Optimizing peripheral blood chromosome analysis: effects of refrigeration time and blood volume.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the impact of refrigeration time and blood volume on the success rate of peripheral blood chromosomal analysis using response surface methodology (RSM). METHODS: Peripheral blood samples from 30 volunteers were subjected to chromosomal analysis under different refrigeration duration periods (≤7 days, 8 days, 9 days, 10 days, 11 days, 12 days, 13 days, 14 days) along with different blood volumes (0.2 mL, 0.3 mL, 0.4 mL, 0.5 mL, 0.6 mL, 0.7 mL, and 0.8 mL). The effects of refrigeration time and blood volume on the success rate of peripheral blood chromosomal analysis were determined using the Chi-square test for trend, followed with Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and RSM analysis to identify the optimal combination of refrigeration time and blood volume. RESULTS: The refrigeration time within 10 days had a minor impact on the success rate, while refrigeration time more than 11 days significantly decreased the success rate. An increase in blood volume slightly improved the success rate. The success rate showed both linear and nonlinear changes with refrigeration time, while the effect of blood volume was primarily linear. The highest success rate was observed at a refrigeration time of ≤7 days and a blood volume of 0.8 mL. The interaction between refrigeration time and blood volume had a significant impact on the success rate. CONCLUSION: It is recommended to keep the refrigeration time of blood samples within 7 days and control the blood volume at 0.8 mL to maximize the success rate of chromosomal analysis.

Natural pyrethrins induce cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells and neurotoxicity in zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio).

Natural pyrethrins are widely used in agriculture because of their good insecticidal activity. Meanwhile, natural pyrethrins play an important role in the safety evaluation of pyrethroids as precursors for structural development of pyrethroid insecticides. However, there are fewer studies evaluating the neurological safety of natural pyrethrins on non-target organisms. In this study, we used SH-SY5Y cells and zebrafish embryos to explore the neurotoxicity of natural pyrethrins. Natural pyrethrins were able to induce SH-SY5Y cells damage, as evidenced by decreased viability, cycle block, apoptosis and DNA damage. The apoptotic pathway may be related to the involvement of mitochondria and the results showed that natural pyrethrins induced a rise in Capase-3 viability, Ca2+ overload, a decrease in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and a collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential in SH-SY5Y cells. Natural pyrethrins may mediate DNA damage in SH-SY5Y cells through oxidative stress. The results showed that natural pyrethrins induced an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and catalase (CAT) activity, and induced a decrease in glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in SH-SY5Y cells. In vivo, natural pyrethrins induced developmental malformations in zebrafish embryos, which were mainly characterized by pericardial edema and yolk sac edema. Meanwhile, the results showed that natural pyrethrins induced damage to the Huc-GFP axis and disturbed lipid metabolism in the head of zebrafish embryos. Further results showed elevated ROS levels and apoptosis in the head of zebrafish embryos, which corroborated with the results of the cell model. Finally, the results of mRNA expression assay of neurodevelopment-related genes indicated that natural pyrethrins exposure interfered with their expression and led to neurodevelopmental damage in zebrafish embryos. Our study may raise concerns about the neurological safety of natural pyrethrins on non-target organisms.

Clinical value of TAT, PIC and t-PAIC as predictive markers for severe sepsis in pediatric patients.

Objective: Sepsis in pediatric patients can progress to severe sepsis, and identifying biomarkers of this progression may permit timely intervention to prevent it. This study aimed to investigate the ability of thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), α2-plasmininhibitor-plasmin complex (PIC) and tissue-type plasminogen activator-inhibitor complex (t-PAIC) to predict severe sepsis in pediatrics early. Methods: 148 eligible pediatric sepsis patients were enrolled in this study, and were then divided into those who progressed to severe sepsis (n = 50) or not (n = 98). Serum levels of TAT, PIC, and t-PAIC were analysed, and simplified pediatric critical illness score (PCIS) and DIC score were calculated on the day of pediatric sepsis diagnosis. Results: Compared with sepsis patients, severe sepsis patients had higher levels of TAT, PIC and t-PAIC. Correlation analysis revealed that TAT, PIC and t-PAIC were significantly correlated with simplified PCIS and DIC score. ROC curve analysis suggested that TAT, PIC and t-PAIC could serve as biomarkers for predicting severe sepsis with the AUC up to 0.862, 0.759 and 0.851, respectively. Stratified analysis demonstrated that the patients with increased levels of TAT, PIC and t-PAIC had worse illness severity and clinical outcome. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that TAT, PIC and t-PAIC were all risk factors for severe sepsis, yet only TAT and t-PAIC were independent risk factors in multivariate model. Conclusions: TAT, PIC and t-PAIC could serve as biomarkers for predicting severe sepsis, and correlated with illness severity in pediatrics, what's more, serum levels of TAT and t-PAIC may be independent risk factors for pediatric severe sepsis.

