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Maternal immunity impacts the infant, but how is unclear. To understand the implications of the immune exposures of vaccination and infection in pregnancy for neonatal immunity, we evaluated antibody functions in paired peripheral maternal and cord blood. We compared those who in pregnancy received mRNA coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, were infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the combination. We found that vaccination enriched a subset of neutralizing activities and Fc effector functions that was driven by IgG1 and was minimally impacted by antibody glycosylation in maternal blood. In paired cord blood, maternal vaccination also enhanced IgG1. However, Fc effector functions compared to neutralizing activities were preferentially transferred. Moreover, changes in IgG posttranslational glycosylation contributed more to cord than peripheral maternal blood antibody functional potency. These differences were enhanced with the combination of vaccination and infection as compared to either alone. Thus, Fc effector functions and antibody glycosylation highlight underexplored maternal opportunities to safeguard newborns.
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COVID-19 , Recém-Nascido , Lactente , Feminino , Gravidez , Humanos , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , SARS-CoV-2 , Imunoglobulina G , Vacinas contra COVID-19 , Vacinação , Anticorpos AntiviraisRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is a highly prevalent cancer type and the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase (USP) 29 has been suggested to regulate cell fate in several types of cancer, but its potential role in gastric carcinogenesis remains unclear. METHODS: The expression of USP29 in normal and gastric cancer tissues was analyzed by bioinformatics analysis, immunohistochemistry and immunoblot. Gene overexpression, CRISPR-Cas9 technology, RNAi, and Usp29 knockout mice were used to investigate the roles of USP29 in cell culture, xenograft, and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-induced gastric carcinogenesis models. We then delineated the underlying mechanisms using mass spectrometry, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), immunoblot, ubiquitination assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and luciferase assays. RESULTS: In this study, we found that USP29 expression was significantly upregulated in gastric cancers and associated with poor patient survival. Ectopic expression of USP29 promoted, while depletion suppressed the tumor growth in vitro and in vivo mouse model. Mechanistically, transcription factor far upstream element binding protein 1 (FUBP1) directly activates USP29 gene transcription, which then interacts with and stabilizes aurora kinase B (AURKB) by suppressing K48-linked polyubiquitination, constituting a FUBP1-USP29-AURKB regulatory axis that medicates the oncogenic role of USP29. Importantly, systemic knockout of Usp29 in mice not only significantly decreased the BaP-induced carcinogenesis but also suppressed the Aurkb level in forestomach tissues. CONCLUSIONS: These findings uncovered a novel FUBP1-USP29-AURKB regulatory axis that may play important roles in gastric carcinogenesis and tumor progression, and suggested that USP29 may become a promising drug target for cancer therapy.
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BACKGROUND: Early-stage breast cancer (BC) presents a certain risk of recurrence, leading to variable prognoses and complicating individualized management. Yet, preoperative noninvasive tools for accurate prediction of disease-free survival (DFS) are lacking. This study assessed the potential of strain elastography (SE) and diffuse optical tomography (DOT) for non-invasive preoperative prediction of recurrence in T1 BC and developed a prediction model for estimating the probability of DFS. METHODS: A total of 565 eligible patients with T1 invasive BC were enrolled prospectively and followed to investigate the recurrence. The associations between imaging features and DFS were evaluated and a best-prediction model for DFS was developed and validated. RESULTS: During the median follow-up period of 10.8 years, 77 patients (13.6%) developed recurrences. The fully adjusted Cox proportional hazards model showed a significant trend between an increasing strain ratio (SR) (P < 0.001 for trend) and the total hemoglobin concentration (TTHC) (P = 0.001 for trend) and DFS. In the subgroup analysis, an intensified association between SR and DFS was observed among women who were progesterone receptor (PR)-positive, lower Ki-67 expression, HER2 negative, and without adjuvant chemotherapy and without Herceptin treatment (all P < 0.05 for interaction). Significant interactions between TTHC status and the lymphovascular invasion, estrogen receptor (ER) status, PR status, HER2 status, and Herceptin treatment were found for DFS(P < 0.05).The imaging-clinical combined model (TTHC + SR + clinicopathological variables) proved to be the best prediction model (AUC = 0.829, 95% CI = 0.786-0.872) and was identified as a potential risk stratification tool to discriminate the risk probability of recurrence. CONCLUSION: The combined imaging-clinical model we developed outperformed traditional clinical prognostic indicators, providing a non-invasive, reliable tool for preoperative DFS risk stratification and personalized therapeutic strategies in T1 BC. These findings underscore the importance of integrating advanced imaging techniques into clinical practice and offer support for future research to validate and expand on these predictive methodologies.
