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1.
Heliyon ; 10(15): e34968, 2024 Aug 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39170340

ABSTRACT

Background: The interaction between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment is of critical importance in liver cancer. Jiedu Granule formula (JDF) has been shown to minimize the risk of recurrence and metastasis following liver cancer resection. Investigating the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of JDF can extend its field of application and develop novel treatment approaches. Methods: We established a rat liver orthotopic transplantation tumor model, and recorded the prognostic effects of JDF adjuvant therapy on the recurrence and metastasis of liver cancer. Liver and lung tissues were collected for immunofluorescence staining and H&E staining, respectively. In addition, THP-1 cells were incubated with PMA and IL-4 to induce them to differentiate into M2 macrophages. CSF-1 expression was knocked down using lentivirus to determine the function of CSF-1. Liver cancer cells were cultured with a conditioned medium (CM) or co-cultured with macrophages. Cell viability was determined using the MTT assay. The levels of CSF-1, CSF-1R, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, PI3K, AKT, and cleaved caspase-3 were detected using ELISA, Western blotting and qPCR. The ability of cells to migrate was assessed using cell scratch and transwell assays. Apoptosis was evaluated using flow cytometry. Results: The JDF treatment decreased the risk of liver cancer metastasis after surgery and the infiltration of CD206/CD68 cells in liver cancer tissue. In cell experiments, JDF showed effects in suppressing M2 macrophages activity and downregulating the expression of CSF-1 and CSF-1R. The concentration of CSF-1 in the supernatant was also lower in the JDF-treated group. Futhermore, M2-CM was found to promote cancer cell migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT); however, these effects were weakened after administering JDF. Knocking down endogenous CSF-1 in M2 macrophages resulted in a comparable suppression of cancer cell migration and EMT. Additionally, JDF treatment inhibited activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway, thus promoting the apoptosis of M2 macrophages. Conclusions: Treatment with JDF reduced the EMT and migratory capacity of liver cancer cells, which might be attributed to the inhibition of M2 macrophage infiltration and interruption of the CSF-1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. This mechanism may hold significant implications for mitigating the risk of metastatic spread in the aftermath of hepatic surgery.

2.
Chem Commun (Camb) ; 2024 Aug 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39176439

ABSTRACT

An AND logic gate-based Hg2+ ion colorimetric assay was constructed using the plasmonic and nanozyme dual signal channels of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). This assay increased the judgment criteria for the identification of Hg2+ ions and effectively improved the accuracy of Hg2+ ion detection.

3.
J Virol ; 98(8): e0032724, 2024 Aug 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39082785

ABSTRACT

African swine fever (ASF), caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), is a highly infectious disease afflicting domestic pigs and wild boars. It exhibits an alarming acute infection fatality rate of up to 100%. Regrettably, no commercial vaccines or specific drugs for combating this disease are currently available. This study evaluated the anti-ASFV activities in porcine alveolar macrophages, 3D4/21 cells, and PK-15 cells of four bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BBAs): cepharanthine (CEP), tetrandrine, fangchinoline, and iso-tetrandrine. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CEP, which exhibited the highest selectivity index (SI = 81.31), alkalized late endosomes/lysosomes, hindered ASFV endosomal transport, disrupted virus uncoating signals, and thereby inhibited ASFV internalization. Additionally, CEP disrupted ASFV DNA synthesis, leading to the inhibition of viral replication. Moreover, berbamine was labeled with NBD to synthesize a fluorescent probe to study the cellular location of these BBAs. By co-staining with Lyso-Tracker and lysosome-associated membrane protein 1, we demonstrated that BBAs target the endolysosomal compartments for the first time. Our data together indicated that BBAs are a class of natural products with significant inhibitory effects against ASFV infection. These findings suggest their potential efficacy as agents for the prevention and control of ASF, offering valuable references for the identification of potential drug targets.IMPORTANCEThe urgency and severity of African swine fever (ASF) underscore the critical need for effective interventions against this highly infectious disease, which poses a grave threat to domestic pigs and wild boars. Our study reveals the potent anti-African swine fever virus (ASFV) efficacy of bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BBAs), particularly evident in the absence of progeny virus production under a 5 µM concentration treatment. The structural similarity among cepharanthine, tetrandrine, fangchinoline, and iso-tetrandrine, coupled with their analogous inhibitory stages and comparable selectivity indexes, strongly suggests a shared antiviral mechanism within this drug category. Further investigation revealed that BBAs localize to lysosomes and inhibit the internalization and replication of ASFV by disrupting the endosomal/lysosomal function. These collective results have profound implications for ASF prevention and control, suggesting the potential of the investigated agents as prophylactic and therapeutic measures. Furthermore, our study offers crucial insights into identifying drug targets and laying the groundwork for innovative interventions.


