Source-sink dynamics assists the maintenance of a pollinating wasp.

Dispersal that unites spatially subdivided populations into a metapopulation with source-sink dynamics is crucial for species persistence in fragmented landscapes. Understanding such dynamics for pollinators is particularly urgent owing to the ongoing global pollination crisis. Here, we investigated the population structure and source-sink dynamics of a pollinating wasp (Wiebesia sp. 3) of Ficus pumila in the Zhoushan Archipelago of China. We found significant asymmetry in the pairwise migrant numbers for 22 of 28 cases on the historical timescale, but only two on the contemporary timescale. Despite a small population size, the sole island not colonized by a superior competitor wasp (Wiebesia sp. 1) consistently behaved as a net exporter of migrants, supplying large sinks. Comparable levels of genetic diversity, with few private alleles and low genetic differentiation (total Fst : 0.03; pairwise Fst : 0.0005-0.0791), were revealed among all the islands. There was a significant isolation-by-distance pattern caused mainly by migration between the competition-free island and other islands, otherwise the pattern was negligible. The clustering analysis failed to detect multiple gene pools for the whole region. Thus, the sinks were most probably organized into a patchy population. Moreover, the estimates of effective population sizes were comparable between the two timescales. Thus the source-sink dynamics embedded within a well-connected population network may allow Wiebesia sp. 3 to persist at a competitive disadvantage. This study provides evidence that metapopulations in the real world may be complicated and changeable over time, highlighting the necessity to study such metapopulations in detail.

Dual Role of Triptolide in Interrupting the NLRP3 Inflammasome Pathway to Attenuate Cardiac Fibrosis.

In a previous paper, we reported that triptolide (TP), a commonly used immunomodulator, could attenuate cardiac hypertrophy. This present study aimed to further explore the inhibition of cardiac fibrosis by TP and the possible mechanism from the perspective of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's staining, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence were performed to observe cardiac fibrotic changes in mice and mouse cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). The Western blot, colocalization, and immunoprecipitation were applied to detect protein expression and interactions. Results suggested that TP dose-dependently inhibited cardiac fibrosis induced by isoproterenol and collagen production of CFs induced by angiotensin II. TP exhibited an antifibrotic effect via inhibiting activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which sequentially decreased IL-1ß maturation, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)-related phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and TGF-ß1/Smad signaling, and ultimately resulted in less collagen production. Moreover, TP showed no antifibrotic effect in Nlrp3-knockout CFs. Notably, TP inhibited the expression of NLRP3 and apoptosis-associated speck-like proteins containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) as well as inflammasome assembly, by interrupting the NLRP3-ASC interaction to inhibit inflammasome activation. Finally, TP indeed inhibited the NLRP3-TGFß1-Smad pathway in vivo. Conclusively, TP was found to play a dual role in interrupting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome to attenuate cardiac fibrosis.

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1 Facilitates the Development of Cardiac Hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Adult cardiomyocytes can re-enter cell cycle as stimulated by prohypertrophic factors although they withdraw from cell cycle soon after birth. p21WAF1/CIP1, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, has been implicated in cardiac hypertrophy, however, its precise contribution to this process remains largely unclear. METHODS: The gene expression profile in left ventricle (LV) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats was determined using quantitative PCR array and verified by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Hypertrophic response of H9c2 cells and neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM) were induced by angiotensin II (1 µmol/L). Cardiac hypertrophy of mice was elicited by isoproterenol (ISO) infusion (40 mg/kg per day for 14 days). p21-adenovirus and p21-siRNA were employed to transfect NRVM, and sterigmatocystin (STE, 3 mg/kg, ip, qd) was used to inhibit p21 activity. mRNA and protein expression levels of α- and ß-myosin heavy chain (MHC), p21WAF1/CIP1, calcineurin (CaN) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were assayed by realtime PCR and WB, respectively. RESULTS: Sixteen genes showed two-fold or greater changes between SHR and WKY rats, in which the expression of p21WAF1/CIP1 was upregulated by 4.15-fold (P=0.002) and reversed by losartan. Surface area, protein content, mRNA and protein expressions of ß-MHC, ANP and p21WAF1/CIP1 in H9c2 cells treated with AngII elevated significantly compared with control group. p21-Ad transfection markedly increased the surface area and ß-MHC mRNA expression of normal NRVMs, and p21-siRNA transfection decreased them in AngII-treated NRVMs. STE treatment decreased HW/BW and cross-sectional area, expression levels of ß-MHC, ANP and p21 significantly in ISO-treated mice. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that p21 facilitates the development of cardiac hypertrophy, and regulating the expression of p21 may be an approach to attenuate hypertrophic growth of cardiomyocytes.

