The zinc finger protein Miz1 suppresses liver tumorigenesis by restricting hepatocyte-driven macrophage activation and inflammation.

Chronic inflammation plays a central role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the contribution of hepatocytes to tumor-associated inflammation is not clear. Here, we report that the zinc finger transcription factor Miz1 restricted hepatocyte-driven inflammation to suppress HCC, independently of its transcriptional activity. Miz1 was downregulated in HCC mouse models and a substantial fraction of HCC patients. Hepatocyte-specific Miz1 deletion in mice generated a distinct sub-group of hepatocytes that produced pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which skewed the polarization of the tumor-infiltrating macrophages toward pro-inflammatory phenotypes to promote HCC. Mechanistically, Miz1 sequestrated the oncoprotein metadherin (MTDH), preventing MTDH from promoting transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation. A distinct sub-group of pro-inflammatory cytokine-producing hepatocytes was also seen in a subset of HCC patients. In addition, Miz1 expression inversely correated with disease recurrence and poor prognosis in HCC patients. Our findings identify Miz1 as a tumor suppressor that prevents hepatocytes from driving inflammation in HCC.

Effect of Phosphate on the Molecular Properties, Interactions, and Assembly of Engineered Spider Silk Proteins.

Phosphate plays a vital role in spider silk spinning and has been utilized in numerous artificial silk spinning attempts to replicate the remarkable mechanical properties of natural silk fiber. Its application in artificial processes has, however, yielded varying outcomes. It is thus necessary to investigate the origins and mechanisms behind these differences. By using recombinant silk protein SC-ADF3 derived from the garden spider Araneus diadematus, here, we describe its conformational changes under various conditions, elucidating the effect of phosphate on SC-ADF3 silk protein properties and interactions. Our results demonstrate that elevated phosphate levels induce the irreversible conformational conversion of SC-ADF3 from random coils to ß-sheet structures, leading to decreased protein solubility over time. Furthermore, exposure of SC-ADF3 to phosphate stiffens already formed structures and reduces the ability to form new interactions. Our findings offer insights into the underlying mechanism through which phosphate-induced ß-sheet structures in ADF3-related silk proteins impede fiber formation in the subsequent phases. From a broader perspective, our studies emphasize the significance of silk protein conformation for functional material formation, highlighting that the formation of ß-sheet structures at the initial stages of protein assembly will affect the outcome of material forming processes.

Activation of autophagy promotes the inhibitory effect of curcumin analog EF-24 against MDA-MB-231 cancer cells.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide. EF-24, an analog of curcumin, has been shown to possess promising anticancer effects. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In the present study, the inhibitory effect of EF-24 against one breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, and its anti-migration ability were assessed by MTT, wound healing, and Transwell assay. Furthermore, we found that EF-24 could induce initiation of autophagy as evidenced by fluorescence and electron microscope observation. EF-24 also induced mitochondrial apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells as detected by Hoechst 33342 staining, flow cytometry analysis, and western blot analysis. In addition, the early autophagy inhibitor 3-MA could reduce the cleavage of PARP protein and protect cells from EF-24-induced apoptosis, while the autophagy inducer (rapamycin) could enhance the anticancer effect of EF-24 in MDA-MB-231 cells, which suggest that EF-24 induces crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis, which herein participate in the antiproliferative effect of EF-24 in breast cancer cells. Moreover, removal of EF-24-activated ROS with NAC significantly reversed migration ability of MDA-MB-231 cells, indicating that EF-24 exerted an inhibitory effect through a ROS-mediating pathway. These results will help to elucidate the antitumor mechanism of curcumin analogs and to explore future potential clinical applications.

Functional Characterization of the First Bona Fide Phytoene Synthase in Red Algae from Pyropia yezoensis.

