Clinical significance of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) to the distant metastatic lymph nodes for metastatic cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively explore the clinical significance of radiotherapy to the distant metastatic lymph nodes (cervical/ clavicular/ mediastinal et al.) in metastatic cervical cancer. Hereinto, these cervicothoracic lymph nodes were metastasized from IB1-IVA (initial stage at first treatment), and IVB initially had metastatic disease in these areas at diagnosis. METHODS: Metastatic cervical cancer only with the distant cervicothoracic metastatic lymph nodes (cervical/ clavicular/ mediastinal et al.), without distant parenchymal organs metastasis such as lung, liver, bone, and peritoneum, were enrolled in the analysis. These patients were classified into IB1-IVA and IVB based on their initial stage of first treatment. All patients received IMRT for the distant metastatic lymph nodes. The progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Overall, the median PFS was 9 months, and the median OS was 27 months. The subgroup analysis showed that for IB1-IVA, the median PFS was 11 months, and the median OS was 30.5 months. For IVB, the median PFS was 8 months, and the median OS was 16 months. CONCLUSION: Radiotherapy is beneficial to the distant metastatic lymph nodes (cervical/ clavicular/ mediastinal et al.), and could effectively bring the longer PFS and OS for metastatic cervical cancer.

Research on high-speed digital optical signal jitter measurement technology based on clock recovery algorithm using eye diagram opening area.

With the rapid development of information technology, high-speed digital optical signal transmission technology has become the core of modern communication networks. However, the increase in transmission rates brings challenges such as noise, distortion, and interference, which affect the accuracy of clock recovery. To address these issues, this study proposes a clock recovery algorithm based on the eye diagram opening area to improve the accuracy and efficiency of high-speed digital optical signal jitter measurement. The proposed method extracts clock information from the signal using the opening area and curvature characteristics of the eye diagram for jitter measurement. Experimental results demonstrate that the clock recovery algorithm based on the eye diagram opening area can stably reconstruct the signal eye diagram and obtain jitter parameters under different optical power conditions. At optical powers of -7.2 dBm, -12.2 dBm, and -17.2 dBm, the Q-factors were 8.8, 7.6, and 4.3, respectively, and the RMS jitter values were 12.2 ps, 13.4 ps, and 21.2 ps, respectively. At optical powers of -2.3 dBm, 0.1 dBm, 2.4 dBm, 4.6 dBm, and 6.0 dBm, the Q-factors were 9.1, 9.3, 9.5, 9.7, and 10.0, respectively, and the average jitter values were 8.9 ps, 8.5 ps, 8.0 ps, 7.5 ps, and 7.0 ps. These results indicate that the proposed algorithm performs excellently under low optical power conditions and maintains high recovery accuracy even when jitter increases at higher optical powers. The clock recovery algorithm based on the eye diagram opening area significantly improves the accuracy and stability of high-speed digital optical signal jitter measurement, enriches the theoretical research of clock recovery algorithms, and shows significant advantages in improving signal transmission quality, reducing bit error rate, and enhancing communication link reliability. The research outcomes provide key technical support for the optimization of modern high-speed optical communication systems.

High-power 940†nm DFB laser diode with large optical cavity.

High-power laser diodes with a stable wavelength and narrow linewidth are crucial for many applications. In this study, we introduce a first-order distributed feedback (DFB) grating into an asymmetric large-cavity laser diode operating around 940 nm. This design maintains high output power and offers a wide temperature locking range. The nearly sinusoidal shape first-order grating is fabricated by ultraviolet (UV) nanoimprint lithography, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) dry etching, and wet polishing. At a heat sink temperature of 25°C, the DFB laser diode, with a 200 µm stripe width and 4 mm cavity length, achieves a maximum output power of 24.8 W and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 0.4 nm under continuous-wave (CW) conditions. The maximum slope efficiency is calculated to be 1.04 W/A. At an output power of 10.7 W, the device reaches a peak wall-plug efficiency of 56%. Under quasi-continuous operation at 20 A, the laser output spectrum remains locked to the DFB grating over a temperature range from -10°C to 110°C, with a temperature coefficient of 0.062 nm/°C.

Effects of drought and moisture stress on the growth and ecophysiological traits of Schima superba seedlings.

