LINC00115 aggravates thyroid cancer progression by targeting miR-489-3p, which downregulates EVA1A to regulate the Hippo signaling pathway.

LINC00115 has been documented to regulate many different cancers; however, its function in thyroid cancer (THCA) remains unexplored. Therefore, we examined the effects of LINC00115 on THCA and the associated molecular mechanisms. In THCA cell lines and tumor samples, the expression levels of LINC00115, miR-489-3p, and EVA1A were analyzed by qRT-PCR along with respective controls. Cell viability, migration, and apoptosis were analyzed by employing CCK-8, transwell, and western blotting assays, respectively. Xenograft experiments were done to assess in vivo tumor growth. The interaction among LINC00115, miR-489-3p, and EVA1A was tested using RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays. Key proteins of the Hippo signaling pathway were ascertained by western blotting. The outcomes elucidated that LINC00115 was overexpressed in THCA cell lines and tumor tissues. LIN00115 knockdown reduced in vitro proliferation and migration but facilitated apoptosis in THCA cells and inhibited in vivo tumor growth. The target of LINC00115 was miR-489-3p, which binds to EVA1A in THCA. Functional assays revealed that miR-489-3p inhibition boosted THCA cell proliferation and migration, but hindered apoptosis. However, EVA1A knockdown resulted in the opposite effects via the Hippo signaling pathway. Additionally, miR-489-3p inhibition partially negated the effects of LINC00115 knockdown in THCA cells, and EVA1A knockdown remarkably impeded the effects of miR-489-3p inhibition in THCA cells. Thus, LINC00115 knockdown suppressed THCA carcinogenesis via targeting miR-489-3p, which regulates EVA1A expression and affects the Hippo signaling pathway.

Regulation of TMEM100 expression by epigenetic modification, effects on proliferation and invasion of esophageal squamous carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a prevalent malignancy with a high morbidity and mortality rate. TMEM100 has been shown to be suppressor gene in a variety of tumors, but there are no reports on the role of TMEM100 in esophageal cancer (EC). AIM: To investigate epigenetic regulation of TMEM100 expression in ESCC and the effect of TMEM100 on ESCC proliferation and invasion. METHODS: Firstly, we found the expression of TMEM100 in EC through The Cancer Genome Atlas database. The correlation between TMEM100 gene expression and the survival of patients with EC was further confirmed through Kaplan-Meier analysis. We then added the demethylating agent 5-AZA to ESCC cell lines to explore the regulation of TMEM100 expression by epigenetic modification. To observe the effect of TMEM100 expression on tumor proliferation and invasion by overexpressing TMEM100. Finally, we performed gene set enrichment analysis using the Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes Orthology-Based Annotation System database to look for pathways that might be affected by TMEM100 and verified the effect of TMEM100 expression on the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway. RESULTS: In the present study, by bioinformatic analysis we found that TMEM100 was lowly expressed in EC patients compared to normal subjects. Kaplan-meier survival analysis showed that low expression of TMEM100 was associated with poor prognosis in patients with EC. Then, we found that the demethylating agent 5-AZA resulted in increased expression of TMEM100 in ESCC cells [quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blotting]. Subsequently, we confirmed that overexpression of TMEM100 leads to its increased expression in ESCC cells (qRT-PCR and western blotting). Overexpression of TMEM100 also inhibited proliferation, invasion and migration of ESCC cells (cell counting kit-8 and clone formation assays). Next, by enrichment analysis, we found that the gene set was significantly enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway. The involvement of TMEM100 in the regulation of MAPK signaling pathway in ESCC cell was subsequently verified by western blotting. CONCLUSION: TMEM100 is a suppressor gene in ESCC, and its low expression may lead to aberrant activation of the MAPK pathway. Promoter methylation may play a key role in regulating TMEM100 expression.

Molecular Prevalence, Genetic Diversity, and Tissue Tropism of Bartonella Species in Small Mammals from Yunnan Province, China.