Efficacy and survival outcomes of alectinib vs. crizotinib in ALK­positive NSCLC patients with CNS metastases: A retrospective study.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have transformed the treatment paradigm for patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Yet the differential efficacy between alectinib and crizotinib in treating patients with NSCLC and central nervous system (CNS) metastases has been insufficiently studied. A retrospective analysis was conducted of clinical outcomes of patients with ALK-positive NSCLC and CNS metastases treated at the Shandong Cancer Centre. Based on their initial ALK-TKI treatment, patients were categorised into either the crizotinib group or the alectinib group. Efficacy, progression-free survival (PFS), intracranial PFS and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. A total of 46 eligible patients were enrolled in the present study: 33 patients received crizotinib and 13 patients received alectinib. The median OS of the entire group was 66.8 months (95% CI: 48.5-85.1). Compared with the patients in the crizotinib group, the patients in the alectinib group showed a significant improvement in both median (m)PFS (27.5 vs. 9.5 months; P=0.003) and intracranial mPFS (36.0 vs. 10.8 months; P<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in OS between the alectinib and crizotinib groups (not reached vs. 58.7 months; P=0.149). Furthermore, there were no significant differences between patients receiving TKI combined with radiotherapy (RT) vs. TKI alone with respect to mPFS (11.0 vs. 11.7 months, P=0.863) as well as intracranial mPFS (12.5 vs. 16.9 months, P=0.721). In the present study, alectinib exhibited superior efficacy to crizotinib for treating patients with ALK-positive NSCLC and CNS metastases, especially in terms of delaying disease progression and preventing CNS recurrence. Moreover, the results demonstrated that it might be beneficial to delay local RT for patients with ALK-positive NSCL and CNS metastases.

Factors associated with pregnant women's willingness to receive maternal pertussis vaccination in Guizhou Province, China: An exploratory cross-sectional study.

The rise in pertussis incidence among infants in Guizhou, China underscores the need for maternal acellular pertussis vaccine (aP) immunization, a key strategy in protecting infants from severe health consequences. However, the willingness of pregnant women in Guizhou to receive this vaccine is not well-understood. This study aimed to explore pregnant women's intentions toward maternal pertussis vaccination in Guizhou and identify the associated factors. A questionnaire based on the health belief model, was administered in an exploratory cross-sectional study from January to February 2022. Data from 564 participants were collected and analyzed. The chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Poisson regression were used to identify potential factors associated with vaccination intentions. Participants' median age was 27 y (interquartile range (IQR): 24-31), and the median number of children per participant was one. The study found that only 36.0% of the participants intended to receive the aP vaccine while 64.0% were uncertain or negative in this regard. Significant factors associated with intentions to vaccinate included perceived barriers and cues for action and perceived benefits. The major barriers for low vaccination intentions were safety concerns for both the fetus and the mother, and family members' negative attitudes. Free vaccines, perceiving preventive benefits, observing other pregnant women getting vaccinated, and healthcare provider recommendations may facilitate vaccination intentions. Multiple immune strategies should be developed or optimized to cope with the resurgence of pertussis.

Protein disulfide isomerase cleaves allosteric disulfides in histidine-rich glycoprotein to regulate thrombosis.

