Anterior chamber and angle characteristics in Chinese children (6-11 years old) with different refractive status using swept-source optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND: The anatomic structure of the anterior chamber (AC) helps to explain differences in refractive status in school-aged children and is closely associated with primary angle closure (PAC). The aim of this study was to quantify and analyze the anterior chamber and angle (ACA) characteristics in Chinese children with different refractive status by swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). METHODS: In a cross-sectional observational study, 383 children from two primary schools in Shandong Province, China, underwent a complete ophthalmic examination. First, the anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber width (ACW), angle-opening distance (AOD), and trabecular-iris space area (TISA) were evaluated automatically using a CASIA2 imaging device. AOD and TISA were measured at 500, 750 µm nasal (N1 and N2, respectively), and temporal (T1 and T2, respectively) to the scleral spur (SS). Cycloplegic refraction and axial length (AL) were then measured. According to spherical equivalent refraction (SER), the children were assigned to hyperopic (SER > 0.50D), emmetropic (-0.50D < SER ≤ 0.50D), and myopic groups (SER ≤ -0.50D). RESULTS: Out of the 383 children, 349 healthy children (160 girls) with a mean age of 8.23 ± 1.06 years (range: 6-11 years) were included. The mean SER and AL were - 0.10 ± 1.57D and 23.44 ± 0.95 mm, respectively. The mean ACD and ACW were 3.17 ± 0.24 mm and 11.69 ± 0.43 mm. The mean AOD were 0.72 ± 0.25, 0.63 ± 0.22 mm at N1, T1, and 0.98 ± 0.30, 0.84 ± 0.27 mm at N2, T2. The mean TISA were 0.24 ± 0.09, 0.22 ± 0.09mm2 at N1, T1, and 0.46 ± 0.16, 0.40 ± 0.14mm2 at N2, T2. The myopic group had the deepest AC and the widest angle. Compared with boys, girls had shorter AL, shallower ACD, narrower ACW, and ACA (all p < 0.05). By Pearson's correlation analysis, SER was negatively associated with ACD, AOD, and TISA. AL was positively associated with ACD, ACW, AOD, and TISA. In the multiple regression analysis, AOD and TISA were associated with deeper ACD, narrower ACW, and longer AL. CONCLUSION: In primary school students, the myopic eyes have deeper AC and wider angle. ACD, ACW, AOD, and TISA all increase with axial elongation. ACA is highly correlated with deeper ACD.

Pressure and multicolor dual-mode detection of mucin 1 based on the pH-regulated dual-enzyme mimic activities of manganese dioxide nanosheets.

Mucin 1 is an essential tumor biomarker, and developing cost-effective and portable methods for mucin 1 detection is crucial in resource-limited settings. Herein, the pH-regulated dual-enzyme mimic activities of manganese dioxide nanosheets were demonstrated, which were integrated into an aptasensor for dual-mode detection of mucin 1. Under acidic conditions, manganese dioxide nanosheets with oxidase mimic activities catalyzed the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine sulfate, producing visible multicolor signals; while under basic conditions, manganese dioxide nanosheets with catalase mimic activities were used as catalyst for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, generating gas pressure signals. The proposed method allows the naked eye detection of mucin 1 through multicolor signal readout and the quantitative detection of mucin 1 with a handheld pressure meter or a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The study demonstrates that manganese dioxide nanosheets with pH-regulated dual-enzyme mimic activities can facilitate multidimensional transducing signals. The use of manganese dioxide nanosheets for the transduction of different signals avoids extra labels and simplifies the operation procedures. Besides, the signal readout mode can be selected according to the available detection instruments. Therefore, the use of manganese dioxide nanosheets with pH-regulated dual-enzyme mimic activities for dual-signal readout provides a new way for mucin 1 detection.

CD206 modulates the role of M2 macrophages in the origin of metastatic tumors.

Tumor metastasis is a key factor affecting the life of patients with malignant tumors. For the past hundred years, scientists have focused on how to kill cancer cells and inhibit their metastasis in vivo, but few breakthroughs have been made. Here we hypothesized a novel mode for cancer metastasis. We show that the phagocytosis of apoptotic tumor cells by macrophages leads to their polarization into the M2 phenotype, and that the expression of stem cell related as well as drug resistance related genes was induced. Therefore, it appears that M2 macrophages have "defected" and have been transformed into the initial "metastatic cancer cells", and thus are the source, at least in part, of the distal tissue tumor metastasis. This assumption is supported by the presence of fused cells with characteristics of both macrophage and tumor cell observed in the peripheral blood and ascites of patients with ovarian cancer. By eliminating the expression of CD206 in M2 macrophages using siRNA, we show that the growth and metastasis of tumors was suppressed using both in vitro cell line and with experimental in vivo mouse models. In summary, we show that M2 macrophages in the blood circulation underwent a "change of loyalty" to become "cancer cells" that transformed into distal tissue metastasis, which could be suppressed by the knockdown of CD206 expression.

