New techniques to identify the tissue of origin for cancer of unknown primary in the era of precision medicine: progress and challenges.

Despite a standardized diagnostic examination, cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a rare metastatic malignancy with an unidentified tissue of origin (TOO). Patients diagnosed with CUP are typically treated with empiric chemotherapy, although their prognosis is worse than those with metastatic cancer of a known origin. TOO identification of CUP has been employed in precision medicine, and subsequent site-specific therapy is clinically helpful. For example, molecular profiling, including genomic profiling, gene expression profiling, epigenetics and proteins, has facilitated TOO identification. Moreover, machine learning has improved identification accuracy, and non-invasive methods, such as liquid biopsy and image omics, are gaining momentum. However, the heterogeneity in prediction accuracy, sample requirements and technical fundamentals among the various techniques is noteworthy. Accordingly, we systematically reviewed the development and limitations of novel TOO identification methods, compared their pros and cons and assessed their potential clinical usefulness. Our study may help patients shift from empirical to customized care and improve their prognoses.

Differential isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 mutation-related landscape in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) are prone to recurrence and poor survival. Targeted therapy related to isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) is an extremely important treatment. IDH1 and IDH2 mutations are generally thought to have similar effects on the tumor landscape. However, it is doubtful whether these 2 mutations have exactly the same effects on tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment. METHODS: All collected tumor samples were subjected to simultaneous whole-exon sequencing and proteome sequencing. RESULTS: IDH1 mutations accounted for 12.2%, and IDH2 mutations accounted for 5.5%, all missense mutations. Tumors with IDH mutations had lower proportions of KRAS and TP53 mutations. Mutated genes were obviously enriched in the kinase pathway in the tumors with IDH2 mutations. The signaling pathways were mainly enriched in the activation of cellular metabolic activities and an increase of inhibitory immune cells in the tumors with IDH mutations. Moreover, tumors had unique enrichment in DNA repair in IDH1 mutants and secretion of biological molecules in IDH2 mutants. Inhibitory immune cells might be more prominent in IDH2 mutants, and the expression of immune checkpoints PVR and HLA-DQB1 was more prominent in IDH1 mutants. IDH mutants were more related to metabolism-related and inflammation-immune response clusters, and some belonged to the DNA replication and repair cluster. CONCLUSIONS: These results revealed the differential IDH1 and IDH2 mutation-related landscapes, and we have provided an important reference database to guide ICC treatment.

EMLI-ICC: an ensemble machine learning-based integration algorithm for metastasis prediction and risk stratification in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Robust strategies to identify patients at high risk for tumor metastasis, such as those frequently observed in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), remain limited. While gene/protein expression profiling holds great potential as an approach to cancer diagnosis and prognosis, previously developed protocols using multiple diagnostic signatures for expression-based metastasis prediction have not been widely applied successfully because batch effects and different data types greatly decreased the predictive performance of gene/protein expression profile-based signatures in interlaboratory and data type dependent validation. To address this problem and assist in more precise diagnosis, we performed a genome-wide integrative proteome and transcriptome analysis and developed an ensemble machine learning-based integration algorithm for metastasis prediction (EMLI-Metastasis) and risk stratification (EMLI-Prognosis) in ICC. Based on massive proteome (216) and transcriptome (244) data sets, 132 feature (biomarker) genes were selected and used to train the EMLI-Metastasis algorithm. To accurately detect the metastasis of ICC patients, we developed a weighted ensemble machine learning method based on k-Top Scoring Pairs (k-TSP) method. This approach generates a metastasis classifier for each bootstrap aggregating training data set. Ten binary expression rank-based classifiers were generated for detection of metastasis separately. To further improve the accuracy of the method, the 10 binary metastasis classifiers were combined by weighted voting based on the score from the prediction results of each classifier. The prediction accuracy of the EMLI-Metastasis algorithm achieved 97.1% and 85.0% in proteome and transcriptome datasets, respectively. Among the 132 feature genes, 21 gene-pair signatures were developed to establish a metastasis-related prognosis risk-stratification model in ICC (EMLI-Prognosis). Based on EMLI-Prognosis algorithm, patients in the high-risk group had significantly dismal overall survival relative to the low-risk group in the clinical cohort (P-value < 0.05). Taken together, the EMLI-ICC algorithm provides a powerful and robust means for accurate metastasis prediction and risk stratification across proteome and transcriptome data types that is superior to currently used clinicopathological features in patients with ICC. Our developed algorithm could have profound implications not just in improved clinical care in cancer metastasis risk prediction, but also more broadly in machine-learning-based multi-cohort diagnosis method development. To make the EMLI-ICC algorithm easily accessible for clinical application, we established a web-based server for metastasis risk prediction (http://ibi.zju.edu.cn/EMLI/).

