Altered gray matter volume and functional connectivity in lung cancer patients with bone metastasis pain.

Bone metastasis pain (BMP) is a severe chronic pain condition. Our previous studies on BMP revealed functional brain abnormalities. However, the potential effect of BMP on brain structure and function, especially gray matter volume (GMV) and related functional networks, have not yet been clearly illustrated. Voxel-based morphometry and functional connectivity (FC) analysis methods were used to investigate GMV and intrinsic FC differences in 45 right-handed lung cancer patients with BMP(+), 37 lung cancer patients without BMP(-), and 45 healthy controls (HCs). Correlation analysis was performed thereafter with all clinical variables by Pearson correlation. Compared to HCs, BMP(+) group exhibited decreased GMV in medial frontal gyrus (MFG) and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG). Compared with BMP(-) group, BMP(+) group exhibited reduced GMV in cerebelum_6_L and left lingual gyrus. However, no regions with significant GMV differences were found between BMP(-) and HCs groups. Receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated the potential classification power of these aberrant regions. Correlation analysis revealed that GMV in the right MTG was positively associated with anxiety in BMP(+) group. Further FC analysis demonstrated enhanced interactions between MFG/right MTG and cerebellum in BMP(+) patients compared with HCs. These results showed that BMP was closely associated with cerebral alterations, which may induce the impairment of pain moderation circuit, deficits in cognitive function, dysfunction of emotional control, and sensorimotor processing. These findings may provide a fresh perspective and further neuroimaging evidence for the possible mechanisms of BMP. Furthermore, the role of the cerebellum in pain processing needs to be further investigated.

A novel hybrid optimization model for evaluating and forecasting air quality grades.

Air pollution has a significant global impact on natural resources and public health. Accurate prediction of air pollution is crucial for effective prevention and control measures. However, due to regional variations, different cities may have varying primary pollutants, posing new challenges for accurate prediction. In this paper, we propose a novel method called FP-RF, which integrates clustering algorithms to categorize multiple cities according to their air quality index values. Subsequently, we apply functional principal component analysis to extract the primary components of air pollution within each cluster. Furthermore, an enhanced random forest algorithm is utilized to predict air quality grades for each city. We conduct experimental evaluations using authentic historical data from Anhui Province spanning from 2018 to 2023. The results unequivocally establish the effectiveness of our model, with an average accuracy rate of 98.6% in forecasting six pollution grades and 96.04% accuracy in predicting 16 prefecture-level cities, surpassing performance compared to other baseline models.

The Tip-Localized Phosphatidylserine Established by Arabidopsis ALA3 Is Crucial for Rab GTPase-Mediated Vesicle Trafficking and Pollen Tube Growth.

RabA4 subfamily proteins, the key regulators of intracellular transport, are vital for tip growth of plant polar cells, but their unique distribution in the apical zone and role in vesicle targeting and trafficking in the tips remain poorly understood. Here, we found that loss of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) AMINOPHOSPHOLIPID ATPASE 3 (ALA3) function resulted in a marked decrease in YFP-RabA4b/ RFP-RabA4d- and FM4-64-labeled vesicles from the inverted-cone zone of the pollen tube tip, misdistribution of certain intramembrane compartment markers, and an obvious increase in pollen tube width. Additionally, we revealed that phosphatidylserine (PS) was abundant in the inverted-cone zone of the apical pollen tube in wild-type Arabidopsis and was mainly colocalized with the trans-Golgi network/early endosome, certain post-Golgi compartments, and the plasma membrane. Loss of ALA3 function resulted in loss of polar localization of apical PS and significantly decreased PS distribution, suggesting that ALA3 is a key regulator for establishing and maintaining the polar localization of apical PS in pollen tubes. We further demonstrated that certain Rab GTPases colocalized with PS in vivo and bound to PS in vitro. Moreover, ALA3 and RabA4d collectively regulated pollen tube growth genetically. Thus, we propose that the tip-localized PS established by ALA3 is crucial for Rab GTPase-mediated vesicle targeting/trafficking and polar growth of pollen tubes in Arabidopsis.

