Objective To perform on-site calibration of high-pressure ionization chambers and NaI(Tl) γ spectrometers in state-controlled atmospheric radiation environment automatic continuous monitoring stations and verify the reliability of the online radiation environment monitoring system. Methods ¹³⁷Cs, ⁶⁰Co, and ²⁴¹Am were used as γ reference radiation sources to measure the metrological performance of high-pressure ionization chambers in nine state-controlled atmospheric radiation environment automatic monitoring stations in Hubei Province, China. The performance metrics included background radiation, response, and repeatability. Additionally, the correlation between dose rate and humidity was analyzed, and the energy resolution and activity response of NaI(Tl) γ spectrometers were measured. Results Among the nine state-controlled atmospheric radiation environment automatic monitoring stations, the background radiation of high-pressure ionization chambers ranged from 58.2 nGy/h to 82.6 nGy/h. The response of the high-pressure ionization chambers ranged from 0.94 to 1.08, fulfilling the requirement of 1.0 ± 0.2. The repeatability of high-pressure ionization chambers ranged from 0.43% to 3.80%, satisfying the requirement of not exceeding 10%. A significant correlation was observed between dose rate and humidity, with a correlation coefficient of 0.4476. For NaI(Tl) γ spectrometers, the energy resolution ranged from 6.8% to 7.9%, fulfilling the requirement of not exceeding 9% for the 661.7 keV energy peak of ¹³⁷Cs. The NaI(Tl) γ spectrometers showed 1.4% to 1.8% s⁻¹·Bq⁻¹ activity response to ²⁴¹Am and 6.6‰ to 8.4‰ s⁻¹·Bq⁻¹ activity response to ⁶⁰Co. Conclusion The online monitoring systems in the nine state-controlled atmospheric radiation environment automatic monitoring stations are stable and reliable, providing accurate radiation environment monitoring data for public awareness.

Objective·To establish a research framework for serotonylation of proteins and to provide a methodological basis for the identification of serotonylated proteins.Methods·The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)and Genotype-Tissue Expression(GTEx)databases were used to analyze the expression of the transglutaminase 2(TGM2)gene,which encodes the key enzyme for serotonylation,and the solute carrier family 6(SLC6A4)gene,which encodes the serotonin transporter(SERT),in normal and pan-cancer tissues.5-Propargyltryptamide(5-PT),a serotonin derivative,was synthesized stepwise from serotonin hydrochloride,and its structure was characterized by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),proton nuclear magnetic resonance(1H-NMR),carbon nuclear magnetic resonance(13C-NMR),and time-of-flight mass spectrometry(TOF-MS).The intracellular uptake of 5-PT in the human pancreatic cancer cell line AsPC-1 and mouse immune cells,including CD4+T cells,CD8+T cells,and bone marrow-derived macrophages(BMDMs),was detected by using flow cytometry.Click chemistry,co-immunoprecipitation,and mass spectrometry analysis techniques were employed to identify serotonylated proteins,and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis was performed.Results·Bioinformatics analysis indicated that TGM2 and SLC6A4 were widely expressed in various normal tissues and across pan-cancer tissues.The flow cytometry results showed that the synthesized 5-PT can be taken up into the human pancreatic cancer cell line AsPC-1 and mouse immune cells,including CD4+T cells,CD8+T cells,and BMDMs,via the SERT.Mass spectrometry analysis data showed that a significant amount of serotonylated proteins were enriched in various cells treated with 5-PT.KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that these proteins were involved in important pathways related to glycolysis and amino acid synthesis.Conclusion·By using the synthesized 5-PT,multiple serotonylated proteins are enriched in various cell types.A research system for identifying serotonylated proteins has been successfully established,providing a relatively simple and efficient method for studying protein serotonylation.

