Thyroid receptor ß: A promising target for developing novel anti-androgenetic alopecia drugs.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) significantly impacts the self-confidence and mental well-being of people. Recent research has revealed that thyroid receptor ß (TRß) agonists can activate hair follicles and effectively stimulate hair growth. This review aims to comprehensively elucidate the specific mechanism of action of TRß in treating AGA from various perspectives, highlighting its potential as a drug target for combating AGA. Moreover, this review provides a thorough summary of the research advances in TRß agonist candidates with anti-AGA efficacy and outlines the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of TRß agonists. We hope that this review will provide practical information for the development of effective anti-alopecia drugs.

Metal-Organic Frameworks/Heterojunction Structures for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering with Enhanced Sensitivity and Tailorability.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are composed of crystalline microporous materials with metal ions, have gained considerable interest as promising substrate materials for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection via charge transfer. Research on MOF-based SERS substrates has advanced rapidly because of the MOFs' excellent structural tunability, functionalizable pore interiors, and ultrahigh surface-to-volume ratios. Compared with traditional noble metal SERS plasmons, MOFs exhibit better biocompatibility, ease of operation, and tailorability. However, MOFs cannot produce a sufficient limit of detection (LOD) for ultrasensitive detection, and therefore, developing an ultrasensitive MOF-based SERS substrate is imperative. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to develop an MOFs/heterojunction structure as an SERS enhancing material. We report an in situ ZIF-67/Co(OH)2 heterojunction-based nanocellulose paper (nanopaper) plate (in situ ZIF-67 nanoplate) as a device with an LOD of 0.98 nmol/L for Rhodamine 6G and a Raman enhancement of 1.43 × 107, which is 100 times better than that of the pure ZIF-67-based SERS substrate. Further, we extend this structure to other types of MOFs and develop an in situ HKUST-1 nanoplate (with HKUST-1/Cu(OH)2). In addition, we demonstrate that the formation of heterojunctions facilitates efficient photoinduced charge transfer for SERS detection by applying the Mx(OH)y-assisted (where M = Co, Cu, or other metals) MOFs/heterojunction structure. Finally, we successfully demonstrate the application of medicine screening on our nanoplates, specifically for omeprazole. The nanoplates we developed still maintain the tailorability of MOFs and perform high anti-interference ability. Our approach provides customizing options for MOF-based SERS detection, catering to diverse possibilities in future research and applications.

Ficolin-A/2 Aggravates Severe Lung Injury through Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Mediated by Gasdermin D-Induced Pyroptosis.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and pyroptosis are critical events in lung injury. This study investigated whether ficolin-A influenced NET formation through pyroptosis to exacerbate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury. The expression of ficolin-A/2, NETs, and pyroptosis-related molecules was investigated in animal and cell models. Knockout and knockdown (recombinant protein) methods were used to elucidate regulatory mechanisms. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between ficolins and pyroptosis- and NET-related markers in clinical samples. In this study, ficolin-2 (similar to ficolin-A) showed significant overexpression in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. In vivo, knockout of Fcna, but not Fcnb, attenuated lung inflammation and inhibited NET formation in the LPS-induced mouse model. DNase I further alleviated lung inflammation and NET formation in Fcna knockout mice. In vitro, neutrophils derived from Fcna-/- mice showed less pyroptosis and necroptosis than those from the control group after LPS stimulation. Additionally, GSDMD knockdown or Nod-like receptor protein 3 inhibitor reduced NET formation. Addition of recombinant ficolin-2 protein to human peripheral blood neutrophils promoted NET formation and pyroptosis after LPS stimulation, whereas Fcn2 knockdown had the opposite effect. Acute respiratory distress syndrome patients showed increased levels of pyroptosis- and NET-related markers, which were correlated positively with ficolin-2 levels. In conclusion, these results suggested that ficolin-A/2 exacerbated NET formation and LPS-induced lung injury via gasdermin D-mediated pyroptosis.

