Systematic exploration of dynamic splicing networks reveals conserved multistage regulators of neurogenesis.

Alternative splicing (AS) is a critical regulatory layer; yet, factors controlling functionally coordinated splicing programs during developmental transitions are poorly understood. Here, we employ a screening strategy to identify factors controlling dynamic splicing events important for mammalian neurogenesis. Among previously unknown regulators, Rbm38 acts widely to negatively control neural AS, in part through interactions mediated by the established repressor of splicing, Ptbp1. Puf60, a ubiquitous factor, is surprisingly found to promote neural splicing patterns. This activity requires a conserved, neural-differential exon that remodels Puf60 co-factor interactions. Ablation of this exon rewires distinct AS networks in embryonic stem cells and at different stages of mouse neurogenesis. Single-cell transcriptome analyses further reveal distinct roles for Rbm38 and Puf60 isoforms in establishing neuronal identity. Our results describe important roles for previously unknown regulators of neurogenesis and establish how an alternative exon in a widely expressed splicing factor orchestrates temporal control over cell differentiation.

Bacterial outer membrane vesicle nanorobot.

Autonomous nanorobots represent an advanced tool for precision therapy to improve therapeutic efficacy. However, current nanorobotic designs primarily rely on inorganic materials with compromised biocompatibility and limited biological functions. Here, we introduce enzyme-powered bacterial outer membrane vesicle (OMV) nanorobots. The immobilized urease on the OMV membrane catalyzes the decomposition of bioavailable urea, generating effective propulsion for nanorobots. This OMV nanorobot preserves the unique features of OMVs, including intrinsic biocompatibility, immunogenicity, versatile surface bioengineering for desired biofunctionalities, capability of cargo loading and protection. We present OMV-based nanorobots designed for effective tumor therapy by leveraging the membrane properties of OMVs. These involve surface bioengineering of robotic body with cell-penetrating peptide for tumor targeting and penetration, which is further enhanced by active propulsion of nanorobots. Additionally, OMV nanorobots can effectively safeguard the loaded gene silencing tool, small interfering RNA (siRNA), from enzymatic degradation. Through systematic in vitro and in vivo studies using a rodent model, we demonstrate that these OMV nanorobots substantially enhanced siRNA delivery and immune stimulation, resulting in the utmost effectiveness in tumor suppression when juxtaposed with static groups, particularly evident in the orthotopic bladder tumor model. This OMV nanorobot opens an inspiring avenue to design advanced medical robots with expanded versatility and adaptability, broadening their operation scope in practical biomedical domains.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4E-5 is required for spermiogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster.

Drosophila sperm development is characterized by extensive post-transcriptional regulation whereby thousands of transcripts are preserved for translation during later stages. A key step in translation initiation is the binding of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) to the 5' mRNA cap. In addition to canonical eIF4E-1, Drosophila has multiple eIF4E paralogs, including four (eIF4E-3, -4, -5, and -7) that are highly expressed in the testis. Among these, only eIF4E-3 has been characterized genetically. Here, using CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis, we determined that eIF4E-5 is essential for male fertility. eIF4E-5 protein localizes to the distal ends of elongated spermatid cysts, and eIF4E-5 mutants exhibit defects during post-meiotic stages, including a mild defect in spermatid cyst polarization. eIF4E-5 mutants also have a fully penetrant defect in individualization, resulting in failure to produce mature sperm. Indeed, our data indicate that eIF4E-5 regulates non-apoptotic caspase activity during individualization by promoting local accumulation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase inhibitor Soti. Our results further extend the diversity of non-canonical eIF4Es that carry out distinct spatiotemporal roles during spermatogenesis.

Wearable and Implantable Soft Robots.

Soft robotics presents innovative solutions across different scales. The flexibility and mechanical characteristics of soft robots make them particularly appealing for wearable and implantable applications. The scale and level of invasiveness required for soft robots depend on the extent of human interaction. This review provides a comprehensive overview of wearable and implantable soft robots, including applications in rehabilitation, assistance, organ simulation, surgical tools, and therapy. We discuss challenges such as the complexity of fabrication processes, the integration of responsive materials, and the need for robust control strategies, while focusing on advances in materials, actuation and sensing mechanisms, and fabrication techniques. Finally, we discuss the future outlook, highlighting key challenges and proposing potential solutions.