BACKGROUND:Autologous or artificial bone grafts have been widely used to repair maxillofacial bone defects clinically,but these methods still suffer from insufficient osteogenesis.Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells play a key role in the bone formation.Notably,ectoderm-derived jaw bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have stronger proliferation and osteogenic differentiation capacity compared with mesoderm-derived iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,elucidating the key mechanisms involved.It is expected to provide a new strategy for the repair of craniomaxillofacial bone defects.OBJECTIVE:To compare the biological differences between human jaw bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and identify the key regulatory genes.METHODS:(1)Jaw bone and iliac bone were collected from three patients with alveolar cleft.Primary bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured.Cell proliferation ability was detected by colony formation assay.Cell senescence was detected by β-galactosidase staining assay.Senescence and osteogenesis-related protein expression levels were detected by western blot assay.Osteogenic ability was detected by alizarin red staining after osteogenic induction solution treatment.(2)Jaw bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were subjected to transcriptome and differential gene expression analysis to find the 20 genes with the largest differential expression and identify the key regulatory factors.(3)The gene in iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were knocked down to comparatively analyze the changes in self-renewal,anti-aging and osteogenic capacity of iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.(4)The gene-edited iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were loaded into β-tricalcium phosphate scaffolds and implant into nude mice for 8 weeks.The scaffolds were stained with Masson staining and immunofluorescence staining to observe the difference in osteogenic capacity.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Jaw bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have stronger proliferation,anti-aging and osteogenic differentiation abilities compared to iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.(2)By transcriptome analysis,we identified HOXA10 as a highly up-regulated core transcription factor in iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.(3)After knocking down HOXA10 in iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,we observed a significant increase in proliferation,anti-aging,and osteogenic differentiation abilities.(4)After HOXA10 knocked-down iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells/β-tricalcium phosphate was implanted subcutaneously on the back of nude mice,and their bone formation ability was stronger.(5)The above results suggest that HOXA10 is a key regulatory gene that determines the proliferative,anti-aging and osteogenic differentiation abilities of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.HOXA10 gene-modified iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation can be used as a potential application strategy for repairing maxillofacial bone defects.

BACKGROUND:Autologous or artificial bone grafts have been widely used to repair maxillofacial bone defects clinically,but these methods still suffer from insufficient osteogenesis.Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells play a key role in the bone formation.Notably,ectoderm-derived jaw bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have stronger proliferation and osteogenic differentiation capacity compared with mesoderm-derived iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,elucidating the key mechanisms involved.It is expected to provide a new strategy for the repair of craniomaxillofacial bone defects.OBJECTIVE:To compare the biological differences between human jaw bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and identify the key regulatory genes.METHODS:(1)Jaw bone and iliac bone were collected from three patients with alveolar cleft.Primary bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured.Cell proliferation ability was detected by colony formation assay.Cell senescence was detected by β-galactosidase staining assay.Senescence and osteogenesis-related protein expression levels were detected by western blot assay.Osteogenic ability was detected by alizarin red staining after osteogenic induction solution treatment.(2)Jaw bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were subjected to transcriptome and differential gene expression analysis to find the 20 genes with the largest differential expression and identify the key regulatory factors.(3)The gene in iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were knocked down to comparatively analyze the changes in self-renewal,anti-aging and osteogenic capacity of iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.(4)The gene-edited iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were loaded into β-tricalcium phosphate scaffolds and implant into nude mice for 8 weeks.The scaffolds were stained with Masson staining and immunofluorescence staining to observe the difference in osteogenic capacity.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Jaw bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have stronger proliferation,anti-aging and osteogenic differentiation abilities compared to iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.(2)By transcriptome analysis,we identified HOXA10 as a highly up-regulated core transcription factor in iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.(3)After knocking down HOXA10 in iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,we observed a significant increase in proliferation,anti-aging,and osteogenic differentiation abilities.(4)After HOXA10 knocked-down iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells/β-tricalcium phosphate was implanted subcutaneously on the back of nude mice,and their bone formation ability was stronger.(5)The above results suggest that HOXA10 is a key regulatory gene that determines the proliferative,anti-aging and osteogenic differentiation abilities of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.HOXA10 gene-modified iliac bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation can be used as a potential application strategy for repairing maxillofacial bone defects.