Predictive value of machine learning models for lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer: A two-center study.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the digestive system, ranking sixth in incidence and fourth in mortality worldwide. Since 42.5% of metastatic lymph nodes in gastric cancer belong to nodule type and peripheral type, the application of imaging diagnosis is restricted. AIM: To establish models for predicting the risk of lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer patients using machine learning (ML) algorithms and to evaluate their predictive performance in clinical practice. METHODS: Data of a total of 369 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy at the Department of General Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University (Xuzhou, China) from March 2016 to November 2019 were collected and retrospectively analyzed as the training group. In addition, data of 123 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy at the Department of General Surgery of Jining First People's Hospital (Jining, China) were collected and analyzed as the verification group. Seven ML models, including decision tree, random forest, support vector machine (SVM), gradient boosting machine, naive Bayes, neural network, and logistic regression, were developed to evaluate the occurrence of lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancer. The ML models were established following ten cross-validation iterations using the training dataset, and subsequently, each model was assessed using the test dataset. The models' performance was evaluated by comparing the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of each model. RESULTS: Among the seven ML models, except for SVM, the other ones exhibited higher accuracy and reliability, and the influences of various risk factors on the models are intuitive. CONCLUSION: The ML models developed exhibit strong predictive capabilities for lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer, which can aid in personalized clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Dipterocarpoidae genomics reveal their demography and adaptations to Asian rainforests.

Dipterocarpoideae species form the emergent layer of Asian rainforests. They are the indicator species for Asian rainforest distribution, but they are severely threatened. Here, to understand their adaptation and population decline, we assemble high-quality genomes of seven Dipterocarpoideae species including two autotetraploid species. We estimate the divergence time between Dipterocarpoideae and Malvaceae and within Dipterocarpoideae to be 108.2 (97.8‒118.2) and 88.4 (77.7‒102.9) million years ago, and we identify a whole genome duplication event preceding dipterocarp lineage diversification. We find several genes that showed a signature of selection, likely associated with the adaptation to Asian rainforests. By resequencing of two endangered species, we detect an expansion of effective population size after the last glacial period and a recent sharp decline coinciding with the history of local human activities. Our findings contribute to understanding the diversification and adaptation of dipterocarps and highlight anthropogenic disturbances as a major factor in their endangered status.

Identification of BMP10 as a Novel Gene Contributing to Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), characterized by left ventricular or biventricular enlargement with systolic dysfunction, is the most common type of cardiac muscle disease. It is a major cause of congestive heart failure and the most frequent indication for heart transplantation. Aggregating evidence has convincingly demonstrated that DCM has an underlying genetic basis, though the genetic defects responsible for DCM in a larger proportion of cases remain elusive, motivating the ongoing research for new DCM-causative genes. In the current investigation, a multigenerational family affected with autosomal-dominant DCM was recruited from the Chinese Han population. By whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing analyses of the DNAs from the family members, a new BMP10 variation, NM_014482.3:c.166C > T;p.(Gln56*), was discovered and verified to be in co-segregation with the DCM phenotype in the entire family. The heterozygous BMP10 variant was not detected in 268 healthy volunteers enrolled as control subjects. The functional measurement via dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that Gln56*-mutant BMP10 lost the ability to transactivate its target genes NKX2.5 and TBX20, two genes that had been causally linked to DCM. The findings strongly indicate BMP10 as a new gene contributing to DCM in humans and support BMP10 haploinsufficiency as an alternative pathogenic mechanism underpinning DCM, implying potential implications for the early genetic diagnosis and precision prophylaxis of DCM.

Electroacupuncture alleviates postoperative pain through inhibiting neuroinflammation via stimulator of interferon genes/type-1 interferon pathway.