The essence of difference between hemostasis and thrombosis is that the clotting reaction is a highly fine-tuned process. Vascular protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) represents a critical mechanism regulating the functions of hemostatic proteins. Herein we show that histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is a substrate of PDI. Reduction of HRG by PDI enhances the procoagulant and anticoagulant activities of HRG by neutralization of endothelial heparan sulfate (HS) and inhibition of factor XII (FXIIa) activity, respectively. Murine HRG deficiency (Hrg-/-) leads to delayed onset but enhanced formation of thrombus compared to WT. However, in the combined FXII deficiency (F12-/-) and HRG deficiency (by siRNA or Hrg-/-), there is further thrombosis reduction compared to F12-/- alone, confirming HRG's procoagulant activity independent of FXIIa. Mutation of target disulfides of PDI leads to a gain-of-function mutant of HRG that promotes its activities during coagulation. Thus, PDI-HRG pathway fine-tunes thrombosis by promoting its rapid initiation via neutralization of HS and preventing excessive propagation via inhibition of FXIIa.

New Insights into Aggregation Behaviors of the UV-Irradiated Dissolved Biochars (DBioCs) in Aqueous Environments: Effects of Water Chemistries and Variation in the Hamaker Constant.

The aggregation behavior of ubiquitous dissolved black carbon (DBC) largely affects the fate and transport of its own contaminants and the attached contaminants. However, the photoaging processes and resulting effects on its colloidal stability remain yet unknown. Herein, dissolved biochars (DBioCs) were extracted from common wheat straw biochar as a proxy for an anthropogenic DBC. The influences of UV radiation on their aggregation kinetics were systematically investigated under various water chemistries (pH, electrolytes, and protein). The environmental stability of the DBioCs before and after radiation was further verified in two natural water samples. Hamaker constants of pristine and photoaged DBioCs were derived according to Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) prediction, and its attenuation (3.19 ± 0.15 × 10-21 J to 1.55 ± 0.07 × 10-21 J after 7 days of radiation) was described with decay kinetic models. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the surface properties and aggregation behaviors of DBioCs were significantly correlated with radiation time (p < 0.05), indicating its profound effects. Based on characterization and experimental results, we proposed a three-stage mechanism (contended by photodecarboxylation, photo-oxidation, and mineral exposure) that DBioCs might experience under UV radiation. These findings would provide an important reference for potential phototransformation processes and relevant behavioral changes that DBC may encounter.

An ingestible near-infrared fluorescence capsule endoscopy for specific gastrointestinal diagnoses.

Early diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases is important to effectively prevent carcinogenesis. Capsule endoscopy (CE) can address the pain caused by wired endoscopy in GI diagnosis. However, existing CE approaches have difficulty effectively diagnosing lesions that do not exhibit obvious morphological changes. In addition, the current CE cannot achieve wireless energy supply and attitude control at the same time. Here, we successfully developed a novel near-infrared fluorescence capsule endoscopy (NIFCE) that can stimulate and capture near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence images to specifically identify subtle mucosal microlesions and submucosal lesions while capturing conventional white light (WL) images to detect lesions with significant morphological changes. Furthermore, we constructed the first synergetic system that simultaneously enables multi-attitude control in NIFCE and supplies long-term power, thus addressing the issue of excessive power consumption caused by the NIFCE emitting near-infrared light (NIRL). We performed in vivo experiments to verify that the NIFCE can specifically "light up" tumors while sparing normal tissues by synergizing with probes actively aggregated in tumors, thus realizing specific detection and penetration. The prototype NIFCE system represents a significant step forward in the field of CE and shows great potential in efficiently achieving early targeted diagnosis of various GI diseases.

