Moyamoya syndrome may result from psoriasis: Four case reports.

BACKGROUND: Moyamoya syndrome (MMS) is a group of diseases that involves more than one underlying disease and is accompanied by moyamoya vascular phenomena. Psoriasis is a chronic immune skin disease closely linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. However, psoriasis-related MMS has not been reported. CASE SUMMARY: We collected data on patients with stroke due to MMS between January 2017 and December 2019 and identified four cases of psoriasis. Case histories, imaging, and hematological data were collected. The average age of the initial stroke onset was 58.25 ± 11.52 years; three cases of hemorrhagic and one case of ischemic stroke were included. The average duration from psoriasis confirmation to the initial MMS-mediated stroke onset was 17 ± 3.56 years. All MMS-related stenoses involved the bilateral cerebral arteries: Suzuki grade III in one case, grade IV in two cases, and grade V in one case. Abnormally elevated plasma interleukin-6 levels were observed in four patients. Two patients had abnormally elevated immunoglobulin E levels, and two had thrombocytosis. All four patients received medication instead of surgery. With an average follow-up time of 2 years, two causing transient ischemic attacks occurred in two patients, and no hemorrhagic events occurred. CONCLUSION: Psoriasis may be a potential risk factor for MMS. Patients with psoriasis should be screened for MMS when they present with neurological symptoms.

Multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment model based on a retrospective cohort study: Pulmonary function and prognosis quality of life in severe COPD.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic respiratory disease worsening airflow limitation. OBJECTIVE: To explore pulmonary function rehabilitation, life quality and prognosis in patients with severe COPD. METHODS: Between February 2018 and August 2021, 150 patients with severe COPD cured in our hospital were arbitrarily assigned into the control group (n= 75) and study group (n= 75). The control group received routine treatment and the research group received multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment. The body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea and exercise (BODE), pulmonary function, the number of acute attacks, 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), Borg score and life quality were compared. RESULTS: There was no remarkable difference in BODE score before treatment (P> 0.05). During the 2- and 6-month following treatment, the BODE score of the study group was lower (P< 0.05). In the study group, FEV1 percentage of the predicted value, forced expiratory volume in one second (PPO-FEV1) and the percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) in the first second were higher (P< 0.05). In the study group, there were fewer acute attacks (P< 0.05). After treatment, the 6MWD of the study group following 2- and 6-month treatment was higher (P< 0.05). The Borg scores of the study group at 2- and 6-months after treatment were lower (P< 0.05). There were no remarkable differences in the score of life quality before treatment (P> 0.05), however, the symptom score, activity score, influence score and total score of the study group were lower after the treatment (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The application of multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment model can promote the rehabilitation of pulmonary function of patients with severe COPD, improve their prognosis, slow down the development of the disease and enhance their life quality.

ZCCHC4 Promotes Osteosarcoma Progression by Upregulating ITGB1.

Zinc finger CCHC-type containing 4 (ZCCHC4), RNA binding protein, has been reported to mediate rRNA methylation and affect tumor cell proliferation. However, the role of ZCCHC4 in the regulation of osteosarcoma (OS) remains unknown. ZCCHC4 was highly expressed in OS tissues and cell lines. Overexpression or silencing of ZCCHC4 promoted or inhibited cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and motility. Additionally, we proved that ZCCHC4 facilitates OS progression through upregulating integrin ß1 (ITGB1). In the animal model, ZCCHC4 knockdown reduced OS tumor growth and metastases in vivo. Our findings showed that ZCCHC4 promoted the progression of OS through upregulating ITGB1 and suggested that inhibition of ZCCHC4 could be a novel therapeutic strategy for OS.

Vertical Differentiation of Microplastics Influenced by Thermal Stratification in a Deep Reservoir.

Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging environmental concern. However, vertical transport of MPs remains unclear, particularly in deep reservoirs with thermal stratification (TS). In this study, the vertical variation in MP organization, stability, migration, and the driving factors of the profile in a deep reservoir were comprehensively explored. This is the first observation that TS interfaces in a deep reservoir act as a buffer area to retard MP subsidence, especially at the interface between the epilimnion and the metalimnion. Interestingly, there was a size-selection phenomenon for MP sinking. In particular, the high accumulation of large-sized MPs (LMPs; >300 µm) indicated that LMPs were more susceptible to dramatic changes in water density at the TS interfaces. Furthermore, simultaneous analysis of water parameters and MP surface characteristics showed that the drivers of MP deposition were biological to abiotic transitions during different layers, which were influenced by algae and metals. Specifically, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and microscopic Fourier transform infrared analyses implied that the occurrence of metals on the MP surface can promote MP deposition in the hypolimnion. Our findings demonstrated that TS significantly influenced the MP fate in deep reservoirs, and the hotspot of MP exposure risk for vulnerable benthic organisms on the reservoir floor deserves more attention.