Bartonella is an intracellular parasitic zoonotic pathogen that can infect animals and cause a variety of human diseases. This study investigates Bartonella prevalence in small mammals in Yunnan Province, China, focusing on tissue tropism. A total of 333 small mammals were sampled from thirteen species, three orders, four families, and four genera in Heqing and Gongshan Counties. Conventional PCR and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) were utilized for detection and quantification, followed by bioinformatic analysis of obtained DNA sequences. Results show a 31.5% detection rate, varying across species. Notably, Apodemus chevrieri, Eothenomys eleusis, Niviventer fulvescens, Rattus tanezumi, Episoriculus leucops, Anourosorex squamipes, and Ochotona Thibetana exhibited infection rates of 44.4%, 27.7%, 100.0%, 6.3%, 60.0%, 23.5%, and 22.2%, respectively. Genetic analysis identified thirty, ten, and five strains based on ssrA, rpoB, and gltA genes, with nucleotide identities ranging from 92.1% to 100.0%. Bartonella strains were assigned to B. grahamii, B. rochalimae, B. sendai, B. koshimizu, B. phoceensis, B. taylorii, and a new species identified in Episoriculus leucops (GS136). Analysis of the different tissues naturally infected by Bartonella species revealed varied copy numbers across different tissues, with the highest load in spleen tissue. These findings underscore Bartonella's diverse species and host range in Yunnan Province, highlighting the presence of extensive tissue tropism in Bartonella species naturally infecting small mammalian tissues.

Novel insights into the kinetics and mechanism of arsenopyrite bio-dissolution enhanced by pyrite.

Arsenopyrite and pyrite often coexist in metal deposits and tailings, thus simultaneous bioleaching of both sulfides has economic (as well as environmental) significance. Important targets in bio-oxidation operations are high solubilization rates and minimized accumulation of Fe(III)/As-bearing secondary products. This study investigated the role of pyrite bioleaching in the enhancement of arsenopyrite dissolution. At a pyrite to arsenopyrite mass ratio of 1:1, 93.6% of As and 93.0% of Fe were solubilized. The results show that pyrite bio-oxidation can promote arsenopyrite dissolution, enhance S0 bio-oxidation, and inhibit the formation of jarosites, tooeleite, and amorphous ferric arsenate. The dry weight of the pyrite & arsenopyrite residue was reduced by 95.1% after bioleaching, compared to the initial load, while only 5% weight loss was observed when pyrite was absent. A biofilm was formed on the arsenopyrite surface in the presence of pyrite, while a dense passivation layer was observed in the absence of pyrite. As(III) (as As2O3) was a dominant As species in the pyrite & arsenopyrite residue. Novel and detailed findings are presented on arsenopyrite bio-dissolution in the presence of pyrite, and the presented approach could contribute to the development of novel cost-effective extractive bioprocesses. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: The oxidation of arsenopyrite presents significant environmental hazards, as it can contribute to acid mine drainage generation and arsenic mobilization from sulfidic mine wastes. Bioleaching is a proven cost-effective and environmentally friendly extractive technology, which has been applied for decades in metal recovery from minerals or tailings. In this work, efficient extraction of arsenic from arsenopyrite bioleaching was presented through coupling the process with bio-oxidation of pyrite, resulting in lowered accumulation of hazardous and metastable Fe(III)/As-bearing secondary phases. The results could help improve current biomining operations and/or contribute to the development of novel cost-effective bioprocesses for metal extraction.

