BACKGROUND:U937 cells can be used as a cell model for studying the biological characteristics,signaling pathways,and therapeutic targets of acute myeloid leukemia.Although it has been reported that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 is highly expressed in acute myeloid leukemia,its biological function in U937 cells remains unclear,and its mechanism of action in the occurrence and development of acute myeloid leukemia needs to be further clarified. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression level of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in peripheral blood of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and its effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of U937 cells. METHODS:RNA-sequencing was used to analyze the bone marrow monocyte samples from acute myeloid leukemia patients,and the differentially expressed gene long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 was screened.The expression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in peripheral blood of patients with acute myeloid leukemia was detected by qRT-PCR.The relationship between long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 mRNA expression and prognosis in bone marrow cells of 173 acute myeloid leukemia patients and 70 healthy people was statistically analyzed by GEPIA database.Subsequently,recombinant lentivirus technology and CRISPR/Cas9-SAM technology were used to construct U937 cell lines with knockdown/overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125.qRT-PCR was used to detect the knockdown/overexpression efficiency of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125.Next,CCK-8 assay,flow cytometry,and western blot assay were used to detect the effects of knockdown/overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 on the proliferation and apoptosis of U937 cells.Finally,western blot assay was used to detect the effect of knockdown/overexpressed long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-related proteins. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of qRT-PCR showed that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 was highly expressed in peripheral blood of acute myeloid leukemia patients.The results of GEPIA database showed that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 was highly expressed in bone marrow cells of acute myeloid leukemia patients,and the high expression group had worse overall survival.(2)The knockdown efficiency of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in knockdown group was 70%,and the U937 cells that stably down-regulated long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 expression were successfully constructed.The expression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 in overexpression group was four times that of vector group,and stable U937 cells were successfully constructed.(3)Knockdown of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 inhibited the proliferation of U937 cells and promoted their apoptosis.Overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 promoted the proliferation of U937 cells but had no significant effect on the apoptosis of U937 cells.(4)Knockdown of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 inhibited the activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,while overexpression of long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.These results confirm that long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 is highly expressed in acute myeloid leukemia peripheral blood.Long non-coding RNA KIAA0125 may affect the proliferation and apoptosis of U937 cells by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,and may be a potential prognostic marker for acute myeloid leukemia.

Objective To investigate the value of geometric parameters of vertebrobasilar artery(VBA)for judging whether vertebral artery(VA)provide cross blood supply of posterior cerebral artery(PCA)blood supply area.Methods MR T2-fluid attenuated inversion recovery(FLAIR),3D time of flight(TOF)MR angiography(MRA)and territorial arterial spin labeling(t-ASL)images of 244 healthy adults were prospectively acquired.The angles between left VA(LVA)or right VA(RVA)and basilar artery(BA)were measured,and the sum and difference between the two angles were calculated(referred to as the sum of VA angles and the difference of VA angles),and the differences of diameters of LVA and RVA were measured and calculated(referred to as the difference of VA diameters).VA perfusion distribution type in PCA blood supply area were observed,and those with type Ⅲ or Ⅵ were enrolled in cross group,while those with type Ⅱ or Ⅴ were enrolled in non-cross group,respectively.The geometric parameters of VBA were compared between groups.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of parameters being significant different between groups were drawn,and the efficacy of these parameters for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area were evaluated.Results There were 34 subjects in cross group and 75 in non-cross group.The sum of VA angles and the difference of VA angles in cross group were both larger than those in non-cross group(both P＜0.05),while the difference of VA diameters were not significantly different between groups(P＞0.05).The AUC of the difference of VA angles for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area was 0.676(P＜0.05),while of the sum of VA angles was 0.598(P=0.103).Conclusion The angle differences of LVA and RVA with BA had certain application value for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area.

The incidence rate of thyroid cancer has been rising in recent years. How to accurately distinguish malignant and benign thyroid nodules before surgery has become an important research direction. Ultrasound, as a non-invasive and fast examination method, has been widely used in clinical practice. Some typical ultrasound features, such as calcification, unclear boundaries, multiple lesions, low echo, and aspect ratio>1, can indicate the occurrence of thyroid cancer before surgery. Further analysis of these ultrasound features is still a focus of current research. This article will review the expression and distribution of calcification, a typical ultrasound feature, in benign and malignant thyroid nodules, in order to provide a basis for predicting the malignancy of thyroid nodules based on the characteristics of calcification under preoperative ultrasound.