The formation of phytoene by condensing two geranylgeranyl diphosphate molecules catalyzed by phytoene synthase (PSY) is the first committed and rate-limiting step in carotenoid biosynthesis, which has been extensively investigated in bacteria, land plants and microalgae. However, this step in macroalgae remains unknown. In the present study, a gene encoding putative phytoene synthase was cloned from the economic red alga Pyropia yezoensis-a species that has long been used in food and pharmaceuticals. The conservative motifs/domains and the tertiary structure predicted using bioinformatic tools suggested that the cloned PyPSY should encode a phytoene synthase; this was empirically confirmed by pigment complementation in E. coli. This phytoene synthase was encoded by a single copy gene, whose expression was presumably regulated by many factors. The phylogenetic relationship of PSYs from different organisms suggested that red algae are probably the progeny of primary endosymbiosis and plastid donors of secondary endosymbiosis.

Anti-inflammatory Polyketides from an Endophytic Fungus Chaetomium sp. UJN-EF006 of Vaccinium bracteatum.

Seven new polyketides including three chromone derivatives (1-3) and four linear ones incorporating a tetrahydrofuran ring (4-7), along with three known compounds (8-10), were obtained from the fermentation of an endophytic fungus (Chaetomium sp. UJN-EF006) isolated from the leaves of Vaccinium bracteatum. The structures of these fungal metabolites have been elucidated by spectroscopic means including MS, NMR and electronic circular dichroism. A preliminary anti-inflammatory screening with the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced RAW264.7 cell model revealed moderate NO production inhibitory activity for compounds 1 and 4. In addition, the expression of three LPS-induced inflammatory factors IL-6, iNOS and COX-2 was also blocked by 1 and 4.

Bioactive neolignan, iridoid and flavonoid glycosides from the leaves of Vaccinium bracteatum.

Two neolignan glycosides including a new one (1), along with seven iridoid glycosides (3 - 9) and nine flavonoid glycosides (10 - 18), were isolated from the leaves of Vaccinium bracteatum. Their structures were established mainly on the basis of 1D/2D NMR and ESIMS analyses, as well as comparison to known compounds in the literature. The structure of 1 with absolute stereochemistry was also confirmed by chemical degradation and ECD calculation. Selective compounds showed antiradical activity against ABTS and/or DPPH. Moreover, several isolates also suppressed the production of ROS in RAW264.7 cells and exerted neuroprotective effect toward PC12 cells.

Genomic structures of insulin-like growth factor from golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) and their expression responses to the feed types.

Golden pompano is an important aquaculture product in the coastal regions of southern China, which is highly dependent on insulin-like growth factor (IGF) for various biological processes. The cDNAs of ToIGF1, ToIGF2, and ToIGF3 are 1718 bp, 1658 bp, and 2272 bp in length, respectively, with corresponding amino acid sequences of 185 aa, 215 aa, and 194 aa. These sequences consist of 5 parts, including the signal peptide, the B domain, the C domain, the A domain, the D domain, and the E domain, which are also found in other species. While ToIGF1 has no SSR polymorphism, ToIGF2 and ToIGF3 have 3 and 1 SSR polymorphism sites, respectively. In terms of tissue expression, ToIGF1 is predominantly expressed in the liver, ToIGF2 shows its highest expression in the gills, and ToIGF3 also shows its highest expression in the gills, but no expression in the liver and spleen. These tissue distribution results suggest that ToIGFs are not only present in growth-related tissues such as the brain, muscle, and liver, but also in reproductive tissues, tissues that regulate osmotic pressure, and tissues related to food intake. This observation is consistent with other bony fish species and highlights the extensive biological functions of ToIGFs that need to be further explored and exploited. In addition, the expression levels of ToIGFs were found to be different in the different dietary groups, including the pelleted food group, the frozen squid group, and the frozen fish group. In the pelleted diet group, ToIGF1 and ToIGF2 were highly expressed in the liver and intestinal tissues, followed by the frozen fish group. These results suggest that the type of diet can affect the body's energy metabolism by influencing tissue expression of growth-related genes, which in turn affects individual growth.

Methane production and lignocellulosic degradation of wastes from rice, corn and sugarcane by natural anaerobic fungi-methanogens co-culture.

