ABSTRACT
RNA molecules contain diverse modified nucleobases that play pivotal roles in numerous biological processes. Adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing, one of the most prevalent RNA modifications in mammalian cells, is linked to a multitude of human diseases. To unveil the functions of A-to-I RNA editing, accurate quantification of inosine at specific sites is essential. In this study, we developed an endonuclease-mediated cleavage and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR method for A-to-I RNA editing (EM-qPCR) to quantitatively analyze A-to-I RNA editing at a single site. By employing this method, we successfully quantified the levels of A-to-I RNA editing on various transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules at position 34 (I34) in mammalian cells with precision. Subsequently, this method was applied to tissues from sleep-deprived mice, revealing a notable alteration in the levels of I34 between sleep-deprived and control mice. The proposed method sets a precedent for the quantitative analysis of A-to-I RNA editing at specific sites, facilitating a deeper understanding of the biological implications of A-to-I RNA editing.
Subject(s)
Adenosine , Inosine , RNA Editing , Inosine/metabolism , Inosine/chemistry , Adenosine/metabolism , Adenosine/chemistry , Adenosine/analysis , Animals , Mice , Humans , Endonucleases/metabolism , Real-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Physiological processes rely on phosphate, which is an essential component of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Hypophosphatasia can affect nearly every organ system in the body. It is crucial to monitor newborns with risk factors for hypophosphatemia and provide them with the proper supplements. We aimed to evaluate the risk factors and develop a nomogram for early hypophosphatemia in term infants. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study involving 416 term infants measured serum phosphorus within three days of birth. The study included 82 term infants with hypophosphatemia (HP group) and 334 term infants without hypophosphatemia (NHP group). We collected data on the characteristics of mothers, newborn babies, and childbirth. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for hypophosphatemia in term infants, and a nomogram was developed and validated based on the final independent risk factors. RESULTS: According to our analysis, the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male, maternal diabetes, cesarean delivery, lower serum magnesium, and lower birth weight were independent risk factors for early hypophosphatemia in term infants. In addition, the C-index of the developed nomogram was 0.732 (95% CI = 0.668-0.796). Moreover, the calibration curve indicated good consistency between the hypophosphatemia diagnosis and the predicted probability, and a decision curve analysis (DCA) confirmed the clinical utility of the nomogram. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis revealed that we successfully developed and validated a nomogram for predicting early hypophosphatemia in term infants.
Subject(s)
Hypophosphatasia , Hypophosphatemia , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Female , Pregnancy , Male , Humans , Nomograms , Retrospective Studies , Hypophosphatemia/diagnosis , Hypophosphatemia/etiology , Adenosine TriphosphateABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Antidepressant response in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) is probably influenced by personality dimensions. However, personality dimensions in depression and their association with antidepressant treatment in adolescents are relatively unknown. We sought to investigate whether personality traits (PTs) can influence antidepressant treatment response in adolescents with depression. METHODS: Eighty-two adolescents with MDD who had completed the 8 weeks of treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) were enrolled. The Revised NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI-R) was used to measure their personality at baseline, and the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) and Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) were used to evaluate depressive symptoms at baseline and 8 weeks. Moreover, logistic regression was performed to investigate the relationship between personality dimensions and antidepressant response. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were employed to determine the accuracy of a PT-based model in predicting the antidepressant response rate. RESULTS: Adolescents with MDD had significantly different PTs at baseline. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that extroversion scores were associated with response to antidepressant treatment, the lower the extroversion score, the better the response to antidepressant treatment, after correcting for variables with significant differences and trends or all potential confounding variables. It was also found that the combination of disease duration, extraversion-gregariousness, and agreeableness-trust effectively predicted antidepressant response in adolescents with MDD, with a sensitivity of 79.4 % and specificity of 68.7 %. CONCLUSION: Personality dysfunction in adolescents is associated with MDD. The antidepressant treatment response is influenced by the degree of extroversion in adolescents with MDD.
Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder, Major , Adult , Child , Humans , Adolescent , Depressive Disorder, Major/therapy , Depression , Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use , Antidepressive Agents/pharmacology , Treatment Outcome , PersonalityABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence showed abnormalities in brain network connectivity in depressive individuals with suicidal ideation (SI). We aimed to investigate the large-scale brain network dynamics in adolescents with SI and major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: We recruited 47 first-episode drug-naïve adolescents with MDD and SI, 26 depressed adolescents without SI (noSI), and 26 age-matched healthy controls (HC). The Columbia Suicidal Ideation Severity Scale (C-SSRS) was utilized to assess suicide ideation. We acquired 64-channel resting-state EEG recordings from all subjects and used microstate analysis to investigate the large-scale brain network dynamics. RESULTS: We observed a significant reduction in the occurrence and coverage of microstate B within the SI group when contrasted with the noSI group. Conversely, there was a significant increase in the occurrence and coverage of microstate A in the SI group as compared to the HC group. Additionally, we observed heightened transition probabilities from microstates D and C to microstate A in the SI group; meanwhile, transitions from microstate D to B were more prevalent in the noSI group. Furthermore, the noSI group exhibited a significant decline in the transition probabilities from microstate D to microstate C. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional nature limits the capacity to determine whether microstate dynamics have prognostic significance for SI. CONCLUSION: We provided evidence that depressed adolescents with SI have a distinct pattern in microstate dynamics compared to those without SI. These findings suggest that microstate dynamics might serve as a potential neurobiomarker for identifying SI in depressed adolescents.
Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder, Major , Suicidal Ideation , Humans , Adolescent , Depressive Disorder, Major/diagnosis , Brain Mapping , Cross-Sectional Studies , Electroencephalography , Brain/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
Objective:To assess the long-term outcome of sequential radical surgery after immune combined with targeted therapy for patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:Clinical data of 100 patients with initially unresectable HCC undergoing sequential radical surgery after immune combined with targeted therapy at the Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery of Chinese PLA General Hospital from December 2018 to August 2023 were prospectively collected, including 87 males and 13 females, with a median age of 55 (24-73) years. The pre-treatment tumor staging was determined using the China liver cancer staging (CNLC). The efficacy of immune combined with targeted therapy was accessed using the modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumor (mRECIST). The cycles of immune combined with targeted therapy were analyzed. The tumor residual of resected tissue was analyzed through a standard pathological protocol. The prognosis was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results:Upon initial diagnosis, there were 46 cases (46.0%) staged CNLC-Ⅲa and 40 (40.0%) staged CNLC-Ⅲb. There were also 14 cases (14.0%) staged CNLC-Ⅰb, Ⅱa, and Ⅱb who underwent immune combined with targeted therapy due to rupture of tumor or insufficient liver remnant. All patients received a median of 5 (3-28) cycles of immune combined with targeted therapy and underwent radical surgery after successful conversion. According to mRECIST, 14 (14.0%) were determined as complete remission, 63 (63.0%) as partial remission, 18 (18.0%) as stable disease, and 5 (5.0%) as disease progression. Of 24 (24.0%) were defined as pathologically complete remission by postoperative pathology. Furthermore, pathological tumor residue was less than 10% in 61 (61.0%) cases and less than 50% in 82 (82.0%) cases. The 1, 3, and 5 year-overall survival rates of patients were 98.0%, 83.1%, and 74.5%, respectively. The 1, 2 and 3 year-recurrence-free survival rates were 67.5%, 54.8%, and 49.6%, respectively.Conclusion:Sequential radical surgery after immune combined with targeted therapy benefits the long-term survival of patients with initially unresectable HCC.
ABSTRACT
Neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormal brain activities in depressed teenagers who engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). We used resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) microstate analysis, which indicates the brief overlap of brain network activation for exploring the characteristics of large-scale cortical activities in depressed adolescents engaged with NSSI to clarify the underlying temporal mechanism. A modified k-means cluster algorithm was used to segment 64-channel resting-state EEG data into microstates. Data from 27 healthy adolescents, 37 adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD), and 53 adolescents with both MDD and NSSI were examined in this study. The resting-state microstate parameters were compared among groups using the one-way ANOVA and Spearman correlation. Then the associations between significantly different microstate parameters and the depressive severity and self-harming data in the patient groups were further analyzed. The MDD group had higher contribution (p < 0.01), occurrence (p < 0.01) of microstate A, and higher microstate EâA transition (p < 0.05) than the HC and the NSSI group. The MDD group showed a distinctly longer duration (p < 0.05) of microstate A and microstate AâC transition than the HC. The transition probability from B to C was increased in the NSSI group compared to the HC. In the MDD group, the HAMD correlated with the duration of microstate A (Spearman's rho = 0.34, p = 0.044), as the PHQ-9 correlated with its occurrence (Spearman's rho = 0.37, p = 0.028). This research revealed that whereas depressive adolescents with NSSI and MDD displayed similar patterns with healthy controls in EEG microstate, the MDD group did not. Additionally, the non-random transition from microstate EâA may protect against recent self-harm in adolescents with MDD.
Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder, Major , Self-Injurious Behavior , Humans , Adolescent , Depressive Disorder, Major/diagnostic imaging , Brain/diagnostic imaging , Brain/physiology , Electroencephalography , Brain Mapping/methods , Self-Injurious Behavior/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
Microorganisms play a critical role in the biogeochemical cycling of selenium (Se) in aquatic environments, particularly in reducing the toxicity and bioavailability of selenite (Se(IV)). This study aimed to identify putative Se(IV)-reducing bacteria (SeIVRB) and investigate the genetic mechanisms underlying Se(IV) reduction in anoxic Se-rich sediment. Initial microcosm incubation confirmed that Se(IV) reduction was driven by heterotrophic microorganisms. DNA stable-isotope probing (DNA-SIP) analysis identified Pseudomonas, Geobacter, Comamonas, and Anaeromyxobacter as putative SeIVRB. High-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliated with these four putative SeIVRB were retrieved. Annotation of functional gene indicated that these MAGs contained putative Se(IV)-reducing genes such as DMSO reductase family, fumarate and sulfite reductases. Metatranscriptomic analysis of active Se(IV)-reducing cultures revealed significantly higher transcriptional levels of genes associated with DMSO reductase (serA/PHGDH), fumarate reductase (sdhCD/frdCD), and sulfite reductase (cysDIH) compared to those in cultures not amended with Se(IV), suggesting that these genes played important roles in Se(IV) reduction. The current study expands our knowledge of the genetic mechanisms involved in less-understood anaerobic Se(IV) bio-reduction. Additinally, the complementary abilities of DNA-SIP, metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics analyses are demonstrated in elucidating the microbial mechanisms of biogeochemical processes in anoxic sediment.
Subject(s)
Metagenome , Selenium , Selenium/metabolism , Selenious Acid/metabolism , Metagenomics , Anaerobiosis , Bacteria/metabolism , Isotopes/metabolism , Bacteria, Anaerobic/metabolism , DNA/chemistryABSTRACT
Abstract Objective: To investigate the optimal timing of initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. Methods: KD patients were classified as the early group (day 1-4), conventional group (day 5-7), conventional group (day 8-10), and late group (after day 10). Differences among the groups were analyzed by ANOVA and Chi-square analysis. Predictors of IVIG resistance and the optimal cut-off value were determined by multiple logistic regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: There were no significant differences in IVIG resistance among the 4 groups (p = 0.335). The sensitivity analysis also confirmed no difference in the IVIG resistance between those who started the initial IVIG ≤ day 7 of illness and those who received IVIG >day 7 of illness (p = 0.761). In addition, patients who received IVIG administration more than 7 days from the onset had a higher proportion of coronary artery abnormalities (p = 0.034) and longer length of hospitalization (p = 0.033) than those who started IVIG administration less than 7 days. The optimal cut-off value of initial IVIG administration time for predicting IVIG resistance was >7 days, with a sensitivity of 75.25% and specificity of 82.41%. Conclusions: IVIG therapy within 7 days of illness is found to be more effective for reducing the risk of coronary artery abnormalities than those who received IVIG >day 7 of illness. IVIG treatment within the 7 days of illness seems to be the optimal therapeutic window of IVIG. However, further prospective studies with long-term follow-up are required.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the optimal timing of initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. METHODS: KD patients were classified as the early group (day 1-4), conventional group (day 5-7), conventional group (day 8-10), and late group (after day 10). Differences among the groups were analyzed by ANOVA and Chi-square analysis. Predictors of IVIG resistance and the optimal cut-off value were determined by multiple logistic regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in IVIG resistance among the 4 groups (p = 0.335). The sensitivity analysis also confirmed no difference in the IVIG resistance between those who started the initial IVIG ≤ day 7 of illness and those who received IVIG >day 7 of illness (p = 0.761). In addition, patients who received IVIG administration more than 7 days from the onset had a higher proportion of coronary artery abnormalities (p = 0.034) and longer length of hospitalization (p = 0.033) than those who started IVIG administration less than 7 days. The optimal cut-off value of initial IVIG administration time for predicting IVIG resistance was >7 days, with a sensitivity of 75.25% and specificity of 82.41%. CONCLUSIONS: IVIG therapy within 7 days of illness is found to be more effective for reducing the risk of coronary artery abnormalities than those who received IVIG >day 7 of illness. IVIG treatment within the 7 days of illness seems to be the optimal therapeutic window of IVIG. However, further prospective studies with long-term follow-up are required.