Subject(s)
African Swine Fever Virus , Antiviral Agents , Benzylisoquinolines , Endosomes , Lysosomes , Virus Internalization , Virus Replication , Animals , African Swine Fever Virus/drug effects , African Swine Fever Virus/physiology , Virus Internalization/drug effects , Benzylisoquinolines/pharmacology , Virus Replication/drug effects , Lysosomes/drug effects , Lysosomes/metabolism , Lysosomes/virology , Swine , Endosomes/metabolism , Endosomes/drug effects , Endosomes/virology , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Cell Line , African Swine Fever/virology , African Swine Fever/drug therapy , African Swine Fever/metabolism , Guanine/analogs & derivatives , Guanine/pharmacology , Alkaloids/pharmacology , Macrophages, Alveolar/virology , Macrophages, Alveolar/drug effects , Benzodioxoles
4.
Heliyon ; 10(11): e31860, 2024 Jun 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38841509

ABSTRACT

Background: Constipation is one of the chronic gastrointestinal functional diseases that affects the quality of life. While Qi Lang Formula (QLF) has demonstrated effectiveness in alleviating constipation symptoms, its precise mechanism remains elusive. Methods: QLF was analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS. Targets for QLF were collected from SwissADME, Herb, ITCM databases, and constipation-related targets from scRNA-seq and Genecards databases. Overlapping targets suggested potential QLF therapy targets for constipation. Enrichment analysis used the KOBAS database. A "drug-ingredient-target" network was constructed with Cytoscape, and AutoDock verified active ingredient binding. H&E staining assessed colonic mucosa changes, TEM examined ICC structural changes. ELISA measured neurotransmitter levels, and Western blot verified QLF's effect on target proteins. ICC proliferation was observed through immunofluorescence. Results: We identified 89 targets of QLF associated with ICC-related constipation, with c-Kit emerging as the pivotal target. Molecular docking studies revealed that Atractylenolide Ⅲ, Apigenin, Formononetin, Isorhamnetin, Naringenin, and Ononin exhibited strong binding affinities for the c-Kit structural domain. QLF significantly enhanced first stool passage time, fecal frequency, fecal moisture content, and intestinal propulsion rate. Further analysis unveiled that QLF not only restored neurotransmitter levels but also mitigated colon muscular fiber ruptures. ICC ultrastructure exhibited partial recovery, while Western blot confirmed upregulated c-Kit expression and downstream targets. Immunofluorescence results indicated ICC proliferation post QLF treatment in rat colon. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that QLF may promote ICC proliferation by targeting SCF/c-Kit and its downstream signaling pathway, thereby regulating intestinal motility.

