Vitrification-enabled enhancement of proton conductivity in hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks.

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) are versatile materials with potential applications in proton conduction. Traditional approaches involve incorporating humidity control to address grain boundary challenges for proton conduction. This study finds vitrification as an alternative strategy to eliminate grain boundary effect in HOFs by rapidly melt quenching the kinetically stable HOF-SXU-8 to glassy state HOF-g. Notably, a remarkable enhancement in proton conductivity without humidity was achieved after vitrification, from 1.31 × 10-7 S cm-1 to 5.62× 10-2 S cm-1 at 100 °C. Long term stability test showed negligible performance degradation, and even at 30 °C, the proton conductivity remained at high level of 1.2 × 10-2 S cm-1. Molecule dynamics (MD) simulations and X-ray total scattering experiments reveal the HOF-g system is consisted of three kinds of clusters, i.e., 1,5-Naphthalenedisulfonic acid (1,5-NSA) anion clusters, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) molecule clusters, and H+-H2O clusters. In which, the H+ plays an important role to bridge these clusters and the high conductivity is mainly related to the H+ on H3O+. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing HOFs, enabling efficient proton conduction, and advancing energy conversion and storage devices.

TREM2 as an independent predictor of poor prognosis promotes the migration via the PI3K/AKT axis in prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) is one of the most common cancers, with high morbidity and mortality. Triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is upregulated in various malignancies, however its effect on PRAD remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of TREM2 in PRAD. METHODS: PRAD samples were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Oncomine, and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) to analyze the differences in TREM2 expression between normal and tumor tissues. The influence of TREM2 on the clinicopathological characteristics and its prognostic value were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier curve, Cox regression analysis, ROC (receiver operating characteristic) plot, and nomogram. Gene Ontology (GO), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) were conducted to screen biological functions and pathways. The relationship between TREM2 and tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristics was explored. The TREM2 expression in PRAD specimens and cell lines was assessed by immunohistochemistry staining and western blot. TREM2-specific siRNAs were used to evaluate the effects of TREM2 on cell function. RESULTS: TREM2 was upregulated and positively associated with poor clinicopathologic characteristics. Overexpression of TREM2 is an independent biomarker for the prognosis of PFI (progression-free interval). Moreover, TREM2 expression was positively correlated with various TME characteristics. Knockdown of TREM2 inhibited the migration of PRAD cell lines via the PI3K/AKT axis. CONCLUSION: High TREM2 expression may represent a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and serve as a potential target gene for PRAD therapy.

SF3B4 promotes Twist1 expression and clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression by facilitating the export of KLF 16 mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.

Splicing factor 3B subunit 4 (SF3B4) plays important functional roles not only in pre-mRNA splicing, but also in the regulation of transcription, translation, and cell signaling, and its dysregulation contributes to various diseases including Nager syndrome and tumorigenesis. However, the role of SF3B4 and underlying mechanisms in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remain obscure. In the present study, we found that the expression of SF3B4 was significantly elevated in ccRCC tissues and negatively correlated with the overall survival of ccRCC patients. Upregulation of SF3B4 promotes migration and invasion of ccRCC cells in vitro and in vivo. The promoting effect of SF3B4 on cell migration and invasion is mediated by Twist1, a key transcription factor to mediate EMT. Interestingly, SF3B4, a component of the pre-mRNA spliceosome, is able to promote KLF16 expression by facilitating the transport of KLF16 mRNA into the cytoplasm. Mechanistically, SF3B4 promotes the export of KLF16 mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and thus enhances KLF16 expression, and in turn elevated KLF16 directly binds to the Twist1 promoter to activate its transcription, leading to EMT and ccRCC progression. Our findings provide evidence that the SF3B4-KLF16-Twist1 axis plays important functional roles in the development and progression of ccRCC, and manipulating this pathway may be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of ccRCC.

Cardiomyocyte-specific Peli1 contributes to the pressure overload-induced cardiac fibrosis through miR-494-3p-dependent exosomal communication.