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Neoplasias da Mama , Técnicas de Imagem por Elasticidade , Recidiva Local de Neoplasia , Tomografia Óptica , Humanos , Feminino , Neoplasias da Mama/diagnóstico por imagem , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Neoplasias da Mama/mortalidade , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Técnicas de Imagem por Elasticidade/métodos , Seguimentos , Tomografia Óptica/métodos , Intervalo Livre de Doença , Adulto , Recidiva Local de Neoplasia/diagnóstico por imagem , Idoso , Prognóstico , Estudos Prospectivos , Estadiamento de NeoplasiasRESUMO
Reversible protein ubiquitination is a key process for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Deubiquitinases, which can cleave ubiquitin from substrate proteins, have been reported to be deeply involved in disease progression ranging from oncology to neurological diseases. The human genome encodes approximately 100 deubiquitinases, most of which are poorly characterized. One of the well-characterized deubiquitases is ubiquitin-specific protease 29 (USP29), which is often upregulated in pathological tissues and plays important roles in the progression of different diseases. Moreover, several studies have shown that deletion of Usp29 in mice does not cause visible growth and developmental defects, indicating that USP29 may be an ideal therapeutic target. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the important roles and regulatory mechanisms of USP29 in cancer and other diseases, which may help us better understand its biological functions and improve future studies to construct suitable USP29-targeted therapy systems.
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Neoplasias , Humanos , Animais , Camundongos , Neoplasias/genética , Genoma Humano , Ubiquitina , Ubiquitinação , Enzimas Desubiquitinantes , Proteases Específicas de Ubiquitina/genéticaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Medical students perceive the transition to clerkship education as stressful and challenging and view themselves as novices during their rotation in clerkship education. The developmental perspective is thus important because the transition to clerkship supports rather than hinders growth. Accordingly, this study examines medical students' transition to clerkship and their developmental features. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 medical students or graduates who had completed clerkships as medical students. Based on Straussian grounded theory, the collected data were analyzed in terms of the differences between pre- and post-clerkship education. RESULTS: Our data analysis revealed five stages of the transition process: "anticipation and anxiety," "reality check," "seeking solutions," "practical application," and "transition and stability." The core category, that is, "growing up from being students to being student doctors," was driven by patients who perceived the participants as student doctors. Meanwhile, the participants recognized that having a solution that is agreed upon by colleagues was more important than knowing the correct answer. The participants undergoing the transition to clerkship showed developmental features divided into three categories: personal, social, and professional. Specifically, they attempted to balance clerkship and life through personal development, learned to navigate around the hospital and reduced tension through social development, and developed clinical competencies focused on efficiency through professional development. CONCLUSIONS: This study explores the process of students' transition to clerkship education and the developmental features that emerge during this period. The students were motivated by patients who perceived them as student doctors. Through the transition, they maintained a work-life balance and adapted to hospitals but developed an overly doctor-centered attitude by cultivating clinical competencies with a focus on efficiency. To develop them into medical professionals, it is essential to assist their transition and cultivate a patient-centered attitude.
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Estágio Clínico , Teoria Fundamentada , Pesquisa Qualitativa , Estudantes de Medicina , Humanos , Estudantes de Medicina/psicologia , Feminino , Masculino , Adulto , Entrevistas como Assunto , Adulto Jovem , Competência ClínicaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: To improve the medical professionalism of medical students, it is essential to understand the dilemmas they face in various situations. This study explored the types and distribution of dilemmas Korean medical students encounter during their clinical clerkships. It then compared these with previous dilemma frameworks and identified the types and distribution of "complexity dilemmas," wherein two dilemma themes emerge in a single clinical situation. METHODS: The researchers organized and recorded a group discussion with 106 third-year medical students who had completed their clinical clerkships. These students participated in the discussion as part of an assignment, focusing on the dilemmas they encountered during their clerkships. For data analysis and visualization, the researchers employed the MAXQDA software program and utilized the template analysis method, a qualitative research methodology. RESULTS: A total of seven dilemma themes and sixteen sub-themes were identified. The identity-related dilemma concerning student-doctors had the highest frequency. The themes "mismatch" and "Nun-chi" emerged as new additions not found in previous dilemma frameworks. The complexity dilemmas appeared in the sequence of "identity-dignity," "identity-abuse," and "identity-consent". CONCLUSIONS: To navigate the unique dilemmas present within South Korea's clinical culture, several key issues need consideration: elevating the role of student-doctors, balancing the primary emphasis of educational hospitals on delivering medical services, and understanding interpersonal strategies, such as "Nun-chi".
