Detection of genomic variants by genome sequencing in foetuses with central nervous system abnormalities.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical validity of genome sequencing (GS) (>30×) has been preliminarily verified in the post-natal setting. This study is to investigate the potential utility of trio-GS as a prenatal test for diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) anomalies. METHODS: We performed trio-based GS on a prospective cohort of 17 foetuses with CNS abnormalities. Single nucleotide variation (SNV), small insertion and deletion (Indel), copy number variation (CNV), structural variant (SV), and regions with absence of heterozygosity (AOH) were analyzed and classified according to ACMG guidelines. RESULTS: Trio-GS identified diagnostic findings in 29.4% (5/17) of foetuses, with pathogenic variants found in SON, L1CAM, KMT2D, and ASPM. Corpus callosum (CC) and cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) abnormalities were the most frequent CNS abnormalities (47.1%, 8/17) with a diagnostic yield of 50%. A total of 29.4% (5/17) foetuses had variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Particularly, maternal uniparental disomy 16 and a de novo mosaic 4p12p11 duplication were simultaneously detected in one foetus with abnormal sulcus development. In addition, parentally inherited chromosomal inversions were identified in two foetuses. CONCLUSION: GS demonstrates its feasibility in providing genetic diagnosis for foetal CNS abnormalities and shows the potential to expand the application to foetuses with other ultrasound anomalies in prenatal diagnosis.

Preparation of alkyl microporous organic network-based capillary column for an efficient gas chromatographic separation of position isomers.

The large surface area, excellent thermal stability and easy modification make microporous organic networks (MONs) good candidates in the field of gas chromatography (GC). Due to the limited species and highly conjugated networks of MONs, their applications are still in infancy and restricted. To accelerate their developments and to enrich their types in GC, here we report the first example of synthesizing alkyl MON and its capillary column for GC separation of position isomers. Linear 1,8-dibromooctane is used as the alkyl monomer instead of traditional aromatic ones to construct novel alkyl MON to decrease the inherent conjugated characteristic of MONs. The alkyl MON exhibits good thermal stability (up to 350°C), large surface area (1173 m2 g-1), and non-polar character, allowing good resolution for alkanes, alkyl benzenes, alcohols, ketones, and diverse position isomers, including dichlorobenzene, trichlorobenzene, bromotoluene, nitrotoluene, methylbenzaldehyde, and ionone with the limits of detection (0.003 mg mL-1) and limits of quantitation of (0.10 mg mL-1). The in situ growth-prepared alkyl MON column demonstrates remarkable duration time and precisions for the retention relative standard deviations, (RSDs%, intra-day, n = 7), 0.06%-0.53% (intra-day, n = 7), and 2.87%-10.59% (column-to-column, n = 3). In addition, the fabricated alkyl MON-coated capillary column offers better resolution than three commercial GC columns for the resolution of methylbenzaldehyde, bromotoluene, and chlorotoluene isomers. This work reveals the practicability for synthesizing alkyl MONs and demonstrates their prospects for position isomers separation.

COL12A1 Promotes Osteosarcoma Progression via the FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common malignancy among adolescents and children, characterized by a high propensity for metastasis and resistance to chemotherapy. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the role of COL12A1, a gene often overexpressed in various cancers and associated with poor prognosis, in the progression of OS and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: The expression pattern and potential function of COL12A1 in OS were evaluated using bioinformatics analyses, clinical sample examination, and OS cell lines. Various assays, including transwell, CCK-8, flow cytometry, and wound healing, were performed to assess the impact of COL12A1 on OS cell growth, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, invasion, and migration. Western blot analysis was conducted to investigate markers associated with the FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. RESULTS: COL12A1 expression was significantly elevated in OS tissues and cells. Upregulation of COL12A1 promoted cell growth, accelerated cell cycle progression, and enhanced migration and invasion while inhibiting apoptosis. Conversely, the knockdown of COL12A1 had the opposite effect. Additionally, COL12A1 overexpression increased the phosphorylation of components in the FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. The FAK inhibitor Y15 mitigated the effects of COL12A1 overexpression on cell apoptosis, invasion, proliferation, and the FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in OS. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that COL12A1 enhanced OS development by activating the FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, suggesting that COL12A1 could serve as a valuable biomarker for the prediction and identification of OS patients.