Derivation of new resistance principle on flow-induced morphological response of flexible vegetation.

Water flow under vegetated environments is a noteworthy research topic in environmental hydraulics and restoration ecology, and this research is particularly important for maintaining water transport and streambed stability in water ecosystems. The calculation of the resistance coefficient in vegetated water flow is the core of this research. But there are still problems such as complex expressions and low simulation accuracy in this research field. To solve this scientific problem, this research, based on the theoretical study of environmental hydraulics and genetic algorithm, selected three basic parameters of vegetation submergence, resistance length and curvature degree, and successfully constructed the formula for calculating the resistance coefficient for flexible vegetated flow by using a wide range of data sets. New quantitative relationship between the drag coefficient and the relative roughness of flexible vegetation was established in this study. The formula of drag coefficients for flexible vegetation conditions has a more concise form and can be successfully applied to both flexible and rigid vegetation. As flexible vegetation is deformed under the action of water flow, and the quantitative expressions of Vogel number and relative roughness are given quantitatively through the analysis of its physical properties. Overall, this study improves the basic theoretical study of vegetated flow in environmental fluid dynamics and provides scientific theoretical support for vegetation restoration.

Small-sized microplastics (< 500 µm) in roadside soils of Beijing, China: Accumulation, stability, and human exposure risk.

The potential threats of microplastics (MPs) to human health in urban environment have received increasing attention. Small MPs substantially threaten soil organisms and human beings because they are easily ingested and may adsorb other pollutants to form composite compounds. However, roadside soils as a source and a sink of small MPs in urban environments have not been reported. Here, we studied the small-sized MPs (SMPs, < 500 µm) pollution and human exposure analysis by investigating the MPs in roadside soils in Beijing. SMPs contributed to 88.06% of the high average MPs abundance (22001.67 ± 24482.34 items/kg), and were categorized as uncontaminated to moderately contaminated, assessed by the geo-accumulation index (Igeo). SMPs mainly consisted of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) with morphotypes of fragment and granule. In particular, highly stable and fragmented MPs were discovered by the conditional fragmentation model. And normal-sized MPs (NMPs 500-5000 µm) NMPs could further fragment into SMPs, indicating that SMPs in roadside soil were further enriched. The estimated infant exposure to SMPs was greater than that in adults, and independent of the polymer types and morphotypes. PP is currently the main pollutant, contributing 65% to the estimated human exposure. Combining the conditional fragmentation model and main polymer types, SMPs likely derived from containers/packaging and fertilizers, and affected by atmospheric transport. This study demonstrated the dominance and potential risk of SMPs in roadside soil, suggesting that health risk assessment for SMPs in urban environment necessitates critical investigation.

CircRAB3IP upregulates twist family BHLH transcription factor (TWIST1) to promote osteosarcoma progression by sponging miR-580-3p.

Circular RNAs (circ RNAs) have been found to play an important role in cancer development. However, the role of circRAB3IP in osteosarcoma (OS) is unclear.In the present study, We found that circRAB3IP was highly expressed in OS tissues and OS cells. High levels of circRAB3IP was correlated with advanced TNM stage, distant metastasis. CircRAB3IP knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, circRAB3IP directly binds to miR-580-3p. TWIST1 is directly targeted by miR-580-3p. We also demonstrated that circRAB3IP act as the sponge of miR-580-3p to promote TWIST1 expression. CircRAB3IP promotes OS cells proliferation, migration, and invasion through modulating miR-580-3p/TWIST1 axis. Moreover, circRAB3IP facilitated tumor formation in vivo. Our findings suggested that circRAB3IP acts as an oncogene in OS by regulating miR-580-3p/TWIST1 axis.