Philadelphia chromosome-positive T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a case report.

Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a rare and aggressive type of acute leukemia. The Philadelphia chromosome is the hallmark of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The differentiation between Ph+ T-ALL and T-cell lymphoblastic crisis of CML may be problematic in some cases. Here, we report a rare case of de novo Ph+ T-ALL that presented a diagnostic challenge. The overall clinical, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, and xenotransplantation results suggest a diagnosis of Ph+ T-ALL. The patient was treated with induction chemotherapy including imatinib followed by haploidentical stem cell transplantation and achieved complete remission.

A quality grade classification method for fresh tea leaves based on an improved YOLOv8x-SPPCSPC-CBAM model.

In light of the prevalent issues concerning the mechanical grading of fresh tea leaves, characterized by high damage rates and poor accuracy, as well as the limited grading precision through the integration of machine vision and machine learning (ML) algorithms, this study presents an innovative approach for classifying the quality grade of fresh tea leaves. This approach leverages an integration of image recognition and deep learning (DL) algorithm to accurately classify tea leaves' grades by identifying distinct bud and leaf combinations. The method begins by acquiring separate images of orderly scattered and randomly stacked fresh tea leaves. These images undergo data augmentation techniques, such as rotation, flipping, and contrast adjustment, to form the scattered and stacked tea leaves datasets. Subsequently, the YOLOv8x model was enhanced by Space pyramid pooling improvements (SPPCSPC) and the concentration-based attention module (CBAM). The established YOLOv8x-SPPCSPC-CBAM model is evaluated by comparing it with popular DL models, including Faster R-CNN, YOLOv5x, and YOLOv8x. The experimental findings reveal that the YOLOv8x-SPPCSPC-CBAM model delivers the most impressive results. For the scattered tea leaves, the mean average precision, precision, recall, and number of images processed per second rates of 98.2%, 95.8%, 96.7%, and 2.77, respectively, while for stacked tea leaves, they are 99.1%, 99.1%, 97.7% and 2.35, respectively. This study provides a robust framework for accurately classifying the quality grade of fresh tea leaves.

Effects of acupoints-based TENS combined with tDCS on spasticity and motor function in ischemic stroke with spastic hemiplegia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Spastic hemiplegia following ischemic strokes seriously impedes the recovery of motor function posing a vast rehabilitation challenge. As the uncertain effects of recommended conventional treatments such as botulinum toxin injections on active functional improvement and potential adverse effects cannot be bypassed, there is an increasing need in alternative, more effective and safer modalities. Acupoints-based transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Acu-TENS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are effective non-invasive modalities for stroke rehabilitation, particularly showing anti-spastic effect and functional improvements as well. However, the optimal stimulation frequency of Acu-TENS and whether combination of Acu-TENS and tDCS exert synergistic effect remain to be investigated. Objective: To evaluate the effects of Acu-TENS combined with tDCS on spasticity and motor function in ischemic stroke patients with spastic hemiplegia and screen the optimal frequency of Acu-TENS. Methods: A total of 90 post-ischemic stroke patients with spastic hemiplegia will be intervened for 4 weeks and followed up for 4 weeks. They will be randomly assigned to three groups including two observation groups and a standard care control group in a 1:1:1 ratio. All patients will receive standard care and regular rehabilitation accordingly. In addition, the two observation groups will receive 12 sessions of Acu-TENS at 20 Hz or 100 Hz for 30 min combined with 1 mA tDCS for 20 min, three times a week, for 4 weeks. The primary outcome is the change in total modified Ashworth scale (MAS) score from baseline to week 4. Secondary outcomes include changes in surface electromyography (SEMG), Fugl-Meyer Motor Function Scale, Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and 10-meter walk test from baseline to week 4. MAS score will also be measured after 4 weeks of follow-up. Adverse events throughout the study will be recorded. Discussion: This trial will evaluate, for the first time, the therapeutic potentials and safety of Acu-TENS combined with tDCS on spasticity and motor function in stroke patients. It will provide evidence for frequency-dependent anti-spastic effect of Acu-TENS, and a reference for rated parameter setting of new mixed transcutaneous and transcranial stimulation system for stroke rehabilitation, thereby promoting proactive healthcare consequently. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trials Register ChiCTR2200067186.

