Depicting Primate-Like Granular Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in the Chinese Tree Shrew.

It remains unknown whether the Chinese tree shrew, regarded as the closest sister of primate, has evolved a dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) comparable with primates that is characterized by a fourth layer (L4) enriched with granular cells and reciprocal connections with the mediodorsal nucleus (MD). Here, we reported that following AAV-hSyn-EGFP expression in the MD neurons, the fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography revealed their projection trajectories and targeted brain areas, such as the hippocampus, the corpus striatum, and the dlPFC. Cre-dependent transsynaptic viral tracing identified the MD projection terminals that targeted the L4 of the dlPFC, in which the presence of granular cells was confirmed via cytoarchitectural studies by using the Nissl, Golgi, and vGlut2 stainings.

Prediction of prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma based on immune-related score.

Background: Immune-related scores are currently used for prognostic evaluation and as an immunotherapy reference in various cancers. However, the relationship between immune-related score and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis has not yet been investigated. This study aimed to explore the clinical application value of immune-related score for predicting HCC prognosis-related indicators including disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), and to construct a clinical nomogram prediction model related to verification.

Altered Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations and Degree Centrality in Patients with Acute Subjective Tinnitus: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Background: The difference in spontaneous brain activity between acute subjective tinnitus patients (with or without hearing loss) and control participants was explored using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and degree centrality methods through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The study aimed to provide an objective basis for clinical diagnosis and pathogenesis of patients with acute subjective tinnitus.

Methods: Fourteen acute subjective tinnitus (AST) patients with hearing loss (AST-HL), 6 AST patients with no hearing loss (AST-NHL), and 14 healthy controls (HCs) with age, sex, and education status matched were recruited for this study.

An efficient deep equilibrium model for medical image segmentation.

In this paper, we propose an effective method that takes the advantages of classical methods and deep learning technology for medical image segmentation through modeling the neural network as a fixed point iteration seeking for system equilibrium by adding a feedback loop. In particular, the nuclear segmentation of medical image is used as an example to demonstrate the proposed method where it can successfully complete the challenge of segmenting nuclei from cells in different histopathological images. Specifically, the nuclei segmentation is formulated as a dynamic process to search for the system equilibrium.

Anti-IgE effect of small-molecule-compound arctigenin on food allergy in association with a distinct transcriptome profile.

Background: Excessive production of IgE plays a major role in the pathology of food allergy. In an attempt to identify anti-IgE natural products, Arctium Lappa was one of the most effective herbs among approximately 300 screened medicinal herbs. However, little is known about its anti-IgE compounds.

A combined hypoxia and immune gene signature for predicting survival and risk stratification in triple-negative breast cancer.

Background: Increasing evidence showed that the clinical significance of the interaction between hypoxia and immune status in tumor microenvironment. However, reliable biomarkers based on the hypoxia and immune status in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have not been well established. This study aimed to explore a gene signature based on the hypoxia and immune status for predicting prognosis, risk stratification, and individual treatment in TNBC.

A Correlation Study of Prognostic Risk Prediction for Colorectal Cancer Based on Autophagy Signature Genes.

Autophagy plays a complex role in tumors, sometimes promoting cancer cell survival and sometimes inducing apoptosis, and its role in the colorectal tumor microenvironment is controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in colorectal cancer. We identified 37 differentially expressed autophagy-related genes by collecting TCGA colorectal tumor transcriptome data.

Polyvinyl Alcohol/Graphene Oxide Interlayer for Enhancing Adhesive Performance of HA Coating on C/C Composites Prepared by Hydrothermal Electrodeposition/Hydrothermal Treatment.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings directly deposited by hydrothermal electrochemical technology (HET) onto carbon/carbon (C/C) composites exhibited a catastrophic failure occurring at the interface of the HA and C/C. To overcome this problem, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/graphene oxide (GO) interlayer (P/G interlayer) was applied on the (NH)SO-pretreated C/C substrate (named P/G-C/C) by using a dipping method. Subsequently, a calcium phosphate coating was deposited on P/G-C/C, shortened as M-P/G-C/C, by HET, and then converted into HA coating (abbreviated as HA-P/G-C/C) through posthydrothermal treatment.

Simulating the spatiotemporal distribution of BTEX with an hourly grid-scale model.

