LncRNAs as nodes for the cross-talk between autophagy and Wnt signaling in pancreatic cancer drug resistance.

Pancreatic cancer is a malignancy with high mortality. In addition to the few symptoms until the disease reaches an advanced stage, the high fatality rate is attributed to its rapid development, drug resistance and lack of appropriate treatment. In the selection and research of therapeutic drugs, gemcitabine is the first-line drug for pancreatic cancer. Solving the problem of gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer will contribute to the progress of pancreatic cancer treatment. Long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are RNA transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides, play vital roles in cellular physiological metabolic activities. Currently, our group and others have found that some lncRNAs are aberrantly expressed in pancreatic cancer cells, which can regulate the process of cancer through autophagy and Wnt/ß-catenin pathways simultaneously and affect the sensitivity of cancer cells to therapeutic drugs. This review presents an overview of the recent evidence concerning the node of lncRNA for the cross-talk between autophagy and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in pancreatic cancer, together with the practicability of lncRNAs and the core regulatory factors as targets in therapeutic resistance.

Color-coded collateral and venous outflow patterns in estimating infarct progression and predicting functional independence for stroke patients in late time window.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether cerebral collateral and venous outflow patterns on color-coded multi-phase computed tomography angiography (mCTA) can estimate ischemic core growth rate (IGR) and predict 90-day functional independence for patients with late-presenting acute ischemic stroke (AIS). METHODS: The retrospective analysis included 127 AIS patients with a late time window. All patients underwent baseline mCTA with color-coded reconstruction and computed tomography perfusion. Both collateral score and venous outflow (VO) score on color-coded mCTA maps were analyzed and recorded. The IGR was calculated as ischemic core volume divided by the time from onset to imaging. A 90-day modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2 was defined as functional independence. Kendall's Tau-b analysis was used for nonparametric correlation analysis. Propensity scores, logistic regressions, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to construct the prediction model. RESULTS: Moderate correlations were found between collateral delay and IGR (Tau-b = -0.554) and between VO and IGR (Tau-b = -0.501). High collateral score (odds ratio = 3.01) and adequate VO (odds ratio = 4.89) remained independent predictors for 90-day functional independence after adjustment. The joint predictive model, which integrated the VO score and clinical features, demonstrated an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.878. The AUCs of collateral score and VO score were 0.836 and 0.883 for outcome prediction after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebral collateral and VO patterns based on color-coded mCTA can effectively predict infarct progression and 90-day clinical outcomes, even for AIS patients beyond the routine time window. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Color-coded mCTA is a readily understandable post-processing technique for the rapid assessment of collateral circulation and VO status in stroke imaging. A moderate correlation was observed between the characteristics of collateral delay/VO on color-coded mCTA and IGR in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Both high-quality collateral circulation and "red superficial middle cerebral vein sign" can predict 90-day functional independence even for patients beyond the routine time window.

Predicting glioblastoma recurrence using multiparametric MR imaging of non-enhancing peritumoral regions at baseline.

Background: To assess the feasibility of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging in predicting tumor recurrence in nonenhancing peritumoral regions in patients with glioblastoma at baseline. Methods: Fifty-eight patients with recurrent glioblastoma underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, including T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, diffusion-weighted imaging, and dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion-weighted imaging. Nonenhancing peritumoral regions with glioblastoma recurrence were identified by coregistering preoperative and post-recurrent magnetic resonance images. Regions of interest were placed in nonenhancing peritumoral regions with and without tumor recurrence to calculate the apparent diffusion coefficient value, and relative ratios of T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery signal intensity, apparent diffusion coefficient, and cerebral blood volume values. Results: Significant lower relative T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery signal intensity, apparent diffusion coefficient, and relative apparent diffusion coefficient but higher relative cerebral blood volume values were found in the nonenhancing peritumoral regions with tumor recurrence than without recurrence (all P < 0.05). The threshold values ≥ 0.89 for relative cerebral blood volume provide the optimal performance for predicting the nonenhancing peritumoral regions with future tumor recurrence, with the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 84.7%, 83.6%, and 85.8%, respectively. The combination of relative T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery signal intensity, apparent diffusion coefficient, and relative cerebral blood volume can provide better predictive performance than relative cerebral blood volume (P = 0.015). Conclusion: The combined use of T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, diffusion-weighted imaging, and dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion-weighted imaging can effectively estimate the risk of future tumor recurrence at baseline.