Functional genomic landscape of cancer-intrinsic evasion of killing by T cells.

The genetic circuits that allow cancer cells to evade destruction by the host immune system remain poorly understood1-3. Here, to identify a phenotypically robust core set of genes and pathways that enable cancer cells to evade killing mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), we performed genome-wide CRISPR screens across a panel of genetically diverse mouse cancer cell lines that were cultured in the presence of CTLs. We identify a core set of 182 genes across these mouse cancer models, the individual perturbation of which increases either the sensitivity or the resistance of cancer cells to CTL-mediated toxicity. Systematic exploration of our dataset using genetic co-similarity reveals the hierarchical and coordinated manner in which genes and pathways act in cancer cells to orchestrate their evasion of CTLs, and shows that discrete functional modules that control the interferon response and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-induced cytotoxicity are dominant sub-phenotypes. Our data establish a central role for genes that were previously identified as negative regulators of the type-II interferon response (for example, Ptpn2, Socs1 and Adar1) in mediating CTL evasion, and show that the lipid-droplet-related gene Fitm2 is required for maintaining cell fitness after exposure to interferon-γ (IFNγ). In addition, we identify the autophagy pathway as a conserved mediator of the evasion of CTLs by cancer cells, and show that this pathway is required to resist cytotoxicity induced by the cytokines IFNγ and TNF. Through the mapping of cytokine- and CTL-based genetic interactions, together with in vivo CRISPR screens, we show how the pleiotropic effects of autophagy control cancer-cell-intrinsic evasion of killing by CTLs and we highlight the importance of these effects within the tumour microenvironment. Collectively, these data expand our knowledge of the genetic circuits that are involved in the evasion of the immune system by cancer cells, and highlight genetic interactions that contribute to phenotypes associated with escape from killing by CTLs.

Genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 Interrogation of Splicing Networks Reveals a Mechanism for Recognition of Autism-Misregulated Neuronal Microexons.

Alternative splicing is crucial for diverse cellular, developmental, and pathological processes. However, the full networks of factors that control individual splicing events are not known. Here, we describe a CRISPR-based strategy for the genome-wide elucidation of pathways that control splicing and apply it to microexons with important functions in nervous system development and that are commonly misregulated in autism. Approximately 200 genes associated with functionally diverse regulatory layers and enriched in genetic links to autism control neuronal microexons. Remarkably, the widely expressed RNA binding proteins Srsf11 and Rnps1 directly, preferentially, and frequently co-activate these microexons. These factors form critical interactions with the neuronal splicing regulator Srrm4 and a bi-partite intronic splicing enhancer element to promote spliceosome formation. Our study thus presents a versatile system for the identification of entire splicing regulatory pathways and further reveals a common mechanism for the definition of neuronal microexons that is disrupted in autism.

Multilayered Control of Alternative Splicing Regulatory Networks by Transcription Factors.

Networks of coordinated alternative splicing (AS) events play critical roles in development and disease. However, a comprehensive knowledge of the factors that regulate these networks is lacking. We describe a high-throughput system for systematically linking trans-acting factors to endogenous RNA regulatory events. Using this system, we identify hundreds of factors associated with diverse regulatory layers that positively or negatively control AS events linked to cell fate. Remarkably, more than one-third of the regulators are transcription factors. Further analyses of the zinc finger protein Zfp871 and BTB/POZ domain transcription factor Nacc1, which regulate neural and stem cell AS programs, respectively, reveal roles in controlling the expression of specific splicing regulators. Surprisingly, these proteins also appear to regulate target AS programs via binding RNA. Our results thus uncover a large "missing cache" of splicing regulators among annotated transcription factors, some of which dually regulate AS through direct and indirect mechanisms.

Ischemia-reperfusion responses in human lung transplants at the single-cell resolution.