OBJECTIVE: This work explores the impact of electroacupuncture (EA) on acute postoperative pain (APP) and the role of stimulator of interferon genes/type-1 interferon (STING/IFN-1) signaling pathway modulation in the analgesic effect of EA in APP rats. METHODS: The APP rat model was initiated through abdominal surgery and the animals received two 30 min sessions of EA at bilateral ST36 (Zusanli) and SP6 (Sanyinjiao) acupoints. Mechanical, thermal and cold sensitivity tests were performed to measure the pain threshold, and electroencephalograms were recorded in the primary somatosensory cortex to identify the effects of EA treatment on APP. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to examine the expression and distribution of proteins in the STING/IFN-1 pathway as well as neuroinflammation. A STING inhibitor (C-176) was administered intrathecally to verify its role in EA. RESULTS: APP rats displayed mechanical and thermal hypersensitivities compared to the control group (P < 0.05). APP significantly reduced the amplitude of θ, α and γ oscillations compared to their baseline values (P < 0.05). Interestingly, expression levels of proteins in the STING/IFN-1 pathway were downregulated after inducing APP (P < 0.05). Further, APP increased pro-inflammatory factors, including interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and inducible nitric oxide synthase, and downregulated anti-inflammatory factors, including interleukin-10 and arginase-1 (P < 0.05). EA effectively attenuated APP-induced painful hypersensitivities (P < 0.05) and restored the θ, α and γ power in APP rats (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, EA distinctly activated the STING/IFN-1 pathway and mitigated the neuroinflammatory response (P < 0.05). Furthermore, STING/IFN-1 was predominantly expressed in isolectin-B4- or calcitonin-gene-related-peptide-labeled dorsal root ganglion neurons and superficial laminae of the spinal dorsal horn. Inhibition of the STING/IFN-1 pathway by intrathecal injection of C-176 weakened the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of EA on APP (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: EA can generate robust analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects on APP, and these effects may be linked to activating the STING/IFN-1 pathway, suggesting that STING/IFN-1 may be a target for relieving APP. Please cite this article as: Ding YY, Xu F, Wang YF, Han LL, Huang SQ, Zhao S, Ma LL, Zhang TH, Zhao WJ, Chen XD. Electroacupuncture alleviates postoperative pain through inhibiting neuroinflammation via stimulator of interferon genes/type-1 interferon pathway. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(5): 496-508.

Sustained-release oxycodone tablets for moderate to severe painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a multicenter, open-labeled, postmarketing clinical observation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sustained-release (SR) oxycodone tablets in the treatment of moderate to severe painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Design. This was a multicenter, randomized, open-labeled study. SETTING: This study was completed in 12 hospitals in China. PATIENTS: A total of 80 Chinese patients undergoing moderate to severe painful DPN. INTERVENTIONS: An initial dose of 10mg is recommended to be taken orally every 12 hours. Dose titration was done appropriately according to pain intensity and adverse reactions. OUTCOME MEASURES: Data record included days, dosage, analgesic efficacy, quality of sleep, adverse events, and combination therapy when patients were treated with SR oxycodone tablets. The continuous observation period was 6 weeks. RESULTS: After medication for 1 week, pain was significantly (P<0.01) relieved from 6.8±1.4 to 2.8±1.6. Onset time was within 45 minutes in nearly 60% of the patients, and within 1 hour in nearly 95% of that ones. More than 90% of the patients achieved stable analgesic dose within 3 days. After using SR oxycodone tablets for 1 week, sleep quality was significantly (P<0.01) improved. In week 1, the average dose of SR oxycodone tablets was 16.63±7.79mg. The average daily dose of most patients was about 20mg after 2 weeks. In all the enrolled patients, 38 (47.5%) had adverse reactions. No serious adverse reactions took place. CONCLUSION: The results of this clinical observation further elaborated the efficacy and safety of SR oxycodone tablets in the treatment of moderate to severe painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy in China.

