Engineered extracellular vesicles carrying let-7a-5p for alleviating inflammation in acute lung injury.

BACKGROUND: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a life-threatening respiratory condition characterized by severe inflammation and lung tissue damage, frequently causing rapid respiratory failure and long-term complications. The microRNA let-7a-5p is involved in the progression of lung injury, inflammation, and fibrosis by regulating immune cell activation and cytokine production. This study aims to use an innovative cellular electroporation platform to generate extracellular vesicles (EVs) carring let-7a-5p (EV-let-7a-5p) derived from transfected Wharton's jelly-mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) as a potential gene therapy for ALI. METHODS: A cellular nanoporation (CNP) method was used to induce the production and release of EV-let-7a-5p from WJ-MSCs transfected with the relevant plasmid DNA. EV-let-7a-5p in the conditioned medium were isolated using a tangential flow filtration (TFF) system. EV characterization followed the minimal consensus guidelines outlined by the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles. We conducted a thorough set of therapeutic assessments, including the antifibrotic effects using a transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß)-induced cell model, the modulation effects on macrophage polarization, and the influence of EV-let-7a-5p in a rat model of hyperoxia-induced ALI. RESULTS: The CNP platform significantly increased EV secretion from transfected WJ-MSCs, and the encapsulated let-7a-5p in engineered EVs was markedly higher than that in untreated WJ-MSCs. These EV-let-7a-5p did not influence cell proliferation and effectively mitigated the TGF-ß-induced fibrotic phenotype by downregulating SMAD2/3 phosphorylation in LL29 cells. Furthermore, EV-let-7a-5p regulated M2-like macrophage activation in an inflammatory microenvironment and significantly induced interleukin (IL)-10 secretion, demonstrating their modulatory effect on inflammation. Administering EVs from untreated WJ-MSCs slightly improved lung function and increased let-7a-5p expression in plasma in the hyperoxia-induced ALI rat model. In comparison, EV-let-7a-5p significantly reduced macrophage infiltration and collagen deposition while increasing IL-10 expression, causing a substantial improvement in lung function. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that the use of the CNP platform to stimulate and transfect WJ-MSCs could generate an abundance of let-7a-5p-enriched EVs, which underscores the therapeutic potential in countering inflammatory responses, fibrotic activation, and hyperoxia-induced lung injury. These results provide potential avenues for developing innovative therapeutic approaches for more effective interventions in ALI.

Study on the Consistency Between Automatic Measurement Based on Convolutional Neural Network Technology and Manual Visual Evaluation in Intracavitary Ultrasonic Cine of Anterior Pelvic.

OBJECTIVES: This study was to evaluate the application of automatic measurement based on convolutional neural network (CNN) technology in intracavitary ultrasound cine of anterior pelvic. METHODS: A total of 500 patients who underwent pelvic floor ultrasound examination at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital from July 2021 to February 2022 were retrospectively retrieved by the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) system, and 300 cases were used as a training set. The training set was labeled by three experienced ultrasound physicians to train CNN models and develop an automatic measurement software. The remaining 200 cases were used as a test set. Automatic measurement software identified relevant anatomical structures frame by frame and determined the two frames with the greatest difference, calculated the bladder neck descent (BND), urethral rotation angle (URA), and retrovesical angle (RA). Meanwhile, two experienced ultrasound physicians evaluated the resting frame and the maximum Valsalva frame on the cines by manual visual evaluation, labeled the anatomical structures in the corresponding frame, such as the inferoposterior margin of pubic symphysis, the mid-axis of pubic symphysis, bladder contour, and urethra in the front, and calculated BND, URA, and RA. Considering that the residual urine volume (RUV) in the bladder may affect the results, enrolled patients were grouped according to the RUV (10-50 mL, 50-100 mL, and >100 mL). The consistency of the results by automatic measurement and manual visual evaluation was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the Bland-Altman graph. RESULTS: Of the 200 cases in the test set, 120 cases were successfully identified by the CNN automatic software with a 60% recognition rate. In the case of successful identification, the ICC of manual visual evaluation measurement and automatic measurement was 0.936 (BND), 0.911 (URA), 0.756 (RA in rest), and 0.877 (RA at maximum Valsalva), respectively. In addition, the RUV had a negligible effect on the consistency. The Bland-Altman plot shows the proportion of samples outside the limit was below 5%. CONCLUSIONS: CNN-based automatic measurement software exhibited high reliability in anterior pelvic measurement, which results in a significantly enhanced measurement efficiency.

