ABSTRACT
The development of heteroatom dual-doped porous carbon frameworks with uniform doping is highly desirable for achieving highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, due to their tunable chemical and electronic structures. Herein, porous covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs) incorporating nitrogen/chorine dual-doped porous carbon networks were fabricated by selecting 1,3-bis(4-cyanophenyl) imidazolium chloride as a building block, in a facile and controllable way via a bottom-up strategy. The resulting nitrogen/chorine dual-doped catalyst CCTF-700 exhibits excellent ORR performance with a more positive onset and half-wave potential (0.85 V vs. RHE), higher diffusion-limited current density and significantly improved stability in comparison with the benchmark commercial 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst. It is worth mentioning that CCTF-700 shows one of the best ORR performances among all the reported metal-free electrocatalysts under alkaline conditions. This work paves the way for a controllable and reliable strategy to craft highly efficient heteroatom dual-doped carbon catalysts for energy conversion.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Non-lactational mastitis (NLM) is a benign inflammatory disease of the mammary gland, with pain, swelling and redness as the main clinical manifestations. There is no unified and effective standard treatment plan for this disease at present. In addition to breast cancer, non-lactational mastitis is also becoming a presenting complaint in an increasing number of outpatients at the authors' clinic. This case report summarises the treatment and management of a 35-year-old female patient with NLM complicated with multiple sinus wounds after surgery. METHOD: The patient was treated as follows, with: timely debridement according to the local condition of the wound, with manual compression to drain exudate from the sinus wound; selected wound dressings according to their performance and characteristics to fill the sinus tract for drainage and infection control; psychological care of the patient and their family to ensure that patients actively participate in the treatment; family support to the patient to deal with negative emotions; integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine to prevent/manage infection; dietary care and control; posture management and health education to facilitate the patient's wound healing process. RESULTS: After local management with systemic treatment and management using integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, the wound healed after 46 days, with no recurrence during a follow-up period of one year. CONCLUSION: As shown in this case report, the wound should be cut and drained as soon as possible in order to prevent obstruction of the sinus drainage. Modern wound dressings are selected for the 'external' treatment of local wounds. Integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine may help in systemic therapy of the whole patient.
Subject(s)
Mastitis , Wound Healing , Humans , Female , Adult , Mastitis/therapy , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Debridement , DrainageABSTRACT
Emotional distress (ED), commonly characterized by symptoms of depression and/or anxiety, is prevalent in patients with cancer. Preclinical studies suggest that ED can impair antitumor immune responses, but few clinical studies have explored its relationship with response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Here we report results from cohort 1 of the prospective observational STRESS-LUNG study, which investigated the association between ED and clinical efficacy of first-line treatment of ICIs in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. ED was assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale. The study included 227 patients with 111 (48.9%) exhibiting ED who presented depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥5) and/or anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item score ≥5) symptoms at baseline. On the primary endpoint analysis, patients with baseline ED exhibited a significantly shorter median progression-free survival compared with those without ED (7.9 months versus 15.5 months, hazard ratio 1.73, 95% confidence interval 1.23 to 2.43, P = 0.002). On the secondary endpoint analysis, ED was associated with lower objective response rate (46.8% versus 62.1%, odds ratio 0.54, P = 0.022), reduced 2-year overall survival rate of 46.5% versus 64.9% (hazard ratio for death 1.82, 95% confidence interval 1.12 to 2.97, P = 0.016) and detriments in quality of life. The exploratory analysis indicated that the ED group showed elevated blood cortisol levels, which was associated with adverse survival outcomes. This study suggests that there is an association between ED and worse clinical outcomes in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with ICIs, highlighting the potential significance of addressing ED in cancer management. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT05477979 .
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors , Lung Neoplasms , Psychological Distress , Humans , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/immunology , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/adverse effects , Female , Male , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Lung Neoplasms/immunology , Middle Aged , Aged , Prospective Studies , Depression/drug therapy , Anxiety/drug therapy , Treatment Outcome , Progression-Free Survival , Adult , Aged, 80 and overABSTRACT
To enhance our understanding of Aspergillus cristatus, an important functional microorganism, the characteristics of its mitochondrial genome were analyzed and compared with related species. The mitochondrial genome of A. cristatus was determined to be 77,649 bp in length, with 15 protein-coding regions. Notably, its length surpassed that of the other species, primarily attributable to the intron length. Gene order exhibited significant variations, with greater conservation observed in the genus Penicillium compared to Aspergillus. Phylogenetic tree analyses indicated that the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium are closely related but monophyletic. Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree constructed based on protein-coding genes effectively distinguished all strains with high branching confidence. This approach provides a robust reflection of the evolutionary relationship between A. cristatus and its related species, offering potential for the development of molecular markers suitable for Aspergillus and Penicillium.