Cardiac fibrosis is an essential pathological process in pressure overload (PO)-induced heart failure. Recently, myocyte-fibroblast communication is proven to be critical in heart failure, in which, pathological growth of cardiomyocytes (CMs) may promote fibrosis via miRNAs-containing exosomes (Exos). Peli1 regulates the activation of NF-κB and AP-1, which has been demonstrated to engage in miRNA transcription in cardiomyocytes. Therefore, we hypothesized that Peli1 in CMs regulates the activation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) through an exosomal miRNA-mediated paracrine mechanism, thereby promoting cardiac fibrosis. We found that CM-conditional deletion of Peli1 improved PO-induced cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, Exos from mechanical stretch (MS)-induced WT CMs (WT MS-Exos) promote activation of CFs, Peli1-/- MS-Exos reversed it. Furthermore, miRNA microarray and qPCR analysis showed that miR-494-3p was increased in WT MS-Exos while being down regulated in Peli1-/- MS-Exos. Mechanistically, Peli1 promoted miR-494-3p expression via NF-κB/AP-1 in CMs, and then miR-494-3p induced CFs activation by inhibiting PTEN and amplifying the phosphorylation of AKT, SMAD2/3, and ERK. Collectively, our study suggests that CMs Peli1 contributes to myocardial fibrosis via CMs-derived miR-494-3p-enriched exosomes under PO, and provides a potential exosomal miRNA-based therapy for cardiac fibrosis.

Disturbing NLRP3 acetylation and inflammasome assembly inhibits androgen receptor-promoted inflammatory responses and prostate cancer progression.

Chronic inflammation is one of the definite factors leading to the occurrence and development of tumors, including prostate cancer (PCa). The androgen receptor (AR) pathway is essential for PCa tumorigenesis and inflammatory response. However, little is known about the AR-regulated NACHT, LRR, and PYD domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway in human PCa. In this study, we explored the expression of inflammatory cytokine and AR in high-grade PCa and observed that NLRP3 inflammasome-associated genes were upregulated in high-grade PCa compared with that in low-grade PCa and benign prostatic hyperplasia and were associated with AR expression. In addition, we identified circAR-3-a circRNA derived from the AR gene-which is involved in the AR-regulated inflammatory response and cell proliferation by activating the NLRP3 inflammatory pathway. While circAR-3 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and the inflammatory response, its depletion induced opposite effects. Mechanistically, we noted that circAR-3 mediated the acetylation modification of NLRP3 by KAT2B and then promoted NLRP3 inflammasome complex subcellular distribution and assembly. Disturbing NLRP3 acetylation or blocking inflammasome assembly with an inhibitor suppressed the progression of PCa xenograft tumors. Our findings provide the first evidence that targeting NLRP3 acetylation or inflammasome assembly may be effective in inhibiting PCa progression.

Identification and Mutation Analysis of Nonconserved Residues on the TIM-Barrel Surface of GH5_5 Cellulases for Catalytic Efficiency and Stability Improvement.

Exploring the potential functions of nonconserved residues on the outer side of α-helices and systematically optimizing them are pivotal for their application in protein engineering. Based on the evolutionary structural conservation analysis of GH5_5 cellulases, a practical molecular improvement strategy was developed. Highly variable sites on the outer side of the α-helices of the GH5_5 cellulase from Aspergillus niger (AnCel5A) were screened, and 14 out of the 34 highly variable sites were confirmed to exert a positive effect on the activity. After the modular combination of the positive mutations, the catalytic efficiency of the mutants was further improved. By using CMC-Na as the substrate, the catalytic efficiency and specific activity of variant AnCel5A_N193A/T300P/D307P were approximately 2.0-fold that of AnCel5A (227 ± 21 versus 451 ± 43 ml/s/mg and 1,726 ± 19 versus 3,472 ± 42 U/mg, respectively). The half-life (t1/2) of variant AnCel5A_N193A/T300P/D307P at 75°C was 2.36 times that of AnCel5A. The role of these sites was successfully validated in other GH5_5 cellulases. Computational analyses revealed that the flexibility of the loop 6-loop 7-loop 8 region was responsible for the increased catalytic performance. This work not only illustrated the important role of rapidly evolving positions on the outer side of the α-helices of GH5_5 cellulases but also revealed new insights into engineering the proteins that nature left as clues for us to find. IMPORTANCE A comprehensive understanding of the residues on the α-helices of the GH5_5 cellulases is important for catalytic efficiency and stability improvement. The main objective of this study was to use the evolutionary conservation and plasticity of the TIM-barrel fold to probe the relationship between nonconserved residues on the outer side of the α-helices and the catalytic efficiency of GH5_5 cellulases by conducting structure-guided protein engineering. By using a four-step nonconserved residue screening strategy, the functional role of nonconserved residues on the outer side of the α-helices was effectively identified, and a variant with superior performance and capability was constructed. Hence, this study proved the effectiveness of this strategy in engineering GH5_5 cellulases and provided a potential competitor for industrial applications. Furthermore, this study sheds new light on engineering TIM-barrel proteins.