5.
Curr Pharm Des ; 30(12): 935-951, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38898815

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Colon cancer is a common tumor in the gastrointestinal tract with a poor prognosis. According to research reports, ubiquitin-dependent modification systems have been found to play a crucial role in the development and advancement of different types of malignant tumors, including colon cancer. However, further investigation is required to fully understand the mechanism of ubiquitination in colon cancer. METHODS: We collected the RNA expression matrix of the E3 ubiquitin ligase-related genes (E3RGs) from the patients with colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) using The Cancer Genome Atlas program (TCGA). The "limma" package was used to obtain differentially expressed E3RGs between COAD and adjacent normal tissues. Then, univariate COX regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis were performed to construct the prognostic signature and nomogram model. Afterward, we used the original copy number variation data of COAD to find potential somatic mutation and employed the "pRRophetic" package to investigate the disparity in the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs between high and low-risk groups. The RT-qPCR was also implied to detect mRNA expression levels in tumor tissues. RESULTS: A total of 137 differentially expressed E3RG3 were screened and 11 genes (CORO2B, KCTD9, RNF32, BACH2, RBCK1, DPH7, WDR78, UCHL1, TRIM58, WDR72, and ZBTB18) were identified for the construction of prognostic signatures. The Kaplan-Meier curve showed a worse prognosis for patients with high risk both in the training and test cohorts (P = 1.037e-05, P = 5.704e-03), and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.728 and 0.892 in the training and test cohorts, respectively. Based on the stratified analysis, this 11- E3RGs signature was a novel and attractive prognostic model independent of several clinicopathological parameters (age, sex, stage, TNM) in COAD. The DEGs were subjected to GO and KEGG analysis, which identified pathways associated with cancer progression. These pathways included the cAMP signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, signaling pathways regulating stem cell pluripotency, and proteoglycans in cancer. Additionally, immune infiltration analysis revealed significant differences in the infiltration of macrophages M0, T cells follicular helper, and plasma cells between the two groups. CONCLUSION: We developed a novel independent risk model consisting of 11 E3RGs and verified the effectiveness of this model in test cohorts, providing important insights into survival prediction in COAD and several promising targets for COAD therapy.


Subject(s)
Colonic Neoplasms , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases , Humans , Colonic Neoplasms/genetics , Colonic Neoplasms/pathology , Prognosis , Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics , Female , Male , Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , Middle Aged
6.
J Speech Lang Hear Res ; 67(7): 2269-2282, 2024 Jul 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38924392

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We examined the neurocognitive bases of lexical morphology in children of varied reading abilities to understand the role of meaning-based skills in learning to read with dyslexia. METHOD: Children completed auditory morphological and phonological awareness tasks during functional near-infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging. We first examined the relation between lexical morphology and phonological processes in typically developing readers (Study 1, N = 66, Mage = 8.39), followed by a more focal inquiry into lexical morphology processes in dyslexia (Study 2, N = 50, Mage = 8.62). RESULTS: Typical readers exhibited stronger engagement of language neurocircuitry during the morphology task relative to the phonology task, suggesting that morphological analyses involve synthesizing multiple components of sublexical processing. This effect was stronger for more analytically complex derivational affixes (like + ly) than more semantically transparent free base morphemes (snow + man). In contrast, children with dyslexia exhibited stronger activation during the free base condition relative to derivational affix condition. Taken together, the findings suggest that although children with dyslexia may struggle with derivational morphology, they may also use free base morphemes' semantic information to boost word recognition. CONCLUSION: This study informs literacy theories by identifying an interaction between reading ability, word structure, and how the developing brain learns to recognize words in speech and print. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25944949.


Subject(s)
Dyslexia , Phonetics , Reading , Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared , Humans , Dyslexia/diagnostic imaging , Dyslexia/psychology , Dyslexia/physiopathology , Child , Male , Female , Learning , Brain/diagnostic imaging , Brain/physiopathology , Semantics , Functional Neuroimaging
7.
Neuroimage ; 291: 120592, 2024 May 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38548037