Objective·To establish a research framework for serotonylation of proteins and to provide a methodological basis for the identification of serotonylated proteins.Methods·The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)and Genotype-Tissue Expression(GTEx)databases were used to analyze the expression of the transglutaminase 2(TGM2)gene,which encodes the key enzyme for serotonylation,and the solute carrier family 6(SLC6A4)gene,which encodes the serotonin transporter(SERT),in normal and pan-cancer tissues.5-Propargyltryptamide(5-PT),a serotonin derivative,was synthesized stepwise from serotonin hydrochloride,and its structure was characterized by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),proton nuclear magnetic resonance(1H-NMR),carbon nuclear magnetic resonance(13C-NMR),and time-of-flight mass spectrometry(TOF-MS).The intracellular uptake of 5-PT in the human pancreatic cancer cell line AsPC-1 and mouse immune cells,including CD4+T cells,CD8+T cells,and bone marrow-derived macrophages(BMDMs),was detected by using flow cytometry.Click chemistry,co-immunoprecipitation,and mass spectrometry analysis techniques were employed to identify serotonylated proteins,and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis was performed.Results·Bioinformatics analysis indicated that TGM2 and SLC6A4 were widely expressed in various normal tissues and across pan-cancer tissues.The flow cytometry results showed that the synthesized 5-PT can be taken up into the human pancreatic cancer cell line AsPC-1 and mouse immune cells,including CD4+T cells,CD8+T cells,and BMDMs,via the SERT.Mass spectrometry analysis data showed that a significant amount of serotonylated proteins were enriched in various cells treated with 5-PT.KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that these proteins were involved in important pathways related to glycolysis and amino acid synthesis.Conclusion·By using the synthesized 5-PT,multiple serotonylated proteins are enriched in various cell types.A research system for identifying serotonylated proteins has been successfully established,providing a relatively simple and efficient method for studying protein serotonylation.

Objective:To explore the heterogeneity among keloids before and after radiotherapy and identify the changes of key cell subpopulations and their interactions utilizing single cell RNA sequencing technology.Methods:Four patients provided a total of 12 samples, each consisting of keloid tissue before and after radiotherapy and the normal skin tissue adjacent to the untreated keloid. The keloid was divided into left and right sides from the midline, and the left-side keloid was fractionally irradiated with 20 Gy electron beam in total in 4 consecutive days. The right-side keloid was irradiated with 10 Gy in 2 fractions before surgery and 10 Gy in 2 fractions after surgery.Results:A total of 25 573 fibroblasts were analyzed and categorized into nine subgroups (fibroblasts 1-9). The proportion of fibroblast-2 increased after radiotherapy ( t=4.70, P<0.05). The number of classical monocytes and macrophages increased after radiotherapy, but there was no significant difference due to the shorter time of sample taking at 2 d after radiotherapy ( P>0.05). Macrophages (4 723 cells) were further divided into four categories. CellPhoneDB analysis showed that type-3 macrophages interacted significantly more closely with fibroblasts than type-1 and type-2 macrophages. The most prominent signaling pathways for the interactions between type-3 macrophages and major fibroblast subtypes were the collagen signaling pathway and the chemerin signaling pathway. These interactions were more pronounced in the keloid samples after radiotherapy. Conclusions:The interactions between type-3 macrophages and fibroblasts (such as fibroblast-2) may serve as an important point for future studies on radio-sensitization of keloids.

Periodontitis imparting the increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases is partially due to the immune subversion of the oral pathogen, particularly the Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), by inducing apoptosis. However, it remains obscure whether accumulated apoptotic cells in P. gingivalis-accelerated plaque formation are associated with impaired macrophage clearance. Here, we show that smooth muscle cells (SMCs) have a greater susceptibility to P. gingivalis-induced apoptosis than endothelial cells through TLR2 pathway activation. Meanwhile, large amounts of miR-143/145 in P.gingivalis-infected SMCs are extracellularly released and captured by macrophages. Then, these miR-143/145 are translocated into the nucleus to promote Siglec-G transcription, which represses macrophage efferocytosis. By constructing three genetic mouse models, we further confirm the in vivo roles of TLR2 and miR-143/145 in P. gingivalis-accelerated atherosclerosis. Therapeutically, we develop P.gingivalis-pretreated macrophage membranes to coat metronidazole and anti-Siglec-G antibodies for treating atherosclerosis and periodontitis simultaneously. Our findings extend the knowledge of the mechanism and therapeutic strategy in oral pathogen-associated systemic diseases.
Animals ; Mice ; Endothelial Cells ; Toll-Like Receptor 2 ; Macrophages ; Apoptosis ; Atherosclerosis ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; MicroRNAs