Changes in rainfall patterns are important environmental factors affecting plant growth, especially when larger precipitation events and prolonged drought periods occur in subtropical regions. There are many studies on how drought reduces plant biomass through drought-sensitive functional traits, but how excess water affects plant growth and ecophysiology is still poorly understood. Therefore, a greenhouse experiment was conducted on Schima superba (Theaceae), a dominant tree species in subtropical forests and commonly used in forestry, in a closed chamber under control (25% soil water content (SWC) as in local forests), drought stress (D, 15% SWC) and moisture stress (W, 35% SWC). Plant growth and ecophysiological traits related to morphology, leaf gas exchange, water potential and structural traits were measured. Compared to control, S. suberba under dry conditions significantly decreased its aboveground biomass, photosynthetic rate (A), leaf water potential and nitrogen use efficiency, but increased intrinsic water use efficiency, root to shoot ratio and specific root length. S. superba under wet conditions also significantly decreased its total biomass, aboveground biomass and specific root length, while W had no effect on A and leaf water potential. Our results indicate that S. superba shows a decrease in carbon gain under drought stress, but less response under wet conditions. This emphasizes the need to consider the strength and frequency of rainfall pattern changes in future studies because rainfall may either alleviate or intensify the effects of drought stress depending on the moisture level, thus suitable water conditions is important for better management of this tree species in subtropical China.

High-power distributed feedback laser diode arrays with narrow spectral width over a wide temperature range.

High-power semiconductor lasers with stabilized wavelengths are recognized as exemplary pumping sources for solid-state lasers. This study introduces distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode arrays designed to maintain an extensive temperature locking range. We report experimentally on high-power 808 nm DFB laser diode arrays. The first-order sinusoidal grating was fabricated using nanoimprint lithography, succeeded by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) dry etching and subsequent wet polishing. These 808 nm DFB laser diode arrays have demonstrated a measured output power of 134 W under a pulsed current of 150 A, with the heat sink temperature maintained at 25°C. The slope efficiency was determined to be 1.1 W/A. At a current of 150 A, the laser operated with a narrow spectral width over a wide temperature range, extending from -30 to 90°C, with a temperature drift coefficient of 0.0595 nm/K.

Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi (FTZ) suppression of macrophage pyroptosis: Key to stabilizing rupture-prone plaques.

BACKGROUND: Research on the Chinese herbal formula Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi (FTZ) has demonstrated its effectiveness in treating hyperlipidemia and glycolipid metabolic disorders. Additionally, FTZ has shown inhibitory effects on oxidative stress, regulation of lipid metabolism, and reduction of inflammation in these conditions. However, the precise mechanisms through which FTZ modulates macrophage function in atherosclerosis remain incompletely understood. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether FTZ can effectively stabilize rupture-prone plaques by suppressing macrophage pyroptosis and impeding the development of M1 macrophage polarization in ApoE-/- mice. METHODS: To assess the impact of FTZ on macrophage function and atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice, we orally administered FTZ at a dosage of 1.2 g/kg body weight daily for 14 weeks. Levels of interleukin-18 and interleukin-1ß were quantified using ELISA kits to gauge FTZ's influence on inflammation. Total cholesterol content was measured with a Cholesterol Assay Kit to evaluate FTZ's effect on lipid metabolism. Aortic tissues were stained with Oil Red O, and immunohistochemistry techniques were applied to assess atherosclerotic lesions and plaque stability. To evaluate the effects of FTZ on macrophage pyroptosis and oxidative damage, immunofluorescence staining was utilized. Additionally, we conducted an analysis of protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome-related genes and macrophage polarization-related genes using RT-PCR and western blotting techniques. RESULTS: This study illustrates the potential therapeutic effectiveness of FTZ in mitigating the severity of atherosclerosis and improving serum lipid profiles by inhibiting inflammation. The observed enhancements in atherosclerosis severity and inflammation can be attributed to the suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome activity and M1 polarization by FTZ. CONCLUSION: The current findings indicate that FTZ provides protection against atherosclerosis, positioning it as a promising candidate for novel therapies targeting atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular diseases.

High-power narrow spectral width 975†nm semiconductor laser with high process compatibility achieved by high-order gratings.