[Cases Analysis of Hemoglobin H Disease Caused by HBA2:c.2T>C and HBA2:c.2delT Mutations].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate two cases of rare pathogenic genes, initiation codon mutations in HBA2 gene, combined with Southeast Asian deletion and their family members to understand the relationship of HBA2:c.2T>C and HBA2:c.2delT mutations with clinical phenotype. METHODS: The peripheral blood of family members was obtained for blood cell analysis and capillary electrophoresis hemoglobin analysis. Gap-PCR and reverse dot blotting (RDB) were used to detect common types of mutations in ɑ-thalassaemia gene. Sanger sequencing was used to analyze HBA1 and HBA2 gene sequence. RESULTS: Two proband genotypes were identified as --SEA/αα with HBA2:c.2T>C and --SEA/αα with HBA2:c.2delT. HBA2:c.2T>C/WT and HBA2:c.2delT/WT was detected in family members. They all presented with microcytic hypochromic anemia. CONCLUSION: When HBA2:c.2T>C and HBA2:c.2delT are heterozygous that can lead to static α-thalassemia phenotype, and when combined with mild α-thalassemia, they can lead to the clinical manifestations of hemoglobin H disease. This study provides a basis for genetic counseling.

Potential pharmacological mechanisms of tanshinone IIA in the treatment of human neuroblastoma based on network pharmacological and molecular docking Technology.

Tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA) is the main bioactive component of Chinese herbal medicine salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen). Sodium sulfonate of Tan-IIA is widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Tan-IIA also has inhibitory effects on tumor cells such as gastric cancer, but its therapeutic effect and mechanism on human neuroblastoma have not been evaluated, so its pharmacological mechanism is systematically evaluated by the combined method of network pharmacology and molecular docking. PharmMapper and SwissTargetPrediction predicted 331 potential Tan-IIA-related targets, and 1,152 potential neuroblastoma-related targets were obtained from GeneCards, DisGeNET, DrugBank, OMIM and Therapeutic Target databases (TTD), 107 common targets for Tan-IIA and neuroblastoma. Through gene ontology (GO) functional annotation, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomesa (KEGG) pathway enrichment, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and cytoHubba plug-in, 10 related signal pathways (Pathways in cancer, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Prostate cancer, etc.) and 10 hub genes were identified. The results of molecular docking showed that Tan-IIA could interact with 10 targets: GRB2, SRC, EGFR, PTPN1, ESR1, IGF1, MAPK1, PIK3R1, AKT1 and IGF1R. This study analyzed the related pathways and targets of Tan-IIA in the treatment of human neuroblastoma, as well as the potential anticancer and anti-tumor targets and related signaling pathways of Tan-IIA, which provides a reference for us to find and explore effective drugs for the treatment of human neuroblastoma.

Co-culture fermentation by Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and lactic acid bacteria improves bioactivity and aroma profile of wheat bran and the bran-containing Chinese steamed bread.

Co-culture fermentation with yeast and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) exhibits advantages in improving the bioactivity and flavor of wheat bran compared to single-culture fermentation, showing application potentials in bran-containing Chinese steamed bread (CSB). To explore the effects of combination of yeast and different LAB on the bioactivity and flavor of fermented wheat bran, this study analyzed the physicochemical properties, phytate degradation capacity, antioxidant activities, and aroma profile of wheat bran treated with co-culture fermentation by Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and eight different species of LAB. Further, the phenolic acid composition, antioxidant activities, texture properties, aroma profile, and sensory quality of CSB containing fermented wheat bran were evaluated. The results revealed that co-culture fermentation brought about three types of volatile characteristics for wheat bran, including ester-feature, alcohol and acid-feature, and phenol-feature, and the representative strain combinations for these characteristics were S. fibuligera with Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Pediococcus pentosaceus, and Latilactobacillus curvatus, respectively. Co-culture fermentation by S. fibuligera and L. fermentum for 36 h promoted acidification with a phytate degradation rate reaching 51.70 %, and improved the production of volatile ethyl esters with a relative content of 58.47 % in wheat bran. Wheat bran treated with co-culture fermentation by S. fibuligera and L. curvatus for 36 h had high relative content of 4-ethylguaiacol at 52.81 %, and exhibited strong antioxidant activities, with ABTS•+ and DPPH• scavenging rates at 65.87 % and 69.41 %, respectively, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) at 37.91 µmol/g. In addition, CSB containing wheat bran treated with co-culture fermentation by S. fibuligera and L. fermentum showed a large specific volume, soft texture, and pleasant aroma, and received high sensory scores. CSB containing wheat bran treated with co-culture fermentation by S. fibuligera and L. curvatus, with high contents of 4-ethylguaiacol, 4-vinylguaiacol, ferulic acid, vanillin, syringaldehyde, and protocatechualdehyde, demonstrated strong antioxidant activities. This study is beneficial to the comprehensive utilization of wheat bran resources and provides novel insights into the enhancement of functions and quality for CSB.