New drug combination regimen based on pharmacokinetic characteristics-Erdafitinib combined with sertraline or duloxetine.

The aim of this study is to investigate novel strategies for reducing adverse reactions caused by erdafitinib through a drug combination based on its pharmacokinetic characteristics. The spectrum and characterizations of drugs that can inhibit the metabolism of erdafitinib are examined both in vitro and in vivo. The efficacy of combination regimens are then evaluated using subcutaneous xenograft tumor models. The results demonstrated that sertraline and duloxetine, out of more than 100 screened drugs, inhibited the metabolism of erdafitinib through mixed and non-competitive inhibition, respectively. This inhibition primarily occurred via the CYP2C9 and CYP2D6 pathways. The primary alleles of CYP2C9 and CYP2D6 not only determine the metabolic characteristics of erdafitinib but also influence the strength of drug-drug interactions. Co-administration of sertraline or duloxetine with erdafitinib in rats and mice resulted in nearly a three-fold increase in the blood exposure of erdafitinib and its major metabolite M6. When sertraline or duloxetine was combined with 1/3 of the erdafitinib dosage, the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects on SNU-16 xenografts were comparable to those of the original full dose of erdafitinib. However, the combination regimen significantly mitigated hyperphosphatemia, retinal damage, intestinal villus damage, and gut microbiome dysbiosis. This study utilized pharmacokinetic methods to propose a new formulation of erdafitinib combined with sertraline or duloxetine. The findings suggest that this combination has potential for clinical co-administration based on a database analysis, thereby providing a novel strategy for anti-tumor treatment with fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors.

Multi-dimensional signals coupling of simultaneous acquisition stripping current with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for accurate analysis of Cd(II) in coexisting Cu(II).

BACKGROUND: Despite significant advancements in detecting Cd(II) using nanomaterials-modified sensitive interfaces, most detection methods rely solely on a single electrochemical stripping current to indicate concentration. This approach often overlooks potential inaccuracies caused by interference from coexisting ions. Therefore, establishing multi-dimensional signals that accurately reflect Cd(II) concentration in solution is crucial. RESULTS: In this study, we developed a system integrating concentration, electrochemical stripping current, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) characteristic peak intensity through in-situ laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and electrochemical integrated devices. By simultaneously acquiring multi-dimensional signals to dynamically track the electrochemical deposition and stripping processes, we observed that replacement reactions occur between Cu(II) and Cd(II) on the surface of Ru-doped MoS2 modified carbon paper electrodes (Ru-MoS2/CP). These reactions facilitate the oxidation of Cd(0) to Cd(II) during the stripping process, significantly increasing the currents of Cd(II). Remarkably, the ingenious design of the Ru-MoS2 sensitive interface allowed for the undisturbed deposition of Cu(II) and Cd(II) during the electrochemical deposition process. Consequently, our in-situ integrated device achieved accurate detection of Cd(II) in complex environments, boasting a detection sensitivity of 8606.5 counts µM⁻1. SIGNIFICANCE: By coupling multi-dimensional signals from stripping current and LIBS spectra, we revealed the interference process between Cu(II) and Cd(II), providing valuable insights for accurate electrochemical analysis of heavy metal ions in complex water environments.

Meta-analysis of Rapid Rehabilitation Surgery in Hip and Knee Replacement.

