RBM46 is essential for gametogenesis and functions in post-transcriptional roles affecting meiotic cohesin subunits

RBM46 is a germ cell-specific RNA-binding protein required for gametogenesis, but the targets and molecular functions of RBM46 remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that RBM46 binds at specific motifs in the 3'UTRs of mRNAs encoding multiple meiotic cohesin subunits and show that RBM46 is required for normal synaptonemal complex formation during meiosis initiation. Using a recently reported, high-resolution technique known as LACE-seq and working with low-input cells, we profiled the targets of RBM46 at single-nucleotide resolution in leptotene and zygotene stage gametes. We found that RBM46 preferentially binds target mRNAs containing GCCUAU/GUUCGA motifs in their 3'UTRs regions. In Rbm46 knockout mice, the RBM46-target cohesin subunits displayed unaltered mRNA levels but had reduced translation, resulting in the failed assembly of axial elements, synapsis disruption, and meiotic arrest. Our study thus provides mechanistic insights into the molecular functions of RBM46 in gametogenesis and illustrates the power of LACE-seq for investigations of RNA-binding protein functions when working with low-abundance input materials.

Biocontrol capability of bacteriophages against soft rot disease caused by Dickeya chrysanthemi

Aims@#This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of bacteriophages isolated from Klang and Penang, Malaysia against Dickeya chrysanthemi that causes soft rot disease.@*Methodology and results@#Basic characterization such as dextrose test, citrate test, lactose fermentation test and ornithine test were carried out on D. chrysanthemi. Activity of bacteriophages against D. chrysanthemi was evaluated using spot test. Double agar overlay assay was performed to purify and enumerate the quantify of bacteriophages.Bacteriophages were also checked for its effectiveness in controlling soft rot on post-harvested vegetables: potato (Solanum tuberosum), cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and apple (Malus domestica). Results showed that D. chrysanthemiable to utilize citrate and dextrose as the source of energy, which indicated that D. chrysanthemi inclined to choose fruits and vegetables containing citrate and dextrose as the target of attack. Clear zone observed on the bacterial lawn (spot test) indicated the ability of the bacteriophages to infect and lyse D. chrysanthemi. All the bacteriophages studied herein reached the highest concentration on day 3 and were monovalent.@*Conclusion, significance and impact of study@#All the isolated bacteriophages were able to restrain the spreading of soft rot caused by D. chrysanthemi either work alone or as cocktail. This study provides information for the formulation development of bacteriophage against soft rot disease cause by D. chrysanthemi. Furthermore, this study reveals the potential of locally isolated bacteriophages against the D. chrysanthemi and paving the application of phage treatment on agriculture products that are not limited to potatoes, cucumber and apple.

Venous congestion from brachiocephalic vein stenosis mimicking sclerotic vertebral lesions

@#In central venous obstruction, vertebral marrow enhancement (VME) may be seen secondary to collateral venous flow via the vertebral venous plexus. 1 There are only sporadic case reports on pseudolesions due to collateral enhancement mimicking sclerotic osseous metastasis. This abnormal vertebral enhancement may lead to erroneous diagnosis of sclerotic metastases or suspicious bone lesion which affect the management and prognosis. We describe a case of brachiocephalic vein obstruction-related vertebral body pseudolesions as identified in contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan

The use of tissue fiducial markers in improving the accuracy of post-prostatectomy radiotherapy

PURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the use of a radiopaque tissue fiducial marker (TFM) in the treatment of prostate cancer patients who undergo post-prostatectomy radiotherapy (PPRT). TFM safety, its role and benefit in quantifying the set-up uncertainties in patients undergoing PPRT image-guided radiotherapy were assessed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 45 consecutive PPRT patients underwent transperineal implantation of TFM at the level of vesicourethral anastomosis in the retrovesical tissue prior to intensity-modulated radiotherapy. Prostate bed motion was calculated by measuring the position of the TFM relative to the pelvic bony anatomy on daily cone-beam computed tomography. The stability and visibility of the TFM were assessed in the initial 10 patients. RESULTS: No postoperative complications were recorded. A total of 3,500 images were analysed. The calculated prostate bed motion for bony landmark matching relative to TFM were 2.25 mm in the left-right, 5.89 mm in the superior-inferior, and 6.59 mm in the anterior-posterior directions. A significant 36% reduction in the mean volume of rectum receiving 70 Gy (rV₇₀) was achieved for a uniform planning target volume (PTV) margin of 7 mm compared with the Australian and New Zealand Faculty of Radiation Oncology Genito-Urinary Group recommended PTV margin of 10 mm. CONCLUSION: The use of TFM was safe and can potentially eliminate set-up errors associated with bony landmark matching, thereby allowing for tighter PTV margins and a consequent favourable reduction in dose delivered to the bladder and rectum, with potential improvements in toxicities.

