Hemodynamic characteristics and mechanism for intracranial aneurysms initiation with the circle of Willis anomaly

Clinically, circle of Willis (CoW) is prone to anomaly and is also the predominant incidence site of intracranial aneurysms (IAs). This study aims to investigate the hemodynamic characteristics of CoW anomaly, and ascertain the mechanism of IAs initiation from the perspective of hemodynamics. Thus, the flow of IAs and pre-IAs were analyzed for one type of cerebral artery anomaly, that is, anterior cerebral artery A1 segment (ACA-A1) unilateral absence. Three patient geometrical models with IAs were selected from Emory University Open Source Data Center. IAs were virtually removed from the geometrical models to simulate the pre-IAs geometry. For calculation methods, a one-dimensional (1-D) solver and a three-dimensional (3-D) solver were combined to obtain the hemodynamic characteristics. The numerical simulation revealed that the average flow of Anterior Communicating Artery (ACoA) is almost zero when CoW is complete. In contrast, ACoA flow increases significantly in the case of ACA-A1 unilateral absence. For per-IAs geometry, the jet flow is found at the bifurcation between contralateral ACA-A1 and ACoA, which exhibits characteristics of high Wall Shear Stress (WSS) and high wall pressure in the impact region. It triggers the initiation of IAs from the perspective of hemodynamics. The vascular anomaly that leads to jet flow should be considered as a risk factor for IAs initiation.

Design and analysis of a complementary structure-based high selectivity tri-band frequency selective surface

This work presents a novel tri-band bandpass frequency selective surface (FSS) that achieves high-order filtering responses in different frequency bands by means of a complementary structure. The proposed FSS is composed of three metal periodic arrays, which are separated by multilayer dielectric substrates. The gridded-double convoluted loop (G-DCL) structure, which is the middle layer structure, is a hybrid resonator that generates different resonant frequencies. The top and bottom layer structures are designed as complementary structures to the middle layer. To accurately describe the frequency responses, an equivalent circuit model (ECM) has been constructed over the entire band from 0 to 16 GHz. The results of the simulation indicate that the developed FSS can generate three pass-bands operating at 3.79 GHz, 8.34 GHz, and 12.52 GHz, respectively, and - 3 dB fractional bandwidths are 52.8%, 13.7%, and 19.7%. The transmission responses at the edges of each passband show a quick roll-off from the passband to the stopband, and there is significant out-of-band suppression between adjacent passbands. Moreover, the FSS maintains excellent angular and polarization stability within a 50° range. For verification, the tri-band FSS has been fabricated and tested. The experimental results match the simulation results, validating the accuracy of the FSS design.

Exploring the hypoglycemic mechanism of chlorogenic acids from Pyrrosia petiolosa (Christ) Ching on type 2 diabetes mellitus based on network pharmacology and transcriptomics strategy

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Pyrrosia petiolosa (Christ) Ching (YBSW) is a Traditional Chinese medicine rich in chlorogenic acids. It is an important component in many Traditional Chinese medicinal hypoglycemic formulas and is commonly used by the Miao people to treat diabetes with good efficacy. Our previous research has suggested that chlorogenic acids may be the active ingredients in YBSW.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To explore the mechanisms underlying the anti-type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) hypoglycemic effects of chlorogenic acids contained in YBSW.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In vivo experiments, hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE) staining, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to determine the effects of chlorogenic acids contained in YBSW in rats. mRNA expression profiling, microarray analysis, and network pharmacology were used to analyze the underlying mechanisms of the effects. Finally, apoptosis and changes in the related pathways were evaluated in vitro using a 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thia-zolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence (IF) assessment, and flow cytometry.

RESULTS

After the administration of isochlorogenic acid B, the levels of triglycerides, serum total cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose significantly decreased. HE and IHC staining revealed that isochlorogenic acid B significantly increased insulin expression in islet cells. Using network pharmacology and RNA-seq Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis, we screened the advanced glycation end products-receptor for advanced glycation end products (AGE-RAGE) signaling pathway. We also verified that YBSW and its chlorogenic acid can inhibit apoptosis and downregulate the expression of related mRNA in the AGE-RAGE pathway in RIN-m5f cells.

CONCLUSIONS

YBSW exhibits a significant hypoglycemic effect, with chlorogenic acid being an effective component. The therapeutic effect of chlorogenic acids contained in YBSW is mainly realized by promoting insulin secretion and pancreatic tissue repair. Moreover, YBSW substantially mitigates apoptosis via the AGE-RAGE pathway in T2DM.

Integrated optical frequency division for microwave and mmWave generation

The generation of ultra-low-noise microwave and mmWave in miniaturized, chip-based platforms can transform communication, radar and sensing systems1-3. Optical frequency division that leverages optical references and optical frequency combs has emerged as a powerful technique to generate microwaves with superior spectral purity than any other approaches4-7. Here we demonstrate a miniaturized optical frequency division system that can potentially transfer the approach to a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor-compatible integrated photonic platform. Phase stability is provided by a large mode volume, planar-waveguide-based optical reference coil cavity8,9 and is divided down from optical to mmWave frequency by using soliton microcombs generated in a waveguide-coupled microresonator10-12. Besides achieving record-low phase noise for integrated photonic mmWave oscillators, these devices can be heterogeneously integrated with semiconductor lasers, amplifiers and photodiodes, holding the potential of large-volume, low-cost manufacturing for fundamental and mass-market applications13.

Predicted and Experimental NMR Chemical Shifts at Variable Temperatures: The Effect of Protein Conformational Dynamics

NMR chemical shifts provide a sensitive probe of protein structure and dynamics but remain challenging to predict and interpret. We examine the effect of protein conformational distributions on 15N chemical shifts for dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), comparing QM/MM predicted shifts with experimental shifts in solution as well as frozen distributions. Representative snapshots from MD trajectories exhibit variation in predicted 15N chemical shifts of up to 25 ppm. The average over the fluctuations is in significantly better agreement with room temperature solution experimental values than the prediction for any single optimal conformations. Meanwhile, solid-state NMR (SSNMR) measurements of frozen solutions at 105 K exhibit broad lines whose widths agree well with the widths of distributions of predicted shifts for samples from the trajectory. The backbone torsion angle ψi-1 varies over 60° on the picosecond time scale, compensated by φi. These fluctuations can explain much of the shift variation.

Contribution of protein conformational heterogeneity to NMR lineshapes at cryogenic temperatures

While low-temperature Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) holds great promise for the analysis of unstable samples and for sensitizing NMR detection, spectral broadening in frozen protein samples is a common experimental challenge. One hypothesis explaining the additional linewidth is that a variety of conformations are in rapid equilibrium at room temperature and become frozen, creating an inhomogeneous distribution at cryogenic temperatures. Here, we investigate conformational heterogeneity by measuring the backbone torsion angle (Ψ) in Escherichia coli Dihydrofolate Reductase (DHFR) at 105 K. Motivated by the particularly broad N chemical shift distribution in this and other examples, we modified an established NCCN Ψ experiment to correlate the chemical shift of Ni+1 to Ψi. With selective 15N and 13C enrichment of Ile, only the unique I60-I61 pair was expected to be detected in 13C'-15N correlation spectrum. For this unique amide, we detected three different conformation basins based on dispersed chemical shifts. Backbone torsion angles Ψ were determined for each basin: 114 ± 7° for the major peak and 150 ± 8° and 164 ± 16° for the minor peaks as contrasted with 118° for the X-ray crystal structure (and 118° to 130° for various previously reported structures). These studies support the hypothesis that inhomogeneous distributions of protein backbone torsion angles contribute to the lineshape broadening in low-temperature NMR spectra.