Pickering Emulsion Stabilized by Hordein-Whey Protein Isolate Complex: Delivery System of Quercetin.

As a lipophilic flavonol, quercetin has low bioavailability, which limits its application in foods. This work aimed to prepare a hordein-based system to deliver quercetin. We constructed hordein-whey isolate protein fibril (WPIF) complexes (H-Ws) by anti-solvent precipitation method at pH 2.5. The TEM results of the complexes showed that spherical-like hordein particles were wrapped in WPIF clusters to form an interconnected network structure. FTIR spectra revealed that hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were the main driving forces for the complex formation. H-W1 (the mass ratio of hordein to WPIF was 1:1) with a three-phase contact angle of 70.2° was chosen to stabilize Pickering emulsions with oil volume fractions (φ) of 40-70%. CLSM images confirmed that the oil droplets were gradually embedded in the three-dimensional network structure of H-W1 with the increase in oil volume fraction. The emulsion with φ = 70% showed a tight gel structure. Furthermore, this emulsion exhibited high encapsulation efficiency (97.8%) and a loading capacity of 0.2%, demonstrating the potential to deliver hydrophobic bioactive substances. Compared with free quercetin, the bioaccessibility of the encapsulated quercetin (35%) was significantly improved. This study effectively promoted the application of hordein-based delivery systems in the food industry.

Identification of T-cell exhaustion-related genes and prediction of their immunotherapeutic role in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma ranks as the second most widespread form of cancer globally, accompanied by a significant mortality rate. Several studies have shown that T cell exhaustion is associated with immunotherapy of tumours. Consequently, it is essential to comprehend the possible impact of T cell exhaustion on the tumor microenvironment. The purpose of this research was to create a TEX-based model that would use single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) and bulk-RNA sequencing to explore new possibilities for assessing the prognosis and immunotherapeutic response of LUAD patients. Methods: RNA-seq data from LUAD patients was downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (GEO). 10X scRNA sequencing data, as reported by Bischoff P et al., was utilized for down-sampling clustering and subgroup identification using TSNE. TEX-associated genes were identified through gene set variance analysis (GSVA) and weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA). We utilized LASSO-Cox analysis to establish predicted TEX features. External validation was conducted in GSE31210 and GSE30219 cohorts. Immunotherapeutic response was assessed in IMvigor210, GSE78220, GSE35640 and GSE100797 cohorts. Furthermore, we investigated differences in mutational profiles and immune microenvironment between various risk groups. We then screened TEXRS key regulatory genes using ROC diagnostic curves and KM survival curves. Finally, we verified the differential expression of key regulatory genes through RT-qPCR. Results: Nine TEX genes were identified as highly predictive of LUAD prognosis and strongly correlated with disease outcome. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that patients in the low-risk group had significantly better overall survival rates compared with those in the high-risk group, highlighting the model's ability to independently predict LUAD prognosis. Our analysis revealed significant variation in the biological function, mutational landscape, and immune cell infiltration within the tumor microenvironment of both high-risk and low-risk groups. Additionally, immunotherapy was found to have a significant impact on both groups, indicating strong predictive efficacy of the model. Conclusions: The TEX model showed good predictive performance and provided a new perspective for evaluating the efficacy of preimmunization, which provides a new strategy for the future treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Prioritization of the ecotoxicological hazard of PAHs towards aquatic species spanning three trophic levels using 2D-QSTR, read-across and machine learning-driven modelling approaches.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a common group of environmental pollutants that endanger various aquatic organisms via various pathways. To better prioritize the ecotoxicological hazard of PAHs to aquatic environment, we used 2D descriptors-based quantitative structure-toxicity relationship (QSTR) to assess the toxicity of PAHs toward six aquatic model organisms spanning three trophic levels. According to strict OECD guideline, six easily interpretable, transferable and reproducible 2D-QSTR models were constructed with high robustness and reliability. A mechanistic interpretation unveiled the key structural factors primarily responsible for controlling the aquatic ecotoxicity of PAHs. Furthermore, quantitative read-across and different machine learning approaches were employed to validate and optimize the modelling approach. Importantly, the optimum QSTR models were further applied for predicting the ecotoxicity of hundreds of untested/unknown PAHs gathered from Pesticide Properties Database (PPDB). Especially, we provided a priority list in terms of the toxicity of unknown PAHs to six aquatic species, along with the corresponding mechanistic interpretation. In summary, the models can serve as valuable tools for aquatic risk assessment and prioritization of untested or completely new PAHs chemicals, providing essential guidance for formulating regulatory policies.