Biomass from agriculture, forestry, and urban wastes is a potential renewable organic resource for energy generation. Many investigations have demonstrated that anaerobic fungi and methanogens could be co-cultured to degrade lignocellulose for methane generation. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of natural anaerobic fungi-methanogens co-culture on the methane production and lignocellulosic degradation of wastes from rice, corn and sugarcane. Hu sheep rumen digesta was used to develop a natural anaerobic fungi-methanogen co-culture. The substrates were rice straw (RS), rich husk (RH), corn stover (CS), corn cobs (CC), and sugarcane baggage (SB). Production of total gas and methane, metabolization rate of reducing sugar, glucose, and xylose, digestibility of hemicellulose and cellulose, activity of carboxymethylcellulase and xylanase, and concentrations of total acid and acetate were highest (P < 0.05) in CC, moderate (P < 0.05) in RS and CS, and lowest (P < 0.05) in SB and RH. The pH, lactate and ethanol were lowest (P < 0.05) in CC, moderate (P < 0.05) in RS and CS, and lowest (P < 0.05) SB and RH. Formate was lowest (P < 0.05) in CC, RS and CS, moderate (P < 0.05) in SB, and lowest (P < 0.05) in RH. Therefore, this study indicated that the potential of methane production and lignocellulosic degradation by natural anaerobic fungi-methanogens co-culture were highest in CC, moderate in RS and CS, and lowest in SB and RH.

The XOR-IDH3α axis controls macrophage polarization in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are indispensable in the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor microenvironment. Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), also known as xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH), participates in purine metabolism, uric acid production, and macrophage polarization to a pro-inflammatory phenotype. However, the role of XOR in HCC-associated TAMs is unclear. METHODS: We evaluated the XOR level in macrophages isolated from HCC tissues and paired adjacent tissues. We established diethylnitrosamine/carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced and orthotopically implanted HCC mouse models using mice with Xdh-specific depletion in the myeloid cell lineage (Xdhf/fLyz2cre) or Kupffer cells (Xdhf/fClec4fcre). We determined metabolic differences using specific methodologies, including metabolomics and metabolic flux. RESULTS: We found that XOR expression was downregulated in HCC TAMs and positively correlated with patient survival, which was strongly related to the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment, especially hypoxia. Using HCC-inflicted mice (Xdhf/fLyz2cre and Xdhf/fClec4fcre), we revealed that XOR loss in monocyte-derived TAMs rather than Kupffer cells promoted their M2 polarization and CD8+ T-cell exhaustion, which exacerbated HCC progression. In addition, the tricarboxylic acid cycle was disturbed, and the generation of α-ketoglutarate was enhanced within XOR-depleted macrophages. XOR inhibited α-ketoglutarate production by interacting with IDH3α catalytic sites (K142 and Q139). The increased IDH3α activity caused increased adenosine and kynurenic acid production in TAMs, which enhanced the immunosuppressive effects of TAMs and CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSIONS: The XOR-IDH3α axis mediates TAM polarization and HCC progression and may be a small-molecule therapeutic or immunotherapeutic target against suppressive HCC TAMs. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: Immunotherapies have been widely applied to the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but to date they have been associated with unsatisfactory efficacy. The tumor microenvironment of HCC is full of different infiltrating immune cells. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are vital components in the tumor microenvironment and are involved in HCC progression. Herein, we confirm the downregulation of XOR expression in TAMs isolated from human HCC. The loss of XOR in monocyte-derived macrophages increases IDH3 activity and results in an increase in α-ketoglutarate production, which can promote M2-like polarization. Additionally, XOR-null TAMs derived from monocytes promote CD8+ T-cell exhaustion via the upregulation of immunosuppressive metabolites, including adenosine and kynurenic acid. Given the prevalence and high rate of incidence of HCC and the need for improved therapeutic options for patients, our findings identify potential therapeutic targets that may be further studied to develop improved therapies.

Evolocumab attenuate pericoronary adipose tissue density via reduction of lipoprotein(a) in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a serial follow-up CCTA study.

