Construction and validation of a novel NAD+ metabolism-related risk model for prognostic prediction in osteosarcoma.

Currently, the prognosis of osteosarcoma (OS) remains discouraging, especially in elderly/metastatic OS patients. By impairing the antitumor effect of immune cells, tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) provides an environment conducive to tumor proliferation, which highly requires accelerated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) metabolism for energy. Recently, many genes involved in the sustained production of NAD+ in malignant tumors have been verified to be possible prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets. Therefore, the current study was to probe into the association of NAD+ metabolism-related genes with TIME, immunotherapeutic response, and prognosis in OS. All OS data for the study were acquired from TARGET and GEO databases. In bioinformatics analysis, we performed Cox analysis, consensus clustering, principal component analysis, t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding, uniform manifold approximation and projection, gene set enrichment analysis, gene set variation analysis, Lasso analysis, survival and ROC curves, nomogram, immune-related analysis, drug sensitivity analysis, and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis. Cell transfection assay, RT-qPCR, western blot analysis, as well as cell wound healing, migration, and invasion assays were performed in vitro. Bioinformatics analysis identified A&B clusters and six NAD+ metabolism-related differentially expressed genes, constructed risk model and nomogram, and performed immune-related analysis, drug susceptibility analysis, and scRNA-seq analysis to inform the clinical treatment framework. In vitro experiment revealed that CBS and INPP1 can promote migration, proliferation as well as invasion of OS cells through TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 pathway. Based on bioinformatics analysis and in vitro validation, this study confirmed that NAD+ metabolism affects TIME to suggest the prognosis of OS.

Neuroprotective effect of chitosan oligosaccharide on alcohol-induced hippocampal injury using proteomic analysis.

Alcoholism is a serious public health problem, and the abuse of drinking seriously damages the health of people. Chitosan oligosaccharides (COSs) are small-molecule oligosaccharides with amino groups that have many unique properties. The neuroprotective effect of COS on alcohol-induced hippocampal injury in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats was investigated. The discrimination ratio of the COS group in the Y-maze experiment was 59.3% higher than that of the ETOH group. Meanwhile, the discrimination index was less than 0 in the ETOH group but greater than 0 in the COS group during the object recognition test. The cells in the COS group were more tightly arranged than those in the ETOH group. Proteomics was used to identify differentially expressed proteins in the hippocampus. There were 27 differentially expressed proteins in the COS and ETOH group for further bioinformatic analysis. There are three enriched pathway categories, namely, primary immunodeficiency, hedgehog signaling, and sulfur relay system. Next, sonic hedgehog signaling pathway-related proteins were verified through western blotting. The protein expression level of ß-arrestin-2 in the COS group was 2.85 times higher than that in the ETOH group. This work may contribute to understanding the underlying mechanism of the neuroprotective effect of COS against alcohol-induced hippocampal injury in SD rats.

Ultrasonography-Guided Combination with Elbow Arthrography-Assisted Minimally Invasive Treatment of Radial Neck Fractures in Young Children.

Background: A radius neck fracture in children is a common fracture that not only affects the growth and development of children but also has a certain impact on the function of children's elbow joints. Objective: To probe into the application value of ultrasonography- (US-) guided combination with elbow arthrography in the minimally invasive treatment of radial neck fractures in young children, summarize its clinical effect and provide a minimally invasive, safe, effective, and reliable method for treating radial neck fractures in young children. Methods: Seventy-three patients with type III or IV radial neck fractures were treated from June 2013 to December 2020 and were divided into the Métaizeau group (n = 31, treatment group) and Kirschner wire (k-wire) k-wire group (n = 42, control group). The Métaizeau group was given US-guided combination with elbow arthrography-assisted modified Métaizeau technique, the k-wire group received open reduction and internal fixation with k-wire and compared the surgical effect of the two groups. Results: In comparison with the k-wire group, time of operation, intraoperative bleeding volume, and hospital stay were signally junior to those in the Métaizeau group (P < 0.05). After surgery, in comparison with the k-wire group, the number of degrees to contralateral flexion or forearm rotation was visually lower in the Métaizeau group (P < 0.05), and postoperative complication incidence in the Métaizeau group was visually lower than that in k-wire group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In the minimally invasive treatment of radial neck fractures, US-guided combination with elbow arthrography in young children has better efficacy and high safety. It can be widely promoted and applied clinically.