Pretreatment synthetic MRI features for triple-negative breast cancer

AIM

To evaluate the quantitative parameters derived from synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (SyMRI) for predicting triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective study enrolled participants with invasive ductal breast carcinoma (IDBC) and separated them into a TNBC group and a Non-TNBC group. Preoperative breast MRI included both the SyMRI and conventional MRI sequences. The quantitative parameters derived from the SyMRI included T1 and T2 relaxation times, proton density (PD), and their standard deviations (SD). Clinicopathological characteristics, conventional MRI findings, and quantitative synthetic parameters were assessed for all participants. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the potential independent imaging predictors for TNBC preoperatively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the performance of these parameters.

RESULTS

A total of 231 participants with histopathological proven IDBC were included in this study (n=46 in the TNBC group and n=185 in the Non-TNBC group). The TNBC group had significantly larger tumour size (p=0.011) and more frequent intratumoural cystic or necrotic lesions (p<0.001) as compared to the Non-TNBC group. The univariate analysis showed that the TNBC tumours had significantly higher T1 (p=0.006) and T2 (p<0.001) values than Non-TNBC tumours. Subsequent multivariable analysis indicated that T2 values and the presence of cystic or necrotic lesions were the independent predictors for TNBC.

CONCLUSION

The T2 from synthetic imaging and the presence of cystic degeneration or necrosis within the breast cancer may serve as potential imaging biomarkers for preoperative differentiation of TNBC from Non-TNBC.

Quantitative Evaluation of Hemodynamic Changes After Multiple Intracranial Aneurysms Occlusion Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

OBJECTIVE

Multiple intracranial aneurysms (MIA) are prevalent. This study conducted hemodynamic calculations on MIA to analyze the effects of occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms on the hemodynamics of other arteries, as well as the issue of the treatment order for these aneurysms.

METHODS

The models of 9 patients with MIA were selected for the study. A computational fluid dynamics model combining 1-dimension and 3-dimension was used to obtain the vascular flow pattern and wall pressure.

RESULTS

There was increased pressure at the MCA and anterior cerebral artery (ACA) after occlusion of the aneurysm at the ICA. However, the pressure at the ICA has hardly changed after the aneurysm occlusion at the MCA. Occlusion of the aneurysm of different sizes at the MCA had almost no impact on the pressure at the ICA and ACA. For small aneurysm, the pressure of the ACA and MCA increases with decreasing size of the aneurysm at the ICA. After occlusion of a large aneurysm at the ICA, the impact on the pressure of the ACA and MCA is almost the same as after occlusion of a medium-sized aneurysm.

CONCLUSIONS

If the treatment order of ICA and MCA aneurysms cannot be determined based on patient factors and aneurysm characteristics, the MCA aneurysm should be treated as a priority.

Deep learning enables automatic adult age estimation based on CT reconstruction images of the costal cartilage

OBJECTIVE

Adult age estimation (AAE) is a challenging task. Deep learning (DL) could be a supportive tool. This study aimed to develop DL models for AAE based on CT images and compare their performance to the manual visual scoring method.

METHODS

Chest CT were reconstructed using volume rendering (VR) and maximum intensity projection (MIP) separately. Retrospective data of 2500 patients aged 20.00-69.99 years were obtained. The cohort was split into training (80%) and validation (20%) sets. Additional independent data from 200 patients were used as the test set and external validation set. Different modality DL models were developed accordingly. Comparisons were hierarchically performed by VR versus MIP, single-modality versus multi-modality, and DL versus manual method. Mean absolute error (MAE) was the primary parameter of comparison.

RESULTS

A total of 2700 patients (mean age = 45.24 years ± 14.03 [SD]) were evaluated. Of single-modality models, MAEs yielded by VR were lower than MIP. Multi-modality models generally yielded lower MAEs than the optimal single-modality model. The best-performing multi-modality model obtained the lowest MAEs of 3.78 in males and 3.40 in females. On the test set, DL achieved MAEs of 3.78 in males and 3.92 in females, which were far better than the MAEs of 8.90 and 6.42 respectively, for the manual method. For the external validation, MAEs were 6.05 in males and 6.68 in females for DL, and 6.93 and 8.28 for the manual method.

CONCLUSIONS

DL demonstrated better performance than the manual method in AAE based on CT reconstruction of the costal cartilage.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

Aging leads to diseases, functional performance deterioration, and both physical and physiological damage over time. Accurate AAE may aid in diagnosing the personalization of aging processes.

KEY POINTS

• VR-based DL models outperformed MIP-based models with lower MAEs and higher R2 values. • All multi-modality DL models showed better performance than single-modality models in adult age estimation. • DL models achieved a better performance than expert assessments.

A modified multiple cross displacement amplification linked with a gold nanoparticle biosensor for the detection of Epstein-Barr virus in clinical applications

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the family Herpesviridae, infects more than 95% of healthy adults by attacking the host immune system. Here, a novel detection protocol, utilizing the modified multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) technique combined with a gold nanoparticles-based lateral flow biosensors (AuNPs-LFB), was devised and developed to detect EBV infection (termed EBV-MCDA-LFB assay). Ten MCDA primers targeting the EBNA-LP gene were designed, including CP1* primers modified with 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM) and D1* primers modified with biotin. Then, nucleic acid templates extracted from various pathogens and whole blood samples were used to optimize and evaluate the EBV-MCDA-LFB assay. As a result, the lowest concentration of EBNA-plasmids, which can be detected by MCDA-LFB assay with an optimal reaction condition of 67°C for 30 min, was 10 copies/reaction. Here, the MCDA-LFB assay can detect all EBV pathogens used in the study, and no cross-reactions with non-EBV organisms were observed. Meanwhile, the entire detection workflow of the EBV-MCDA-LFB assay for whole blood samples, including DNA template preparation (25 min), EBV-MCDA amplification (30 min), and AuNPs-LFB-mediated validation (2-5 min), can be completed within 1 h. Taken together, the EBV-MCDA-LFB assay established in the current study is a rapid, simplified, sensitive, specific, and easy-to-obtain technique that can be used as a screening or diagnostic tool for EBV infection in clinical applications, especially in resource-poor regions.

Acute stress reaction, depression anxiety stress, and job withdrawal behavior in non-frontline pediatric nurses during the pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Backgrounds

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought an unprecedented healthy crisis to people worldwide. It is crucial to assess the psychological status of non-frontline nurses. More attention to the mental and physical health of non-frontline nurses during a public health emergency is necessary for a full understanding of the implications. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the factors that influence the acute stress reaction of non-frontline pediatric nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

This study aimed to explore factors associated with acute stress reactions of non-frontline pediatric nurses in Hunan province during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional design. Five hundred eighteen pediatric nurses from Hunan province, China, completed the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire (SASRQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), and Job Withdrawal Behavior Scales (JWB). Multiple linear regression analyses and Pearson's correlation were used to analyze the results.

Results

The mean scores of DASS-21, JWB, SASRQ were 1.443 ± 0.500, 1.601 ± 0.544, and 1.858 ± 0.805, respectively. Stress, anxiety, depression (three sub-dimensions of DASS-21), JWB, monthly income and department were the major predictive factors for SASRQ (Adjusted R² = 0.579, p < 0.001). Pearson's correlation showed that the mean score of SASRQ was positively correlated with JWB, DASS-21, and all its dimensions (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The study indicated that the SASRQ was greater with higher levels of DASS-21 and JWB. It revealed an acute stress reaction in non-frontline pediatric nurses and recommends more focus on the factors influencing the SASRQ.