Context: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) have become well-established and standardized procedures. However, complications can easily occur, such as joint pain and swelling, due to the high trauma of surgery and intraoperative blood loss, which can affect patients' recovery. A treatment that can effectively shorten postoperative recovery time and reduce complications is key to the perioperative treatment of TKA and THA. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Rapid Rehabilitation Surgery (RRS) protocol, an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) approach, for TKA and THA to substantiate its application by the current research team. Design: The research team performed a narrative review by searching the Excerpta Medica Database (Embase), the Kirkland database, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Wanfang database, and the VIP database, using the keywords rapid rehabilitation surgery, hip replacement, knee replacement, and perioperative period, and randomized controlled trials or randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or clinical trials. The team also performed a meta-analysis of the data from the studies that the search found. Setting: The study took place at Yulin No. 2 Hospital, Yulin, China. Participants: The studies included 1673 patients in six studies that conducted RCTs, including 565 patients who received ERAS and 1108 patients who received RCTS. Outcome Measures: The research team used Cochrane software for risk assessment for the included studies. For the meta-analysis, the team examined the included studies' data related: (1) to length of hospital stay, (2) to postoperative complications, (3) to blood-transfusion rate, and (4) to postoperative pain. Results: The ERAS nursing reduced the mean length of hospital stay by 2.17 days compared to that of the combined control groups from five studies (MD=-2.17, 95% CI [3.36-0.99], P < .01). In the analysis of four studies, the incidence of surgical complications was 9.1% lower in the combined intervention groups than in the combined control groups (r=0.30, 95% CI [0.10 to 0.94], P = .02). Conclusions: RRS is a safe and effective method of treating patients undergoing THA and TKA and can significantly reduce hospitalization time and postoperative complications. This approach deserves promotion.

Evaluating the Importance of Mentoring in Undergraduate Research Education Programs.

The National Institute of Health R25 Research Education Program was evaluated in the second year of implementation. Twelve mentors and 20 underrepresented minority students (URMs) scholars from partnerships and collaborations among five colleges and universities were added to the program to provide a more diverse research experience. Findings reveal that 100% of research mentors agree that the approachableness and accessibility of the program coordinator were beneficial in achieving mentorship goals and objectives. In addition, 85% of the students strongly agreed that the presentation of their research findings and the weekly reflection on goals, identification of accomplishments, and obstacles through the individual development plan were very effective. Of the 23 successfully tracked students for 2 years, six URMs (26.09%) obtained a bachelor's degree and were admitted into a graduate program; two were directly admitted to a PhD program in biomedical sciences.

Cyy-272, an indazole derivative, effectively mitigates obese cardiomyopathy as a JNK inhibitor.

Obesity has shown a global epidemic trend. The high-lipid state caused by obesity can maintain the heart in a prolonged low-grade inflammatory state and cause ventricular remodeling, leading to a series of pathologies, such as hypertrophy, fibrosis, and apoptosis, which eventually develop into obese cardiomyopathy. Therefore, prolonged low-grade inflammation plays a crucial role in the progression of obese cardiomyopathy, making inflammation regulation an essential strategy for treating this disease. Cyy-272, an indazole derivative, is an anti-inflammatory compound independently synthesized by our laboratory. Our previous studies revealed that Cyy-272 can exert anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the phosphorylation and activation of C-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), thereby alleviating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). The current study aimed to evaluate the potential of Cyy-272 to mitigate the occurrence and progression of obese cardiomyopathy through the inhibition of the JNK signaling pathway. Our results indicate that the compound Cyy-272 has encouraging therapeutic effects on obesity-induced cardiac injury. It significantly inhibits inflammation in cardiomyocytes and heart tissues induced by high lipid concentrations, further alleviating the resulting hypertrophy, fibrosis, and apoptosis. Mechanistically, the protective effect of Cyy-272 on obese cardiomyopathy can be attributed to its direct inhibition of JNK protein phosphorylation. In conclusion, we identified a novel compound, Cyy-272, capable of alleviating obese cardiomyopathy and confirmed that its effect is achieved through direct inhibition of JNK.

Salvinorin A ameliorates pilocarpine-induced seizures by regulating hippocampal microglia polarization.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Salvia divinorum (Epling and Játiva) is a psychoactive plant traditionally used by the Latinos for various medicinal purposes. Salvinorin A (Sal A), the main bioactive constituent of S. divinorum, is a natural highly selective kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonist. Considering the anti-inflammatory effect of S. divinorum and endogenous hippocampal dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system playing an anticonvulsant function, we hypothesis that Sal A can be a potential candidate to treat epilepsy. Here, we identified whether Sal A ameliorated epileptic seizures and neuronal damages in animal model and in vitro model and investigated its underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice epilepsy model was induced by pilocarpine following seizures assessed by Racine classification. Hippocampus tissues were obtained for genetic, protein, and histological investigation. Furthermore, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated BV2 microglial cells were utilized to validate the anti-inflammatory and microglia polarization regulation effects of Sal A. RESULTS: Sal A treatment significantly prolonged the latency to status epileptics (SE) and shortened the duration of SE in the pilocarpine-induced model. It also alleviated neuronal damages via activation of the AMPK/JNK/p-38 MAPK pathway and inhibition of apoptosis-related protein in hippocampus tissues. Furthermore, Sal A dose-dependently reduced microglia-mediated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased anti-inflammatory factors levels in SE mice and LPS-activated BV2 microglial cells by regulating microglia polarization. In addition, the effect of Sal A in vitro was totally blocked by KOR antagonist nor-BNI. CONCLUSION: Sal A treatment protects against epileptic seizures and neuronal damages in pilocarpine-induced models by suppressing the inflammation response through regulating microglial M1/M2 polarization. This study might serve as a theoretical basis for clinical applications of Sal A and its analogs and provide a new insight into the development of anti-seizure drugs.