Molecular characterization, expression and antibacterial function of a macin, HdMac, from Haliotis discus hannai.

Macins are a family of antimicrobial peptides, which play multiple roles in the elimination of invading pathogens. In the present study, a macin was cloned and characterized from Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai (Designated as HdMac). Analysis of the conserved domain suggested that HdMac was a new member of the macin family. In non-stimulated abalones, HdMac transcripts were constitutively expressed in all five tested tissues, especially in hemocytes. After Vibrio harveyi stimulation, the expression of HdMac mRNA in hemocytes was significantly up-regulated at 12 hr (P < 0.01). RNAi-mediated knockdown of HdMac transcripts affected the survival rates of abalone against V. harveyi. Moreover, recombinant protein of HdMac (rHdMac) exhibited high antibacterial activities against invading bacteria, especially for Vibrio anguillarum. In addition, rHdMac possessed binding activities towards glucan, lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and peptidoglycan (PGN), but not chitin in vitro. Membrane integrity analysis revealed that rHdMac could increase the membrane permeability of bacteria. Meanwhile, both the phagocytosis and chemotaxis ability of hemocytes could be significantly enhanced by rHdMac. Overall, the results showed that HdMac could function as a versatile molecule involved in immune responses of H. discus hannai.

Slippery Au Nanosphere Monolayers with Analyte Enrichment and SERS Enhancement Functions.

Slippery surfaces can enrich analytes from solutions into tiny dots after solvent evaporation for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection. Here, we make the self-assembled Au nanosphere monolayers slippery, which can not only behave as SERS substrates but also enrich the analytes during solvent evaporation. A thin silica shell was used to wrap the Au nanosphere monolayer to allow the functionalization of a slippery polydimethylsiloxane brush monolayer onto it. These slippery Au nanosphere monolayers could be easily cleaned and reused many times. When Au nanospheres were introduced into the analyte solution droplet on the slippery Au nanosphere monolayer, a 3D Au nanoparticle/analyte aggregate was formed after solvent evaporation. Both the Au nanoparticle aggregate and the underneath slippery Au nanosphere monolayer could contribute to SERS enhancement. We endow the self-assembled Au nanosphere monolayer SERS substrates with an analyte enrichment function, greatly strengthening their SERS enhancement.

PKMYT1 Promotes Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Process in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Activating Notch Signaling.

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer (BC) that lacks receptors for targeted therapy. Deeper insight into the molecular mechanisms regulating TNBC metastasis is urgently needed. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition process facilitates the metastasis of neighboring epithelial tumor cells. Protein kinase, membrane-associated tyrosine/threonine 1 (PKMYT1), a member of the Wee family of protein kinases, is upregulated in BC, and its high expression predicts poor prognosis in BC patients. Notch signaling activation is a pathognomonic feature of TNBC. PKMYT1 has been found to induce EMT in non-small cell lung cancer by activating Notch signaling. However, whether PKMYT1 exerts effects on TNBC progression by regulating Notch signaling remains unknown. Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate whether PKMYT1 exerts effects on TNBC progression by regulating Notch signaling. Methods: Fifty cases of surgically resected BC samples (tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissue samples) were collected from patients diagnosed with BC. We measured the expression of PKMYT1 in clinical samples with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). For in vitro analysis, RT-qPCR and Western blotting were conducted to evaluate PKMYT1 expression in TNBC cells. Then, the viability, migration, and invasion of TNBC cells were detected by cell counting kit-8 assays, wound healing assays, and Transwell assays. The EMT event was examined by evaluating the levels of EMT-associated proteins. For in vivo analysis, xenograft models in nude mice were established to explore PKMYT1 roles. E-cadherin and Ki67 expression in xenograft models were estimated by immunohistochemistry staining. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to assess tumor metastasis. The underlying mechanisms by which PKMYT1 affected the malignant phenotypes of TNBC cells were explored by Western blotting measuring the pathway-associated proteins. Results: PKMYT1 was upregulated in BC tissues and cells, and its knockdown prevented cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT event in TNBC. Mechanistically, Notch signaling was inactivated by PKMYT1 depletion, and Notch activation abolished the PKMYT1 silencing-induced inhibition in the malignant phenotypes of TNBC cells. For in vivo analysis, PKMYT1 knockdown inhibited tumorigenesis and metastasis of TNBC. Conclusion: PKMYT1 promotes EMT, proliferation, migration, and invasion of TNBC cells and facilitates tumor growth and metastasis by activating Notch signaling.

