Chronic liver injury leads to progressive liver fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis,a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.However,there are currently no effective anti-fibrotic therapies available,especiall...Chronic liver injury leads to progressive liver fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis,a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.However,there are currently no effective anti-fibrotic therapies available,especially for latestage patients,which is partly attributed to the major knowledge gap regarding liver cell heterogeneity and cellspecific responses in different fibrosis stages.To reveal the multicellular networks regulating mammalian liver fibrosis from mild to severe phenotypes,we generated a single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas encompassing 49919nuclei corresponding to all main liver cell types at different stages of murine carbon tetrachloride(CCl_(4))-induced progressive liver fibrosis.Integrative analysis distinguished the sequential responses to injury of hepatocytes,hepatic stellate cells and endothelial cells.Moreover,we reconstructed the cell-cell interactions and gene regulatory networks implicated in these processes.These integrative analyses uncovered previously overlooked aspects of hepatocyte proliferation exhaustion and disrupted pericentral metabolic functions,dysfunction for clearance by apoptosis of activated hepatic stellate cells,accumulation of pro-fibrotic signals,and the switch from an anti-angiogenic to a pro-angiogenic program during CCl_(4)-induced progressive liver fibrosis.Our dataset thus constitutes a useful resource for understanding the molecular basis of progressive liver fibrosis using a relevant animal model.展开更多
Throughout evolutionary history,animals are finely tuned to adjust their behaviors corresponding to environmental variations.Behavioral flexibility represents an important component of a species'adaptive capacity ...Throughout evolutionary history,animals are finely tuned to adjust their behaviors corresponding to environmental variations.Behavioral flexibility represents an important component of a species'adaptive capacity in the face of rapid anthropogenetic environmental change,and knowledge of animal behaviors is increasingly recognized in conservation biology.In aquatic ecosystem,variation of water depth is a key factor affecting the availability of food;thus,the foraging behaviors of many waterbirds,especially piscivores.In this study,we compared the foraging behaviors of the Scaly-sided Merganser(Mergus squamatus),an endangered migratory diving duck endemic to East Asia,in habitats with different water depths(Shallow waters:0–40 cm;Deep waters:40–300 cm),using video camera records obtained from the known wintering sites during three winters from 2018 to 2020.Further,the energy expenditure of foraging behavior profile and energy intake based on fish sizes were calculated to study the foraging energetics.In total,200 effective video footages that contained 1086 min with 17,995 behaviors and 163 events of catching fish were recorded.Results showed that:1)time length for fishing(including eye-submerging,head-dipping,diving and food handling)of M.squamatus in shallow waters was significantly more than in deep waters;2)M.squamatuss spent significantly more time for preparing(including vigilance,preening and swimming)in deep waters than in shallow waters;3)the mean catch rate was 0.28 fish/min in shallow waters,which is significantly higher than the value of 0.13 fish/min in deep waters;4)despite the distinct foraging behavior profiles and energy intakes,M.squamatus showed similar energetics in shallow and deep waters.We concluded that M.squamatus is a good example of behavioral flexibility that aligns with expectations of optimal foraging theory,in that it behaves in accordance to resource availability in different environments,resulting in high foraging efficiency.展开更多
Visualizing lightning location data is necessary in analyzing and researching lightning activity patterns.This article uses C#and the cross-platform.NET framework to develop a lightning location data analysis class li...Visualizing lightning location data is necessary in analyzing and researching lightning activity patterns.This article uses C#and the cross-platform.NET framework to develop a lightning location data analysis class library and the data-driven client to help lightning researchers improve work efficiency by avoiding repeated wheel invention.Lightning Location System Data Analyzer(LLSDA)is a suite of software tools that includes a.NET class library for software developers and a desktop application for end users.It supports a wide range of lightning location data formats,such as the University of Washington Global Lightning Location System(WWLLN)and Beijing Huayun Dongfang ADTD Lightning Location System data format,and maintains scalability.The class library can easily read,parse,and analyze lightning location data,and combined with third-party frameworks can realize grid analysis.The desktop application can be combined with MeteoInfo(a GIS open-source project)for secondary development.展开更多