The effect of health literacy, self-efficacy, social support and fear of disease progression on the health-related quality of life of patients with cancer in China: a structural equation model.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy (HL), self-efficacy (SE), social support (SS) and fear of disease progression (FOP) are all important factors affecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in cancer patients. However, their synergistic effects and underlying mechanisms on HRQoL in cancer patients remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to construct a structural equation model (SEM) to explore the underlying mechanism of factors affecting HRQoL. It is hoped that this study will provide a theoretical basis for future interventions. METHODS: A cross-sectional design and convenience sampling method were used to investigate cancer inpatients in two general hospitals in Chongqing and Chengdu. Data were collected using structured scales, including HL, SE, SS, FOP and HRQoL. Finally, the SEM was constructed, and P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: There were 1749 participants included in this study. Correlation analysis showed that all variables were significantly correlated with one another except for symptoms, physical health (PD) and social family (SF) (p < 0.01). The SEM of the HRQoL had a good overall fit (GFI = 0.943, AGFI = 0.917, NFI = 0.950, RFI = 0.936, CFI = 0.955, IFI = 0.955, RMSEA = 0.072). The model indicated that HL had the strongest correlation with HRQoL (ß = 0.398, p < 0.01), followed by FOP (ß = -0.364, p < 0.01), SE (ß = 0.347, p < 0.01) and SS (ß = 0.184, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The HRQoL of cancer patients is correlated with HL, SS, SE and FOP. HL can directly affect HRQoL and mediate HRQoL through SS and SE. Future programs should consider HL promotion, SE improvement and SS expansion as the breakthrough point when designing targeted intervention strategies. At the same time, the importance of the impact of FOP on the HRQoL of patients with cancer should not be ignored.

The relationship among pregnancy-related anxiety, perceived social support, family function and resilience in Chinese pregnant women: a structural equation modeling analysis.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence suggests that pregnancy-related anxiety (PRA) has adverse impacts on maternity health and infant development. A substantial body of literature has documented the important influence of family function, perceived social support and resilience on PRA. However, research identifying the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship in China are still lacking. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of PRA under the three-child policy in China, and also explore the interrelationships among perceived social support, family function, resilience, and PRA. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a convenient sampling method was used to select 579 pregnant women who underwent prenatal examination at the maternity outpatient departments of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University in China from December 2021 to April 2022. Participants were required to complete the following questionnaires: the demographic form, the Chinese Pregnancy-related Anxiety scale, the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the APGAR Family Care Index Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Pearson correlation analysis was utilized to examine the rudimentary relationship among the study variables. Bootstrapping analyses in the structural equation modeling were applied to identify the significance of indirect effects. RESULTS: There were 41.4% of pregnant Chinese women indicating PRA. Correlational analyses indicated that perceived social support, family function and resilience were negatively associated with PRA (r = - 0.47, P < 0.01; r = - 0.43, P < 0.01; r = - 0.37, P < 0.01, respectively). The results of bootstrapping analyses demonstrated significant indirect effects of perceived social support (ß = - 0.098, 95% CI [- 0.184, - 0.021]) and family function (ß = - 0.049, 95% CI [- 0.103, - 0.011]) on PRA via resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese pregnant women are suffering from high levels of PRA. Better family function and perceived social support might reduce the occurrence of PRA, as well as by the mediating effects of resilience. Healthcare providers must be concerned about PRA and perform corresponding actions to reduce it. By strengthening social support and improving family function, antenatal care providers could effectively reduce or prevent PRA. And more importantly, implementing resilience-promoting measures are also essential to relieve anxiety and support mental health in pregnant women.