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Estágio Clínico , Estudantes de Medicina , Humanos , Profissionalismo , República da CoreiaRESUMO
Hyperspectral imaging was used to predict the total polyphenol content in low-temperature stressed tomato seedlings for the development of a multispectral image sensor. The spectral data with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 5 nm were merged to obtain FWHMs of 10 nm, 25 nm, and 50 nm using a commercialized bandpass filter. Using the permutation importance method and regression coefficients, we developed the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression models by setting the band number to ≥11, ≤10, and ≤5 for each FWHM. The regression model using 56 bands with an FWHM of 5 nm resulted in an R2 of 0.71, an RMSE of 3.99 mg/g, and an RE of 9.04%, whereas the model developed using the spectral data of only 5 bands with a FWHM of 25 nm (at 519.5 nm, 620.1 nm, 660.3 nm, 719.8 nm, and 980.3 nm) provided an R2 of 0.62, an RMSE of 4.54 mg/g, and an RE of 10.3%. These results show that a multispectral image sensor can be developed to predict the total polyphenol content of tomato seedlings subjected to low-temperature stress, paving the way for energy saving and low-temperature stress damage prevention in vegetable seedling production.
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Imageamento Hiperespectral , Polifenóis , Plântula , Solanum lycopersicum , Solanum lycopersicum/química , Solanum lycopersicum/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Polifenóis/análise , Plântula/química , Imageamento Hiperespectral/métodos , Temperatura BaixaRESUMO
Ma Huang (Ephedra), a traditional herbal remedy, which contains pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, has sympathomimetic characteristics. Despite being banned by the Federal Drug Administration in 2004, it is still used for weight loss and energy boosting in some countries. A previous healthy 42-year-old woman experienced sudden blurred vision in both eyes. Her pupils were dilated to 6 mm each, showing diminished light reflex responses, and were not responsive to both 0.1% and 1% pilocarpine. The day before the onset of her symptoms she had taken a herbal supplement. The woman's herbal medicine was believed to contain ephedrine, a component found in Ma Huang. The sympathomimetic effects of this substance could potentially induce mydriasis. After discontinuing the medication, her symptoms improved over 4 days, leading to a suspicion of drug-induced bilateral mydriasis. Herbal products prescribed for weight loss, which may contain potential elements such as Ma Huang, could lead to unforeseen side effects like bilateral mydriasis, and should be appropriately highlighted.
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Melatonin, a lipophilic hormone released from the pineal gland, has oncostatic effects on various types of cancers. However, its cancer treatment potential needs to be improved by deciphering its corresponding mechanisms of action and optimising therapeutic strategy. In the present study, melatonin inhibited gastric cancer cell migration and soft agar colony formation. Magnetic-activated cell sorting was applied to isolate CD133+ cancer stem cells. Gene expression analysis showed that melatonin lowered the upregulation of LC3-II expression in CD133+ cells compared to CD133- cells. Several long non-coding RNAs and many components in the canonical Wnt signalling pathway were altered in melatonin-treated cells. In addition, knockdown of long non-coding RNA H19 enhanced the expression of pro-apoptotic genes, Bax and Bak, induced by melatonin treatment. Combinatorial treatment with melatonin and cisplatin was investigated to improve the applicability of melatonin as an anticancer therapy. Combinatorial treatment increased the apoptosis rate and induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Melatonin can regulate migration and stemness in gastric cancer cells by modifying many signalling pathways. Combinatorial treatment with melatonin and cisplatin has the potential to improve the therapeutic efficacy of both.