Towards precision medicine: from quantitative imaging to radiomics / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Radiology (imaging) and imaging-guided interventions, which provide multi-parametric morphologic and functional information, are playing an increasingly significant role in precision medicine. Radiologists are trained to understand the imaging phenotypes, transcribe those observations (phenotypes) to correlate with underlying diseases and to characterize the images. However, in order to understand and characterize the molecular phenotype (to obtain genomic information) of solid heterogeneous tumours, the advanced sequencing of those tissues using biopsy is required. Thus, radiologists image the tissues from various views and angles in order to have the complete image phenotypes, thereby acquiring a huge amount of data. Deriving meaningful details from all these radiological data becomes challenging and raises the big data issues. Therefore, interest in the application of radiomics has been growing in recent years as it has the potential to provide significant interpretive and predictive information for decision support. Radiomics is a combination of conventional computer-aided diagnosis, deep learning methods, and human skills, and thus can be used for quantitative characterization of tumour phenotypes. This paper discusses the overview of radiomics workflow, the results of various radiomics-based studies conducted using various radiological images such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron-emission tomography (PET), the challenges we are facing, and the potential contribution of radiomics towards precision medicine.

Complications and Pain in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea - Comparing Single and Multilevel Surgery

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>This study aimed to investigate differences in the complication rate and postoperative pain score between single and multilevel surgery performed on patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with obstructive sleep apnoea who underwent surgery in a tertiary referral centre over 3 years. Patients who underwent single-level nasal, palatal or tongue surgery were compared with patients who underwent concurrent multilevel surgery of 2 or 3 levels. Complications and the postoperative Visual Analogue Scale pain score were recorded and the outcomes between single and multilevel groups were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The overall complication rate for patients was 12.6%, 6.7% if only patients requiring intervention were considered. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for complication rate for patients undergoing multilevel surgery and single-level surgery was 2.76. It was statistically significant (=0.053) after adjusting for confounders. There was more pain in patients who underwent multilevel surgery than in the single-level surgery group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Concurrent multilevel surgery is a feasible option in patients with multilevel obstruction, especially if they are undergoing palate and tongue surgery, nose and palate surgery or nose and tongue surgery. There may be more complications, though it is not statistically significant. Further studies are required to investigate the differences between single-level nasal surgery and 3-level multilevel surgery. More patients undergoing multilevel surgery than single-level surgery experienced pain. Multilevel surgery patients should have their analgesia reviewed regularly and titrated accordingly.</p>

Screening and identification of Trametes lactinea and Pycnoporouscoccineus isolated from Kampar for laccase production

Aims: Laccase is a blue copper oxidase that catalyses four electron reduction of molecular oxygen to water. It is able to oxidise aromatic compounds with molecular oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor. The aim of this study was to screen for laccase producing basidiomycetes isolated from decaying woods and tree trunks around Kampar, Perak. Methodology and results: The isolated basidiomycetes were screened for their laccase activity on different agar plates supplemented with 2, 2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), guaiacol and Remazol Brillant Blue R (RBBR), respectively. In the presence of laccase, the colourless ABTS and guaiacol were oxidised to form blue-green and reddish-brown coloured zone around the fungal colony, respectively; whereas the blue RBBR was decolourised by the enzyme. Colour or colourless halo zones that are formed on the agar plates indicate the presence of ligninolytic enzyme activities. Isolates KA1 and TR9 indicated the highest enzymatic hydrolysis on ABTS plates with the halo zone ratio of 1.43  0.04 and 0.98  0.01, respectively. Based on the BLAST results from the amplicon of ITS1 and ITS4 primers, Isolates KA1 and TR9 were identified as Trametes lactinea and Pycnoporous coccineus, respectively. Under submerged fermentation, P. coccineus has higher laccase production (0.72 U/mL) compared with T. lactinea (0.16 U/mL). Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Both T. lactinea and P. coccineus are potential strains for laccase production which can be used for dye decolourisation and degradation. Future studies will focus on the application of the laccase in textile dye degradation.

Expanded T cell clones and cytokines expression in human gastric carcinomas of different histological types / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the characteristics of host immune response against human gastric carcinoma of different histological types.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of 24 families of T cell receptor beta chain variable region (TCRVbeta) and cytokine profiles in isolated CD4(+) and CD8(+) subsets, as well as the cytokine profiles in purified epithelial cells from the tumor tissue and the residual benign tissue of patients with gastric carcinoma, was detected by a highly sensitive radioactivity labeled semi-quantitative RT-PCR technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The number of expanded T cell clones in CD8(+) subset from tumor tissue of the intestinal-type carcinoma was larger than that of diffuse-type (P = 0.046). The mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-8 in CD8(+) T subset, as well as the level of TNF-alpha in CD4(+) T subset from the tumor tissue of the diffuse type (0.61 +/- 0.29, 0.56 +/- 0.22, 0.09 +/- 0.03) were significantly higher than that from the residual benign tissue (0.14 +/- 0.05, 0.27 +/- 0.09, 0.04 +/- 0.02; P = 0.028, P = 0.043, P = 0.046). However, the mRNA level of IL-8 in CD8(+) subset and epithelial tumor cells of the intestinal-type (0.57 +/- 0.25, 0.27 +/- 0.07) was significantly higher than that from the residual benign tissue (0.21 +/- 0.07, 0.14 +/- 0.06; P = 0.028, P = 0.028).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The characteristics of host immune response against tumor are different between intestinal-type and diffuse-type gastric carcinoma. Both fewer expanded T cell clones and more suppressive cytokines suggest a more suppressive immune status in the local tumor lesion of diffuse-type than in the intestinal-type of the gastric carcinoma.</p>