ABSTRACT

The growing trend of bilingual education between Chinese and English has contributed to a rise in the number of early bilingual children, who were exposed to L2 prior to formal language instruction of L1. The L2-L1 transfer effect in an L1-dominant environment has been well established. However, the threshold of L2 proficiency at which such transfer manifests remains unclear. This study investigated the behavioral and neural processes involved when manipulating phonemes in an auditory phonological task to uncover the transfer effect in young bilingual children. Sixty-two first graders from elementary schools in Taiwan were recruited in this study (29 Chinese monolinguals, 33 Chinese-English bilinguals). The brain activity was measured using fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy). Bilingual children showed right lateralization to process Chinese and left lateralization to process English, which supports more on the accommodation effect within the framework of the assimilation-accommodation hypothesis. Also, compared to monolinguals, bilingual children showed more bilateral frontal activation in Chinese, potentially reflecting a mixed influence from L2-L1 transfer effects and increased cognitive load of bilingual exposure. These results elucidate the developmental adjustments in the neural substrates associated with early bilingual exposure in phonological processing, offering valuable insights into the bilingual learning process.


Subject(s)
Multilingualism , Child , Humans , Linguistics , China
8.
Bioresour Technol ; 399: 130627, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38522677

ABSTRACT

Overexpression of a gene with unknown function in Kluyveromyces marxianus markedly improved tolerance to lignocellulosic biomass-derived inhibitors. This overexpression also enhanced tolerance to elevated temperatures, ethanol, and high concentrations of NaCl and glucose. Inhibitor degradation and transcriptome analyses related this K. marxianusMultiple Stress Resistance (KmMSR) gene to the robustness of yeast cells. Nuclear localization and DNA-binding domain analyses indicate that KmMsr is a putative transcriptional regulator. Overexpression of a mutant protein with deletion in the flexible region between amino acids 100 and 150 further enhanced tolerance to multiple inhibitors during fermentation, with ethanol production and productivity increasing by 36.31 % and 80.22 %, respectively. In simultaneous saccharification co-fermentation of corncob without detoxification, expression of KmMSR with the deleted flexible region improved ethanol production by 5-fold at 42 °C and 2-fold at 37 °C. Overexpression of the KmMSR mutant provides a strategy for constructing robust lignocellulosic biomass using strains.


Subject(s)
Kluyveromyces , Zea mays , Zea mays/metabolism , Fermentation , Kluyveromyces/genetics , Kluyveromyces/metabolism , Ethanol/metabolism
9.
J Med Chem ; 67(5): 3504-3519, 2024 Mar 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38377311

ABSTRACT

Photopharmacology is an emerging approach for achieving light-controlled drug activity. Herein, we design and synthesize a novel series of photoswitchable PI3K inhibitors by replacing a sulfonamide moiety with an azo group in a 4-methylquinazoline-based scaffold. Through structure-activity relationship studies, compound 6g is identified to be effectively switched between its trans- and cis-configuration under irradiation with proper wavelengths. Molecular docking studies show the cis-isomer of 6g is favorable to bind to the PI3K target, supporting compound 6g in the PSS365 (cis-isomer enriched) was more potent than that in the PSSdark (trans-isomer dominated) in PI3K enzymatic assay, cell antiproliferative assay, Western blotting analysis on PI3K downstream effectors, cell cycle analysis, colony formation assay, and wound-healing assay. Relative to the cis-isomer, the trans-isomer is more metabolically stable and shows good pharmacokinetic properties in mice. Moreover, compound 6g inhibits tumor growth in nude mice and a zebrafish HGC-27 xenograft model.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , Neoplasms , Humans , Animals , Mice , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism , Molecular Docking Simulation , Mice, Nude , Zebrafish/metabolism , Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Structure-Activity Relationship , Cell Proliferation , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
10.
Chem Commun (Camb) ; 60(20): 2808-2811, 2024 Mar 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38362798

ABSTRACT

A rapid and highly selective naked-eye detection of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in an aqueous medium was established using HCl-triggered redispersion of gold nanoparticle aggregates.

