Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays important roles in many biological and pathological processes, including transcriptional regulation and gene regulation. As lncRNA interacts with multiple proteins, ...predicting lncRNA-protein interactions (lncRPIs) is an important way to study the functions of lncRNA. Up to now, there have been a few works that exploit protein-protein interactions (PPIs) to help the prediction of new lncRPIs.
In this paper, we propose to boost the prediction of lncRPIs by fusing multiple protein-protein similarity networks (PPSNs). Concretely, we first construct four PPSNs based on protein sequences, protein domains, protein GO terms and the STRING database respectively, then build a more informative PPSN by fusing these four constructed PPSNs. Finally, we predict new lncRPIs by a random walk method with the fused PPSN and known lncRPIs. Our experimental results show that the new approach outperforms the existing methods.
Fusing multiple protein-protein similarity networks can effectively boost the performance of predicting lncRPIs.
Appropriate biomimetic scaffolds created via 3D bioprinting are promising methods for treating damaged menisci. However, given the unique anatomical structure and complex stress environment of the ...meniscus, many studies have adopted various techniques to take full advantage of different materials, such as the printing combined with infusion, or electrospining, to chase the biomimetic meniscus, which makes the process complicated to some extent. Some researchers have tried to tackle the challenges only by 3D biopringting, while its alternative materials and models have been constrained. In this study, based on a multilayer biomimetic strategy, we optimized the preparation of meniscus-derived bioink, gelatin methacrylate (GelMA)/meniscal extracellular matrix (MECM), to take printability and cytocompatibility into account together. Subsequently, a customized 3D bioprinting system featuring a dual nozzle + multitemperature printing was used to integrate the advantages of polycaprolactone (PCL) and meniscal fibrocartilage chondrocytes (MFCs)-laden GelMA/MECM bioink to complete the biomimetic meniscal scaffold, which had the best biomimetic features in terms of morphology and components. Furthermore, cell viability, mechanics, biodegradation and tissue formation in vivo were performed to ensure that the scaffold had sufficient feasibility and functionality, thereby providing a reliable basis for its application in tissue engineering.
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•We have optimized the preparation of meniscus-derived bioink with good printability and cytocompatibility.•A customized printing system for biomimetic meniscus, the dual-nozzle + multitemperature printing system was developed.•We have achieved multilayer meniscal biomimetic strategy, especially the best biomimetics of morphology and components.•Focusing on application prospect, we designed a few experiments to verity the feasibility and functionality of the scaffold.
There is persistent uncertainty regarding the developmental origins of coronary vessels, with 2 principal sources suggested as ventricular endocardium or sinus venosus (SV). These 2 proposed origins ...implicate fundamentally distinct mechanisms of vessel formation. Resolution of this controversy is critical for deciphering the programs that result in the formation of coronary vessels and has implications for research on therapeutic angiogenesis.
To resolve the controversy over the developmental origin of coronary vessels.
We first generated nuclear factor of activated T cells (Nfatc1)-Cre and Nfatc1-Dre lineage tracers for endocardium labeling. We found that Nfatc1 recombinases also label a significant portion of SV endothelial cells in addition to endocardium. Therefore, restricted endocardial lineage tracing requires a specific marker that distinguishes endocardium from SV. By single-cell gene expression analysis, we identified a novel endocardial gene natriuretic peptide receptor 3 (Npr3). Npr3 is expressed in the entirety of the endocardium but not in the SV. Genetic lineage tracing based on Npr3-CreER showed that endocardium contributes to a minority of coronary vessels in the free walls of embryonic heart. Intersectional genetic lineage tracing experiments demonstrated that endocardium minimally contributes to coronary endothelium in the embryonic ventricular free walls.
Our study suggested that SV, but not endocardium, is the major origin for coronary endothelium in the embryonic ventricular free walls. This work thus resolves the recent controversy over the developmental origin of coronary endothelium, providing the basis for studying coronary vessel formation and regeneration after injury.
Meiosis is a specialized cell division that occurs in sexually reproducing organisms, generating haploid gametes containing half the chromosome number through two rounds of cell division. Homologous ...chromosomes pair and prepare for their proper segregation in subsequent divisions. How homologous chromosomes recognize each other and achieve pairing is an important question. Early studies showed that in most organisms, homologous pairing relies on homologous recombination. However, pairing mechanisms differ across species. Evidence indicates that chromosomes are dynamic and move during early meiotic stages, facilitating pairing. Recent studies in various model organisms suggest conserved mechanisms and key regulators of homologous chromosome pairing. This review summarizes these findings and compare similarities and differences in homologous chromosome pairing mechanisms across species.
Optic fiber sensors for refractive index (RI) measurement have brought about widespread attention in an extensive range owing to their unique properties. In this paper, we theoretically analyzed and ...experimentally verified a brand-new type of long period fiber grating with two resonant peaks. This structure is obtained by side-polishing method and melting tapered method. Firstly, a single-mode fiber (SMF) is produced into staggered V-shaped grooves on symmetrical sides by high-frequency CO 2 laser. It is then heated and stretched by optic fiber melting tapered system for bending the core towards two-sides grooves. The sinusoidal core is closer to external environment and exhibits a stronger refractive index modulation, which prompts this structure more sensitive to RI. The structure possesses two resonant peaks of 1382.6 nm (dip-1) and 1473.4 nm (dip-2), which can be used to measure temperature and RI simultaneously. The experimental results present that the maximum RI sensitivity of the proposed sensor exhibits 620 nm/RIU (RI unit) in dip-2. Furthermore, compact sensing area, low cost and strong mechanical property of the proposed sensor make itself more suitable for high-accuracy RI measurement.