FlexDTI: flexible diffusion gradient encoding scheme-based highly efficient diffusion tensor imaging using deep learning.

Objective. Most deep neural network-based diffusion tensor imaging methods require the diffusion gradients' number and directions in the data to be reconstructed to match those in the training data. This work aims to develop and evaluate a novel dynamic-convolution-based method called FlexDTI for highly efficient diffusion tensor reconstruction with flexible diffusion encoding gradient scheme.Approach. FlexDTI was developed to achieve high-quality DTI parametric mapping with flexible number and directions of diffusion encoding gradients. The method used dynamic convolution kernels to embed diffusion gradient direction information into feature maps of the corresponding diffusion signal. Furthermore, it realized the generalization of a flexible number of diffusion gradient directions by setting the maximum number of input channels of the network. The network was trained and tested using datasets from the Human Connectome Project and local hospitals. Results from FlexDTI and other advanced tensor parameter estimation methods were compared.Main results. Compared to other methods, FlexDTI successfully achieves high-quality diffusion tensor-derived parameters even if the number and directions of diffusion encoding gradients change. It reduces normalized root mean squared error by about 50% on fractional anisotropy and 15% on mean diffusivity, compared with the state-of-the-art deep learning method with flexible diffusion encoding gradient scheme.Significance. FlexDTI can well learn diffusion gradient direction information to achieve generalized DTI reconstruction with flexible diffusion gradient scheme. Both flexibility and reconstruction quality can be taken into account in this network.

Effects of H2O on Improving the Performance of a Solid Composite Electrolyte Fabricated via an Air-Processable Technique.

Inert atmosphere is normally necessary for fabrication of solid composite electrolytes (SCEs) as a crucial part of solid-state Li-metal batteries in order to avoid undesirable reactions induced by ambient moisture. Herein, we developed an air-processable technique to fabricate SCEs by employing LiCF3SO3 (LiOTf) as the Li salt, which was combined with Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO) as the fast Li-conductor and polyvinylidene difluoroethylene/polyvinyl acetate (PVDF/PVAC) as the polymer matrix. With the assistance of trace H2O dissolved in electrolyte solution, the room-temperature Li+ conductivity of the obtained aSCE reached as high as 5.09 × 10-4 S cm-1, which was over 3 orders of magnitude higher than that of the one (iSCE, 1.93 × 10-7 S cm-1) cast by the electrolyte solution prepared in an inert atmosphere. The theoretical calculation results reveal that the oxygen atom of H2O exhibits a high propensity to interact with the Li atom in LiOTf (Li···O), thereby establishing a hydrogen bond with the oxygen atom (H···O) in N,N-dimethylformamide (solvent). Such interactions promoted the dissociation of LiOTf and led to the formation of uniform Li+ transportation channels. Simultaneously, the composition distribution was also altered, resulting in a smoother surface of aSCE and lowered crystallinity of PVDF. On this basis, the LiOTf/LLZTO/PVDF/PVAC solution at 60 °C was directly coated onto the surface of the LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode to fabricate the LFP-aSCE film after drying in an oven. The assembled LFP-aSCE/Li battery wetted by trace sulfolane exhibited an initial Coulombic efficiency of 94.7% and a capacity retention rate of up to 96% at 0.2 C (137 mAh g-1) after 180 cycles and a high capacity of 143.7 mAh g-1 at 0.5 C (150 cycles). Overall, this work could pave the way for the facile fabrication of solid electrolytes.