Fluorescent Eu3+/Tb3+ Metal-Organic Frameworks for Ratiometric Temperature Sensing Regulated by Ligand Energy.

This work presents three series of Eu/Tb metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) containing benzophenone-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (H2BPNDC), 4,4'-dicarboxydiphenyl ether (H2OBA), and terephthalic acid (H2BDC) as the ligands. Eu/Tb MOFs have the same structural features in that their 3D frameworks are simplified as 2,3,10-connected {42.6}2{46.618.819.102}{4}2 topological networks. The solid-state fluorescence spectra of three Eu/Tb MOF series are attributed to the combined emissions of 5D0 → 7FJ (J = 1-4) transitions in Eu3+ and 5D4 → 7FJ (J = 6-5) transitions in Tb3+. The nEu:nTb of Eu/Tb MOFs is optimized as 1:69 based on the relationships between ITb(545)/IEu(614) and nEu:nTb; that is, Eu0.0143Tb0.9857-L (L = BPNDC2-, OBA2-, and BDC2-) were selected to carry out the following temperature (T)-sensing tests. The fluorescence mechanism of Eu0.0143Tb0.9857-L can be explained by a ligand-to-metal charge transfer combined with an intermetallic Tb3+ → Eu3+ energy transfer. The T-dependent fluorescence indicates linear relationships with sensitivities of 1.85% K-1 for Eu0.0143Tb0.9857-BPNDC, 6.49% K-1 for Eu0.0143Tb0.9857-OBA, and 0.28% K-1 for Eu0.0143Tb0.9857-BDC. The influence of T on the lowest excited triplet energy levels (T1 values) of the ligands reveals that the ligand energy regulation impacts their fluorescence properties, including the sensitivity, fluorescence quenching rate, quantum yield, and fluorescence lifetime. This shows that Eu0.0143Tb0.9857-BPNDC is sufficiently sensitive to T, making it applicable in noncontact T measurements.

Comparative Analysis of Chloroplast Genome in Saccharum spp. and Related Members of 'Saccharum Complex'.

High ploids of the sugarcane nuclear genome limit its genomic studies, whereas its chloroplast genome is small and conserved, which is suitable for phylogenetic studies and molecular marker development. Here, we applied whole genome sequencing technology to sequence and assemble chloroplast genomes of eight species of the 'Saccharum Complex', and elucidated their sequence variations. In total, 19 accessions were sequenced, and 23 chloroplast genomes were assembled, including 6 species of Saccharum (among them, S. robustum, S. sinense, and S. barberi firstly reported in this study) and 2 sugarcane relative species, Tripidium arundinaceum and Narenga porphyrocoma. The plastid phylogenetic signal demonstrated that S. officinarum and S. robustum shared a common ancestor, and that the cytoplasmic origins of S. sinense and S. barberi were much more ancient than the S. offcinarum/S. robustum linage. Overall, 14 markers were developed, including 9 InDel markers for distinguishing Saccharum from its relative species, 4 dCAPS markers for distinguishing S. officinarum from S. robustum, and 1 dCAPS marker for distinguishing S. sinense and S. barberi from other species. The results obtained from our studies will contribute to the understanding of the classification and plastome evolution of Saccharinae, and the molecular markers developed have demonstrated their highly discriminatory power in Saccharum and relative species.