[VOCs Emission Level and Emission Reduction Potential of Coating Industry in Zibo].

To evaluate the emission level and emission reduction potential of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the coating industry in Zibo, we conducted field research on eight typical enterprises in three representative coating industries:the automobile manufacturing coating industry, wooden furniture coating industry, and metal surface coating industry. The actual measurement method, material balance algorithm, and emission factor method were used to calculate the VOC emissions of enterprises, and the localized emission factors were established. The emission levels of enterprises were evaluated by comparing with other domestic and foreign studies including AP-42, and the emission reduction potential was calculated based on the material balance algorithm. The significance difference analysis method was used to study the influence degree of each link management and control. The results showed that the VOC emission factor in Zibo was 4.38 kg·car-1 for the automobile manufacturing coating industry, 212.52 g·kg-1 paint for the wooden furniture industry, and 42.79 g·kg-1 paint for the metal surface painting industry. The source emission reduction potential of furniture enterprise C and the process emission reduction potential of metal enterprises G and F could reach more than 50%. The degree of influence of each link management and control from high to low was source>process>end.

Long-term potentiation-based screening identifies neuronal PYGM as a synaptic plasticity regulator participating in Alzheimer's disease.

Synaptic dysfunction is an important pathological hallmark and cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD). High-frequency stimulation (HFS)-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) has been widely used to study synaptic plasticity, with impaired LTP found to be associated with AD. However, the exact molecular mechanism underlying synaptic plasticity has yet to be completely elucidated. Whether genes regulating synaptic plasticity are altered in AD and contribute to disease onset also remains unclear. Herein, we induced LTP in the hippocampal CA1 region of wild-type (WT) and AD model mice by administering HFS to the CA3 region and then studied transcriptome changes in the CA1 region. We identified 89 genes that may participate in normal synaptic plasticity by screening HFS-induced differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in mice with normal LTP, and 43 genes that may contribute to synaptic dysfunction in AD by comparing HFS-induced DEGs in mice with normal LTP and AD mice with impaired LTP. We further refined the 43 genes down to 14 by screening for genes with altered expression in pathological-stage AD mice without HFS induction. Among them, we found that the expression of Pygm, which catabolizes glycogen, was also decreased in AD patients. We further demonstrated that down-regulation of PYGM in neurons impaired synaptic plasticity and cognition in WT mice, while its overexpression attenuated synaptic dysfunction and cognitive deficits in AD mice. Moreover, we showed that PYGM directly regulated energy generation in neurons. Our study not only indicates that PYGM-mediated energy production in neurons plays an important role in synaptic function, but also provides a novel LTP-based strategy to systematically identify genes regulating synaptic plasticity under physiological and pathological conditions.

Structural Analysis and Characterization of 4-F-α-PVP Analog 4-F-3-Methyl-α- PVP Hydrochloride.

OBJECTIVES: To identify 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl) pentan-1-one (4-F-α-PVP) analog 1-(4-fluoro-3-methyl phenyl)-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl) pentan-1-one (4-F-3-Methyl-α-PVP) hydrochloride without reference substance. METHODS: The direct-injection electron ionization-mass spectrometry (EI-MS), GC-MS, electrospray ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS), ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS/MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ion chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were integrated utilized to achieve the structural analysis and characterization of the unknown compound in the sample, and the cleavage mechanism of the fragment ions was deduced by EI-MS and UPLC-HRMS/MS. RESULTS: By analyzing the direct-injection EI-MS, GC-MS, ESI-HRMS and UPLC-HRMS/MS of the compound in the samples, it was concluded that the unknown compound was a structural analog of 4-F-α-PVP, possibly with one more methyl group in the benzene ring. According to the analysis results of 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR, it was further proved that the methyl group is located at the 3-position of the benzene ring. Since the actual number of hydrogen in 1H-NMR analysis was one more than 4-F-3-Methyl-α-PVP neutral molecule, it was inferred that the compound existed in the form of salt. Ion chromatography analysis results showed that the compound contained chlorine anion (content 11.14%-11.16%), with the structural analysis of main functional group information by FTIR, the unknown compound was finally determined to be 4-F-3-Methyl-α-PVP hydrochloride. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive method using EI-MS, GC-MS, ESI-HRMS, UPLC-HRMS/MS, NMR, ion chromatography and FTIR to identify 4-F-3-Methyl-α-PVP hydrochloride in samples is established, which will be helpful for the forensic science laboratory to identify this compound or other analog compounds.

