Application of artificial intelligence-based dual source CT scanning in the differentiation of lung adenocarcinoma in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma.

Background and Objective: Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer with highly incidence and mortality. Due to the overlap of morphological features, it is difficult to distinguish clinically between preinvasive lesions (in situ adenocarcinoma, AIS) and invasive lesions (minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, MIA), which appear as ground glass cloudy nodules. This study was performed to probe the application value of artificial intelligence (AI)-based dual source CT scanning in the differentiation of AIS as well as MIA. Methods: The clinical data of 136 patients in Shanghai Baoshan Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from January 2019 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The accuracy of AI in distinguishing lung AIS (n=76) and MIA (n=60) were analyzed. The effectiveness of AI in detecting nodules and its diagnostic efficacy for AIS and MIA were explored. Results: The proportion of patients with clear and regular lesion boundaries in AIS was higher than that in MIA. The mean lesion diameter of AIS patients was shorter than MIA patients. There was no difference in the CT value between AIS and MIA in the ground glass nodule density area of pure ground glass nodule and mixed ground glass nodule, but the CT value of the solid nodule density area in AIS was lower. The occurrence of pulmonary vascular abnormality, air bronchogram sign, and pleural depression in AIS patients were lower than MIA patients. The detection rate of AI for lung adenocarcinoma with nodule diameter ≤ 5 mm, complete solid nodules and ground glass nodules was significantly higher than radiologists. The sensitivity, specificity, positive prediction rate, negative prediction rate and accuracy of AI detection were significantly higher than radiologists. Conclusion: AI-based dual source CT scanning can clearly show the morphological characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma, which is helpful for the differential diagnosis of lung AIS as well as MIA.

Vibration prediction and analysis of the main beam of the TBM based on a multiple linear regression model.

The vibration of tunnel boring machine (TBM) is very difficult to monitor on sites, and related research on prediction methods is rare. Based on the field tunnelling test of a TBM in the Xinjiang Ehe project, the vibration information of the main beam of the TBM under different surrounding rock conditions is collected. The relationships among the tunnelling parameters, surrounding rock parameters and vibration parameters were studied. The results show that the penetration, cutter head speed, torque and thrust are important parameters affecting TBM vibration. In addition, the field penetration index and cutter head driving power index are significantly related to the root mean square of acceleration. Based on this, a multiple regression prediction model of TBM vibration is established. The model was verified and analysed via field projects, and the relative prediction error was less than 12%. This method can be used to predict the vibration of a TBM in real time through characteristic parameters without the use of a traditional monitoring system. This approach is highly important for determining the status of TBM equipment in real time.

E2F family play important roles in tumorigenesis.

Tumors are serious threats to human health. The transcription factors are regarded as the potential targets for tumor treatment. As an important family of transcription factors, E2F family transcription factors (E2Fs) play vital roles in cell proliferation and regulation. However, the expression feature, gene functions, and molecular interactions of E2Fs in tumorigenesis are not clear. In this study, the transcriptome data, mutation data, and protein-protein interaction data of 10 high-incidence tumors in China from the TCGA database were integrated and analyzed to explore the expression, structure, function, mutation, and phylogenetic characteristics of E2Fs. The results showed that E2F1 and E2F7 were regularly upregulated in the tumor samples. Moreover, E2Fs participated in the regulation of the cell cycle, cell aging, and other signaling pathways. As an important regulator, E2F1 interacted with more proteins than other E2Fs. At the same time, the genetic mutation types of E2Fs varied in tumor type and patient sex, of which gene amplification accounts for the largest proportion. Phylogenetic analysis showed that E2Fs were conserved in 41 species, including fruit flies, nematodes, and humans. Meanwhile, E2Fs had a tendency for gene expansion during evolution. In conclusion, this study clarified the expression pattern, mutation characteristics, and evolutionary trend of E2Fs in high-incidence tumors in China, and suggested that E2F family transcription factors could be novel diagnostic markers for tumor diseases. Furthermore, this work can provide a theoretical basis for the development of anti-tumor-targeted drugs.

Nitrogen addition increased soil particulate organic carbon via plant carbon input whereas reduced mineral-associated organic carbon through attenuating mineral protection in agroecosystem.