ABSTRACT
Pyroptosis, a novel type of programmed cell death (PCD), which provides a feasible therapeutic option for the treatment of tumors. However, due to the hypermethylation of the promoter, the critical protein Gasdermin E (GSDME) is lacking in the majority of cancer cells, which cannot start the pyroptosis process and leads to dissatisfactory therapeutic effects. Additionally, the quick clearance, systemic side effects, and low concentration at the tumor site of conventional pyroptosis reagents restrict their use in clinical cancer therapy. Here, we described a combination therapy that induces tumor cell pyroptosis via the use of ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) in combination with DNA demethylation. The combined application of UTMD and hydralazine-loaded nanodroplets (HYD-NDs) can lead to the rapid release of HYD (a demethylation drug), which can cause the up-regulation of GSDME expression, and produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) by UTMD to cleave up-regulated GSDME, thereby inducing pyroptosis. HYD-NDs combined with ultrasound (US) group had the strongest tumor inhibition effect, and the tumor inhibition rate was 87.15% (HYD-NDs group: 51.41 ± 3.61%, NDs + US group: 32.73%±7.72%), indicating that the strategy had a more significant synergistic anti-tumor effect. In addition, as a new drug delivery carrier, HYD-NDs have great biosafety, tumor targeting, and ultrasound imaging performance. According to the results, the combined therapy reasonably regulated the process of tumor cell pyroptosis, which offered a new strategy for optimizing the therapy of GSDME-silenced solid tumors.
Subject(s)
Neoplasms , Pyroptosis , Humans , Pyroptosis/physiology , Microbubbles , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Apoptosis , Hydralazine/pharmacology , Hydralazine/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Triterpenoids possess a range of biological activities and are extensively utilized in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and chemical industries. Traditionally, they are acquired through chemical synthesis and plant extraction. However, these methods have drawbacks, including high energy consumption, environmental pollution, and being time-consuming. Recently, the de novo synthesis of triterpenoids in microbial cell factories has been achieved. This represents a promising and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional supply methods. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, known for its robustness, safety, and ample precursor supply, stands out as an ideal candidate for triterpenoid biosynthesis. However, challenges persist in industrial production and economic feasibility of triterpenoid biosynthesis. Consequently, metabolic engineering approaches have been applied to improve the triterpenoid yield, leading to substantial progress. This review explores triterpenoids biosynthesis mechanisms in S. cerevisiae and strategies for efficient production. Finally, the review also discusses current challenges and proposes potential solutions, offering insights for future engineering.
Subject(s)
Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Triterpenes , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism , Triterpenes/metabolism , Plants/metabolism , Metabolic EngineeringABSTRACT
Vacuolar malic acid accumulation largely determines fruit acidity, a key trait for the taste and flavor of apple and other fleshy fruits. Aluminum-activated malate transporter 9 (ALMT9/Ma1) underlies a major genetic locus, Ma, for fruit acidity in apple, but how the protein transports malate across the tonoplast is unclear. Here, it is shown that overexpression of the coding sequence of Ma1 (Ma1α) drastically decreases fruit acidity in "Royal Gala" apple, leading to uncovering alternative splicing underpins Ma1's function. Alternative splicing generates two isoforms: Ma1ß is 68 amino acids shorter with much lower expression than the full-length protein Ma1α. Ma1ß does not transport malate itself but interacts with the functional Ma1α to form heterodimers, creating synergy with Ma1α for malate transport in a threshold manner (When Ma1ß/Ma1α ≥ 1/8). Overexpression of Ma1α triggers feedback inhibition on the native Ma1 expression via transcription factor MYB73, decreasing the Ma1ß level well below the threshold that leads to significant reductions in Ma1 function and malic acid accumulation in fruit. Overexpression of Ma1α and Ma1ß or genomic Ma1 increases both isoforms proportionally and enhances fruit malic acid accumulation. These findings reveal an essential role of alternative splicing in ALMT9-mediated malate transport underlying apple fruit acidity.