Anti-inflammatory effect and antihepatoma mechanism of carrimycin.

BACKGROUND: New drugs are urgently needed for the treatment of liver cancer, a feat that could be feasibly accomplished by finding new therapeutic purposes for marketed drugs to save time and costs. As a new class of national anti-infective drugs, carrimycin (CAM) has strong activity against gram-positive bacteria and no cross resistance with similar drugs. Studies have shown that the components of CAM have anticancer effects. AIM: To obtain a deeper understanding of CAM, its distribution, metabolism and anti-inflammatory effects were assessed in the organs of mice, and its mechanism of action against liver cancer was predicted by a network pharmacology method. METHODS: In this paper, the content of isovaleryl spiramycin III was used as an index to assess the distribution and metabolism of CAM and its effect on inflammatory factors in various mouse tissues and organs. Reverse molecular docking technology was utilized to determine the target of CAM, identify each target protein based on disease type, and establish a target protein-disease type network to ascertain the effect of CAM in liver cancer. Then, the key action targets of CAM in liver cancer were screened by a network pharmacology method, and the core targets were verified by molecular docking and visual analyses. RESULTS: The maximum CAM concentration was reached in the liver, kidney, lung and spleen 2.5 h after intragastric administration. In the intestine, the maximum drug concentration was reached 0.5 h after administration. In addition, CAM significantly reduced the interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels in the lung and kidney and especially the liver and spleen; moreover, CAM significantly reduced the IL-1ß levels in the spleen, liver, and kidney and particularly the small intestine and lung. CAM is predicted to regulate related pathways by acting on many targets, such as albumin, estrogen receptor 1, epidermal growth factor receptor and caspase 3, to treat cancer, inflammation and other diseases. CONCLUSION: We determined that CAM inhibited inflammation. We also predicted the complex multitargeted effects of CAM that involve multiple pathways and the diversity of these effects in the treatment of liver cancer, which provides a basis and direction for further clinical research.

An efficient method for identifying natural common homoisoflavonoid by 1H-NMR.

Homoisoflavone contains 16 carbon atoms in the skeleton. The homoisoflavonoid skeleton from natural products can be roughly divided into 13 kinds, among which 5 kinds of common skeletons contain a large amount of compounds and 8 kinds of abnormal skeletons comprise a small amount of compounds. In this article, the structure identification experience of homoisoflavonoids found in Caesalpinia mimosoides was used as references and an efficient 1H NMR spectroscopic method for identifying homoisoflavonoid structure has been established. Using the chemical shift differences of H-2, 3, 4 and 9, the common natural homoisoflavonoids can be quickly and conveniently determined.

Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Identifies FAT1 as a Negative Regulator of EMT, CTCs, and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: FAT atypical cadherin 1 (FAT1) acts as a tumor suppressor or oncogene, which regulates cell adherence, proliferation, motility, and actin kinetics. FAT1 gene expression is closely related to hepatocarcinogenesis; however, the function and mechanism of FAT1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. Methods: Here, we screened for the FAT1, which is intimately linked to the development and progression of HCC, both in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and tumor tissues using next generation sequencing (NGS). Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect FAT1 protein expression. To determine the impact of FAT1 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and invasion of HCC, an in vitro transwell assay and Western blot were performed. Moreover, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis was carried out to discover the underlying mechanism. Finally, animal experiments were conducted to confirm the effects of FAT1 on HCC metastasis and tumorigenicity. Results: Our results showed that FAT1 expression was decreased in HCC tissues, while in vitro and in vivo, the FAT1 knockdown facilitated invasion, cell motility, colony formation, and proliferation. FAT1 knockdown also resulted in decreased expression of E-cadherin and markedly elevated expression of N-cadherin, vimentin, and snail. We also confirmed our hypothesis from the analysis of group differences in the CTC phenotype and lung metastasis in nude mice. Conclusion: Our findings illustrated that FAT1 played a negative regulatory role in the HCC EMT and metastasis, providing further evidence for the role played by FAT1 in the formation and progression of HCC.

