The ultrasound (US) imaging technique has been applied to scoliosis assessment, and the proxy Cobb angle can be acquired on the US coronal images. The spinous process angle (SPA) is a valuable ...parameter to indicate 3-D deformity of spine. However, the SPA cannot be measured on US images since the spinous process (SP) is merged in the soft tissue layer and impossible to be identified on the coronal view directly. A new method based on the gradient vector flow (GVF) snake model was proposed to automatically locate SP position on the US transverse images, and the density-based spatial clustering of application with noise (DBSCAN) was used to remove the outliers out of the detected location results. With marking the SP points on the US coronal image, the SP curve was interpolated and the SPA was measured. The algorithm was evaluated on 50 subjects with various severity of scoliosis, and two raters measured the SPA on both US images and radiographs manually. The mean absolute differences (MADs) of SPAs obtained from the two modalities were 3.4° ± 2.4° and 3.6° ± 2.8° for the two raters, respectively, which were less than the clinical acceptance error (5°), and the results reported a good linear correlation (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">{r} > 0.85 </tex-math></inline-formula>) between the US method and radiography. It indicates that the proposed method can be a promising approach for SPA measurement using the US imaging technique.
Hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution rule of as-extruded 7075 aluminum alloy have been investigated based on the thermal compression experiment and quantitative metallographic test. ...It was found that the dynamic recovery was the main softening mechanism, along with the dynamic recrystallization in the local area within the deformation temperature range of 300–450°C and strain rate range of 0.01–10s−1. Deforming below 350°C, only dynamic recovery occurred with a typical subgrain structure, above 350°C, dynamic recrystallization happened in local area. The dynamic recrystallized grain size increased with the increase of temperature, and decreased as strain rate increasing, showing typical characteristics of continuous dynamic recrystallization. At a higher deformation temperature and a lower strain rate, geometric dynamic recrystallization occurred. A larger strain resulted in more dynamic recrystallization. The second phase particles in the alloy would hinder the slip of grain boundaries, while would promote continuous dynamic recrystallization.
•Softening and microstructure of as-extruded 7075 alloy at 300–450°C and 0.01–10s−1•Dynamic recovery was main softening mechanism with local dynamic recrystallization.•Below 350°C, only dynamic recovery occurred with a typical sub-grain structure.•At 400°C geometric dynamic recrystallization occurred locally with lower strain rate.•Continuous dynamic recrystallization with high temperature, strain, low strain rate
Objective
To solve the bottleneck of plasmid instability during microbial fermentation of
l
-DOPA with recombinant
Escherichia coli
expressing heterologous tyrosine phenol lyase.
Results
The tyrosine ...phenol lyase from
Fusobacterium nucleatum
was constitutively expressed in
E
.
coli
and a fed-batch fermentation process with temperature down-shift cultivation was performed. Efficient strategies including replacing the original ampicillin resistance gene, as well as inserting
cer
site that is active for resolving plasmid multimers were applied. As a result, the plasmid stability was increased. The co-use of
cer
site on plasmid and kanamycin in culture medium resulted in proportion of plasmid containing cells maintained at 100% after fermentation for 35 h. The specific activity of tyrosine phenol lyase reached 1493 U/g dcw, while the volumetric activity increased from 2943 to 14,408 U/L for
l
-DOPA biosynthesis.
Conclusions
The established strategies for plasmid stability is not only promoted the applicability of the recombinant cells for
l
-DOPA production, but also provides important guidance for industrial fermentation with improved microbial productivity.
Low pH-induced alterations in gene expression profiles and organic acids (OA) and free amino acid (FAA) abundances were investigated in sweet orange
(L.) Osbeck cv. Xuegan leaves. We identified 503 ...downregulated and 349 upregulated genes in low pH-treated leaves. Further analysis indicated that low pH impaired light reaction and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, thereby lowering photosynthesis in leaves. Low pH reduced carbon and carbohydrate metabolisms, OA biosynthesis and ATP production in leaves. Low pH downregulated the biosynthesis of nitrogen compounds, proteins, and FAAs in leaves, which might be conducive to maintaining energy homeostasis during ATP deprivation. Low pH-treated leaves displayed some adaptive responses to phosphate starvation, including phosphate recycling, lipid remodeling, and phosphate transport, thus enhancing leaf acid-tolerance. Low pH upregulated the expression of some reactive oxygen species (ROS) and aldehyde detoxifying enzyme (peroxidase and superoxidase) genes and the concentrations of some antioxidants (L-tryptophan, L-proline, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, and pyroglutamic acid), but it impaired the pentose phosphate pathway and V
and secondary metabolite biosynthesis and downregulated the expression of some ROS and aldehyde detoxifying enzyme (ascorbate peroxidase, aldo-keto reductase, and 2-alkenal reductase) genes and the concentrations of some antioxidants (pyridoxine and γ-aminobutyric acid), thus disturbing the balance between production and detoxification of ROS and aldehydes and causing oxidative damage to leaves.