Nitrogen (N) addition can have substantial impacts on both aboveground and belowground processes such as plant productivity, microbial activity, and soil properties, which in turn alters the fate of soil organic carbon (SOC). However, how N addition affects various SOC fractions such as particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC), particularly in agroecosystem, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, plant biomass (grain yield, straw biomass, and root biomass), soil chemical properties (pH, N availability, exchangeable cations and amorphous Al/Fe - (hydr) oxides) and microbial characteristics (biomass and functional genes) in response to a N addition experiment (0, 150, 225, 300, and 375 kg ha-1) in paddy soil were investigated to explore the predominant controls of POC and MAOC. Our results showed that POC significantly increased, while MAOC decreased under N addition (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis and PLSPM results suggested that increased C input, as indicated by root biomass, predominated the increase in POC. The declined MAOC was not mainly dominated by microbial control, but was strongly associated with the attenuated mineral protection (especially Ca2+) induced by soil acidification under N addition. Collectively, our results emphasized the importance of combining C input and soil chemistry in predicting soil C dynamics and thereby determining soil organic C storage in response to N addition in rice agroecosystem.

Adverse effects of sulfamethoxazole on locomotor behavior and lipid metabolism by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase and lipase in Daphnia magna.

Sulfamethoxazole (SMZ), a kind of sulfonamide antibiotic, is widely used in both human and veterinary medicine. Frequent detection of SMZ in natural aquatic environments has prompted growing attention and posed ecological risks to the ecosystem and human health. In this study, we investigated the ecotoxicological properties of SMZ upon Daphnia magna, and the mechanisms of the deleterious effects of SMZ were attempted to be elucidated by investigating a chain of parameters, including survival, reproduction, growth, locomotor behavior, metabolism, as well as levels of related enzyme activity and gene expression. After a 14-d sub-chronic exposure to SMZ at environmentally relevant concentrations, we observed virtually no lethal effect, weak growth inhibition, significant reproductive damage, evident ingestion rate decline, obvious change in locomotor behavior, and remarkable metabolic disorder. Notably, we identified SMZ as an inhibitor against acetylcholinesterase (AChE)/lipase in D. magna both in vivo and in vitro, which explained the adverse effects of SMZ on locomotor ability and lipid metabolism at the molecular levels. Furthermore, the direct interactions between SMZ and AChE/lipase were confirmed by using fluorescence spectrum and molecular docking. Together, our findings provide a new insight to advance the understanding of the environmental effects of SMZ on freshwater organisms.

Resveratrol inhibits HeLa cell proliferation by regulating mitochondrial function.

The beneficial roles of resveratrol (RES) in affecting proliferation of multiple cancer cells have attracted intensive attention. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to bridge the knowledge gap by investigating RES-induced growth inhibition of HeLa cells. Our work focuses on the metergasis of mitochondria in the RES-exposed cells. Therefore, HeLa cells were treated with different concentrations of RES for 30 min and 24 h, respectively. As a result, concentration-dependent increases in cell growth inhibition, ROS (reactive oxygen species) triggering, and LC3-II (light chain 3-II) expression were detected in the HeLa cells exposed to RES for 24 h. Interestingly, a specific concentration-dependent effect was observed in the HeLa cells exposed to RES for 30 min, that is, low concentration RES (≤ 25 µmol/L) reduced ROS levels, inhibited transcription and expression levels of LC3-II, and stimulated mitochondrial respiratory capacities. In contrast, high concentration RES (50 and 100 µmol/L) induced ROS over-production and autophagy in the cells, resulting in decreased levels of mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial DNA copy numbers, and mitochondrial respiratory capacities. Together, our data concluded that RES inhibited HeLa cell proliferation through perturbation of mitochondrial structure and function, and ROS-induced autophagy also played a critical role in the process.

Desiccation does not drastically increase the accessibility of exogenous DNA to nuclear genomes: evidence from the frequency of endosymbiotic DNA transfer.