Effect of negative remodeling of the side branch ostium on the efficacy of a two-stent strategy for distal left main bifurcation lesions: an intravascular ultrasound study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether negative remodeling (NR) detected by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) of the side branch ostium (SBO) would affect in-stent neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) at the one-year follow-up and the clinical outcome of target lesion failure (TLF) at the long-term follow-up for patients with left main bifurcation (LMb) lesions treated with a two-stent strategy. METHODS: A total of 328 patients with de novo true complex LMb lesions who underwent a 2-stent strategy of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treatment guided by IVUS were enrolled in this study. We divided the study into two phases. Of all the patients, 48 patients who had complete IVUS detection pre- and post-PCI and at the 1-year follow-up were enrolled in phase I analysis, which aimed to analyze the correlation between NR and in-stent NIH at SBO at the 1-year follow-up. If the correlation was confirmed, the cutoff value of the remodeling index (RI) for predicting NIH ≥ 50% was analyzed next. The phase II analysis focused on the incidence of TLF as the primary endpoint at the 1- to 5-year follow-up for all 328 patients by grouping based on the cutoff value of RI. RESULTS: In phase I: according to the results of a binary logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the RI cutoff value predicting percent NIH ≥ 50% was 0.85 based on the ROC curve analysis, with a sensitivity of 85.7%, a specificity of 88.3%, and an AUC of 0.893 (0.778, 1.000), P = 0.002. In phase II: the TLR rate (35.8% vs. 5.3%, P < 0.0001) was significantly higher in the several NR (sNR, defined as RI ≤ 0.85) group than in the non-sNR group. CONCLUSION: The NR of LCxO is associated with more in-stent NIH post-PCI for distal LMb lesions with a 2-stent strategy, and NR with RI ≤ 0.85 is linked to percent NIH area ≥ 50% at the 1-year follow-up and more TLF at the 5-year follow-up.

Efficacy and safety of over-the-scope-clips in the therapy of acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANVUGIB) is a frequent life-threatening acute condition in gastroenterology associated with high morbidity and mortality. Over-the-scope-clip (OTSC) is a new endoscopic hemostasis technique, which is being used in ANVUGIB and is more effective. AIM: To summarize and analyze the effects of the OTSC in prevention of recurrent bleeding, clinical success rate, procedure time, hospital stay, and adverse events in the treatment of ANVUGIB, to evaluate whether OTSC can replace standard endoscopic therapy as a new generation of treatment for ANVUGIB. METHODS: The literature related to OTSC and standard therapy for ANVUGIB published before January 2023 was searched in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane, Google, and CNKI databases. Changes in recurrent bleeding (7 or 30 days), clinical results (clinical success rate, conversion rate to surgery, mortality), therapy time (procedure time, hospital stay), and adverse events in the OTSC intervention group were summarized and analyzed, and the MD or OR of 95%CI is calculated by Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS: This meta-analysis involved 11 studies with 1266 patients. Total risk of bias was moderate-to-high. For patients in the OTSC group, 7- and 30-days recurrent bleeding rates, as well as procedure time, hospital stay, and intensive care unit stay, were greatly inhibited. OTSC could significantly improve the clinical success rate of ANVUGIB. OTSC therapy did not cause serious adverse and was effective in reducing patient mortality. CONCLUSION: OTSC may provide more rapid and sustained hemostasis, and thus, promote recovery and reduce mortality in patients with ANVUGIB. In addition, the safety of OTSC is assured.

