USF1 regulated circPRDM4 modulates tumorigenesis and immune escape in chemoresistant cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer (CC) represents a major global health concern, characterized by chemoresistance and immune evasion mechanisms. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), which play a crucial role in cancer pathogenesis, particularly in the case of CC, have gained significant attention. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the functional significance of circRNAs in chemoresistant CC. A significant upregulation of circPRDM4 expression in chemoresistant CC cells. To investigate the functional consequences, we conducted circPRDM4 knockdown experiments, which resulted in the effective blockade of immune escape mechanisms employed by chemoresistant CC cells. Furthermore, circPRDM4 knockdown demonstrated a significant suppression of tumorigenesis in CC cells, highlighting its contribution to the oncogenic potential of CC. Investigating the regulatory mechanisms involved, we found that the transcriptional factor upstream stimulatory factor 1 (USF1) acts as an inducer of circPRDM4 expression. Remarkably, USF1 was found to effectively modulate CC cell immune escape via its interaction with circPRDM4. Moreover, our results revealed that USF1 is intricately involved in CC cell tumorigenesis through the regulation of circPRDM4. Collectively, our study elucidates the significant roles of circPRDM4 and its upstream regulator USF1 in chemoresistant CC cells. These findings underscore the importance of circRNAs in CC pathogenesis and provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying immune escape and tumorigenesis.

Development and Validation of the Promising PPAR Signaling Pathway-Based Prognostic Prediction Model in Uterine Cervical Cancer.

A ligand-activated transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) regulates fatty acid uptake and transport. In several studies, upregulation of PPAR expression/activity by cancer cells has been associated with cancer progression. Worldwide, cancer of the cervix ranks fourth among women's cancers. Angiogenesis inhibitors have improved treatment for recurrent and advanced cervical cancer since their introduction 5 years ago. In spite of that, the median overall survival rate for advanced cervical cancer is 16.8 months, indicating that treatment effectiveness is still lacking. Thus, it is imperative that new therapeutic methods be developed. In this work, we first downloaded the PPAR signaling pathway-related genes from the previous study. In addition, the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm was applied to calculate the PPAR score of patients with cervical cancer. Furthermore, cervical cancer patients with different PPAR scores show different sensitivity to immune checkpoint therapy. In order to screen the genes to serve as the best biomarker for cervical cancer patients, we then construct the PPAR-based prognostic prediction model. The results revealed that PCK1, MT1A, AL096855.1, AC096711.2, FAR2P2, and AC099568.2 not only play a key role in the PPAR signaling pathway but also show good predictive value in cervical cancer patients. The gene set variation analysis (GSVA) enrichment analysis also proved that the PPAR signaling pathway is one of the most enriched pathways in the prognostic prediction model. Finally, further analysis revealed that AC099568.2 may be the most promising biomarker for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis in cervical cancer patients. Both the survival analysis and Receiver Operating Characteristic curve demonstrated that AC099568.2 plays a key role in cervical cancer patients. However, to our knowledge, this is the first time a study focused on the role of AC099568.2 in cervical cancer patients. Our work successfully revealed a new biomarker for cervical cancer patients, which also provides a new direction for future research.

Toward Visual Avatars that Dress You Well and Impact Your Health.

This article discusses what would be needed to realize visual avatars that could dress us well and potentially impact our health by suggesting clothes appropriate for our activities.

Customized Body Mapping to Facilitate the Ergonomic Design of Sportswear.

A successful high-performance sportswear design that considers human factors should result in a significant increase in thermal comfort and reduce energy loss. The authors describe a body-mapping approach that facilitates the effective ergonomic design of sportswear. Their general framework can be customized based on the functional requirements of various sports and sportswear, the desired combination and selection of mapping areas for the human body, and customized quantitative data distribution of target physiological indicators.

Educational Virtual-Wear Trial: More Than a Virtual Try-On Experience.

Developments in computer capabilities, networks, mobile devices, and social media have enabled researchers and educators to increasingly employ blended strategies when developing new learning technologies. In addition, there is a growing need to develop discipline-specific learning technologies as result of expanding research in various domains. The study reported here was conducted in the context of a textile and clothing higher education course. The key aim was to develop a new learning technology for university students, specifically to help them learn about clothing thermal functional design (CTFD).

Creative educational use of virtual reality: working with Second Life.

Hong Kong Polytechnic University educators used the Second Life virtual world to help students learn the relationships between key concepts in designing clothing for functional comfort.

[Determination of tetrandrine and fangchinoline in Radix Stephaniae tetrandrae and its preparation by nonaqueous capillary chromatography].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a new method for the determination of fangchinoline and tetrandrine in Stephania tetrandra and Fengtongan capsule by noanqueous capillary electrophoresis. METHOD: Separation was carried out in an uncoated fused capillary (50 cm x 75 microm i.d.) with a running buffer containing 50 mmol x L(-1) ammonium acetate, 1.0% acetic acid and 20% acetonitrile in methanol. A separation voltage of 20 kV and a UV detector wavelength at 214 nm were adopted. Sample was introduced from the anode. RESULT: The calibration ranges were 1.00, 500 mg x L(-1) for both analytes. Under the optimum conditions, the relative standard deviation (RSD, n = 6) for the migration time of each analyte were 0.09%, 1.9% (intra-day) and 0.63%, 1.9% (inter-day); The RSD for the peak area of each analyte were 0.45%, 5.9% (intra-day) and 2.3%, 5.6% (inter-day), respectively. The contents of the analytes were determined easily with average recoveries 102% for fangchinoline and 105% for tetrandrine in S. tetrandra and 94.6% for fangchinoline and 98.7% for tetrandrine in Fengtongan capsules, respectively. CONCLUSION: The proposed method is simple, rapid, accurate and higher repeatable, and can be used to control of the quality of S. tetrandra and Fengtongan capsules.