The objective was to construct a prognostic risk model of stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) based on The Cancer Proteome Atlas (TCPA) to search for prognostic biomarkers. Protein data and clinical data ...on STAD were downloaded from the TCGA database, and differential expressions of proteins between carcinoma and para-carcinoma tissues were screened using the R package. The STAD data were randomly divided into a training set and a testing set in a 1:1 ratio. Subsequently, a linear prognostic risk model of proteins was constructed using Cox regression analysis based on training set data. Based on the scores of the prognostic model, sampled patients were categorized into two groups: a high-risk group and a low-risk group. Using the testing set and the full sample, ROC curves and K-M survival analysis were conducted to measure the predictive power of the prognostic model. The target genes of proteins in the prognostic model were predicted and their biological functions were analyzed. A total of 34 differentially expressed proteins were screened (19 up-regulated, 15 down-regulated). Based on 176 cases in the training set, a prognostic model consisting of three proteins (COLLAGEN VI, CD20, TIGAR) was constructed, with moderate prediction accuracy (AUC=0.719). As shown by the Kaplan-Meier and survival status charts, the overall survival rate of the low-risk group was better than that of the high-risk group. Moreover, a total of 48 target proteins were identified to have predictive power, and the level of proteins in hsa05200 (Pathways in cancer) was the highest. According to the results of the Univariate and multivariate COX analysis, tri-protein was identified as an independent prognostic factor. Therefore, the tri-protein prognostic risk model can be used to predict the likelihood of STAD and guide clinical treatment.
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) has become an increasing threat to health, and inflammation and fibrosis play important roles in its progression. Wogonin, a flavonoid, has been proven to suppress ...inflammation and fibrosis in various diseases, including acute kidney injury. This study aimed at investigating the effect of wogonin on diabetes-induced renal inflammation and fibrosis.
Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mouse models received gavage doses of wogonin (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) for 12 weeks. Metabolic indices from blood and urine and pathological damage of glomerulus in the diabetic model were assessed. Glomerular mesangial cells SV40 were cultured in high glucose (HG) medium containing wogonin at concentrations of 1.5825, 3.125, and 6.25 μg/mL for 24 h. Inflammation and fibrosis indices were evaluated by histopathological, Western blotting, and PCR analyses.
Wogonin treatment ameliorated albuminuria and histopathological lesions in diabetic mice. Inflammatory cytokines, such as monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and related signaling pathway NF-κB were downregulated after the administration of wogonin in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, wogonin reduced the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM), including fibronectin (FN), collagen IV (Col-IV), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the kidneys of diabetic mice and HG-induced mesangial cells. Moreover, the inhibition of TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway might be responsible for these changes.
Wogonin may ameliorate renal inflammation and fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting the NF-κB and TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathways.
Terrestrial geothermal springs are physicochemically diverse and host abundant populations of Archaea. However, the diversity, functionality, and geological influences of these Archaea are not well ...understood. Here we explore the genomic diversity of Archaea in 152 metagenomes from 48 geothermal springs in Tengchong, China, collected from 2016 to 2021. Our dataset is comprised of 2949 archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes spanning 12 phyla and 392 newly identified species, which increases the known species diversity of Archaea by ~48.6%. The structures and potential functions of the archaeal communities are strongly influenced by temperature and pH, with high-temperature acidic and alkaline springs favoring archaeal abundance over Bacteria. Genome-resolved metagenomics and metatranscriptomics provide insights into the potential ecological niches of these Archaea and their potential roles in carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and hydrogen metabolism. Furthermore, our findings illustrate the interplay of competition and cooperation among Archaea in biogeochemical cycles, possibly arising from overlapping functional niches and metabolic handoffs. Taken together, our study expands the genomic diversity of Archaea inhabiting geothermal springs and provides a foundation for more incisive study of biogeochemical processes mediated by Archaea in geothermal ecosystems.