Discovery of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors as anti-skin photoaging agents.

Photodamage is the result of prolonged exposure of the skin to sunlight. This exposure causes an overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), leading to the abnormal degradation of collagen in the skin tissue and resulting in skin aging and damage. This review presents a detailed overview of MMPs as a potential target for addressing skin aging. Specifically, we elucidated the precise mechanisms by which MMP inhibitors exert their anti-photoaging effects. Furthermore, we comprehensively analyzed the current research progress on MMP inhibitors that demonstrate significant inhibitory activity against MMPs and anti-skin photoaging effects. The review also provides insights into the structure-activity relationships of these inhibitors. Our objective in conducting this review is to provide valuable practical information to researchers engaged in investigations on anti-skin photoaging.

Investigation of Charge-Ordered Barium Iron Fluorides with One-Dimensional Structural Diversity and Complex Magnetic Interactions.

Three mixed-valence barium iron fluorides, Ba7Fe7F34, Ba2Fe2F9, and BaFe2F7, were prepared through hydrothermal redox reactions. The characteristic structures of these compounds feature diverse distributions of FeIIF6 octahedra and FeIIIF6 groups. Ba7Fe7F34 contained one-dimensional infinite ∞[FeIIFeIII6F34]14- double chains, comprising cis corner-sharing octahedra along the b direction; Ba2Fe2F9 contained one-dimensional ∞[Fe2F9]4- double chains, consisting of cis corner-sharing octahedra along the chain (a-axis direction) and trans corner-sharing octahedra vertical to the chain, while BaFe2F7 revealed three-dimensional (3D) frameworks that consist of isolated edge-sharing dinuclear FeII2F10 units linked via corners by FeIIIF6 octahedra. Magnetization and Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements revealed that Ba7Fe7F34 exhibits an antiferromagnetic phase transition at ∼11 K, where ferrimagnetic ∞[FeIIFeIII6F34]14- double chains are arranged in a paralleling manner, while Ba2Fe2F9 shows canted antiferromagnetic ordering at ∼32.5 K, leading to noncollinear spin ordering.

Ficolin B secreted by alveolar macrophage exosomes exacerbates bleomycin-induced lung injury via ferroptosis through the cGAS-STING signaling pathway.

Pathogenesis exploration and timely intervention of lung injury is quite necessary as it has harmed human health worldwide for years. Ficolin B (Fcn B) is a recognition molecule that can recognize a variety of ligands and play an important role in mediating the cell cycle, immune response, and tissue homeostasis in the lung. However, the role of Fcn B in bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung injury is obscure. This study aims to investigate the sources of Fcn B and its mechanism in BLM-induced lung injury. WT, Fcna-/-, and Fcnb-/- mice were selected to construct the BLM-induced lung injury model. Lung epithelial cells were utilized to construct the BLM-induced cell model. Exosomes that were secreted from alveolar macrophages (AMs) were applied for intervention by transporting Fcn B. Clinical data suggested M-ficolin (homologous of Fcn B) was raised in plasma of interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients. In the mouse model, macrophage-derived Fcn B aggravated BLM-induced lung injury and fibrosis. Fcn B further promoted the development of autophagy and ferroptosis. Remarkably, cell experiment results revealed that Fcn B transported by BLM-induced AMs exosomes accelerated autophagy and ferroptosis in lung epithelial cells through the activation of the cGAS-STING pathway. In contrast, the application of 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) reversed the promotion effect of Fcn B from BLM-induced AMs exosomes on lung epithelial cell damage by inhibiting autophagy-dependent ferroptosis. Meanwhile, in the BLM-induced mice model, the intervention of Fcn B secreted from BLM-induced AMs exosomes facilitated lung injury and fibrosis via ferroptosis. In summary, this study demonstrated that Fcn B transported by exosomes from AMs exacerbated BLM-induced lung injury by promoting lung epithelial cells ferroptosis through the cGAS-STING signaling pathway.