Improved Differentiation Ability and Therapeutic Effect of miR-23a-3p Expressing Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Mice Model with Acute Lung Injury.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Implantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) has been recognized as an effective therapy for attenuating acute lung injury (ALI). This study aims to discover microRNA (miRNA)-mediated improvement of BMSCs-based therapeutic effects. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mice were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for induction of ALI. BMSCs with lentivirus- mediated expression of miR-23b-3p or fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) were intratracheally injected into the mice with ALI. The expressions of miR-23b-3p, FGF2, Occludin, and surfactant protein C (SPC) in lung tissues were analyzed by immunoblot or quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Histopathological changes in lung tissues were observed via hematoxylin-eosin staining. Lung edema was assessed by the ratio of lung wet weight/body weight (LWW/BW). The levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-4, and IL-8 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were assessed by ELISA. LPS injection downregulated the expressions of miR-23b-3p, SPC and Occludin in the lung tissues, increased the LWW/BW ratio and aggravated histopathological abnormalities, while upregulating IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-4, and IL-8 in the BALF. Upregulated miR-23b-3p counteracted LPS-induced effects, whereas downregulated miR-23b-3p intensified LPS-induced effects. FGF2, which was downregulated by miR-23b-3p upregulation, was a target gene of miR-23b-3p. Overexpressing FGF2 downregulated the expressions of miR-23b-3p, SPC and Occludin, increased the LWW/BW ratio and aggravated histopathological abnormalities, while upregulating IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-4, and IL-8, and it offset miR-23b-3p upregulation-caused effects on the ALI mice. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of miR-23b-3p in BMSCs strengthened BMSC-mediated protection against LPS-induced mouse acute lung injury via targeting FGF2.

STEAP1 facilitates metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of lung adenocarcinoma via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate-1 (STEAP1) is a relatively newly identified gene target from prostate cancer, breast cancer, and gastric cancer. However, functions of STEAP1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are still unknown. In the present study, we explored the molecular and cellular mechanisms of STEAP1 in LUAD. Western blot and Q-PCR were conducted to detect the protein and mRNA expressions respectively. The cell proliferation was tested by CCK8 assay. The effects of STEAP1 on the metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of LUAD were evaluated by EdU assay, wound healing assay, and transwell migratory assay. H1650, H358, HCC827, H1299, H23, A549, H1693 were selected as human LUAD cell lines in the study. Results have shown that STEAP1 expression was up-regulated in LUAD cells compared with normal lung epithelial cells. Knockdowning of STEAP1 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of LUAD epithelial cells. Importantly, after comparing the proliferation, migration, and invasion of LUAD to the corresponding control groups treated in STAT3 inhibitor ADZ1480, we found that STEAP1 regulates EMT via Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signaling pathway. In conclusion, STEAP1 can serve as a therapeutic target, and it may have important clinical implications for LUAD treatment.

Boron toxicity coefficient calculation and application for ecological risk assessment in reservoir sediments.

B is a potentially toxic element, and its potential ecological influences in aquatic environments have gained increasing attention in recent years, especially in reservoir ecosystems. As the largest freshwater reservoir in China, the estimation of B's ecological risks in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) is critical for national drinking water safety. However, the lack of a toxicity coefficient (Tc) for B limits its ecological risk assessment (Er) in aquatic environments, especially for sediments. In this study, the Tc of B was carefully calculated, considering toxicological, sedimentological, and ecological ranking factors. The Er for B was then assessed for surface sediments collected from the TGR. Enrichment factors (EFs) were also used to identify the influence of human activities on B. The results show that the average concentrations of B in mainstream and tributary sediments were 53.98 mg/kg and 90.88 mg/kg, respectively, slightly higher than sediment background B values in China (48 mg/kg). Additionally, EFs showed that the tributary sediments were moderately enriched in B. The EF 1.5 value was higher than zero, indicating that the anthropogenic influence in tributary sediments than in mainstream sediments. Moreover, chemical speciation of B in TGR sediments was mainly attributed to the residual fraction, indicating weak migration of B in sediments. Furthermore, after calculating Tc according to the principles of Er, it was found that it is more scientific to assign the Tc of B in sediments a value of 2. Based on this Tc value, the Er in the TGR was assessed and it revealed that B in TGR sediments had low ecological risk. The scientific calculation of the Tc provides an important parameter for B ecological risk assessments in aquatic environments in the future.

DGT: A promising technology for in-situ measurement of metal speciation in the environment.

Toxicity, bioavailability, and mobility of a metal depend on its speciation rather than its total concentration. In this discussion, we emphasize the need for field-based metal speciation analysis methods, given the flaws of traditional techniques. We express a science-based opinion that the diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) is a promising and powerful technique for performing in-situ measurement of metal species or speciation in different environmental samples. Several limitations and challenges in further application of DGT are also highlighted in this discussion.