BACKGROUND: Although horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a widely accepted force in the evolution of prokaryotic genomes, its role in the evolution of eukaryotic genomes remains hotly debated. Some bdelloid rotifers that are resistant to extreme desiccation and radiation undergo a very high level of HGT, whereas in another desiccation-resistant invertebrate, the tardigrade, the pattern does not exist. Overall, the DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by prolonged desiccation have been postulated to open a gateway to the nuclear genome for exogenous DNA integration and thus to facilitate the HGT process, thereby enhancing the rate of endosymbiotic DNA transfer (EDT). RESULTS: We first surveyed the abundance of nuclear mitochondrial DNAs (NUMTs) and nuclear plastid DNAs (NUPTs) in five eukaryotes that are highly resistant to desiccation: the bdelloid rotifers Adineta vaga and Adineta ricciae, the tardigrade Ramazzottius varieornatus, and the resurrection plants Dorcoceras hygrometricum and Selaginella tamariscina. Excessive NUMTs or NUPTs were not detected. Furthermore, we compared 24 groups of desiccation-tolerant organisms with their relatively less desiccation-tolerant relatives but did not find a significant difference in NUMT/NUPT contents. CONCLUSIONS: Desiccation may induce DSBs, but it is unlikely to dramatically increase the frequency of exogenous sequence integration in most eukaryotes. The capture of exogenous DNA sequences is possible only when DSBs are repaired through a subtype of non-homologous end joining, named alternative end joining (alt-EJ). Due to the deleterious effects of the resulting insertion mutations, alt-EJ is less frequently initiated than other mechanisms.

Facile Preparation of a Superhydrophobic iPP Microporous Membrane with Micron-Submicron Hierarchical Structures for Membrane Distillation.

A facile method combining micro-molding with thermally-induced phase separation (TIPS) to prepare superhydrophobic isotacticpolypropylene (iPP) microporous membranes with micron-submicron hierarchical structures is proposed in this paper. In this study, the hydrophobicity of the membrane was controlled by changing the size of micro-structures on the micro-structured mold and the temperature of the cooling bath. The best superhydrophobicity was achieved with a high water contact angle (WCA) of 161° and roll-off angle of 2°, which was similar to the lotus effect. The permeability of the membrane was greatly improved and the mechanical properties were maintained. The membrane prepared by the new method and subjected to 60h vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) was compared with a conventional iPP membrane prepared via the TIPS process. The flux of the former membrane was 31.2 kg/m2·h, and salt rejection was always higher than 99.95%, which was obviously higher than that of the latter membrane. The deposition of surface fouling on the former membrane was less and loose, and that of the latter membrane was greater and steady, which was attributed to the micron-submicron hierarchical structure of the former and the single submicron-structure of the latter. Additionally, the new method is expected to become a feasible and economical method for producing an ideal membrane for membrane distillation (MD) on a large scale.

Characterization of Human Dosage-Sensitive Transcription Factor Genes.

Copy number changes in protein-coding genes are detrimental if the consequent changes in protein concentrations disrupt essential cellular functions. The dosage sensitivity of transcription factor (TF) genes is particularly interesting because their products are essential in regulating the expression of genetic information. From four recently curated data sets of dosage-sensitive genes (genes with conserved copy numbers across mammals, ohnologs, and two data sets of haploinsufficient genes), we compiled a data set of the most reliable dosage-sensitive (MRDS) genes and a data set of the most reliable dosage-insensitive (MRDIS) genes. The MRDS genes were those present in all four data sets, while the MRDIS genes were those absent from any one of the four data sets and with the probability of being loss of function-intolerant (pLI) values < 0.5 in both of the haploinsufficient gene data sets. Enrichment analysis of TF genes among the MRDS and MRDIS gene data sets showed that TF genes are more likely to be dosage-sensitive than other genes in the human genome. The nuclear receptor family was the most enriched TF family among the dosage-sensitive genes. TF families with very few members were also deemed more likely to be dosage-sensitive than TF families with more members. In addition, we found a certain number of dosage-insensitive TFs. The most typical were the Krüppel-associated box domain-containing zinc-finger proteins (KZFPs). Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the MRDS TFs were enriched for many more terms than the MRDIS TFs; however, the proteins interacting with these two groups of TFs did not show such sharp differences. Furthermore, we found that the MRDIS KZFPs were not significantly enriched for any GO terms, whereas their interacting proteins were significantly enriched for thousands of GO terms. Further characterizations revealed significant differences between MRDS TFs and MRDIS TFs in the lengths and nucleotide compositions of DNA-binding sites as well as in expression level, protein size, and selective force.