[A new form of familial platelet disorder caused by germline mutations in RUNX1 in a pedigree]

Objective: To investigate the clinical and biological characteristics of familial platelet disorder (FPD) with germline Runt-related transcription factor (RUNX) 1 mutations. Methods: Patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with RUNX1 mutations from February 2016 to December 2021 in Wuhan No.1 Hospital underwent pedigree analysis and were screened for gene mutations (somatic and germline). Patients diagnosed with FPD with germline RUNX1 mutations were enrolled and evaluated in terms of clinical characteristics and biological evolution. Bioinformatics analysis was used to assess the pathogenicity of mutations and to analyze the effect of mutated genes on the function of the corresponding protein. Results: Germline RUNX1 mutations were detected in three out of 34 patients suffering from MDS/AML who had RUNX1 mutations. A pedigree of FPD with RUNX1 (RUNX1-FPD) c.562A>C and RUNX1 c.1415T>C mutations was diagnosed, and the mutations were of patrilineal origin. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the locus at positions 188 and 472 in the AML-1G type of RUNX1 was highly conserved across different species, and that variations might influence functions of the proteins. The mutations were evaluated to be highly pathogenic. Of the nine cases with germline RUNX1 mutations: two patients died due AML progression; one case with AML survived without leukemia after transplantation of hemopoietic stem cells; four patients showed mild-to-moderate thrombocytopenia; two cases had no thrombocytopenia. During the disease course of the proband and her son, mutations in RUNX1, NRAS and/or CEBPA and KIT appeared in succession, and expression of cluster of differentiation-7 on tumor cells was enhanced gradually. None of the gene mutations correlated with the tumor were detected in the four cases not suffering from MDS/AML, and they survived until the end of follow-up. Conclusions: RUNX1-FPD was rare. The mutations c.562A>C and c.1415T>C of RUNX1 could be the disease-causing genes for the family with RUNX1-FPD, and these mutations could promote malignant transformation. Biological monitoring should be carried out regularly to aid early intervention for family members with RUNX1-FPD.

Associations Between Plasma Klotho with Renal Function and Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid-β Levels in Alzheimer's Disease: The Chongqing Ageing & Dementia Study

BACKGROUND

The kidney-brain crosstalk has been involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) with the mechanism remaining unclear. The anti-aging factor Klotho was reported to attenuate both kidney injury and AD pathologies.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether plasma Klotho participated in kidney-brain crosstalk in AD.

METHODS

We enrolled 33 PiB-PET-positive AD patients and 33 amyloid-β (Aβ)-negative age- and sex-matched cognitively normal (CN) controls from the Chongqing Ageing & Dementia Study (CADS). The levels of plasma Klotho, Aβ, and tau in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

We found higher plasma Klotho and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels in AD patients compared with CN. The eGFR were positively associated with Aβ 42, Aβ 40 levels in CSF and negatively associated with CSF T-tau levels. Plasma Klotho levels were both negatively correlated with CSF Aβ 42 and eGFR. Mediation analysis showed that plasma Klotho mediated 24.96% of the association between eGFR and CSF Aβ 42.

CONCLUSION

Renal function impacts brain Aβ metabolism via the kidney-brain crosstalk, in which the plasma klotho may be involved as a mediator. Targeting Klotho to regulate the kidney-brain crosstalk provides potential therapeutic approaches for AD.

Predicted and Experimental NMR Chemical Shifts at Variable Temperatures: The Effect of Protein Conformational Dynamics

NMR chemical shifts provide a sensitive probe of protein structure and dynamics. Prediction of shifts, and therefore interpretation of shifts, particularly for the frequently measured amidic 15 N sites, remains a tall challenge. We demonstrate that protein 15 N chemical shift prediction from QM/MM predictions can be improved if conformational variation is included via MD sampling, focusing on the antibiotic target, E. coli Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Variations of up to 25 ppm in predicted 15 N chemical shifts are observed over the trajectory. For solution shifts the average of fluctuations on the low picosecond timescale results in a superior prediction to a single optimal conformation. For low temperature solid state measurements, the histogram of predicted shifts for locally minimized snapshots with specific solvent arrangements sampled from the trajectory explains the heterogeneous linewidths; in other words, the conformations and associated solvent are 'frozen out' at low temperatures and result in inhomogeneously broadened NMR peaks. We identified conformational degrees of freedom that contribute to chemical shift variation. Backbone torsion angles show high amplitude fluctuations during the trajectory on the low picosecond timescale. For a number of residues, including I60, ψ varies by up to 60º within a conformational basin during the MD simulations, despite the fact that I60 (and other sites studied) are in a secondary structure element and remain well folded during the trajectory. Fluctuations in ψ appear to be compensated by other degrees of freedom in the protein, including φ of the succeeding residue, resulting in "rocking" of the amide plane with changes in hydrogen bonding interactions. Good agreement for both room temperature and low temperature NMR spectra provides strong support for the specific approach to conformational averaging of computed chemical shifts.

Contribution of protein conformational heterogeneity to NMR lineshapes at cryogenic temperatures

While low temperature NMR holds great promise for the analysis of unstable samples and for sensitizing NMR detection, spectral broadening in frozen protein samples is a common experimental challenge. One hypothesis explaining the additional linewidth is that a variety of conformations are in rapid equilibrium at room temperature and become frozen, creating an inhomogeneous distribution at cryogenic temperatures. Here we investigate conformational heterogeneity by measuring the backbone torsion angle (Ψ) in E. coli DHFR at 105K. Motivated by the particularly broad N chemical shift distribution in this and other examples, we modified an established NCCN Ψ experiment to correlate the chemical shift of N i+1 to Ψ i . With selective 15 N and 13 C enrichment of Ile, only the unique I60-I61 pair was expected to be detected in 13 C'- 15 N correlation spectrum. For this unique amide we detected three different conformation basins based on dispersed chemical shifts. Backbone torsion angles Ψ were determined for each basin 114 ± 7 for the major peak, and 150 ± 8 and 164 ± 16° for the minor peak as contrasted with 118 for the X-ray crystal structure (and 118-130 for various previously reported structures). These studies support the hypothesis that inhomogeneous distributions of protein backbone torsion angles contribute to the lineshape broadening in low temperature NMR spectra.

Significance Statement

Understanding protein conformational flexibility is essential for insights into the molecular basis of protein function and the thermodynamics of proteins. Here we investigate the ensemble of protein backbone conformations in a frozen protein freezing, which is likely a close representation for the ensemble in rapid equilibrium at room temperature. Various conformers are spectrally resolved due to the exquisite sensitivity of NMR shifts to local conformations, and NMR methods allow us to directly probe the torsion angles corresponding to each band of chemical shifts.

Association of Adipokines with Alzheimer's Disease in a Chinese Cohort

BACKGROUND

The correlation between plasma adipose factor levels and Alzheimer's patients is not entirely clear.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate associations between AD and plasma levels of three adipokines including plasma adiponectin, leptin, and resistin.

METHODS

A single-center, cross-sectional study recruited AD patients (n = 148) and cognitively normal (CN) controls (n = 110). The multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to determine associations of adiponectin, leptin, and resistin with the presence of AD. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to determine the diagnostic power of adiponectin, leptin and resistin for AD.