Therapeutic Potential of Superoxide Dismutase Fused with Cell- Penetrating Peptides in Oxidative Stress-Related Diseases.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a well-known cellular antioxidant enzyme. However, exogenous SOD cannot be used to protect tissues from oxidative damage due to the low permeability of the cell membrane. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are a class of short peptides that can cross the cell membrane. Recombinant fusion protein that fuses SOD protein with CPP (CPP-SOD) can cross various tissues and organs as well as the blood-brain barrier. CPP-SODs can relieve severe oxidative damage in various tissues caused by radiation, ischemia, inflammation, and chemotherapy by clearing the reactive oxygen species, reducing the expression of inflammatory factors, and inhibiting NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathways. Therefore, the clinical application of CPP-SODs provides new therapeutic strategies for a variety of oxidative stress-related disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, obesity, cardiac fibrosis, and premature aging.

Silybin B exerts protective effect on cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity by alleviating DNA damage and apoptosis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Silybum marianum is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for treating liver disease. Silybin consisting of silybin A and silybin B, is a member of Silybum marianum, and exerts a therapeutic effect on many diseases. However, the protective effect of silybin on cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity and the stereoisomer contributing to the effect remain unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study aimed to study the effect of silybin on cisplatin-induced neuronal injury, compare the difference of protective effect between silybin A and silybin B, and the potential mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to separate silybin A and silybin B. X-ray crystallographic analysis in combination with experimental and calculated ECD were performed to identify the structure of silybin A and silybin B. The toxicity of the silybin or cisplatin against murine hippocampal neuronal HT22 cells was determined through MTT assay. The cell cycle and cell apoptosis were measured by PI staining and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, respectively, and then subjected to flow cytometry. Western blot analysis was conducted to quantify the expression of proteins related to apoptosis and DNA damage. Immunofluorescence was used to evaluate the expression of DNA damage marker. In vivo experiment, the behavioral analysis was determined through pole test, swimming test and Morris water maze test. The index of superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) were examined to evaluate the antioxidant capacity in mice brain. Nissl staining and Tunel assay were used to detect the neuronal viability and apoptosis in hippocampus. RESULTS: We successfully separated and identified silybin A and silybin B. We found both silybin A and silybin B alleviated cisplatin-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HT22 cells, and silybin B was more effective. We chose silybin B for further mechanism investigation, and found silybin B alleviated DNA damage by enhancing phosphorylation of ATR and decreasing expression of γ-H2AX. In the in vivo experiment, we observed that silybin B markedly improved the behavioral abnormalities in cisplatin-treated mice, reduced LPO level while increased SOD, GSH and T-AOC in mice brain tissue. Nissl staining and Tunel assay showed that silybin B alleviated cisplatin-induced hippocampal damage. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that silybin B might serve as a promising drug candidate in mitigating cisplatin-induced neural injury in the brain and thereby improving the chemotherapeutic outcomes.

Recent advances in the contribution of circRNAs to cisplatin chemotherapy resistance in cancers.

Worldwide, cancer is a serious threat to the health of citizens of every country, with the incidence and mortality increasing year by year. Cisplatin is the first-line anticancer drug commonly used in clinics and is widely used for the treatment of solid tumors including lung, gastric, liver, bladder, and ovarian cancer. Although cisplatin-based chemotherapy has a high clinical response efficacy, patients will inevitably develop drug resistance after repeated use, leading to severe restrictions of its application. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a promising class of non-coding RNAs capable of promoting or suppressing cancer via functioning as miRNAs sponges. Recently, an increasing amount of evidence shows that circRNAs are closely related to the cisplatin resistance of cancers. Therefore, standing at the perspective of the cisplatin chemotherapy resistance, this paper reviews the research progress of circRNAs related to cisplatin resistance of various cancers.

Protective Effect of Penetratin Analogue-Tagged SOD1 on Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity through Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and JNK/p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway.

Copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) can clear cisplatin- (CP-) induced excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), but exogenous SOD1 cannot enter cells because of its low biomembrane permeability. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) can rapidly cross plasma membranes. This study is aimed at identifying an efficient and stable CPP-SOD1 and investigating its effects on CP-induced nephrotoxicity. We recombined SOD1 with 14 different CPPs and purified them using an NTA-Ni2+ column. In in vitro experiments, CPPs-SOD1 cell membrane penetration ability and JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway were evaluated using Western blotting. ROS production, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and cell apoptosis were determined using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining in VERO and HK-2 cells. For in vivo experiments, mice were administered PSF-SOD1 for 2 h before cotreatment with a single CP injection for an additional 4 days. Blood and kidney samples were collected for renal function assessment (creatinine, urea nitrogen, histopathology, TUNEL assay, and JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway). Compared with TAT-SOD1, we found that PSF-SOD1 is more efficient at crossing the cell membrane and is stable after transduction into cells. Pretreatment with PSF-SOD1 inhibited CP-induced apoptosis, ROS generation, and JNK/p38 MAPK activation and restored CP-induced MMP loss in VERO and HK-2 kidney cells. Treatment of mice with PSF-SOD1 inhibited CP-induced serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen elevation, and JNK/p38 MAPK activation. H&E staining and TUNEL assay indicated that kidney tissue damage was alleviated following PSF-SOD1 pretreatment. Overall, PSF-SOD1 ameliorated CP-induced renal damage by partially reducing oxidative stress and cell apoptosis by regulating JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway and might be a better cytoprotective agent than TAT-SOD1.

Effect of IL-15-Mediating IFN-γ on HTR-8/SVneo Cells and a Preeclampsia Mouse Model Induced by Lipopolysaccharides.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the effect of interleukin (IL)-15 on HTR-8/SVneo cells and a preeclampsia (PE) mouse model induced by LPS. METHODS: Transwell and Annexin-V-FITC/PI assays were performed in HTR-8/SVneo cells transfected with IL-15 activation plasmid/siRNA prior to LPS treatment. Additionally, pregnant mice were injected with LPS and IL-15 siRNA followed by measurement of systolic blood pressure (SBP), urine protein, and serum NO. HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes of the placenta and kidney. Glycogen accumulation was detected using Best's carmine. qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and ELISA were performed to detect mRNA and protein expression. RESULTS: LPS increased IL-15 and IFN-γ expression in HTR-8/SVneo cells, and IL-15 positively regulated IFN-γ expression in LPS-induced HTR-8/SVneo cells. Moreover, LPS promoted apoptosis and reduced the invasion and migration of HTR-8/SVneo cells, which was, further, promoted by IL-15 overexpression but attenuated by IL-15 inhibition. Furthermore, LPS increased SBP and urine protein but decreased serum NO in mice, and these factors were reversed by IL-15 siRNA. Downregulation of IL-15 also mitigated kidney injury and improved pregnancy outcomes in LPS-induced PE mice. A significantly thicker junctional zone (JZ) and thinner labyrinth layer were found in placentas of PE mice treated with IL-15 siRNA, along with increased glycogen trophoblast cells in the JZ. Moreover, decreased IFN-γ and NKp46 were found in placentas of PE mice treated with IL-15 siRNA. CONCLUSION: IL-15 inhibition reduced cell apoptosis and increased the invasive and migratory abilities of LPS-induced HTR-8/SVneo cells, thereby alleviating the PE-like phenotype and improving pregnancy outcome.

CDK13 upregulation-induced formation of the positive feedback loop among circCDK13, miR-212-5p/miR-449a and E2F5 contributes to prostate carcinogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Both E2F transcription factor and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), which increase or decrease E2F activity by phosphorylating E2F or its partner, are involved in the control of cell proliferation, and some circRNAs and miRNAs regulate the expression of E2F and CDKs. However, little is known about whether dysregulation among E2Fs, CDKs, circRNAs and miRNAs occurs in human PCa. METHODS: The expression levels of CDK13 in PCa tissues and different cell lines were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. In vitro and in vivo assays were preformed to explore the biological effects of CDK13 in PCa cells. Co-immunoprecipitation anlysis coupled with mass spectrometry was used to identify E2F5 interaction with CDK13. A CRISPR-Cas9 complex was used to activate endogenous CDK13 and circCDK13 expression. Furthermore, the mechanism of circCDK13 was investigated by using loss-of-function and gain-of-function assays in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Here we show that CDK13 is significantly upregulated in human PCa tissues. CDK13 depletion and overexpression in PCa cells decrease and increase, respectively, cell proliferation, and the pro-proliferation effect of CDK13 is strengthened by its interaction with E2F5. Mechanistically, transcriptional activation of endogenous CDK13, but not the forced expression of CDK13 by its expression vector, remarkably promotes E2F5 protein expression by facilitating circCDK13 formation. Further, the upregulation of E2F5 enhances CDK13 transcription and promotes circCDK13 biogenesis, which in turn sponges miR-212-5p/449a and thus relieves their repression of the E2F5 expression, subsequently leading to the upregulation of E2F5 expression and PCa cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that CDK13 upregulation-induced formation of the positive feedback loop among circCDK13, miR-212-5p/miR-449a and E2F5 is responsible for PCa development. Targeting this newly identified regulatory axis may provide therapeutic benefit against PCa progression and drug resistance.