11.
Eur J Med Chem ; 264: 116015, 2024 Jan 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38048697

ABSTRACT

Simultaneous inhibition of PI3K and HDAC has shown promise for treating various cancers, leading to discovery and development of their dual inhibitors as novel anticancer agents. Herein, we disclose a new series of PI3K/HDAC dual inhibitors bearing a benzamide moiety as the pharmacophore of HDAC inhibition. Based on systematic structure-activity relationship study, compounds 36 and 51 featuring an alkyl and benzoyl linker respectively were identified with favorable potencies against both PI3K and HDAC. In cellular assays, compounds 36 and 51 showed significantly enhanced antiproliferative activities against various cancer cell lines relative to single-target inhibitors. Furthermore, western blotting analysis shows compounds 36 and 51 suppressed AKT phosphorylation and increased H3 acetylation in MV4-11 cells, while flow cytometry analysis reveals both compounds dose-dependently induced cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis. Supported by pharmacokinetic studies, compounds 36 and 51 were subjected to the in vivo evaluation in a MV4-11 xenograft model, demonstrating significant and dose-dependent anticancer efficacies. Overall, this work provides a promising approach for the treatment of AML by simultaneously inhibiting PI3K and HDAC with a dual inhibitor.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute , Humans , Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/chemistry , Cell Line, Tumor , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism , Cell Proliferation , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Structure-Activity Relationship , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy , Zinc/pharmacology , Apoptosis
12.
mBio ; 14(5): e0164523, 2023 Oct 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37772878

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: Sliding clamp is a highly conserved protein in the evolution of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The sliding clamp is required for genomic replication as a critical co-factor of DNA polymerases. However, the sliding clamp analogs in viruses remain largely unknown. We found that the ASFV E301R protein (pE301R) exhibited a sliding clamp-like structure and similar functions during ASFV replication. Interestingly, pE301R is assembled into a unique ring-shaped homotetramer distinct from sliding clamps or proliferating cell nuclear antigens (PCNAs) from other species. Notably, the E301R gene is required for viral life cycle, but the pE301R function can be partially restored by the porcine PCNA. This study not only highlights the functional role of the ASFV pE301R as a viral sliding clamp analog, but also facilitates the dissection of the complex replication mechanism of ASFV, which provides novel clues for developing antivirals against ASF.


Subject(s)
African Swine Fever Virus , Swine , Animals , African Swine Fever Virus/genetics , Virus Replication , DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase , Eukaryotic Cells
13.
J Virol ; 97(10): e0082423, 2023 10 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37724880

ABSTRACT

IMPORTANCE: African swine fever (ASF) is an acute, hemorrhagic, and severe porcine infectious disease caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). ASF outbreaks severely threaten the global pig industries and result in serious economic losses. No safe and efficacious commercial vaccine is currently available except in Vietnam. To date, large gaps in the knowledge concerning viral biological characteristics and immunoevasion strategies have hindered the ASF vaccine design. In this study, we demonstrate that pD129L negatively regulates the type I interferon (IFN) signaling pathway by interfering with the interaction of the transcriptional coactivator p300 and IRF3, thereby inhibiting the induction of type I IFNs. This study reveals a novel immunoevasion strategy employed by ASFV, shedding new light on the intricate mechanisms for ASFV to evade the host immune responses.


Subject(s)
African Swine Fever Virus , African Swine Fever , E1A-Associated p300 Protein , Interferon Regulatory Factor-3 , Interferon Type I , Animals , African Swine Fever/virology , Interferon Type I/metabolism , Interferon-beta/metabolism , Swine , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Vaccines/metabolism , E1A-Associated p300 Protein/metabolism , Interferon Regulatory Factor-3/metabolism , Immune Evasion
14.
Bioorg Chem ; 140: 106814, 2023 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37657197

ABSTRACT

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling is among the most common alterations in cancer and has become a key target for cancer drug development. Based on a 4-methyl quinazoline scaffold, we designed and synthesized a novel series of bivalent PI3K inhibitors with different linker lengths and types. Bivalent PI3K inhibitor 27 demonstrates improved PI3K potency and antiproliferative cell activity, relative to the corresponding monovalent inhibitor 11. Compound 27 also significantly blocks the PI3K signal pathway, induces cell cycle arrest in G1 phase, and inhibits colony formation and cell migration. Furthermore, compound 27 shows dose-dependent anticancer efficacies in a HGC-27 xenograft mice model. Overall, this work provides a possible strategy to discover novel PI3K inhibitors for the treatment of cancers.