We present broad-area semiconductor lasers with a 100th-order high-order distributed Bragg reflection (HO-DBR) grating structure, fabricated with the conventional UV lithography techniques. Based on the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm, a maximum output power of 10.5 W, emitting around 975 nm with a spectral width of less than 0.5 nm FWHM has been achieved. This method provides insights for reducing the manufacturing costs of the high-power narrow spectral width DBR lasers.

The Chinese herbal medicine Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi ameliorates diabetic cardiomyopathy by regulating cardiac abnormal lipid metabolism and mitochondrial dynamics in diabetic mice.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an important complication leading to the death of patients with diabetes, but there is no effective strategy for clinical treatments. Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi (FTZ) is a patent medicine that is a traditional Chinese medicine compound preparation with comprehensive effects for the prevention and treatment of glycolipid metabolic diseases under the guidance of "modulating liver, starting pivot and cleaning turbidity". FTZ was proposed by Professor Guo Jiao and is used for the clinical treatment of hyperlipidemia. This study was designed to explore the regulatory mechanisms of FTZ on heart lipid metabolism dysfunction and mitochondrial dynamics disorder in mice with DCM, and it provides a theoretical basis for the myocardial protective effect of FTZ in diabetes. In this study, we demonstrated that FTZ protected heart function in DCM mice and downregulated the overexpression of free fatty acids (FFAs) uptake-related proteins cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36), fatty acid binding protein 3 (FABP3) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT1). Moreover, FTZ treatment showed a regulatory effect on mitochondrial dynamics by inhibiting mitochondrial fission and promoting mitochondrial fusion. We also identified in vitro that FTZ could restore lipid metabolism-related proteins, mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins and mitochondrial energy metabolism in PA-treated cardiomyocytes. Our study indicated that FTZ improves the cardiac function of diabetic mice by attenuating the increase in fasting blood glucose levels, inhibiting the decrease in body weight, alleviating disordered lipid metabolism, and restoring mitochondrial dynamics and myocardial apoptosis in diabetic mouse hearts.

Development of the prognostic value in lung adenocarcinoma based on anoikis-related genes and initial experimental validation.

BACKGROUND: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a highly aggressive cancer in advanced stages and has the highest cancer-related death across the world. Anoikis has emerged as a specific form of apoptotic cell death that may play a vital role in the formation and development of tumors. METHODS: Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset, we developed a novel anoikis-related genes (ARGs) signature in LUAD and evaluated the differences between low and high-risk groups in clinical characteristics, expression patterns, immune cell infiltration, and drug sensitivity, etc. According to multivariate Cox regression analysis, the risk score was identified as a significant independent prognostic factor. The possible biological pathways of ARGs' were assessed by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses. The immune infiltration landscape and risk score of ARGs were analyzed by ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT analysis. A nomogram grounded on six key ARGs and clinicopathological features was provided. Moreover, experiment validation of the expression patterns of six hub ARGs in lung cancer cell lines was conducted. RESULTS: We identified 53 survival-related LUAD anoikis-related differentially expressed genes and finally six hub anoikis genes (LDHA, SLC2A1, SERPINB5, ITGB4, BRCA2, and PIK3R1) were selected to construct an ARG model. The risk model could efficiently cluster the patients into low- and high-risk groups which could accurately predict clinical outcomes for LUAD patients. There is evidence that the prognostic risk score is a remarkable prognostic factor in determining overall survival. Different immune statuses and drug sensitivity between low- and high-risk groups were explored according to functional analysis. On the basis of risk scores and LUAD clinicopathological features, a novel nomogram was developed. Ultimately, all six key genes except for PIK3R1 were proved to be upregulated in LUAD tissues and cell lines by bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation. CONCLUSIONS: The result of the present study suggest that ARGs could be carcinogenic to LUAD and could be used as an effective stratification factor to customize therapies and forecast the survival rate in LUAD patients.

Sphagnum capillifolium holobiont from a subarctic palsa bog aggravates the potential of nitrous oxide emissions.