Association between Dietary Diversity and Weight Status of Aboriginal Primary School Children in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine the association between dietary diversity and weight status of aboriginal primary school children. Methods: Dietary diversity measures food intake diversity in food groups, whereas weight status indicates nutritional status. Dietary serving score (DSS) method was used to determine dietary diversity status, while weight status was assessed using BMI-for-Age (BAZ). Results: Results reported that 51.9% and 54.2% were male and 10 years old-12 years old children, respectively. A total of 36.4% of children consumed cereal/grains diversely while fruits were not diversely consumed by 96.4% of them. Approximately 60.8% of children were reported to have normal weight status, which was followed by overweight (17.7%), obese (16.7%) and thinness to severe-thinness (4.8%). There was an association between DSS of fruits, meat/fish/ eggs, legumes/lentils and milk/dairy products with age group, vegetables DSS with gender and BAZ with parental employment status (P < 0.05). The association between DSS of all food groups and total with BAZ were reported to be insignificant, indicating no association between both variables (0.00 < r < 0.30; P > 0.05). Conclusion: Children from this study were shown to practice a monotonous diet, although the majority of them were within normal weight status.

Series of Water-Stable Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks Based on Carboxylic Acid Imidazolium Chloride: Tunable Luminescent Emission and Sensing.

A series of isomorphic lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs), {[Ln(L)(H2O)2]·5H2O}n (1-Ln, where Ln = Eu, Tb, Gd, and EuxTb1-x), have been synthesized by a rigid 1,3-bis(3,5-dicarboxyphenyl)imidazolium chloride (H4L+Cl-) ligand and Ln3+ ions via a solvothermal method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction indicated that 1-Ln exhibited similar three-dimensional porous frameworks with one-dimensional channels decorated by the uncoordinated carboxylate oxygen atoms. The luminescent sensing studies indicated that 1-Eu is an outstanding reusable luminescent probe suitable for the simultaneous detection of Cr2O72-, CrO42-, and MnO4- ions in an aqueous solution. Remarkably, the different proportions of Eu3+ and Tb3+ can be combined into the same Ln-MOF to yield a new series of differently doped 1-EuxTb1-x MOFs. At the same excitation wavelength, they generated dual-emission peaks of Eu3+ and Tb3+ to show a gradual change in luminous color between yellow-green, yellow, orange, orange-red, and red. On the basis of the excellent optical properties of 1-Ln complexes, they can be employed as promising luminescent probe and multicolor tunable photoluminescence materials.

Thiol-Functionalized Pores via Post-Synthesis Modification in a Metal-Organic Framework with Selective Removal of Hg(II) in Water.

Owing to the rapid increase of Hg(II) ions in water resources, the design and development of new adsorbents for Hg(II) removal are becoming a significant challenge in environmental protection. Herein, a thiol-functionalized metal-organic framework (SH-MiL-68(In)) was successfully prepared through a post-synthesis modification procedure, and the framework intactness and porosity were well maintained after this process. SH-MiL-68(In) exhibited selective adsorption performance for Hg(II) ions in water. Meanwhile, SH-MiL-68(In) also shows a high adsorption capacity (450 mg g-1), large adsorption rate (rate constant k2 = 1.25 g mg-1 min-1), and good recycling of adsorption capacity toward Hg(II) ions. The excellent adsorption performance resulted from the strong binding interactions between -SH soft basic groups and Hg(II) soft acidic ions.

Polymorphism of VEGF gene in susceptibility to chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: a meta-analysis.

Background Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important angiogenic factor and may be connected with chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) to some extent. However, previous researches about the relationship between the +405G>C (dbSNP: rs2010963) polymorphism in VEGF gene and the risk of IMIDs are controversial and inconsistent. So we conducted this meta-analysis to assess whether the relationship between the +405G>C polymorphism in the 5'-UTR region of VEGF gene and IMID susceptibility exists. Methods Our literature search was conducted on the PubMed, Embase, Web of science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Biomedical databases to retrieve for eligible studies. Odds ratios as well as their 95 % confidence intervals were utilized to deduce the possible relationship. Results A total number of 5175 patients with IMIDs and 7069 healthy controls from 27 case-control studies were included. For the overall eligible data collected in our meta-analysis, there was no marked relationship between +405G>C polymorphism and the risk of IMIDs. However, subgroup analysis by ethnicity suggested that +405C allele could be a protective factor for IMIDs in Asians, whereas an opposite conclusion was drawn in Caucasians. Conclusion Thus, we may come to the conclusion that the VEGF +405G>C polymorphism could be associated with IMIDs, and the correlation might vary with ethnic groups.