Identification and Validation of a Novel Tertiary Lymphoid Structures-Related Prognostic Gene Signature in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors originating from the digestive system. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), non-lymphoid tissues outside of the lymphoid organs, are closely connected to chronic inflammation and tumorigenesis. However, the detailed relationship between TLS and HCC prognosis remained unclear. In this study, we aimed to construct a TLS-related gene signature for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) clinical data from 369 HCC tissues and 50 normal liver tissues were utilized to examine the differential expression of TLS-related genes. Based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis, the prognostic model was constructed using the TCGA cohort and validated in the GSE14520 cohort and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) cohort. The Kaplan-Meier (KM) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed to validate the predictive ability of the prognostic model. Furthermore, Cox regression analysis was applied to identify whether the TLS score could be employed as an independent prognosis factor. A nomogram was developed to predict the survival probability of HCC patients. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were performed for TLS-related genes. Genetic mutation analysis, the CIBERSORT algorithm, and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) were used to assess the tumor mutation landscape and immune infiltration. Finally, the role of the TLS score in HCC therapy was investigated. Results: Six genes were included in the construction of our prognostic model (CETP, DNASE1L3, PLAC8, SKAP1, C7, and VNN2), and we validated its accuracy. Survival analysis showed that patients in the high-TLS score group had a significantly better overall survival than those in the low-TLS score group. Univariate, multivariate Cox regression analysis and the establishment of a nomogram indicated that the TLS score could independently function as a potential prognostic marker. A significant association between TLS score and immunity was revealed by an analysis of gene alterations and immune cell infiltration. In addition, two subtypes of the TLS score could accurately predict the effectiveness of sorafenib, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), and immunotherapy in HCC patients. Conclusion: In this research, we conducted and validated a prognostic model associated with TLS that may be helpful for predicting clinical outcomes and treatment responsiveness for HCC patients.

Vanadium-Silsesquioxane Nanocages as Heterogeneous Catalysts for Synthesis of Quinazolinones.

The functionalization of polyoxovanadate clusters is promising but of great challenge due to the versatile coordination geometry and oxidation state of vanadium. Here, two unprecedented silsesquioxane ligand-protected "fully reduced" polyoxovanadate clusters were fabricated via a facial solvothermal methodology. The initial mixture of the two polyoxovanadate clusters with different colors and morphologies (green plate V14 and blue block V6) was successfully separated as pure phases by meticulously controlling the assembly conditions. Therein, the V14 cluster is the highest-nuclearity V-silsesquioxane cluster to date. Moreover, the transformation from a dimeric silsesquioxane ligand-protected V14 cluster to a cyclic hexameric silsesquioxane ligand-protected V6 cluster was also achieved, and the possible mechanism termed "ligand-condensation-involved dissociation reassembly" was proposed to explain this intricate conversion process. In addition, the robust V6 cluster was served as a heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of important heterocyclic compounds, quinazolinones, starting from 2-aminobenzamide and aldehydes. The V6 cluster exhibits high activity and selectivity to access pure quinazolinones under mild conditions, where the high selectivity was attributed to the confinement effect of the macrocyclic silsesquioxane ligand constraining the molecular freedom of the reaction species. The stability and recyclability as well as the tolerance of a wide scope of aldehyde substrates endow the V6 cluster with a superior performance and appreciable potential in catalytic applications.

Quality of life and survival analyses of breast cancer cases treated with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the second leading cause of tumor-related mortality after lung cancer. Chemotherapy resistance remains a major challenge to progress in BC treatment, warranting further exploration of feasible and effective alternative therapies. AIM: To analyzed the quality of life (QoL) and survival of patients with BC treated with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine (TCM-WM). METHODS: This study included 226 patients with BC admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between February 2018 and February 2023, including 100 who received conventional Western medicine treatment (control group) and 126 who received TCM-WM treatment (research group). The total effective rate, side effects (alopecia, nausea and vomiting, hepatorenal toxicity, and myelosuppression), QoL assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), 1-year overall survival (OS), recurrence and metastasis rates, and serum inflammatory factors [interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor alpha] were comparatively analyzed. RESULTS: The research group showed statistically better overall efficacy, EORTC QoL-C30 scores, and 1-year OS than the control group, with markedly lower side effects and 1-year recurrence and metastasis rates. Moreover, the posttreatment levels of serum inflammatory in the research group were significantly lower than the baseline and those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Overall, TCM-WM demonstrated significantly improved therapeutic efficacy while ensuring drug safety in BC, which not only improved patients' QoL and prolonged survival, but also significantly inhibited the inflammatory response.