Objective:To investigate the family management level of children with bronchiolitis obliterans and analyze its influencing factors, so as to provide reference for clinical medical staff to adopt targeted nursing and health education programs.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. From January 1, 2019, to April 30, 2022, 201 families of bronchiolitis obliterans children hospitalized in Hunan Children's Hospital were selected as the research objects, and the General Data Questionnaire, Family Management Scale, Coping Style Scale of Parents, and Chronic Disease-Related Health Literacy Scale was used to investigate. Single-factor analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the influencing factors of bronchiolitis obliterans children's family management level.Results:The total score of bronchiolitis obliterans children's family management was (179.67 ± 9.92) points, the total score for parents' coping style was (177.14 ± 22.19) points, and the total score for health literacy was (102.95 ± 8.60) points. Multiple regression analysis showed that age, disease course, family residence, parents' education level, family monthly income, parents' coping style, and health literacy level were the influencing factors of family management level (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The family management ability of parents of children with bronchiolitis obliterans needs to be further improved. It is suggested that medical staff should formulate corresponding measures according to the age, course of the disease, family residence, parents' education level, etc., carry out targeted health education and home management training, improve the parents' health literacy level, and guide them to deal with diseases positively, to improve their family management level and promote the recovery of children's diseases.

Objective:To analyze the accuracy of lung ultrasound and chest X-ray in the diagnosis of neonatal pulmonary disease.Methods:We prospectively collected newborns that needed chest X-ray examination to diagnose pulmonary disease from twelve neonatal intensive care units across the country between June 2019 and April 2020.Each newborn was examined by lung ultrasound within two hours after chest X-ray examination.All chest X-ray and lung ultrasound images were independently read by a radiologist and a sonographer.When there was a disagreement, a panel of two experienced physicians made a final diagnosis based on the clinical history, chest X-ray and lung ultrasound images.Results:A total of 1 100 newborns were enrolled in our study.The diagnostic agreement between chest X-ray and lung ultrasound(Cohen′s kappa coefficient=0.347) was fair.Lung ultrasound(area under the curve=0.778; 95% CI 0.753-0.803) performed significantly better than chest X-ray(area under the curve=0.513; 95% CI 0.483-0.543) in the diagnosis of transient tachypnea of the newborn( P<0.001). The accuracy of lung ultrasound in diagnosing neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, meconium aspiration syndrome, pneumonia and neonatal pulmonary atelectasis was similar to that of chest X-ray. Conclusion:Lung ultrasound, as a low-cost, simple and radiation-free auxiliary examination method, has a diagnostic accuracy close to or even better than that of chest X-ray, which may replace chest X-ray in the diagnosis of some neonatal lung diseases.It should be noted that both chest X-ray and lung ultrasound can only be used as auxiliary means for the diagnosis of lung diseases, and it is necessary to combine imaging with the clinical history and presentation.

Objective:To explore the value of the aMAP risk score (age, male, albumin -bilirubin, and platelets) to predict early recurrence within one year after microwave ablation in patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods:This was a retrospective study that enrolled 142 patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma who were treated with microwave ablation in the Department of Hepatology Unit of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University from July 2016 to July 2021. The cohort enrolled 121 male and 21 female patients, including 110 patients that were <60 years old. All the patients were followed-up after microwave ablation to evaluate residual tumor and recurrence of tumor by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. The observation indices mainly included general data and imaging data of patients. Using the X-tile tools, patients were divided into two groups: a high aMAP score group and a low aMAP score group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted for comparison of independent risk factors.Results:Multivariate Cox regression showed that high aMAP score, maximum tumor diameter >20 mm, and high AFP were the independent risk factors of early recurrence (all P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the median recurrence-free survival was 25.5 months in the low aMAP score group and 6.1 months in the high aMAP score group ( P=0.001). Conclusions:The aMAP score could predict the early recurrence within 1 year of small hepatocellular carcinoma after microwave ablation. Patients with high aMAP score should undergo rigorous postoperative follow-up evaluations..