Subject(s)
Immunoglobulins, Intravenous , Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome , Humans , Infant , Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/therapeutic use , Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/drug therapy , Retrospective Studies , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
Objective:To assess the clinical efficacy of sequential radical surgery after immune and targeted therapy in downstaging patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:Data were prospectively collected from December 2018 to July 2022 on patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma which were downstaged to undergo sequential surgery after treatment with immune and targeted therapy at the Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital. There were 79 patients, with 69 men and 10 women, aged (53.0±10.9) years, being enrolled into this study. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival rate, and the log-rank test was used for survival rate comparison. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression were used to analyze factors influencing patient prognosis.Results:There were 7 patients (8.9%) with China Liver Cancer Staging (CNLC) Ⅰb, Ⅱa, Ⅱb who had insufficient residual liver volume or tumor rupture before the downstaging therapy, and 38 patients (48.1%) with CNLC Ⅲa and 34 patients (43.0%) with CNLC Ⅲb. These 79 patients underwent R 0 resection after 3-20 cycles (median 5 cycles) of immune and targeted therapy. Based on the modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumor, the results of preoperative imaging assessment were: complete remission in 12 patients (15.2%), partial remission in 50 patients (63.3%), stable disease in 15 patients (19.0%), and disease progression in 2 patients (2.5%). The overall survival rates of patients at 1, 2, and 3 years after diagnosis were 96.1%, 83.5%, and 76.6%; and the recurrence-free survival rates at 1, 2, and 3 years after surgery were 62.1%, 52.9%, and 34.7%, respectively. On multivariate Cox regression analysis, patients with a preoperative alpha-fetoprotein >20 μg/L ( HR=2.816, 95% CI: 1.232-6.432, P=0.014) and a high proportion of pathological residual tumors ( HR=1.015, 95% CI: 1.004-1.026, P=0.006) had a higher risk of postoperative recurrence; and patients with a high proportion of pathological residual tumors ( HR=1.028, 95% CI: 1.007-1.049, P=0.007) and preoperative alpha-fetoprotein >400 μg/L ( HR=4.099, 95% CI: 1.193-14.076, P=0.025) had a higher risk of death. Conclusion:Immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy and sequential surgery for patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma provided long-term survival benefits. Elevated preoperative alpha-fetoprotein and a high proportion of pathological residual tumor were independent risk factors for recurrence-free survival and overall survival in this group of patients.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To analyze the value of alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) in predicting survival of patients who underwent salvage surgery after tumor downstaging therapy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:The data of 50 patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging (BCLC) C hepatocellular carcinoma treated at the Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital from December 2018 to December 2021 were collected. There were 45 males and 5 females, with the age of (53.0±10.5) years. The patients were divided into two groups based on the serum AFP level after tumor downstaging therapy, AFP normal group ( n=27, AFP≤20 μg/L) and the control group ( n=23, AFP>20 μg/L). Patient survival and tumor recurrence were followed up by outpatient review or telephone follow-up. The survival rate was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. The efficacy of combined immunotargeted therapy were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were carried to analyse the factors influcing prognosis. Results:The median survival time was not reached in both groups. The 1-year and 2-year cumulative survival rates were 95.0% and 88.2% in the normal group and 73.4% and 54.1% in the control group, respectively. The median relapse-free survival time of the normal group was not reached, and the median relapse-free survival time of the control group was 11 months. The 1-year recurrence-free survival rate was 78.1% in the normal group and 39.5% in the control group. The cumulative survival rate and relapse-free survival rate in the normal group were significantly higher than those in the control group (χ 2=7.60, 8.83, P=0.006, 0.003). The complete response, partial response and pathological complete response of tumors in the normal group were significant better than those in the control group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that patients with serum AFP >20 μg/L ( HR=2.952, 95% CI: 1.023-8.517, P=0.045) after immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy had an increased risk of postoperative recurrence. Conclusion:The reduction of serum AFP to normal after downstaging therapy could be used as a prognostic indicator of salvage surgical in patients with BCLC C hepatocellular carcinoma, and AFP was related to the efficacy of downstaging therapy in patients.
