2295 single nucleotide polymorphisms, 1242 small indels and 30 structural variants. These mutations were analysed and enriched in the MAPK signalling pathway, the mRNA surveillance pathway and endocytosis. The potential reasons for the improved GA₃ biosynthesis were investigated.

CONCLUSIONS

The potential mechanism of high GA₃ yield was attributed to endocytosis pathway and histone modification proteins family.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

A mutant strain GA-251 in this work that could potentially be utilized in the industrial yield of GA₃ . The comparative genome analysis would shed light onto the mechanism of yield improvement and be a theoretical guide for further metabolic engineering.

The altered early components and the decisive later process underlying attention bias modification in social anxiety: evidence from event-related potentials

Attention bias modification (ABM) is a potential intervention in relieving social anxiety symptoms, while its underlying neural mechanisms are not yet understood. The current study included 63 college students with social anxiety. Participants were assigned to the attention modification program (AMP, n = 20), the attention control condition (ACC, n = 20) and the passive waiting group (PW, n = 23). Questionnaires and the emotional Stroop task with EEG recordings were used to assess whether and how the 4-week ABM period affected emotional symptoms and specific emotional processing. Results showed that the two training groups (AMP and ACC) produced comparable emotional improvements and both showed a decrease in negative bias compared with the PW group. The ERP results indicated that despite no significant ERP changes in the PW group, the ACC group exhibited a greater N1, whereas the AMP group exhibited a reduced VPP at the post-test stage compared to the pre-test stage. Besides, both training groups showed a similar late positive potential (LPP) reduction. Notably, the reduction in LPP was positively correlated with behavioral and symptom improvement. Thus, manipulations unique to ABM (face-target contingency) primarily modulate the early attention distribution of material-related stimuli. However, the clinical benefits of attention training may be due to later cognitive-affective mechanisms.

Two Isomeric Azulene-Decorated Naphthodithiophene Diimide-based Triads: Molecular Orbital Distribution Controls Polarity Change of OFETs Through Connection Position

Altering the charge carrier transport polarities of organic semiconductors by molecular orbital distribution has gained great interest. Herein, we report two isomeric azulene-decorated naphthodithiophene diimide (NDTI)-based triads (e.g., NDTI-B2Az and NDTI-B6Az), in which two azulene units were connected with NDTI at the 2-position of the azulene ring in NDTI-B2Az, whereas two azulene units were incorporated with NDTI at the 6-position of the azulene ring in NDTI-B6Az. The two isomeric triads were excellently soluble in common organic solvents. Density functional theory calculations on the molecular orbital distributions of the triads reveal that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals are completely delocalized over the entire molecule for both NDTI-B2Az and NDTI-B6Az, indicating great potential for n-type transport behavior, whereas the highest occupied molecular orbitals are mainly delocalized over the entire molecule for NDTI-B2Az or only localized at the two terminal azulene units for NDTI-B6Az, implying great potential for p-type transport behavior for the former and a disadvantage of hole carrier transport for the latter. Under ambient conditions, solution-processed bottom-gate top-contact transistors based on NDTI-B2Az showed ambipolar field-effect transistor (FET) characteristics with high electron and hole mobilities of 0.32 (effective electron mobility ≈0.14 cm² V^-1 s^-1 according to a reliability factor of 43%) and 0.03 cm² V^-1 s^-1 (effective hole mobility ≈0.01 cm² V^-1 s^-1 according to a reliability factor of 33%), respectively, whereas a typically unipolar n-channel behavior is found for a film of NDTI-B6Az with a high electron mobility up to 0.13 cm² V^-1 s^-1 (effective electron mobility ≈0.06 cm² V^-1 s^-1 according to a reliability factor of 43%). The results indicate that the polarity change of organic FETs based on the two isomeric triads could be controlled by the molecular orbital distributions through the connection position between the azulene unit and NDTI.