RESULTS

After adjusted for the conventional risk factors, plasma levels of leptin (OR = 0.417, 95% CI: 0.272-0.638, p < 0.0001) and adiponectin (OR = 1.249, 95% CI: 1.151-1.354, p < 0.0001) were associated with the presence of AD. In total participants, the plasma adiponectin level was negatively correlated with MMSE scores (p < 0.0001) and was positively with CDR scores (p < 0.0001) and age (p < 0.0001). The plasma level of leptin was negatively correlated with CDR scores (p < 0.0001) and positively correlated with MMSE scores (p < 0.0001). Both adiponectin (p < 0. 0001) and leptin (p < 0. 0001) featured higher AUC than the random chance.

CONCLUSIONS

Plasma adiponectin and leptin were associated with the presence, symptomatic severity, and diagnostic power of AD, suggesting a potential role of adipokines in the pathogenesis of AD.

Baseline blood pressure does not modify the effect of intravenous thrombolysis in successfully revascularized patients

Background

Studies indicate a trajectory relationship between baseline blood pressure (BP) and outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) eligible for both intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with alteplase and endovascular treatment (EVT). We determined whether baseline BP modified the effect of IVT in successfully revascularized AIS patients who participated in the Direct Intra-Arterial Thrombectomy to Revascularize AIS Patients With Large Vessel Occlusion Efficiently in Chinese Tertiary Hospitals (DIECT-MT) trial.

Methods

The association of baseline systolic BP, trichotomized as high (141–185 mmHg), middle (121–140 mmHg), and low (91–120 mmHg), and the outcomes of any intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), symptomatic ICH (sICH), and mortality and functional outcome on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days were explored. Logistic regression models determined the interaction between clinical outcomes and baseline systolic and diastolic BP, and mean arterial pressure (MAP), at 10 mmHg intervals. Data are reported as odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI.

Results

A post-hoc analysis of DIRECT-MT, in 510 of the 656 randomized participants with successful revascularization underwent MT. The overall adjusted common OR of IVT and baseline BP on any ICH, sICH, and 90-day mortality and functional outcome were 0.884 (95%CI 0.613–1.274), 0.643 (95%CI 0.283–1.458), 0.842 (95%CI 0.566–1.252), and 1.286 (95%CI 0.772–2.142), respectively. No significant interaction between baseline blood pressure and intravenous thrombolysis with clinical outcome was observed.

Conclusions

In patients with baseline SBP under 185 mmHg, baseline blood pressure does not alter the risk of hemorrhagic transformation and clinical

outcome in successfully revascularized patients, regardless of intravenous alteplase usage. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Registration

URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, Identifier: NCT03469206.

[Host factors and characteristics of hospitalized patients with pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia]

Objectives: To describe the underlying diseases, microbiologic examination and severity of hospitalized patients with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in a tertiary Chinese hospital. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 485 identified PJP patients who were admitted to our hospital between January 2013 and December 2021. Results: Among the 485 enrolled PJP cases, there were 237 males and 248 females, aging (53.3±16.2) years (range from 14 y to 88 y). They were divided into 8 subgroups with variable underlying diseases. There were 209 cases with connective tissue diseases(CTD), 27 cases with non-hematologic malignancies, 38 cases with hematologic malignancies, 81 cases with kidney diseases, 33 cases with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia(IIP), 30 cases infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and 42 cases with miscellaneous underlying diseases. In the CTD group, there was more females than males, while male patients were predominant in both the malignant and the HIV groups. The Pneumocystis was identified in 44.95%(218/485) sputum samples and 92.01%(265/288) bronchoscopic samples. Pneumocystis asci were observed at direct microscopic examination with Grocott's methenamine silver stain in 4.95%(24/485)sputum samples and 9.72%(28/288)bronchoscopic samples. Pneumocystis DNA fragments were identified by PCR analysis in 43.09%(209/485)sputum samples and 90.63%(261/288)bronchoscopic samples. Among the 8 groups, cytomegaviremia and respiratory failure were most common in the HIV-infected PJP group, but the rates of mechanic ventilation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death were the lowest. There were less PJP patients in the IIP group (IIP-PJP) who received mechanic ventilation and admitted to ICU than the other groups except HIV-infected PJP group. However, the mortality rate was highest for the IIP-PJP group. Conclusions: CTD was the most common predisposed underlying disease for our enrolled PJP cases. Cytomegaviremia and respiratory failure were common in HIV-infected PJP patients, but the prognosis of HIV-PJP was slightly better than the others. The disease was more severe, rapidly progressive and fatal in the IIP-PJP group.

Establishment of combined diagnostic models of Alzheimer's disease in a Chinese cohort: the Chongqing Ageing & Dementia Study (CADS)

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers are essential for the accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet their measurement levels vary widely across centers and regions, leaving no uniform cutoff values to date. Diagnostic cutoff values of CSF biomarkers for AD are lacking for the Chinese population. As a member of the Alzheimer's Association Quality Control program for CSF biomarkers, we aimed to establish diagnostic models based on CSF biomarkers and risk factors for AD in a Chinese cohort. A total of 64 AD dementia patients and 105 age- and sex-matched cognitively normal (CN) controls from the Chongqing Ageing & Dementia Study cohort were included. CSF Aβ42, P-tau181, and T-tau levels were measured by ELISA. Combined biomarker models and integrative models with demographic characteristics were established by logistic regression. The cutoff values to distinguish AD from CN were 933 pg/mL for Aβ42, 48.7 pg/mL for P-tau181 and 313 pg/mL for T-tau. The AN model, including Aβ42 and T-tau, had a higher diagnostic accuracy of 89.9%. Integrating age and APOE ε4 status to AN model (the ANA'E model) increased the diagnostic accuracy to 90.5% and improved the model performance. This study established cutoff values of CSF biomarkers and optimal combined models for AD diagnosis in a Chinese cohort.

The Correlations of Plasma Liver-Type Fatty Acid-Binding Protein with Amyloid-β and Tau Levels in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: The dysregulation of lipid metabolism plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP, also known as FABP1) is critical for fatty acid transport and may be involved in AD. Objective: To investigate whether the FABP1 level is altered in patients with AD, and its associations with levels of amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a Chinese cohort consisting of 39 cognitively normal controls and 47 patients with AD. The levels of FABP1 in plasma, and Aβ and tau in CSF, were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A single-molecule array (SIMOA) was used to detect plasma Aβ levels. Results: The level of plasma FABP1 was significantly elevated in the AD group (p = 0.0109). Further analysis showed a positive correlation of FABP1 with CSF total tau (t-tau) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) levels. Besides, plasma FABP1/Aβ 42 (AUC = 0.6794, p = 0.0071) and FABP1/t-tau (AUC = 0.7168, p = 0.0011) showed fair diagnostic efficacy for AD. When combined with other common AD biomarkers including plasma Aβ 42, Aβ 40, and t-tau, both FABP1/Aβ 42 and FABP1/t-tau showed better diagnostic efficacy than using these biomarkers alone. Among all AUC analyses, the combination of plasma FABP1/t-tau and Aβ 42 had the highest diagnostic value (AUC = 0.8075, p <  0.0001). Conclusion: These findings indicate that FABP1 may play a role in AD pathogenesis and be worthy of further investigation in the future.

Immune-Associated Gene Signatures and Subtypes to Predict the Progression of Atherosclerotic Plaques Based on Machine Learning

Objective: Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Our study was conducted for uncovering the roles of immune-associated genes during atherosclerotic plaque progression.