The TRPV6 Calcium Channel and Its Relationship with Cancer.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid-6 (TRPV6) is a cation channel belonging to the TRP superfamily, specifically the vanilloid subfamily, and is the sixth member of this subfamily. Its presence in the body is primarily limited to the skin, ovaries, kidney, testes, and digestive tract epithelium. The body maintains calcium homeostasis using the TRPV6 channel, which has a greater calcium selectivity than the other TRP channels. Several pieces of evidence suggest that it is upregulated in the advanced stages of thyroid, ovarian, breast, colon, and prostate cancers. The function of TRPV6 in regulating calcium signaling in cancer will be covered in this review, along with its potential applications as a cancer treatment target.

Sense and anti-sense: Role of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 in Wnt, EGFR, PI3K, EMT pathways and tumor progression.

An increasing number of studies have shown that FAM83A, a member of the family with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83), which consists of eight members, is a key tumor therapeutic target involved in multiple signaling pathways. It has been reported that FAM83A plays essential roles in the regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin, EGFR, MAPK, EMT, and other signaling pathways and physiological processes in models of pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and other malignant tumors. Moreover, the expression of FAM83A could be significantly affected by multiple noncoding RNAs that are dysregulated in malignant tumors, the dysregulation of which is essential for the malignant process. Among these noncoding RNAs, the most noteworthy is the antisense long noncoding (Lnc) RNA of FAM83A itself (FAM83A-AS1), indicating an outstanding synergistic carcinogenic effect between FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1. In the present study, the specific mechanisms by which FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 cofunction in the Wnt/ß-catenin and EGFR signaling pathways were reviewed in detail, which will guide subsequent research. We also described the applications of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 in tumor therapy and provided a certain theoretical basis for subsequent drug target development and combination therapy strategies.

ILKAP Promotes the Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Inhibiting ß-Catenin Degradation and Enhancing the WNT Signaling Pathway.

The incidence of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and HCC-related deaths have remarkably increased over the recent decades. It has been reported that ß-catenin activation can be frequently observed in HCC cases. This study identified the integrin-linked kinase-associated phosphatase (ILKAP) as a novel ß-catenin-interacting protein. ILKAP is localized both in the nucleus and cytoplasm and regulates the WNT pathway in different ways. First, it is demonstrated that ILKAP activates the WNT pathway in HCC cells by increasing the protein level of ß-catenin and other proteins associated with the WNT signaling, such as c-Myc and CyclinD1. Next, it is shown that ILKAP promotes the metastasis of HCC both in vitro and in vivo in a zebrafish xenograft model. It is also found that ILKAP dephosphorylates the GSK3ß and CK1, contributing to the reduced ubiquitination of ß-catenin. Furthermore, it is identified that ILKAP functions by mediating binding between TCF4 and ß-catenin to enhance expression of WNT target genes. Taken together, the study demonstrates a critical function of ILKAP in metastasis of HCC, since ILKAP is crucial for the activation of the WNT pathway via stabilization of ß-catenin and increased binding between TCF4 and ß-catenin.

18F-FDG-PET/CT for Localizing the Epileptogenic Focus in Patients with Different Types of Focal Cortical Dysplasia.

Purpose: To determine the diagnostic and localization value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in patients with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) who underwent epilepsy surgery. Methods: One hundred and eight patients with pathologically proven FCD who underwent surgery for refractory epilepsy were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 18F-FDG-PET/CT, and video electroencephalography. An MRI diagnosis of FCD was defined as MRI+. A PET/CT diagnosis of FCD was defined as PET/CT+. Results: MRI and PET/CT detected FCD in 20.37% and 93.52% of patients, respectively. The difference was significant. Twenty-one patients were MRI+/PET+, 80 were MRI-/PET+, six were MRI-/PET-, and one was MRI+/PET-. The MRI positivity rate was lowest in patients with FCD type IIIa (5.6%, P < 0.05). Prevalence of MRI-/PET+ was highest in patients with FCD type IIIa (88.89%, P < 0.05). Conclusion: PET/CT is superior to MRI in detecting FCD. FCD type IIIa was more likely than other types to show MRI-/PET+. This suggests that PET/CT has particular diagnostic value for FCD type IIIa patients with negative MRI findings.

