A rare case of giant left sinus of Valsalva aneurysm complicated by thrombus formation.

A rare transthoracic echocardiographic image of left sinus of Valsalva aneurysm complicated by thrombus formation.

UCHL3 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by stabilizing EEF1A1 through deubiquitination.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the second leading cause of global cancer-related deaths and is characterized by a poor prognosis. Eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1 (EEF1A1) have been proved to play important roles in various human cancers, whereas the deubiquitination of EEF1A1 was poorly understood. METHODS: The binding and regulatory relationship between Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L3 (UCHL3) and EEF1A1 was validated using clinical tissue samples, reverse transcription quantitative real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), Western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence, as well as ubiquitin detection and cyclohexamide tracking experiments. Finally, the impact of the UCHL3/EEF1A1 axis on HCC malignant behavior was analyzed through functional experiments and nude mouse models. RESULTS: UCHL3 was found to have a high expression level in HCC tissues. Tissue samples from 60 HCC patients were used to evaluate the correlation between UCHL3 and EEF1A1. UCHL3 binds to EEF1A1 through the lysine site, which reduces the ubiquitination level of EEF1A1. Functional experiments and nude mouse models have demonstrated that the UCHL3/EEF1A1 axis promotes the migration, stemness, and drug resistance of HCC cells. Reducing the expression of EEF1A1 can reverse the effect of UCHL3 on the malignant behavior of HCC cells. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed that UCHL3 binds and stabilizes EEF1A1 through deubiquitination. UCHL3 and EEF1A1 formed a functional axis in facilitating the malignant progression of HCC, proving new insights for the anti-tumor targeted therapy for HCC.

The biosynthesis of storage reserves and auxin is coordinated by a hierarchical regulatory network in maize endosperm.

Grain filling in maize (Zea mays) is intricately linked to cell development, involving the regulation of genes responsible for the biosynthesis of storage reserves (starch, proteins, and lipids) and phytohormones. However, the regulatory network coordinating these biological functions remains unclear. In this study, we identified 1744 high-confidence target genes co-regulated by the transcription factors (TFs) ZmNAC128 and ZmNAC130 (ZmNAC128/130) through chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing coupled with RNA-seq analysis in the zmnac128/130 loss-of-function mutants. We further constructed a hierarchical regulatory network using DNA affinity purification sequencing analysis of downstream TFs regulated by ZmNAC128/130. In addition to target genes involved in the biosynthesis of starch and zeins, we discovered novel target genes of ZmNAC128/130 involved in the biosynthesis of lipids and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Consistently, the number of oil bodies, as well as the contents of triacylglycerol, and IAA were significantly reduced in zmnac128/130. The hierarchical regulatory network centered by ZmNAC128/130 revealed a significant overlap between the direct target genes of ZmNAC128/130 and their downstream TFs, particularly in regulating the biosynthesis of storage reserves and IAA. Our results indicated that the biosynthesis of storage reserves and IAA is coordinated by a multi-TFs hierarchical regulatory network in maize endosperm.

Recent advances in exploring transcriptional regulatory landscape of crops.

Crop breeding entails developing and selecting plant varieties with improved agronomic traits. Modern molecular techniques, such as genome editing, enable more efficient manipulation of plant phenotype by altering the expression of particular regulatory or functional genes. Hence, it is essential to thoroughly comprehend the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that underpin these traits. In the multi-omics era, a large amount of omics data has been generated for diverse crop species, including genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and single-cell omics. The abundant data resources and the emergence of advanced computational tools offer unprecedented opportunities for obtaining a holistic view and profound understanding of the regulatory processes linked to desirable traits. This review focuses on integrated network approaches that utilize multi-omics data to investigate gene expression regulation. Various types of regulatory networks and their inference methods are discussed, focusing on recent advancements in crop plants. The integration of multi-omics data has been proven to be crucial for the construction of high-confidence regulatory networks. With the refinement of these methodologies, they will significantly enhance crop breeding efforts and contribute to global food security.

Mechanism for leaching of fluoride ions from carbon dross generated in high-temperature and low-lithium aluminum electrolytic systems.