Cd-Based Metal-Organic Framework for Selective Turn-On Fluorescent DMSO Residual Sensing.

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a universally used solvent in various synthetic reactions, and trace amounts of DMSO residual are often seen on the surface of chemical product. It is difficult to quickly determine whether the residual DMSO is washed completely. This work reports a CdII metal-organic framework (MOF) SXU-4 which can detect trace amounts of DMSO in various solvents. Fluorescence experiments reveal its turn-on fluorescence effect toward DMSO with high selectivity and sensitivity, indicating that it can be used as an effective luminescent probe for rapid chemical product purity detection by testing the washing solution. Crystallographically characterized DMSO loaded SXU-4 (DMSO@SXU-4), in combination with computational results uncover that the enhanced DMSO-MOF conjugation through multiple DMSO-MOF supramolecule interactions and charge rearrangement are the main causes of fluorescence intensification.

Protection against chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced side effects: A review based on the mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities of phytochemicals.

BACKGROUND: Although great achievements have been made in the field of cancer therapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy remain the mainstay cancer therapeutic modalities. However, they are associated with various side effects, including cardiocytotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, myelosuppression, neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, mucositis, and alopecia, which severely affect the quality of life of cancer patients. Plants harbor a great chemical diversity and flexible biological properties that are well-compatible with their use as adjuvant therapy in reducing the side effects of cancer therapy. PURPOSE: This review aimed to comprehensively summarize the molecular mechanisms by which phytochemicals ameliorate the side effects of cancer therapies and their potential clinical applications. METHODS: We obtained information from PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google scholar, and introduced the molecular mechanisms by which chemotherapeutic drugs and irradiation induce toxic side effects. Accordingly, we summarized the underlying mechanisms of representative phytochemicals in reducing these side effects. RESULTS: Representative phytochemicals exhibit a great potential in reducing the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy due to their broad range of biological activities, including antioxidation, antimutagenesis, anti-inflammation, myeloprotection, and immunomodulation. However, since a majority of the phytochemicals have only been subjected to preclinical studies, clinical trials are imperative to comprehensively evaluate their therapeutic values. CONCLUSION: This review highlights that phytochemicals have interesting properties in relieving the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Future studies are required to explore the clinical benefits of these phytochemicals for exploitation in chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Soluble Expression, One-Step Purification and Characterization of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone Fused with ompA3 in Escherichia coli.

BACKGROUND: Human growth hormone (hGH) is the first recombinant protein approved for the treatment of human growth hormone deficiency. However, expression in inclusion bodies and low expression levels are enormous challenges for heterologous expression of hGH in Escherichia coli. OBJECTIVE: To increase the soluble expression of recombinant hGH with correct folding in E. coli. METHODS: We constructed a new recombinant expression plasmid containing the coding sequence of the outer membrane protein A (ompA3) which was used for the expression in Transetta (DE3) E. coli. In order to simplify the purification process and cleavage of recombinant proteins, the fusion sequence should contain hexahistidine-tag (His6) and enterokinase recognition sites (D4K). The effect of different expression conditions on recombinant hGH expression was optimized in flask cultivations. Furthermore, the periplasmic solution containing soluble hGH was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Circular dichroism (CD), western blot and mass spectrometry analyses were used to characterize the protein. Moreover, the growth-promoting effect of the purified hGH was also evaluated by cell proliferation assay. RESULTS: High-level expression (800 µg/mL) was achieved by induction with 0.5 mM IPTG at 30°C for 10 hours. The purity of hGH was over 90%. The immunological activity, secondary structure and molecular weight of the purified hGH were consistent with native hGH. The purified hGH was found to promote the growth of MC3T3-E1 cells, and was found to show the highest activity at a concentration of 100 ng/mL. CONCLUSION: Our research provides a feasible and convenient method for the soluble expression of recombinant hGH in E. coli, and may lay a foundation for the production and application of hGH in the industry.