Self-limiting bidirectional positive feedback between P53 and P21 is involved in cardiac hypertrophy.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. Although the function of p53 and p21 in pathological cardiac hypertrophy have been studied, the relationship between them in cardiomyocytes is still unclear. By using specific adenoviruses and siRNAs to modulate p53 or p21 expression in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs), we found that both upregulated p53 and p21 expression induced hypertrophic responses, and they promote each other's expression. Overexpression of p53 aggravated the hypertrophic response of cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo, while knockdown of p21 diminished the hypertrophic responses induced by angiotensin Ⅱ and the increase of p53 expression. Additionally, Angiotensin Ⅱ treatment promoted the nuclear translocation of p21 in NRVMs. Notably, increased p53 expression alone did not promote p21 translocation to the nucleus. Together, these data suggest a self-limiting bidirectional positive feedback interaction between p53 and p21 during cardiac hypertrophy.

Gu-Ben-Fang-Xiao decoction modulates lipid metabolism by activating the AMPK pathway in asthma remission.

Gu-Ben-Fang-Xiao decoction (GBFXD), derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Yu-Ping-Feng-San, is widely used in clinical settings and has obvious curative effects in respiratory diseases. GBFXD regulates cholesterol transport and lipid metabolism in chronic persistent asthma. There is evidence for its beneficial effects in the remission stage of asthma; however, its metabolic regulatory effects and underlying mechanisms during asthma remission are unclear. In the present study, we used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to analyse the metabolic profile of mouse serum during asthma remission. The acquired LC-MS data were subjected to a multivariate analysis for identification of significantly altered metabolites. In total, 42 metabolites were significantly differentially expressed among the control, model, and GBFXD groups. In particular, levels of fatty acids, acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, phosphatidylinositols, triglycerides, and diacylglycerols were altered during asthma remission. GBFXD may maintain lipid homeostasis on the lung surface by modulating lipid metabolism and may thereby alleviate asthma. We further quantified hypogeic acid (FA 16:1) based on targeted metabolomics and found that GBFXD may regulate fatty acid metabolism by activating the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway. These results support the use of GBFXD in patients with asthma remission.

Molecular mechanisms of mutualistic and antagonistic interactions in a plant-pollinator association.

Many insects metamorphose from antagonistic larvae into mutualistic adult pollinators, with reciprocal adaptation leading to specialized insect-plant associations. It remains unknown how such interactions are established at molecular level. Here we assemble high-quality genomes of a fig species, Ficus pumila var. pumila, and its specific pollinating wasp, Wiebesia pumilae. We combine multi-omics with validation experiments to reveal molecular mechanisms underlying this specialized interaction. In the plant, we identify the specific compound attracting pollinators and validate the function of several key genes regulating its biosynthesis. In the pollinator, we find a highly reduced number of odorant-binding protein genes and an odorant-binding protein mainly binding the attractant. During antagonistic interaction, we find similar chemical profiles and turnovers throughout the development of galled ovules and seeds, and a significant contraction of detoxification-related gene families in the pollinator. Our study identifies some key genes bridging coevolved mutualists, establishing expectations for more diffuse insect-pollinator systems.