Stimuli-Triggered Multishape, Multimode, and Multistep Deformations Designed by Microfluidic 3D Droplet Printing.

Elastomers generally possess low Young's modulus and high failure strain, which are widely used in soft robots and intelligent actuators. However, elastomers generally lack diverse functionalities, such as stimulated shape morphing, and a general strategy to implement these functionalities into elastomers is still challenging. Here, a microfluidic 3D droplet printing platform is developed to design composite elastomers architected with arrays of functional droplets. Functional droplets with controlled size, composition, position, and pattern are designed and implemented in the composite elastomers, imparting functional performances to the systems. The composited elastomers are sensitive to stimuli, such as solvent, temperature, and light, and are able to demonstrate multishape (bow- and S-shaped), multimode (gradual and sudden), and multistep (one- and two-step) deformations. Based on the unique properties of droplet-embedded composite elastomers, a variety of stimuli-responsive systems are developed, including designable numbers, biomimetic flowers, and soft robots, and a series of functional performances are achieved, presenting a facile platform to impart diverse functionalities into composite elastomers by microfluidic 3D droplet printing.

Modulation of the tumour microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma by tyrosine kinase inhibitors: from modulation to combination therapy targeting the microenvironment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) remain the backbone of systematic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Sorafenib and lenvatinib are currently approved as first-line therapeutic drugs, and regorafenib and cabozantinib are applied as second-line treatments. With inhibition of angiogenesis as the main target, TKIs exert a profound effect on the tumour microenvironment (TME). The TME is a complex mixture of cellular and noncellular components surrounding the tumour mass, and is associated with tumour progression partially through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Specifically, the TME of HCC is characterized by profound extracellular matrix remodelling and an immunosuppressive microenvironment. The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of TME remodelling mediated by four Food and Drug Administration approved TKIs in HCC and thus summarize the rationale and potential targets for combination therapy. The modulatory effect of TKIs on the TME of HCC was reported to enhance the antitumour effect of TKIs through pyroptosis of macrophages and subsequent natural killer cell activation, T cell activation, regulatory T cell reduction in HCC. Meanwhile, TKIs also induce drug resistance via M2 polarization and accumulation, recruitment of tumour-associated neutrophils, and induction of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In conclusion, the effect of TKIs on TME can enhance its antitumour effect, but might also partially contribute to the drug resistance that hinders the progression of TKIs as treatment for HCC. Additionally, the effect of TKIs also provides the rationale for combination therapy, including combining TKIs with immune checkpoint inhibitors, to facilitate increased drug efficacy of TKIs.

Novel Myh11 Dual Reporter Mouse Model Provides Definitive Labeling and Identification of Smooth Muscle Cells-Brief Report.