Methods: Gene expression profiling of GSE28829, GSE43292, GSE41571, and GSE120521 datasets was retrieved from the GEO database. Three machine learning algorithms, least absolute shrinkage, and selection operator (LASSO), random forest, and support vector machine–recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) were utilized for screening characteristic genes among atherosclerotic plaque progression- and immune-associated genes. ROC curves were generated for estimating the diagnostic efficacy. Immune cell infiltrations were estimated via ssGSEA, and immune checkpoints were quantified. CMap analysis was implemented to screen potential small-molecule compounds. Atherosclerotic plaque specimens were classified using a consensus clustering approach.

Results: Seven characteristic genes (TNFSF13B, CCL5, CCL19, ITGAL, CD14, GZMB, and BTK) were identified, which enabled the prediction of progression of atherosclerotic plaques. Higher immune cell infiltrations and immune checkpoint expressions were found in advanced-stage than in early-stage atherosclerotic plaques and were positively linked to characteristic genes. Patients could clinically benefit from the characteristic gene-based nomogram. Several small molecular compounds were predicted based on the characteristic genes. Two subtypes, namely, C1 immune subtype and C2 non-immune subtype, were classified across atherosclerotic plaques. The characteristic genes presented higher expression in C1 than in C2 subtypes.

Conclusion: Our findings provide several promising atherosclerotic plaque progression- and immune-associated genes as well as immune subtypes, which might enable to assist the design of more accurately tailored cardiovascular immunotherapy.

Associations of plasma soluble CD22 levels with brain amyloid burden and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease

CD22 has been suggested to contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis by inhibiting microglial amyloid β (Aβ) phagocytosis. Soluble CD22 (sCD22) generated by cleavage from cell membranes may be a marker of inflammation and microglial dysfunction; but alterations of sCD22 levels in AD and their correlation with AD biomarkers remain unclear. Plasma sCD22 levels were measured in cognitively normal non-AD participants and patients with preclinical AD and AD dementia from a Chinese cohort and the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing. Plasma sCD22 levels were elevated in patients with preclinical and dementia AD. Plasma sCD22 levels were negatively correlated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42 levels and Aβ42/Aβ40, and positively correlated with CSF phosphorylated tau levels and brain Aβ burden, but negatively correlated with cognitive function. Moreover, higher plasma sCD22 levels were associated with faster cognitive decline during follow-up. These findings suggest that CD22 plays important roles in AD development, and that sCD22 is a potential biomarker for AD.

Dynamic changes of CSF sPDGFRβ during ageing and AD progression and associations with CSF ATN biomarkers

Background

Loss of brain capillary pericyte is involved in the pathologies and cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The role of pericyte in early stage of AD pathogenesis remains unclear.

Methods

We investigated the dynamic changes of soluble platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (sPDGFRβ) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a marker of brain pericyte injury, in transition from normal ageing to early AD in a cognitively unimpaired population aged 20 to 90 years. Association between sPDGFRβ and ATN biomarkers were analyzed.

Results

In lifetime, CSF sPDGFRβ continually increased since age of 20 years, followed by the increases of phosphorylated tau-181 (P-tau181) and total tau (T-tau) at the age of 22.2 years and 31.7 years, respectively; CSF Aβ42 began to decline since the age of 39.6 years, indicating Aβ deposition. The natural trajectories of biomarkers suggest that pericyte injury is an early event during transition from normal status to AD, even earlier than Aβ deposition. In AD spectrum, CSF sPDGFRβ was elevated in preclinical stage 2 and participants with suspected non-AD pathophysiologies. Additionally, CSF sPDGFRβ was positively associated with P-tau181 and T-tau independently of Aβ42, and significantly strengthened the effects of Aβ42 on P-tau181, suggesting that pericyte injury accelerates Aβ-mediated tau hyperphosphorylation.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that pericyte injury contributes to AD progression in the early stage in an Aβ-independent pathway. Recovery of pericyte function would be a target for prevention and early intervention of AD.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13024-021-00512-w.

Immunoglobulin D Multiple Myeloma with a “Hidden” Lambda Light Chain

Introduction/Objective

In rare cases, the conventional immunofixation gel electrophoresis technique fails to detect the light chain of an M-protein. We report a case of immunoglobulin (Ig) D multiple myeloma with a hidden lambda (λ) light chain.

Methods/Case Report

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) (Sebia CAPILLARYS 2) was used to detect and quantify M- proteins in serum specimens. Immunosubtraction (IS) on the CAPILLARYS 2 systems was used to identify the classes of M-proteins. Conventional gel immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) was performed, using monospecific antisera for IgD, IgE, kappa (κ) or λ in the Sebia HYDRASYS system, and IgG, IgA, IgM, κ or λ in the Helena SPIFE3000 system. Beta-mercaptoethanol (BME) with Fluidil were used as reduction agents.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

Results of serum CE showed two abnormal peaks in beta 2 and gamma regions, suspected to be positive for M-proteins. IS results showed subtraction for λ light chain only in both peaks, suggesting two monoclonal λ light chains. In contrary, no monoclonal λ light chain was detected in gamma region by IFE (Sebia). Epitope masking in the folded monoclonal protein was suspected to cause the “hidden λ light chain” and was further investigated by two laboratory approaches. IFE performed on the Helena SPIFE3000 system found two λ bands in beta 2 and gamma regions, which was consistent with the results from IS. The treatment of BME with Fluidil helped unmasking the hidden epitope and revealed the λ band in gamma region on IFE (Sebia).

Conclusion

The medical laboratories should be aware of the described scenario. The failure to detect light chains of certain intact M-proteins is most likely due to the structurally inaccessibility of light chains. It is recommended that treatment with reduction agents or use of an alternative methodology or IS might be helpful for investigating suspected heavy chain only cases, due to the limitation of conventional methodology.

Socioeconomic determinants of traditional diet in Eastern Europe: result from the HAPIEE study

Background

Traditional eating habits in Eastern Europe are associated with higher risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality. However, it is unclear whether this eating pattern is related to socio-economic characteristics of individuals. The aim of this analysis was to examine the socioeconomic determinants of traditional diet in Eastern European populations.

Methods

Data was available from the baseline survey of the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe study, including 21,752 eligible subjects from Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic. Dietary data was collected using food frequency questionnaires, and adherence to the traditional diet was assessed with the Eastern European Diet Score (EEDS). Information on participants` education, parental education and experience of financial difficulties in buying food were used as indicators of participants` socioeconomic position (SEP).

Results

In the multivariable adjusted logistic regression models, high EEDS, indicating higher adherence to the traditional diet, was significantly associated with lower education attainment (university vs. primary or less; OR: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.75-0.96) and lower parental education (0.82, 0.72-0.94). High EEDS was also more common in people who reported financial difficulties in buying food, but this association was weaker (often vs. never; 1.12, 1.00-1.25). Specific components of the EEDS, including intakes of lard, processed meat and preserved fruit and vegetables, were also closely linked to SEP indicators.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that individuals with lower SEP are more likely to follow the traditional eating pattern in Eastern Europe, and education seems to be a particularly important determinant. Public health nutritional interventions should focus on the more disadvantaged groups to improve diet and reduce health inequalities in this region.

Funding: This work was partly funded by the Horizon 2020 CETOCOEN Excellence project (grant no. 857560).

Key messages

This work shows that socioeconomic factors, particularly education, are important determinants of traditional eating habits in Eastern European countries. As traditional diet in this region is linked with poor health, nutritional interventions have the potential to improve population health and reduce socioeconomic inequalities in Eastern Europe.