Notably, numbers of counterpart type 2 non-TFH cells (TH2) remained comparable between patients with AR and HC subjects (Fig 1, B, and see Fig E1, B). Because there was no difference in all other ...examined TH cell subsets between patients with AR and HC subjects (Fig 1, B, and see Fig E1, B), the difference of TFH2 cells suggests this TFH subset might play a prominent role in patients with AR. Furthermore, we found that blocking IL-4 diminished IgE production (Fig 1, E). ...an upregulated TFH2 response can robustly promote IL-4–mediated IgE induction in patients with AR. ...we measured IL-4 expression on Der p 1 stimulation and found that numbers of Der p 1–specific IL-4+ non-TFH and TFH cells were markedly increased in patients with AR, with greater expression of IL-4 detected again in TFH cells than non-TFH cells (see Fig E3, B). Consistent with previous reports,8 compared with those without AIT, the AIT group demonstrated significant symptom improvement and a decrease in Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus–specific IgE levels after the 12-month treatment, which was accompanied by an increase in D pteronyssinus–specific IgG4 levels (see Fig E4, A and B, in this article's Online Repository at www.jacionline.org). ...compared with those without AIT, a significant reduction in numbers of both Der p 1–specific IL-4+ TFH and non-TFH cells was found in the AIT group after treatment with a more prominent reduction for the former (Fig 2, B).
An abnormality in the regulation of adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes, which catalyzed adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing, was closely associated with the highly aggressive ...biologic behavior and poor prognosis in many malignancies. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the relationship among transcript factors-microRNAs regulatory network, immune environment, and ADAR gene in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). The association among the expression levels of ADAR mRNA and copy number variation, methylation, and mutation status were comprehensively analyzed using cBioPortal, Wanderer, and UALCAN databases in CRC datasets. ADAR-transcript factors (TFs) and ADAR-miRNA regulation networks were constructed by Cistrome Cancer and miRWalk2.0, respectively. The full network and subnetworks for ADAR coexpression genes were constructed using the STRING database and visualized by the MCODE module of the Cytoscape app. The relationship between ADAR mRNA expression and the abundance of infiltrating immune cells in CRC patients was explored by the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource, CIBERSORT, and single-gene gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). ADAR mRNA was elevated and was a cancer essential gene in CRC. ADAR mRNA and transcripts P110 were significantly elevated in CRC compared to normal controls. Low-level methylation in the promoter region and high copy number amplification of ADAR were responsible for high levels of ADAR mRNA expression. ADAR coexpression genes were mainly involved in immunoregulation, especially T-lymphocyte activation. Hub genes, including CD2, CD274, and FASLG, were also significantly upregulated in the ADAR-high group compared to the control group. Besides, M1 macrophages were enriched in the ADAR-high group compared to the control group. This study demonstrated that ADAR, a new essential gene, was involved in the immune regulator and was a novel immune treatment target in CRC.
The degradability improvement of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), one of the most widely used but non-degradable disposable packaging material, is of great significance. However, the balance ...between degradability and mechanical properties remains a huge challenge. Herein, simple hydroxy acids, lactic acid (LA) and glycolic acid (GA) as easy hydrolysis sites were introduced into non-degradable PET via melt polycondensation. A series of high molecular weight poly(ethylene terephthalate-co-L‑lactide) (PETL) and poly(ethylene terephthalate-co-glycolate) (PETG) copolyesters were synthesized with an excellent tensile strength greater than 50 MPa, much higher than that of most commercially available degradable polymers. The introduction of hydroxy acid endows PET with significantly improved composting and seawater degradation performance. Furtherly, the degradation rate of PETG with hydrophilic GA unit was faster than that of PETL, and the mineralization rate of PETG80 reaches 22.0%. The density of functional theory (DFT) calculation revealed that adding hydroxy acid to the PET molecular chain reduced the energy barrier of the hydrolysis reaction. The molecular polarity index (MPI) analysis furtherly confirmed that the higher affinity between the GA unit and water may be the primary reason for the faster degradation of PETG.
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•LA/GA was introduced into the PET main chain via melt polycondensation to improve its degradability.•The synthesized high molecular weight PETX copolyesters had an excellent tensile strength greater than 50 MPa.•LA/GA as easy hydrolysis sites in PETX copolyesters significantly improved their composting and seawater degradation.•PETG copolyesters degraded faster than PETL due to the hydrophilicity and local polarity of the GA unit.
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