Haemostatic Properties of Human Pulmonary and Cerebral Microvascular Endothelial Cells

Little is known on the haemostatic profiles of human microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC) from different tissues. In addition it is not known whether MVEC from patients display the same haemostatic pattern as MVEC coming from healthy controls. To address these questions MVEC from human lung and brain were isolated and stimulated with tumour necrosis factor α (TNF) and E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 h. The level and the kinetics of procoagulant activity (PCA) and thrombomodulin (TM) expression were found to be different depending on the tissue of origin and on the agonist used. In particular, the inducible PCA was higher in lung than in brain MVEC, an observation that may be related to the frequency of lung involvement in septic shock. Differences were also observed for tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) with MVEC supernatants or cell lysates. These variables were then measured in lung MVEC purified from patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and compared to controls. Cells from ARDS patients constitutively expressed more PCA and PAI-1 than controls. The fibrinolytic potential, expressed as t-PA/PAI-1 ratio, was lower in ARDS than in lung MVEC. It is concluded that MVEC display different haemostatic features depending on the tissue they come from and that lung MVEC from ARDS patients present a procoagulant profile when compared with those from controls.

Simultaneous Determination of Bisphenol A and Melamine in Vegetable Protein Drinks by Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

In this study, a gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method was developed to simultaneously determine bisphenol A and melamine in vegetable protein drinks. The samples were extracted, purified and derivatized, and then detected with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were carried out in a multi-reaction monitoring mode. The results showed that the calibration curves of bisphenol A and melamine showed good linearity with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.999. The limits of detection of bisphenol A and melamine were 0.02 μg/kg and 0.3 μg/kg. Recoveries of the method were in the range of 89.8–92.4%, with relative standard deviation lower than 5.0%.

Aspartate β-hydroxylase disrupts mitochondrial DNA stability and function in hepatocellular carcinoma

The mechanism of aberrant mitochondrial genome and function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. Our previous study demonstrated an increased expression of aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH) in HCC tissues, which was associated with tumor invasiveness and a worse prognosis. Currently, we unexpectedly observed the presence of ASPH in purified mitochondrial protein fraction. In addition, immunostaining of both exogenously and endogenously expressed ASPH showed a colocalization with mitochondrial biomarkers. This study aimed to investigate whether the mitochondrial ASPH is involved in mitochondrial malfunction in HCC. Our results showed that ASPH overexpression in HCC tissues was correlated with decreased copy numbers of displacement loop (D-loop) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND-1) and enhanced D-loop mutation, suggesting the disrupted mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) stability. The reduced mtDNA copy numbers were associated with aggressive clinicopathological features of HCC. The loss of mtDNA integrity induced by enforced expression of ASPH was accompanied with mitochondrial dysfunction, which was characterized by the aberrant mitochondrial membrane potential, decreased ATP generation and enhanced reactive oxygen species. In contrast, knocking down ASPH by siRNA in HCC cell lines showed the opposite impact on mtDNA integrity and function. Mass spectrometry and co-immunoprecipitation further identified that ASPH interacted with histone H2A member X (H2AX). ASPH overexpression diminished the interaction between H2AX and mitochondrial transcription factor A (mtTFA), an important DNA-binding protein for mtDNA replication, which then reduced the binding of mtTFA to D-loop region. Collectively, our results demonstrate that ASPH overexpression disrupts the mtDNA integrity through H2AX-mtTFA signal, thereby affecting mitochondrial functions in HCC.

Preparation and evaluation of cefquinome-loaded gelatin microspheres and the pharmacokinetics in pigs

Cefquinome (CEF) is widely used for veterinary clinical applications because of its broad spectrum and high efficiency. However, frequent administrations are required due to its short elimination half-life. In this study, cefquinome sulfate gelatin microspheres (CEF-GMS) were prepared as a sustained-release formulation using emulsion chemical cross-linking technique. Physical properties, stability, sustained-release property in vitro, and pharmacokinetics in pigs were assessed. The morphology of CEF-GMS showed a good sphericity with porous structure on the surface, and the mean diameter was 8.80 ± 0.78 μm, with 90.60 ± 3.98% of the total in the range of 5-20 μm. There were no significant changes of all estimated indexes in the stability tests. In vitro drug release study showed that the release of CEF from CEF-GMS was much slower than that from crude CEF in a release medium. Pharmacokinetic characteristics were evaluated following intramuscular administration of CEF-GMS or Cefquinome sulfate injection (CEF-Inj) in pigs at a dosage of 4 mg CEF/kg body weight. The plasma drug concentration-time data of CEF-GMS and CEF-Inj were both best fitted by two-compartment models with first-order absorption, and the elimination half-life of CEF-GMS was almost 10 times that of CEF-Inj. Overall, CEF-GMS might be used as a sustained-release formulation of CEF for veterinary clinical applications.