How Authoritarian Leadership Affects Employee's Helping Behavior? The Mediating Role of Rumination and Moderating Role of Psychological Ownership

Interpersonal helping behaviors, i.e., voluntarily assisting colleagues for their workplace related problems, have received immense amount of scholarly attention due to their significant impacts on organizational effectiveness. Among several other factors, authoritarian leadership style could influence helping behavior within organizations. Furthermore, this relationship could be mediated by workplace stressor such as rumination, known as a critical psychological health component leading to depressive symptoms, hopelessness and pessimism. In the meantime, less research attention has devoted to probe the crucial role of psychological ownership, which can buffer the adverse effects of authoritarian leadership upon rumination. Building on conservation of resources theory, this study investigates the adverse impacts of authoritarian leadership on employees' helping behaviors through mediating role of rumination, and also examines the moderating effect of psychological ownership between the relationship of authoritarian leadership and rumination. The data were collected from 264 employees in education and banking sectors and the results show: (i) authoritarian leadership has adverse impacts on helping behavior, (ii) rumination mediates the relationship between authoritarian leadership and employees' helping behaviors, and (iii) psychological ownership moderates the positive relationship between authoritarian leadership and rumination. This study concludes that authoritarian leadership has adverse impacts upon helping behavior, which needs to be controlled/minimized. The findings are of great significance for managers, employees, and organizations in terms of policy implications. The limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

Serum mBDNF and ProBDNF Expression Levels as Diagnosis Clue for Early Stage Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common chronic, progressive, and neurodegenerative diseases characterized clinically by resting tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, and postural instability. As this disease is usually detected in the later stages, the cure is often delayed, ultimately leading to disability due to the lack of early diagnostic techniques. Therefore, it is of great importance to identify reliable biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity for the early diagnosis of PD. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether serum expressions of mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (mBDNF) and proBDNF can serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis of PD at early stage. One hundred and fifty-six patients with limb tremor and/or bradykinesia meeting the inclusion criteria were assigned to either ex-PD group (PD cases) or ex-NPD group (non-PD cases) and then reassigned to either po-PD group (with PD) or po-NPD group (without PD) at 1-year follow-up based on the results of the rediagnoses as performed in accordance with MDS Parkinson's diagnostic criteria. To improve early diagnostic accuracy, grouping (PD group and non-PD group) at initial visit and follow-up was performed differently and independently. Serum mBDNF and proBDNF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The results demonstrated that serum levels of mBDNF and mBDNF/proBDNF were significantly lower in the ex-PD group (19.73 ± 7.31 and 0.09 ± 0.05 ng/ml) as compared with the ex-NPD group (23.47 ± 8.21 and 0.15 ± 0.12 ng/ml) (p < 0.01 for both) and in the po-PD group (19.24 ± 7.20 and 0.09 ± 0.05 ng/ml) as compared with the po-NPD group (25.05 ± 7.67 and 0.16 ± 0.14 ng/ml) (p < 0.01 for both). However, a significantly higher serum level of proBDNF was noted in the ex-PD group (235.49 ± 60.75 ng/ml) as compared with the ex-NPD group (191.75 ± 66.12 ng/ml) (p < 0.01) and in the po-PD group (235.56 ± 60.80 ng/ml) as compared with the po-NPD group (188.42 ± 65.08 ng/ml) (p < 0.01). In conclusion, mBDNF/proBDNF can be used as biomarkers for early stage Parkinson's disease; in addition, mBDNF plus proBDNF has better diagnostic value than mBDNF alone in the diagnosis of PD.

A squeezed quantum microcomb on a chip

The optical microresonator-based frequency comb (microcomb) provides a versatile platform for nonlinear physics studies and has wide applications ranging from metrology to spectroscopy. The deterministic quantum regime is an unexplored aspect of microcombs, in which unconditional entanglements among hundreds of equidistant frequency modes can serve as critical ingredients to scalable universal quantum computing and quantum networking. Here, we demonstrate a deterministic quantum microcomb in a silica microresonator on a silicon chip. 40 continuous-variable quantum modes, in the form of 20 simultaneously two-mode squeezed comb pairs, are observed within 1 THz optical span at telecommunication wavelengths. A maximum raw squeezing of 1.6 dB is attained. A high-resolution spectroscopy measurement is developed to characterize the frequency equidistance of quantum microcombs. Our demonstration offers the possibility to leverage deterministically generated, frequency multiplexed quantum states and integrated photonics to open up new avenues in fields of spectroscopy, quantum metrology, and scalable, continuous-variable-based quantum information processing.

Synthesized soliton crystals

Dissipative Kerr soliton (DKS) featuring broadband coherent frequency comb with compact size and low power consumption, provides an unparalleled tool for nonlinear physics investigation and precise measurement applications. However, the complex nonlinear dynamics generally leads to stochastic soliton formation process and makes it highly challenging to manipulate soliton number and temporal distribution in the microcavity. Here, synthesized and reconfigurable soliton crystals (SCs) are demonstrated by constructing a periodic intra-cavity potential field, which allows deterministic SCs synthesis with soliton numbers from 1 to 32 in a monolithic integrated microcavity. The ordered temporal distribution coherently enhanced the soliton crystal comb lines power up to 3 orders of magnitude in comparison to the single-soliton state. The interaction between the traveling potential field and the soliton crystals creates periodic forces on soliton and results in forced soliton oscillation. Our work paves the way to effectively manipulate cavity solitons. The demonstrated synthesized SCs offer reconfigurable temporal and spectral profiles, which provide compelling advantages for practical applications such as photonic radar, satellite communication and radio-frequency filter.

Identification of Molecular Subtypes and Key Genes of Atherosclerosis Through Gene Expression Profiles

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) caused by atherosclerosis (AS) is one of the highest causes of mortality worldwide. Although there have been many studies on AS, its etiology remains unclear. In order to carry out molecular characterization of different types of AS, we retrieved two datasets composed of 151 AS samples and 32 normal samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Using the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm, we successfully divided the 151 AS samples into two subgroups. We then compared the molecular characteristics between the two groups using weighted gene co-expression analysis (WGCNA) and identified six key modules associated with the two subgroups. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis were used to identify the potential functions and pathways associated with the modules. In addition, we used the cytoscape software to construct and visualize protein-protein networks so as to identify key genes in the modules of interest. Three hub genes including PTGER3, GNAI1, and IGFBP5 were further screened using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) algorithms. Since the modules were associated with immune pathways, we performed immune cell infiltration analysis. We discovered a significant difference in the level of immune cell infiltration by naïve B cells, CD8 T cells, T regulatory cells (Tregs), resting NK cells, Monocytes, Macrophages M0, Macrophages M1, and Macrophages M2 between the two subgroups. In addition, we observed the three hub genes were positively correlated with Tregs but negatively correlated with Macrophages M0. We also found that the three key genes are differentially expressed between normal and diseased tissue, as well as in the different subgroups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) results showed a good performance in the validation dataset. These results may provide novel insight into cellular and molecular characteristics of AS and potential markers for diagnosis and targeted therapy.

[Hepatitis B virus antigen peptide presentation by Epstein-Barr virus-transformed peripheral blood B cells]

Objective: To establish an Epstein-Barr virus-transformed peripheral blood B cell line (BCL), and explore its phenotypic characteristics, the ability to secrete antibodies and cytokines, and the ability to present hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigen peptide. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from patients with HBV infection. Epstein-Barr virus supernatant was incubated to construct BCL. The expression of CD19, CD138, CD38, CD27 and the production levels of IFN - γ, IL-10, IL-6 were detected by flow cytometry. BCL loaded with HBV antigen peptide was incubated with in vitro-expanded autologous T cells. Intracellular staining was used to detect the level of interferon-gamma produced by T cells. Results: Compared with untransformed peripheral blood B cells, BCL had high expression levels of CD138, CD38 and CD27, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05), while the level of IL-6 production was decreased, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). BCL loaded with HBV antigen peptide had significantly enhanced the production of interferon-gamma by in vitro-expanded autologous T cells, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Conclusion: BCL highly expresses CD138, CD38 and CD27, but its ability to produce IL-6 decreases. BCL can improve the immune response efficiency of HBV-specific T cells to HBV antigen peptide, and serve as a new tool for hepatitis B immune research.