Distinct Patterns of mRNA and lncRNA Expression Differences Between Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma.

This study aimed to assess mRNA and lncRNA expression differences between lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Cancer tissues were obtained from three LUSC and three LUAD patients, followed by RNA-seq. Differentially expressed mRNAs (DE-mRNAs) and lncRNAs (DE-lncRNAs) were identified between LUSC and LUAD, after which functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction was performed on DEGs. Coexpression analysis of lncRNA-gene and prediction of DEG-related miRNAs as well as function enrichment analysis, and construction of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) regulatory network were then conducted. Moreover, survival analysis on differentially expressed RNAs was performed based on data downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. In this study, 518 DEGs and 117 DE-lncRNAs were identified between LUSC and LUAD. The DEGs were mainly associated with cell adhesion, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and focal adhesion. PPI network analysis indicated several genes with highest connectivity, such as CCND1. DE-lncRNAs that coexpressed with DEGs were also associated with tight junction and DE-lncRNAs that had more corepressed relationships with DEGs included GSEC, NKX2-1-AS1, LINC01415, and LINC00839. Moreover, the genes and lncRNAs with higher connectivity in the ceRNA network included NEAT1, SLC5A3, LINC00839, ETV1, CMTM4, and SNX30. Several genes were significantly related to the survival of patients with LUSC and LUAD, including ETV1, RTKN2, SNX30, PAK2, and CCND1. Genes and lncRNAs associated with cell junction have specific patterns in two major histological subtypes of NSCLC. GSEC, NKX2-1-AS1, NEAT1, CCND1, and ETV1 may be potential novel biomarkers for personalized treatment strategies of NSCLC.

Long non­coding RNA00887 reduces the invasion and metastasis of non­small cell lung cancer by causing the degradation of miRNAs.

Long non­coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can act as carcinogenic or cancer suppressive factors during the pathogenesis, invasion and metastasis of non­small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The current study explored the role of long intergenic non­protein coding RNA 00887 (LINC00887) and competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). It was revealed that LINC00887 interacts with several microRNAs (miRs), which regulates downstream genes such as fibronectin 1, MET proto­oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4, which are associated with the spread of lung cancer. The experimental results also suggested that LINC00887 can stimulate miR­613, miR­206 and miR­1­2 to become competing endogenous RNAs, which may regulate the epithelial­mesenchymal transition of NSCLC cells through the transforming growth factor­â signal transduction pathway, and therefore promote the migration of cells and the acquisition of stem cell characteristics. Therefore, it can be concluded that high levels of LINC00887 can accelerate the malignant transformation ability of NSCLC cells.

Correlation of Adrenomedullin Concentrations with Knee Osteoarthritis Grade.

BACKGROUND Adrenomedullin, a recently identified myokine, has an anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, we aimed to assess the correlation of adrenomedullin concentrations with the presence and grade of severity of knee osteoarthritis (OA). MATERIAL AND METHODS We recruited 187 knee OA patients and 109 healthy subjects. The severity of OA was evaluated using the Kellgren-Lawrence grading system. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the knee OA group revealed markedly higher adrenomedullin concentrations. Serum and synovial fluid (SF) adrenomedullin concentrations increased with increased KL grades. CONCLUSIONS Serum and SF adrenomedullin concentrations show a correlation with the severity of knee OA.

No exonic mutations at GJB2, GJB3, GJB4, GJB6, ARS (Component B), and LOR genes responsible for a Chinese patient affected by progressive symmetric erythrokeratodermia with pseudoainhum.

OBJECTIVE: Progressive symmetric erythrokeratodermia (PSEK) is characterized by symmetric and growing erythematous hyperkeratotic patches over the body shortly after birth, particularly trunk and limbs, the buttocks, and the face, sometimes together with palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK). The GJB2, GJB3, GJB4, GJB6, ARS (Component B), and LOR gene mutation might contribute to PSEK manifestation. This study aimed to identify sequence alteration of these genes in a Chinese PSEK patient with pseudoainhum. METHODS: Genomic DNA was purified from the patient's peripheral blood. Mutation analysis of target genes was performed by direct sequencing using ABI 3730 sequencer RESULTS: No exonic mutations was identified in the aforementioned genes. CONCLUSIONS: The result underlines the genetic heterogeneity of PSEK and other related erythrokeratodermas.