Subject(s)
Alternative Splicing , Malates , Malus , Malates/metabolism , Alternative Splicing/genetics , Malus/genetics , Malus/metabolism , Fruit/metabolism , Fruit/genetics , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Plant Proteins/genetics , Vacuoles/metabolism , Vacuoles/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant/geneticsABSTRACT
Pathogenic microorganism of silkworm are important factors that threaten the high-quality development of sericulture. Among them, Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) caused diseases often lead to frequent outbreaks and high mortality, resulting in huge losses to sericultural industry. Current molecular detection methods for BmNPV require expensive equipment and sikilled technical personnel. As a result, the most commonly detection method for silkworm egg production enterprises involves observing the presence of polyhedra under a microscope. However, this method has low accuracy and sensitivity. There is an urgent need to develop a new detection technology with high sensitivity, high specificity, and applicability for silkworm farms, silkworm egg production enterprises and quarantine departments. In this study, we successfully established the CRISPR/Cas13a BmNPV visualized detection technology by combining Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) technology and CRISPR/Cas13a system. This technology is based on microplate lateral, flow test strips and portable fluorescence detector. The detection sensitivity can reach up to 1 copies/µL for positive standard plasmid and 1 fg/µL for BmNPV genome in 30-45 min, demonstrating high sensitivity. By detecting silkworm tissues infected with different pathogens, we determined that CRISPR/Cas13a detection technology has good specificity. In summary, the newly established nucleic acid detection technology for BmNPV is characterized by high sensitivity, high specificity, low cost and convenience for visualization. It can be applied in field detection and silkworm egg quality monitory system.
Subject(s)
Bombyx , Nucleopolyhedroviruses , Animals , Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/genetics , Nucleopolyhedroviruses/genetics , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
PD-1/PD-L1-based immune checkpoint blockade therapy has shown limited benefits in tumor patients, partially attributed to the inadequate infiltration of immune effector cells within tumors. Here, we established a nanoplatform named DPPA/IL-15 NPs to target PD-L1 for the tumor delivery of IL-15 messenger RNA (mRNA). DPPA/IL-15 NPs were endowed with ultrasound responsiveness and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging performance. They effectively protected IL-15 mRNA from degradation and specifically transfected it into tumor cells through the utilization of ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD). This resulted in the activation of IL-15-related immune effector cells while blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. In addition, UTMD could generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-driven immunogenic cell death (ICD), initiating anti-tumor immunity. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that this combination therapy could induce a robust systemic immune response and enhance anti-tumor efficacy. Thus, this combination therapy has the potential for clinical translation through enhanced immunotherapy and provides real-time ultrasound imaging guidance.
Subject(s)
B7-H1 Antigen , Neoplasms , Humans , Microbubbles , Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/metabolism , Interleukin-15/genetics , Neoplasms/therapy , Immunotherapy/methods , Tumor Microenvironment , Cell Line, TumorABSTRACT
As a multifunctional hormone-like molecule, melatonin exhibits a pleiotropic role in plant salt stress tolerance. While actin cytoskeleton is essential to plant tolerance to salt stress, it is unclear if and how actin cytoskeleton participates in the melatonin-mediated alleviation of plant salt stress. Here, we report that melatonin alleviates salt stress damage in pigeon pea by activating a kinase-like protein, which interacts with an actin-depolymerizing factor. Cajanus cajan Actin-Depolymerizing Factor 9 (CcADF9) has the function of severing actin filaments and is highly expressed under salt stress. The CcADF9 overexpression lines (CcADF9-OE) showed a reduction of transgenic root length and an increased sensitivity to salt stress. By using CcADF9 as a bait to screen an Y2H library, we identified actin depolymerizing factor-related phosphokinase 1 (ARP1), a novel protein kinase that interacts with CcADF9. CcARP1, induced by melatonin, promotes salt resistance of pigeon pea through phosphorylating CcADF9, inhibiting its severing activity. The CcARP1 overexpression lines (CcARP1-OE) displayed an increased transgenic root length and resistance to salt stress, whereas CcARP1 RNA interference lines (CcARP1-RNAi) presented the opposite phenotype. Altogether, our findings reveal that melatonin-induced CcARP1 maintains F-actin dynamics balance by phosphorylating CcADF9, thereby promoting root growth and enhancing salt tolerance.