Promotive effects of marine-derived dimethyl sulfoxide on the photodegradation of phenanthrene in the atmosphere.

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a versatile medium, is a particular component in the marine atmosphere that possibly causes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to degrade differently than they do in the continental atmosphere. In this study, phenanthrene (Phe) was used as a model PAH in batch photochemical experiments to investigate the chemical actions of DMSO and the underlying mechanisms. The photodegradation of Phe in aqueous solutions with DMSO volume fractions from 0 % to 100 % was initiated by ultraviolet (UV) radiation and promoted by singlet oxygen, which was consistent with pseudo-first-order kinetics. Phe photodegraded faster in a mixture of DMSO and water than in water or DMSO alone, and the rate constant showed a unimodal distribution over the DMSO fraction range, peaking at 33 % DMSO (0.0333 ± 0.0009 min-1) and 40 % DMSO (0.0199 ± 0.0005 min-1) under 254 nm and 302 nm UV radiation, respectively. This interesting phenomenon was attributed to the competition of DMSO for UV radiation and singlet oxygen and changes in dissolved oxygen and free water contents caused by the interaction between DMSO and water molecules. In addition, 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (9,10-PhQ) with high cytotoxicity was the main photodegradation product of Phe under various conditions. The photodegradation rate of Phe in the mixtures of DMSO and water was comparable to its reaction rate with OH radicals, suggesting that 9,10-PhQ can be rapidly generated in the marine atmosphere, driven by a mechanism different from that in the continental or urban atmosphere. Under the presented experimental conditions, UV intensity and DMSO fraction were the primary factors that affected the photodegradation rate of Phe and 9,10-PhQ and altered their integrated toxicity. The findings of this study support the conclusion that the marine atmosphere is an essential field in the atmospheric transport of PAHs, in which DMSO is an important component that affects their photodegradation.

Comparing the efficacy of a multi-dimensional breast cancer rehabilitation programme versus a home-based exercise programme during adjuvant cancer treatment.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy worldwide and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Exercise during adjuvant treatment improves function and relieves symptoms in breast cancer survivors. However, it is unclear if an unsupervised exercise programme may be as effective as a supervised multimodal group. We investigated the feasibility and efficacy of a centre-based multidimensional rehabilitation (MDR) programme for breast cancer survivors undergoing adjuvant treatment and compared it to an unsupervised home-based exercise (HE) programme. METHODS: Participants were self-allocated to either MDR or HE group. MDR participants underwent 24 supervised exercise classes and 10 education classes over 12 weeks. HE participants were instructed on a home exercise regime. Outcome measures, including the 6-min walk test (6MWT) and Frenchay Activities Index (FAI), FACT-Cognitive Function scale, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30, were conducted at baseline (W0), post-intervention (W12) and 6-months post-intervention (M6). Variance between time points and the 2 groups were analysed using a linear mixed model (unstructured covariance matrix) and adjusted with Bonferroni. RESULT: Twenty-five participants attended at least half of the MDR interventions, while 21 completed the HE interventions. The former showed significant improvement in 6MWT, from 406.88 m (W0) to 443.34 m (W12) to 452.81 m (M6), while the improvement in the HE group was not significant (407.67 m (W0) to 433.14 m (W12) to 430.96 m (M6)). Both groups showed a significant improvement in FAI, with earlier significant improvement noted at W12 in the MDR group (22.71 (W0) to 27.65 (W12) to 28.81 (M6)) compared to the HE group (23.16 (W0) to 26.47 (W12) to 29.85 (M6)). Dropout rate was 16% in the MDR group and 34% in HE group. Overall satisfaction with the MDR programme was high. CONCLUSION: Both MDR and HE programmes were feasible. MDR was superior in improving endurance and earlier return to instrumental activities for those who completed at least half of the sessions. Future studies could explore use of technology to improve adherence to exercise. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered with ClinicalTrial.gov on 01/04/2022 with the registration number NCT05306808.