ABSTRACT
The extensive application of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) causes their frequent detection in various environments. In this work, two typical PFASs, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), are selected to investigate their effects on soil microorganisms. Microbial community structure and microbe-microbe relationships were investigated by high-throughput sequencing and co-occurrence network analysis. Under 90 days of exposure, the alpha-diversity of soil microbial communities was increased with the PFOS treatment, followed by the PFOA treatment. The exposure of PFASs substantially changed the compositions of soil microbial communities, leading to the enrichment of more PFASs-tolerant bacteria, such as Proteobacteria, Burkholderiales, and Rhodocyclales. Comparative co-occurrence networks were constructed to investigate the microbe-microbe interactions under different PFASs treatments. The majority of nodes in the PFOA and PFOS networks were associated with the genus Azospirillum and Hydrogenophaga, respectively. The LEfSe analysis further identified a set of biomarkers in the soil microbial communities, such as Azospirillum, Methyloversatilis, Hydrogenophaga, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Fusibacter. The relative abundances of these biomarkers were also changed by different PFASs treatments. Functional gene prediction suggested that the microbial metabolism processes, such as nucleotide transport and metabolism, cell motility, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, energy production and conversion, and secondary metabolites biosynthesis transport and catabolism, might be inhibited under PFAS exposure, which may further affect soil ecological services.
Subject(s)
Fluorocarbons , Microbiota , Alkanesulfonic Acids , Caprylates , Fluorocarbons/analysis , Fluorocarbons/chemistry , Soil/chemistryABSTRACT
Objective:To study the safety and efficacy of a treatment protocol using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and antiangiogenic targeted drugs (AATDs) in converting 41 patients with initially unresectable to resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:The data of 41 patients with initially unresectable HCC treated with immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy from December 2018 to April 2021 in Chinese PLA General Hospital were analysed. There were 34 males and 7 females, aged (51.8±10.7) years. The clinical characteristics, conversion to resectable HCC, adverse drug reactions, surgical data and postoperative complications were analysed. Patients were followed-up by outpatients clinics or telephone calls.Results:There were 5 patients with Chinese Liver Cancer Staging (CNLC)-Ⅰb, 4 with CNLC-Ⅱ, 28 with CNLC-Ⅲa and 4 with CNLC-Ⅲb before the treatment protocol. Among them, 28 patients had portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) and 4 had retroperitoneal lymph node metastases. All patients had a mean tumor diameter of (9.16±4.43) cm before and (6.49±4.69) cm after the treatment protocol. The latter was based on the last assessment before hepatectomy. The efficacy of the treatment protocol in converting unresectable to resectable HCC was assessed by the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors after 3-15 cycles (median dose cycles, 5) of protocal therapy: 15 patients achieved a complete response; 15 patients achieved a partial response; 6 patients had a stable disease, and 5 patients had a progressive disease. 21 patients (51.2%) experienced adverse reactions associated with drug treatment, which resolved with symptomatic treatment or brief discontinuation of the therapy. All patients underwent successful hepatectomy. Postoperative complications of grade Ⅱ or higher occurred in 9 patients (22.0%). The cumulative overall survival rates at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years from diagnosis were 100.0%, 92.6% and 64.7% respectively. The cumulative overall survival rates at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after surgery were 95.1%, 74.7% and 60.8%, and the recurrence-free survival rates at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after surgery were 87.8%, 56.7% and 48.6%, respectively.Conclusions:This study provided preliminary evidences that surgical resection after immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy in patients with initially unresectable HCC was safe and efficacious.