[Effects of simulated nitrogen deposition on competition of weedy species (Echinochloa crusgalli var. mitis L.) and upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) under different air temperatures].

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the effects of simulated nitrogen deposition on the growth and competition of C4 weedy species (Echinochloa crusgalli var. mitis L. ) and C3 upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) under day/night temperature of 35 degrees C/25 degrees C and 30 degrees C/20 degrees C. The results showed that under day/night temperature 35 degrees C/25 degrees C, 4.0 g x m(-2) x a(-1) N deposition enhanced the shoot biomass of E. crusgalli and O. sativa by 29.18% and 27.80%, respectively, compared with control. The N and P uptake by E. crusgalli increased by 87.33% and 49.73%, respectively, but no change was found for O. sativa. Under 30 degrees C/20 degrees C, three N depositions (2, 4 and 6 g x m(-1) x a(-1) ) enhanced the shoot biomass, tiller number, and shoot N and P uptake of E. crusgalli by 48.99%, 72.68% and 36.18%, 111.11%, 122.22% and 144.44%, 108.88%, 129.22% and 134.29%, and 16.53%, 65.05% and 22.47%, respectively, but no changes were observed for O. sativa. Nitrogen deposition significantly increased the shoot biomass ratio of E. crusgalli to O. sativa under 30 degrees C/20 degrees C, but had no impact on this ratio under 35 degrees C/25 degrees C. It was suggested that N deposition could enhance the competition of E. crusgalli over O. sativa, especially under lower air temperature.

[Regulation effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the interactions between barnyard grass and upland rice under enhanced nitrogen supply].

A pot experiment was conducted to study the regulation effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the interactions between Echinochloa crus-galli var. mitis L. and Oryza sativa L. under enhanced N supply (4.0 g N x m(-2) x a(-1)). The results showed that under monoculture condition, the AMF colonization on E. crus-galli increased but that on O. sativa decreased. In the treatments with and without AMF inoculation, upland rice biomass and its P and N uptake increased by 42.35% and 13.48%, 4.07% and 2.55%, and 30.35% and 62.09%, respectively, and barnyard grass biomass and its P and N uptake increased by 20.24% and 15.65%, 3.88% and 4.06%, and 15.10% and 30.35%, respectively. Under mixed cropping, the AMF colonization on E. crus-galli increased but that on O. sativa had little change. In the treatments with and without AMF inoculation, the biomass ratio of O. sativa to E. crus-galli decreased, but N uptake ratio changed a little. The P uptake ratio of O. sativa to E. crus-galli increased in treatment without AMF inoculation but decreased in treatment with AMF inoculation. It was suggested that AMF tended to enhance the competition of E. crus-galli to O. sativa under enhanced N supply.

[Effects of simulated nitrogen deposition on weeds growth and nitrogen uptake].

In this paper, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the responses of different functional groups weeds to simulated nitrogen deposition (4.0 g N.m(-2).yr(-1)). Native weed species Poa annua, Lolium perenne, Avena fatua, Medicago lupulina, Trifolium repens, Plantago virginica, Veronica didyma, Echinochloa crusgalli var. mitis, Eleusine indica and Amaranthus spinosus in orchard ecosystem were used test materials, and their above-and underground biomass and nitrogen uptake were measured. The results showed that under simulated N deposition, the total biomass, shoot biomass and root biomass of all weed species tended increase, while the total biomass was differed for different functional groups of weeds. The biomass of C4 grass, legumes and C3 grass was significantly increased under N deposition, while that of C3 and C4 forbs was not significantly impacted. The root/shoot biomass ratio of Avena fatua and Plantago virginica was enhanced by N deposition, but that of Poa annu, Lolium perenne, Medicago lupulina, Trifolium repens and Amarathus spinosus was not impacted significantly. N deposition had no significant effect on plant N concentration, but significantly enhanced the N uptake of all test weed species except Amarathus spinosus, Poa annua and Veronica didyma. was suggested that the further increase of N deposition might speed up the changes of the community structure weed species due to their different responses to N deposition.