Circle RNA FOXP1 promotes cell proliferation in lung cancer by regulating miR-185-5p/Wnt1 signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

It is reported that circular RNA plays an important role in various cancers in recent years. However, there is less investigation reported in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) about circRNA. This study aims to explore the role and molecular mechanism of circle RNA FOXP1 in LUAD procession.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The levels of circFOXP1 and miR-185-5p in LUAD cell lines and LUAD cancer samples were examined by RT-PCR. The functions of circFOXP1 and miR-185-5p at LUAD cells were detected by cell transfection of the overexpression or repression. The A549 and H1299 cell proliferation were detected by MTT assay and colony formation assay. And the cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay. The expression levels WNT1 were measured by Western blot in A549 and H1299 cells. Furthermore, the luciferase assay detected the direct interaction between circFOXP1 and miR-185-5p or miR-185-5p and WNT1.

RESULTS

The circFOXP1 expression was increased in LUAD patients and LUAD cell lines. The downregulation of circFOXP1 significantly repressed LUAD cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis. Moreover, the luciferase assay results confirmed that circFOXP1 directly interacted with miR-185-5p. Overexpression of miR-185-5p could reverse the effect of circFOXP1 in LUAD cell. Besides, the luciferase results showed that miR-185-5p directly interacted with WNT1. miR-185-5p overexpression inhibited the WNT1 expression, while circFOXP1 repression decreased the WNT1 level in LUAD cell lines. The downregulating WNT1 could reverse the effects of miR-185-5p inhibition in LUAD cell lines. Furthermore, WNT1 was significantly upregulated in LUAD cancer tissues. In addition, circFOXP1 level was negatively correlated with miR-185-5p expression and positively correlated with WNT1 expression in LUAD cancer tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggested that circFOXP1 promoted cell proliferation and repressed cell apoptosis in LUAD by regulating miR-185-5p/WNT1 signaling pathway. It provides a novel potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of LUAD.

Cellulose paper-based SERS sensor for sensitive detection of 2,4-D residue levels in tea coupled uninformative variable elimination-partial least squares

Food safety is a growing concern in recent years. This work presents the design of a simple and sensitive method for predicting 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) residue levels in green tea extract employing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled uninformative variable elimination-partial least squares (UVE-PLS). Herein, SERS active citrate functionalized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with enhancement factor 1.51 × 10⁸ was used to prepare cellulose paper (common office) templated SERS sensor for acquiring SERS spectra of 2,4-D. The principle of the work was based on the interaction between 2,4-D and citrate group of AgNPs via chlorine atoms in the concentration range 1.0 × 10^-4 to 1.0 × 10³ µg/g. Three different wavenumber selection chemometric algorithms were studied comparatively to build an optimum calibration model, among them UVE-PLS showed enhanced performance as evident from the RPD value of 6.01 and Rp = 0.9864. Under optimized experimental condition proposed paper-based SERS sensor exhibited detection limit and RSD of 1.0 × 10^-4 µg/g and <5%, respectively. In addition, the validation results by HPLC method were satisfactory (p > 0.05).

Peripheral blood T-cell receptor repertoire as a predictor of clinical outcomes in gastrointestinal cancer patients treated with PD-1 inhibitor

BACKGROUND

Identifying valid biomarkers for patient selection impressively promotes the success of anti-PD-1 therapy. However, the unmet need for biomarkers in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remains significant. We aimed to explore the predictive value of the circulating T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire for clinical outcomes in GI cancers who received anti-PD-1 therapy.

METHODS

137 pre- and 79 post-treated peripheral blood samples were included. The TCR repertoire was evaluated by sequencing of complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) in the TRB gene. The Shannon index was used to measure the diversity of the TCR repertoire, and Morisita's overlap index was used to determine TCR repertoire similarities between pre- and post-treated samples.

RESULTS

Among all enrolled patients, 76 received anti-PD-1 monotherapy and 61 received anti-PD-1 combination therapy. In the anti-PD-1 monotherapy cohort, patients with higher baseline TCR diversity exhibited a significantly higher disease control rate (77.8% vs. 47.2%; hazard ratio [HR] 3.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-13.48; P = 0.030) and a longer progression-free survival (PFS) (median: 6.47 months vs. 2.77 months; HR 2.10; 95% CI 1.16-3.79; P = 0.014) and overall survival (OS) (median: NA vs. 8.97 months; HR 3.53; 95% CI 1.49-8.38; P = 0.004) than those with lower diversity. Moreover, patients with a higher TCR repertoire similarity still showed a superior PFS (4.43 months vs. 1.84 months; HR 13.98; 95% CI 4.37-44.68; P < 0.001) and OS (13.40 months vs. 6.12 months; HR 2.93; 95% CI 1.22-7.03; P = 0.016) even in the cohort with lower baseline diversity. However, neither biomarker showed predictive value in the anti-PD-1 combination therapy cohort. Interestingly, the combination of TCR diversity and PD-L1 expression can facilitate patient stratification in a pooled cohort.

CONCLUSION

The circulating TCR repertoire can serve as a predictor of clinical outcomes in anti-PD-1 therapy in GI cancers.

Wnt antagonist secreted frizzled-related protein I (sFRP1) may be involved in the osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament cells in chronic apical periodontitis

AIM

To explore the mechanism of secreted frizzled-related protein I (sFRP1) involvement in the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) under inflammatory conditions.

METHODOLOGY

hPDLCs were cultured in an osteogenic differentiation-inducing medium (odi) and subjected to the stimulation of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P. gingivalis LPS) with or without the inhibition of sFRP1. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were carried out to evaluate the expression of osteogenic markers as well as the classic Wnt signalling pathway. Periapical periodontitis was induced in Wistar rats to further confirm the effect of sFRP1 inhibitor on bone loss in vivo. After the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, data were analysed by Student's paired t-test or one-way Anova test with a P value less than 0.05 as the level of statistical significance.

RESULTS

Significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of osteogenic markers were detected in hPDLCs treated with P. gingivalis LPS during osteogenic induction (P < 0.001). Increased expression of sFRP1 was observed (P < 0.01), whilst Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway was inhibited by the addition of P. gingivalis LPS (P < 0.01). After the addition of the sFRP1 inhibitor, the decrease of osteogenic markers (P < 0.05) and the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway (P < 0.05) were reversed significantly. The animal experiment further confirmed that the sFRP1 inhibitor significantly reduced bone loss of periapical lesions in vivo (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Wnt antagonist sFRP1 was involved in the osteogenic differentiation of hPDLCs under inflammation. Modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway through the inhibition of sFRP1 may offer a new perspective on the treatment of chronic apical periodontitis.