[Correlations between MELD score and left ventricular function in patients with end-stage liver disease].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlations between MELD score and left ventricular function in patients with end-stage liver disease. METHODS: A total of 92 patients who prepared for orthotopic liver transplantation from January 2002 to May 2008 were enrolled in this study. Of these Patients, 75 were males and 17 were females, and the mean age was 50.3+/-9.5 years; 85 were cirrhosis, 7 were cirrhosis with primary liver cancer. Preoperative information, including biochemical parameters, coagulation parameters, indicators of hepatitis virology, two-dimensional echocardiography and electrocardiogram were collected. According to MELD (the Model for End-stage Liver Disease) scoring system, these subjects were categorized into three groups: MELD score is less than or equal to 9 points (31 cases, 33.7%); 10 is less than or equal to MELD score is less than or equal to 19 points (45 cases, 48.9%); MELD score is more than or equal to 20 points (16 cases, 17.4%). The relationships between MELD score and classification and cardiac function were determined by chi-square test, analysis of variance, rank sum test and correlation analysis, et al. RESULTS: MELD score was significantly correlated with left atrial diameter (LAD), interventricular septum thickness (IVST), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), aortic flow (AF), cardiac output (CO), QRS interval (QRSI) and corrected QT interval (QTc) (r = 0.317, 0.341, 0.228, 0.387, 0.325, 0.209 and 0.347, respectively; P value less than 0.01, respectively); except QRSI, these variables and left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT) were also correlated with INR (a MELD component) (r = 0.282, 0.319, 0.322, 0.435, 0.275, 0.320 and 0.237, respectively; P value less than 0.01, respectively); LAD, LVEDD, AF, CO and QTc were correlated with serum total bilirubin (r = 0.241, 0.219, 0.357, 0.246 and 0.253, respectively; P value less than 0.05, respectively); IVST and E/A ratio (A blood flow [from left atrium to left ventricular] velocity ratio between early diastole [E wave] and late diastole[A wave] ) were correlated with serum creatinine (r = 0.216 and -0.343; P value less than 0.05 and 0.01); the proportion of E/A is less than or equal to 1 in all subjects was 46.7% (43/92), and 48.4% (15/31), 35.6% (16/45) and 75.0% (12/16) in each group, besides, there was statistically significant difference between 10 is less than or equal to MELD score is less than or equal to 19 points group and MELD score is more than or equal to 20 points group (X2 = 7.359, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: There are different degrees of left ventricular structure, function and electrophysiological changes in patients with end-stage liver disease, these anomalies also will be increased with the MELD score increasing.

Effect of Triptolide on Temporal Expression of Cell Cycle Regulators During Cardiac Hypertrophy.

Adult mammalian cardiomyocytes may reenter the cell cycle and cause cardiac hypertrophy. Triptolide (TP) can regulate the expressions of various cell cycle regulators in cancer cells. However, its effects on cell cycle regulators during myocardial hypertrophy and mechanism are unclear. This study was designed to explore the profile of cell cycle of cardiomyocytes and the temporal expression of their regulators during cardiac hypertrophy, as well as the effects of TP. The hypertrophy models employed were neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) stimulated with angiotensin II (Ang II) for scheduled times (from 5 min to 48 h) in vitro and mice treated with isoprenaline (Iso) for from 1 to 21 days, respectively. TP was used in vitro at 1 µg/L and in vivo at 10 µg/kg. NRVMs were analyzed using flow cytometry to detect the cell cycle, and the expression levels of mRNA and protein of various cell cycle regulators were determined using real-time PCR and Western blot. It was found NRVM numbers in phases S and G2 increased, while that in the G1 phase decreased significantly after Ang II stimulation. The mRNA expression levels of p21 and p27 increased soon after stimulation, and thereafter, mRNA expression levels of all cell cycle factors showed a decreasing trend and reached their lowest levels in 1-3 h, except for cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) and CDK4 mRNA. The mRNA expression levels of CDK1, p21, and p27 increased markedly after stimulation with Ang II for 24-48 h. In myocardium tissue, CDK and cyclin expression levels peaked in 3-7 days, followed by a decreasing trend, while those of p21 and p27 mRNA remained at a high level on day 21. Expression levels of all protein were consistent with the results of mRNA in NRVMs or mice. The influence of Ang II or Iso on protein expression was more obvious than that on mRNA. TP treatment effectively prevented the imbalance in the expression of cell cycle regulators in the hypertrophy model group. In Conclusion, an imbalance in the expression of cell cycle regulators occurs during cardiac hypertrophy, and triptolide corrects these abnormal expression levels and attenuates cardiac hypertrophy.