Ischemia-reperfusion is an unavoidable step of organ transplantation. Development of therapeutics for lung injury during transplantation has proved challenging; understanding lung injury from human data at the single-cell resolution is required to accelerate the development of therapeutics. Donor lung biopsies from 6 human lung transplant cases were collected at the end of cold preservation and 2-hour reperfusion and underwent single-cell RNA sequencing. Donor and recipient origin of cells from the reperfusion timepoint were deconvolved. Gene expression profiles were: (1) compared between each donor cell type between timepoints and (2) compared between donor and recipient cells. Inflammatory responses from donor lung macrophages were found after reperfusion with upregulation of multiple cytokines and chemokines, especially IL-1ß and IL-1α. Significant inflammatory responses were found in alveolar epithelial cells (featured by CXCL8) and lung endothelial cells (featured by IL-6 upregulation). Different inflammatory responses were noted between donor and recipient monocytes and CD8+ T cells. The inflammatory signals and differences between donor and recipient cells observed provide insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of ischemia-reperfusion induced lung injury. Further investigations may lead to the development of novel targeted therapeutics.

Low Absolute Lymphocyte Count Correlates with Lymph Node Metastases and Worse Survival of Patients with Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have found that the absolute lymphocyte (ALC) or neutrophil count predicts the survival of patients with solid tumors, and that the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the prognostic nutritional index are useful markers of gastric cancer prognosis. However, it remains unclear whether the ALC is prognostic of lymph node (LN) metastasis in patients with gastric cancer. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of ALC on prognosis and distinctive clinical characteristics in patients with gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The medical records of patients with gastric adenocarcinomas who underwent radical gastrectomy with curative intent at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital between January 2010 and December 2017 were reviewed. Of these, 4149 patients for whom preoperative white blood cell, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts were available were enrolled. RESULTS: In all 4149 patients, ALC gradually decreased as the pN stage increased. Those with an ALC of less than 1360 cells/µL were defined as a low-ALC group, and advanced cT and cN stages were the strongest risk factors for LN metastasis in both univariate and multivariate analyses; undifferentiated tumor histology and a low ALC were also significant risk factors. Patients of all stages in the ALC-low group exhibited poorer prognoses. The ALC-low group also exhibited a higher recurrence rate in a greater proportion of LNs. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with gastric cancer, as the preoperative ALC decreases, the incidence of LN metastasis increases. A low ALC is associated with a high recurrence rate, particularly in LNs.

Optimized production of full-length PCV2d virus-like particles in Escherichia coli: A cost-effective and high-yield approach for potential vaccine antigen development.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a globally prevalent infectious pathogen affecting swine, with its capsid protein (Cap) being the sole structural protein critical for vaccine development. Prior research has demonstrated that PCV2 Cap proteins produced in Escherichia coli (E. coli) can form virus-like particles (VLPs) in vitro, and nuclear localization signal peptides (NLS) play a pivotal role in stabilizing PCV2 VLPs. Recently, PCV2d has emerged as an important strain within the PCV2 epidemic. In this study, we systematically optimized the PCV2d Cap protein and successfully produced intact PCV2d VLPs containing NLS using E. coli. The recombinant PCV2d Cap protein was purified through affinity chromatography, yielding 7.5 mg of recombinant protein per 100 ml of bacterial culture. We augmented the conventional buffer system with various substances such as arginine, ß-mercaptoethanol, glycerol, polyethylene glycol, and glutathione to promote VLP assembly. The recombinant PCV2d Cap self-assembled into VLPs approximately 20 nm in diameter, featuring uniform distribution and exceptional stability in the optimized buffer. We developed the vaccine and immunized pigs and mice, evaluating the immunogenicity of the PCV2d VLPs vaccine by measuring PCV2-IgG, IL-4, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels, comparing them to commercial vaccines utilizing truncated PCV2 Cap antigens. The HE staining and immunohistochemical tests confirmed that the PCV2 VLPs vaccine offered robust protection. The results revealed that animals vaccinated with the PCV2d VLPs vaccine exhibited high levels of PCV2 antibodies, with TNF-α and IFN-γ levels rapidly increasing at 14 days post-immunization, which were higher than those observed in commercially available vaccines, particularly in the mouse trial. This could be due to the fact that full-length Cap proteins can assemble into more stable PCV2d VLPs in the assembling buffer. In conclusion, our produced PCV2d VLPs vaccine elicited stronger immune responses in pigs and mice compared to commercial vaccines. The PCV2d VLPs from this study serve as an excellent candidate vaccine antigen, providing insights for PCV2d vaccine research.