Insights into the Roles of Epigenetic Modifications in Ferroptosis.

Ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic mode of cell death driven by membrane lipid peroxidation and is characterized by elevated intracellular levels of Fe2+, ROS, and lipid peroxidation. Studies have shown that ferroptosis is related to the development of multiple diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and acute myeloid leukemia. Ferroptosis plays a dual role in the occurrence and development of these diseases. Ferroptosis mainly involves iron metabolism, ROS, and lipid metabolism. Various mechanisms, including epigenetic regulation, have been reported to be deeply involved in ferroptosis. Abnormal epigenetic modifications have been reported to promote tumor onset or other diseases and resistance to chemotherapy drugs. In recent years, diversified studies have shown that epigenetic modification is involved in ferroptosis. In this review, we reviewed the current resistance system of ferroptosis and the research progress of epigenetic modification, such as DNA methylation, RNA methylation, non-coding RNAs, and histone modification in cancer and other diseases by regulating ferroptosis.

Migration of phosphorus in pig manure during pyrolysis process and slow-release mechanism of biochar in hydroponic application.

Pyrolysis is an effective method for treating of livestock and poultry manure developed in recent years. It can completely decompose pathogens and antibiotics, stabilize heavy metals, and enrich phosphorus (P) in biochar. To elucidate the P migration mechanism under different pig manure pyrolysis temperatures, sequential fractionation, solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure techniques were used to analyze the P species in pig manure biochar (PMB). The results indicated that most of the organic P in the pig manure was converted to inorganic P during pyrolysis. Moreover, the transformation to different P groups pathways was clarified. The phase transition from amorphous to crystalline calcium phosphate was promoted when the temperature was above 600 °C. The content of P extracted by hydrochloric acid, which was the long-term available P for plant uptake, increased significantly. PMB pyrolyzed at 600 °C can be used as a highly effective substitute for P source. It provides the necessary P species (e.g. water-soluble P.) and metal elements for the growth of water spinach plants, and which are slow-release comparing with the Hogland nutrient solution.

Regeneration of Thyroid Glands in the Spleen Restores Homeostasis in Thyroidectomy Mice.

Surgical removal of the thyroid gland (TG) for treating thyroid disorders leaves the patients on lifelong hormone replacement that partially compensates the physiological needs, but regenerating TG is challenging. Here, an approach is reported to regenerate TG within the spleen for fully restoring the thyroid's functions in mice, by transplanting thyroid tissue blocks to the spleen. Within 48 h, the transplanted tissue efficiently revascularizes, forming thyroid follicles similar to the native gland after 4 weeks. Structurally, the ectopically generated thyroid integrates with the surrounding splenic tissue while maintaining its integrity, separate from the lymphatic tissue. Functionally, it fully restores the native functions of the TG in hormone regulation in response to physiological stimuli, outperforming the established method of oral levothyroxine therapy in maintaining systemic homeostasis. The study demonstrates the full restoration of thyroid functions post-thyroidectomy by intrasplenic TG regeneration, providing fresh insights for designing novel therapies for thyroid-related disorders.

MRI characteristics predict BRAF V600E status in gangliogliomas and pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas and provide survival prognostication.

BACKGROUND: BRAF V600E mutation is a common genomic alteration in gangliogliomas (GGs) and pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas (PXAs) with prognostic and therapeutic implications. PURPOSE: To investigate the ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features to predict BRAF V600E status in GGs and PXAs and their prognostic values. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cohort of 44 patients with histologically confirmed GGs and PXAs was reviewed retrospectively. BRAF V600E status was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining and fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Demographics and MRI characteristics of the two groups were evaluated and compared. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify MRI features that were prognostic for progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: T1/FLAIR ratio, enhancing margin, and mean relative apparent diffusion coefficient (rADCmea) value showed significant differences between the BRAF V600E-mutant and BRAF V600E-wild groups (all P < 0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed only rADCmea value was the independent predictive factor for BRAF V600E status (P = 0.027). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed age at diagnosis (P = 0.032), WHO grade (P = 0.020), enhancing margin (P = 0.029), and rADCmea value (P = 0.005) were significant prognostic factors for PFS. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, increasing age (P = 0.040, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.002-1.079) and lower rADCmea values (P = 0.021, HR = 0.036, 95% CI = 0.002-0.602) were associated with poor PFS in GGs and PXAs. CONCLUSION: Imaging features are potentially predictive of BRAF V600E status in GGs and PXAs. Furthermore, rADCmea value is a valuable prognostic factor for patients with GGs or PXAs.