Subject(s)
Neoplasms , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases , Humans , Animals , Mice , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase , Cell Movement , Disease Models, Animal , Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
15.
ACS Med Chem Lett ; 14(8): 1100-1107, 2023 Aug 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37583818

ABSTRACT

A novel photocaged PI3K inhibitor 2 was designed and synthesized by introducing a cascade photocaging group to block its key interaction with the kinase. Upon UV light irradiation, the photocaged compound released a highly potent PI3K inhibitor to recover its anticancer properties and a fluorescent dye for real-time reporting of drug release, providing a new approach for studying the PI3K signaling transduction pathway as well as developing precisely controlled cancer therapeutics.

16.
FEBS J ; 290(22): 5353-5372, 2023 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37528513

ABSTRACT

We previously identified glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) as one of the cyclic adenosine diphosphoribose (cADPR)'s binding proteins and found that GAPDH participates in cADPR-mediated Ca2+ release from endoplasmic reticulum via ryanodine receptors (RyRs). Here, we aimed to chemically synthesise and pharmacologically characterise novel cADPR analogues. Based on the simulated cADPR-GAPDH complex structure, we performed the structure-based drug screening, identified several small chemicals with high docking scores to cADPR's binding pocket in GAPDH and showed that two of these compounds, C244 and C346, are potential cADPR antagonists. We further synthesised several analogues of C346 and found that its analogue, G42, also mobilised Ca2+ release from lysosomes. G42 alkalised lysosomal pH and inhibited autophagosome-lysosome fusion. Moreover, G42 markedly inhibited Zika virus (ZIKV, a flavivirus) or murine hepatitis virus (MHV, a ß-coronavirus) infections of host cells. These results suggest that G42 inhibits virus infection, likely by triggering lysosomal Ca2+ mobilisation and inhibiting autophagy.


Subject(s)
Zika Virus Infection , Zika Virus , Animals , Mice , Humans , Calcium/metabolism , Cyclic ADP-Ribose/metabolism , Zika Virus/metabolism , Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel/genetics , Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel/metabolism , Autophagy , Lysosomes/metabolism , Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose/metabolism
17.
Hum Brain Mapp ; 44(13): 4812-4829, 2023 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37483170

ABSTRACT

Over the course of literacy development, children learn to recognize word sounds and meanings in print. Yet, they do so differently across alphabetic and character-based orthographies such as English and Chinese. To uncover cross-linguistic influences on children's literacy, we asked young Chinese-English simultaneous bilinguals and English monolinguals (N = 119, ages 5-10) to complete phonological and morphological awareness (MA) literacy tasks. Children completed the tasks in the auditory modality in each of their languages during functional near-infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging. Cross-linguistically, comparisons between bilinguals' two languages revealed that the task that was more central to reading in a given orthography, such as phonological awareness (PA) in English and MA in Chinese, elicited less activation in the left inferior frontal and parietal regions. Group comparisons between bilinguals and monolinguals in English, their shared language of academic instruction, revealed that the left inferior frontal was less active during phonology but more active during morphology in bilinguals relative to monolinguals. MA skills are generally considered to have greater language specificity than PA skills. Bilingual literacy training in a skill that is maximally similar across languages, such as PA, may therefore yield greater automaticity for this skill, as reflected in the lower activation in bilinguals relative to monolinguals. This interpretation is supported by negative correlations between proficiency and brain activation. Together, these findings suggest that both the structural characteristics and literacy experiences with a given language can exert specific influences on bilingual and monolingual children's emerging brain networks for learning to read.