Ciranda-An Inclusive Floor Seating Positioning System and Social Enterprise.

One of the first challenges for many children with physical disabilities is to sit independently. A floor seating positioning system enables this milestone, helping a child to maintain eye level with other children, play and learn on the floor, rectify his or her posture, and, therefore, helps to include the child within his or her social spectrum. Ciranda is the first comprehensive floor seat solution in Brazil to attend to those needs. The project collected anthropometric data from 370 children who were unable to sit without support. A sample of 37 families of these children was visited, observed, and interviewed. A project requirement compiled key insights from the field data to support a multidisciplinary team of collaborators to co-design solutions. The project resulted in two floor seating positioning systems to attend to different needs. One is a social enterprise where the children's parents and the community build the seat while the child in need and his or her friends engage in entertainment. The other is a salable seat that helps to raise funds for the social enterprise. The model also unravels other challenges common to assistive technologies, such as access to a device and training for the use and maintenance of the device.

Utilizing benchmarked dataset and gene regulatory network to investigate hub genes in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper was to investigate hub genes of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PO) utilizing benchmarked dataset and gene regulatory network (GRN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: To achieve this goal, the first step was to benchmark the dataset downloaded from the ArrayExpress database by adding local noise and global noise. Second, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between PO and normal controls were identified using the Linear Models for Microarray Data package based on benchmarked dataset. Third, five kinds of GRN inference methods, which comprised Zscore, GeneNet, context likelihood of relatedness (CLR) algorithm, Partial Correlation coefficient with Information Theory (PCIT), and GEne Network Inference with Ensemble of trees (Genie3), were described and evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and precision and recall (PR) curves. Finally, GRN constructed according to the method with best performance was implemented to conduct topological centrality (closeness) for the purpose of investigate hub genes of PO. RESULTS: A total of 236 DEGs were obtained based on benchmarked dataset of 20,554 genes. By assessing Zscore, GeneNet, CLR, PCIT, and Genie3 on the basis of ROC and PR curves, Genie3 had a clear advantage than others and was applied to construct the GRN which was composed of 236 nodes and 27,730 edges. Closeness centrality analysis of GRN was carried out, and we identified 14 hub genes (such as TTN, ACTA1, and MYBPC1) for PO. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we have identified 14 hub genes (such as TN, ACTA1, and MYBPC1) based on benchmarked dataset and GRN. These genes might be potential biomarkers and give insights for diagnose and treatment of PO.

Assessment of optic nerve and optic tract alterations in patients with orbital space-occupying lesions using probabilistic diffusion tractography.

AIM: To investigate the diffusion changes in both the optic nerve and optic tract in orbital space-occupying lesion patients with decreased visual acuity, and its clinical significance using probabilistic diffusion tractography (PDT). METHODS: Twenty patients with orbital space-occupying lesions and 25 age- and gender-matched healthy persons were included. All patients and controls underwent routine orbital magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), using a 3.0T magnetic resonance scanner (Trio Tim Siemens). After the image data were preprocessed, each DTI parameters of the optic nerve and optic tract was obtained by PDT, including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD). The asymmetry index (AI) of each parameter was calculated. Compared the parameters of the affected side optic nerve and ipsilateral optic tract with the contralateral side by paired sample t-test; compared AI of parameters of optic nerve and optic tract between the patient group and the control group by independent sample t-test. Patients were divided into three subgroups according to the low vision grade standard of WHO, compared the FA and AI of FA between the three subgroups by single factor variance analysis. RESULTS: The affected side optic nerve presented significantly decreased FA, increased MD, AD, and RD values compared to the unaffected side (P<0.05). The AI of FA, MD, AD, and RD of optic nerve in the patients was significantly higher than that of the controls (P<0.05). The comparison results of the optic tract showed that there was no significant difference between the patient group and control group in terms of the bilateral optic tracts in patients (P>0.05). The AIs of the FA value of the optic nerve in the eyesight <0.1 subgroup was significantly higher than that in the other groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: FA, MD, AD, and RD of the affected side optic nerve of the orbital space-occupying lesions have significantly changed, the FA value is the most sensitive. The PDT could be a useful tool to provide valid quantitative markers of optic nerve injuries and evaluate the severity of orbital diseases, which other examinations cannot be acquired.