Melting permafrost mounds in subarctic palsa mires are thawing under climate warming and have become a substantial source of N2O emissions. However, mechanistic insights into the permafrost thaw-induced N2O emissions in these unique habitats remain elusive. We demonstrated that N2O emission potential in palsa bogs was driven by the bacterial residents of two dominant Sphagnum mosses especially of Sphagnum capillifolium (SC) in the subarctic palsa bog, which responded to endogenous and exogenous Sphagnum factors such as secondary metabolites, nitrogen and carbon sources, temperature, and pH. SC's high N2O emission activity was linked with two classes of distinctive hyperactive N2O emitters, including Pseudomonas sp. and Enterobacteriaceae bacteria, whose hyperactive N2O emitting capability was characterized to be dominantly pH-responsive. As the nosZ gene-harboring emitter, Pseudomonas sp. SC-H2 reached a high level of N2O emissions that increased significantly with increasing pH. For emitters lacking the nosZ gene, an Enterobacteriaceae bacterium SC-L1 was more adaptive to natural acidic conditions, and N2O emissions also increased with pH. Our study revealed previously unknown hyperactive N2O emitters in Sphagnum capillifolium found in melting palsa mound environments, and provided novel insights into SC-associated N2O emissions.

PLCζ can stably regulate Ca2+ fluctuations in early embryo.

Phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) is an important inducer of Ca2+ oscillations in mammalian sperm. To explore the influence of PLCζ on early embryonic Ca2+ fluctuations during sperm-egg binding, this study used PLCζ from sheep sperm to construct an early embryonic Ca2+ fluctuation model. First, sheep MII oocytes were cultivated and screened using microinjection technology. Then, a pEGFP-N1-PLCζ plasmid was constructed to activate oocytes in the test group. Ionomycin combined with 6-Dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) was used for the control group to explore the effects on early embryonic development and regulation of Ca2+ fluctuations during development. The results demonstrated that both the PLCζ and ionomycin combined with 6-DMAP activation methods induced sheep oocyte parthenogenetic activation and development in early embryos. In comparisons, the cleavage rate of ionomycin combined with 6-DMAP activation was significantly higher than that of PLCζ (60.9% ± 19.4% vs 76.1% ± 0.7%, respectively; p < 0.001), and the blastocyst rates were 16.2% ± 0.62% and 21.1% ± 0.92%, respectively (p < 0.05). Additionally, when comparing the distribution of Ca2+ in early embryos at different stages, Ca2+ in both treatment groups was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm, but the temporal pattern of Ca2+ fluctuations differed. PLCζ resulted in Ca2+ peaks that appeared at the cleavage and morula stages of early embryos, and Ca2+ returned to normal levels at the morula stage. However, the Ca2+ concentration after ionomycin combined with 6-DMAP activation was always much higher than that with PLCζ, and its single peak appeared later than in the PLCζ group. In summary, the PLCζ gene promoted stable regulatory effects on Ca2+ fluctuations at different stages during early embryonic development.

The Chinese herbal medicine Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi protects against diabetic cardiomyopathy by alleviating cardiac lipotoxicity-induced oxidative stress and NLRP3-dependent inflammasome activation.

BACKGROUND: Fufang Zhenzhu Tiao Zhi (FTZ) formula is a Chinese herbal preparation used in the clinical treatment of disorders of glucolipid metabolism. Given its effective actions on the regulation of lipid dysfunction and its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects, we designed this study to investigate the cardioprotective effect and possible mechanism of FTZ in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) mice. METHODS: FTZ was administered to diabetic mice by oral gavage daily at a dose of 1.2 g/kg or 2.4 g/kg bodyweight for 8 weeks. Doppler echocardiography, H&E, and WGA staining were used to evaluate cardiac function and structure in the mice. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines and lipids in serum were detected with corresponding commercial kits. Immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry were used to detect oxidation damage and pyroptosis in myocardial cells. RT-PCR and western blotting were used to analyze the protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome-related genes. RESULTS: Our study indicated that FTZ improved cardiac function, attenuated heart hypertrophy, improved serum lipid and proinflammatory cytokine levels, and restrained oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome-induced inflammatory activities in diabetic mouse hearts. The in vitro data suggested that FTZ suppressed intercellular lipid accumulation as well as palmitic acid (PA)-induced oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent pyroptosis in cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSION: Our present findings indicate that FTZ inhibits DCM by inhibiting both oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation induced by cardiac lipotoxicity.