Leaf traits divergence and correlations of woody plants among the three plant functional types on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China.

Leaf traits are important indicators of plant life history and may vary according to plant functional type (PFT) and environmental conditions. In this study, we sampled woody plants from three PFTs (e.g., needle-leaved evergreens, NE; broad-leaved evergreens, BE; broad-leaved deciduous, BD) on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and 110 species were collected across 50 sites. Here, the divergence and correlations of leaf traits in three PFTs and relationships between leaf traits and environment were studied. The results showed significant differences in leaf traits among three PFTs, with NE plants showed higher values than BE plants and BD plants for leaf thickness (LT), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf dry mass per area (LMA), carbon: nitrogen ratio (C/N), and nitrogen content per unit area (Narea), except for nitrogen content per unit mass (Nmass). Although the correlations between leaf traits were similar across three PFTs, NE plants differed from BE plants and BD plants in the relationship between C/N and Narea. Compared with the mean annual precipitation (MAP), the mean annual temperature (MAT) was the main environmental factor that caused the difference in leaf traits among three PFTs. NE plants had a more conservative approach to survival compared to BE plants and BD plants. This study shed light on the regional-scale variation in leaf traits and the relationships among leaf traits, PFT, and environment. These findings have important implications for the development of regional-scale dynamic vegetation models and for understanding how plants respond and adapt to environmental change.

Ecotoxicological QSAR study of fused/non-fused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (FNFPAHs): Assessment and priority ranking of the acute toxicity to Pimephales promelas by QSAR and consensus modeling methods.

Fused/non-fused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (FNFPAHs) have a variety of toxic effects on ecosystems and human body, but the acquisition of their toxicity data is greatly limited by the limited resources available. Here, we followed the EU REACH regulation and used Pimephales promelas as a model organism to investigate the quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) between the FNFPAHs and their toxicity for the aquatic environment for the first time. We developed a single QSAR model (SM1) containing five simple and interpretable 2D molecular descriptors, which met the validation of OECD QSAR-related principles, and analyzed their mechanistic relationships with toxicity in detail. The model had good degree of fitting and robustness, and had better external prediction performance (MAEtest = 0.4219) than ECOSAR model (MAEtest = 0.5614). To further enhance its prediction accuracy, the three qualified single models (SMs) were used for constructing consensus models (CMs), the best one CM2 (MAEtest = 0.3954) had a significantly higher prediction accuracy for test compounds than SM1, and also outperformed the T.E.S.T. consensus model (MAEtest = 0.4233). Subsequently, the toxicity of 252 true external FNFPAHs from Pesticide Properties Database (PPDB) was predicted by SM1, the prediction results showed that 94.84 % compounds were reliably predicted within the model's application domain (AD). We also applied the best CM2 to predict the untested 252 FNFPAHs. Furthermore, we provided a mechanistic analysis and explanation for pesticides ranked as top 10 most toxic FNFPAHs. In summary, all developed QSAR and consensus models can be used as efficient tools for predicting the acute toxicity of unknown FNFPAHs to Pimephales promelas, thus being important for the risk assessment and regulation of FNFPAHs contamination in aquatic environment.