Background: Although a large number of studies have confirmed that the different levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cytoplasm and nucleus have effects on cell growth, proliferation, differentiation and apoptos...Background: Although a large number of studies have confirmed that the different levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cytoplasm and nucleus have effects on cell growth, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, the exact mechanism of ROS action is unclear. An important reason is that the production and degradation time of ROS in cells is very short, and therefore it’s difficult to understand the mechanism of action based on the traditional molecular action process through the ROS diffusion and target binding. Methods: The fresh liver tissue slices were prepared and the nuclei of hepatocytes were separated from Kunming mice according to the reported method. Liver tissue slices and hepatocyte nuclei were perfused with extracellular or intracellular fluids containing different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>), and real-time imaging monitoring of biophotonic emission was carried out using an ultra-weak biophoton imaging system. Results: The results showed that the continuous perfusion with different concentrations of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (300, 400 and 500 μM, respectively) resulted in significant increase of biophotonic emissions, presenting a concentration-dependent effect in liver tissue slices and achieving the maximum effect at 400 μM, while the significant enhancement was found after 500 μM treatment on the hepatocyte nuclei. Conclusion: This study suggests that ROS generated in cells may achieve its physiological and pathological effects via biophotonic emissions, which provides a new quantum biological mechanism of ROS, while the detailed clarification requires further research.展开更多
Xuefu Zhuyu decoction has been used for treating traumatic brain injury and improving post-traumatic dysfunction, but its mechanism of action needs further investigation. This study established rat models of traumatic...Xuefu Zhuyu decoction has been used for treating traumatic brain injury and improving post-traumatic dysfunction, but its mechanism of action needs further investigation. This study established rat models of traumatic brain injury by controlled cortical impact. Rat models were intragastrically administered 9 and 18 g/kg Xuefu Zhuyu decoction once a day for 14 or 21 days. Changes in neurological function were assessed by modified neurological severity scores and the Morris water maze. Immunohistochemistry, western blot assay, and re- verse-transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to analyze synapsin protein and mRNA expression at the injury site of rats. Our results showed that Xuefu Zhuyu decoction visibly improved neurological function of rats with traumatic brain injury. These changes were accompanied by increased expression of synaptophysin, synapsin I, and postsynaptic density protein-95 protein and mRNA in a dose-de- pendent manner. These findings indicate that Xuefu Zhuyu decoction increases synapsin expression and improves neurological deficits alder traumatic brain injury.展开更多
AIM To evaluate the usefulness of different parameters to differentiate Crohn's disease(CD) from primary intestinal lymphoma(PIL).METHODS The medical records of 85 patients with CD and 56 patients with PIL were re...AIM To evaluate the usefulness of different parameters to differentiate Crohn's disease(CD) from primary intestinal lymphoma(PIL).METHODS The medical records of 85 patients with CD and 56 patients with PIL were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, endoscopic, and computed tomographic enterography(CTE) parameters were collected. The univariate value of each parameter was analyzed. A differentiation model was established by pooling all the valuable parameters. Diagnostic efficacy was analyzed, and a receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was plotted.RESULTS The demographic and clinical parameters that showed significant values for differentiating CD from PIL included age of onset, symptom duration, presence of diarrhea, abdominal mass, and perianal lesions(P < 0.05). Elevated lactate dehydrogenase and serum β2-microglobulin levels suggested a PIL diagnosis(P < 0.05). The endoscopic parameters that showed significant values for differentiating CD from PIL included multiple-site lesions, longitudinal ulcer, irregular ulcer,and intraluminal proliferative mass(P < 0.05). The CTE parameters that were useful in the identification of the two conditions included involvement of ≤ 3 segments, circular thickening of the bowel wall, wall thickness > 8 mm, aneurysmal dilation, stricture with proximal dilation, "comb sign", mass showing the "sandwich sign", and intussusceptions(P < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the differentiation model were 91.8%, 96.4%, 93.6%, 97.5%, and 88.5%, respectively. The cutoff value was 0.5. The area under the ROC curve was 0.989.CONCLUSION The differentiation model that integrated the various parameters together may yield a high diagnostic efficacy in the differential diagnosis between CD and PIL.展开更多
AIM: To assess “top-down” treatment for deep remission of early moderate to severe Crohn’s disease (CD) by double balloon enteroscopy.