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Melatonina , Neoplasias Gástricas , Humanos , Cisplatino/farmacologia , Cisplatino/uso terapêutico , Melatonina/farmacologia , Melatonina/uso terapêutico , Neoplasias Gástricas/patologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Transdução de Sinais , Apoptose , Proliferação de CélulasRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Giant breast malignant phyllodes tumor or sarcoma (GBPS) are rare entities with diameter larger than 10 cm and variously histological pleomorphisms. This disease poses a significant threat to the quality of life of individuals, and its prognosis remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of GBPS in a real-world retrospective cohort. METHODS: We collected GBPS (diameter > 10 cm, n = 10) and BPS (diameter ≤ 10 cm, n = 126) from patients diagnosed with sarcoma or malignant phyllodes tumor between 2008 and 2022. We analyzed clinical characteristics, histological status, treatment, and local recurrence using the Fisher's exact test between GBPS (diameter > 10 cm) and BPS (diameter ≤ 10 cm) cohort. We described overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) using Kaplan-Meier curves and identified risk factors for local recurrence using logistic regression. The tumor size, age at diagnosis, and differential immunohistochemistry markers of breast sarcoma or phyllodes tumor to determine the prognosis of GBPS. RESULTS: In our retrospective analysis of breast malignancies, we identified 10 cases of GBPS and 126 cases of BPS, corresponding to a GBPS prevalence of 0.17% (10/6000). The median age was 38.5 years (inter-quartile range, IQR: 28.25-48.5 years). During the follow-up of period (median: 80.5 months, IQR: 36.75-122 months), the local recurrence (LR) rate was 40% and 20.6%, respectively. Clinical characteristics of young age (HR:2.799, 95%CI -00.09276-0.017, p < 0.05) and cytological characteristics of marked stromal atypia (HR:0.88, 95% CI 0.39-1.40, p < 0.05) were risk factors for the poor prognosis of GBPS by COX regression model analysis. The Kaplan-Meier curves of GBPS 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 31.5 months and 40 months, respectively, and were not associated with adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: We recommend mastectomy with a clear surgical margin as the preferred treatment for GBPS. Age and stromal atypia are significantly associated with recurrence. Adjuvant radiation therapy is advised; however, there was no improvement in overall survival. There is no consensus on the effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy and genetic methods, highlighting the need for further research into this aggressive tumor. We recommend a multidisciplinary approach involving a dedicated team for the management of GBPS.
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Neoplasias da Mama , Tumor Filoide , Sarcoma , Neoplasias de Tecidos Moles , Humanos , Adulto , Feminino , Tumor Filoide/cirurgia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Neoplasias da Mama/terapia , Qualidade de Vida , MastectomiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although research experience is important for medical students, it is difficult to develop research skills only through a formal curriculum. To develop research programs that address the authentic needs of students and align with the entirety of the medical school curriculum, a learner-centered approach may be more effective than an instructor-centered approach. This study investigates medical student perspectives on factors that help them develop research competency. METHODS: Hanyang University College of Medicine in South Korea operates the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) as a supplement to its formal curriculum. Semi-structured interviews were held with 18 students (20 cases) in the program, and qualitative content analysis was performed using the software tool MAXQDA20. RESULTS: The findings are discussed in relation to three domains: learner engagement, instructional design, and program development. The students were more engaged when they perceived the program as a new experience, had prior research experience, wanted to make a good impression, and felt a sense of contribution. In terms of instructional design, they positively participated in research when their supervisors respected them, set clear tasks, provided constructive feedback, and invited them into the research community. In particular, the students highly valued relationships with their professors, and these relationships served not only as a main motivating factor in their research participation but also affected their college lives and careers. CONCLUSIONS: The longitudinal relationship between students and professors has newly emerged in the Korean context as a factor that strengthens student engagement in research and the complementary relationship between formal curriculum and MSTP was highlighted to encourage student engagement in research.