Single-cell analyses reveal evolution mimicry during the specification of breast cancer subtype.

Background: The stem or progenitor antecedents confer developmental plasticity and unique cell identities to cancer cells via genetic and epigenetic programs. A comprehensive characterization and mapping of the cell-of-origin of breast cancer using novel technologies to unveil novel subtype-specific therapeutic targets is still absent. Methods: We integrated 195,144 high-quality cells from normal breast tissues and 406,501 high-quality cells from primary breast cancer samples to create a large-scale single-cell atlas of human normal and cancerous breasts. Potential heterogeneous origin of malignant cells was explored by contrasting cancer cells against reference normal epithelial cells. Multi-omics analyses and both in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to screen and validate potential subtype-specific treatment targets. Novel biomarkers of identified immune and stromal cell subpopulations were validated by immunohistochemistry in our cohort. Results: Tumor stratification based on cancer cell-of-origin patterns correlated with clinical outcomes, genomic aberrations and diverse microenvironment constitutions. We found that the luminal progenitor (LP) subtype was robustly associated with poor prognosis, genomic instability and dysfunctional immune microenvironment. However, the LP subtype patients were sensitive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), PARP inhibitors (PARPi) and immunotherapy. The LP subtype-specific target PLK1 was investigated by both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Besides, large-scale single-cell profiling of breast cancer inspired us to identify a range of clinically relevant immune and stromal cell subpopulations, including subsets of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), macrophages and endothelial cells. Conclusion: The present single-cell study revealed the cellular repertoire and cell-of-origin patterns of breast cancer. Combining single-cell and bulk transcriptome data, we elucidated the evolution mimicry from normal to malignant subtypes and expounded the LP subtype with vital clinical implications. Novel immune and stromal cell subpopulations of breast cancer identified in our study could be potential therapeutic targets. Taken together, Our findings lay the foundation for the precise prognostic and therapeutic stratification of breast cancer.

Comprehensive single-cell and bulk RNA-seq analyses reveal a novel CD8+ T cell-associated prognostic signature in ovarian cancer.

CD8+ T cells play pivotal roles in combating intracellular pathogens and eliminating malignant cells in cancer. However, the prognostic role of CD8+ T cells in ovarian carcinoma is insufficiently exploited. Herein, through univariate Cox regression along with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses, we developed a novel prognostic model based on CD8+ T cell markers identified by single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq) analyses. Patient grouping by the median risk score reveals an excellent prognostic efficacy of this model in both training and validation cohorts. Of note, patients classified as low-risk group exhibit a dramatically improved prognosis. In addition, higher enrichment level of immune-related pathways and increased infiltration level of multiple immune cells are found in patients with lower risk score. Importantly, low-risk patients also exhibited higher response rate to immunotherapies. Summarily, this developed CD8+ T cell-associated prognostic model serves as an excellent predictor for clinical outcomes and aids in guiding therapeutic strategy choices for ovarian cancer patients.

Prenatal exome sequencing for morphologically normal fetus: Should we be doing it?

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the yield of prenatal exome sequencing (pES) in morphologically normal fetuses. METHOD: This retrospective study analyzed 254 families with morphologically normal fetuses who underwent prenatal trio exome sequencing based on parental request between September 2020 and October 2023. RESULTS: Overall, abnormal findings were detected in 8 families (3.1%, 8/254) by pES. Among these, 6 families (2.3%, 6/254) were found to have fetuses affected with monogenic disorders (2 autosomal recessive conditions and 4 autosomal dominant conditions), while 2 families (0.8%, 2/254) were incidentally found to be couples at risk of having a future pregnancy with a recessive condition. Among the six fetuses detected with monogenic disorders, two fetuses carried a de novo variant in OPA1 and NF1, which are known to cause Optic atrophy 1 and Neurofibromatosis, respectively. One fetus was detected with a maternally inherited variant in PKD2 related to polycystic kidney disease 2 (not known to the mother until then). One fetus was detected with a maternally inherited variant in SDHB associated with Pheochromocytoma. Two fetuses carried compound heterozygous variants in NAGLU and GJB2 associated with Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB and Deafness, respectively. In the 2 families where parents were found to be carriers but the fetuses were unaffected, heterozygous variants in the GJB2 and SERPINB7 genes were detected in the parents, respectively, which are associated with deafness and palmoplantar keratoderma. CONCLUSION: Our research indicated that pES can provide significant critical information for families with morphologically normal fetuses. Prenatal screening with exome sequencing requires careful management and detailed pre-test and post-test genetic counseling.