AIM: To investigate the association of three polymorphisms in the receptor for advanced glycation end product (RAGE) gene with Crohn’s disease (CD) risk in a Chinese population.
Summary:Cancer testis(CT)antigens have received particular attention in cancer immunotherapy.OY-TES-1 is a member of CT antigens.This study was to evaluate OY-TES-1 expression and immunogenicity in hepatocelluar carci...Summary:Cancer testis(CT)antigens have received particular attention in cancer immunotherapy.OY-TES-1 is a member of CT antigens.This study was to evaluate OY-TES-1 expression and immunogenicity in hepatocelluar carcinoma(HCC).OY-TES-1 mRNA expression was detected in 56 HCC tissues and 5 normal liver tissues by reverse transcriptase PCR(RT-PCR).Of the 56 cases of HCC tissues tested,37 cases had tumor and matched adjacent non-cancer tissues and were subjected to both RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR.OY-TES-1 protein was subsequently observed on a panel of tissue microarrays.Sera from patients were tested for OY-TES-1 antibody by ELISA.To identify OY-TES-1 capable of inducing cellular immune response,OY-TES-1 protein was used to sensitize dentritic cells and the cytotoxicity effect was measured in vitro.The results showed that OY-TES-1 mRNA was highly expressed in 41 of the 56(73.21%)HCC tissues,whereas none in 5 normal liver tissues.OY-TES-1 mRNA was frequently expressed not only in HCC tissues(72.97%,27/37),but also in paired adjacent non-cancer tissues(64.86%,24/37).But the mean expression level of OY-TES-1 mRNA in HCC tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent non-cancer tissues(0.76854 vs.0.09834,P=0.021).Immunohistochemistry showed that OY-TES-1 protein expression was detected in 6 of the 49 cases of HCC tissues,and absent in 9 cases of normal liver and 6 cases of cirrhosis tissues.Seropositivity was detected in 10 of the 45 HCC patients,but not detected in 17 cirrhosis patients and 76 healthy donors.The specific cytotoxic T cells elicited by OY-TES-1 could kill HLA-A2^+HCC cell line which expressed OY-TES-1.The target lysis was mainly HLA class I-dependent and could be blocked by antibodies against monomorphic HLA class I but not HLA class II molecule.In summary,OY-TES-1 expression is upregulated in HCC tissues and can be recognized by humoral and cellular responses,which suggests that OY-TES-1 is an attractive target for tumor immunotherapy in HCC.展开更多
Although the endogenous function of Tat has been elucidated in the past twenty years, the study of its exogenous activity has been hampered due to the difficulty of large scale preparation of the active Tat protein. T...Although the endogenous function of Tat has been elucidated in the past twenty years, the study of its exogenous activity has been hampered due to the difficulty of large scale preparation of the active Tat protein. To express the full-length Tat protein in E.coli, the tat gene was cloned from an HIV infected patient by overlapping PCR. Rare codon usage analysis showed that rare E.coli codons, especially consecutive rare codons for Arg, account for 14% (14 of 101) rare E.coli codons in the tat gene. The expression of the HIV-1 tat gene was verified to be very poor in strain BL21 (DE3) due to the abundance of rare codons; however, tat gene expression was found to be very efficient in the host strain of Rosetta-gami B (DE3), which was supplemented with six rare tRNAs for Arg, Leu, Ile and Pro. Subsequent purification revealed that the proteins are soluble and unusually, the tagged Tat can form dimers independent of cystine disulfide bonds. The purity, integrity and molecular weight of the Tat protein were demonstrated by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Reporter gene activating assay was further confirmed by investigating the transactivation activity of the recombinant Tat protein. Our improved strategy for efficient high level expression and purification of soluble Tat protein has paved the way to fully investigate its exogenous function.展开更多
Signet-ring cell carcinoma(SRCC) of ampulla of Vater is extremely uncommon,and less than 15 cases have been reported so far in literature.It mainly occurs in elderly people(median age 57 years).We report a rare case o...Signet-ring cell carcinoma(SRCC) of ampulla of Vater is extremely uncommon,and less than 15 cases have been reported so far in literature.It mainly occurs in elderly people(median age 57 years).We report a rare case of SRCC of the ampulla of Vater in a 38-year-old woman who presented with a small tumor at the Vater,discovered by the contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS).Histopathological examination showed prominent signet-ring features.We also describe the imaging features of SRCC of ampulla of Vater in CEUS.展开更多