The Promotional Effect of Hollow MnO2 with Brucea Javanica Oil Emulsion (BJOE) on Endometrial Cancer Apoptosis.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is a common gynecological malignancy worldwide whose therapy mainly depends on chemotherapy. In past years, an increasing number of studies indicate that hollow MnO2 could serve as a nanoplatform in the drug delivery system. The Brucea javanica oil emulsion (BJOE) has been illustrated to play a vital role in cancers. However, knowledge about the combined effect of H-MnO2-PEG/BJOE in endometrial cancer remains ambiguous up to now. In the present work, we prepared a drug-delivery vector H-MnO2-PEG by chemical synthesis and found that H-MnO2-PEG significantly inhibited cell proliferation in endometrial cancer cells. Moreover, the combination of H-MnO2-PEG/BJOE could repress cell proliferation more efficiently and promote cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, we found that BJOE exerted its role as a promoter of endometrial apoptosis by regulating relative protein expressions. In general, the present study demonstrates that H-MnO2-PEG functions as a critical vector in the tumor microenvironment of endometrial cancer and the significant effect of H-MnO2-PEG/BJOE on cancer cells, suggesting a new paradigm for the treatment of endometrial cancer.

Microanchored borehole fiber optics allows strain profiling of the shallow subsurface.

Vertical deformation profiles of subterranean geological formations are conventionally measured by borehole extensometry. Distributed strain sensing (DSS) paired with fiber-optic cables installed in the ground opens up possibilities for acquiring high-resolution static and quasistatic strain profiles of deforming strata, but it is currently limited by reduced data quality due to complicated patterns of interaction between the buried cables and their surroundings, especially in upper soil layers under low confining pressures. Extending recent DSS studies, we present an improved approach using microanchored fiber-optic cables-designed to optimize ground-to-cable coupling at the near surface-for strain determination along entire lengths of vertical boreholes. We proposed a novel criterion for soil-cable coupling evaluation based on the geotechnical bearing capacity theory. We applied this enhanced methodology to monitor groundwater-related vertical motions in both laboratory and field experiments. Corroborating extensometer recordings, acquired simultaneously, validated fiber optically determined displacements, suggesting microanchored DSS as an improved means for detecting and monitoring shallow subsurface strain profiles.

An Aqueous Hybrid Supercapacitor Employing Honeycomb-Shaped MoS2 Nanosheets as Anode.

In this work, MoS2 nanosheets (NSs) are applied as a novel anode to deliver a high-performance supercapacitor (SC). A MoS2 NSs anode with a special honeycomb-shaped structure, is synthesized using a hydrothermal method, and subsequently applied in conjunction with an electrodeposited Co(OH)2 NSs cathode to create a new cost-effective aqueous hybrid SC cell. The as-fabricated Co(OH)2//MoS2 hybrid SC exhibits a number of attractive characteristics, including: (1) a stable operation voltage window of 1.5 V; (2) remarkable cycling stability with a retention ratio of 92.3% after 4000 cycles; (3) an energy density of 24.0 Wh kg-1 at a current density of 0.5 mA cm-2 and a high power density of 1932.0 W kg-1 at a current density of 2.5 mA cm-2. The experimental results evidence that MoS2 is a promising candidate for the development of SC anodes.

Changes of complement and oxidative stress parameters in patients with acute cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage and the clinical significance.

Changes of complement and oxidative stress parameters in patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI) or cerebral hemorrhage (CH), and their clinical significance were explored. A total of 122 patients with ACI or CH admitted to the People's Hospital of Zhangqiu Area from August 2018 to September 2019 were collected. There were 59 ACI patients assigned into a cerebral infarction group (CIG) and further 63 CH patients in a cerebral hemorrhage group (CHG). Additionally, 53 healthy people in physical examination during the same period were enrolled as a control group (CG). Both the CIG and the CHG were treated with edaravone, Xueshuantong, brain protein hydrolysates, aspirin and statin-related drugs. The levels of complement C3, complement C4, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed to analyze the predictive value of C3, C4, SOD and TAG in ACI and CH, and logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of stroke. Both CIG and CHG showed higher C3 level, and lower C4, SOD and TAC levels than the CG. The NIHSS <4 group and the NIHSS ≥4 group showed higher hs-C3 level, and lower SOD and TAC levels than the CG (all P<0.05), and the NIHSS <4 group showed lower C3 level and lower SOD and TAC levels than the NIHSS ≥4 group (all P<0.05). Hypertension and hyperlipidemia were independent risk factors of stroke. The serum complement and oxidative stress parameters in patients with ACI or CH can be determined through routine examination, and the nerve function deficit could be assessed by determining the complement and oxidative stress parameters in clinical practice.

