Updated clinical and glycomic features of mannosyl-oligosaccharide glucosidase deficiency:Two case reports

BACKGROUND Mannosyl-oligosaccharide glucosidase(MOGS)deficiency is an extremely rare type of congenital disorder of glycosylation(CDG),with only 12 reported cases.Its clinical,genetic,and glycomic features are still expanding.Our aim is to update the novel clinical and glycosylation features of 2 previously reported patients with MOGS-CDG.CASE SUMMARY We collected comprehensive clinical information,and conducted the immunoglobulin G1 glycosylation assay using nano-electrospray ionization source quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry.Novel dysmorphic features included an enlarged tongue,forwardly rotated earlobes,a birth mark,overlapped toes,and abnormal fat distribution.Novel imaging findings included pericardial effusion,a deep interarytenoid groove,mild congenital subglottic stenosis,and laryngomalacia.Novel laboratory findings included peripheral leukocytosis with neutrophil predominance,elevated C-reactive protein and creatine kinase,dyslipidemia,coagulopathy,complement 3 and complement 4 deficiencies,decreased proportions of T lymphocytes and natural killer cells,and increased serum interleukin 6.Glycosylation studies showed a significant increase of hypermannosylated glycopeptides(Glc3Man7GlcNAc2/N2H10 and Man5GlcNAc2/N2H5)and hypersialylated glycopeptides.A compensatory glycosylation pathway leading to an increase in Man5GlcNAc2/N2H5 was indicated with the glycosylation profile.CONCLUSION We confirmed abnormal glycomics in 1 patient,expanding the clinical and glycomic spectrum of MOGS-CDG.We also postulated a compensatory glycosylation pathway,leading to a possible serum biomarker for future diagnosis.

Improved C_(3-4) transfer for treatment of root avulsion of the brachial plexus upper trunk Animal experiments and clinical application

Experimental rats with root avulsion of the brachial plexus upper trunk were treated with the improved C34 transfer for neurotization of 05-6. Results showed that Terzis grooming test scores were significantly increased at 6 months after treatment, the latency of C5-6 motor evoked potential was gradually shortened, and the amplitude was gradually increased. The rate of C3 instead of C5 and the C4 ＋ phrenic nerve instead of C6 myelinated nerve fibers crossing through the anastomotic stoma was approximately 80%. Myelinated nerve fibers were arranged loosely but the thickness of the myelin sheath was similar to that of the healthy side. In clinical applications, 39 patients with root avulsion of the brachial plexus upper trunk were followed for 6 months to 4.5 years after treatment using the improved C3 instead of C5 nerve root transfer and C4 nerve root and phrenic nerve instead of C6 nerve root transfer. Results showed that the strength of the brachial biceps and deltoid muscles recovered to level IIHV, scapular muscle to level Ill-W, latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major muscles to above level Ⅲ, and the brachial triceps muscle to level 0 Ill. Results showed that the improved 03-4 transfer for root avulsion of the brachial plexus upper trunk in animal models is similar to clinical findings and that C3-4 and the phrenic nerve transfer for neurotization of C5-6 can innervate the avulsed brachial plexus upper trunk and promote the recovery of nerve function in the upper extremity.

The Role of Mitochondrial VDAC2 in the Survival and Proliferation of T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells

Background: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematological malignancy with aberrant T-cell developmental arrest. Individuals with relapsed T-ALL have limited therapeutic alternatives and poor prognosis. The mitochondrial function is critical for the T-cell viability. The voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) in the mitochondrial outer membrane, interacts with pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins and mediates the apoptosis of several cancer cell lines. Objective: The aim of the current study is to explore the role of VDAC2 in T-ALL cell survival and proliferation. Methods: Publicly available datasets of RNA-seq results were analyzed for expression of VDAC isoforms and T-ALL cell lines were treated with a VDAC2 small molecular inhibitor erastin. A VDAC2 RNA interference (siRNA) was delivered to T-ALL cell lines using a retroviral vector. Functional assays were performed to investigate the VDAC2 siRNA impacts on cell proliferation, apoptosis and survival of T-ALL cells. Results: Our analysis found a high expression of VDAC2 mRNA in various T-ALL cell lines. Public datasets of T-ALL RNA-seq also showed that VDAC2 is highly expressed in T-ALL (116.2 ± 36.7), compared to control groups. Only two T-ALL cell lines showed sensitivity to erastin (20 μM) after 48 hours of incubation, including Jurkat (IC50 = 3.943 μM) and Molt4 (IC50 = 3.286 μM), while another two T-ALL cells (CUTLL1 and RPMI 8402) had unstable IC50. However, five T-ALL cell lines (LOUCY, CCRF-CEM, P12-ICHI, HPB-ALL, and PEER cells) showed resistance to erastin. On the contrary, all T-ALL cell lines genetically inhibited with VDAC2 siRNA led to more than 80% decrease in VDAC2 mRNA levels, and a Conclusion: VDAC2 is highly expressed in T-ALL cells. The inhibition of VDAC2 significantly decreased cell viability, increased apoptosis, reduced cell proliferation and caused cell cycle sub-G1 arrest of T-ALL cells.

GH/IGF1轴对非酒精性脂肪肝病脂代谢的影响及可能机制研究

目的探讨非酒精性脂肪肝病(NAFLD)中生长激素/胰岛素样生长因子1(GH/IGF1)轴对肝内脂代谢的影响。方法利用1 nmol的游离脂肪酸(FFA)诱导人肝细胞HL-7702(L02)复制NAFLD细胞模型,检测模型中生长激素受体(GHR)、胰岛素样生长因子1(IGF1)、胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白3(IGFBP3)基因及蛋白表达情况;再将NAFLD细胞模型设为未加药组、25 ng/ml rhGH组、250 ng/ml rhGH组、50 ng/ml rh IGF1组及500 ng/ml rhIGF1组,分别检测各组用药24 h后脂肪酸合成酶(FASN)、固醇调节元件结合蛋白(SREBP-1C)、过氧化物酶体增殖剂激活受体γ(PPAR-γ)的m RNA表达,以及GHR、IGF1、IGFBP3 m RNA水平;同时检测24、48和72 h时模型三酰甘油(TAG)的变化。正常细胞作为各组的对照组(L02组)。结果FFA诱导NAFLD模型24 h后,各组细胞中GHR、IGFBP3 m RNA表达与L02组比较,差异有统计学意义(P <0.05),GHR m RNA表达高于L02组,IGFBP3 m RNA表达低于L02组,但IGF1 m RNA表达与L02组比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。FFA诱导48 h时IGF1、IGFBP3蛋白水平与L02组比较,差异有统计学意义(P <0.05),IGF1、IGFBP3蛋白水平均低于L02组。正常肝细胞与NAFLD细胞在25 ng/ml rhGH、250 ng/ml rhGH、50 ng/ml rhIGF1及500 ng/ml rhIGF1 4种干预24 h后,细胞内TAG含量与未加药组比较,差异有统计学意义(P <0.05),TAG含量均高于未加药组;但72 h后细胞内TAG含量低于未加药组(P <0.05)。干预24 h时NAFLD细胞的PPAR-γm RNA与未加药组比较,差异有统计学意义(P <0.05),PPAR-γm RNA水平低于未加药组;NAFLD细胞中4种干预后GHR、IGF1、IGFBP3 m RNA表达与未加药组比较,差异有统计学意义(P <0.05),GHR、IGF1、IGFBP3 mRNA表达高于未加药组,但NAFLD细胞组GHR、IGF1、IGFBP3 mRNA表达低于L02组(P <0.05)。结论 NAFLD中GH/IGF1轴表达抑制;GH/IGF1轴参与调控肝内TAG代谢,并通过抑制PPAR-γ参与调控NAFLD中脂代谢;GH/IGF1轴与FFA之间可能存在负反馈调节。

Receptor tyrosine kinases positively regulate BACE activity and Amyloid-β production through enhancing BACE internalization