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Educação de Graduação em Medicina , Estudantes de Medicina , Humanos , Currículo , Pesquisa Qualitativa , AtitudeRESUMO
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a liver disease characterized by fat accumulation and chronic inflammation in the liver. Dynein light chain of 8 kDa (LC8) was identified previously as an inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a key regulator of inflammation, however, its role in NASH remains unknown. In this study, we investigated whether LC8 can alleviate NASH using a mouse model of methionine and choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced NASH and examined the underlying mechanism. LC8 transgenic (Tg) mice showed lower hepatic steatosis and less progression of NASH, including hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, compared to wild-type (WT) mice after consuming an MCD diet. The hepatic expression of lipogenic genes was lower, while that of lipolytic genes was greater in LC8 Tg mice than WT mice, which might be associated with resistance of LC8 Tg mice to hepatic steatosis. Consumption of an MCD diet caused oxidative stress, IκBα phosphorylation, and subsequent p65 liberation from IκBα and nuclear translocation, resulting in induction of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. However, these effects of MCD diet were reduced by LC8 overexpression. Collectively, these results suggest that LC8 alleviates MCD diet-induced NASH by inhibiting NF-κB through binding to IκBα to interfere with IκBα phosphorylation and by reducing oxidative stress via scavenging reactive oxygen species. Thus, boosting intracellular LC8 could be a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with NASH.
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Dineínas , NF-kappa B , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica , Estresse Oxidativo , Animais , Colina/metabolismo , Dineínas do Citoplasma , Dieta , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Dineínas/genética , Dineínas/metabolismo , Inflamação/metabolismo , Fígado/metabolismo , Fígado/patologia , Metionina/metabolismo , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Inibidor de NF-kappaB alfa/metabolismo , NF-kappa B/metabolismo , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/genéticaRESUMO
Deubiquitinases (DUBs) play critical roles in tumorigenesis and are emerging as potential therapeutic targets. However, it remains less clear which DUBs may play important roles and represent a realistic vulnerability for a particular type of tumor. Here we revealed that Ubiquitin Specific Peptidase 49 (USP49) is transcriptionally activated by c-MYC in colorectal cancer (CRC), and CRC patients with elevated USP49 levels exhibited significantly shorter survival. Knockdown of USP49 markedly inhibited CRC cell proliferation, colony formation, and chemotherapy resistance in vitro. Investigation of mechanisms unravels that USP49 deubiquitinates and stabilizes Bcl-2-Associated Athanogene 2 (BAG2), a well-known protein that antagonizes apoptosis and enables adaptive response of CRC cells. This study identified a novel mechanism by which USP49 promotes CRC cell survival by stabilizing BAG2 through the c-MYC-USP49-BAG2 axis, indicating that USP49 may become a potential therapeutic target for CRC.
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Neoplasias Colorretais , Chaperonas Moleculares , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-myc , Ubiquitina Tiolesterase , Carcinogênese , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Neoplasias Colorretais/genética , Resistencia a Medicamentos Antineoplásicos , Humanos , Chaperonas Moleculares/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-myc/genética , Ubiquitina Tiolesterase/genéticaRESUMO
Cancer cells must rewire cellular metabolism to satisfy the unbridled proliferation, and metabolic reprogramming provides not only the advantage for cancer cell proliferation but also new targets for cancer treatment. However, the plasticity of the metabolic pathways makes them very difficult to target. Deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) are proteases that cleave ubiquitin from the substrate proteins and process ubiquitin precursors. While the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood, many DUBs have been shown to be involved in tumorigenesis and progression via controlling the dysregulated cancer metabolism, and consequently recognized as potential drug targets for cancer treatment. In this article, we summarized the significant progress in understanding the key roles of DUBs in cancer cell metabolic rewiring and the opportunities for the application of DUBs inhibitors in cancer treatment, intending to provide potential implications for both research purpose and clinical applications.
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Gastric cancer (GC) is a common malignant solid tumor that is characterized by high hypoxia. The transcription of genes associated with hypoxia affects tumor occurrence and development. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play important roles in cancer development. In this study, we screened for differentially expressed ncRNAs (non-coding RNA) and mRNAs between hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1α) knockdown GC cells and scrambled GC cells. Microarray data revealed that HIF-1α regulated the expression of LINC01355 (Hypoxia Yield Proliferation Associated LncRNA, HYPAL). HYPAL was found to be significantly upregulated in GC cells and tissues and was correlated with poor GC prognosis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase reporter assays revealed that HIF-1α promoted HYPAL expression by binding the promoter region. A regulatory network for the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) was constructed using bioinformatics tools. Mechanistic studies revealed that HYPAL acted as a ceRNA of miR-431-5p to regulate CDK14 expression. Carcinogenic effects of HYPAL were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The HIF-1α/HYPAL/miR-431-5p/CDK14 (Cyclin-dependent kinase 14) axis activated the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway and induced GC cell proliferation while inhibiting apoptosis. In conclusion, HYPAL is a potential molecular target for GC therapy.