Plant Taxonomic Diversity Better Explains Soil Fungal and Bacterial Diversity than Functional Diversity in Restored Forest Ecosystems.

Plant attributes have direct and indirect effects on soil microbes via plant inputs and plant-mediated soil changes. However, whether plant taxonomic and functional diversities can explain the soil microbial diversity of restored forest ecosystems remains elusive. Here, we tested the linkage between plant attributes and soil microbial communities in four restored forests (Acacia species, Eucalyptus species, mixed coniferous species, mixed native species). The trait-based approaches were applied for plant properties and high-throughput Illumina sequencing was applied for fungal and bacterial diversity. The total number of soil microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) varied among the four forests. The highest richness of fungal OTUs was found in the Acacia forest. However, bacterial OTUs were highest in the Eucalyptus forest. Species richness was positively and significantly related to fungal and bacterial richness. Plant taxonomic diversity (species richness and species diversity) explained more of the soil microbial diversity than the functional diversity and soil properties. Prediction of fungal richness was better than that of bacterial richness. In addition, root traits explained more variation than the leaf traits. Overall, plant taxonomic diversity played a more important role than plant functional diversity and soil properties in shaping the soil microbial diversity of the four forests.

LncRNA NKILA was upregulated in diabetic cardiomyopathy with early prediction values.

Nuclear factor-κB interacting long non-coding RNA (LncRNA NKILA) is a well-studied tumor suppressor lncRNA in several types of malignancies. The present study reports the involvement of this lncRNA in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). A 8-year-follow-up study on 312 diabetic patients without exhibiting obvious complications demonstrated that plasma lncRNA NKILA levels were upregulated specifically in diabetic patients who developed DC but not in patients with other complications. Plasma levels of lncRNA NKILA at 6 months prior to diagnosis is sufficient to distinguish patients with DC from other diabetic patients without significant complications. Although in vitro experiments demonstrated that lncRNA NKILA expression in cardiomyocyte cells was not affected by high-glucose treatment, ectopic lncRNA NKILA expression and lncRNA NKILA knockdown potentiated, and inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis, respectively. Therefore, the data from the present study suggests that overexpression of lncRNA NKILA is involved in DC, and overexpression of lncRNA NKILA may serve as a therapeutic target for treating DC.

Proteomic variation in metamorphosing Paralichthys olivaceus induced by exogenous thyroid hormone.

Thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for Paralichthys olivaceus metamorphosis. Exogenous TH treatment induces premature metamorphosis in P. olivaceus larvae and a series of studies have been conducted to identify thyroid hormone-regulated functional genes and microRNAs involved in the metamorphosis of P. olivaceus; however, the proteins involved in this process remain to be fully clarified. In this study, the differential proteomic responses of P. olivaceus larvae to exogenous TH treatment were examined using tandem mass tags (TMT) for quantitation labeling followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The expression levels of 629 cellular proteins were identified to be significantly affected by TH treatment. The reliability of our TMT-labeled LC-MS/MS analysis was verified by examining the mRNA and protein levels of four selected proteins using quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR and western blot analyses. The possible biological significance of these proteins was further investigated by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment, and protein-protein interaction analyses. Notably, we identified and described five groups of proteins involved in different important life events that were significantly regulated by exogenous TH treatment. Our study provides an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which TH regulates the metamorphosis of P. olivaceus.

Influence of gut microbiota and intestinal barrier on enterogenic infection after liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation is currently a standard therapy for patients with end-stage liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma. Given that liver transplantation has undergone a thriving development in these decades, the survival rates after liver transplantation have markedly improved as a result of the critical advancement in surgical techniques, immunosuppressive therapies, and post-operative care. However, infection remains a fatal complication after liver transplantation surgery. In particular, enterogenic infection represents a major complication in liver transplant recipients. This article gives an overview of infection cases after liver transplantation and focuses on the discussion of enterogenic infection in terms of its pathophysiology, risk factor, outcome, and treatment.