The brain tumor perivascular niche(PVN),the region in the vicinity of microvessels is a prime location for brain tumor stem-like cells(BTSCs)[1].Tumor microvasculature creates a complex microenvironment consisting of ...The brain tumor perivascular niche(PVN),the region in the vicinity of microvessels is a prime location for brain tumor stem-like cells(BTSCs)[1].Tumor microvasculature creates a complex microenvironment consisting of various cell types,the extracellular matrix,and soluble factors that mediate cell-cell interaction.The brain tumor PVN controls maintenance,expansion,and differentiation of BTSCs via direct cell contact or paracrine signaling cues.BTSCs often receive bidirectional crosstalk from endothelial cells and other cell types in the niche[2].In addition,the perivascular zone may serve as a path for tumor cells to migrate over long distances(3,4)Unlike other solid tumors,glioblastoma multiforme(GBM)cells rarely metastasize to other organs,but they can invade the entire brain by migrating along specific brain tissue structures,such as blood vessels or white matter tracts,leading to high rates of relapse.Despite the success in modeling diffuse brain tumors in both genetically-modified and patient-derived xenograft(PDX)animals,there is an unmet need for an in vitro system that can bridge conventional cell culture and animal models by mimicking not only the anatomy but also the function of the PVN to study the dynamics of BTSCs.In this presentation,I will describe the use of a microvasculature-on-a-chip system as a PVN model to evaluate the dynamics of BTSCs ex vivo from 10 glioblastoma patients [5].We observed that BTSCs preferentially localize in the perivascular zone.Live cell tracking showed that the cells residing in the vicinity of microvessels had the lowest motility,while a fraction of cells on the microvessels unexpectedly possessed the highest motility and migrated over the longest distance.These results indicate that the perivascular zone is a niche for BTSCs,while the microvascular tracks are also a path for long-distance tumor cell migration and invasion.Additionally,the degree of co-localization between tumor cells and microvessels varied significantly across patients.To validate the results from our microvasculature-on-a-chip system,we used single-cell transcriptome sequencing(10 patients and 21,750 single cells in total)to identify the subtype of each tumor cell.The co-localization coefficient was found to correlate positively with proneural(stem-like)or mesenchymal(invasive)but not classical(proliferative)tumor cells.Furthermore,we found that a gene signature profile including PDGFRA correlated strongly with the'homing'of brain tumor cells to the PVN.Our findings demonstrated that ex vivo dynamics of human brain tumor cells in a microvasculature-on-a-chip model can recapitulate in vivo tumor cell dynamics,heterogeneity,and subtypes,representing a new route to the study of human tumor cell biology and uncover patient-specific tumor cell functions.Acknowledgments:We thank Drs.Laura Niklason,Eric Holland,Franziska Michor,and Frank Szulzewsky for scientific discussion.We thank Misha Guy,Vladimir Polejaev,Zhenting Jiang,and Alice Yun for suggestions and help on the simulation computing and SEM/confocal imaging process.This research was supported by the Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering(R.F.),National Science Foundation CAREER Award CBET-1351443(R.F.),U54 CA193461(R.F.),U54CA209992(Sub-Project ID:7297 to R.F.),R01 NS095817(J.Z.),Yale Cancer Center Co-Pilot Grant(to R.F.).The molds for microfluidic devices were fabricated in the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science cleanroom.Sequencing was performed at the Yale Center for Genome Analysis(YCGA)facility.Data was analyzed at Yale High Performance Computing(HPC)center.Super resolution confocal imaging was performed at Yale Center for Cellular and Molecular Imaging(CCMI).展开更多
A system of light harvesting, sensing and regulating was designed based on the photo-thermal and Seebeck effect of flexible CuO nanostructures. Cu@CuO meshes were prepared via self-oxidation of Cu mesh and utilized as...A system of light harvesting, sensing and regulating was designed based on the photo-thermal and Seebeck effect of flexible CuO nanostructures. Cu@CuO meshes were prepared via self-oxidation of Cu mesh and utilized as the photo-thermal material. Upon irradiation by visible light, the temperature of the Cu@CuO mesh dramatically increases. The temperature difference between the irradiated and non-irradiated parts of the Cu@CuO mesh produced a measurable voltage output due to the Seebeck effect. The generated voltage was then converted into a digital signal to control a rotary neutral-density disc to filter the received light. This enabled regulation of the intensity of the incident light at a selected region. This system is cost effective and has potential applications in greenhouses, factories and smart buildings to minimize energy consumption and improve wellbeing.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32200688,92068106,U20A2015,32211530050)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2021B1515120075,2021A1515110180)Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou(202201010408,202201011037)。
