Immune Cell Infiltration and Clinical Significance of Angiogenesis-related Genes in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Angiogenesis is one of the hallmarks of cancer. However, the role of molecular subtypes of angiogenesis-associated genes (AAGs) in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of AAGs in patients with LUAD were studied. Consensus clustering was performed to identify new AAG-associated molecular subgroups. The TIME and immune status of the subgroups were analyzed. Functional enrichment analysis was performed on the differentially expression genes among the clustered subgroups to analyze their relationship with AAGs. Furthermore, a prognostic risk model and clinical nomogram associated with survival time were constructed. Risk scores of drug sensitivity, immune checkpoint molecules, tumor mutational burden, and tumor cell stemness were analyzed. Finally, a series of in vitro experiments were performed to investigate the role of dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor 1 (DKK1) in LUAD. RESULTS: Two molecular subgroups with significantly different survival rates and TIME were identified. Immune checkpoint scores were higher in the subgroup with a worse prognosis. Moreover, differentially expressed genes were enriched in cell-cycle regulation, protein metabolism, and the immune microenvironment. The risk model and clinical nomogram constructed based on AAGs accurately predicted the prognosis of patients with LUAD. Patients with high-risk scores were less sensitive to chemotherapy but more sensitive to immunotherapy. DKK1 was highly expressed in basal cells and luminal cells. In addition, the knockdown of DKK1 reduced LUAD cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. CONCLUSION: Models based on AAGs can play an important role in predicting LUAD prognosis and immunotherapy effects. We further characterized the angiogenesis of TIME and studied the AAG DKK1. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for antitumor strategies targeting angiogenesis.

Three new species of earthworms (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from Yunnan Province, China.

Earthworm specimens collected from Yunnan Province, China were found to represent three new species of Megascolecidae: Amynthas demptus sp. nov., Amynthas lacustris sp. nov. and Metaphire reclusa sp. nov. A. demptus belongs to Amynthas hawayanus-group and has three pairs of spermathecal pores in 5/6-7/8. A. lacustris belongs to Amynthas morrisi-group and has two pairs of spermathecal pores in 5/6-6/7. M. reclusa has no spermathecal pores. A. demptus has no male pores. The male pores of A. lacustris are about 1/3 body circumference ventrally apart, with a presetal and a postsetal papilla medial to each pore, surrounded with two circular folds. The male pores of M. reclusa are in copulatory chambers at XVIII, with openings of copulatory chambers about 1/3 body circumference ventrally apart. In this paper, the morphological characters of the three new species are described. We also sequenced COI and 12S gene fragments of the holotypes and selected paratype specimens to provide molecular data.

Simultaneous removal of ammonium-nitrogen and sulphate from wastewaters with an anaerobic attached-growth bioreactor.

Some industrial wastewaters may contain ammonium-nitrogen and/or sulphate, which need to be removed before their discharge into natural water bodies to eliminate their severe pollution. In this paper, simultaneous removal of ammonium-nitrogen and sulphate with an anaerobic attached-growth bioreactor of 3.8 L incubated with sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) was investigated. Artificial wastewater containing sodium sulphate as electron acceptor, ammonium chlorine as electron donor and glucose as carbon source for bacteria growth was used as the feed for the bioreactor. The loading rates of ammonium-nitrogen, sulphate and COD were 2.08 gN/m3 x d, 2.38 gS/m3 x d, 104.17 gCOD/m3 x d, respectively, with a N/S ratio of 1:1.14. The results demonstrated that removal rates of ammonium-nitrogen, sulphate and COD could reach 43.35%, 58.74% and 91.34%, respectively. Meanwhile, sulphur production was observed in effluent as well as molecular nitrogen in biogas, whose amounts increased with time substantially, suggesting the occurrence of simultaneous removal of ammonium-nitrogen and sulphate. This novel reaction provided the possibility to eliminate ammonium-nitrogen and sulphate simultaneously with accomplishment of COD removal from wastewater, making wastewater treatment more economical and sustainable.