Otomastoiditis Caused by Nocardia Farcinica: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Nocardia farcinica usually infects people with impaired immune status and usually manifests in the lungs. Otomastoiditis caused by Nocardia infection is extremely rare, with only 4 cases reported to date. This report describes a case of otomastoid N. farcinica infection in an immunocompetent patient. The case was a 10-month-old immunocompetent infant who presented with an approximately 3-month history of right ear discharge for which treatment with various antibiotics had not resulted in significant improvement. Multiple cultures of secretions and pathologic examination failed to identify the causative organism. The patient then underwent right mastoidectomy. Finally, metagenomic next-generation sequencing identified the pathogen to be N. farcinica. The patient was infection-free at the 6-month follow-up but had developed labyrinthitis ossificans. Otomastoid Nocardia infection has characteristic clinical features, namely, formation of a large amount of granulation tissue and coexistence of bone destruction and new bone formation. Traditionally, Nocardia is challenging to diagnose. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of lesions is helpful. Complete local debridement and free drainage are key to treatment.

Ecotoxicological QSAR modelling of the acute toxicity of fused and non-fused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (FNFPAHs) against two aquatic organisms: Consensus modelling and comparison with ECOSAR.

Fused and non-fused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (FNFPAHs) are a type of organic compounds widely occurring in the environment that pose a potential hazard to ecosystem and public health, and thus receive extensive attention from various regulatory agencies. Here, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models were constructed to model the ecotoxicity of FNFPAHs against two aquatic species, Daphnia magna and Oncorhynchus mykiss. According to the stringent OECD guidelines, we used genetic algorithm (GA) plus multiple linear regression (MLR) approach to establish QSAR models of the two aquatic toxicity endpoints: D. magna (48 h LC50) and O. mykiss (96 h LC50). The models were established using simple 2D descriptors with explicit physicochemical significance and evaluated using various internal/external validation metrics. The results clearly show that both models are statistically robust (QLOO2 = 0.7834 for D. magna and QLOO2 = 0.8162 for O. mykiss), have good internal fitness (R2 = 0.8159 for D. magna and R2 = 0.8626 for O. mykiss and external predictive ability (D. magna: Rtest2 = 0.8259, QFn2 = 0.7640∼0.8140, CCCtest = 0.8972; O. mykiss:Rtest2 = 0.8077, QFn2 = 0.7615∼0.7722, CCCtest = 0.8910). To prove the predictive performance of the developed models, an additional comparison with the standard ECOSAR tool obviously shows that our models have lower RMSE values. Subsequently, we utilized the best models to predict the true external set compounds collected from the PPDB database to further fill the toxicity data gap. In addition, consensus models (CMs) that integrate all validated individual models (IMs) were more externally predictive than IMs, of which CM2 has the best prediction performance towards the two aquatic species. Overall, the models presented here could be used to evaluate unknown FNFPAHs inside the domain of applicability (AD), thus being very important for environmental risk assessment under current regulatory frameworks.

Semiconductor SERS on Colourful Substrates with Fabry-Pérot Cavities.

Non-metallic materials have emerged as a new family of active substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), with unique advantages over their metal counterparts. However, owing to their inefficient interaction with the incident wavelength, the Raman enhancement achieved with non-metallic materials is considerably lower with respect to the metallic ones. Herein, we propose colourful semiconductor-based SERS substrates for the first time by utilizing a Fabry-Pérot cavity, which realize a large freedom in manipulating light. Owing to the delicate adjustment of the absorption in terms of both frequency and intensity, resonant absorption can be achieved with a variety of non-metal SERS substrates, with the sensitivity further enhanced by ≈100 times. As a typical example, by introducing a Fabry-Pérot-type substrate fabricated with SiO2 /Si, a rather low detection limit of 10-16  M for the SARS-CoV-2S protein is achieved on SnS2 . This study provides a realistic strategy for increasing SERS sensitivity when semiconductors are employed as SERS substrates.