Carbon dross, a hazardous solid waste generated during aluminum electrolysis, contains large amounts of soluble fluoride ions for the main components of the electrolyte (such as Na3AlF6 and NaF). Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the mechanism for fluoride ion leaching from carbon dross via water leaching, acid leaching and alkali leaching, and the kinetic and thermodynamic principles of the leaching process were revealed. The RSM predicted the optimum conditions of water leaching, alkali leaching and acid leaching, and the conditions are as follows: temperature, 50 °C; shaking speed, 213 r·min-1; particle size, 0.075 mm; shaking speed, 194 r·min-1; liquid-solid ratio, 12.6 mg·L-1; sodium hydroxide concentration, 1.53 mol·L-1; liquid-solid ratio, 25.0 mg·L-1; sulfuric acid concentration, 2.00 mol·L-1; and temperature, 60 °C，and actual results which were almost consistent with the predicted results were gained. The fluoride ions in the alkaline and acid leaching solutions were mainly the dissociation products of fluorides such as Na3AlF6, Na5Al3F14 and CaF2, as indicated by thermodynamics calculations. In particular, the fluoride compounds dissolved in alkali solution were Na3AlF6, Na5Al3F14, AlF3, ZrF4, K3AlF6, while the acid solution could dissolve only Na3AlF6 and CaF2. The leaching kinetics experiments showed that the leaching rate fit the unreacted shrinking core model [1-2/3α-(1-α)2/3 =kt] and that the leaching process was controlled by internal diffusion. This study provides theoretical guidance for the removal of soluble fluoride ions from carbon dross and will also assist in the separation of electrolytes from carbon dross. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Carbon dross, a hazardous waste generated during the aluminum electrolysis production process, contains a large amount of soluble fluoride. Improper storage will lead the fluoride ions pollution in soil, surface water or groundwater under the direct contact between carbon dross and rainfall, snow or surface runoff. The influence of wind will cause carbon dross dust to pollute further areas. With the human body long-term contact with fluoride ion contaminated soil or water, human health will be seriously harmed.

Decoding the gene regulatory network of endosperm differentiation in maize.

The persistent cereal endosperm constitutes the majority of the grain volume. Dissecting the gene regulatory network underlying cereal endosperm development will facilitate yield and quality improvement of cereal crops. Here, we use single-cell transcriptomics to analyze the developing maize (Zea mays) endosperm during cell differentiation. After obtaining transcriptomic data from 17,022 single cells, we identify 12 cell clusters corresponding to five endosperm cell types and revealing complex transcriptional heterogeneity. We delineate the temporal gene-expression pattern from 6 to 7 days after pollination. We profile the genomic DNA-binding sites of 161 transcription factors differentially expressed between cell clusters and constructed a gene regulatory network by combining the single-cell transcriptomic data with the direct DNA-binding profiles, identifying 181 regulons containing genes encoding transcription factors along with their high-confidence targets, Furthermore, we map the regulons to endosperm cell clusters, identify cell-cluster-specific essential regulators, and experimentally validated three predicted key regulators. This study provides a framework for understanding cereal endosperm development and function at single-cell resolution.

Ecology of Saline Watersheds: An Investigation of the Functional Communities and Drivers of Benthic Fauna in Typical Water Bodies of the Irtysh River Basin.

In this study, we investigated how changes in salinity affect biodiversity and function in 11 typical water bodies in the Altai region. The salinity of the freshwater bodies ranged from 0 to 5, the brackish water salinities ranged from 5 to 20, and the hypersaline environments had salinities > 20. We identified 11 orders, 34 families, and 55 genera in 3061 benthic samples and classified them into 10 traits and 32 categories. Subsequently, we conducted Mantel tests and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and calculated biodiversity and functional diversity indices for each sampling site. The results indicated that biodiversity and the proportion of functional traits were greater in freshwater environments than in saline environments and decreased gradually with increasing salinity. Noticeable shifts in species distribution were observed in high-salinity environments and were accompanied by specific functional traits such as swimming ability, smaller body sizes, and air-breathing adaptations. The diversity indices revealed that the species were more evenly distributed in high-diversity environments under the influence of salinity. In contrast, in high-salinity environments, only a few species dominated. The results suggested that increasing salinity accelerated the evolution of benthic communities, leading to reduced species diversity and functional homogenization. We recommend enhancing the monitoring of saline water resources and implementing sustainable water resource management to mitigate the impact of salinity stress on aquatic communities in response to climate-induced soil and water salinization.

Surgical Management of Pericardial Cysts: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.

Introduction Pericardial cysts (PCs) are infrequent, non-malignant, and congenital abnormalities. The identification and treatment of PCs remain a significant challenge, with limited research on surgical management. Methods We performed a retrospective study of patients with PCs who underwent surgical intervention at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from February 2002 to December 2022. Results A total of 55 patients underwent surgery due to PCs during the study period. Thirty-one were females and 24 were males. The average age of the patients was 44.7 ± 12.9 (six to 63 years old). PCs were located in the right hemithorax in 50 (90.9%) patients and left hemithorax in five (9.1%) patients. Approach methods were video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in 43 (78.2%) cases; thoracotomy in 11 (20%) cases, and median sternotomy in one (1.8%) cases. The average postoperative hospitalization period was 5.6 days (two to 14 days). Three patients developed postoperative complications (two pleural effusion, one pneumonia), whereas no mortality was observed in any patient due to the operation. Forty-one patients (74.5%) were followed up for three months to eight years postoperatively, during which no recurrent cysts were detected. Conclusion In this single-center retrospective study, we demonstrated that pericardial cyst cure is an appropriate operation according to cyst characteristics. VATS has been shown to be highly effective and safe in patients with PCs, offering the advantage of reducing postoperative morbidity efficiently.

circ-CCND1 regulates the CCND1/P53/P21 pathway through sponging miR-138-5p in valve interstitial cells to aggravate aortic valve calcification