Initial and follow-up high-resolution vessel wall MRI study of spontaneous cervicocranial artery dissection.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the factors associated with ischemic stroke secondary to spontaneous cervicocranial artery dissection (sCCAD) and evaluate the initial imaging markers related to outcomes. METHODS: Initial and follow-up high-resolution vessel wall MRI (VW-MRI) in consecutive patients with sCCAD were retrospectively analyzed. The associations of clinical and imaging factors and variants of the circle of Willis (COW) with ischemic stroke were evaluated using binary logistic regression analyses. The anatomical outcomes were categorized as complete, partial, and no remodeling based on changes of the vessel wall and lumen. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between initial features and outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 115 dissected arteries (79 strokes, 36 non-strokes) were detected in 103 patients. Follow-up VW-MRI was available in 46 patients (44.7%, with 51 vessels), with a median interval of 8.5 months. Pseudoaneurysm (odd ratio [OR], 0.178; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.039-0.810; p = 0.026) tended to rarely cause ischemic stroke, while intraluminal thrombus (OR, 5.558; 95% CI, 1.739-17.765; p = 0.004), incomplete COW (OR, 9.309; 95% CI, 2.122-40.840; p = 0.003), and partial complete COW (OR, 4.463; 95% CI, 1.211-16.453; p = 0.025) were independently associated with stroke occurrence. Furthermore, the presence of double lumen (OR, 5.749; 95% CI, 1.358-24.361; p = 0.018) and occlusion (OR, 12.975; 95% CI, 3.022-55.645; p = 0.001) were associated with no remodeling of sCCAD. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple initial factors were found to be related to stroke occurrence and anatomical outcomes of sCCAD. High-resolution VW-MRI may provide valuable insights into the pathophysiology and evolution of sCCAD. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Initial and follow-up high-resolution vessel wall MRI may help elucidate the pathophysiology of spontaneous cervicocranial artery dissection and provide important insights into the evolution and further facilitate the optimal management of patients with spontaneous cervicocranial artery dissection. KEY POINTS: • Clinical and imaging factors, as well as the status of primary collateral circulation, are associated with ischemic stroke secondary to spontaneous cervicocranial artery dissection. • The follow-up high-resolution vessel wall MRI provides valuable insights into the long-term evolution and anatomical outcomes of spontaneous cervicocranial artery dissection. • The high-resolution vessel wall MRI features related to ischemic stroke and anatomical outcomes may further facilitate the optimal management of patients with spontaneous cervicocranial artery dissection.

Magnetic resonance imaging radiomics-based prediction of clinically significant prostate cancer in equivocal PI-RADS 3 lesions in the transitional zone.