Subject(s)
Cajanus , Melatonin , Melatonin/pharmacology , Melatonin/metabolism , Actins/metabolism , Cajanus/genetics , Destrin/metabolism , Salt Tolerance/genetics , Phosphorylation , Actin Cytoskeleton/metabolismABSTRACT
Aluminium (Al) toxicity decreases crop production in acid soils in general, but many crops have evolved complex mechanisms to resist it. However, our current understanding of how plants cope with Al stress and perform Al resistance is still at the initial stage. In this study, the citrate transporter CcMATE35 was identified to be involved in Al stress response. The release of citrate was increased substantially in CcMATE35 over-expression (OE) lines under Al stress, indicating enhanced Al resistance. It was demonstrated that transcription factor CcNFYB3 regulated the expression of CcMATE35, promoting the release of citrate from roots to increase Al resistance in pigeon pea. We also found that a Long noncoding RNA Targeting Citrate Synthase (CcLTCS) is involved in Al resistance in pigeon pea. Compared with controls, overexpression of CcLTCS elevated the expression level of the Citrate Synthase gene (CcCS), leading to increases in root citrate level and citrate release, which forms another module to regulate Al resistance in pigeon pea. Simultaneous overexpression of CcNFYB3 and CcLTCS further increased Al resistance. Taken together, these findings suggest that the two modules, CcNFYB3-CcMATE35 and CcLTCS-CcCS, jointly regulate the efflux and synthesis of citrate and may play an important role in enhancing the resistance of pigeon pea under Al stress.
Subject(s)
Cajanus , RNA, Long Noncoding , Citric Acid/metabolism , Cajanus/genetics , Aluminum/toxicity , Aluminum/metabolism , Citrate (si)-Synthase , Citrates/metabolismABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) lose part of their working or living ability due to illness, and bring burden to caregivers. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors related to caregivers' disease family burden for MG patients in Northwest China. METHODS: The study utilized our Myasthenia Gravis database and distributed online questionnaires to both MG patients and their caregivers. The questionnaires included a general data collection form, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale, and the Caregivers' Family Burden Scale of Disease (FBSD). Univariate analysis and multivariate linear regression analysis were run, with FBSD as the outcome variable for separate analyses. RESULTS: 178 MG patients were eligible for inclusion in the analysis, of whom 80 patients' caregivers had a positive family burden of MG. The daily activity burden of the family and the economic burden of the family were the heaviest among the six dimensions of the caregivers' family disease burdens. The factors independently associated with FBSD were depression symptom level, MG severity classification and family's monthly per capita income (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Depression symptom level, MG severity classification and family's monthly per capita income are independent factors related to the caregivers' disease family burden for MG patients.
Subject(s)
Myasthenia Gravis , Quality of Life , Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Caregivers , Cost of Illness , China/epidemiology , Myasthenia Gravis/epidemiology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) originates in the epithelial cells of the nasopharynx and is a common malignant tumor in southern China and Southeast Asia. Metastasis of NPC remains the main cause of death for NPC patients even though the tumor is sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Here, we found that the transmembrane protein tetraspanin1 (TSPAN1) potently inhibited the in vitro migration and invasion, as well as, the in vivo metastasis of NPC cells via interacting with the IKBB protein. In addition, TSPAN1 was essential in preventing the overactivation of the NF-kB pathway in TSPAN1 overexpressing NPC cells. Furthermore, reduced TSPAN1 expression was associated with NPC metastasis and the poor prognosis of NPC patients. These results uncovered the suppressive role of TSPAN1 against NF-kB signaling in NPC cells for preventing NPC metastasis. Its therapeutic value warrants further investigation.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms , Humans , Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma/pathology , NF-kappa B/genetics , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/metabolism , Cell Line, Tumor , Signal Transduction , Cell Movement/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Tetraspanins/genetics , Tetraspanins/metabolismABSTRACT
Pulsed dye laser (PDL) is the most commonly used method for port-wine stain (PWS); however, no studies have reported the safety of PDL. This review aimed to collect and summarize complications reported in relevant literature, assess complication rates in treating PWS with PDL, and explore the relevant influencing factors. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to search for related studies in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library until August 2022. Two reviewers independently evaluated the risk of bias of included studies. Stata Software version 17.0 was used for the analysis. All complications reported in the literature are divided into acute phase complications and long-term complications. Overall pooled purpura, edema, crusting, blistering, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, and scarring rates were 98.3%, 97.6%, 21.5%, 8.7%, 12.8%, 0.9%, and 0.2%, respectively. Although the acute adverse reactions were found to be common, the long-term permanent complications clearly have a lower frequency, and the occurrence of scarring is much lower than that initially thought. This indicates that effective protective measures after treatment are very important for preventing scar formation. Overall, PDL treatment for PWS shows a high level of safety and low chances of causing long-term complications.