Amyloid-β (AP) peptide, the primary constituent of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD), is generated byβ-secretase- and γ-secretase-mediated sequential proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). The aspartic pro-tease, β -site APP cleavage enzyme (BACE), has been identified as the main P-secretase in brain but the regulation of itsactivity is largely unclear. Here, we demonstrate that both BACE activity and subsequent Aβ production are enhancedafter stimulation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), such as the receptors for epidermal growth factor (EGF) and nervegrowth factor (NGF), in cultured cells as well as in mouse hippocampus. Furthermore, stimulation of RTKs also inducesBACE internalization into endosomes and Golgi apparatus. This enhancement of BACE activity and Aβ production uponRTK activation could be specifically inhibited by Src family kinase inhibitors and by depletion of endogenous c-Src withRNAi, and could be mimicked by over-expressed c-Src. Moreover, blockage of BACE internalization by a dominantnegative form of Rab5 also abolished the enhancement of BACE activity and Aβ production, indicating the requirementof BACE internalization for the enhanced activity. Taken together, our study presents evidence that BACE activity andAβ production are under the regulation of RTKs and this is achieved via RTK-stimulated BACE internalization, andsuggests that an aberration of such regulation might contribute to pathogenic Aβ production.

Quantifying the carbon source of pedogenic calcite veins in weathered limestone: implications for the terrestrial carbon cycle

The continent is the second largest carbon sink on Earth’s surface.With the diversification of vascular land plants in the late Paleozoic,terrestrial organic carbon burial is represented by massive coal formation,while the development of soil profiles would account for both organic and inorganic carbon burial.As compared with soil organic carbon,inorganic carbon burial,collectively known as the soil carbonate,would have a greater impact on the long-term carbon cycle.Soil carbonate would have multiple carbon sources,including dissolution of host calcareous rocks,dissolved inorganic carbon from freshwater,and oxidation of organic matter,but the host calcareous rock dissolution would not cause atmospheric CO2drawdown.Thus,to evaluate the potential effect of soil carbonate formation on the atmospheric p CO2level,different carbon sources of soil carbonate should be quantitatively differentiated.In this study,we analyzed the carbon and magnesium isotopes of pedogenic calcite veins developed in a heavily weathered outcrop,consisting of limestone of the early Paleogene Guanzhuang Group in North China.Based on the C and Mg isotope data,we developed a numerical model to quantify the carbon source of calcite veins.The modeling results indicate that4–37 wt%of carbon in these calcite veins was derived from atmospheric CO2.The low contribution from atmospheric CO2might be attributed to the host limestone that might have diluted the atmospheric CO2sink.Nevertheless,taking this value into consideration,it is estimated that soil carbonate formation would lower 1 ppm atmospheric CO2within 2000 years,i.e.,soil carbonate alone would sequester all atmospheric CO2within 1 million years.Finally,our study suggests the C–Mg isotope system might be a better tool in quantifying the carbon source of soil carbonate.

Filamentation initiated by Cas2 and its association with the acquisition process in cells

Cas1-and-Cas2-mediated new spacer acquisition is an essential process for bacterial adaptive immunity.The process is critical for the ecology of the oral microflora and oral health.Although molecular mechanisms for spacer acquisition are known,it has never been established if this process is associated with the morphological changes of bacteria.In this study,we demonstrated a novel Cas2-induced filamentation phenotype in E.coli that was regulated by co-expression of the Cas1 protein.A 30 amino acid motif at the carboxyl terminus of Cas2 is necessary for this function.By imaging analysis,we provided evidence to argue that Cas-induced filamentation is a step coupled with new spacer acquisition during which filaments are characterised by polyploidy with asymmetric cell division.This work may open new opportunities to investigate the adaptive immune response and microbial balance for oral health.