Purpose: This bi-institutional study aimed to establish a robust model for predicting clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) (pathological grade group ≥ 2) in PI-RADS 3 lesions in the transition zone by comparing the performance of combination models. Materials and methods: This study included 243 consecutive men who underwent 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound-guided transrectal biopsy from January 2020 and April 2022 which is divided into a training cohort of 170 patients and a separate testing cohort of 73 patients. T2WI and DWI images were manually segmented for PI-RADS 3 lesions for the mean ADC and radiomic analysis. Predictive clinical factors were identified using both univariate and multivariate logistic models. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression models were deployed for feature selection and for constructing radiomic signatures. We developed nine models utilizing clinical factors, radiological features, and radiomics, leveraging logistic and XGboost methods. The performances of these models was subsequently compared using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis and the Delong test. Results: Out of the 243 participants with a median age of 70 years, 30 were diagnosed with csPCa, leaving 213 without a csPCa diagnosis. Prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) stood out as the only significant clinical factor (odds ratio [OR], 1.068; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.029-1.115), discovered through the univariate and multivariate logistic models. Seven radiomic features correlated with csPCa prediction. Notably, the XGboost model outperformed eight other models (AUC of the training cohort: 0.949, and validation cohort: 0.913). However, it did not surpass the PSAD+MADC model (P > 0.05) in the training and testing cohorts (AUC, 0.949 vs. 0.888 and 0.913 vs. 0.854, respectively). Conclusion: The machine learning XGboost model presented the best performance in predicting csPCa in PI-RADS 3 lesions within the transitional zone. However, the addition of radiomic classifiers did not display any significant enhancement over the compound model of clinical and radiological findings. The most exemplary and generalized option for quantitative prostate evaluation was Mean ADC+PSAD.

Characteristics of pulmonary infarction in patients with acute pulmonary embolism in China: a single-center retrospective observational study.

Background: Pulmonary infarction (PI) is an uncommon complication of pulmonary embolism (PE). The risk factors of PI are still relatively unclear. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective review conducted on 500 patients with PE. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 386 patients diagnosed with PE were enrolled in our study. These patients were then categorized into the PI group (n=64) and the non-PI group (n=322). A comparison was conducted between the two groups regarding the clinical characteristics. Results: The occurrence of PI secondary to PE was 16.58%. In univariate analysis, recent trauma (21.9% vs. 9.9%, P=0.007), pleuritic chest pain (46.9% vs. 17.4%, P<0.001), hemoptysis (29.7% vs. 2.5%, P<0.001), fever (26.6% vs. 8.1%, P<0.001), lower limb edema/pain (37.5% vs. 14.0%, P<0.001), white blood cell (WBC) counts (37.5% vs. 24.5%, P=0.032), C-reactive protein (CRP) (65.6% vs. 41.3%, P<0.001), and pleural effusion (45.3% vs. 18.6%, P<0.001) were associated with an increased risk of PI. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age [odds ratio (OR) 0.975, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.951-0.999, P=0.045], pleuritic chest pain (OR 2.878, 95% CI: 1.424-5.814, P=0.003), hemoptysis (OR 10.592, 95% CI: 3.503-32.030, P<0.001), lower limb edema/pain (OR 2.778, 95% CI: 1.342-5.749, P=0.006) and pleural effusion (OR 3.127, 95% CI: 1.531-6.388, P=0.002) were independent factors of PI due to PE. No significant difference was recorded between the two groups in treatment and mortality. Conclusions: Young patients were found to be a higher risk of PI. Pleural effusion was found to be a factor for PI. PI should be considered when pleuritic chest pain, hemoptysis, or lower limb edema/pain are present with peripheral opacity.

Chryseobacterium pyrolae sp. nov., isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Pyrola calliantha H.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium, designated pc2-12T, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of the herb Pyrola calliantha collected from arid areas of Tibet. The strain grew most vigorously with 1 % (w/v) NaCl, at pH 7.0 and at 25 °C. According to the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, pc2-12T was closely related to the members of the genus Chryseobacterium, with highest levels of sequence similarity to Chryseobacterium viscerum 687B-08T (98.42 %), Chryseobacterium oncorhynchi 701B-08T (98.11 %) and Chryseobacterium ureilyticum DSM 18017T (97.98 %). The average nucleotide identity values between pc2-12T and C. viscerum 687B-08T, C. oncorhynchi 701B-08T and C. ureilyticum DSM 18017T were 79.71, 79.49 and 79.26 %, respectively. The in silico DNA-DNA hybridisation values between pc2-12T and C. viscerum 687B-08T, C. oncorhynchi 701B-08T and C. ureilyticum DSM 18017T were 23.30, 23.00 and 22.90 %, respectively. The draft genome sequence of pc2-12T was 4.64 Mb long, with DNA G+C content of 37.0 mol%. The fatty acids contained in the cells of pc2-12T were mainly composed of iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c). The main polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. MK-6 was the sole respiratory quinone. On the basis of the results of analysis of all the data described, pc2-12T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Chryseobacterium, for which the name Chryseobacterium pyrolae sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is pc2-12T (=GDMCC 1.3256T= JCM 35712T).