OBJECTIVE: Myh11 encodes a myosin heavy chain protein that is specifically expressed in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and is important for maintaining vascular wall stability. The goal of this study is to generate a Myh11 dual reporter mouse line for definitive visualization of MYH11+ SMCs in vivo. Approach and Results: We generated a Myh11 knock-in mouse model by inserting LoxP-nlacZ-4XpolyA-LoxP-H2B-GFP-polyA-FRT-Neo-FRT reporter cassette into the Myh11 gene locus. The nuclear (n) lacZ-4XpolyA cassette is flanked by 2 LoxP sites followed by H2B-GFP (histone 2B fused green fluorescent protein). Upon Cre-mediated recombination, nlacZ-stop cassette is removed thereby permitting nucleus localized H2B-GFP expression. Expression of the nuclear localized lacZ or H2B-GFP is under control of the endogenous Myh11 promoter. Nuclear lacZ was expressed specifically in SMCs at embryonic and adult stages. Following germline Cre-mediated deletion of nuclear lacZ, H2B-GFP was specifically expressed in the nuclei of SMCs. Comparison of nuclear lacZ expression with Wnt1Cre and Mef2cCre mediated-H2B-GFP expression revealed heterogenous origins of SMCs from neural crest and second heart field in the great arteries and coronary vessels adjacent to aortic root. CONCLUSIONS: The Myh11 knock-in dual reporter mouse model offers an exceptional genetic tool to visualize and trace the origins of SMCs in mice.

Defective STING expression potentiates IL-13 signaling in epithelial cells in eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND: Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) activation favors effective innate immune responses against viral infections. Its role in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to explore the expression, regulation, and function of STING in CRSwNP. METHODS: STING expression in sinonasal mucosal samples was analyzed by means of quantitative RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and Western blotting. Regulation and function of STING expression were explored by using cultured primary human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) and cells of the line BEAS-2B in vitro. RESULTS: STING expression was reduced in eosinophilic nasal polyps compared with that in noneosinophilic nasal polyps and control tissues. STING was predominantly expressed by epithelial cells in nasal tissue and was downregulated by IL-4 and IL-13 in a signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6)-dependent manner. HNECs derived from eosinophilic polyps displayed compromised STING-dependent type I interferon production but heightened IL-13-induced STAT6 activation and CCL26 production as compared with HNECs from noneosinophilic polyps and control tissues, which were rescued by exogenous STING overexpression. Knocking down or overexpressing STING decreased or enhanced expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) in BEAS-2B cells, respectively, independent of the canonic STING pathway elements TBK1 and IRF3. Knocking down SOCS1 abolished the inhibitory effect of STING on IL-13 signaling in BEAS-2B cells. STING expression was positively correlated with SOCS1 expression but negatively correlated with CCL26 expression in nasal epithelial cells from patients with CRSwNP. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced STING expression caused by the type 2 milieu not only impairs STING-dependent type I interferon production but also amplifies IL-13 signaling by decreasing SOCS1 expression in nasal epithelial cells in eosinophilic CRSwNP.

Association between age-related hearing loss with tinnitus and cognitive performance in older community-dwelling Chinese adults.

AIM: To examine how the severity of age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and tinnitus or the presentation of ARHL with tinnitus is associated with overall cognition, in terms of specific cognitive domains in older community-dwelling Chinese adults. METHODS: The study recruited 429 participants aged ≥58 years (mean age, 72.91 ± 7.014 years; female proportion, 57.30%), excluding those with dementia, disability, and severe mental illness. Patients were classified into normal cognition, pre-mild cognitive impairment (pre-MCI), and MCI according to the normative z-scores of neuropsychological test battery. The severity of ARHL and tinnitus was measured by pure-tone audiometry and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. Cognitive impairment and low functions in specific cognitive domains were used as dependent variables in multiple regression analyses adjusted for covariates. RESULTS: ARHL severity was positively associated with MCI and low executive function, delayed memory, and language function. Only individuals with mild (odds ratio (OR) 1.791; CI, 0.952-3.373; P = 0.071), and moderate and the disaster tinnitus (OR, 2.493; CI, 0.982-6.328; P = 0.055) were marginally associated with increased odds of MCI in model 1. Individuals with ARHL and tinnitus (OR, 3.888, CI = 1.481-10.205; OR, 4.471, CI = 1.636-12.219) were independently associated with high risk for MCI in models 1 and 2. CONCLUSIONS: ARHL severity and the presentation of ARHL or ARHL with tinnitus were associated with overall cognition. ARHL severity was independently associated with executive function, delayed memory, and language function. The association between tinnitus severity and cognition is not clear. But the group with ARHL and tinnitus is a high-risk group with cognitive impairment. CLINICALTRIALS: gov identifier: NCT2017K020.