BACKGROUND: Pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) density is a biomarker of vessel inflammation, which is supposed to be increased in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, whether the coronary inflammation revealed by this novel index could be alleviated after evolocumab treatment in T2DM remains unknown. METHODS: From January 2020 to December 2022, consecutive T2DM patients with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥ 70 mg/dL on maximally tolerated statin and taking evolocumab were prospectively included. In addition, patients with T2DM who were taking statin alone were recruited as control group. The eligible patients underwent baseline and follow-up coronary CT angiography with an interval of 48-week. To render patients with evolocumab as comparable to those controls, a propensity-score matching design was used to select the matched pairs with a 1:1 ratio. Obstructive lesion was defined as the extent of coronary artery stenosis ≥ 50%; the numbers inside the brackets were interquartile ranges. RESULTS: A total of 170 T2DM patients with stable chest pain were included [(mean age 64 ± 10.6 [range 40-85] years; 131 men). Among those patients, 85 were in evolocumab group and 85 were in control group. During follow-up, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level (2.02 [1.26, 2.78] vs. 3.34 [2.53, 4.14], p < 0.001), and lipoprotein(a) (12.1 [5.6, 21.8] vs. 18.9 [13.2, 27.2], p = 0.002) were reduced after evolocumab treatment. The prevalence of obstructive lesions and high-risk plaque features were significantly decreased (p < 0.05 for all). Furthermore, the calcified plaque volume were significantly increased (188.3 [115.7, 361.0] vs. 129.3 [59.5, 238.3], p = 0.015), while the noncalcified plaque volume and necrotic volume were diminished (107.5 [40.6, 180.6] vs. 125.0 [65.3, 269.7], p = 0.038; 0 [0, 4.7] vs. 0 [0, 13.4], p < 0.001, respectively). In addition, PCAT density of right coronary artery was significantly attenuated in evolocumab group (- 85.0 [- 89.0, - 82.0] vs. - 79.0 [- 83.5, - 74.0], p < 0.001). The change in the calcified plaque volume inversely correlated with achieved LDL-C level (r = - 0.31, p < 0.001) and lipoprotein(a) level (r = - 0.33, p < 0.001). Both the changes of noncalcified plaque volume and necrotic volume were positively correlated with achieved LDL-C level and Lp(a) (p < 0.001 for all). However, the change of PCATRCA density only positively correlated with achieved lipoprotein(a) level (r = 0.51, p < 0.001). Causal mediation analysis revealed Lp(a) level mediated 69.8% (p < 0.001) for the relationship between evolocumab and changes of PCATRCA. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with T2DM, evolocumab is an effective therapy to decrease noncalcified plaque volume necrotic volume, and increase calcified plaque volume. Furthermore, evolocumab could attenuate PCAT density, at least in part, via the reduction of lipoprotein(a).

Prognostic value of coronary CT angiography in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prognostic value of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). METHODS: Between January 2009 and December 2013, 6497 participants (mean age 63 ± 9.4 [range 32-86] years; 4111 men) who underwent CCTA and echocardiography were prospectively included. Participants were divided into HFpEF group and without HFpEF group. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), or hospitalization for heart failure (HF). RESULTS: Among those participants, 3096 were identified with HFpEF and 3401 were without HFpEF. Higher prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis was observed in HFpEF group than those without (78.3% vs. 64.9%, p < 0.001). During a median of 11.0 [IQR: 9.0-12.0] years follow-up, participants with HFpEF exhibit a heightened risk of MACEs in CAD-RADS = 0, 1-2, and ≥ 3 respectively (p < 0.001 for all). In the risk-adjusted hazard analysis among participants with HFpEF, CAD-RADS = 1-2 increased a 2.5-time risk for non-fatal MI (adjusted HR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.5 to 4.3, p < 0.001), while CAD-RADS ≥ 3 conferred 3.9-fold and 3.1-fold higher risk for cardiovascular mortality (adjusted HR: 3.9, 95% CI: 2.2 to 7.1, p < 0.001) and hospitalization due to HF (adjusted HR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.9 to 5.3, p < 0.001) with reference to CAD-RADS = 0 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary artery disease is common in participants with HFpEF and associated with MACEs. Among those participants, the presence of CAD-RADS = 1-2 increased the risk of nonfatal MI, while CAD-RADS ≥ 3 were correlated with cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization due to HF. KEY POINTS: • Higher median of CACS and higher CAD-RADS categories were observed in the HFpEF group than those without (p < 0.001 for both). • Participants with HFpEF exhibit a heightened risk of MACEs in CAD-RADS = 0, 1-2, and ≥ 3 respectively (p < 0.001 for all). • In the risk-adjusted hazard analysis among participants with HFpEF, CAD-RADS =1-2 increased a 2.5-time risk for non-fatal MI (adjusted HR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.5 to 4.3, p < 0.001) with reference to CAD-RADS = 0 respectively.