High-risk screening for late-onset Pompe disease in China: An expanded multicenter study.

Late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) is caused by a genetic deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA), leading to progressive limb-girdle weakness and respiratory impairment. The insidious onset of non-specific early symptoms often prohibits timely diagnosis. This study aimed to validate the high-risk screening criteria for LOPD in the Chinese population. A total of 726 patients were included, including 96 patients under 14 years of age. Dried blood spots (DBS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) were employed to evaluate serum GAA activity. Forty-four patients exhibited a decreased GAA activity, 16 (2.2%) of which were confirmed as LOPD by genetic testing. Three previously unreported GAA mutations were also identified. The median diagnostic delay was shortened to 3 years, which excelled the previous retrospective studies. At diagnosis, most patients exhibited impaired respiratory function and/or limb-girdle weakness. Elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) levels were more frequently observed in patients who manifested before age 16. Overall, high-risk screening is a feasible and efficient method to identify LOPD patients at an early stage. Patients over 1 year of age with either weakness in axial and/or proximal limb muscles, or unexplained respiratory distress shall be subject to GAA enzymatic test, while CK levels above 2 times the upper normal limit shall be an additional criterion for patients under 16. This modified high-risk screening criteria for LOPD requires further validation in larger Chinese cohorts.

A novel ultrasound-based score for assessing carotid artery activity in Takayasu's arteritis.

OBJECTIVES: The role of ultrasonography for evaluating vessel wall inflammation in Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) is well-recognised; however, an effective approach for the quantitative assessment of disease activity remains lacking. This study aimed to develop a novel ultrasound-based score for determining TAK activity. METHODS: TAK patients with carotid artery involvement were prospectively followed-up for 6 months. Our proposed ultrasonographic activity score (ULTRAS, range between 0-12) consisted of wall thickness (TS, range between 0-8) and semi-quantitative echogenicity scores (ES, range between 0-4). The diagnostic performance of ULTRAS for disease activity was evaluated in terms of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Internal validation was subsequently performed. RESULTS: The patients were divided into training and validation groups (n=136 and 30. respectively). In the training group, 83 (61.0%) had active disease. At an optimal cut-off of 7, ULTRAS showed good diagnostic accuracy for active TAK (AUC, 0.88; 95% CI, 82-94). Improved diagnostic performance was achieved when combined with ESR (AUC, 0.91; 95% CI, 86-96) or CRP (AUC, 0.90; 95%CI, 86-95). In the verification group, the AUCs were 0.88, 0.95, and 0.92 for ULTRAS, ESR plus ULTRAS, and CRP plus ULTRAS, respectively. At post-treatment follow-up, the TS, ES, and ULTRAS paralleled the patients' disease remission and symptom recovery. At 3-month follow-up, an improvement in wall thickness of ≥0.3 mm correlated with symptom recovery in 50% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our proposed ultrasound-based score carries the potential in the detection of active disease among TAK patients.

Synthesis of Silver(I) Complexes through In Situ Reactions of dppeda with dmp in the Presence of Silver Halides for Photocatalysis.

Due to the unique photosensitivity of silver compounds, they exhibit good photocatalytic activity as photocatalysts in the degradation of water pollutants. However, silver compounds have poor cycling stability and are prone to decomposition and reaction under light to form metallic silver, which greatly limits their practical application. Herein, a (2-(2-(diphenylphosphaneyl)ethyl)-9-methyl-1.10-phenanthroline (PSNNP)) pincer ligand was designed for stabilizing the central metal. The in situ-formed PSNNP ligand could be readily generated in one pot with the participation of silver halides. The reaction of silver halides with dppeda (N,N,N',N'-tetra(diphenylphosphanylmethyl)ethylene diamine) in the presence of dmp (2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) in acetonitrile afforded complexes Ag2X2 (PSNNP)2 (complexes 1, 2) (X = Cl, Br). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction shows that the tridentate coordination of the pincer ligand provides strong binding with metal centers and leads to high stability of the pincer metal unit. The removal rate of rhodamine B (RhB) by complexes 1 and 2 can reach up to 100%, demonstrating an excellent photocatalytic degradation performance for organic dyes. The important effect of PSNNP ligands on photocatalytic properties after coordination with central metals was studied through experiments and discrete Fourier transform (DFT) calculations. The photocatalytic reaction mechanism of complexes 1 and 2 was also studied. This result provides an effective pathway for the first synthesis of PSNNP and interesting insights into photocatalytic degradation chemistry.