[Genetic variability and phylogenetic analysis of 39 short tandem repeat loci in Beijing Han population].

In this study, we studied the genetic polymorphisms of short tandem repeat (STR) loci from 13 CODIS and 26 non-CODIS system in Beijing Han population for the first time, and established a database of 39 STR loci whose forensic parameters were further evaluated. Our results demonstrated no significant deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium of 39 STR loci and no pairwise linkage disequilibrium between them. The power of discriminations, expected heterozygosity, polymorphic information content, and power of exclusion of 39 STR loci ranged from 0.7740-0.9818, 0.6000-0.9350, 0.5317-0.9047 and 0.2909-0.8673. The cumulated discrimination power and cumulative probability of exclusion were 0.999999999999999999999999999999999999999964971 and 0.999999999973878, respectively. Moreover, the genetic distance was calculated based on allele frequency and phylogenetic tree was built using STR loci data from Beijing Han and other 11 Chinese ethnic groups.This study provides important basic data for Chinese forensic DNA database and population genetics database, and has important significance in carrying out forensic individual identification, paternity testing, and population genetic study.

Preventive effects of Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 with different courses and different doses on intestinal inflammation in murine model of colitis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the in vivo effect of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) with different courses and different doses to Sprague-Dawley rats with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis. METHODS: The probiotic was orally administered with different courses of treatment (with or without pre-administration) and different doses (10(7)-10(9) CFU/day) to Sprague-Dawley rats with TNBS-induced colitis. Therapeutic effects, levels of cytokine in serum, mRNA and protein expression were analyzed. RESULTS: Oral EcN administration after TNBS-induced improved colitis dose dependently. In parallel, a reduction of disease activity index and colonic MPO activity together with a decreased level of TNF-α and a trend of increased IL-10 expression was detected. Pre-administration of 10(7)CFU/day EcN to TNBS-treated rats resulted in a significant protection against inflammatory response and colons isolated from these rats exhibited a more pronounced expression of ZO-1 than the other groups. In the group of pre-administration of 10(9)CFU/day, the condition was not improved but deteriorated. CONCLUSIONS: This study convincingly demonstrates that pre-administration of probiotic EcN with low dose is able to protect colitis of rats and mediate up-regulation of ZO-1 expression, but long-term of high-dose EcN may do harm to colitis.

Inactivation kinetics of formaldehyde on N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Formaldehyde is a widely used sanitizer in aquaculture in China, while the appropriate concentration is not available to be used effectively and without damage to tilapia much less to its reproductive function. N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.52, NAGase), hydrolyzing the oligomers of N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosamine into monomer, is proved to be correlated with reproduction of male animals. In this paper, NAGase from spermary of tilapia was chosen as the material to study the effects of formaldehyde on its activity in order to further investigate the effects of formaldehyde use on tilapia reproduction. The results showed the relationship between the residual enzyme activity and the concentration of formaldehyde was concentration dependent, and the IC50 value was estimated to be 3.2 ± 0.1 %. Appropriate concentration of formaldehyde leaded to competitive reversible inhibition on tilapia NAGase. Moreover, formaldehyde could reduce the thermal and pH stability of the enzyme. The inactivation kinetics of formaldehyde on the enzyme was studied using the kinetic method of substrate reaction. The inactivation model was setup, and the rate constants were determined. The results showed that the inactivation of formaldehyde on tilapia NAGase was a slow, reversible reaction with partially residual activity. The results will give some basis to determine the concentration of formaldehyde used in tilapia culture.