Modeling approaches have been utilized to simulate ambient pollutant concentrations, but very limited efforts have been made to estimate volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere. For this reason, an hourly grid-scale simulation model was developed to determine ambient air concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). BTEX data were collected over a one-year time frame from the database of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration's photochemical assessment monitoring stations.

LncRNA modulates M2 macrophage activation and inflammatory diseases by epigenetic promotion of PTPRE.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of diverse biological processes; however, their function in macrophage activation is undefined. We describe a new regulatory mechanism, where an unreported lncRNA, , targets receptor-type tyrosine protein phosphatase ε (PTPRE) to regulate macrophage activation. was selectively expressed in IL-4-stimulated macrophages, and its knockdown promoted M2 macrophage activation via MAPK/ERK 1/2 pathway.

Particulate matter of 2.5 μm or less in diameter disturbs the balance of T17/regulatory T cells by targeting glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase 1 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α in an asthma model.

Background: Epidemiologic evidence suggests that exposure to particulate matter of 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM2.5) aggravates asthma.

The disconnect in hepatitis screening: participation rates, awareness of infection status, and treatment-seeking behavior.

Background: Over 325 million people in the world are infected with hepatitis B or C virus. Chronic hepatitis is responsible for 78% of cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and an estimated 1.3 million preventable deaths a year.

The mediating effect of coping styles and self-efficacy between perceived stress and satisfaction with QOL in Chinese adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Aims: (a) To explore the effect of perceived stress on satisfaction with quality of life (QOL) among Chinese adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D); and (b) to determine if coping styles and self-efficacy are mediators of the association between perceived stress and satisfaction with QOL.

Background: Adolescents with T1D experience ongoing stress related to a complex treatment regimen and live with a condition that differentiates them from their peers. It is important to know how adolescents with T1D cope with the stress and what psychosocial attributes contribute to satisfaction with QOL.

Metformin inhibits IgE- and aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated mast cell activation in vitro and in vivo.

Metformin, an anti-diabetic drug, possesses anti-inflammatory property beyond its glucose-lowering activity, but its regulatory effect on mast cells and allergic responses remains unknown, wherein the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-ligand axis is critical in controlling mast cell activation. Herein, we provide evidence supporting the role of metformin in modulating mast cell activation by FcεR1-, AhR-mediated signaling or their combination. Metformin at relatively low doses was shown to suppress FcεR1-mediated degranulation, IL-13, TNF-α and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) secretion in murine bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs).

Probiotics SOD inhibited food allergy via downregulation of STAT6-TIM4 signaling on DCs.

Bacterial probiotics are of increasing use against intestinal disorders such as food allergy. However, the detailed molecular mechanism underlying probiotics-mediated anti-allergic effect remains unknown. In the present study, we orally treated OVA-sensitized mice with Bifidobacterium infantis (BB) for two weeks.

Correction to: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling promotes ORMDL3-dependent generation of sphingosine-1-phosphate by inhibiting sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase.

In this article, published online 23 March 2018, the affiliation 10 of Zhou Y was incorrect. The affiliation should be "Children's Hospital and Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University. Key Laboratory of Neonatal Disease, Ministry of Health, 201102, Shanghai, China.

A prominent air pollutant, Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, enhances allergic lung inflammation via aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

Chronic exposure to ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is associated with asthma, but its regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely defined. We report herein that elevated levels of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene, a biomarker of PAH exposure, were found in asthmatic subjects (n = 39) as compared to those in healthy subjects (n = 43) living in an industrial city of Taiwan, where indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IP) was found to be a prominent PAH associated with ambient PM. In a mouse model, intranasal exposure of mice with varying doses of IP significantly enhanced antigen-induced allergic inflammation, including increased airway eosinophilia, Th2 cytokines, including IL-4 and IL-5, as well as antigen-specific IgE level, which was absent in dendritic cell (DC)-specific aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-null mice.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling promotes ORMDL3-dependent generation of sphingosine-1-phosphate by inhibiting sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a cellular chemical sensor, controls cellular homeostasis, and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive intermediate of sphingolipid metabolism, is believed to have a role in immunity and inflammation, but their potential crosstalk is currently unknown. We aimed to determine whether there is a functional linkage between AhR signaling and sphingolipid metabolism. We showed that AhR ligands, including an environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), induced S1P generation, and inhibited S1P lyase (S1PL) activity in resting cells, antigen/IgE-activated mast cells, and mouse lungs exposed to the AhR ligand alone or in combination with antigen challenge.