文摘Chronic liver injury leads to progressive liver fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis,a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.However,there are currently no effective anti-fibrotic therapies available,especially for latestage patients,which is partly attributed to the major knowledge gap regarding liver cell heterogeneity and cellspecific responses in different fibrosis stages.To reveal the multicellular networks regulating mammalian liver fibrosis from mild to severe phenotypes,we generated a single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas encompassing 49919nuclei corresponding to all main liver cell types at different stages of murine carbon tetrachloride(CCl_(4))-induced progressive liver fibrosis.Integrative analysis distinguished the sequential responses to injury of hepatocytes,hepatic stellate cells and endothelial cells.Moreover,we reconstructed the cell-cell interactions and gene regulatory networks implicated in these processes.These integrative analyses uncovered previously overlooked aspects of hepatocyte proliferation exhaustion and disrupted pericentral metabolic functions,dysfunction for clearance by apoptosis of activated hepatic stellate cells,accumulation of pro-fibrotic signals,and the switch from an anti-angiogenic to a pro-angiogenic program during CCl_(4)-induced progressive liver fibrosis.Our dataset thus constitutes a useful resource for understanding the molecular basis of progressive liver fibrosis using a relevant animal model.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(BLX202147)the Joint Fund for Regional Innovation and Development of NSFC(U22A20563).
文摘Throughout evolutionary history,animals are finely tuned to adjust their behaviors corresponding to environmental variations.Behavioral flexibility represents an important component of a species'adaptive capacity in the face of rapid anthropogenetic environmental change,and knowledge of animal behaviors is increasingly recognized in conservation biology.In aquatic ecosystem,variation of water depth is a key factor affecting the availability of food;thus,the foraging behaviors of many waterbirds,especially piscivores.In this study,we compared the foraging behaviors of the Scaly-sided Merganser(Mergus squamatus),an endangered migratory diving duck endemic to East Asia,in habitats with different water depths(Shallow waters:0–40 cm;Deep waters:40–300 cm),using video camera records obtained from the known wintering sites during three winters from 2018 to 2020.Further,the energy expenditure of foraging behavior profile and energy intake based on fish sizes were calculated to study the foraging energetics.In total,200 effective video footages that contained 1086 min with 17,995 behaviors and 163 events of catching fish were recorded.Results showed that:1)time length for fishing(including eye-submerging,head-dipping,diving and food handling)of M.squamatus in shallow waters was significantly more than in deep waters;2)M.squamatuss spent significantly more time for preparing(including vigilance,preening and swimming)in deep waters than in shallow waters;3)the mean catch rate was 0.28 fish/min in shallow waters,which is significantly higher than the value of 0.13 fish/min in deep waters;4)despite the distinct foraging behavior profiles and energy intakes,M.squamatus showed similar energetics in shallow and deep waters.We concluded that M.squamatus is a good example of behavioral flexibility that aligns with expectations of optimal foraging theory,in that it behaves in accordance to resource availability in different environments,resulting in high foraging efficiency.
文摘Visualizing lightning location data is necessary in analyzing and researching lightning activity patterns.This article uses C#and the cross-platform.NET framework to develop a lightning location data analysis class library and the data-driven client to help lightning researchers improve work efficiency by avoiding repeated wheel invention.Lightning Location System Data Analyzer(LLSDA)is a suite of software tools that includes a.NET class library for software developers and a desktop application for end users.It supports a wide range of lightning location data formats,such as the University of Washington Global Lightning Location System(WWLLN)and Beijing Huayun Dongfang ADTD Lightning Location System data format,and maintains scalability.The class library can easily read,parse,and analyze lightning location data,and combined with third-party frameworks can realize grid analysis.The desktop application can be combined with MeteoInfo(a GIS open-source project)for secondary development.