Intramedullary Nailing Combined with Bone Grafting for Benign Lesions of the Proximal Femur

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of intramedullary nailing for benign lesions of the proximal femur.

METHOD

A retrospective analysis was carried out on 68 cases of benign lesions in the proximal femur at our hospital from April 2002 to April 2013 (38 men and 30 women). Mean age at surgery was 35.5 years (range, 22-56 years). The cases were divided into two groups: curettage of the lesion with bone grafting only as the grafting group (32 cases) and internal fixation after removal of the lesion as the fixation group (36 cases). For the grafting group, lesions were scraped out, deactivated and washed thoroughly with normal saline, then the allogeneic bone was implanted. For the fixation group, after the lesions were scraped, the intramedullary nails were implanted, and allogeneic bone was implanted into the scraped cavity with compaction.

RESULTS

Pathological examination showed that 24 out of 68 cases (35.3%) had simple bone cysts (suffered from pathological fracture in 2 cases); 21 (30.9%) fibrous dysplasia; 18 (26.5%) aneurysmal bone cysts; 3 (4.4%) chondroblastoma, 2 (2.9%) out of which were combined with aneurysmal bone cysts. All patients were followed up for 12-96 months (56 months for mean). In the grafting group, 4 patients had postoperative complications (1 pathological bone fractures and 3 deep vein thrombosis), but only 1 patient of the fixation group (deep vein thrombosis) (P < 0.05). The average bedridden time after surgery was 11.4 ± 7.6 days for the grafting group, and for the other group was 7.5 ± 5.4 days ( P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Both treatments are effective for benign lesions in the proximal femur, but the fixation group facilitated the functional recovery of patients and reduced postoperative complications.

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.

Construction and identification of a model for HJURP gene defect expression in human embryo villus cells

OBJECTIVES

To construct a lentiviral vector for RNA interference (RNAi) of the HJURP gene and to identify the silencing efficiency in the human embryo villus cells and to provide a human embryo villus cells multiplication and chromosome segregation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In accordance with the study, three specific sequences of siRNA targeting HJURP gene were designed, synthesized, then the complementary DNA containing both sense and antisense oligonucleotides of the targeting sequences were annealed and inserted into the lentiviral vector.The correct clonings were confirmed by PCR and sequencing. The most effective recombinant lentivirus vector was screened, and the recombinant plasmids with the lentivirus packaging mixes were co-transfected into 293T cells to obtain packaged lentivirus particles. Then viral titer was determined. The silencing efficiency of target gene in human embryo villus cells was detected by Real-Time PCR.

RESULTS

DNA sequencing showed that the shRNA sequence was successfully inserted into the lentivirus vector. The recombinant lentiviral vector was successfully transfected into 293T cells. The recombinant lentivirus had a titer of 108 PFU/ml. After silencing HJURP gene in human embryo villus cells, the expression level of HJURP mRNA decreased significantly and the RNAi efficiency was greater than 70%.

CONCLUSION

A lentiviral shRNA expression vector targeting the HJURP gene was successfully constructed and may effectively silence the target gene at a cellular level, which provides a experimental model for the influence of HJURP gene expressing inhibition on human embryo villus cells multiplication and chromosome segregation.

Understanding hydraulic fracturing: a multi-scale problem

Despite the impact that hydraulic fracturing has had on the energy sector, the physical mechanisms that control its efficiency and environmental impacts remain poorly understood in part because the length scales involved range from nanometres to kilometres. We characterize flow and transport in shale formations across and between these scales using integrated computational, theoretical and experimental efforts/methods. At the field scale, we use discrete fracture network modelling to simulate production of a hydraulically fractured well from a fracture network that is based on the site characterization of a shale gas reservoir. At the core scale, we use triaxial fracture experiments and a finite-discrete element model to study dynamic fracture/crack propagation in low permeability shale. We use lattice Boltzmann pore-scale simulations and microfluidic experiments in both synthetic and shale rock micromodels to study pore-scale flow and transport phenomena, including multi-phase flow and fluids mixing. A mechanistic description and integration of these multiple scales is required for accurate predictions of production and the eventual optimization of hydrocarbon extraction from unconventional reservoirs. Finally, we discuss the potential of CO2 as an alternative working fluid, both in fracturing and re-stimulating activities, beyond its environmental advantages.This article is part of the themed issue 'Energy and the subsurface'.