Developing a novel SARS-CoV-2 risk index to predict the prognostic and therapeutic effects in acute myeloid leukemia.

There is growing evidence of a strong association between SARS-CoV-2 and cancer prognosis and treatment outcome. However, there are no reliable SARS-CoV-2 assessment models to accurately predict prognostic and therapeutic effects in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here, differentially expressed genes associated with SARS-CoV-2 were detected, and multiple Cox regression methods were used to construct a SARS-CoV-2 risk index (SC2RI). Then, RT-qPCR was used to validate the gene expression levels in the AML samples. Finally, we explored how the SC2RI affected prognosis, immune infiltration, immunotherapy, and drug sensitivity in AML. We found that CYB5R3 and CLIP4 had been confirmed as hub genes in AML and were used to generate the SC2RI. The datasets indicated that the SC2RI had a superior predictive impact on the prognosis of AML. In addition, high expression of immune checkpoints and numerous immunological infiltrations were substantially correlated with a high SC2RI. However, it responded poorly to immune checkpoint blockade, which may be related to T-cell dysfunction, lack of effective antigens, and deficiency of synaptic capacity. Moreover, a high SC2RI was less susceptible to mTOR-related pathway medications but more sensitive to cell cycle suppressors. Therefore, categorization based on SC2RI could enhance the prognostic prediction of AML and help identify novel therapeutic approaches.

TLR4 Agonist and Hypoxia Synergistically Promote the Formation of TLR4/NF-κB/HIF-1α Loop in Human Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

Inflammation and hypoxia are involved in numerous cancer progressions. Reportedly, the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) are activated and closely related to the chemoresistance and poor prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). However, the potential correlation between TLR4/NF-κB and HIF-1α remains largely unknown in EOC. In our study, the possible positive correlation among TLR4, NF-κB, and HIF-1α proteins was investigated in the EOC tissues. Our in vitro results demonstrated that LPS can induce and activate HIF-1α through the TLR4/NF-κB signaling in A2780 and SKOV3 cells. Moreover, hypoxia-induced TLR4 expression and the downstream transcriptional activity of NF-κB were HIF-1α-dependent. The cross talk between the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and HIF-1α was also confirmed in the nude mice xenograft model. Therefore, we first proposed the formation of a TLR4/NF-κB/HIF-1α loop in EOC. The positive feedback loop enhanced the susceptibility and responsiveness to inflammation and hypoxia, which synergistically promote the initiation and progression of EOC. The novel mechanism may act as a future therapeutic candidate for the treatment of EOC.

Light scattering and extinction measurements combined with laser-induced incandescence for the real-time determination of soot mass absorption cross section.

An aerosol albedometer was combined with laser-induced incandescence (LII) to achieve simultaneous measurements of aerosol scattering, extinction coefficient, and soot mass concentration. Frequency doubling of a Nd:YAG laser line resulted in a colinear beam of both λ = 532 and 1064 nm. The green beam was used to perform cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS), with simultaneous measurements of scattering coefficient made through use of a reciprocal sphere nephelometer. The 1064 nm beam was selected and directed into a second integrating sphere and used for LII of light-absorbing kerosene lamp soot. Thermal denuder experiments showed the LII signals were not affected by the particle mixing state when laser peak power was 1.5-2.5 MW. The combined measurements of optical properties and soot mass concentration allowed determination of mass absorption cross section (M.A.C., m(2)/g) with 1 min time resolution when soot concentrations were in the low microgram per cubic meter range. Fresh kerosene nanosphere soot (ns-soot) exhibited a mean M.A.C and standard deviation of 9.3 ± 2.7 m(2)/g while limited measurements on dry ambient aerosol yielded an average of 8.2 ± 5.9 m(2)/g when soot was >0.25 µg/m(3). The method also detected increases in M.A.C. values associated with enhanced light absorption when polydisperse, laboratory-generated ns-soot particles were embedded within or coated with ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and glycerol. Glycerol coatings produced the largest fractional increase in M.A.C. (1.41-fold increase), while solid coatings of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate produced increases of 1.10 and 1.06, respectively. Fresh, ns-soot did not exhibit increased M.A.C. at high relative humidity (RH); however, lab-generated soot coated with ammonium nitrate and held at 85% RH exhibited M.A.C. values nearly double the low-humidity case. The hybrid instrument for simultaneously tracking soot mass concentration and aerosol optical properties in real time is a valuable tool for probing enhanced absorption by soot at atmospherically relevant concentrations.

Toward real-time simulation of blood-coil interaction during aneurysm embolization.

Over the last decade, remarkable progress has been made in the field of endovascular treatment of aneurysms. Technological advances continue to enable a growing number of patients with cerebral aneurysms to be treated with a variety of endovascular strategies, essentially using detachable platinum coils. Yet, coil embolization remains a very complex medical procedure for which careful planning must be combined with advanced technical skills in order to be successful. In this paper we propose a method for computing the complex blood flow patterns that take place within the aneurysm, and for simulating the interaction of coils with this flow. This interaction is twofold, first involving the impact of the flow on the coil during the initial stages of its deployment, and second concerning the decrease of blood velocity within the aneurysm, as a consequence of coil packing. We also propose an approach to achieve real-time computation of coil-flow bilateral influence, necessary for interactive simulation. This in turns allows to dynamically plan coil embolization for two key steps of the procedure: choice and placement of the first coils, and assessment of the number of coils necessary to reduce aneurysmal blood velocity and wall pressure.