•Evidence of effects of tropospheric ozone pollution on pneumonia risk is inconclusive.•First nationwide study in China about effects of ozone pollution on pneumonia.•Short-term exposure to ozone was ...associated with increased hospital admissions for pneumonia.
Few large multicity studies have assessed acute effect of tropospheric ozone pollution on pneumonia risk. We aimed to examine the relation between day-to-day changes in ozone concentrations and hospital admissions for pneumonia in China. We conducted a national time-series study in 184 major Chinese cities from 2014 to 2017. City-specific relation between ozone concentrations and pneumonia admissions was evaluated using an over-dispersed generalized additive model. Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to pool the city-specific estimates. Two-pollutant models were fitted to test the robustness of the relations. We also investigated potential effect modifiers. Overall, we observed increased admissions for pneumonia associated with ozone exposure. The national-average estimates per 10-μg/m3 increase in ozone were 0.14% (95% CI: 0.03%–0.25%) at lag 0 day in the whole year, 0.30% (95% CI: 0.17%–0.43%) at lag 0 day in the warm season, and 0.20% (95% CI: 0.05%–0.34%) at lag 1 day in the cool season. Two-pollutant models indicated that the ozone effects were not confounded by PM2.5, SO2, NO2 or CO. The association between ozone and pneumonia was stronger in the elderly. Ozone levels and gross domestic product per capita reduced the effects of ozone, and smoking enhanced the effects of ozone. In conclusion, we estimated an increase in daily pneumonia admissions associated with ozone exposure in China. As the first national study in China to report acute effect of ozone on pneumonia hospitalizations, our findings are incredibly meaningful in terms of both ozone pollution related policy development and pneumonia prevention.
Trace elements As, Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb in soils originate from both natural and anthropogenic sources, and intense anthropogenic activity can lead to excessive trace element levels, which are harmful ...to the environment. We investigated the trace elements in the topsoil of Changchun, China, using stochastic models and the indicator kriging method. The influence of anthropogenic and natural variables on the distribution of trace elements was evaluated, with the proportions of background and anthropogenic sources identified using stochastic models. High-risk maps were constructed using indicator kriging. The results showed that the anthropogenic variables significantly influenced the spatial variations of trace elements. The relative influence of natural variables differed for the different elements. The median values of background As, Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb were 10.55mgkg−1, 0.114mgkg−1, 21.80mgkg−1, 0.036mgkg−1, and 25.88mgkg−1, respectively; while the threshold values were 12.90mgkg−1, 0.200mgkg−1, 29.40mgkg−1, 0.046mgkg−1, and 29.49mgkg−1, respectively. The relative contributions of background values to total values of As, Cd, and Cu were greater than 95%, while those for Pb were 91%. In contrast, Hg showed serious pollution, with less than 75% of the total Hg derived from background sources. The geographically extensive Hg pollution is likely influenced by emissions from coal-fired plants and boilers, while other trace elemental pollutants primarily originate from factory emissions. Furthermore, the atmospheric diffusion of Pb and Hg is significant, resulting in their migration to agricultural areas.
•Distributions of trace elements all fit with binary mixture distribution.•The cut-off values could be identified by finite mixture distribution models.•Moderate Pb pollution and severe Hg pollution are found.•The abilities of atmospheric diffusion of Pb and Hg are strong.•Sources of trace elements are identified.
In this study, we proposed and validated a temperature fiber sensor based on optical signal capture Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (OSC-MZI) with high-precision temperature measurement capabilities. By ...creating three air cavities on a continuously offset-spliced no-core fiber (NCF), the optical signal experiences reflection and divergence within these cavities, which enhances the optical path of propagating light. Gradually, filling these NCF cavities with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres to increase the light coupling efficiency and as a sensing unit. Due to the directly contact between the optical fiber waveguide and PMMA, the state of incident lights is easily influenced by the refractive index (RI) variations of PMMA. When the environmental temperature changes, RI of the PMMA with high thermal-optic coefficient shows marked change, which finally leads to the obvious wavelength shift of interference dips in the transmission spectrum. Experimental results show that MZI coated with the polymer materials achieves a temperature sensitivity of up to 2.04 nm/°C within the temperature range of 25–50 °C. Furthermore, as an interference-based MZI sensor, its total length is only 4.75 mm. The proposed OSC-MZI provides a new approach for combining optical fiber sensors with polymer materials.
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•A high sensitive temperature sensor is achieved by offset-spliced and point coating method.•The highest temperature sensitivity achieves 2.08 nm/°C within the temperature range of 25–50 °C.•The total length of the fiber sensing structure is only 4.75 mm.•Simple structure, easy fabrication, high mechanical strength, good repeatability.
The purinergic receptor P2X ligand-gated ion channel 3 (P2X3) is crucially involved in peripheral nociceptive processes of somatic and visceral pain. Endometriosis pain is considered as a kind of ...inflammatory and neuropathic pain. However, whether P2X3 is involved in endometriosis pain has not been reported up to date. Here, we aimed to determine whether P2X3 expression in endometriotic lesions is involved in endometriosis pain, which is regulated by inflammatory mediators through extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signalling pathway. We found that P2X3 expressions in endometriosis endometrium and endometriotic lesions were both significantly higher as compared with control endometrium (P<0.05), and both positively correlated with pain (P<0.05). The expression levels of phosphorylated -ERK (p-ERK), phosphorylated-cAMP-response element binding protein (p-CREB), and P2X3 in endometriotic stromal cells (ESCs) were all significantly increased in comparison to the initial levels after treated with interleukin (IL)-1β (P<0.05) or adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (P<0.05), respectively, and did not increase after the ESCs were pre-treated with ERK1/2 inhibitor. Additionally, P2X3 and calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) were co-expressed in endometriotic lesions. These obtained results suggest that P2X3 might be involved in endometriosis pain signal transduction via ERK signal pathway.
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