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MicroRNAs , RNA Longo não Codificante , Neoplasias Gástricas , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células/genética , Quinases Ciclina-Dependentes/genética , Quinases Ciclina-Dependentes/metabolismo , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Hipóxia/genética , MicroRNAs/genética , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , RNA Longo não Codificante/genética , RNA Longo não Codificante/metabolismo , Neoplasias Gástricas/patologiaRESUMO
Self-bearing machines do not contain physical bearings but magnetic bearings. Both rotor rotary and spatial positions displacement are required in these types of machines to control the rotor position while it is levitating. Self-bearing machines often use external sensors for x (horizontal) and y (vertical) spatial position measurement, which will result in additional cost, volume, complexity, and number of parts susceptible to failure. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a xy-position estimation self-sensing technique based on both main- and cross-inductance variation. The proposed method estimates x and y position based on inductive saliency between two sets of three-phase coils. The proposed idea is applied on a combined winding self-bearing machine which does not require additional suspension force winding. No additional search coil placement for xy-position estimation is required. Therefore, the proposed algorithm can result in a compact size self-bearing machine that does not require external sensors for xy-position measurement and suspension force winding.
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Soybean seedling root morphology is important to genetic breeding. Root segmentation is a key technique for identifying root morphological characteristics. This paper proposed a semantic segmentation model of soybean seedling root images based on an improved U-Net network to address the problems of the over-segmentation phenomenon, unsmooth root edges and root disconnection, which are easily caused by background interference such as water stains and noise, as well as inconspicuous contrast in soybean seedling images. Soybean seedling root images in the hydroponic environment were collected for annotation and augmentation. A double attention mechanism was introduced in the downsampling process, and an Attention Gate mechanism was added in the skip connection part to enhance the weight of the root region and suppress the interference of background and noise. Then, the model prediction process was visually interpreted using feature maps and class activation mapping maps. The remaining background noise was removed by connected component analysis. The experimental results showed that the Accuracy, Precision, Recall, F1-Score and Intersection over Union of the model were 0.9962, 0.9883, 0.9794, 0.9837 and 0.9683, respectively. The processing time of an individual image was 0.153 s. A segmentation experiment on soybean root images was performed in the soil-culturing environment. The results showed that this proposed model could extract more complete detail information and had strong generalization ability. It can achieve accurate root segmentation in soybean seedlings and provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the quantitative evaluation of the root morphological characteristics in soybean seedlings.
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Fabaceae , Plântula , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador/métodos , Glycine max , Melhoramento VegetalRESUMO
Cinchonine (CN) has been known to exert antimalarial, antiplatelet, and antiobesity effects. It was also recently reported to inhibit transforming growth factor ß-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and protein kinase B (AKT) through binding to tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6). However, its role in bone metabolism remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that CN inhibits osteoclast differentiation with decreased expression of nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), a key determinant of osteoclastogenesis. Immunoblot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis as well as the reporter assay revealed that CN inhibits nuclear factor-κB and activator protein-1 by regulating TAK1. CN also attenuated the activation of AKT, cyclic AMP response element-binding protein, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1ß (PGC1ß), an essential regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. Collectively, these results suggested that CN may inhibit TRAF6-mediated TAK1 and AKT activation, which leads to downregulation of NFATc1 and PGC1ß resulting in the suppression of osteoclast differentiation. Interestingly, CN not only inhibited the maturation and resorption function of differentiated osteoclasts but also promoted osteoblast differentiation. Furthermore, CN protected lipopolysaccharide- and ovariectomy-induced bone destruction in mouse models, suggesting its therapeutic potential for treating inflammation-induced bone diseases and postmenopausal osteoporosis.