TNIP1/ANXA6 and CSMD1 variants interacting with cigarette smoking, alcohol intake affect risk of psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a common multi-factorial skin disease, in which gene-gene and gene-environment interactions may affect the onset, manifestation and clinical course. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the underlying gene-environment interaction among several established susceptibility genes, cigarette smoking and alcohol intake. METHODS: Using a two-stage case-control design, we searched for pairwise interactions between cigarette smoking and alcohol intake respectively with 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at ERAP1, PTTG1, CSMD1, GJB2, SERPINB8, ZNF816A and TNIP1/ANXA6 that have been associated with risk for psoriasis in 7,223 subjects. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Significant interactions were found for alcohol intake with rs3762999 (p=0.0257) and rs999556 (p=0.0071) at TNIP/ANXA6; and for cigarette smoking with rs7007032 (p=0.0023) and rs10088247 (p=0.0023) at CSMD1. CONCLUSION: This study provides empirical evidence for the gene-environment interactions between TNIP1/ANXA6 and alcohol use, CSMD1 and cigarette smoking, highlighting the importance of gene-environment interactions in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Inhibition of 5-HT(3) receptors-activated currents by cannabinoids in rat trigeminal ganglion neurons.

This study investigated the modulatory effect of synthetic cannabinoids WIN55,212-2 on 5-HT(3) receptor-activated currents (I(5-HT3)) in cultured rat trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons using whole-cell patch clamp technique. The results showed that: (1) The majority of examined neurons (78.70%) were sensitive to 5-HT (3-300 µmol/L). 5-HT induced inward currents in a concentration-dependent manner and the currents were blocked by ICS 205-930 (1 µmol/L), a selective antagonist of the 5-HT(3) receptor; (2) Pre-application of WIN55,212-2 (0.01-1 µmol/L) significantly inhibited I(5-HT3) reversibly in concentration-dependent and voltage-independent manners. The concentration-response curve of 5-HT(3) receptor was shifted downward by WIN55,212-2 without any change of the threshold value. The EC(50) values of two curves were very close (17.5±4.5) µmol/L vs. (15.2±4.5) µmol/L and WIN55,212-2 decreased the maximal amplitude of I(5-HT3) by (48.65±4.15)%; (3) Neither AM281, a selective CB1 receptor antagonist, nor AM630, a selective CB2 receptor antagonist reversed the inhibition of I(5-HT3) by WIN55,212-2; (4) When WIN55,212-2 was given from 15 to 120 s before 5-HT application, inhibitory effect was gradually increased and the maximal inhibition took place at 90 s, and the inhibition remained at the same level after 90 s. We are led to concluded that-WIN55,212-2 inhibited I(5-HT3) significantly and neither CB1 receptor antagonist nor CB2 receptor antagonist could reverse the inhibition of I(5-HT3) by WIN55,212-2. Moreover, WIN55,212-2 is not an open channel blocker (OCB) of 5-HT(3) receptor. WIN55,212-2 significantly inhibited 5-HT-activated currents in a non-competitive manner. The inhibition of I(5-HT3) by WIN55,212-2 is probably new one of peripheral analgesic mechanisms of WIN55,212-2, but the mechanism by which WIN55,212-2 inhibits I(5-HT3) warrants further investigation.

The organic contamination survey and health risk assessment of 16 source water reservoirs in Haihe River basin.

Although contamination by organic pollutants has previously been reported to occur in the Haihe River basin, few studies have been carried out on the levels of source water reservoir contamination and the health risk in the Haihe River basin. To understand the organic pollution status of the reservoirs in the Haihe River basin, samples were collected from 16 source water reservoirs. The samples were analyzed for the representative organic pollutants, which included benzene homologues, chlorobenzene compounds, organophosphorus pesticides, and nitrobenzene compounds, a total in all of 17 compounds. It was observed that the concentrations of the 17 compounds in the 16 reservoirs were all less than the limit laid down by Chinese surface water quality standards. In addition, benzene, toluene, nitrobenzene, p-nitrochlorobenzene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene, dichlorvos, demeton, dimethoate methyl parathion, malathion and parathion were frequently detected in the 16 source water reservoirs, especially the organophosphorus pesticides; the detection rates of dichlorvos, dimethoate, methyl parathion, malathion and parathion were all 100% in the 16 source water reservoirs. The detection rate of target compounds suggested that organic pollution had been common in the source water of the Haihe River basin. The health risk assessment results suggested that the noncarcinogenic risk hazard quotient values of the target compounds were less than one, and the cancer risk values were all below 1 × 10(-6), which indicated that the heath risk produced by the target compounds in the 16 reservoirs was at an acceptable level.