Exploring Imaging Genetic Markers of Alzheimer's Disease Based on a Novel Nonlinear Correlation Analysis Algorithm.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurological disorder characterized by insidious onset. Identifying potential markers in its emergence and progression is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment. Imaging genetics typically merges genetic variables with multiple imaging parameters, employing various association analysis algorithms to investigate the links between pathological phenotypes and genetic variations, and to unearth molecular-level insights from brain images. However, most existing imaging genetics algorithms based on sparse learning assume a linear relationship between genetic factors and brain functions, limiting their ability to discern complex nonlinear correlation patterns and resulting in reduced accuracy. To address these issues, we propose a novel nonlinear imaging genetic association analysis method, Deep Self-Reconstruction-based Adaptive Sparse Multi-view Deep Generalized Canonical Correlation Analysis (DSR-AdaSMDGCCA). This approach facilitates joint learning of the nonlinear relationships between pathological phenotypes and genetic variations by integrating three different types of data: structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and gene expression data. By incorporating nonlinear transformations in DGCCA, our model effectively uncovers nonlinear associations across multiple data types. Additionally, the DSR algorithm clusters samples with identical labels, incorporating label information into the nonlinear feature extraction process and thus enhancing the performance of association analysis. The application of the DSR-AdaSMDGCCA algorithm on real data sets identified several AD risk regions (such as the hippocampus, parahippocampus, and fusiform gyrus) and risk genes (including VSIG4, NEDD4L, and PINK1), achieving maximum classification accuracy with the fewest selected features compared to baseline algorithms. Molecular biology enrichment analysis revealed that the pathways enriched by these top genes are intimately linked to AD progression, affirming that our algorithm not only improves correlation analysis performance but also identifies biologically significant markers.

Identifying effective vaccine champions: Findings from a national survey of primary care professionals.

BACKGROUND: Vaccine champions are common in primary care, but little is known about which champions are effective. METHODS: In 2022, we surveyed 2,144 US primary care professionals (PCPs) who reported working with vaccine champions. Respondents rated the champion with whom they worked most closely on their effectiveness at improving vaccination rates. RESULTS: About half (49 %) of PCPs perceived their closest champion as highly effective. PCPs perceived advanced practice providers and nursing staff as highly effective somewhat more often than physicians (52 % and 58 % vs 43 %, p <.001). Other correlates of perceived effectiveness included being a formally appointed versus informal champion, working extremely versus less closely with PCPs, and using a high (4-5) versus low (0-1) number of implementation strategies to improve vaccination rates (all p <.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest vaccine champions may benefit from having formal roles and opportunities to work closely with colleagues to improve vaccination rates using multiple strategies.

Enhancing Carrier Transport in 2D/3D Perovskite Heterostructures through Organic Cation Fluorination.

The interfacial 2D/3D perovskite heterostructures have attracted extensive attention due to their unique ability to combine the high stability of 2D perovskites with the remarkable efficiency of 3D perovskites. However, the carrier transport mechanism within the 2D/3D perovskite heterostructures remains unclear. In this study, the carrier transport dynamics in 2D/3D perovskite heterostructures through a variety of time-resolved spectroscopic measurements is systematically investigated. Time-resolved photoluminescence results reveal nanosecond hole transfer from the 3D to 2D perovskites, with enhanced efficiency through the introduction of fluorine atoms on the phenethylammonium (PEA) cation. Transient absorption measurements unveil the ultrafast picosecond electron and energy transfer from 2D to 3D perovskites. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the positioning of fluorination on the PEA cations effectively regulates the efficiency of charge and energy transfer within the heterostructures. These insightful findings shed light on the underlying carrier transport mechanism and underscore the critical role of cation fluorination in optimizing carrier transport within 2D/3D perovskite heterostructure-based devices.

Plasmodium yoelii surface-related antigen (PySRA) modulates the host pro-inflammatory responses via binding to CD68 on macrophage membrane.

Malaria, one of the major infectious diseases in the world, is caused by the Plasmodium parasite. Plasmodium antigens could modulate the inflammatory response by binding to macrophage membrane receptors. As an export protein on the infected erythrocyte membrane, Plasmodium surface-related antigen (SRA) participates in the erythrocyte invasion and regulates the immune response of the host. This study found that the F2 segment of P. yoelii SRA activated downstream MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways by binding to CD68 on the surface of the macrophage membrane and regulating the inflammatory response. The anti-PySRA-F2 antibody can protect mice against P. yoelii, and the pro-inflammatory responses such as IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-6 after infection with P. yoelii are attenuated. These findings will be helpful for understanding the involvement of the pathogenic mechanism of malaria with the exported protein SRA.

