Identification of HDAC9 and ARRDC4 as potential biomarkers and targets for treatment of type 2 diabetes.

We aimed to identify the key potential insulin resistance (IR)-related genes and investigate their correlation with immune cell infiltration in type 2 diabetes (T2D). The GSE78721 dataset (68 diabetic patients and 62 controls) was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and utilized for single-sample gene set enrichment analysis. IR-related genes were obtained from the Comparative Toxicology Genetics Database, and the final IR-differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened by intersecting with the DEGs obtained from the GSE78721 datasets. Functional enrichment analysis was performed, and the networks of the target gene with microRNA, transcription factor, and drug were constructed. Hub genes were identified based on a protein-protein interaction network. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and Random Forest and Boruta analysis were combined to screen diagnostic biomarkers in T2D, which were validated using the GSE76894 (19 diabetic patients and 84 controls) and GSE9006 (12 diabetic patients and 24 controls) datasets. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to validate the biomarker expression in IR mice and control mice. In addition, infiltration of immune cells in T2D and their correlation with the identified markers were computed using CIBERSORT. We identified differential immune gene set regulatory T-cells in the GSE78721 dataset, and T2D samples were assigned into three clusters based on immune infiltration. A total of 2094 IR-DEGs were primarily enriched in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress. Importantly, HDAC9 and ARRDC4 were identified as markers of T2D and associated with different levels of immune cell infiltration. HDAC9 mRNA level were higher in the IR mice than in control mice, while ARRDC4 showed the opposite trend. In summary, we discovered potential vital biomarkers that contribute to immune cell infiltration associated with IR, which offers a new sight of immunotherapy for T2D.

Discrete Element Simulation of the Relationship betweenComposition, ITZ Property, and Tensile Behavior ofEco-Friendly UHPC Matrix.

To combat global warming, the development of eco-friendly ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has become one of the current research hotspots. Understanding the relationship between composition and performance of eco-friendly UHPC from a meso-mechanical point will be of great significance in proposing a more scientific and effective mix design theory. In this paper, the 3D discrete element model (DEM) of an eco-friendly UHPC matrix was constructed. The mechanism of the effect of the interface transition zone (ITZ) properties on the tensile behavior of an eco-friendly UHPC matrix was studied. The relationship between composition, ITZ property, and tensile behavior of eco-friendly UHPC matrix was analyzed. The results show that ITZ strength influences the tensile strength and cracking behavior of eco-friendly UHPC matrix. The effect of ITZ on the tensile properties of eco-friendly UHPC matrix is more significant than that of normal concrete. The tensile strength of UHPC will be increased by 48% when the ITZ property is changed from normal condition to perfect. Improving the reactivity of the binder system of UHPC will improve the performance of ITZ. The cement content in UHPC was reduced from 80% to 35%, and the σITZ/σPaste was reduced from 0.7 to 0.32. Both nanomaterials and chemical activators can promote the hydration reaction of the binder material, which in turn leads to better ITZ strength and tensile properties for an eco-friendly UHPC matrix.

Molecular docking and in vitro experiments verified that kaempferol induced apoptosis and inhibited human HepG2 cell proliferation by targeting BAX, CDK1, and JUN.

Hepatocellular carcinoma, as a common liver cirrhosis complication, has become the sixth most common cancer worldwide, and its increasing incidence has resulted in considerable medical and economic burdens. As a natural polyphenolic compound, kaempferol has exhibits a wide range of antitumor activities against multiple cancer targets. In this study, the Autodock software was used for molecular docking to simulate the interaction process between kaempferol and HCC targets and the PyMOL software was used for visualization. Proliferation of kaempferol HepG2 cells under the effect of kaempferol was detected using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, and the apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells was detected using flow cytometry. The expressions of proteins BAX, CDK1, and JUN protein expressions were detected by Western blot. Molecular docking found that the kaempferol ligand has 3 rotatable bonds, 6 nonpolar hydrogen atoms, and 12 aromatic carbon atoms, and can form complexes with the kaempferol targets P53, BAX, AR, CDK1, and JUN through electrostatic energy. GO (Gene Ontology) enrichment analysis suggests that kaempferol regulates the biological function of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and is related to apoptosis. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay suggested that Kaempferol can significantly inhibited HepG2 cell proliferation, and the inhibition rate increased with the increase in drug concentration and incubation time. Moreover, kaempferol can promoted HepG2 cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. This compound upregulated BAX and JUN expression and downregulated CDK1 expression. Thus, Kaempferol can promote HepG2 cell apoptosis, and the regulatory mechanism may be related to the regulation of the expression levels of the apoptosis-related proteins BAX, CDK1, and JUN.

Long-term Outcomes of Juvenile Onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis with Pulmonary Involvement.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes of juvenile onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JORRP) with or without pulmonary involvement. METHODS: A group of patients with JORRP who had clinical course over an extended period of time (at least 5 years) in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital were included in this retrospective study. Lung/bronchus involvement was revealed by lung imaging. Data on mortality rate, frequency of surgical interventions, and age of disease onset were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The 192 patients (107 male and 85 female) included had a median [quartiles] age of JORRP onset of 2 [1, 4] years, and median follow-up duration of 10 [7, 13] years; 17 patients (8.9%) had papilloma with bronchial and pulmonary involvement 7.0 [4.0, 12.5] years after the onset of the disease. Compared to patients without lung involvement, patients with lung involvement had a younger age of disease onset (P = .001), higher frequency of surgical interventions (P < .001), higher mortality rate (OR = 94.909), and an increased risk of tracheotomy that could not be decannulated (P < .001). They also had a younger age of disease onset, and a higher frequency of surgical interventions and mortality compared to patients with tracheotomy but free from lung involvement (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Children with JORRP and with pulmonary involvement have a higher average number of operations per year than those without pulmonary involvement, and pulmonary involvement indicates a higher incidence of tracheotomy that cannot be decannulated. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E2277-E2283, 2021.