Objective:To assess intrafractional errors of the deformation of clinical target volumes (CTVs) during online adaptive radiotherapy (OART) for prostate cancer patients, aiming to provide a basis for online plan optimization.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted for 13 prostate cancer patients who received 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided OART (8 Gy × 5 fractions, totaling 65 fractions) at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. The MRI images were collected at the beginning and end of various treatment fractions. Then, the CTVs and organs at risk (OARs) were delineated by the same radiation oncologist. After rigid registration and triangle mesh generation, the surface vertices were extracted. The deformable registration for the CTV surfaces was performed using the thin-plate spline robust point matching (TPS-RPM) algorithm, yielding vertex correspondences. Last, both systematic and random intrafractional errors of CTV deformation were calculated.Results:The average Hausdorff distance (HD) for deformable registration of treatment fractions was (1.68 ± 0.28) mm. The intrafractional systematic errors of CTV deformation were (0.25 ± 3.18) mm (anterior-posterior direction; A-P), (0.89 ± 3.85) mm (left-right direction, L-R), and (-1.98 ± 6.69) mm (superior-inferior direction, S-I). The intrafractional random errors of CTV deformation were determined at (-0.26 ± 1.89) mm (A-P), (-0.08 ± 0.88) mm (L-R), and (-0.04 ± 1.86) mm (S-I).Conclusions:During OART, CTV deformations primarily occur in the S-I direction. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the expanded size of margins in this direction during OART for prostate cancer.

Objective:To analyze the factors associated with non-radiographic bone erosion in gout pa-tients,to improve the understanding of bone erosion in gout,and to promote the early detection of bone erosion.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of gout patients treated at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2018 to January 2022.Bone erosion was detectable by ultra-sound but not detected by X-ray as non-radiographic bone erosion;no bone erosion was detected by both ultrasound and joint X-ray as undetected bone erosion.A case-control study was used,and the two groups were matched 1∶2 according to age and sex.The differences between the two groups were com-pared in terms of general information,joint involvement characteristics,laboratory indicators and compli-cations.In the univariate analysis,P＜0.1 was included in the multivariate analysis,and the conditional Logistic regression was used for the multivariate analysis.P＜0.05 was considered to have statistically significant differences.Results:Among the 41 patients with non-radiographic bone erosion,the top three joints with bone erosion before its occurrence were metatarsophalangeal joint(12 cases),ankle(10 ca-ses),and knee(7 cases).There were 82 patients undetected with bone erosion.There were no signifi-cant differences in general information between the two groups(P＞0.05),including age,gender,body mass index,and alcohol consumption history.The characteristics of affected joints in the non-radio-graphic bone erosion group were compared with those in the no bone erosion detected,and the former had more affected joints(P=0.02),and a higher proportion of patients with at least 3 attacks of gout per year(P＜0.001).There were no significant differences in serum uric acid,fasting blood glucose,cholesterol,triglycerides,low-density lipoprotein,high-density lipoprotein,creatinine,homocysteine,white blood cell count,and urine pH between the two groups(P＞0.05).The results of multivariate analysis showed that at least 3 flares of gout per year was an independent risk factor for radiologically negative bone erosion in patients with gout,with an OR(95％CI)of 5.139(1.529-17.271).Conclusion:At least 3 flares of gout per year predicts the occurrence of radiologically negative bone erosion,and these patients should be given more attention to achieving treatment targets.

Objective:To utilize single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to untangle the temporal expression profiles of molecules associated with congenital tooth agenesis and dental hard tissue formation during mouse molar development, and to construct a comprehensive cell atlas spanning the entire developmental period from E13.5 to P7.5, thereby providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying abnormal tooth development.Methods:scRNA-seq data of murine mandibular molar tooth germs at five developmental stages (E13.5, E14.5, E16.5, P3.5, P7.5) were obtained from the GEO database (accession: GSE189381). The Seurat pipeline was employed for quality control, data normalization, dimensionality reduction, and Harmony-based batch effect correction. Cellular subpopulations were identified through uniform manifold approximation and projection dimensionality reduction, while developmental trajectories were reconstructed using Monocle for pseudotime analysis.Results:scRNA-seq analysis profiling identified 27 distinct cellular clusters, which were annotated into twelve major cell types including epithelial cells, mesenchymal cells, and endothelial cells. Msx1 exhibited a bimodal expression pattern. Pax9 reached its peak at E14.5 and then gradually decreased. Eda had a low expression level with a diffuse distribution. In contrast, Amelx and Enam were barely expressed during the embryonic stage and were activated at P3.5. Dspp was ectopically highly expressed in epithelial cells from P3.5 to P7.5, while Dmp1 was specifically upregulated in mesenchymal cells at P7.5.Conclusions:The temporal expression patterns of key regulatory genes for tooth agenesis (Msx1, Pax9, Eda), ameloblast differentiation (Amelx, Enam), and odontoblast development (Dspp, Dmp1) during mouse molar development. These findings provide a theoretical foundation and potential therapeutic targets for deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying tooth agenesis and other developmental dental anomalies, paving the way for targeted clinical interventions.