Policy Approaches for Increasing Adolescent HPV Vaccination Coverage: A Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: US jurisdictions have enacted a wide range of policies to address low human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage among adolescents, but it is unclear which policies are effective. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the impact of governmental policies on adolescent HPV vaccination coverage. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases. STUDY SELECTION: Eligible studies, published from 2009 to 2022, evaluated the impact of governmental policies on HPV vaccination coverage among adolescents ages 9 to 18. DATA EXTRACTION: Two investigators independently extracted data on study sample, study design and quality, policy characteristics, and HPV vaccination outcomes. We summarized findings by policy type: school-entry requirements (SERs), federally-funded policies related to the Vaccines for Children program and Medicaid, educational requirements, and others. RESULTS: Our search yielded 36 eligible studies. A majority of studies evaluating HPV vaccine SERs found positive associations between SERs and HPV vaccination coverage (8 of 14), particularly for SERs in Rhode Island and Washington, DC. All studies evaluating SERs for other adolescent vaccines observed positive spillover effects for HPV vaccination (7 of 7). Federally-funded policies related to Vaccines for Children and Medicaid were consistently associated with higher HPV vaccination coverage (7 of 9). Relatively few studies found associations between educational requirements and HPV vaccination coverage (2 of 8). LIMITATIONS: Studies used limited vaccination data sources and non- or quasi-experimental designs. Some studies had no or poorly matched comparison groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest promise for SERs and federally-funded policies, but not educational requirements, for increasing HPV vaccination coverage among adolescents.

Who are vaccine champions and what implementation strategies do they use to improve adolescent HPV vaccination? Findings from a national survey of primary care professionals.

BACKGROUND: Implementation science researchers often cite clinical champions as critical to overcoming organizational resistance and other barriers to the implementation of evidence-based health services, yet relatively little is known about who champions are or how they effect change. To inform future efforts to identify and engage champions to support HPV vaccination, we sought to describe the key characteristics and strategies of vaccine champions working in adolescent primary care. METHODS: In 2022, we conducted a national survey with a web-based panel of 2527 primary care professionals (PCPs) with a role in adolescent HPV vaccination (57% response rate). Our sample consisted of pediatricians (26%), family medicine physicians (22%), advanced practice providers (24%), and nursing staff (28%). Our survey assessed PCPs' experience with vaccine champions, defined as health care professionals "known for helping their colleagues improve vaccination rates." RESULTS: Overall, 85% of PCPs reported currently working with one or more vaccine champions. Among these 2144 PCPs, most identified the champion with whom they worked most closely as being a physician (40%) or nurse (40%). Almost all identified champions worked to improve vaccination rates for vaccines in general (45%) or HPV vaccine specifically (49%). PCPs commonly reported that champion implementation strategies included sharing information (79%), encouragement (62%), and vaccination data (59%) with colleagues, but less than half reported that champions led quality improvement projects (39%). Most PCPs perceived their closest champion as being moderately to extremely effective at improving vaccination rates (91%). PCPs who did versus did not work with champions more often recommended HPV vaccination at the earliest opportunity of ages 9-10 rather than later ages (44% vs. 33%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Findings of our national study suggest that vaccine champions are common in adolescent primary care, but only a minority lead quality improvement projects. Interventionists seeking to identify champions to improve HPV vaccination rates can expect to find them among both physicians and nurses, but should be prepared to offer support to more fully engage them in implementing interventions.

[Soil microbial carbon pump conceptual framework 2.0]. / 土壤微生物碳泵概念体系2.0.