Extracellular Vesicular Analysis of Glypican 1 mRNA and Protein for Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis.

Detecting pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in its early stages and predicting late-stage patient prognosis undergoing chemotherapy is challenging. This work shows that the activation of specific oncogenes leads to elevated expression of mRNAs and their corresponding proteins in extracellular vesicles (EVs) circulating in blood. Utilizing an immune lipoplex nanoparticle (ILN) biochip assay, these findings demonstrate that glypican 1 (GPC1) mRNA expression in the exosomes-rich (Exo) EV subpopulation and GPC1 membrane protein (mProtein) expression in the microvesicles-rich (MV) EV subpopulation, particularly the tumor associated microvesicles (tMV), served as a viable biomarker for PDAC. A combined analysis effectively discriminated early-stage PDAC patients from benign pancreatic diseases and healthy donors in sizable clinical from multiple hospitals. Furthermore, among late-stage PDAC patients undergoing chemotherapy, lower GPC1 tMV-mProtein and Exo-mRNA expression before treatment correlated significantly with prolonged overall survival. These findings underscore the potential of vesicular GPC1 expression for early PDAC screenings and chemotherapy prognosis.

Epidemiological survey and risk factor analysis of fatty liver disease of adult residents, Beijing, China.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: With the changes in diet structure and lifestyle, the incidence of fatty liver disease is increasing in China, especially in cities. The goal of the present study was to accurately determine the prevalence and risk factors of fatty liver disease in Beijing residents, China. METHODS: By using random multistage stratification and cluster sampling, residents aged > 20 years in Dongcheng District and Tongzhou District were recruited, and questionnaire survey, physical examination, detection of fasting glucose, blood lipids and liver biochemistry, and ultrasonography of the liver, gallbladder, and spleen were carried out. Database EpiData 3.0 was employed for data input, followed by statistical analysis with SPSS version 11.0. RESULTS: A total of 3762 residents were included in the present study including 2328 males and 1434 females with a mean age of 46.37 ± 14.28 years (range 20-92 years). Ultrasonography revealed fatty liver in 1486 residents with a prevalence of 39.5%. Moreover, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic fatty liver disease were found in 1177 (31.3%) and 309 (8.2%) residents, respectively. After adjustment of prevalence based on the age and gender constituents of Beijing residents, the standardized prevalence of overall fatty liver disease, NAFLD, and alcoholic fatty liver disease was 35.1%, 31.0%, and 4.1%, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed waist-to-hip ratio, diastolic pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were closely related to NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS: The Beijing residents have a high prevalence of fatty liver disease as much as 35.1%, which is characterized by NAFLD. Obesity, and glucose and lipid metabolism disorders are the main risk factors of fatty liver disease.

Comparative Study on Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Polysaccharides from Vinegar-Baked Radix Bupleuri Using Different Methods.

The impact of the extraction method on the physiochemical characteristics and anti-inflammatory effect of polysaccharides from vinegar-baked Radix Bupleuri (VBCPs) was studied. Five extraction methods were employed to obtain the VBCPs: hot water extraction (HW), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UA), enzyme-assisted extraction (EA), citric acid-assisted extraction (CA), and ammonia-assisted extraction (KA). The results showed that the extraction method affects the yield, characteristics, and anti-inflammatory effect of the polysaccharides significantly. KA produced the highest yield, Ara content, and the strongest effect of enhancing IL-10 secretion. VBCP-EA exhibited the largest molecular weight (Mw), the highest Man content, and the poorest effect on inhibiting NO, VBCP-UA possessed more Gal than other VBCPs, the lowest Mw, and a comparable effect on inhibiting NO and TNF-α with VBCP-KA and VBCP-CA. All VBCP self-assembled into nanoparticles in solutions, and VBCP-KA presented the lowest particle size. The structure-activity analysis showed that Mw and Man content are negatively correlated and Ara content is positively correlated with the NO inhibition and IL-10 secretion effects; Rha and Gal A content are positively correlated and Glu is negatively correlated with the TNF-α inhibiting effect. The above results indicated that KA is an efficient method for obtaining anti-inflammatory VBCP, which provides new insight into the extraction of VBCP.