Comprehensive analysis of circular RNA-associated competing endogenous RNA networks and immune infiltration in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNA (circRNA) has been proved to be an important regulator of gastric cancer (GC). However, the role and regulatory mechanism of circrna related competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in GC have not been established. METHODS: CircRNA data and clinical data were obtained from the GEO and TCGA databases. The ceRNA networks were constructed and a function enrichment analysis was completed. Additionally, correlations between hub genes expression, immune cell infiltration, and clinical phenotypes were determined. The differentially expressed circRNAs and their downstream microRNAs (miRNAs) were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and the hub genes were validated by western blot analysis. The migration and invasion ability of overexpressed hsa_circ_0002504 was determined by a transwell assay. RESULTS: The ceRNA network contained 2 circRNAs, 3 miRNAs, and 55 messenger RNAs (mRNAs). 323 biological processes terms, 53 cellular components terms, 51 molecular functions terms, and 4 signaling pathways were revealed by the function enrichment analysis. The GSEA analysis revealed that the hub genes were positively correlated with the axon guidance and adhesion molecules pathways. The correlation analysis revealed that overexpressed EPHA4 and KCNA1 indicated poor tissue differentiation and were associated with clinically advanced stages of GC. The in vitro experiments showed that hsa_circ_0002504 was significantly down-regulated in GC cell lines. In addition, the overexpression of hsa_circ_0002504 led to a significant downregulation of hsa-miR-615-5p and hsa-miR-767-5p, as well as an upregulation of EPHA4, KCNA1, and NCAM1. Furthermore, it suppressed the migration and invasion ability of GC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Hsa_circ_0002504 is a potential diagnostic biomarker for GC. High expression of EPHA4 and KCNA1 may indicate poor prognosis.

Moringa oleifera leaf attenuate osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats by modulating gut microbiota composition and MAPK signaling pathway.

Moringa oleifera leaf (MLP) contains abundant complex nutrients with anti-osteoporosis potential. However, its efficacy and mechanisms against osteoporosis remain unknown. The purpose of this research is to investigate MLP's anti-osteoporotic effects and mechanisms. Animal experiments were used in this work to validate MLP's anti-osteoporotic efficacy. We investigated the mode of action of MLP, analyzed its impact on the gut microbiota, and predicted and validated its anti-osteoporosis-related molecular targets and pathways through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and western blotting. In an ovariectomized osteoporosis rat model, MLP significantly increased bone mineral density and improved bone metabolism-related indicators, bone microstructure, and lipid profile. Moreover, it improved gut microbiota composition and increased the expression of Occludin and Claudin-1 protein in the duodenum. Network pharmacology identified a total of 97 active ingredients and 478 core anti-osteoporosis targets. Of these, MAPK1 (also known as ERK2), MAPK3 (also known as ERK1), and MAPK8 (also known as JNK) were successfully docked with the active constituents of MLP. Interestingly, MLP increased ERK and VAV3 protein expression and decreased p-ERK and JNK protein expression in the femur. These findings confirm MLP's anti-osteoporotic efficacy, which could be mediated via regulation of gut microbiota and MAPK signaling.

Exosomal proteomics identifies RAB13 as a potential regulator of metastasis for HCC.

BACKGROUND: Exosomal proteins from cancer cells are becoming new biomarkers for cancer monitoring and efficacy evaluation. However, their biological function and molecular mechanism underlying tumor metastasis are largely unknown. METHODS: Bioinformatic methods such as bulk gene expression analysis, single-cell RNA sequencing data analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis were employed to identify metastasis-associated proteins. The in vitro and in vivo experiments were used to investigate the function of RAB13 in HCC metastasis. RESULTS: We identified RAB13 as one of the critical regulators of metastasis in HCC-derived exosomes for the first time. In vitro, the invasiveness of HCC cell lines could be attenuated by RAB13 silence. In vivo, tumor size and proportion of high-grade lung metastatic nodule could be reduced in the mice with orthotopic transplantation of tumors and intravenously injected with exosomes derived from MHCC97H cell with RAB13 silence (si-RAB13-Exo), as compared with those without RAB13 silence (si-NC-Exo). Moreover, in si-RAB13-Exo group, circulating tumor cell counts were decreased at the third, fourth, and fifth weeks after orthotopic transplantation of tumors, and MMP2 (matrix metalloproteinase 2)/TIMP2 (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2) ratio was also significantly decreased. In addition, RAB13 expression was also associated with VEGF levels, microvessel density, and tube formation of vascular endothelial cells by both in vitro and in vivo models, indicating that RAB13 was associated with angiogenesis in HCC. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated exosomal RAB13 as a potential regulator of metastasis for HCC by in silico, in vitro, and in vivo methods, which greatly improve our understanding of the functional impact of exosomal proteins on HCC metastasis.