Microorganisms are essential actors in the biogeochemical cycling of elements within terrestrial ecosystems, with significant influences on soil health, food security, and global climate change. The contribution of microbial anabolism-induced organic compounds is a non-negligible factor in the processes associated with soil carbon (C) storage and organic matter preservation. In recent years, the conceptual framework of soil microbial carbon pump (MCP), with a focus on microbial metabolism and necromass generation process, has gained widespread attention. It primarily describes the processes of soil organic C formation and stabilization driven by the metabolic activities of soil heterotrophic microorganisms, representing an important mechanism and a focal point in current research on terrestrial C sequestration. Here, we reviewed the progress in this field and introduced the soil MCP conceptual framework 2.0, which expands upon the existing MCP model by incorporating autotrophic microbial pathway for C sequestration and integrating the concept of soil mineral C pump. These advancements aimed to enrich and refine our understanding of microbial-mediated terrestrial ecosystem C cycling and sequestration mechanisms. This refined framework would provide theoretical support for achieving China's "dual carbon" goals.

Constructing CoNi-LDH/Fe MOF/NF Heterostructure Catalyst for Energy-Efficient OER and UOR at High Current Density.

The sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) always results in a high overpotential at the anode of water electrolysis and an excessive electric energy consumption, which has been a major obstacle for hydrogen production through water electrolysis. In this study, we present a CoNi-LDH/Fe MOF/NF heterostructure catalyst with nanoneedle array morphology for the OER. In 1.0 M KOH solution, the heterostructure catalyst only required overpotentials of 275 and 305 mV to achieve high current densities of 500 and 1000 mA/cm2 for OER, respectively. The catalytic activities are much higher than those of the reference single-component CoNi-LDH/NF and Fe MOF/NF catalysts. The improved catalytic performance of the heterostructure catalyst can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of CoNi-LDH and Fe MOF. In particular, when the anodic OER is replaced with the urea oxidation reaction (UOR), which has a relatively lower thermodynamic equilibrium potential and is expected to reduce the cell voltage, the overpotentials required to achieve the same current densities can be reduced by 80 and 40 mV, respectively. The cell voltage required to drive overall urea splitting (OUS) is only 1.55 V at 100 mA/cm2 in the Pt/C/NF||CoNi-LDH/Fe MOF/NF two-electrode electrolytic cell. This value is 60 mV lower compared with that required for overall water splitting (OWS). Our results indicate that a reasonable construction of a heterostructure catalyst can significantly give rise to higher electrocatalytic performance, and using UOR to replace the anodic OER of the OWS can greatly reduce the electrolytic energy consumption.

Utilizing murine dendritic cell line DC2.4 to evaluate the immunogenicity of subunit vaccines in vitro.

Subunit vaccines hold substantial promise in controlling infectious diseases, due to their superior safety profile, specific immunogenicity, simplified manufacturing processes, and well-defined chemical compositions. One of the most important end-targets of vaccines is a subset of lymphocytes originating from the thymus, known as T cells, which possess the ability to mount an antigen-specific immune response. Furthermore, vaccines confer long-term immunity through the generation of memory T cell pools. Dendritic cells are essential for the activation of T cells and the induction of adaptive immunity, making them key for the in vitro evaluation of vaccine efficacy. Upon internalization by dendritic cells, vaccine-bearing antigens are processed, and suitable fragments are presented to T cells by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. In addition, DCs can secrete various cytokines to crosstalk with T cells to coordinate subsequent immune responses. Here, we generated an in vitro model using the immortalized murine dendritic cell line, DC2.4, to recapitulate the process of antigen uptake and DC maturation, measured as the elevation of CD40, MHC-II, CD80 and CD86 on the cell surface. The levels of key DC cytokines, tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured to better define DC activation. This information served as a cost-effective and rapid proxy for assessing the antigen presentation efficacy of various vaccine formulations, demonstrating a strong correlation with previously published in vivo study outcomes. Hence, our assay enables the selection of the lead vaccine candidates based on DC activation capacity prior to in vivo animal studies.

Development of a near-infrared single-photon 3D imaging LiDAR based on 64×64 InGaAs/InP array detector and Risley-prism scanner.