Numerical Simulation of the Churning Power Losses in the Automotive Hypoid Gear Reducer

Improving vehicle transmission efficiency and reducing vehicle fuel consumption is currently one of the main objectives in the automotive field. Reducing gear churning power losses has significant influence on the decreasing vehicle fuel consumption. Based on the two phase flow theory, a 2D two-phase model of the simplified hypoid gear is established to predict the churning losses in different conditions, the VOF method is introduced to track the volume fraction of the free surface, a standard k-ε model is also built to calculate complex turbulence. The oil distributions at the different rotational speed, the different immersion depth and the different viscosity as well as the churning losses of the hypoid gear are obtained and discussed in detail. In general, the churning power losses increase with the increase of the speed, the immersion depth and the viscosity, while the rotational speed shows the greatest influence on the churning losses. It is hoped that this investigation will be helpful in automotive industry applications.

Controlling the Balance of Photoluminescence and Photothermal Effect in Cyanostilbene-Based Luminescent Liquid Crystals

Molecular motions of the luminescent liquid crystals(LLCs)show a significant effect on fluorescent emission and heat generation.In this article,a series of cyanostilbene-based LLCs(CSs:CS1-6,CS1-12,CS2-6 and CS2-12)are synthesized to investigate how the pho-toluminescence and photothermal effect balanced.Among these materials,the mesogens peripheried by single alkyl chains formed enantiotropic nematic(CS1-6)or smectic C(CS1-12)phase with different alkyl tail lengths.When the single aliphatic chain is re-placed by mini-dendrons,room temperature(RT)monotropic hexagonal columnar phase(CS2-12)or molecular liquid(CS2-6)is formed.The results revealed that all these materials exhibited high efficiency emission with the highest quantum yield reaching 59.0%.The photoluminescence and photothermal effect can be effectively tuned by dispersing CSs into a commercially available RT liquid crystal matrix 8CB,which output significantly improved photothermal conversion efficiency of 63.2%.Furthermore,the pho-tothermal can rapidly trigger the Smectic A-Nematic-Isotropic sequence transitions of 8CB doped with CSs.This work paves a way of adjusting the balance of photoluminescence and photothermal properties of the LLC materials.

Phase I trial of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)is a chronic lung disorder that primarily affects premature babies with extremely low birth weight and involves in multiple organ system;no effective pharmacotherapy for this disease exists,and mortality remains high.Based on the evidence from previous preclinical studies and phase I clinical trials,this study aims to test the safety of intravenous application of a single dose of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells(hUC-MSCs)in patients with severe BPD.The Mesenchymal Stem cells for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Treatment(MSBDT)trial is a single center,open-label,dose-escalation phase I clinical trial.Severe BPD patients were enrolled in Children Hospital of Chongqing Medical University,Chongqing,China.The first six patients were treated with low-dose hUC-MSCs(1×10^(6) cells/kg)and the next seven patients were treated with high-dose hUC-MSCs(5×10^(6) cells/kg).This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov,number NCT03558334.No prespecified infusion-associated adverse events,immediate complication,respiratory or cardiovascular compromise were observed during infusion and 24 h after infusion.No significant changes in safety laboratory values were observed.One death event occurred in the low-dose group on study day 10,and one death event occurred in the high-dose group on study day 24,while,after review in detail,the two cases are not believed to be infusion-associated events.In conclusion,intravenous application of a single dose of hUC-MSCs was tolerated in thirteen patients with severe BPD.

A Large Acute Gastroenteritis Outbreak Associated with Both Campylobacter coli and Human Sapovirus—Beijing Municipality,China,2021

What is already known about this topic?Campylobacter is a significant foodborne pathogen that leads to global outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis(AGE)usually affecting less than 30 individuals.Human sapovirus(HuSaV)is an enteric virus responsible for sporadic cases and outbreaks of AGE worldwide.In a study conducted in Beijing,HuSaV detection ranked second after norovirus.What is added by this report?We present a discussion of the first large-scale outbreak of AGE caused by both Campylobacter coli(C.coli)and HuSaV.The outbreak involved a total of 996 patients and exhibited two distinct peaks over a period of 17 days.Through case-control studies,we identified exposure to raw water from a secondary water supply system as a significant risk factor.Among 83 patients,49 samples tested positive for C.coli,39 samples tested positive for HuSaV,and 27 samples tested positive for both pathogens using real-time polymerase chain reaction detection.Furthermore,whole-genome sequencing of 17 C.coli isolates obtained from 17 patients revealed that all isolates belonged to a highly clonal strain of C.coli.What are the implications for public health practice?Outbreaks of AGE resulting from multiple pathogen infections warrant increased attention.This report emphasizes the significance of ensuring the safety of drinking water,particularly in secondary supply systems.