文摘Background: Although a large number of studies have confirmed that the different levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cytoplasm and nucleus have effects on cell growth, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, the exact mechanism of ROS action is unclear. An important reason is that the production and degradation time of ROS in cells is very short, and therefore it’s difficult to understand the mechanism of action based on the traditional molecular action process through the ROS diffusion and target binding. Methods: The fresh liver tissue slices were prepared and the nuclei of hepatocytes were separated from Kunming mice according to the reported method. Liver tissue slices and hepatocyte nuclei were perfused with extracellular or intracellular fluids containing different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>), and real-time imaging monitoring of biophotonic emission was carried out using an ultra-weak biophoton imaging system. Results: The results showed that the continuous perfusion with different concentrations of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (300, 400 and 500 μM, respectively) resulted in significant increase of biophotonic emissions, presenting a concentration-dependent effect in liver tissue slices and achieving the maximum effect at 400 μM, while the significant enhancement was found after 500 μM treatment on the hepatocyte nuclei. Conclusion: This study suggests that ROS generated in cells may achieve its physiological and pathological effects via biophotonic emissions, which provides a new quantum biological mechanism of ROS, while the detailed clarification requires further research.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81673719,81173175 and 81303074a grant from China Postdoctoral Science Foundation,No.2016M600639 and 2017T100614
文摘Xuefu Zhuyu decoction has been used for treating traumatic brain injury and improving post-traumatic dysfunction, but its mechanism of action needs further investigation. This study established rat models of traumatic brain injury by controlled cortical impact. Rat models were intragastrically administered 9 and 18 g/kg Xuefu Zhuyu decoction once a day for 14 or 21 days. Changes in neurological function were assessed by modified neurological severity scores and the Morris water maze. Immunohistochemistry, western blot assay, and re- verse-transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to analyze synapsin protein and mRNA expression at the injury site of rats. Our results showed that Xuefu Zhuyu decoction visibly improved neurological function of rats with traumatic brain injury. These changes were accompanied by increased expression of synaptophysin, synapsin I, and postsynaptic density protein-95 protein and mRNA in a dose-de- pendent manner. These findings indicate that Xuefu Zhuyu decoction increases synapsin expression and improves neurological deficits alder traumatic brain injury.
文摘AIM To evaluate the usefulness of different parameters to differentiate Crohn's disease(CD) from primary intestinal lymphoma(PIL).METHODS The medical records of 85 patients with CD and 56 patients with PIL were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, endoscopic, and computed tomographic enterography(CTE) parameters were collected. The univariate value of each parameter was analyzed. A differentiation model was established by pooling all the valuable parameters. Diagnostic efficacy was analyzed, and a receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was plotted.RESULTS The demographic and clinical parameters that showed significant values for differentiating CD from PIL included age of onset, symptom duration, presence of diarrhea, abdominal mass, and perianal lesions(P < 0.05). Elevated lactate dehydrogenase and serum β2-microglobulin levels suggested a PIL diagnosis(P < 0.05). The endoscopic parameters that showed significant values for differentiating CD from PIL included multiple-site lesions, longitudinal ulcer, irregular ulcer,and intraluminal proliferative mass(P < 0.05). The CTE parameters that were useful in the identification of the two conditions included involvement of ≤ 3 segments, circular thickening of the bowel wall, wall thickness > 8 mm, aneurysmal dilation, stricture with proximal dilation, "comb sign", mass showing the "sandwich sign", and intussusceptions(P < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the differentiation model were 91.8%, 96.4%, 93.6%, 97.5%, and 88.5%, respectively. The cutoff value was 0.5. The area under the ROC curve was 0.989.CONCLUSION The differentiation model that integrated the various parameters together may yield a high diagnostic efficacy in the differential diagnosis between CD and PIL.
文摘AIM: To assess “top-down” treatment for deep remission of early moderate to severe Crohn’s disease (CD) by double balloon enteroscopy.
文摘AIM: To investigate the association of three polymorphisms in the receptor for advanced glycation end product (RAGE) gene with Crohn’s disease (CD) risk in a Chinese population.