Subject(s)
Lasers, Dye , Port-Wine Stain , Humans , Port-Wine Stain/radiotherapy , Port-Wine Stain/surgery , Treatment Outcome , Lasers, Dye/adverse effects , Cicatrix , Combined Modality TherapyABSTRACT
Most plants belonging to the widely distributed genus Dianthus are used for gardening. Interspecific hybridization of different Dianthus species leads to blurred genetic backgrounds. To obtain more genomic resources and understand the phylogenetic relationships among Dianthus species, the chloroplast genomes of 12 Dianthus species, including nine Dianthus gratianopolitanus varieties, were analyzed. The chloroplast genomes of these 12 species exhibited similar sizes (149,474-149,735 bp), with Dianthus caryophyllus having a chloroplast genome size of 149,604 bp marked by a significant contraction in inverted repeats. In the chloroplast genome of Dianthus, we identified 124-126 annotated genes, including 83-84 protein-coding genes. Notably, D. caryophyllus had 83 protein-coding genes but lacked rpl2. The repeat sequences of the chloroplast genome were consistent among species, and variations in the sequence were limited and not prominent. However, notable gene replacements were observed in the boundary region. Phylogenetic analysis of Dianthus indicated that D. caryophyllus and D. gratianopolitanus were most closely related, suggesting that the degree of variation within nine Dianthus varieties was no less than the variation observed between species. These differences provide a theoretical foundation for a more comprehensive understanding of the diversity within Dianthus species.
ABSTRACT
We theoretically explore the conditions for generating optical bistability (OB) in a heterodimer comprised of a semiconductor quantum dot (SQD) and a metallic nanoshell (MNS). The MNS is made of a metallic nanosphere as a core and a dielectric material as a shell. For the specific hybrid system considered, the bistable effect appears only if the frequency of the pump field is equal to (or slightly less than) the exciton frequency for a proper shell thickness. Bistability phase diagrams, when plotted, show that the dipole-induced bistable region can be greatly broadened by changing the shell thickness of the MNS in a strong exciton-plasmon coupling regime. In particular, we demonstrate that the multipole polarization not only narrows the bistable zone but also enlarges the corresponding thresholds for a given intermediate scaled pumping intensity. On the other hand, when the SQD couples strongly with the MNS, the multipole polarization can also significantly broaden the bistable region and induce a great suppression of the FWM (four-wave mixing) signal for a fixed shell thickness. These interesting findings offer a fresh understanding of the bistability conditions in an SQD/MNS heterodimer, and may be useful in the fabrication of high-performance and low-threshold optical bistable nanodevices.