ABSTRACT
DNA cytosine methylation (5-methylcytosine, 5mC) is the most important epigenetic mark in higher eukaryotes. 5mC in genomes is dynamically controlled by writers and erasers. DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferases (DNMTs) are responsible for the generation and maintenance of 5mC in genomes. Active demethylation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) is achieved by ten-eleven translocation (TET) dioxygenase-mediated oxidation of 5mC to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). 5fC and 5caC are further processed by thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG)-initiated base excision repair (BER) to restore unmodified cytosines. The TET-TDG-BER pathway could cause the production of DNA strand breaks and therefore jeopardize the integrity of genomes. Here, we investigated the direct decarboxylation of 5caC in mammalian genomes by using metabolic labeling with 2'-fluorinated 5caC (F-5caC) and mass spectrometry analysis. Our results clearly demonstrated the decarboxylation of 5caC occurring in mammalian genomes, which unveiled that, in addition to the TET-TDG-BER pathway, the direct decarboxylation of TET-produced 5caC constituted a new pathway for active demethylation of 5mC in mammalian genomes.
ABSTRACT
All-inorganic CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dots have received substantial research interest for photovoltaic applications because of higher efficiency compared to solar cells using other quantum dots materials and the various exciting properties that perovskites have to offer. These quantum dot devices also exhibit good mechanical stability amongst various thin-film photovoltaic technologies. We demonstrate higher mechanical endurance of quantum dot films compared to bulk thin film and highlight the importance of further research on high-performance and flexible optoelectronic devices using nanoscale grains as an advantage. Specifically, we develop a hybrid interfacial architecture consisting of CsPbI3 quantum dot/PCBM heterojunction, enabling an energy cascade for efficient charge transfer and mechanical adhesion. The champion CsPbI3 quantum dot solar cell has an efficiency of 15.1% (stabilized power output of 14.61%), which is among the highest report to date. Building on this strategy, we further demonstrate a highest efficiency of 12.3% in flexible quantum dot photovoltaics.
ABSTRACT
RNA molecules contain many chemical modifications that can regulate a variety of biological processes. Messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules are critical components in the central dogma of molecular biology. The discovery of reversible chemical modifications in eukaryotic mRNA brings forward a new research field in RNA modification-mediated regulation of gene expression. The modifications in mRNA generally exist in low abundance. The use of highly pure mRNA is critical for the confident identification of new modifications as well as for the accurate quantification of existing modifications in mRNA. In addition, isolation of highly pure mRNA is the first step in many biological research studies. Therefore, the methods for isolating highly pure mRNA are important for mRNA-based downstream studies. A variety of methods for isolating mRNA have been developed in the past few decades and new methods continuously emerge. This review focuses on the methodologies and protocols for isolating mRNA populations. In addition, we discuss the advantages and limitations of these methods. We hope this paper will provide a general view of mRNA isolation strategies and facilitate studies that involve mRNA modifications and functions.