[Identification of metabolites of imperatorin in rats: based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS].

This study aims to identify and analyze the metabolites of imperatorin in rats by UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS. Specifically, after rats were treated(ig) with imperatorin, the plasma, urine, and feces were collected, and the samples were processed by solid phase extraction. Then, UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS was performed. In MS, 0.1% formic acid water(A)-acetonitrile(B) was applied as mobile phase for gradient elution and the data of MS in both positive and negative ion modes were collected. The metabolites of imperatorin in blood, urine, and feces of rats were analyzed to explore the metabolic pathways of imperatorin in rats. According to accurate molecular weight, multistage MS data, MS fragmentation rule of the standard substance, and previous reports, a total of 51 metabolites were identified, with 35, 40, and 16 from plasma, urine, and feces, separately. The main metabolic pathways were oxidization, glucuronidation, isopentenyl removal, sulphation, carboxylation, among others. The conclusion in this study is expected to serve as a reference for the further development and the further pharmacodynamics study of imperatorin.

Axillary channel-assisted TOETVA: An effective way to prevent mental nerve from iatrogenic injury?

Aim: To evaluate the protective effect of axillary channel-assisted (ACA) transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach on mental nerve. Materials and Methods: From August 2018 to December 2020, 126 cases of thyroid micro-carcinoma patients who underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy were recruited retrospectively. Of those, 74 cases were performed with ACA trans-oral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (ACA_TOETVA) (V and A group), 52 cases received standard TOETVA (V group). On postoperative day 1 (POD1), nylon monofilament test and numbness visual analogue scale score were conducted to evaluate the severity of numbness within the mental area, facial expression was tested to determine the motor function of lower mandible and the thickness of cutaneous and subcutaneous layers was measured with ultrasound. The other observation parameters including the time for operation and intraoperative blood loss were carefully collected. Results: On POD1, nylon monofilament test showed that scores in the V and A group (2.9 ± 0.3) were significantly higher than V group (1.7 ± 0.5), P < 0.01, u = 254. The completion percentage of facial expression in the V and A group was 90.5% (67/74) and significantly higher than in V group (21.2%, 11/52), P < 0.01, χ2 = 62.35. The thickness increment of cutaneous and subcutaneous layer was 2.2 ± 1.2 mm in the V and A group, which was significantly less than in the V group (4.0 ± 1.2 mm), P < 0.01, u = 605. Compared with V group, the operation time (113.4 ± 22.3 min vs. 127.7 ± 25.6 min, u = 1262) and intraoperative blood loss (43.5 ± 13.4 ml vs. 51.0 ± 14.1 ml, u = 1355) were also significantly less in the V and A group. Conclusions: The ACA transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy possesses the protective effect on mental nerve and motor function of lower mandible and facilitates the operative procedures of TOETVA.

PLAC8 promotes adriamycin resistance via blocking autophagy in breast cancer.

Adriamycin (ADM) is currently one of the most effective chemotherapeutic agents in breast cancer treatment. However, growing resistance to ADM could lead to treatment failure and poor outcome. PLAC8 was reported as a novel highly conserved protein and functioned as an oncogene or tumour suppressor in various tumours. Here, we found higher PLAC8 expression was correlated with worse outcome and aggressive phenotype in breast cancer. Breast cancer patients with higher PLAC8 expression showed potential ADM resistance. In vitro experiments further confirmed that PLAC8 inhibited by siRNA or enforced overexpression by infecting pcDNA3.1(C)-PLAC8 plasmid correspondingly decreased or increased ADM resistance. Subsequently, we demonstrated that ectopic PLAC8 expression in MCF-7/ADMR cell blocked the accumulation of the autophagy-associated protein LC3 and resulted in cellular accumulation of p62. Rapamycin-triggered autophagy significantly increased cell response to ADM, while the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA enhanced ADM resistance. 3-MA and PLAC8 could synergistically cause ADM resistance via blocking the autophagy process. Additionally, the down-regulation of p62 by siRNA attenuated the activation of autophagy and PLAC8 expression in breast cancer cells. Thus, our findings suggest that PLAC8, through the participation of p62, inhibits autophagy and consequently results in ADM resistance in breast cancer. PLAC8/p62 pathway may act as novel therapeutic targets in breast cancer treatment and has potential clinical application in overcoming ADM resistance.