Correlation between physical fitness condition and depressive symptoms in adolescents / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the relationship between adolescents physical fitness and depressive symptoms, and to provide reference for the early prevention and intervention of depressive symptoms and improvement of physical fitness in Chinese adolescents.@*Methods@#From September to December 2021, a total of 8 102 adolescents were selected by random cluster sampling method in Shanghai, Urumqi, Changsha and Kunming. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CES-D) was used to investigate the depressive symptoms, and completed grip strength, standing long jump, 50 m running, modified sitting forward flexion, 20 s repeated traverse, 30 s sit ups, 20 m round trip running (20 m SRT) test. χ 2 test, Goodman Kruskal Gamma and Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between physical fitness index(PFI) and depressive symptoms.@*Results@#The overall detection rate of depressive symptoms in adolescents with high level PFI was 23.4%, and the detection rate of low level adolescents was 26.3%, with a statistically significant difference ( χ 2=6.73, P =0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between PFI and depressive symptoms in the high school group ( G=0.09, P <0.05) and the boy group ( G=0.12, P < 0.05 ), and there was no significant association between PFI and depressive symptoms in the junior high school group and the girl group ( P >0.05). After adjusting for gender and age in the Logistic regression model, compared with those with high PFI, the risk of depressive symptoms in those with low PFI was 1.18 times (95% CI =1.05-1.33).@*Conclusion@#There is a correlation between physical fitness and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Adolescents with low PFI are at higher risk of developing depressive symptoms than those with high PFI.

Correlation between nutritional status and depressive symptoms in middle school students / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the correlation between different nutritional status and depressive symptoms among adolescents, so as to provide a theoretical basis for targeted improvement of nutritional status and depressive symptoms in adolescents.@*Methods@#A total of 8 102 adolescents aged 12-17 years in Shanghai, Urumqi, Changsha and Kunming were selected by random cluster sampling. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CES-D). Height and weight were measured. Kruskal Wallis H test, Chi square test and ordinal Logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between nutritional status and depressive symptoms in adolescents.@*Results@#The overall detection rate of depressive symptoms in adolescents was 25.6%, with girls (30.1%) higher than that of boys (21.1%) ( χ 2=87.60, P <0.01). There were statistically significant differences in the scores of depressive symptoms among girls with different nutritional status ( Z =8.34, P <0.05). The detectable rate of depressive symptoms increased with BMI among girls( χ 2 trend =6.04, P <0.05). After controlling for confounding factors, ordinal Logistic regression showed that the obese girls had higher risks in depressive symptoms detection compared with normal weight girls ( OR=1.45, 95%CI=1.10-1.91, P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#The nutritional status of girls is better than boys, but the prevalence of depressive symptoms is higher than boys. The risk of depressive symptoms in girls increases with BMI.

Environmental toxicity risk evaluation of nitroaromatic compounds: Machine learning driven binary/multiple classification and design of safe alternatives.

Nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) represent a significant source of organic pollutants in the environment. In this study, a well-rounded dataset containing 371 NACs with rat oral median lethal doses (LD50s) was developed. Based on the dataset, binary and multiple classification models were established. Seven machine learning algorithms were used to establish the prediction models in combination with six fingerprints. In the binary classification models, the overall predictive accuracy of 10-fold cross-validation for training set in the top ten models ranged from 0.823 to 0.874. In the multiple classification models, the combination of graph fingerprint and random forest (Graph-RF) yielded the best predictive effects with AUC values of 0.929 and 0.956 for the training set and the test set, respectively. Model prediction performance was further evaluated using the true external set comprising 1366 NACs, including 96.6% belonging to the applicability domain. Further, we determined the structural features influencing the acute oral toxicity based on information gain and substructure frequency analysis. Finally, we identified highly toxic compounds based on the structural alerts and successfully transformed a representative highly toxic compound into low-toxic alternatives via structural modification. Overall, the models constructed facilitate environmental risk assessment and the design of green and safe chemicals.