Subject(s)
Eukaryota , Eukaryotic Cells , Gene Expression , Molecular Biology , RNA, Messenger/geneticsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the comprehensive laboratory test data of BCR-ABL1 fusion gene and JAK2 V617F mutation co-expressed in myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patients, and investigate its relative clinical significance.@*METHODS@#Data of 1 332 MPN patients were comprehensively analyzed, BCR-ABL1 (P190/P210/P230) fusion gene and JAK2 V617F mutation were detected by real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique, the CALR, MPL, JAK2 12 and 13 exon mutations were detected by the First Generation Sequencing, the bone marrow cell morphology and pathological characteristics were evaluated by bone marrow smear and biopsy technique, the immune phenotypes of bone marrow cells were evaluated by flow cytometry, the chromosome karyotypes of bone marrow cells were analyzed by chromosome G banding technique.@*RESULTS@#Four of the 1 332 patients were found to have the co-existence of BCR-ABL1 fusion gene and the JAK2 V617F mutation, with a 0.3% incidence and a median age of 70 years old, including 2 cases of polycythemia vera, 1 case of primary myelofibrosis, and 1 case of chronic myeloid leukemia-accelerated phase. The clues of double positive genes of such patients at the time of initial diagnose could not be cued only by age, physical signs and cell morphology, they should be analyzed by comprehensive test data.@*CONCLUSION@#The co-existence of BCR-ABL1 fusion gene and JAK2 V617F mutation in the same case is a kind of disease with special clinical significance. The application of multiple detection methods can improve the detection of this disease, which is conducive to early detection, reasonable diagnosis and treatment by clinicians.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics , Janus Kinase 2/genetics , Laboratories , Mutation , Myeloproliferative Disorders/genetics , Polycythemia VeraABSTRACT
As a novel technology, wearable physiological parameter monitoring technology represents the future of monitoring technology. However, there are still many problems in the application of this kind of technology. In this paper, a pilot study was conducted to evaluate the quality of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals of the wearable physiological monitoring system (SensEcho-5B). Firstly, an evaluation algorithm of ECG signal quality was developed based on template matching method, which was used for automatic and quantitative evaluation of ECG signals. The algorithm performance was tested on a randomly selected 100 h dataset of ECG signals from 100 subjects (15 healthy subjects and 85 patients with cardiovascular diseases). On this basis, 24-hour ECG data of 30 subjects (7 healthy subjects and 23 patients with cardiovascular diseases) were collected synchronously by SensEcho-5B and ECG Holter. The evaluation algorithm was used to evaluate the quality of ECG signals recorded synchronously by the two systems. Algorithm validation results: sensitivity was 100%, specificity was 99.51%, and accuracy was 99.99%. Results of controlled test of 30 subjects: the median (Q1, Q3) of ECG signal detected by SensEcho-5B with poor signal quality time was 8.93 (0.84, 32.53) minutes, and the median (Q1, Q3) of ECG signal detected by Holter with poor signal quality time was 14.75 (4.39, 35.98) minutes (Rank sum test,
Subject(s)
Humans , Algorithms , Electrocardiography , Electrocardiography, Ambulatory , Pilot Projects , Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted , Wearable Electronic DevicesABSTRACT
Objective:To study the use of perfluorobutane contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in preoperative detection of microvascular invasion (MVI), and postoperative short-term recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:Patients who underwent hepatectomy with curative intent at the Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2021 to April 2021 were prospectively enrolled into this study. Of 42 patients in this study, there were 36 males and 6 females, with age of (56.51±11.95) years old. All patients underwent preoperative perfluorobutane CEUS, and the characteristics of ultrasound, the vascular phase and Kupffer phase of perfluorobutane CEUS were recorded. Based on the pathological results, these patients were divided into the MVI and non-MVI groups. These patients underwent liver MRI once every 3 months postoperatively to diagnose tumor recurrence. According to the recurrence of HCC 6 months after operation, these patients were divided into the non-recurrence and the recurrence groups. Independent risk factors for MVI and short-term recurrence were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses.Results:Two patients had two lesions, and the remaining 40 patients had a single lesion. The pathological diagnosis of all the lesions were HCC (14 patients in the MVI group and 28 patients in the non-MVI group). The median follow-up was 6 (3, 6) months, and there were 8 patients in the recurrence group and 34 patients in the non-recurrence group. On logistic analysis, independent risk factors for MVI included the number of vessels detected on color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) ( OR=5.762, 95% CI: 1.597-20.785, P=0.007), increased tumor size by more than 10% after CEUS arterial enhancement ( OR=10.186, 95% CI: 3.647-28.447, P=0.037), and thickness of corona enhancement at Kupffer phase of greater than 5 mm ( OR=17.340, 95% CI: 6.124-49.095, P=0.040). Cox regression showed the independent risk factors for short-term recurrence to include the number of vessels in CDFI ( RR=7.519, 95% CI: 1.086-52.051, P=0.041) and thickness of corona enhancement at Kupffer phase of greater than 5 mm ( RR=10.623, 95% CI: 1.265-89.218, P=0.030). Conclusion:Preoperative perfluorobutane CEUS had potential values in detecting MVI and in predicting postoperative short-term recurrence of HCC.