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Dynamic brain immune function in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder is rarely studied, despite evidence of peripheral immune dysfunction. Positron emission tomography brain imaging using the radiotracer [11C]PBR28 was used to measure the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO), a microglial marker, at baseline and 3 h after administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent immune activator. Data were acquired in 15 individuals with PTSD and 15 age-matched controls. The PTSD group exhibited a significantly lower magnitude LPS-induced increase in TSPO availability in an a priori prefrontal-limbic circuit compared to controls. Greater anhedonic symptoms in the PTSD group were associated with a more suppressed neuroimmune response. In addition, while a reduced granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor response to LPS was observed in the PTSD group, other measured cytokine responses and self-reported sickness symptoms did not differ between groups; these findings highlight group differences in central-peripheral immune system relationships. The results of this study provide evidence of a suppressed microglia-mediated neuroimmune response to a direct immune system insult in individuals with PTSD that is associated with the severity of symptoms. They also provide further support to an emerging literature challenging traditional concepts of microglial and immune function in psychiatric disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with nanoscale aerogels, the thermal conductivity of MTMS silica aerogel (MSA) is relatively large due to its micron-sized pore size, which hinders its popularization in the field of thermal insulation. In this study, the MSA samples with relatively low thermal conductivity (33.7 mW/m/K) and density (0.071 g/cm3) were prepared. Then, the theoretical mathematical models of thermal conductivity were discussed and selected. The three-dimensional model based on X-ray microscopic CT slices was reconstructed for their micrometer-scale structure and based on this physical reconstruction model, finite element numerical simulations were carried out. The two-hierarchy structure of MSA was found during scanning electron microscopy, and the stepwise prediction of its effective thermal conductivity was carried out using the equivalence method. The mathematical model applicable to MSA was also modified to propose hierarchically theoretical calculation (HTC) for thermal conductivity. The feasibility and accuracy of the mathematical modeling method were verified by the finite element numerical simulation method based on the high-reduction three-dimensional reconstruction model, and the prediction results of the two were in good agreement with the experimental test data, of which the error was within 5%. Highlights: Two-hierarchy structure of MTMS-based silica aerogel is found. Hierarchically theoretical calculation for thermal conductivity is proposed. The three-dimensional physical model is obtained by X-ray micro CT. Error between the numerical, simulation and experimental results within 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Immunotherapy is critical for treating many cancers, and its therapeutic success is linked to the tumor microenvironment. Although antiangiogenic drugs are used to treat gastric cancer (GC), their efficacy remains limited. Cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF)-targeted therapies complement immunotherapy; however, the lack of CAF-specific markers poses a challenge. Therefore, we developed a CAF angiogenesis prognostic score (CAPS) system to evaluate prognosis and immunotherapy response in patients with GC, aiming to improve patient stratification and treatment efficacy. Methods: We assessed patient-derived GC CAFs for promoting angiogenesis using EdU, cell cycle, apoptosis, wound healing, and angiogenesis analysis. Results: We then identified CAF-angiogenesis-associated differentiallyexpressed genes, leading to the development of CAPS, which included THBS1, SPARC, EDNRA, and VCAN. We used RT-qPCR to conduct gene-level validation, and eight GEO datasets and the HPA database to validate the CAPS system at the gene and protein levels. Six independent GEO datasets were utilized for validation. Overall survival time was shorter in the high- than the low-CAPS group. Immune microenvironment and immunotherapy response analysis showed that the high-CAPS group had a greater tendency toward immune escape and reduced immunotherapy efficacy than the low-CAPS group. Discussion: CAPS is closely associated with GC prognosis and immunotherapy outcomes. It is therefore an independent predictor of GC prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Materials Engineering / Cailiao Gongcheng is the property of Journal of Materials Engineering Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction. The propensity of nucleotide bases to form pairs, causes folding and the formation of secondary structure in the RNA. Therefore, purine (R): pyrimidine (Y) base-pairing is vital to maintain uniform lateral dimension in RNA secondary structure. Transversions or base substitutions between R and Y bases, are more detrimental to the stability of RNA secondary structure, than transitions derived from substitutions between A andGor C and T. The study of transversion and transition base substitutions is important to understand evolutionary mechanisms of RNA secondary structure in the 50 and 30 untranslated (UTR) regions of SARS-CoV-2. In