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Diferenciação Celular , Alcaloides de Cinchona/farmacologia , Osteoclastos/citologia , Osteoclastos/metabolismo , Osteogênese , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-akt/metabolismo , Animais , Reabsorção Óssea/metabolismo , Reabsorção Óssea/patologia , Diferenciação Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Alcaloides de Cinchona/química , Proteína de Ligação ao Elemento de Resposta ao AMP Cíclico/metabolismo , Regulação da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Inflamação/patologia , Lipopolissacarídeos , MAP Quinase Quinase Quinases/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Modelos Biológicos , NF-kappa B/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição NFATC/metabolismo , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Osteoclastos/efeitos dos fármacos , Osteogênese/efeitos dos fármacos , Ovariectomia , Ligante RANK/farmacologia , Células RAW 264.7 , Fator de Transcrição AP-1/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismoRESUMO
Many bone diseases such as osteoporosis and periodontitis are caused by hyperactivation of osteoclasts. Calcium (Ca2+ ) signals are crucial for osteoclast differentiation and function. Thus, the blockade of Ca2+ signaling may be a strategy for regulating osteoclast activity and has clinical implications. Flunarizine (FN) is a Ca2+ channel antagonist that has been used for reducing migraines. However, the role of FN in osteoclast differentiation and function remains unknown. Here, we investigated whether FN regulates osteoclastogenesis and elucidated the molecular mechanism. FN inhibited osteoclast differentiation along with decreased expression of nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), and attenuated osteoclast maturation and bone resorption. FN inhibition of osteoclast differentiation was restored by ectopic expression of constitutively active NFATc1. FN reduced calcium oscillations and its inhibition of osteoclast differentiation and resorption function was reversed by ionomycin, an ionophore that binds Ca2+ . FN also inhibited Ca2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) and calcineurin leading to a decrease in the cAMP-responsive element-binding protein-dependent cFos and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1ß expression, and NFATc1 nuclear translocation. These results indicate that FN inhibits osteoclastogenesis via regulating CaMKIV and calcineurin as a Ca2+ channel blocker. In addition, FN-induced apoptosis in osteoclasts and promoted osteogenesis. Furthermore, FN protected lipopolysaccharide- and ovariectomy-induced bone destruction in mouse models, suggesting that it has therapeutic potential for treating inflammatory bone diseases and postmenopausal osteoporosis.
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Sinalização do Cálcio/efeitos dos fármacos , Flunarizina/antagonistas & inibidores , Osteoclastos/efeitos dos fármacos , Osteogênese/efeitos dos fármacos , Animais , Reabsorção Óssea/tratamento farmacológico , Reabsorção Óssea/metabolismo , Calcineurina/metabolismo , Diferenciação Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Flunarizina/metabolismo , Humanos , Fatores de Transcrição NFATC/efeitos dos fármacos , Fatores de Transcrição NFATC/metabolismo , Osteoclastos/metabolismo , Osteogênese/fisiologia , Osteoporose/tratamento farmacológico , Osteoporose/metabolismo , Ligante RANK/metabolismoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The associations between fasting blood glucose and staging and overall survival of patients with pancreatic cancer are still controversial. This study aimed to investigate the association between fasting blood glucose levels and overall survival (OS) of patients with pancreatic cancer and to evaluate the impact of differentiation and staging of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with pathologically confirmed pancreatic cancer admitted to Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University between 01/2012 and 12/2016. The outcome was the OS. The factors associated with OS were examined using univariable and multivariable Cox and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 253 patients were included. Preoperative blood glucose levels were not significantly associated with the OS of patients with pancreatic cancer (HR = 1.04, 95%CI: 0.78-1.40, P = 0.781). Only CA199 > 1000 was independently associated with OS (HR = 1.86, 95%CI: 1.15-3.02, P = 0.012). The median survival in the normal glucose group was 20.5 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 14.2-26.9). The median survival in the high glucose group was 14.2 months (95% CI: 9.7-18.6). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.573). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine if blood glucose levels influenced the 1- and 2-year OS. No significant association was observed for 1-year (OR = 1.27, 95%CI: 0.71-2.29, P = 0.418) or 2-year (HR = 1.37, 95%CI: 0.76-2.46, P = 0.296) OS. CONCLUSIONS: Fasting blood glucose levels are not associated with the OS of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.