Subject(s)
Literacy , Multilingualism , Child , Humans , Linguistics , Neuroimaging
18.
Neurobiol Lang (Camb) ; 4(2): 198-220, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37229508

ABSTRACT

Diversity and variation in language experiences, such as bilingualism, contribute to heterogeneity in children's neural organization for language and brain development. To uncover sources of such heterogeneity in children's neural language networks, the present study examined the effects of bilingual proficiency on children's neural organization for language function. To do so, we took an innovative person-specific analytical approach to investigate young Chinese-English and Spanish-English bilingual learners of structurally distinct languages. Bilingual and English monolingual children (N = 152, M(SD)age = 7.71(1.32)) completed an English word recognition task during functional near-infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging, along with language and literacy tasks in each of their languages. Two key findings emerged. First, bilinguals' heritage language proficiency (Chinese or Spanish) made a unique contribution to children's language network density. Second, the findings reveal common and unique patterns in children's patterns of task-related functional connectivity. Common across all participants were short-distance neural connections within left hemisphere regions associated with semantic processes (within middle temporal and frontal regions). Unique to more proficient language users were additional long-distance connections between frontal, temporal, and bilateral regions within the broader language network. The study informs neurodevelopmental theories of language by revealing the effects of heterogeneity in language proficiency and experiences on the structure and quality of emerging language neural networks in linguistically diverse learners.

19.
Biling (Camb Engl) ; 26(2): 268-283, 2023 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37063520

ABSTRACT

Words' morphemic structure and their orthographic representations vary across languages. How do bilingual experiences with structurally distinct languages influence children's morphological processes for word reading? Focusing on English literacy in monolinguals and bilinguals (N = 350, ages 5-9), we first revealed unique contributions of derivational ( friend-li-est) and compound (girl-friend) morphology to early word reading. We then examined mechanisms of bilingual transfer in matched samples of Spanish-English and Chinese-English dual first language learners. Results revealed a principled cross-linguistic interaction between language group (Spanish vs. Chinese bilinguals) and type of morphological awareness. Specifically, bilinguals' proficiency with the type of morphology that was less characteristic of their home language explained greater variance in their English literacy. These findings showcase the powerful effects of bilingualism on word reading processes in children who have similar reading proficiency but different language experiences, thereby advancing theoretical perspectives on literacy across diverse learners.

20.
BMC Cancer ; 23(1): 204, 2023 Mar 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36869328

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic colorectal surgery has been proved to have similar oncological outcomes with open surgery. Due to the lack of tactile perception, surgeons may have misjudgments in laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Therefore, the accurate localization of a tumor before surgery is important, especially in the early stages of cancer. Autologous blood was thought a feasible and safe tattooing agent for preoperative endoscopic localization but its benefits remain controversial. We therefore proposed this randomized trial to the accuracy and safety of autogenous blood localization in small, serosa-negative lesion which will be resected by laparoscopic colectomy. METHODS: The current study is a single-center, open-label, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants would be aged 18-80 years and diagnosed with large lateral spreading tumors that could not be treated endoscopically, malignant polyps treated endoscopically that required additional colorectal resection, and serosa-negative malignant colorectal tumors (≤ cT3). A total of 220 patients would be randomly assigned (1:1) to autologous blood group or intraoperative colonoscopy group. The primary outcome is the localization accuracy. The secondary endpoint is adverse events related to endoscopic tattooing. DISCUSSION: This trial will investigate whether autologous blood marker achieves similar localization accuracy and safety in laparoscopic colorectal surgery compared to intraoperative colonoscopy. If our research hypothesis is statistically proved, the rational introduction of autologous blood tattooing in preoperative colonoscopy can help improve identification of the location of tumors for laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery, performing an optimal resection, and minimizing unnecessary resections of normal tissues, thereby improving the patient's quality of life. Our research data will also provide high quality clinical evidence and data support for the conduction of multicenter phase III clinical trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05597384. Registered 28 October 2022.


Subject(s)
Colonic Neoplasms , Laparoscopy , Humans , Quality of Life , Colonoscopy , Colectomy
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