this work, we carried out comparative analysis of transition and transversion base substitutions in the stem and loop regions of RNA secondary structure of SARS-CoV-2. Methods. We have considered the experimentally determined and well documented stem and loop regions of 50 and 30 UTR regions of SARS-CoV-2 for base substitution analysis. The secondary structure comprising of stem and loop regions were visualized using the RNAfold web server. The GISAID repository was used to extract base sequence alignment of the UTR regions. Python scripts were developed for comparative analysis of transversion and transition frequencies in the stem and the loop regions. Results. The results of base substitution analysis revealed a higher transition (ti) to transversion (tv) ratio (ti/tv) in the stem region of UTR of RNA secondary structure of SARS-CoV-2 reported during the early stage of the pandemic. The higher ti/tv ratio in the stem region suggested the influence of secondary structure in selecting the pattern of base substitutions. This differential pattern of ti/tv values between stem and loop regions was not observed among the Delta and Omicron variants that dominated the later stage of the pandemic. It is noteworthy that the ti/tv values in the stem and loop regions were similar among the later dominant Delta and Omicron variant strains which is to be investigated to understand the rapid evolution and global adaptation of SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion. Our findings implicate the lower frequency of transversions than the transitions in the stem regions of UTRs of SARS-CoV-2. The RNA secondary structures are associated with replication, translation, and packaging, further investigations are needed to understand these base substitutions across different variants of SARS-CoV-2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cuproptosis is a newly identified form of unprogrammed cell death. As a pivotal metabolic regulator, glutaminase (GLS) has recently been discovered to be linked to cuproptosis. Despite this discovery, the oncogenic functions and mechanisms of GLS in various cancers are still not fully understood. Methods: In this study, a comprehensive omics analysis was performed to investigate the differential expression levels, diagnostic and prognostic potential, correlation with tumor immune infiltration, genetic alterations, and drug sensitivity of GLS across multiple malignancies. Results: Our findings revealed unique expression patterns of GLS across various cancer types and molecular subtypes of carcinomas, underscoring its pivotal role primarily in energy and nutrition metabolism. Additionally, GLS showed remarkable diagnostic and prognostic performance in specific cancers, suggesting its potential as a promising biomarker for cancer detection and prognosis. Furthermore, we focused on uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) and developed a novel prognostic model associated with GLS, indicating a close correlation between GLS and UCEC. Moreover, our exploration into immune infiltration, genetic heterogeneity, tumor stemness, and drug sensitivity provided novel insights and directions for future research and laid the foundation for high-quality verification. Conclusion: Collectively, our study is the first comprehensive investigation of the biological and clinical significance of GLS in pan-cancer. In our study, GLS was identified as a promising biomarker for UCEC, providing valuable evidence and a potential target for anti-tumor therapy. Overall, our findings shed light on the multifaceted functions of GLS in cancer and offer new avenues for further research. Highlights: This original study unveiled the biological and clinical connections between the cuproptosis-related gene glutaminase (GLS) and pan-carcinoma. This study presented an initial endeavor to validate the tumorigenic impact of GLS in pan-cancer. A comprehensive bio-analysis was conducted to investigate the biological and clinical significance of GLS in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. Identification and prediction of potential drugs and therapies linked to the novel cuproptosis-related gene GLS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The guarded-hot-plate (GHP) method is a method used world-wide for the determination of the thermal conductivity of solid materials, especially low-conducting insulation materials, based on the direct application of Fourier's law. It is an absolute method, which means that no reference material is needed, though regular performance checks using reference materials are highly encouraged. All measured quantities are traceable to SI-units. Applying the GHP method in accordance with existing standards, relative uncertainties in the determined values of the thermal conductivity below 2.5% are achievable. This work describes the basic theory of the measurement and is focused on difficulties and possible stumbling blocks in daily measuring practice and laboratory routine when applying the GHP method on specimens which are not or only partly covered by standards. The work explains in which cases the definition of a thermal conductivity value is not possible for a specimen and only system-related values as the thermal resistance can be attributed to a specimen. The aim of this work is to improve the measuring quality of GHP measurements for the determination of the thermal conductivity in daily laboratory operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Psychotraumatology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)