基金This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81860445,No.81960453,No.81560408,and No.81660429)Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Province(No.2016GXNSFBA380159,No.2018GXNSFAA281251,No.2018GXNSFAA050151,No.2017GXNSFAA198001,No.2018GXNSFAA281050,and No.2018GXNSFBA281187)+2 种基金Key Laboratory ofEarly Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor(Guangxi Medical University)Ministry ofEducation(No.GK2018-09,No.GKE 2019-08,and No.K2015-TKF03)Basic Ability Improvement Project for Young and Middle-aged Teachers in Colleges and Universities of Guangxi Province(No.2018KY0109).
文摘Summary:Cancer testis(CT)antigens have received particular attention in cancer immunotherapy.OY-TES-1 is a member of CT antigens.This study was to evaluate OY-TES-1 expression and immunogenicity in hepatocelluar carcinoma(HCC).OY-TES-1 mRNA expression was detected in 56 HCC tissues and 5 normal liver tissues by reverse transcriptase PCR(RT-PCR).Of the 56 cases of HCC tissues tested,37 cases had tumor and matched adjacent non-cancer tissues and were subjected to both RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR.OY-TES-1 protein was subsequently observed on a panel of tissue microarrays.Sera from patients were tested for OY-TES-1 antibody by ELISA.To identify OY-TES-1 capable of inducing cellular immune response,OY-TES-1 protein was used to sensitize dentritic cells and the cytotoxicity effect was measured in vitro.The results showed that OY-TES-1 mRNA was highly expressed in 41 of the 56(73.21%)HCC tissues,whereas none in 5 normal liver tissues.OY-TES-1 mRNA was frequently expressed not only in HCC tissues(72.97%,27/37),but also in paired adjacent non-cancer tissues(64.86%,24/37).But the mean expression level of OY-TES-1 mRNA in HCC tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent non-cancer tissues(0.76854 vs.0.09834,P=0.021).Immunohistochemistry showed that OY-TES-1 protein expression was detected in 6 of the 49 cases of HCC tissues,and absent in 9 cases of normal liver and 6 cases of cirrhosis tissues.Seropositivity was detected in 10 of the 45 HCC patients,but not detected in 17 cirrhosis patients and 76 healthy donors.The specific cytotoxic T cells elicited by OY-TES-1 could kill HLA-A2^+HCC cell line which expressed OY-TES-1.The target lysis was mainly HLA class I-dependent and could be blocked by antibodies against monomorphic HLA class I but not HLA class II molecule.In summary,OY-TES-1 expression is upregulated in HCC tissues and can be recognized by humoral and cellular responses,which suggests that OY-TES-1 is an attractive target for tumor immunotherapy in HCC.
基金This work was supported by a grant fromthe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (grantNo: 12510/R1) a grant from the Chinese NationalNatural Science Foundation (grant No: 30400120)
文摘Although the endogenous function of Tat has been elucidated in the past twenty years, the study of its exogenous activity has been hampered due to the difficulty of large scale preparation of the active Tat protein. To express the full-length Tat protein in E.coli, the tat gene was cloned from an HIV infected patient by overlapping PCR. Rare codon usage analysis showed that rare E.coli codons, especially consecutive rare codons for Arg, account for 14% (14 of 101) rare E.coli codons in the tat gene. The expression of the HIV-1 tat gene was verified to be very poor in strain BL21 (DE3) due to the abundance of rare codons; however, tat gene expression was found to be very efficient in the host strain of Rosetta-gami B (DE3), which was supplemented with six rare tRNAs for Arg, Leu, Ile and Pro. Subsequent purification revealed that the proteins are soluble and unusually, the tagged Tat can form dimers independent of cystine disulfide bonds. The purity, integrity and molecular weight of the Tat protein were demonstrated by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Reporter gene activating assay was further confirmed by investigating the transactivation activity of the recombinant Tat protein. Our improved strategy for efficient high level expression and purification of soluble Tat protein has paved the way to fully investigate its exogenous function.
基金Supported by The Educational Fund of Liaoning Province,No.2008795
文摘Signet-ring cell carcinoma(SRCC) of ampulla of Vater is extremely uncommon,and less than 15 cases have been reported so far in literature.It mainly occurs in elderly people(median age 57 years).We report a rare case of SRCC of the ampulla of Vater in a 38-year-old woman who presented with a small tumor at the Vater,discovered by the contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS).Histopathological examination showed prominent signet-ring features.We also describe the imaging features of SRCC of ampulla of Vater in CEUS.