The subgenome Saccharum spontaneum contributes to sugar accumulation in sugarcane as revealed by full-length transcriptomic analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Modern sugarcane cultivars (Saccharum spp. hybrids) derived from crosses between S. officinarum and S. spontaneum, with high-sugar traits and excellent stress tolerance inherited respectively. However, the contribution of the S. spontaneum subgenome to sucrose accumulation is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: To compensate for the absence of a high-quality reference genome, a transcriptome analysis method is needed to analyze the molecular basis of differential sucrose accumulation in sugarcane hybrids and to find clues to the contribution of the S. spontaneum subgenome to sucrose accumulation. METHODS: PacBio full-length sequencing was used to complement genome annotation, followed by the identification of differential genes between the high and low sugar groups using differential alternative splicing analysis and differential expression analysis. At the subgenomic level, the factors responsible for differential sucrose accumulation were investigated from the perspective of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. RESULTS: A full-length transcriptome annotated at the subgenomic level was provided, complemented by 263,378 allele-defined transcript isoforms and 139,405 alternative splicing (AS) events. Differential alternative splicing (DA) analysis and differential expression (DE) analysis identified differential genes between high and low sugar groups and explained differential sucrose accumulation factors by the KEGG pathways. In some gene models, different or even opposite expression patterns of alleles from the same gene were observed, reflecting the potential evolution of these alleles toward novel functions in polyploid sugarcane. Among DA and DE genes in the sucrose source-sink complex pathway, we found some alleles encoding sucrose accumulation-related enzymes derived from the S. spontaneum subgenome were differentially expressed or had DA events between the two contrasting sugarcane hybrids. CONCLUSION: Full-length transcriptomes annotated at the subgenomic level could better characterize sugarcane hybrids, and the S. spontaneum subgenome was found to contribute to sucrose accumulation.

Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from Bornean orangutans.

Introduction: Orangutans, classified under the Pongo genus, are an endangered non-human primate (NHP) species. Derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) represents a promising avenue for conserving the genetic resources of these animals. Earlier studies focused on deriving orangutan iPSCs (o-iPSCs) from Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii). To date, no reports specifically target the other Critically Endangered species in the Pongo genus, the Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). Methods: Using Sendai virus-mediated Yamanaka factor-based reprogramming of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to generate iPSCs (bo-iPSCs) from a female captive Bornean orangutan. In this study, we evaluate the colony morphology, pluripotent markers, X chromosome activation status, and transcriptomic profile of the bo-iPSCs to demonstrate the pluripotency of iPSCs from Bornean orangutans. Results: The bo-iPSCs were successfully derived from Bornean orangutans, using Sendai virus-mediated Yamanaka factor-based reprogramming of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. When a modified 4i/L/A (m4i/L/A) culture system was applied to activate the WNT signaling pathway in these bo-iPSCs, the derived cells (m-bo-iPSCs) manifested characteristics akin to human naive pluripotent stem cells, including high expression levels of KLF17, DNMT3L, and DPPA3/5, as well as the X chromosome reactivation. Comparative RNA-seq analysis positioned the m-bo-iPSCs between human naive and formative pluripotent states. Furthermore, the m-bo-iPSCs express differentiation capacity into all three germlines, evidenced by controlled in vitro embryoid body formation assay. Discussion: Our work establishes a novel approach to preserve the genetic diversity of endangered Bornean orangutans while offering insights into primate stem cell pluripotency. In the future, derivation of the primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs) from m-bo-iPSCs is needed to demonstrate the further specific application in species preservation and broaden the knowledge of primordial germ cell specification across species.