Application of next generation sequencing in the screening of monogenic diseases in China,2021:a consensus among Chinese newborn screening experts

Newborn screening(NBS)refers to a maternal and newborn healthcare technology,in which special examinations of congenital and genetic diseases that could seriously impact the health of newborns,are implemented during the neonatal period to provide early diagnosis and treatment[1].With a history of more than 60 years,NBS has advanced greatly due to technological progress resulting in significant improvement in the number of diseases covered by NBS and in screening efficiency[2-7].

Enhanced piezo-response in copper halide perovskites based PVDF composite films

In-situ fabricated perovskite nanocrystals in polymeric matrix provide new generation composite materials for plenty of cutting edge technology. In this work, we report the in-situ fabrication of copper halide perovskite(MA_2CuCl_4, MA:CH_3NH_3^+) embedded poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF) composite films. The optimized MA_2CuCl_4/PVDF composite films exhibit greatly enhanced piezo-response in comparasion with pure PVDF films. The enhancements were invesitgated and explained by applying piezo-response force microscopy(PFM) measurements and density functional theory(DFT) caculations. We proposed that the high piezoelectric properties of MA_2CuCl_4/PVDF composite films could be related to the large Cu off-centering displacement, the strong interactions between MA_2CuCl_4 and PVDF as well as large stress concentration around the MA_2CuCl_4 particles in the films. These piezoelectric composite films are expected to be suitable functional materials for flexible and/or wearable piezoelectrics.

Fe3O4 Octahedral Colloidal Crystals

我们在场为没有底层的帮助的高度命令的八面的 Fe3O4 胶体的单个晶体的大规模制造的一个灵巧、可控制的方法。油的酸被用来在胶体的答案减少 nano 大楼块的溶解度并且导致一个结晶化过程。我们的胶体的晶体具有 multimicron 尺寸并且显示出典型结晶的特征。他们有很柔韧的结构并且当一篇小说与相对狭窄的毛孔尺寸分布订了磁性的 mesoporous 材料，能服务。样品基于它的好 crystallinity，以及 interparticle 在 5 K 拥有 100 K 的极其高的 Verwey 转变温度(T V ) 和 86 emu/g 的高浸透磁化(M S ) 偶极的相互作用行为从它的唯一的结构产生。电气化学的大小表明了 mesoporous 的优秀能力胶体的晶体当在锂离子电池使用了时。

水溶液介质中氰基苯乙烯衍生物的可逆手性光驱动自组装

人工手性自组装一直是分子化学与材料化学的前沿挑战性课题.但由于缺少合适的手性光响应结构单元,构造具有光控、可逆、手性专一性响应的分子体系具有很大的挑战性.本工作通过合理的分子设计:以氰基二苯乙烯作为光致异构基团,磺酸基作为亲水基团,胆固醇作为疏水手性基团,构造了独特的光响应组装体系.当氰基二苯乙烯处于反式构型时,在水相中组装形成规则的球状组装体且具有较强的手性信号.通过365 nm光照后,反式构型转变为顺式构型,球状组装体解组装,同时手性信号消失;当采用254 nm光照后,重新形成具有手性信号的球状组装体.核磁共振和吸收光谱结果表明光致异构转化率达到90%,并且具有良好的光致异构重复性(抗疲劳性)及热稳定性.本研究成功实现了水相介质中光控、手性专一性响应的可逆光调控,在构建双稳态光控手性开关方面表现出潜在的应用前景.