Fully automated pixel-wise quantitative CMR-myocardial perfusion with CMR-coronary angiography to detect hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVES: We applied a fully automated pixel-wise post-processing framework to evaluate fully quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial perfusion imaging (CMR-MPI). In addition, we aimed to evaluate the additive value of coronary magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA) to the diagnostic performance of fully automated pixel-wise quantitative CMR-MPI for detecting hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: A total of 109 patients with suspected CAD were prospectively enrolled and underwent stress and rest CMR-MPI, CMRA, invasive coronary angiography (ICA), and fractional flow reserve (FFR). CMRA was acquired between stress and rest CMR-MPI acquisition, without any additional contrast agent. Finally, CMR-MPI quantification was analyzed by a fully automated pixel-wise post-processing framework. RESULTS: Of the 109 patients, 42 patients had hemodynamically significant CAD (FFR ≤ 0.80 or luminal stenosis ≥ 90% on ICA) and 67 patients had hemodynamically non-significant CAD (FFR ˃ 0.80 or luminal stenosis < 30% on ICA) were enrolled. On the per-territory analysis, patients with hemodynamically significant CAD had higher myocardial blood flow (MBF) at rest, lower MBF under stress, and lower myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) than patients with hemodynamically non-significant CAD (p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of MPR (0.93) was significantly larger than those of stress and rest MBF, visual assessment of CMR-MPI, and CMRA (p < 0.05), but similar to that of the integration of CMR-MPI with CMRA (0.90). CONCLUSIONS: Fully automated pixel-wise quantitative CMR-MPI can accurately detect hemodynamically significant CAD, but the integration of CMRA obtained between stress and rest CMR-MPI acquisition did not provide significantly additive value. KEY POINTS: • Full quantification of stress and rest cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial perfusion imaging can be postprocessed fully automatically, generating pixel-wise myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) maps. • Fully quantitative MPR provided higher diagnostic performance for detecting hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease, compared with stress and rest MBF, qualitative assessment, and coronary magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA). • The integration of CMRA and MPR did not significantly improve the diagnostic performance of MPR alone.

ortho-Lithiation driven one-pot synthesis of quinazolines via [2 + 2 + 2] cascade annulation of halofluorobenzenes with nitriles.

A one-pot synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted quinazoline derivatives from halofluorobenzenes with nitriles was reported, via sequential nucleophilic addition and SNAr reaction. The advantages of the present approach are transition metal free, easy to operate, and all the starting materials are commercially available.

A novel regulatory mechanism network mediated by lncRNA TUG1 that induces the impairment of spiral artery remodeling in preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is associated with maternal and fetal perinatal morbidity and mortality, which brings tremendous suffering and imposes an economic burden worldwide. The failure of uterine spiral artery remodeling may be related to the abnormal function of trophoblasts and lead to the occurrence and progression of PE. Aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is involved in the failure of uterine spiral artery remodeling. However, the regulation of lncRNA expression in PE is poorly characterized. Here, we reported that hypoxia-induced microRNA (miR)-218 inhibited the expression of lncRNA TUG1 by targeting FOXP1. Further RNA sequencing and mechanism analysis revealed that silencing of TUG1 increased the expression of DNA demethylase TET3 and proliferation-related DUSP family, including DUSP2, DUSP4, and DUSP5, via binding to SUV39H1 in the nucleus. Moreover, TUG1 modulated the DUSP family in vitro through a TET3-mediated epigenetic mechanism. Taken together, our results unmask a new regulatory network mediated by TUG1 as an essential determinant of the pathogenesis of PE, which regulates cell growth and possibly the occurrence and development of other diseases.