A near-infrared single-photon lidar system, equipped with a 64×64 resolution array and a Risley prism scanner, has been engineered for daytime long-range and high-resolution 3D imaging. The system's detector, leveraging Geiger-mode InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode technology, attains a single-photon detection efficiency of over 15% at the lidar's 1064 nm wavelength. This efficiency, in tandem with a narrow pulsed laser that boasts a single-pulse energy of 0.5 mJ, facilitates 3D imaging capabilities for distances reaching approximately 6 kilometers. The Risley scanner, composing two counter-rotating wedge prisms, is designed to perform scanning measurements across a 6-degree circular field-of-view. Precision calibration of the scanning angle and the beam's absolute direction was achieved using a precision dual-axis turntable and a collimator, culminating in 3D imaging with an exceptional scanning resolution of 28 arcseconds. Additionally, this work has developed a novel spatial domain local statistical filtering framework, specifically designed to separate daytime background noise photons from the signal photons, enhancing the system's imaging efficacy in varied lighting conditions. This paper showcases the advantages of array-based single-photon lidar image-side scanning technology in simultaneously achieving high resolution, a wide field-of-view, and extended detection range.

Extracellular Matrix Interactome in Modulating Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling.

The ECM (extracellular matrix) is a major component of the vascular microenvironment that modulates vascular homeostasis. ECM proteins include collagens, elastin, noncollagen glycoproteins, and proteoglycans/glycosaminoglycans. ECM proteins form complex matrix structures, such as the basal lamina and collagen and elastin fibers, through direct interactions or lysyl oxidase-mediated cross-linking. Moreover, ECM proteins directly interact with cell surface receptors or extracellular secreted molecules, exerting matricellular and matricrine modulation, respectively. In addition, extracellular proteases degrade or cleave matrix proteins, thereby contributing to ECM turnover. These interactions constitute the ECM interactome network, which is essential for maintaining vascular homeostasis and preventing pathological vascular remodeling. The current review mainly focuses on endogenous matrix proteins in blood vessels and discusses the interaction of these matrix proteins with other ECM proteins, cell surface receptors, cytokines, complement and coagulation factors, and their potential roles in maintaining vascular homeostasis and preventing pathological remodeling.

Kinetic energy distributions of atomic ions from disintegration of argon containing nanoclusters in moderately intense nanosecond laser fields: Coulomb explosion or hydrodynamic expansion.

We report kinetic energies (KE) of multiply charged atomic ions (MCAI) from interactions of moderately intense nanosecond lasers at 532 nm with argon containing clusters, including neat and doped clusters with a trace amount of trichlorobenzene. We develop a mathematical method to retrieve speed and thereby kinetic energy information from analyzing the time-of-flight profiles of the MCAI. This method should be generally applicable in detections of energetic charged particles with high velocities, a realm where velocity map imaging is inadequate. From this analysis, we discover that the KE of MCAI from doped clusters demonstrates a quadratic dependence on the charge of the atomic ions, while for neat clusters, the dependence is cubic. This result confirms the nature of the cluster disintegration process to be dominated by Coulomb explosion. This result bears more similarity to reports from extreme vacuum ultraviolet (EUV) fields with similar intensities, than to reports from near infrared (NIR) intense laser fields. However, the charge state distribution from our experiment is the opposite: we observe more higher charge state ions than reported in EUV fields, and our charge state distribution is actually similar to those reported in NIR fields. We also report a significant effect of the external electric field on the charge state distribution of the atomic ions: the presence of an electric field can significantly increase the charge from the atomic ions, as shown by a three-fold reduction in the average kinetic energy per charge. Although molecular dynamics simulations have been implemented for experiments in the EUV and NIR, our results allude to the need of a concerted effort in this regime of moderately intense nanosecond laser fields. The significant decrease in charge state distribution and the significant increase in KE from doped clusters, compared with neat clusters, is a telltale sign that the true interaction time between the laser field and the cluster may be substantially shorter than the duration of the laser, a welcome relief for molecular dynamics simulations.