Depiction of the genomic and genetic landscape identifies CCL5 as a protective factor in colorectal neuroendocrine carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal neuroendocrine carcinomas (CRNECs) are highly aggressive tumours with poor prognosis and low incidence. To date, the genomic landscape and molecular pathway alterations have not been elucidated. METHODS: Tissue sections and clinical information of CRNEC (n = 35) and CR neuroendocrine tumours (CRNETs) (n = 25) were collected as an in-house cohort (2010-2020). Comprehensive genomic and expression panels (AmoyDx® Master Panel) were applied to identify the genomic and genetic alterations of CRNEC. Through the depiction of the genomic landscape and transcriptome profile, we compared the difference between CRNEC and CRNET. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence staining were performed to confirm the genetic alterations. RESULTS: High tumour mutation load was observed in CRNEC compared with CRNET. CRNECs showed a "cold" immune landscape and increased endothelial cell activity compared with NETs. Importantly, PAX5 was aberrantly expressed in CRNEC and predicted a poor prognosis of CRNECs. CCL5, a factor that is considered an immunosuppressive factor in several tumour types, was strongly expressed in CRNEC patients with long-term survival and correlated with high CD8+ T cell infiltration. CONCLUSION: Through the depiction of the genomic landscape and transcriptome profile, we demonstrated alterations in molecular pathways and potential targets for immunotherapy in CRNEC.

Emulsion Designer Using Microfluidic Three-Dimensional Droplet Printing in Droplet.

Hierarchical emulsions are interesting for both scientific researches and practical applications. Hierarchical emulsions prepared by microfluidics require complicated device geometry and delicate control of flow rates. Here, a versatile method is developed to design hierarchical emulsions using microfluidic 3D droplet printing in droplet. The process of droplet printing in droplet mimics the dragonfly laying eggs and has advantages of easy processing and flexible design. To demonstrate the capability of the method, double emulsions and triple emulsions with tunable core number, core size, and core composition are prepared. The hierarchical emulsions are excellent templates for the developments of functional materials. Flattened crescent-moon-shaped particles are then fabricated using double emulsions printed in confined 2D space as templates. The particles are excellent delivery vehicles for 2D interfaces, which can load and transport cargos through a well-defined trajectory under external magnetic steering. Microfluidic 3D droplet printing in droplet provides a powerful platform with improved simplicity and flexibility for the design of hierarchical emulsions and functional materials.

ResSANet: Learning Geometric Information for Point Cloud Processing.

Point clouds with rich local geometric information have potentially huge implications in several applications, especially in areas of robotic manipulation and autonomous driving. However, most point cloud processing methods cannot extract enough geometric features from a raw point cloud, which restricts the performance of their downstream tasks such as point cloud classification, shape retrieval and part segmentation. In this paper, the authors propose a new method where a convolution based on geometric primitives is adopted to accurately represent the elusive shape in the form of a point cloud to fully extract hidden geometric features. The key idea of the proposed approach is building a brand-new convolution net named ResSANet on the basis of geometric primitives to learn hierarchical geometry information. Two different modules are devised in our network, Res-SA and Res-SA-2, to achieve feature fusion at different levels in ResSANet. This work achieves classification accuracy up to 93.2% on the ModelNet40 dataset and the shape retrieval with an effect of 87.4%. The part segmentation experiment also achieves an accuracy of 83.3% (class mIoU) and 85.3% (instance mIoU) on ShapeNet dataset. It is worth mentioning that the number of parameters in this work is just 1.04 M while the network depth is minimal. Experimental results and comparisons with state-of-the-art methods demonstrate that our approach can achieve superior performance.