Towards high-power, high-coherence, integrated photonic mmWave platform with microcavity solitons

Millimetre-wave (mmWave) technology continues to draw great interest due to its broad applications in wireless communications, radar, and spectroscopy. Compared to pure electronic solutions, photonic-based mmWave generation provides wide bandwidth, low power dissipation, and remoting through low-loss fibres. However, at high frequencies, two major challenges exist for the photonic system: the power roll-off of the photodiode, and the large signal linewidth derived directly from the lasers. Here, we demonstrate a new photonic mmWave platform combining integrated microresonator solitons and high-speed photodiodes to address the challenges in both power and coherence. The solitons, being inherently mode-locked, are measured to provide 5.8 dB additional gain through constructive interference among mmWave beatnotes, and the absolute mmWave power approaches the theoretical limit of conventional heterodyne detection at 100 GHz. In our free-running system, the soliton is capable of reducing the mmWave linewidth by two orders of magnitude from that of the pump laser. Our work leverages microresonator solitons and high-speed modified uni-traveling carrier photodiodes to provide a viable path to chip-scale, high-power, low-noise, high-frequency sources for mmWave applications.

Spicy food consumption is associated with cognition and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer disease

BACKGROUND

Recent studies suggest that a healthy diet helps to prevent the development of Alzheimer disease (AD). This study aimed to investigate whether spicy food consumption is associated with cognition and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of AD in the Chinese population.

METHODS

We enrolled 55 AD patients and 55 age- and gender-matched cognitively normal (CN) subjects in a case-control study, as well as a cohort of 131 participants without subjective cognitive decline (non-AD) in a cross-sectional study. Spicy food consumption was assessed using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Associations of FFQ scores with cognition and CSF biomarkers of AD were analyzed.

RESULTS

In the case-control study, spicy food consumption was lower in AD patients than that in CNs (4.0 [4.0-8.0] vs. 8.0 [4.5-10.0], P < 0.001); FFQ scores were positively associated with Mini-Mental Status Examination scores in the total sample (r = 0.218, P = 0.014). In the cross-sectional study, the association between spicy food consumption and cognition levels was verified in non-AD subjects (r = 0.264, P = 0.0023). Moreover, higher FFQ scores were significantly associated with higher β-Amyloid (1-42) (Aβ42) levels and lower phospho-tau/Aβ42 and total tau/Aβ42 ratios in the CSF of non-AD subjects (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Spicy food consumption is closely related to higher cognition levels and reversed AD biomarkers in the CSF, suggesting that a capsaicin-rich diet might have the potential to modify the cognitive status and cerebral pathologies associated with AD.

Changes in empathy of nurses from 2009 to 2018: A cross-temporal meta-analysis

The empathy of nurses is associated with self-care and self-compassion, which may enhance the quality of the nurse-patient relationship. Yet, research on the empathy of nursing staff has mostly used cross-sectional designs, which cannot capture the degree of empathy changes over time. To explore changes in empathy among nurses in China from 2009 to 2018. A cross-temporal meta-analysis was used to examine continuous changes in the empathy of nurses. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used to conduct this cross-temporal meta-analysis of 57 samples of nurses in China who completed the three subscales (perspective-taking, compassionate care, and walking in the patient's shoes) of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals from 2009 to 2018 (N = 13,825). This meta-analysis was conducted following good scientific practice in every phase, and approval by ethics committees was not required according to the local regulations in China. The findings suggest that the nurses' mean total scores of empathy and perspective-taking on the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals declined significantly over time, but the trend in compassionate care and walking in the patient's shoes was not significant. No significant changes were found in the overall empathy or the three dimensions of empathy of the nurses in the Eastern region across time, whereas a significant decline was found on the total empathy and perspective-taking scores of the nurses in other regions (i.e. the Central and Western regions). The mean total score of empathy and walking in the patient's shoes of the nurses who worked in the intensive care units showed a significant decrease over time. Furthermore, these findings indicate that the empathy of Chinese nurses has decreased steadily over the past 10 years. High levels of empathy can effectively reduce healthcare risks, errors, and disputes among nursing staff and enhance patient satisfaction and well-being.

Insulin‑receptor substrate 1 protects against injury in endothelial cell models of ox‑LDL‑induced atherosclerosis by inhibiting ER stress/oxidative stress‑mediated apoptosis and activating the Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway

Oxidized low‑density lipoprotein (ox‑LDL)‑induced endothelial cell (EC) injury is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of insulin‑receptor substrate 1 (IRS‑1) on injury to ox‑LDL‑exposed ECs. For this purpose, thoracic aorta tissues were isolated from rats and cultured to obtain ECs, which were then identified using immunohistochemical staining. IRS‑1 overexpression plasmid (pcDNA3.1‑IRS‑1) and IRS‑1‑small interfering RNA were synthesized and transfected into ECs pre‑exposed to ox‑LDL. MTT and TUNEL assays were performed to evaluate the cell proliferative activity and apoptosis. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was determined by a flow cytometry assay. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR was conducted to measure the peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor gamma co‑activator 1 alpha (Ppargcla), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (Pck1) and glucose‑6‑phosphatase catalytic subunit (G6pc) gene transcription levels. Western blot analysis was then performed to determine the IRS‑1, forkhead box O1 (FoxO1), phosphorylated (p‑)FoxO1, 78‑kDa glucose‑regulated protein (GRP78), p‑eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2A (eIF2α), CHOP, Akt and p‑Akt expression levels. Immunofluorescence staining was used to evaluate p‑FoxO1 nuclear localization. The results indicated that IRS‑1 significantly enhanced the proliferative activity, whereas it inhibited the apoptosis of ECs in a model of ox‑LDL‑induced atherosclerosis compared with ECs without IRS‑1 treatment (P<0.05). IRS‑1 significantly decreased the p‑FoxO1/FoxO1 ratio compared with ECs without ox‑LDL treatment (P<0.05). IRS‑1 significantly downregulated the expression of ER stress biomarkers, including GRP78, CHOP and the p‑eIF2α/eIF2α ratio in ox‑LDL‑exposed ECs compared with ECs without ISR‑1 treatment (P<0.05). IRS‑1 significantly reduced the intracellular ROS levels in the EC models of ox‑LDL‑induced atherosclerosis compared with ECs without IRS‑1 treatment (P<0.05). Moreover, IRS‑1 promoted the phosphorylation of Akt in the EC models of ox‑LDL‑induced atherosclerosis. IRS‑1 also significantly suppressed the transcription of atherosclerosis‑associated genes in ox‑LDL‑exposed ECs compared with ECs without IRS‑1 treatment (P<0.05). Furthermore, IRS‑1 significantly increased the cytoplasmic localization of p‑FoxO1 in EC models of ox‑LDL‑induced atherosclerosis. On the whole, the findings of the present study demonstrate that IRS‑1 exerts protective effects in an EC model of ox‑LDL‑induced atherosclerosis by inhibiting ER stress/oxidative stress‑mediated apoptosis and activating the Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway.

Vernier frequency division with dual-microresonator solitons

Microresonator solitons are critical to miniaturize optical frequency combs to chip scale and have the potential to revolutionize spectroscopy, metrology and timing. With the reduction of resonator diameter, high repetition rates up to 1 THz become possible, and they are advantageous to wavelength multiplexing, coherent sampling, and self-referencing. However, the detection of comb repetition rate, the precursor to all comb-based applications, becomes challenging at these repetition rates due to the limited bandwidth of photodiodes and electronics. Here, we report a dual-comb Vernier frequency division method to vastly reduce the required electrical bandwidth. Free-running 216 GHz "Vernier" solitons sample and divide the main soliton's repetition frequency from 197 GHz to 995 MHz through electrical processing of a pair of low frequency dual-comb beat notes. Our demonstration relaxes the instrumentation requirement for microcomb repetition rate detection, and could be applied for optical clocks, optical frequency division, and microwave photonics.