Presence of circulating tumor cells is associated with metabolic-related variables in postoperative patients with early-stage breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Although circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been well-established as promising prognostic biomarkers in both early breast cancer and metastatic settings, little is known regarding the prognostic relevance of CTCs in the long-term postoperative monitoring of patients with non-metastatic breast cancer (non-MBC). In this study, we investigated the associations of CTCs with clinicopathological features and metabolic-related variables, such as obesity and hyperglycemia. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we recruited 264 patients with postoperative stage I-III breast cancer at Guangdong General Hospital from January 2009 to December 2015. The prevalence and number of CTCs were assessed using the CellSearch System at a median time of 19.0 months [interquartile range (IQR), 7.8-33.0] after surgery. The CTC assay results were correlated with the clinicopathological features and metabolic-related variables. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to further determine the independent predictors of CTCs. RESULTS: CTCs were detected in 10.6% of all patients. The positive rate of CTCs in patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma was lower than that in patients with other pathological types (9.0% vs. 28.6%, P=0.020). More importantly, the presence of CTCs was correlated with blood glucose level (P=0.015) and high-density lipoprotein level (P=0.030). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the pathological type [odds ratio (OR): 1.757, 95% CI: 1.021-3.023; P=0.042] and blood glucose level (OR: 1.218, 95% CI: 1.014-1.465; P=0.035) were independent predictors of the presence of CTCs. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed potential associations between CTCs and metabolic-related factors in Chinese patients with non-MBC and supports the hypothesis that metabolic dysfunction in breast cancer patients might influence the biological activity of metastatic breast cancer, leading to a higher prevalence of CTCs.

Establishment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a cell factory for efficient de novo production of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol.

Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), a predominant photosynthetic membrane lipid derived from plants and microalgae, has important applications in feed additives, medicine, and other fields. The low content and various structural stereoselectivity differences of MGDG in plants limited the biological extraction or chemical synthesis of MGDG, resulting in a supply shortage of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol with a growing demand. Herein, we established Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a cell factory for efficient de novo production of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol for the first time. Heterologous production of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol was achieved by overexpression of codon-optimized monogalactosyldiacylglycerol synthase gene MGD1, the key Kennedy pathway genes (i.e. GAT1, ICT1, and PAH1), and multi-copy integration of the MGD1 expression cassette. The final engineered strain (MG-8) was capable of producing monogalactosyldiacylglycerol with titers as high as 16.58 nmol/mg DCW in a shake flask and 103.2 nmol/mg DCW in a 5 L fed-batch fermenter, respectively. This is the first report of heterologous biosynthesis of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol in microorganisms, which will provide a favorable reference for study on heterologous production of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol in yeasts.

Learned Helplessness and Associated Factors Among Patients with Lung Cancer.

Purpose: Learned helplessness (LH) is the psychological state in which an individual experiences multiple failures and setbacks and experiences a sense of loss when facing the current situation. It is a significant burden for lung cancer patients that can impair quality of life and lead to physical, social, and psychological difficulties. Thus, this study aimed to determine the level of LH among patients with lung cancer and identify factors associated with LH. Patients and Methods: From August 2022 to March 2023, 237 patients with lung cancer from Chongqing University Cancer Hospital were selected for this study. A general information questionnaire, the LH scale, the Brief Illness Perception questionnaire, the Strategies Used by People to Promote Health questionnaire, the Medical Coping Modes questionnaire, and the Self-esteem scale were used for the investigation. Multiple linear regression was employed to identify influencing factors for LH in patients with lung cancer. Results: The total LH score of patients with lung cancer was 52.19±11.20. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that illness perception (ß=0.249, P=0.001), self-efficacy (ß=-0.194, P=0.017), and resignation coping mode (ß=0.267, P<0.001) were the main influencing factors of LH (P<0.05), which explained 42.0% of the total variance. Conclusion: The score of LH in patients with lung cancer was at a moderate level in this study. Illness perception, self-efficacy, and resignation coping mode have been found to impact LH among patients with lung cancer. Healthcare professionals should implement effective interventions, such as promoting self-efficacy, encouraging positive coping, and reducing illness perception, to alleviate LH.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance drought resistance in Bombax ceiba by regulating SOD family genes.