Brunonianines D-F, three new C19-diterpenoid alkaloids from the Delphinium brunonianum, with therapeutic effect on ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo.

The current standard treatment for ovarian cancer consists of surgery to reduce the size of the tumor, followed by treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs, which have major side effects. Therefore, finding a new natural product drug with fewer side effects is a strategy. Delphinium brunonianum (D. brunonianum) is a traditional Tibetan medicine, mainly from southern Tibet, China, whereas the chemical constituents in this plant remain elusive. The major metabolites in the dichloromethane fraction of D. brunonianum were analyzed and purified by HPLC and various column chromatography techniques. Nine diterpenoid alkaloids (1-9) and one amide alkaloid (10) were isolated from D. brunonianum, including three novel C19-type diterpenoid alkaloids (Brunonianines D-F) (1-3). Their structures were elucidated by 1D/2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. All compounds were evaluated for toxicity in four tumor cell lines. Most of the compounds exhibited potent inhibitory effects on Skov-3 cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 2.57 to 8.05 µM. The western blotting experiment was used to further analyze the expression levels of molecules in the Bax/Bcl-2/Caspase-3 signaling pathway for compound 1. Molecular docking was performed to predict the binding modes of Brunonianine D with target proteins. In vivo experiments were also performed and evaluated in real time by monitoring the size of the Skov-3 tumor. Additionally, tumor H&E staining and the TUNEL assay used to evaluate anti-tumor effects.

Rosmarinic acid in combination with ginsenoside Rg1 suppresses colon cancer metastasis via co-inhition of COX-2 and PD1/PD-L1 signaling axis.

Metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of mortality among CRC patients. Elevated COX-2 and PD-L1 expression in colon cancer tissue has been linked to distant metastasis of tumor cells. Although COX-2 inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors demonstrate improved anti-tumor efficacy, their toxicity and variable therapeutic effects in individual patients raise concerns. To address this challenge, it is vital to identify traditional Chinese medicine components that modulate COX-2 and PD-1/PD-L1: rosmarinic acid (RA) exerts striking inhibitory effect on COX-2, while ginsenoside Rg1 (GR) possesses the potential to suppress the binding of PD-1/PD-L1. In this study we investigated whether the combination of RA and GR could exert anti-metastatic effects against CRC. MC38 tumor xenograft mouse model with lung metastasis was established. The mice were administered RA (100 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g.) alone or in combination with GR (100 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.p.). We showed that RA (50, 100, 150 µM) or a COX-2 inhibitor Celecoxib (1, 3, 9 µM) concentration-dependently inhibited the migration and invasion of MC38 cells in vitro. We further demonstrated that RA and Celecoxib inhibited the metastasis of MC38 tumors in vitro and in vivo via interfering with the COX-2-MYO10 signaling axis and inhibiting the generation of filopodia. In the MC38 tumor xenograft mice, RA administration significantly decreased the number of metastatic foci in the lungs detected by Micro CT scanning; RA in combination with GR that had inhibitory effect on the binding of PD-1 and PD-L1 further suppressed the lung metastasis of colon cancer. Compared to COX-2 inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors, RA and GR displayed better safety profiles without disrupting the tissue structures of the liver, stomach and colon, offering insights into the lower toxic effects of clinical traditional Chinese medicine against tumors while retaining its efficacy.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of patients with major depressive disorder on exercise therapy.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward exercise therapy of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University between April and October 2023 in patients with MDD. A self-designed questionnaire was used to evaluate the KAP (Cronbach's α = 0.787). The minimum-maximum scores were 2-23 for knowledge, 11-55 for attitude, and 7-35 for practice. RESULTS: A total of 494 valid questionnaires were analyzed. The mean KAP dimension scores were 15.39 ± 3.34/23 (66.91%), 36.54 ± 19.33/55 (66.44%), and 19.33 ± 5.22/35 (55.23%), indicating poor knowledge, negative attitude, and weak practice. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that female (OR = 0.613, 95%CI: 0.376-1.000, P = 0.050), urban residence (OR = 0.443, 95%CI: 0.259-0.758, P = 0.003), suburban residence (OR = 0.047, 95%CI: 0.016-0.138, P < 0.001), higher income (OR = 3.889-7.928, all P < 0.001), and unclear self-reported depression level (OR = 0.078, 95%CI: 0.027-0.221, P < 0.001) were independently associated with the knowledge scores. Knowledge scores (OR = 1.102, 95%CI: 1.022-1.188, P = 0.011), female gender (OR = 0.437, 95%CI: 0.246-0.776, P = 0.005), city (OR = 0.410, 95%CI: 0.226-0.744, P = 0.003), married (OR = 3.577, 95%CI: 1.751-7.650, P < 0.001), higher income (OR = 0.065-0.392, both P < 0.050), depressive trend (OR = 2.640, 95%CI: 1.110-6.278, P = 0.028), high depression score level (OR = 0.176, 95%CI: 0.104-0.300, P < 0.001), and unclear self-reported depression score (OR = 0.023, 95%CI: 0.007-0.076, P < 0.001) were independently associated with the attitude scores. Finally, knowledge scores (OR = 1.130, 95%CI: 1.051-1.215, P = 0.001), attitude scores (OR = 1.199, 95%CI: 1.124-1.280, P < 0.001), and city (OR = 0.583, 95%CI: 0.352-0.965, P = 0.036) were independently associated with the practice scores. The structural equation modeling analysis showed that knowledge, but not attitude (ß = 0.103, P = 0.092) or practice (ß = 0.034, P = 0.603), influenced the depression level (ß=-0.074, P < 0.001); attitude influenced practice (ß = 0.369, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The KAP toward exercise among MDD patients is poor in Shanxi. Females, people living in urban or suburban areas, with lower income, and self-reported unclear depression levels should be targeted by education interventions.

Esketamine use is associated with shortened postoperative hospital stay in patients after knee arthroscopic surgery: a propensity score-matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have examined anesthetics to improve postoperative prognosis after knee arthroscopic surgery. However, it is currently unknown whether perioperative anesthetics can influence postoperative hospital stay. We investigated the impact of esketamine after knee arthroscopic surgery on post-operative length of stay, fever and surgical site infection. METHODS: This study included 455 patients who underwent knee surgery between January2020 and August 2021at a tertiary hospital in China. Patient characteristics, preoperative laboratory values, intra-operative anesthetic data, and postoperative outcomes were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses with or without propensity score matching were performed to identify factors related to post-operative discharge within 3 days(PD3). RESULTS: A total of 297 cases met our inclusion criteria. The mean age of patients was 42 ± 14 years, mean body mass index, 24.1 ± 3.5 kg/m2, 157(53%) patients were male. Meniscus-related procedures accounted for the most part of all the procedures with a percentage of 40.4%, followed by combined procedures of 35.4%. After we adjusted for demographic and intraoperative characteristics with propensity score matching, esketamine use was significantly associated with PD3 with the highest odds ratio of 2.28 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18-4.41, p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Esketamine use was associated with PD3 in patients underwent knee arthroscopic surgery. The findings of this study will be useful to anesthesiologists in making informed decisions regarding the choice of anesthetics for knee joint diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee (Approval No.:2023-041-01) of the Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University and retrospectively registered.

Two heat shock cognate 70 genes involved in spermatogenesis regulate the male fertility of Zeugodacus cucurbitae, as potential targets for pest control.