文摘The brain tumor perivascular niche(PVN),the region in the vicinity of microvessels is a prime location for brain tumor stem-like cells(BTSCs)[1].Tumor microvasculature creates a complex microenvironment consisting of various cell types,the extracellular matrix,and soluble factors that mediate cell-cell interaction.The brain tumor PVN controls maintenance,expansion,and differentiation of BTSCs via direct cell contact or paracrine signaling cues.BTSCs often receive bidirectional crosstalk from endothelial cells and other cell types in the niche[2].In addition,the perivascular zone may serve as a path for tumor cells to migrate over long distances(3,4)Unlike other solid tumors,glioblastoma multiforme(GBM)cells rarely metastasize to other organs,but they can invade the entire brain by migrating along specific brain tissue structures,such as blood vessels or white matter tracts,leading to high rates of relapse.Despite the success in modeling diffuse brain tumors in both genetically-modified and patient-derived xenograft(PDX)animals,there is an unmet need for an in vitro system that can bridge conventional cell culture and animal models by mimicking not only the anatomy but also the function of the PVN to study the dynamics of BTSCs.In this presentation,I will describe the use of a microvasculature-on-a-chip system as a PVN model to evaluate the dynamics of BTSCs ex vivo from 10 glioblastoma patients [5].We observed that BTSCs preferentially localize in the perivascular zone.Live cell tracking showed that the cells residing in the vicinity of microvessels had the lowest motility,while a fraction of cells on the microvessels unexpectedly possessed the highest motility and migrated over the longest distance.These results indicate that the perivascular zone is a niche for BTSCs,while the microvascular tracks are also a path for long-distance tumor cell migration and invasion.Additionally,the degree of co-localization between tumor cells and microvessels varied significantly across patients.To validate the results from our microvasculature-on-a-chip system,we used single-cell transcriptome sequencing(10 patients and 21,750 single cells in total)to identify the subtype of each tumor cell.The co-localization coefficient was found to correlate positively with proneural(stem-like)or mesenchymal(invasive)but not classical(proliferative)tumor cells.Furthermore,we found that a gene signature profile including PDGFRA correlated strongly with the'homing'of brain tumor cells to the PVN.Our findings demonstrated that ex vivo dynamics of human brain tumor cells in a microvasculature-on-a-chip model can recapitulate in vivo tumor cell dynamics,heterogeneity,and subtypes,representing a new route to the study of human tumor cell biology and uncover patient-specific tumor cell functions.Acknowledgments:We thank Drs.Laura Niklason,Eric Holland,Franziska Michor,and Frank Szulzewsky for scientific discussion.We thank Misha Guy,Vladimir Polejaev,Zhenting Jiang,and Alice Yun for suggestions and help on the simulation computing and SEM/confocal imaging process.This research was supported by the Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering(R.F.),National Science Foundation CAREER Award CBET-1351443(R.F.),U54 CA193461(R.F.),U54CA209992(Sub-Project ID:7297 to R.F.),R01 NS095817(J.Z.),Yale Cancer Center Co-Pilot Grant(to R.F.).The molds for microfluidic devices were fabricated in the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science cleanroom.Sequencing was performed at the Yale Center for Genome Analysis(YCGA)facility.Data was analyzed at Yale High Performance Computing(HPC)center.Super resolution confocal imaging was performed at Yale Center for Cellular and Molecular Imaging(CCMI).
基金supported by the Future Industries Institute,University of South Australia(Foundation Fellow)
文摘A system of light harvesting, sensing and regulating was designed based on the photo-thermal and Seebeck effect of flexible CuO nanostructures. Cu@CuO meshes were prepared via self-oxidation of Cu mesh and utilized as the photo-thermal material. Upon irradiation by visible light, the temperature of the Cu@CuO mesh dramatically increases. The temperature difference between the irradiated and non-irradiated parts of the Cu@CuO mesh produced a measurable voltage output due to the Seebeck effect. The generated voltage was then converted into a digital signal to control a rotary neutral-density disc to filter the received light. This enabled regulation of the intensity of the incident light at a selected region. This system is cost effective and has potential applications in greenhouses, factories and smart buildings to minimize energy consumption and improve wellbeing.