The physiological activity facilitated by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) contributes to plants' ability to tolerate drought. Nevertheless, it is unclear if AMF colonization affects the expression of genes in the host plant that encode antioxidant enzymes in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) family, which help alleviate drought stress in plants. Here, we conducted a pot trial to determine whether colonization by the AMF Rhizophagus irregularis improves drought resistance in Bombax ceiba. We comprehensively analyzed the SOD gene family and evaluated genome-wide expression patterns of SODs and SOD activity in AMF-colonized and non-mycorrhizal plants under simulated drought. We identified a total of 13 SODs in the genome of B. ceiba, including three FeSODs (BcFSDs), three MnSODs (BcMSDs), and seven Cu/ZnSODs (BcCSDs). Phylogenetic analysis based on binding domain revealed that SOD genes from B. ceiba and various other plant species can be divided into three separate groups, showing significant bootstrap values. Our examination of gene composition and patterns suggests that most BcSOD genes in these three subgroups are significantly conserved. Additionally, it was noted that hormones and stress-responsive cis-regulatory elements were found in all BcSOD promoters. Expression profiling by qRT-PCR demonstrated that AMF increased relative expression levels of Cu/Zn-SODs in both roots and shoots under drought stress, except for BcCSD3 in roots. Furthermore, AMF colonization increased the relative expression of BcMSD1a and BcMSD1b in roots, augmenting SOD activities and increasing ROS scavenging during drought. In general, this work offers molecular evidence in support of the beneficial effect of AMF colonization on drought tolerance in B. ceiba. It also elucidates the expression patterns of SOD genes, which will support efforts to optimize mycorrhizal seedling cultivation under stressful conditions.

Influence of Financial Toxicity on the Quality of Life in Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing Immunotherapy: The Mediating Effect of Self-Perceived Burden.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the level of quality of life (QOL) of lung cancer patients receiving immunotherapy and to clarify the potential mediating role of self-perceived burden (SPB) in the relationship between financial toxicity (FT) and QOL. Patients and Methods: A convenience sample of 342 lung cancer patients receiving immunotherapy was recruited from a cancer hospital from October 2022 to April 2023 for this cross-sectional study. The participants were requested to complete the following structured questionnaires: a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung (FACT-L), the Self-Perceived Burden Scale (SPBS) and the COmprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST). The data were subjected to Pearson correlation analysis and bootstrapping analysis in structural equation modelling. Results: The total FACT-L score was 79.90±15.84 points in 322 lung cancer patients receiving immunotherapy. FT (ß = 0.37, P < 0.01) and SPB (ß = -0.27, P < 0.01) had a direct effect on QOL. In addition, SPB partly mediated the association between FT and QOL, and the standardized indirect effect was 0.19, accounting for 33.9% of the total effect. Conclusion: The present study revealed that there is still much room for improvement in the QOL of lung cancer patients during immunotherapy. A greater financial burden resulted in a greater self-perceived burden and was thus associated with inferior QOL. It is imperative for oncology nurses to routinely assess QOL, FT or risk and SPB for lung cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy as well as to assist those patients in understanding the potential financial risk of each choice and help them take more active roles in their routine clinical care.

Rab GTPases, tethers, and SNAREs work together to regulate Arabidopsis cell plate formation.

Cell plates are transient structures formed by the fusion of vesicles at the center of the dividing plane; furthermore, these are precursors to new cell walls and are essential for cytokinesis. Cell plate formation requires a highly coordinated process of cytoskeletal rearrangement, vesicle accumulation and fusion, and membrane maturation. Tethering factors have been shown to interact with the Ras superfamily of small GTP binding proteins (Rab GTPases) and soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs), which are essential for cell plate formation during cytokinesis and are fundamental for maintaining normal plant growth and development. In Arabidopsis thaliana, members of the Rab GTPases, tethers, and SNAREs are localized in cell plates, and mutations in the genes encoding these proteins result in typical cytokinesis-defective phenotypes, such as the formation of abnormal cell plates, multinucleated cells, and incomplete cell walls. This review highlights recent findings on vesicle trafficking during cell plate formation mediated by Rab GTPases, tethers, and SNAREs.