The IL-37-Mex3B-Toll-like receptor 3 axis in epithelial cells in patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND: The role of IL-37, an immunosuppressive cytokine, in patients with inflammatory diseases is unclear. OBJECTIVE: We sought to explore the expression and pathogenic function of IL-37 in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). METHODS: Expression levels of IL-37, IL-18 receptor α, IL-1 receptor 8, Mex3 RNA binding family member B (Mex3B), and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in nasal samples were studied by using quantitative RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and ELISA. Human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) and the BEAS-2B cell line were stimulated with various cytokines and Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. In some experiments BEAS-2B cells were transfected with Mex3B small interfering RNA or overexpressing lentiviruses. Genes regulated by IL-37b in HNECs were studied by using RNA sequencing analysis. IL-37b function was confirmed in mice in vivo. RESULTS: Compared with control subjects, although mRNA and protein expression of IL-37 were upregulated in diseased tissues, especially in nasal epithelial cells, in patients with CRS without nasal polyps or in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), IL-37 levels in nasal secretions were reduced in patients with eosinophilic CRSwNP. Type 2 cytokines inhibited IL-37 secretion from HNECs. HNECs expressed IL-37 receptors, IL-18 receptor α, and IL-1 receptor 8. IL-37b downregulated the expression of Mex3B, a TLR3 coreceptor, in HNECs. IL-37b suppressed polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid-induced TSLP production in HNECs in vitro and in murine nasal epithelial cells in vivo. Knocking down or overexpressing Mex3B in BEAS-2B cells abolished the inhibitory effect of IL-37b. Secreted IL-37 levels negatively correlated with Mex3B and TSLP levels and eosinophil numbers in patients with eosinophilic CRSwNP. CONCLUSIONS: The suppressed IL-37 secretion caused by a type 2 milieu can enhance Mex3B-mediated TLR3 activation and subsequent TSLP production in nasal epithelial cells and therefore promotes eosinophilic inflammation in patients with CRSwNP.

Metabolomics analysis reveals the responses of tea plants to excessive calcium.

BACKGROUND: The proper growth and development of tea plants requires moderately acidic soils and relatively low calcium levels, and excessive calcium at high pH can damage tea plant roots. To reveal the effects of calcium on the responses of tea plant to three pH levels (3.5, 5.0 and 6.5), a repeated test of two factors was designed. RESULTS: Root growth and elemental analysis indicated that excessive calcium improved the growth of tea roots at low pH conditions, whereas it did not harm the growth of tea roots under normal and high pH conditions, especially at pH 6.5. Excessive calcium antagonized the absorption and utilization of magnesium by tea plants. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results showed that the addition of Ca2+ resulted in the primary metabolism in roots being more active at a low pH level. By contrast, it had obvious adverse effects on the accumulation of root metabolites with high calcium treatment at normal or high pH. Differential metabolites identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry indicated that flavonoids demonstrated the largest number of changes, and their biosynthesis was partially enriched with excessive calcium at low and high pH conditions, whereas it was down-regulated under normal pH conditions. Kaempferol 3-(2'-rhamnosyl-6'-acetylgalactoside) 7-rhamnoside, quercetin 3-(6'-sinapoylsophorotrioside) and delphinidin 3-(3'-p-coumaroylglucoside) showed the greatest increase. The results of gene expression related to root growth and calcium regulation were consistent with root growth and root metabolism. CONCLUSION: The overall results demonstrated that high Ca concentrations further aggravate the detrimental effects of high pH to tea roots. However, it is interesting that excessive calcium reduced the harm of a low pH on tea root growth to some extent. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nanoparticle-Stabilized Oxygen Microcapsules Prepared by Interfacial Polymerization for Enhanced Oxygen Delivery.

Most tumors have more severe hypoxia levels than normal tissue; tumor hypoxia is thus a useful target for cancer treatment. Here, we develop an effective oxygen delivery vehicle of polydopamine-nanoparticle-stabilized oxygen microcapsules by interfacial polymerization. The oxygen microcapsules have excellent biocompatibility. Oxygen could easily diffuse out from the microcapsules, thus increasing and maintaining the microenvironment at an oxygen-rich state. In vitro cell cultures confirm that oxygen microcapsules could effectively improve the hypoxia microenvironment, showing the lowest fluorescent intensity of hypoxia-green-labeled cells. When injected subcutaneously in vivo, oxygen microcapsules could also improve the tumor's hypoxia microenvironment, thus suppressing the growth of tumor. Synergetic therapy using oxygen microcapsules and gemcitabine drugs is an effective way for tumor treatment, showing the best performance in suppressing the tumor's growth.