An Oral Microbial Biomarker for Early Detection of Recurrence of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Changes in the oral microbiome are associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Oral microbe-derived signatures have been utilized as markers of OSCC. However, the structure of the oral microbiome during OSCC recurrence and biomarkers for the prediction of OSCC recurrence remains unknown. To identify OSCC recurrence-associated microbial biomarkers for the prediction of OSCC recurrence, we performed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing on 54 oral swab samples from OSCC patients. Differences in bacterial compositions were observed in patients with vs without recurrence. We found that Granulicatella, Peptostreptococcus, Campylobacter, Porphyromonas, Oribacterium, Actinomyces, Corynebacterium, Capnocytophaga, and Dialister were enriched in OSCC recurrence. Functional analysis of the oral microbiome showed altered functions associated with OSCC recurrence compared with nonrecurrence. A random forest prediction model was constructed with five microbial signatures including Leptotrichia trevisanii, Capnocytophaga sputigena, Capnocytophaga, Cardiobacterium, and Olsenella to discriminate OSCC recurrence from original OSCC (accuracy = 0.963). Moreover, we validated the prediction model in another independent cohort (46 OSCC patients), achieving an accuracy of 0.761. We compared the accuracy of the prediction of OSCC recurrence between the five microbial signatures and two clinicopathological parameters, including resection margin and lymph node counts. The results predicted by the model with five microbial signatures showed a higher accuracy than those based on the clinical outcomes from the two clinicopathological parameters. This study demonstrated the validity of using recurrence-related microbial biomarkers, a noninvasive and effective method for the prediction of OSCC recurrence. Our findings may contribute to the prognosis and treatment of OSCC recurrence.

[A new method of identifying the peripheral blood and the menstrual blood].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the tissue-specific gene expressions of the peripheral blood and the menstrual blood, and to search some specific factors to establish an effective method for identifying the peripheral blood and the menstrual blood. METHODS: The specific products of the peripheral blood and the menstrual blood were detected by RT-PCR and separated by electrophoretic technology. RESULTS: Beta-spectrin (SPTB) as one specific marker of peripheral blood and 18S rRNA as a kind of the housekeeping gene were expressed in both the peripheral blood and the menstrual blood. However, matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7) as one specific marker of menstrual blood and human beta defensin 1 (HBD1) as one specific marker of vaginal discharge were only found in the menstrual blood. CONCLUSION: There are differences of specific gene expressions between the peripheral blood and the menstrual blood. They could be accurately distinguished from each other by using the combination of fluorescence technology and RT-PCR to detect the specific identification of mRNA.

The Role of Nutrition in Osteoarthritis: A Literature Review.

A literature review to identify nutritional factors and the prevention and management of knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA) suggests that nutritional interventions offer some health benefits in OA through mechanisms such as weight loss, reduced inflammation, and antioxidant capacity. However, because data are limited with mixed results, high-quality evidence, including longitudinal studies and clinical trials, are needed to understand whether nutritional supplementation effectively prevents or manages OA. Therefore, healthcare professionals should consider promoting diets rich in fiber, including whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes or dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, to their patients to manage OA.

mtTB: A Web-Based R/Shiny App for Pulmonary Tuberculosis Screening.

Pulmonary tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains a global issue. However, the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) remains a challenge in the clinic. Small non-coding RNAs are potential diagnostic biomarkers for pulmonary tuberculosis. However, the current normalization methods are not stable and usually fail to reliably detect differentially expressed sncRNAs. To identify reliable biomarkers for pulmonary tuberculosis screening, we utilized the ratio-based method on the newly discovered mitochondria-derived small RNAs in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The prediction model of seven mtRNA biomarkers noteworthily enables the discrimination between pulmonary tuberculosis patients and controls in discovery (AUC = 0.906, 23 patients) and independent validation cohort (AUC = 0.968, 20 patients). Moreover, we present mtTB (https://tuberculosis.shinyapps.io/mtTB/), a novel R Graphical User Interface (GUI) that provides reliable biomarkers for the feasibility of blood-based screening, and produce a more accurate tool for pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis in real clinical practice.