Dihydroartemisinin enhances gefitinib cytotoxicity against lung adenocarcinoma cells by inducing ROS-dependent apoptosis and ferroptosis.

The application of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), such as gefitinib, has shifted lung cancer treatment from empirical chemotherapy to targeted molecular therapy. However, acquired drug resistance is inevitable in almost all non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with gefitinib. Combined treatment with dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and gefitinib produced a better inhibitory effect on lung adenocarcinoma than gefitinib treatment alone; however, the specific mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to assess the underlying mechanism of this combination treatment. We prepared gefitinib-resistant A549 cells and investigated whether apoptosis and ferroptosis were involved in the sensitizing effect of DHA. Treatment with 5 µM gefitinib resulted in rupturing and floatation of A549 cells in the medium, while A549-GR cells were found to be insusceptible to gefitinib. However, treatment with DHA substantially inhibited the proliferation of A549-GR cells in a dose-dependent manner accompanied by increased apoptosis and ferroptosis. The accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) was crucial for the inhibitory effect of DHA on A549-GR cells. Moreover, cellular autophagy was significantly upregulated post-DHA treatment. The combined treatment of DHA and gefitinib resulted in inhibition of proliferation of A549, H1975, and HCC827 cells, and ROS accumulation and a remarkable induction of apoptosis was observed in A549-GR cells. DHA significantly induced apoptosis and ferroptosis in a dose-dependent manner and exhibited high cellular toxicity on A549-GR cells when combined with gefitinib.

Comprehensive Analysis of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network for Intramuscular Fat in Pigs.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) is an essential trait closely related to meat quality. The IMF trait is a complex quantitative trait that is regulated by multiple genes. In order to better understand the process of IMF and explore the key factors affecting IMF deposition, we identified differentially expressed mRNA, miRNA, and lncRNA in the longissimus dorsi muscle (LD) between Songliao Black (SL) pigs and Landrace pigs. We obtained 606 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 55 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs), and 30 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) between the SL pig and Landrace pig. Enrichment results from GO and KEGG indicate that DEGs are involved in fatty acid metabolism and some pathways related to glycogen synthesis. We constructed an lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction network with 18 DELs, 11 DEMs, and 42 DEGs. Finally, the research suggests that ARID5B, CPT1B, ACSL1, LPIN1, HSP90AA1, IRS1, IRS2, PIK3CA, PIK3CB, and PLIN2 may be the key genes affecting IMF deposition. The LncRNAs MSTRG.19948.1, MSTRG.13120.1, MSTRG.20210.1, and MSTRG.10023.1, and the miRNAs ssc-miRNA-429 and ssc-miRNA-7-1, may play a regulatory role in IMF deposition through their respective target genes. Our research provides a reference for further understanding the regulatory mechanism of IMF.

SNAREs Regulate Vesicle Trafficking During Root Growth and Development.

SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) proteins assemble to drive the final membrane fusion step of membrane trafficking. Thus, SNAREs are essential for membrane fusion and vesicular trafficking, which are fundamental mechanisms for maintaining cellular homeostasis. In plants, SNAREs have been demonstrated to be located in different subcellular compartments and involved in a variety of fundamental processes, such as cytokinesis, cytoskeleton organization, symbiosis, and biotic and abiotic stress responses. In addition, SNAREs can also contribute to the normal growth and development of Arabidopsis. Here, we review recent progress in understanding the biological functions and signaling network of SNAREs in vesicle trafficking and the regulation of root growth and development in Arabidopsis.