A Mendelian randomization study revealed a causal link between napping and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

BACKGROUND: Numerous individuals opt for napping to achieve adequate rest, and several studies have linked napping to various health conditions. Consequently, we aimed to investigate the potential effect of napping on the development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). METHODS: We used the publicly available summary statistics data sets of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) meta-analyses for napping in individuals included in the UK Biobank as the exposure and a GWAS for DVT from the individuals included in the FinnGen Biobank as the outcome. The two-sample MR research approach was utilized to explore the causative link between napping and DVT. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) data strongly related to napping were found and used as instrumental factors. Inverse variance weighting (IVW), weighted median and MR-Egger regression, and weighted mode approaches were four statistical techniques. RESULTS: There were 86 SNPs in all that were discovered to be strongly related to napping (P < 5 × 10-8, linkage disequilibrium r2 < 0.1). Consistent association between napping and DVT (IVW: odds ratio (OR) 0.508, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.280-0.921; MR-Egger regression: OR 0.988, 95% CI 0.118-8.303; weighted median estimates: OR 0.419, 95% CI 0.181-0.974; weighted mode: OR 0.442, 95% CI 0.080-2.427) suggested that napping correlated with decreased risk of DVT. There was no evidence that genetic pleiotropy affected the link between napping and DVT (MR-Egger intercept - 6.7 × 10-3; P = 0.525). CONCLUSION: The results of the Mendelian randomization study suggested a potential causal relationship between napping and a reduced incidence of DVT.

Structurally Diverse Sesquiterpenoids with NO Production and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities from the Fruits of Schisandra chinensis.

Chemical fractionation of the AcOEt partition, generated from the EtOH extract of the fruits of Schisandra chinensis, afforded a series of sesquiterpenyl constituents including two new cadinanes, a new eudesmane, two new widdranes (a handling artefact and a new natural product), a new bisabolane and two new natural cuparane enantiomers, along with 15 known structurally related analogs. Structures of the new compounds were unambiguously characterized by interpretation of detailed spectroscopic data including ESI-MS and 1D/2D NMR, with their absolute configurations being established by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation and induced ECD experiment. The inhibitory effects of all the isolates against α-glucosidase and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced nitric oxide (NO) production in murine RAW264.7 macrophages, as well as their antibacterial and cytotoxic potential, were evaluated, with selective compounds showing moderate α-glucosidase and NO inhibitory activity. Notably, canangaterpene III exhibited the most significant NO inhibitory effect with an IC50 value of 31.50±1.49 µM.

Clinicopathological analysis of a type of "low grade" poorly cohesive gastric adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified with a good prognosis.

Poorly cohesive carcinoma not otherwise specified (PCGCA-NOS) is regarded in the most recent WHO classification as a high-grade malignancy; however, some cases may be associated with a relatively good prognosis. We have studied a series of 115 cases of PCGCA-NOS and were able to identify low-grade features in 14 cases based on three morphological manifestations. Immunohistochemical staining, EBER in situ hybridization, Feulgen staining and flow cytometry were employed. Among the 115 cases of PCGAC-NOS, 14 cases met the criteria of "low grade", accounting for 12.2 %. The "low grade" cases exhibited more shallow invasion and less lymph node metastasis (both P < 0.05); showed less frequent expression of MUC5AC, E-cadherin and p53 (all P < 0.05). Moreover, "low grade" PCGAC-NOS had a lower proliferative index(P < 0.001). We also found that the DNA content was lower in the "low grade" group, and aneuploidy was not detected in the "low grade" group, which was sharply different from the control group (50 %). Last, "low grade" PCGAC-NOS had a more favorable prognosis. A small subset of PCGAC-NOS cases have a low grade nature, and the clinicopathological features, immunophenotypes, and cytogenetics of these "low grade" cases differ from those of traditional PCGAC-NOS.