[Association of the PADI4 gene polymorphism and HLA-DRB1 shared epitope alleles with rheumatoid arthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the peptidylarginine deiminase IV (PADI4) and HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) alleles with rheumatoid arthritis(RA) in a Chinese population. METHODS: Four exonic SNPs of the PADI4 gene (PADI 4_89*A/G, PADI 4_90*C/T, PADI 4_92*C/G and PADI 4_104*C/T) were genotyped in 67 unrelated patients with RA and 81 healthy controls, using cDNA sequencing and T vector cloning. HLA-DRB 1*01, *04 and *10 subtypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP). RESULTS: The distributions of the 4 SNPs were different in the two groups, and increased RA susceptibility was significantly associated with the minor alleles of PADI 4_89*G (P was 0.023), PADI 4_90*T (P was 0.004), PADI 4_104*T (P was 0.003), and the haplotypes carrying the 4 minor alleles (P was 0.008). HLA-DRB1 SE alleles are composed of HLA-DRB 1*0101, *0102, *0401, *0404, *0405, *0408, *0409, *0410 and *1001. Individuals carrying the SE alleles were associated with increased RA susceptibility (P was 0.002). Individuals carrying both the SE alleles and minor alleles of the 4 SNPs were more susceptible to RA than individuals carrying neither the minor SNP alleles nor the SE alleles. CONCLUSION: The PADI4 SNPs and haplotypes are associated with RA susceptibility in Chinese. HLA-DRB1 shared epitope is also an important risky factor for RA. There may exist certain synergistic effect between the PADI4 minor alleles and the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope.

[Determination the chemical speciation of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn in Radix Scutellariae by AAS].

An analysis method was developed to determine the chemical speciation of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn in radix scutellariae decoction using atomic absorption spectroscopy(AAS). The decoction can be divided into suspension and soluble species by 0.45 microm filter membrane and the soluble species can be separated into organism and inorganic species by LSA-10 macroporous resin. These elements in water-soluble test samples can be divided into alcohol-soluble and water-soluble by adopting n-octyl alcohol-water allocation system in man-made gastric acidity. Then, the concentration of these elements was determined by AAS, which provided more chemical speciation information about these elements instead of the total amount of them only in radix scutellariae. Deteotion limit of Cu, Zn and Mn by using the method was all 0.01 microg x mL(-1) and was 0.02 microg x mL(-1) for Fe. The RSD was in the range of 1.5%-3.6% (n=11) and the recovery rate of soluble species and inorganic species were in range of 96.7%-105.0%. The method has been successfully applied to determine the chemical speciation of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn in radix scutellariae, which was very important for overall study of radix scutellariae.

Role of iPSC-derived pericytes on barrier function of iPSC-derived brain microvascular endothelial cells in 2D and 3D.

BACKGROUND: Pericytes of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are embedded within basement membrane between brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and astrocyte end-feet. Despite the direct cell-cell contact observed in vivo, most in vitro BBB models introduce an artificial membrane that separates pericytes from BMECs. In this study, we investigated the effects of pericytes on BMEC barrier function across a range of in vitro platforms with varied spatial orientations and levels of cell-cell contact. METHODS: We differentiated RFP-pericytes and GFP-BMECs from hiPSCs and monitored transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) across BMECs on transwell inserts while pericytes were either directly co-cultured on the membrane, indirectly co-cultured in the basolateral chamber, or embedded in a collagen I gel formed on the transwell membrane. We then incorporated pericytes into a tissue-engineered microvessel model of the BBB and measured pericyte motility and microvessel permeability. RESULTS: We found that BMEC monolayers did not require co-culture with pericytes to achieve physiological TEER values (> 1500 Ω cm2). However, under stressed conditions where TEER values for BMEC monolayers were reduced, indirectly co-cultured hiPSC-derived pericytes restored optimal TEER. Conversely, directly co-cultured pericytes resulted in a decrease in TEER by interfering with BMEC monolayer continuity. In the microvessel model, we observed direct pericyte-BMEC contact, abluminal pericyte localization, and physiologically-low Lucifer yellow permeability comparable to that of BMEC microvessels. In addition, pericyte motility decreased during the first 48 h of co-culture, suggesting progression towards pericyte stabilization. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that monocultured BMECs do not require co-culture to achieve physiological TEER, but that suboptimal TEER in stressed monolayers can be increased through co-culture with hiPSC-derived pericytes or conditioned media. We also developed the first BBB microvessel model using exclusively hiPSC-derived BMECs and pericytes, which could be used to examine vascular dysfunction in the human CNS.

Facile preparation of bright orange fluorescent carbon dots and the constructed biosensing platform for the detection of pH in living cells.