Two-step modification of pullulanase and transglucosidase: A novel way to improve the gel strength and reduce the digestibility of rice starch.

The multiscale structure, gel strength and digestibility of rice starch modified by the two-step modification of pullulanase (PUL) pretreatment and transglucosidase (TG) treatment for 6, 12, 18 and 24 h were investigated. The debranching hydrolysis of PUL produced some linear chains, which rearranged to form stable crystalline structures, reducing the digestible starch content, but weakening the gel strength. TG treatment connected some short chains to longer linear chains via α-1,6-glycosidic bonds, generating the structures of linear chain with fewer branches. The short branches promoted the interaction between starch molecules to form a more compact three-dimensional gel network structure, showing higher hardness and springiness. Moreover, these chains could form more stable crystals, reducing the digestible starch content, and the increase of branching degree inhibited digestive enzyme hydrolysis, reducing the digestion rate. The multiscale structure of starch tended to stabilize after TG treatment for 18 h, which could form a gel with stronger strength and lower digestibility than native starch gel. Therefore, the two-step modification of PUL and TG was an effective way to change the structure of rice starch to improve the gel strength and reduce the digestibility.

Prolonged coagulation times in severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection, the indicators of heparin-like effect and increased haemorrhagic risk.

Prolonged coagulation times, such as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and thrombin time (TT), are common in patients infected with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) and have been confirmed to be related to patient's poor outcome by previous studies. To find out the reason for prolonged coagulation time in patients with SFTSV infection, and whether it predicts haemorrhagic risk or not. Seventy-eight consecutive patients with confirmed SFTSV infection were enrolled in this prospective, single-centre, observational study. Several global and specific coagulation parameters of these patients on admission were detected, and the haemorrhagic events during hospitalization and their outcomes were recorded. Most of the enrolled patients had prolonged APTT (82.1%) and TT (80.8%), normal prothrombin time (83.3%) and intrinsic coagulation factors above haemostatic levels (97.4%). The heparin-like effect was confirmed by a protamine neutralization test and anti-Xa activity detection in most patients. Interestingly, the APTT and TT results were significantly positively correlated with the levels of endothelial markers and viral load, respectively. The APTT was independently associated with the haemorrhage of patients. The prolonged APTT and TT of SFTS patients may mainly be attributed to endogenous heparinoids and are associated with increased haemorrhagic risk.

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A inhibits pyroptosis to enhance human lung adenocarcinoma cell radioresistance by promoting DNA repair.

Purpose: One of the best anticancer treatments available is radiotherapy, which can be used either alone or in conjunction with other forms of treatment including chemotherapy and surgery. Nevertheless, a number of biochemical and physiological processes that react to ionizing radiation might provide tumor cells radioresistance, which makes radiotherapy ineffective. It has been found that CDKN1A regulates DNA damage repair, which contributes to tumor radioresistance. However, the precise mechanism is still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the mechanisms underlying CDKN1A-enhanced radioresistance in tumor cells. Methods: Cells were irradiated with 4 Gy after CDKN1A overexpression or knockdown. CDKN1A expression was measured using real-time PCR, cell viability was evaluated using cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assays, and cytotoxicity was assessed using a lactate dehydrogenase assay. Pyroptosis in cells was analyzed using caspase-1 activity assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and flow cytometry. Inflammation activation was detected through a co-immunoprecipitation assay. Activation of pyroptosis-related proteins was analyzed using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and immunofluorescence. Tumor radioresistance in vivo was evaluated in a mouse xenograft model. Results: Radiotherapy upregulated CDKN1A expression, which promoted lung adenocarcinoma cell survival. CDKN1A influenced radiation-induced pyroptosis in A549, which mainly depended on inhibiting the activation of the AIM2 inflammasome by promoting DNA repair. Additionally, CDKN1A upregulation enhanced A549 xenograft tumor radioresistance by inhibiting radiation-induced pyroptosis in vivo. Conclusions: CDKN1A inhibits pyroptosis to enhance the radioresistance of lung adenocarcinoma cells by promoting DNA repair. This study may serve as a reference for developing novel targeted therapies against cancer.