To discuss the effect and mechanism of circular-CCND1 (circ-CCND1) on the regulation of calcified aortic valve disease (CAVD). Differentially expressed circRNAs were screened through the GSE155119 data set and biological prediction. Subsequently, the miR-138-5p, CCND1, and circ-CCND1 expression were detected in the non-calcified and calcified aortic valve. Then Pearson correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between the above expression, and dual luciferase and RNA-pull down assays for verifying the target relationship. Porcine aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs) were isolated and transfected with pcDNA-circ-CCND1, miR-138-5p inhibitor, and miR-138-5p mimics. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was quantitatively analyzed by ALP staining, and alizarin-red staining was to check the calcium nodules formation. Finally, Western blot was applied to detect the expression of proteins associated with osteogenic differentiation (Runx2, Osterix, OPN) and CCND1/P53/P21 pathway proteins. Circ-CCND1 was highly expressed in calcific aortic valves. After inhibiting circ-CCND1 expression, a significant reduction was shown in ALP activity, the degree of ossification and the formation of calcium nodules in AVICs, and osteogenic differentiation-related protein expression and CCND1/P53/P21 pathway protein expression. By contrast, inhibition of miR-138-5p and circ-CCND1 together promoted the calcification of AVICs and expression of CCND1/P53/P21 pathway proteins. P53 inhibitor (PFT-α) could significantly reduce activation of CCND1/P53/P21 pathway protein expression by circ-CCND1 overexpression. However, P53 activator (Nutlin-3) significantly restored the suppression of the above pathway-related protein expression by downregulation of circ-CCND1. Circ-CCND1 sponges miR-138-5p to regulate CCND1 expression, thereby promoting the calcification of AVICs. (AU)

Preparation of 131I-K237 and the experimental study on targeting therapy in nude mice bearing human lung cancer / 中华核医学杂志

Objective To establish the radiolabeling method for peptide K237 with 131I and investigate the biodistribution and therapeutic efficacy of 131I-K237 on nude mice bearing human lung cancer.Methods Iodogen method was used for labeling K237. The bioactivity of 131I-K237 was tested by human umbilical vein endothelial cell ( HUVEC ) proliferation inhibitory assay and the affinity of 131I-K237 was examined by competition binding studies. Twenty-five mice were divided into five groups randomly, including physiologic saline (group 1), K237 (40 μg) (group 2), 131I ( 11. 1 MBq) (group 3), 131I-K237 (K237 40 μg, 11. 1 MBq) intravenously ( group 4), and 131I-K237 ( K237 40 μg, 11.1 MBq) intratumorally (group 5). Injections were repeated at 15 d after the first injection. The tumor growth inhibition rate was calculated. Student's t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for testing significant differences of data. Results The inhibition rate of HUVEC proliferation had no significant difference between radiolabeled K237 and unlabeled K237 ( (73.69 ± 5.36) % vs ( 62.68 ± 3.83 ) %, t = 1.67, P ＞ 0.05 ). The growth of transplanted lung cancer was inhibited by 75. 01 % in group 4, 78.99% in group 5, 31.15% in group 2 and 12.61% in group 3, respectively. The average tumor volume of groups 4 and 5 were significantly smaller than that of groups 1,2, and 3 ( F = 15. 233 and 13.611, respectively, P ＜0. 01 ). Conclusion 131I-K237 can be readily radiolabeled and it can effectively inhibit the growth of tumor in nude mice bearing human lung cancer.

Diagnostic value of18F-FDG coincidence imaging in thymic epithelial tumors / 中华核医学杂志

Objective Thymic epithelial tumors(TET) consist of thymoma and thymic carcinoma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) coinci-dence SPECT imaging in TET. Methods 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT images of 37 TET patients ( male 16, female 21, age range 24-82 years; mean age 55 years) were retrospectively analyzed according to the simplified WHO histological classification: high survival thymoma (types A, AB and B1 ), median survival thymoma (types B2 and B3 ), and low survival thymoma (thymic carcinoma). Qualitative visual interpreta-tion was based on foci of18F-FDG uptake'higher than that of normal mediastinum. Turnour/lung radioactivity ratio (TLR) was calculated from the counts of region of interest (ROI) drawn around the mass and over a comparable area of normal lung tissue in TET patients. The distribution of18F-FDG uptake was compared with the enhanced CT findings. TLR was also correlated with the Ki67-1abeling index. Statistical comparison for TLR in different groups were performed with variance analysis. Results Thirty-four TET were positive and 3 negative ( A, A, AB) by 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT images. The differences among the 3 sub-groups were statistically significant (F=9.99,P<0.05). The TLR of these 3 subgroups was variable: 1.42±0.27, 2.13±0.74, 3.00±1.19, respectively. A close correlation (r=0.613, P=0.002) of the TLR with the Ki67 labeling index (n= 22) was found. In addition, 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT detected two metastases ( anterior chest wall and right supraclavicular fossa lymph node) that were not identified on enhanced CT. Conclusions 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT is useful in differentiating subgroups of thymic epithelial tumors and in identifying more invasive thymic lesions.18 F-FDG may be a novel tracer that ena-bles in vivo evaluation of cellular proliferation in human TET.