Collective Coupling of 3D Confined Optical Modes in Monolithic Twin Microtube Cavities Formed by Nanomembrane Origami.

We report the monolithic fabrication of twin microtube cavities by a nanomembrane origami method for achieving collective coupling of 3D confined optical modes. Owing to the well-aligned twin geometries, two sets of 3D confined optical modes in twin microtubes are spectrally and spatially matched, by which both the fundamental and higher-order axial modes are respectively coupled with each other. Multiple groups of the coupling modes provide multiple effective channels for energy exchange between coupled microcavities illustrated by the measured spatial optical field distributions. The spectral anticrossing and changing-over features of each group of coupled modes are revealed in experiments and calculations, indicating the occurrence of strong coupling. In addition, the simulated 3D mode profiles of twin microcavities confirm the collective strong coupling behavior, which shows good agreement with experiments. The collective coupling of 3D confined resonant modes promises broad applications in multichannel optical signal processing, nanophotonics, and 3D non-Hermitian systems.

Advantages of 3D registration technology (3DRT) in clinical application of unruptured intracranial aneurysm follow-up: A novel method to judge aneurysm growth.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Currently available methods for determining aneurysm growth are not accurate enough. Therefore, we introduced a more intuitive and accurate 3D registration technology (3DRT) to judge the growth of aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed an in-house technique for 3DRT and calculated its derivative parameters, voxel change rate (VCR), maximum growth vector (MGV), and parent artery coincidence (PAC). To verify the accuracy, growing aneurysms and stable aneurysms matching 1:3 were selected, and a 3DRT measurement was performed. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of cases with VCR > 20%, MGV > 1 mm, and combined indicator of VCR > 20% + MGV >1 mm. In addition, we analyzed the cause of the poor registration effect, where the registration effect of PAC > 0.7 was considered acceptable. We also collected 24 consecutive aneurysms for agreement analysis of 2D manual measurement and 3DRT. RESULTS: Twenty-seven growing aneurysms and 81 stable aneurysms were included in the normal model group, and 88 aneurysms with good registration effect in the adjusted model group. For aneurysms with VCR > 20%, the sensitivity and the specificity were the highest at 81.48% and 91.35%, respectively, while in the adjusted model group, the sensitivity and the specificity increased to 94.44% and 94.29%, respectively. When using VCR > 20% as the growth metric, the AUC value in the normal and the adjusted model group was 0.856 and 0.947, respectively. The ICC between 2D manual measurements and the 3DRT was 0.95 (95%CI: 0.88-0.98), and the time spent between the two groups had a significant difference (10.96 min vs. 3.44 min, p<0.01, 95% CI, 6.49-8.53). CONCLUSIONS: A 3DRT can be used to determine the growth of the aneurysm more efficiently, intuitively, and accurately.

[Cloning and catalytic analysis of Isatis indigotica chalcone isomerase in vitro].

Chalcone isomerase is a key rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in higher plants, which determines the production of flavonoids in plants. In this study, RNA was extracted from different parts of Isatis indigotica and reverse-transcribed into cDNA. Specific primers with enzyme restriction sites were designed, and a chalcone isomerase gene was cloned from I. indigotica, named IiCHI. IiCHI was 756 bp in length, containing a complete open reading frame and encoding 251 amino acids. Homology analysis showed that IiCHI was closely related to CHI protein of Arabidopsis thaliana and had typical active sites of chalcone isomerase. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that IiCHI was classified into type Ⅰ CHI clade. Recombinant prokaryotic expression vector pET28a-IiCHI was constructed and purified to obtain IiCHI recombinant protein. In vitro enzymatic analysis showed that the IiCHI protein could convert naringenin chalcone into naringenin, but could not catalyze the production of liquiritigenin by isoliquiritigenin. The results of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR) showed that the expression level of IiCHI in the aboveground parts was higher than that in the underground parts and the expression level was the highest in the flowers of the aboveground parts, followed by leaves and stems, and no expression was observed in the roots and rhizomes of the underground parts. This study has confirmed the function of chalcone isomerase in I. indigotica and provided references for the biosynthesis of flavonoid components.