ABSTRACT
Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare but aggressive malignancy with cellular and immunological characteristics that remain unclear. Here, we perform transcriptomic analysis for 111,038 single cells from tumor tissues of six MBC and thirteen female breast cancer (FBC) patients. We find that that MBC has significantly lower infiltration of T cells relative to FBC. Metastasis-related programs are more active in cancer cells from MBC. The activated fatty acid metabolism involved with FASN is related to cancer cell metastasis and low immune infiltration of MBC. T cells in MBC show activation of p38 MAPK and lipid oxidation pathways, indicating a dysfunctional state. In contrast, T cells in FBC exhibit higher expression of cytotoxic markers and immune activation pathways mediated by immune-modulatory cytokines. Moreover, we identify the inhibitory interactions between cancer cells and T cells in MBC. Our study provides important information for understanding the tumor immunology and metabolism of MBC.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms, Male , Humans , Female , Male , Single-Cell Gene Expression Analysis , Immunosuppression Therapy , Lipid Metabolism/genetics , Fatty AcidsABSTRACT
MAIN CONCLUSION: Integrated transcriptome and physiological analysis of apricot leaves after Fusarium solani treatment. In addition, we identified core transcription factors and flavonoid-related synthase genes which may function in apricot disease resistance. Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) is an important economic fruit species, whose yield and quality of fruit are limited owing to its susceptibility to diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of P. armeniaca to diseases is still unknown. In this study, we used physiology and transcriptome analysis to characterize responses of P. armeniaca subjected to Fusarium solani. The results showed increasing malondialdehyde (MDA) content, enhanced peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activity during F. solani infestation. A large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which included 4281 upregulated DEGs and 3305 downregulated DEGs, were detected in P. armeniaca leaves exposed to F. solani infestation. Changes in expression of transcription factors (TFs), including bHLH, AP2/ERF, and WRKY indicated their role in triggering pathogen-responsive genes in P. armeniaca. During the P. armeniaca response to F. solani infestation, the content of total flavonoid was changed, and we identified enzyme genes associated with flavonoid biosynthesis. Ectopic overexpression of PabHLH15 and PabHLH102 in Nicotiana benthamiana conferred elevated resistance to Fspa_1. Moreover, PabHLH15 and PabHLH102 positively interact with the promoter of flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes. A regulatory network of TFs regulating enzyme genes related to flavonoid synthesis affecting apricot disease resistance was constructed. These results reveal the potential underlying mechanisms of the F. solani response of P. armeniaca, which would help improve the disease resistance of P. armeniaca and may cultivate high-quality disease-resistant varieties in the future.
Subject(s)
Mycoses , Prunus armeniaca , Transcriptome , Prunus armeniaca/genetics , Prunus armeniaca/metabolism , Disease Resistance/genetics , Transcription Factors/genetics , Transcription Factors/metabolismABSTRACT
Distant metastasis is the primary reason for treatment failure in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we investigated the effect of ulinastatin (UTI) on NPC metastasis and its underlying mechanism. Highly-metastatic NPC cell lines S18 and 58F were treated with UTI and the effect on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were determined by MTS and Transwell assays. S18 cells with luciferase-expressing (S18-1C3) were injected into the left hind footpad of nude mice to establish a model of spontaneous metastasis from the footpad to popliteal lymph node (LN). The luciferase messenger RNA (mRNA) was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and the metastasis inhibition rate was calculated. Key molecular members of the UTI-related uPA, uPAR, and JAT/STAT3 signaling pathways were detected by qPCR and immunoblotting. UTI suppressed the migration and infiltration of S18 and 5-8F cells and suppressed the metastasis of S18 cells in vivo without affecting cell proliferation. uPAR expression decreased from 24 to 48 h after UTI treatment. The antimetastatic effect of UTI is partly due to the suppression of uPA and uPAR. UTI partially suppresses NPC metastasis by downregulating the expression of uPA and uPAR.
Subject(s)
Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms , Animals , Mice , Humans , Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma/drug therapy , Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma/metabolism , Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma/pathology , Mice, Nude , Cell Line, Tumor , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/pathology , Luciferases , Cell Movement , Neoplasm Invasiveness , Neoplasm MetastasisABSTRACT
Ultrasound (US) is widely used in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. However, the low efficiency and non-uniformity of artificial recognition hinder the application and popularization of US for this purpose. Herein, we developed an automatic muscle boundary segmentation tool for US image recognition and tested its accuracy and clinical applicability. Our dataset was constructed from a total of 465 US images of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) from 19 participants (10 men and 9 women, age 27.4 ± 6.3 years). We used the U-net model for US image segmentation. The U-net output often includes several disconnected regions. Anatomically, the target muscle usually only has one connected region. Based on this principle, we designed an algorithm written in C++ to eliminate redundantly connected regions of outputs. The muscle boundary images generated by the tool were compared with those obtained by professionals and junior physicians to analyze their accuracy and clinical applicability. The dataset was divided into five groups for experimentation, and the average Dice coefficient, recall, and accuracy, as well as the intersection over union (IoU) of the prediction set in each group were all about 90%. Furthermore, we propose a new standard to judge the segmentation results. Under this standard, 99% of the total 150 predicted images by U-net are excellent, which is very close to the segmentation result obtained by professional doctors. In this study, we developed an automatic muscle segmentation tool for US-guided muscle injections. The accuracy of the recognition of the muscle boundary was similar to that of manual labeling by a specialist sonographer, providing a reliable auxiliary tool for clinicians to shorten the US learning cycle, reduce the clinical workload, and improve injection safety.