Long wavelength (i.e., orange- to red-light) fluorescence emission and functionality are critically longing for the development and applications of carbon dots (CDs) toward biosensor and bioimaging analysis. Herein, the N-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) with bright orange fluorescence emission at 592 nm were facilely synthesized via p-phenylenediamine as a carbon precursor by microwave method. The as-prepared N-CDs exhibit favorable biocompatibility, excellent water solubility, highly optical stabilities and display sensitive pH response behavior. When the pH is decreased from 9.45 to 2.45, its emission fluorescence intensity will be significantly enhanced. The pKa value of N-CDs is 5.80 and it shows linear response to the physiological pH range of 4.45-7.00. Moreover, the N-CDs also possess high selectivity of hydrogen ions over common metal ions and some bioactive molecules, excellent photostability and reversibility. Based on this, a fluorescence sensing platform is established for the detection of pH in the environment. The N-CDs were successfully used as the fluorescent probe for cellular imaging and applied to monitor pH fluctuations in live cells based on its biocompatibility and cell membrane permeability. It is also anticipated that the N-CDs are potential bio-nano-materials for real-time tracking of the intracellular pH especially under physiological conditions in the disease diagnosis, biosensing and biomedical fields.

[The impact of phylogenetic uncertainty on the metrics of community phylogenetic structure]. / ç‰©ç§è°±ç³»ä¸ç¡®å®šæ€§å¯¹ç¾¤è½è°±ç³»æ ¼å±€æŒ‡æ ‡çš„å½±å“.

Phylogeny has been widely used to quantify community phylogenetic structure and to infer the underlying mechanism. Many studies, however, neglected phylogeny uncertainty and its potential impact on community phylogenetic structure. In this study, we explored the potential impact of phylogenetic uncertainty among 150 species in a 20 hm2 plot in Tiantong, Zhejiang. One consensus tree and 999 phylogenetic trees representing the phylogenetic uncertainty were estimated based on two cpDNA fragments (rbcL and matK). Combined with the species distribution data, community phylogenetic structure was quantified by two common indices (NRI and NTI) and their significances were tested by the independent swap null model. Our results showed that tree topology and node age showed a large uncertainty. The uncertainty was larger for young species and significantly increased with mean phylogenetic distance. Phylogenetic uncertainty increased the variation of both standardized NRI and NTI in each quadrat. These impacts were independent between both indices in either spatial pattern or the degree of impact. NRI was more sensitive than NTI to the uncertainty. At community scale, phylogenetic uncertainty also affected the variation of the mean standardized NRI and NTI of all quadrats, with mean standard deviation of 0.37 and 0.077, respectively. Such a result suggests that mean standardized NRI at community level was more vulnerable to the phylogenetic uncertainty, which is consistent with the result at the sample level. Our findings showed that phylogenetic uncertainty could add different variation into the NRI and NTI series indices and might increase biases in the quantification of community phylogenetic structure and its underlying ecological processes. Our results implied that non-random community phylogenetic structure was probably overestimated in the previous studies which ignored phylogenetic uncertainty.

Body mass index and persistent pain after breast cancer surgery: findings from the women's healthy eating and living study and a meta-analysis.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and persistent pain after breast cancer surgery in a prospective study and synthesize available evidence through a meta-analysis. In the Women's Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) Study, 3,088 women diagnosed of breast cancer were enrolled and assessed. After 4 years, a subgroup of 2,131 women was re-assessed for the pain information. Logistic regression models were used to assess the associations of baseline BMI and BMI change between baseline and 4 years of follow-up with general pain symptoms at 4 years of follow-up. We further synthesized all available evidence from observational studies by searching PubMed and Embase up to February 2017. In the WHEL study, baseline BMI was linearly associated with an increased risk of persistent pain at 4 years of follow-up (odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 1.07 (1.05-1.10)). After adjusting for baseline BMI, BMI change since baseline was associated with persistent pain (OR (95% CI) for every unit increase: 1.10 (1.04-1.16)). After searching the literature, additional eight studies were eligible to be included in the meta-analysis. After pooling estimates from all nine studies, there was a positive association with persistent pain development comparing obesity or overweight with normal weight. Available data suggested a linear relationship between BMI and persistent pain (OR (95% CI) for every one unit increment of BMI: 1.04 (1.02-1.07)). Overall, our analyses suggested that BMI might be positively associated with risk of persistent pain after breast cancer surgery.