The melon fly Zeugodacus cucurbitae Coquillett (Diptera: Tephritidae) is an agricultural quarantine pest threatening fruit and vegetable production. Heat shock cognate 70 (Hsc70), which is a homolog of the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), was first discovered in mice testes and plays an important role in spermatogenesis. In this study, we identified and cloned five Hsc70 genes from melon fly, namely ZcHsc70_1/2/3/4/5. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these proteins are closely related to Hsc70s from other Diptera insects. Spatiotemporal expression analysis showed that ZcHsc70_1 and ZcHsc70_2 are highly expressed in Z. cucurbitae testes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization further demonstrated that ZcHsc70_1 and ZcHsc70_2 are expressed in the transformation and maturation regions of testes, respectively. Moreover, RNA interference-based suppression of ZcHsc70_1 or ZcHsc70_2 resulted in a significant decrease of 74.61% and 63.28% in egg hatchability, respectively. Suppression of ZcHsc70_1 expression delayed the transformation of sperm cells to mature sperms. Meanwhile, suppression of ZcHsc70_2 expression decreased both sperm cells and mature sperms by inhibiting the meiosis of spermatocytes. Our findings show that ZcHsc70_1/2 regulates spermatogenesis and further affects the male fertility in the melon fly, showing potential as targets for pest control in sterile insect technique by genetic manipulation of males.

SLC9A2, suppressing by the transcription suppressor ETS1, restrains growth and invasion of osteosarcoma via inhibition of aerobic glycolysis.

Recent studies have shown that Solute Carrier Family 9 Member A2 (SLC9A2) could serve as a biomarker for cancer. However, its mechanism of action in osteosarcoma (OS) was still unclear. In this study, the data sets GSE154530 and GSE99671 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and 31 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to methylation were screened by bioinformatics analysis tools. Subsequently, SLC9A2 was screened as a candidate gene from DEGs, which was significantly downregulated in OS. CCK-8, transwell, western blotting and Seahorse XFe24 Cell Metabolic Analyzer assays demonstrated that overexpression of SLC9A2 could constrain OS cell proliferation, invasion, and aerobic glycolysis. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays indicated ETS proto-oncogene 1 (ETS1) was a transcription suppressor of SLC9A2, and overexpression of ETS1 could promote methylation levels in specific regions of the SLC9A2 promoter. ETS1 could promote the proliferation, invasion, and aerobic glycolysis ability of OS cells, as well as tumor growth in vivo by inhibiting the expression of SLC9A2. In addition, SLC9A2, suppressing by ETS1, restrains growth and invasion of OS via inhibition of aerobic glycolysis. Thus, SLC9A2 can function as a key inhibitory factor in the aerobic glycolysis to inhibit proliferation and invasion of OS. This indicated that SLC9A2 has a potential targeted therapeutic effect on OS.

ADORA2B, transcriptionally suppressing by MYC, promotes ferroptosis of chondrocytes via inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway in mice with osteoarthritis.

Recent studies have shown that chondrocyte ferroptosis contributes importantly to the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). However, it is largely unknown how it is regulated. In this study, the data sets GSE167852 and GSE190184 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and 161 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to ferroptosis were screened by bioinformatics analysis. Subsequently, ADORA2B was screened as a candidate gene from DEGs, which was significantly upregulated in palmitic acid (PA) treated chondrocytes. CCK-8, EdU, Western blotting, and ferroptosis-related kits assays demonstrated that knockdown of ADORA2B constrained ferroptosis and promoted viability of chondrocytes. Overexpression of ADORA2B promoted ferroptosis, while the PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitor LY294002 reversed the promotion of ADORA2B on ferroptosis. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays indicated MYC was a transcription suppressor of ADORA2B, and overexpression of MYC promoted the viability, and inhibited the ferroptosis of chondrocytes, while ADORA2B overexpression abated the promotion of MYC on chondrocyte viability and the inhibition on ferroptosis. In vivo experiments showed that MYC overexpression alleviated cartilage tissue damage in OA mice, which was able to reversed by ADORA2B overexpression. In summary, ADORA2B, transcriptionally suppressing by MYC, promotes ferroptosis of chondrocytes via inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Thus, ADORA2B can be used as a potential treatment target for ferroptosis-related diseases.