Deletion of SMARCA4 impairs alveolar epithelial type II cells proliferation and aggravates pulmonary fibrosis in mice

Alveolar epithelial cells(AECs)injury and failed reconstitution of the AECs barrier are both integral to alveolar flooding and subsequent pulmonary fibrosis(PF).Nevertheless,the exact mechanisms regulating the regeneration of AECs post-injury still remain unclear.SMARCA4 is a part of the large ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling complex SWI/SNF,which is essential for kidney and heart fibrosis.We investigates SMARCA4 function in lung fibrosis by establishing PF mice model with bleomycin firstly and found that the expression of SMARCA4 was mainly enhanced in alveolar type II(ATII)cells.Moreover,we established an alveolar epithelium-specific SMARCA4-deleted SP-C-rtTA/(tetO)7-Cre/SMARCA4f/f mice(SOSM4D/D)model,as well as a new SMARCA4-deleted alveolar type II(ATII)-like mle-12 cell line.We found that the bleomycin-induced PF was more aggressive in SOSM4D/D mice.Also,the proliferation of ATII cells was decreased with the loss of SMARCA4 in vivo and in vitro.In addition,we observed increased proliferation of ATII cells accompanied by abnormally high expression of SMARCA4 in human PF lung sections.These data uncovered the indispensable role of SMARCA4 in the proliferation of ATII cells,which might affect the progression of PF.

Super enhancers:Pathogenic roles and potential therapeutic targets for acute myeloid leukemia(AML)

Acute myeloid leukemia(AML)is a malignant hematological tumor with disordered oncogenes/tumor suppressor genes and limited treatments.The potent anti-cancer effects of bromodomain and extra-terminal domain(BET)inhibitors,targeting the key component of super enhancers,in early clinical trials on AML patients,implies the critical role of super enhancers in AML.Here,we review the concept and characteristic of super enhancer,and then summarize the current researches about super enhancers in AML pathogenesis,diagnosis and classification,followed by illustrate the potential super enhancer-related targets and drugs,and propose the future directions of super enhancers in AML.This information provides integrated insight into the roles of super enhancers in this disease.

Gene signatures associated with genomic aberrations predict prognosis in neuroblastoma

Background:Neuroblastoma(NB)is a heterogeneous disease with respect to genomic abnormalities and clinical behaviors.Despite recent advances in our understanding of the association between the genetic aberrations and clinical features,it remains one of the major challenges to predict prognosis and stratify patients for determining personalized therapy in this disease.The aim of this study was to develop an effective prognosis prediction model for NB patients.Methods:We integrated diverse computational analyses to define gene signatures that reflect MYCN activity and chromosomal aberrations including deletion of chromosome 1p(Chr1p_del)and chromosome 11q(Chr11q_del)as well as chromosome 11q whole loss(Chr11q_wls).We evaluated the prognostic and predictive values of these signatures in seven NB gene expression datasets(the number of samples ranges from 94 to 498,with a total of 2120)generated from both RNA sequencing and microarray platforms.Results:MYCN signature was a more effective prognostic marker than MYCN amplification status and MYCN expression.Similarly,the Chr1p_del score was more prognostic than Chr1p status.The activity scores of MYCN,Chr1p_del and Chr11q_del were associated with poor prognosis,while the Chr11q_wls score was linked to good outcome.We integrated the activity scores of MYCN,Chr1p_del,Chr11q_del,and Chr11q_wls and clinical variables into an integrative prognostic model,which displayed significant performance over the clinical variables or each genomic aberration alone.Conclusions:Our integrative gene signature model shows a significantly improved forecast performance with prognostic and predictive information,and thereby can be served as a biomarker to stratify NB patients for prognosis evaluation and surveillance programs.

Systematic Investigation of Solution-State Aggregation Effect on Electrical Conductivity in Doped Conjugated Polymers

The mesoscopic solution-state aggregation plays a dominant role in the multilevel self-assembly of conjugated polymers.However,its effect on solid-state microstructures and the electrical performance of conjugated polymers is still a puzzle due to the limitation of characterization techniques.Herein,we have developed four isoindigo-based conjugated polymers with varied alkyl chains to reveal the relationship between solution-state aggregation,molecular doping process,and charge transport properties.