Disulfiram reduces the severity of mouse acute pancreatitis by inhibiting RIPK1-dependent acinar cell necrosis.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a frequent abdominal inflammatory disease. Despite the high morbidity and mortality, the management of AP remains unsatisfactory. Disulfiram (DSF) is an FDA-proved drug with potential therapeutic effects on inflammatory diseases. In this study, we aim to investigate the effect of DSF on pancreatic acinar cell necrosis, and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Cell necrosis was induced by sodium taurocholate or caerulein, AP mice model was induced by nine hourly injections of caerulein. Network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation were used to explore the potential targets of DSF in protecting against cell necrosis. The results indicated that DSF significantly inhibited acinar cell necrosis as evidenced by a decreased ratio of necrotic cells in the pancreas. Network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation identified RIPK1 as a potent target of DSF in protecting against acinar cell necrosis. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that DSF decreased the mRNA levels of RIPK1 in freshly isolated pancreatic acinar cells and the pancreas of AP mice. Western blot showed that DSF treatment decreased the expressions of RIPK1 and MLKL proteins. Moreover, DSF inhibited NF-κB activation in acini. It also decreased the protein expression of TLR4 and the formation of neutrophils extracellular traps (NETs) induced by damage-associated molecular patterns released by necrotic acinar cells. Collectively, DSF could ameliorate the severity of mouse acute pancreatitis by inhibiting RIPK-dependent acinar cell necrosis and the following formation of NETs.

A clinically feasible circulating tumor cell sorting system for monitoring the progression of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hematogenous metastasis is essential for the progression of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and can occur even after patients receive multidisciplinary therapies, including immunotherapy and hepatectomy; circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are one of the dominant components of the metastatic cascade. However, the CTC capture efficiency for HCC is low due to the low sensitivity of the detection method. In this study, epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)/vimentin/Glypican-3 (GPC3) antibody-modified lipid magnetic spheres (LMS) were used to capture tumor cells with epithelial phenotype, mesenchymal phenotype and GPC3 phenotype, respectively, in order to capture more CTCs with a more comprehensive phenotype for monitoring tumor metastasis. RESULTS: The novel CTC detection system of Ep-LMS/Vi-LMS/GPC3-LMS was characterized by low toxicity, strong specificity (96.94%), high sensitivity (98.12%) and high capture efficiency (98.64%) in vitro. A sudden increase in CTC counts accompanied by the occurrence of lung metastasis was found in vivo, which was further validated by a clinical study. During follow-up, the rapid increase in CTCs predicted tumor progression in HCC patients. Additionally, genetic testing results showed common genetic alterations in primary tumors, CTCs and metastatic tissues. The proportion of patients predicted to benefit from immunotherapy with the CTC detection method was higher than that for the tissue detection method (76.47% vs. 41.18%, P = 0.037), guiding the application of clinical individualized therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The Ep-LMS/Vi-LMS/GPC3-LMS sequential CTC capture system is convenient and feasible for the clinical prediction of HCC progression. CTCs captured by this system could be used as a suitable alternative to HCC tissue detection in guiding immunotherapy, supporting the clinical application of CTC liquid biopsy.

Deep soil microbial carbon metabolic function is important but often neglected: a study on the Songnen Plain reed wetland, Northeast China.

Soil microbial carbon metabolism is critical in wetland soil carbon cycling, and is also a research hotspot at present. However, most studies focus on the surface soil layer in the wetlands and the microorganisms associated with this layer. In this study, 0-75 cm soil profiles were collected from five widely separated reed wetlands in the Songnen Plain, which has a large number of middle-high latitude inland saline-sodic wetlands. The Biolog-ECO method was used to determine the carbon metabolic activity and functional diversity of soil microorganisms. The results showed that soil carbon metabolic activity decreased with increasing soil depth. The carbon metabolic activity of soil microorganisms in the 60-75 cm layer was approximately 57.41%-74.60% of that in the 0-15 cm layer. The soil microbial Shannon index and utilization rate of amines decreased with an increase in soil depth, while the Evenness index and utilization rate of polymers tended to increase with soil depth. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the most important factor affecting microbial carbon source utilization preference, because microorganisms mainly obtain the carbon source from DOC. The result of the correlation analysis showed that the soil microbial carbon metabolic activity, Shannon index, and Evenness index significantly correlated with soil total carbon (TC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), DOC, total nitrogen (TN), ammonium nitrogen (NH4 +-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3 --N) contents, and electrical conductivity (EC). This study emphasized the important role of microbial carbon metabolic function in deep soil.