The youngest infant with COVID-19-associated necrotizing encephalitis in Asia: A case report.

Acute necrotic encephalopathy in children is a very rare complication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and has rarely been reported worldwide. A 45-day-old girl was admitted to our hospital with fever and listlessness. A nose swab tested positive for the novel coronavirus nucleic acid, and her cerebrospinal fluid was positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. An early head magnetic resonance imaging scan indicated multiple abnormal signals in her bilateral cerebral hemispheres, and encephalitis was diagnosed. Twenty-three days after hospitalization, bilateral cerebral atrophy-like changes were observed on magnetic resonance imaging, with multiple softening lesions in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres, accompanied by convulsions. She was admitted to the hospital for mechanically assisted ventilation, and her condition improved after treatment of her symptoms with antiepileptic medication, anti-infection drugs, glucocorticoids, and immunoglobulins. Acute necrotic encephalopathy associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in children should be detected and treated as early as possible. Satisfactory short-term efficacy can be obtained, but long-term neurological sequelae often linger.

Unveiling the predictive capacity of inflammatory and platelet markers for central retinal artery occlusion.

OBJECTIVES: Cell counting in peripheral blood samples and their combinations have gained wide usage in clinical research due to their convenient and minimally invasive sampling method. This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic Immunoinflammatory Index (SII), and systemic Inflammatory Response Index (SIRI), and platelet distribution width (PDW) for the occurrence of non-arteritic Central retinal artery occlusion (NA-CRAO). METHODS: We included 123 patients diagnosed with NA-CRAO and 120 age-, sex- and blood pressure-matched individuals in this study. All participants underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic assessment. Peripheral blood samples were retrospectively analysed to obtain patients' blood counts and platelet-related indices, and further NLR, SII and SIRI were calculated. RESULTS: NLR, SII, SIRI, and PDW were all found to be elevated and significantly different in NA-CRAO patients compared to controls (p < 0.05). Notably, elevated NLR and PDW were identified as independent influences on the development of NA-CRAO, with a combined predicted AUC of 0.876. CONCLUSION: The utilization of NLR and PDW in NA-CRAO prediction may prove to be more effective compared to SII and SIRI.

RUNDC1 inhibits autolysosome formation and survival of zebrafish via clasping ATG14-STX17-SNAP29 complex.

Autophagy serves as a pro-survival mechanism for a cell or a whole organism to cope with nutrient stress. Our understanding of the molecular regulation of this fusion event remains incomplete. Here, we identified RUNDC1 as a novel ATG14-interacting protein, which is highly conserved across vertebrates, including zebrafish and humans. By gain and loss of function studies, we demonstrate that RUNDC1 negatively modulates autophagy by blocking fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes via inhibiting the assembly of the STX17-SNAP29-VAMP8 complex both in human cells and the zebrafish model. Moreover, RUNDC1 clasps the ATG14-STX17-SNAP29 complex via stimulating ATG14 homo-oligomerization to inhibit ATG14 dissociation. This also prevents VAMP8 from binding to STX17-SNAP29. We further identified that phosphorylation of RUNDC1 Ser379 is crucial to inhibit the assembly of the STX17-SNAP29-VAMP8 complex via promoting ATG14 homo-oligomerization. In line with our findings, RunDC1 is crucial for zebrafish in their response to nutrient-deficient conditions. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that RUNDC1 is a negative regulator of autophagy that restricts autophagosome fusion with lysosomes by clasping the ATG14-STX17-SNAP29 complex to hinder VAMP8 binding.