Synergistic Radiation Effects in PPD CMOS Image Sensors Induced by Neutron Displacement Damage and Gamma Ionization Damage.

The synergistic effects on the 0.18 µm PPD CISs induced by neutron displacement damage and gamma ionization damage are investigated. The typical characterizations of the CISs induced by the neutron displacement damage and gamma ionization damage are presented separately. The CISs are irradiated by reactor neutron beams up to 1 × 1011 n/cm2 (1 MeV neutron equivalent fluence) and 60Co γ-rays up to the total ionizing dose level of 200 krad(Si) with different sequential order. The experimental results show that the mean dark signal increase in the CISs induced by reactor neutron radiation has not been influenced by previous 60Co γ-ray radiation. However, the mean dark signal increase in the CISs induced by 60Co γ-ray radiation has been remarkably influenced by previous reactor neutron radiation. The synergistic effects on the PPD CISs are discussed by combining the experimental results and the TCAD simulation results of radiation damage.

Lupus Anticoagulant-Hypoprothrombinemia Syndrome: Literature Review and Description of Local Case in a 3-Year-Old Chinese Girl.

Lupus anticoagulant-hypoprothrombinemia syndrome (LAHPS) is a rare, acquired coagulopathy syndrome. Here, we aim to summarize the clinical features of LAHPS to improve the understanding of the disease. The clinical data of 52 patients with LAHPS retrieved through PubMed from 2019 to 2023, supplemented with a local case of a child with LAHPS, were retrospectively analyzed, and the clinical characteristics were summarized. 56.6% of LAHPS patients were female, the median age at onset was 13.0 years (range, 1.2-85 years), and the median activity of factor II was 18.0% (range, 0.1-69%). 64.2% of LAHPS patients experienced hemorrhage, with 29.4% having multisite hemorrhage and 20.6% experiencing both nonsevere and severe hemorrhage. Most of the reported cases were secondary to autoimmune diseases (60.6%), followed by infections (33.3%). Corticosteroids were administered to 79.3% of patients with hemorrhage, and 90.6% of patients with LAHPS showed improvement. In conclusion, LAHPS is most commonly observed in female patients, particularly those under 18 years of age. LAHPS is characterized by hemorrhage, occurring at various sites and with varying degrees of severity, but the majority of patients improve with appropriate treatment and management.

One-line hybrid rice with high-efficiency synthetic apomixis and near-normal fertility.

KEY MESSAGE: High-frequency clonal seeds and near-normal fertility were obtained by engineering synthetic apomixis in hybrid rice. The one-line strategy, with the advantage of unnecessary seed production, is the final stage for the hybrid rice development and can be achieved through the fixation of heterosis via artificially inducing apomixis. Recently, synthetic apomixis has been generated in rice by combining MiMe (Mitosis instead of Meiosis) with either the ectopic expression of BABY BOOM (BBM1 or BBM4) or mutation of MATRILINEAL (MTL), resulting in over 95.00% of clonal seeds. However, the frequency of clonal seeds was only 29.20% when AtDD45 promoter was used to drive BBM1. In addition, achieving both a high frequency of clonal seeds and near-normal fertility simultaneously had been elusive in earlier strategies. In this study, using AtDD45 promoter to drive BBM1 expression in combination with the MiMe mutant resulted in the apomixis frequency as high as 98.70%. Even more, employing fusion promoters (AtMYB98_AtDD1_OsECA1-like1) to drive WUS expression in combination with pAtDD45:BBM1 and MiMe could produce clonal seeds at rates of up to 98.21%, the highest seed setting rate reached to 83.67%. Multiple-embryos were observed in clonal lines at a frequency ranging from 3.37% to 60.99%. Transmission of the high frequency of apomixis through skipped generations (atavism) was identified in two clonal lines, even though it remained stable in the majority of clonal lines. These findings significantly advance the pursuit of fixed heterosis in rice through synthetic apomixis, edging closer to its agricultural application.