Sensor Fault Reconstruction Using Robustly Adaptive Unknown-Input Observers.

Sensors are a key component in industrial automation systems. A fault or malfunction in sensors may degrade control system performance. An engineering system model is usually disturbed by input uncertainties, which brings a challenge for monitoring, diagnosis, and control. In this study, a novel estimation technique, called adaptive unknown-input observer, is proposed to simultaneously reconstruct sensor faults as well as system states. Specifically, the unknown input observer is used to decouple partial disturbances, the un-decoupled disturbances are attenuated by the optimization using linear matrix inequalities, and the adaptive technique is explored to track sensor faults. As a result, a robust reconstruction of the sensor fault as well as system states is then achieved. Furthermore, the proposed robustly adaptive fault reconstruction technique is extended to Lipschitz nonlinear systems subjected to sensor faults and unknown input uncertainties. Finally, the effectiveness of the algorithms is demonstrated using an aircraft system model and robotic arm and comparison studies.

Bioassay-Guided and DeepSAT-Driven Precise Mining of Monoterpenoid Coumarin Derivatives with Antifeedant Effects from the Leaves of Ailanthus altissima.

Demand for the exploration of botanical pesticides continues to increase due to the detrimental effects of synthetic chemicals on human health and the environment and the development of resistance by pests. Under the guidance of a bioactivity-guided approach and HSQC-based DeepSAT, 16 coumarin derivatives were discovered from the leaves of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, including seven undescribed monoterpenoid coumarins, three undescribed monoterpenoid phenylpropanoids, and two new coumarin derivatives. The structure and configurations of these compounds were established and validated via extensive spectroscopic analysis, acetonide analysis, and quantum chemical calculations. Biologically, 5 exhibited significant antifeedant activity toward the Plutella xylostella. Moreover, tyrosinase being closely related to the growth and development of larva, the inhibitory potentials of 5 against tyrosinase was evaluated in vitro and in silico. The bioactivity evaluation results highlight the prospect of 5 as a novel category of botanical insecticide.

In-situ precipitation zero-valent Co on Co2VO4 to activate oxygen vacancies and enhance bimetallic ions redox for efficient detection toward Hg(II).

Despite the widespread utilization of variable valence metals in electrochemistry, it is still a formidable challenge to enhance the valence conversion efficiency to achieve excellent catalytic activity without introducing heterophase elements. Herein, the in-situ precipitation of Co particles on Co2VO4 not only enhanced the concentration of oxygen vacancies (Ov) but also generated a greater number of low-valence metals, thereby enabling efficient reduction towards Hg(II). The electroanalysis results demonstrate that the sensitivity of Co/Co2VO4 towards Hg(II) was measured at an impressive value of 1987.74 µA µM-1 cm-2, significantly surpassing previously reported results. Further research reveals that Ov acted as the main adsorption site to capture Hg(II). The redox reactions of Co2+/Co3+ and V3+/V4+ played a synergistic role in the reduction of Hg(II), accompanied by the continuous supply of electrons from zero-valent Co to expedite the valence cycle. The Co/Co2VO4/GCE presented remarkable selectivity towards Hg(II), with excellent stability, reproducibility, and anti-interference capability. The electrode also exhibited minimal sensitivity fluctuations towards Hg(II) in real water samples, underscoring its practicality for environmental applications. This study elucidates the mechanism underlying the surface redox reaction of metal oxides facilitated by zero-valent metals, providing us with new strategies for further design of efficient and practical sensors.