OBJECTIIVE:The positive role of exercise intervention in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia has received widespread attention,but the optimal exercise dose for elderly sarcopenic patients still needs to be further determined.The article explored the dose-effect relationship between various elements of exercise prescription and the improvement of muscle mass,muscle strength and physical function in community-dwelling elderly patients with sarcopenia,aiming to provide scientific support for the development of exercise prescription for community-dwelling elderly patients with sarcopenia.METHODS:Literature published from the inception to October 9,2024 in PubMed,EMBASE,Scopus,Web of Science,CNKI,WanFang,VIP,and CBMdisc databases was systematically searched.Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software.Standardized mean difference(SMD)and its 95％CI were used as effect statistics.RESULTS:(1)A total of 11 randomized controlled trials were included,with 348 in the trial group and 304 in the control group.(2)Meta-analysis results showed that exercise improved appendicular skeletal muscle mass index,grip strength,and walking speed in elderly patients with sarcopenia(SMDs 0.46,0.63,0.67,P＜0.05).(3)When the frequency of exercise was 2-3 days/week,appendicular skeletal muscle mass index(SMD=0.57,95％CI:0.28-0.86,P＜0.001),grip strength(SMD=0.70,95％CI:0.37-1.02,P＜0.001),and walking speed(SMD=0.69,95％CI:0.20-1.18,P=0.006)were effectively improved in elderly patients with sarcopenia.(4)When the duration of exercise was 25-60 minutes per session,appendicular skeletal muscle mass index(SMD=0.28,95％CI:0.07-0.50,P=0.01),grip strength(SMD=0.37,95％CI:0.16-0.59,P＜0.001),and walking speed(SMD=0.39,95％CI:0.06-0.73,P=0.02)were effectively improved in elderly patients with sarcopenia.(5)When the exercise intensity was moderate,appendicular skeletal muscle mass index(SMD=0.69,95％CI:0.35-1.03,P＜0.001),and grip strength(SMD=0.36,95％CI:0.09-0.64,P=0.009),and walking speed(SMD=0.91,95％CI:0.34-1.47,P=0.002)were effectively improved in elderly patients with sarcopenia.(6)When the dose of exercise cycle was 8-12 weeks,appendicular skeletal muscle mass index(SMD=0.42,95％CI:0.20-0.64,P＜0.001),grip strength(SMD=0.45,95％CI:0.26-0.64,P＜0.001),and walking speed(SMD=0.76,95％CI:0.27-1.25,P=0.002)were effectively improved in elderly patients with sarcopenia.CONCLUSION:Active,regular exercise can improve muscle health in older adults with sarcopenia.It is recommended that older patients with sarcopenia exercise at least 2 to 3 days per week,25 to 60 minutes each time,lasting for 8 to 12 weeks of moderate intensity exercise to improve muscle health.

Metastasis is the leading cause of death from cutaneous melanoma. Identifying metastasis-related targets and developing corresponding therapeutic strategies are major areas of focus. While functional genomics strategies provide powerful tools for target discovery, investigations at the protein level can directly decode the bioactive epitopes on functional proteins. Aptamers present a promising avenue as they can explore membrane proteomes and have the potential to interfere with cell function. Herein, we developed a target and epitope discovery platform, termed functional aptamer evolution-enabled target identification (FAETI), by integrating affinity aptamer acquisition with phenotype screening and target protein identification. Utilizing the aptamer XH3C, which was screened for its migration-inhibitory function, we identified the Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), as a potential target involved in melanoma migration. Further evidence demonstrated that XH3C induces cytoskeletal rearrangement by blocking the interaction between the bioactive epitope of CSPG4 and integrin α4. Taken together, our study demonstrates the robustness of aptamer-based molecular tools for target and epitope discovery. Additionally, XH3C is an affinity and functional molecule that selectively binds to a unique epitope on CSPG4, enabling the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.

Circular RNA(circRNA),as a kind of non-coding RNA,regulates a variety of biological functions.To explore the effect of circRNA on PEDV replication in the host porcine intestinal epi-thelial cells,this study screened and analyzed the differentially expressed circRNAs by bioinforma-tic software in African Green Monkey renal cells(Vero-E6 cells)infected by porcine epidemic di-arrhea virus(PEDV),the differentially expressed circRNA ssc_circ_PIK3C2A was identified and the secondary structure was analyzed.PCR was used to identify the ssc_circ_PIK3C2A circRNA structure,the model of PEDV-infected IPEC-J2 cells was constructed,the TCID50 test was used to validate the viral titer of PEDV.The expression of circ_PIK3C2A was detected by qRT-PCR in IPEC-J2 infected by PEDV.circ_PIK3C2A qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of N gene of PEDV when ssc_circ_PIK3C2A was over-expressed in IPEC-J2 cells.The results showed that ssc_circ_PIK3C2 A is a porcine circular RNA with a typical circular structure,the virus titer of PEDV reached 10-6/mL after PEDV infected IPEC-J2 cells for 48 h,the expression of circ_PIK3C2A increased extremely(P＜0.01)at 6 h after PEDV-infection,with the extension of infec-tion time,its expression gradually decreased,and the expression was the lowest at 24 h,but there was no time-dependent trend.The expression of PEDV N gene decreased significantly when ssc_circ_PIK3C2A was over-expressed in IPEC-J2 cells.In conclusion,when PEDV infects IPEC-J2 cells,the expression of porcine circ_PIK3C2A decreases,and replication of PEDV increases signifi-cantly in IPEC-J2 cells.our result provides a basis for further study of the mechanism of circular RNA on PEDV replication and its physiological activities in host cells in the future.