Heterologous expression and biochemical characterization of a thermostable xylulose kinase from Bacillus coagulans IPE22.

Xylulose kinase is an important enzyme involved in xylose metabolism, which is considered as essential biocatalyst for sustainable lignocellulosic-derived pentose utilization. Bacillus coagulans IPE22 is an ideal bacterium for refinery due to its strong ability to ferment xylose at high temperature. However, the B. coagulans xylose utilization mechanism remains unclear and the related promising enzymes need to be developed. In the present study, the gene coding for xylulose kinase from B. coagulans IPE22 (Bc-XK) was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Bc-XK has a 1536 bp open reading frame, encoding a protein of 511 amino acids (56.15 kDa). Multiple sequence alignments were performed and a phylogenetic tree was built to evaluate differences among Bc-XK and other bacteria homologs. Bc-XK showed a broad adaptability to high temperature and the enzyme displayed its best performance at pH 8.0 and 60 °C. Bc-XK was activated by Mg2+ , Mn2+ , and Co2+ . Meanwhile, the enzyme could keep activity at 60 °C for at least 180 min. KM values of Bc-XK for xylulose and ATP were 1.29 mM and 0.76 mM, respectively. The high temperature stability of Bc-XK implied that it was an attractive candidate for industrial application.

[Estimation of soil organic carbon density and storage in Zhejiang Province of East China by using 1:50000 soil database].

As an important component of the carbon pool of terrestrial ecosystem, soil carbon pool plays a key role in the studies of greenhouse effect and global change. By using a 1:50000 soil database, the organic carbon density in the 0-100 cm layer of 277 soil species in Zhejiang Province was estimated, and the soil organic carbon (SOC) density and storage in the whole Province as well as the spatial distribution of the SOC density and storage in the main soil types of the Province were analyzed. In the whole Province, the SOC density ranged from 5 kg.m-2 to 10 kg.m-2. Among the main soil types in the Province, humic mountain yellow soil had the highest SOC density (52.80 kg.m-2), whereas fluvio-sand ridge soil had the lowest one (1.82 kg.m-2). Red soil and paddy soil had the largest SOC storages, with the sum accounting for 63.8% of the total SOC storage in the Province. The total area of the soils in the Province was 100784.19 km2, the estimated SOC storage was 875. 42 x 10(6) t, and the estimated SOC density was averagely 8.69 kg.m-2. The analysis with the superposition digital elevation model showed that the SOC density presented an obvious variation trend with the changes of elevation, slope gradient, and aspect.

Glucocorticoids improve renal responsiveness to atrial natriuretic peptide by up-regulating natriuretic peptide receptor-A expression in the renal inner medullary collecting duct in decompensated heart failure.

In heart failure, the renal responsiveness to exogenous and endogenous atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is blunted. The mechanisms of renal hyporesponsiveness to ANP are complex, but one potential mechanism is decreased expression of natriuretic peptide receptor-A (NPR-A) in inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells. Newly emerging evidence shows that glucocorticoids could produce potent diuresis and natriuresis in patients with heart failure, but the precise mechanism is unclear. In the present study, we found dexamethasone (Dex) dramatically increased the expression of NPR-A in IMCD cells in vitro. The NPR-A overexpression induced by Dex presented in a time- and dose-dependent manner, which emerged after 12 h and peaked after 48 h. The cultured IMCD cells were then stimulated with exogenous rat ANP. Consistent with the findings with NPR-A expression, Dex greatly increased cGMP (the second messenger for the ANP) generation in IMCD cells, which presented in a time- and dose-dependent manner as well. In rats with decompensated heart failure, Dex dramatically increased NPR-A expression in inner renal medulla, which was accompanied by a remarkable increase in renal cGMP generation, urine flow rate, and renal sodium excretion. It is noteworthy that Dex dramatically lowered plasma ANP, cGMP levels, and left ventricular end diastolic pressure. These favorable effects induced by Dex were glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated and abolished by the GR antagonist 17ß-hydroxy-11ß-[4-dimethylamino phenyl]-17α-[1-propynyl]estra-4,9-dien-3-one (RU486). Collectively, glucocorticoids could improve renal responsiveness to ANP by up-regulating NPR-A expression in the IMCD and induce a potent diuretic action in rats with decompensated heart failure.