Notch signaling pathway plays a critical role in chemotherapeutic drug-induced vestibular injury.

The vestibule of the inner ear is susceptible to certain chemotherapeutic agents in clinical practice. Therefore, it is of great significance to discover molecular pathways and targets that can protect the vestibule from chemotherapeutic drugs. The Notch signaling pathway is closely related to hair cell regeneration in the inner ear. However, the role of Notch signaling in chemotherapeutic drug-induced vestibular injury still remains unclear. The aim of this study was first to evaluate the role of Notch signaling in chemotherapy-induced vestibular injury. Cisplatin-induced vestibular injury of mice was evaluated by the swimming test. Changes of vestibular hair cells and the expression levels of Notch1, Jagged1, and Hes1 in Notch signaling were observed by immunofluorescence. The results showed that Notch signaling was found activated in cisplatin-induced injured vestibular cells, while, DAPT (Notch signaling inhibitor) could reversed this effect. In conclusion, the Notch signaling pathway may play a critical role in chemotherapeutic drug-induced vestibular injury and, therefore, serves as a promising therapeutic target for vestibular injury.

Pancreatic Cancer Cell-Derived Exosomes Promote Lymphangiogenesis by Downregulating ABHD11-AS1 Expression.

Research on pancreatic cancer microbiomes has attracted attention in recent years. The current view is that enriched microbial communities in pancreatic cancer tissues may affect pancreatic cancer metastasis, including lymph node (LN) metastasis. Similar to carriers of genetic information between cells, such as DNA, mRNA, protein, and non-coding RNA, exosomes are of great importance in early LN metastasis in tumors, including pancreatic cancer. Our previous study showed that the long non-coding RNA ABHD11-AS1 was highly expressed in tissues of patients with pancreatic cancer, and was correlated with patient survival time. However, the role of ABHD11-AS1 in pancreatic cancer LN metastasis has rarely been studied. Hence, in this paper we confirmed that exosomes derived from pancreatic cancer cells could promote lymphangiogenesis in vitro and in vivo, and that the mechanism was related to the downregulation of ABHD11-AS1 expression in lymphatic endothelial cells, and to the enhancement of their ability to proliferate, migrate, and form tubes. These findings preliminarily show a new mechanism by which pancreatic cancer cells regulate peripheral lymphangiogenesis, providing a new therapeutic strategy for inhibiting LN metastasis in pancreatic cancer.

The below-ground carbon and nitrogen cycling patterns of different mycorrhizal forests on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Mycorrhizal fungi can form symbiotic associations with tree species, which not only play an important role in plant survival and growth, but also in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. However, the understanding of differences in soil C and N cycling patterns among forests with different mycorrhizal types is still incomplete. In order to determine the similarities and differences of soil C and N cycling patterns in different mycorrhizal forest types, three primary forests dominated by ectomycorrhizal (EcM), arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) trees respectively were studied on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Indicators associated with soil C and N cycling, including leaf litter quality, soil C and N contents, soil C and N fluxes, and soil microbial biomass C and N contents were measured in each mycorrhizal type forest. The results showed that leaf litter quality was significantly lower with high C:N ratio and lignin: N ratio in ErM forest than that in AM and EcM forests. Soil CO2 flux (508.25 ± 65.51 mg m-2 h-1) in AM forest was significantly higher than that in EcM forest (387.18 ± 56.19 mg m-2 h-1) and ErM forest (177.87 ± 58.40 mg m-2 h-1). Furthermore, soil inorganic N content was higher in the AM forest than that in EcM and ErM forests. Soil net N mineralization rate (-0.02 ± 0.03 mg kg-1 d-1) was lower in ErM forest than that in EcM and AM forests. We speculated that AM and EcM forests were relatively characterized by rapid soil C cycling comparing to ErM forest. The soil N cycling in EcM and ErM forests were lower, implying they were 'organic' N nutrition patterns, and the pattern in ErM forest was more obvious.