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The advent of single cell transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (scATAC-seq) technology enables us to explore the genomic characteristics and chromatin accessibility of blood cells at the single-cell level. To fully make sense of the roles and regulatory complexities of blood cells, it is critical to collect and analyze these rapidly accumulating scATAC-seq datasets at a system level. Here, we present scBlood (https://bio.liclab.net/scBlood/), a comprehensive single-cell accessible chromatin database of blood cells. The current version of scBlood catalogs 770,907 blood cells and 452,247 non-blood cells from ∼400 high-quality scATAC-seq samples covering 30 tissues and 21 disease types. All data hosted on scBlood have undergone preprocessing from raw fastq files and multiple standards of quality control. Furthermore, we conducted comprehensive downstream analyses, including multi-sample integration analysis, cell clustering and annotation, differential chromatin accessibility analysis, functional enrichment analysis, co-accessibility analysis, gene activity score calculation, and transcription factor (TF) enrichment analysis. In summary, scBlood provides a user-friendly interface for searching, browsing, analyzing, visualizing, and downloading scATAC-seq data of interest. This platform facilitates insights into the functions and regulatory mechanisms of blood cells, as well as their involvement in blood-related diseases.

Abstract Objective Endometrial cancer (EC) is an oestrogen-dependent tumour, the occurrence of which is closely related to an imbalance of oestrogen homeostasis. Our previous studies explored the effects of Resveratrol(Res) on oestrogen metabolism. However, systematic research on the exact mechanism of action of Res is still lacking. Based on network pharmacology, molecular docking and animal experiments, the effects and molecular mechanisms of Res on endometrial cancer were investigated. Methods The target of Res was obtained from the high-throughput experiment and reference-guided database of TCM (HERB) and the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ETCM) databases, and the target of endometrial cancer was obtained by using the Genecards database. Venny map was used to obtain the intersection target of Res in the treatment of endometrial cancer, and the protein interaction network of the intersection target was constructed by importing the data into the STRING database. Then, the drug–disease–target interaction network was constructed based on Cytoscape 3.9.1 software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed for intersection targets using the OmicShare cloud platform. Res and core targets were analysed by molecular docking. EC model mice induced by MNNG were randomly divided into the control group, Res group, MNNG group, MNNG + Res group, and MNNG + Res + MAPK/ERKi group. The protein levels of ERK and p-ERK in the mouse uterus were detected by Western blot. The levels of E1, E2, E3, 16-epiE3, 17-epiE3, 2-MeOE1, 4-MeOE1, 2-MeOE2, 4-MeOE2, 3-MeOE1, 2-OHE1, 4-OHE1, 2-OHE2, 4-OHE2, and 16α-OHE1 in the serum and endometrial tissue of mice were measured by LC‒MS/MS. Results A total of 174 intersection targets of Res anti-endometrial cancer were obtained. The signalling pathways analysed by KEGG enrichment included the AGE-RAGE signalling pathway in diabetic complications, the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway and the MAPK signalling pathway. The top 10 core targets were MAPK3, JUN, TP53, CASP3, TNF, IL1B, AKT1, FOS, VEGFA and INS. Molecular docking showed that in addition to TNF, other targets had good affinity for Res, and the binding activity with MAPK3 was stable. Western blot results showed that Res increased the phosphorylation level of ERK and that MAPK/ERKi decreased ERK activation. In the LC-MS/MS analysis, the levels of 2-MeOE1, 2-MeOE2 and 4-MeOE1 in serum and uterine tissue showed a significantly decreasing trend in the MNNG group, while that of 4-OHE2 was increased (P

The use of nitrogen gas in grain storage has a history of over 30 years. However, it wasn't until the recent emergence of economically efficient pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and membrane separation (MS) nitrogen production equipment that this technology became viable for grain storage. This study first conducted laboratory bioassays over 4, 3, and 2 weeks on wheat, barley, oats, lupin, and canola seeds, exposing them to environments of 25 ℃, 30 ℃, and 35 ℃ with nitrogen concentrations of 99%, 98%, and 97%. The study focused on assessing the adult and immature stages of Trogoderma variabile, Tribolium castaneum, Rhyzopertha dominica, and Sitophilus oryzae. Subsequently, in-field verification was carried out at the Lake Grace terminal and the Cooperative Bulk Handling (CBH) grain export terminal in Albany, evaluating the efficacy of controlling various storage grain pests and field pests in wheat, barley, and canola seeds, as well as assessing the quality of treated grains. The results showed that pest mortality increased with decreasing oxygen concentration, increasing exposure time, and temperature. However, under low-temperature conditions, nitrogen-rich low-oxygen treatment did not achieve 100% mortality of Trogoderma variabile larvae. There was no significant difference in the efficacy of controlling storage pests resistant or sensitive to phosphine. Canola seeds showed better control efficacy compared to other grains. Furthermore, the moisture content, protein, oil content, starch, and grain color quality indicators of various grains were unaffected. A commercially scalable nitrogen-rich low-oxygen application model was successfully developed, providing a solution for controlling pests resistant to phosphine and meeting the growing market demand for insect-free and chemical residue-free grains.

Nitrogen technology has been developed as a complementary technology with fumigants, for control of key pests in Australian grain storages. However, market feedback from industry was its cost which remained as a barrier of uptake. Therefore, a commercial scale trial was set up using advanced membrane technology to assist industry overcome operational and the cost barriers for the uptake of the technology. A new generation membrane technology was sourced from Changshun Anda, a China-based company. The unit was deployed at the CBH grain port of Kwinana, Western Australia to compare performance against an older nitrogen generation technology (Pressure Swing Absorbance/PSA). To meet the strict Australian standards operating conditions the port the unit was upgraded by Changshun Anda specialist team. The target benchmark was set to $0.50 per tonne of grain (the high-end cost of a phosphine fumigation). Research demonstrated an operational cost for the older PSA technology of $2.43 per tonne of grain. The technology also displayed operational limitations in its ability to generate and maintain the required level of nitrogen purity necessary to provide insect control (99%). In comparison, the generation of nitrogen using membrane technology cost $0.99 per tonne of grain. Other performance gains were generation of required nitrogen purity within 4.5 days of operation and ability to maintain purity for the required 14 days to provide full control of pests.

Adenomatoid tumors are rare, specific, benign tumors of the reproductive tract that originate from mesenchymal tissue. A patient was diagnosed with uterine fibroids 1 year previously when a mass of approximately 30 mm was found in the left adnexal region during a physical examination. At 1 year of follow-up, ultrasound showed that the mass in the left adnexal area had greatly increased to 61 × 45 × 50 mm. Contrast-enhanced pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed before surgery and suggested a borderline tumor. Histopathology suggested signet ring cell carcinoma, and an immunohistochemical examination suggested a uterine adenomatoid tumor. Our suspicion of a borderline tumor was based mainly on the following features: the mass had increased in size within 1 year, the cancer antigen 125 concentration had increased, and several lymph nodes in the pelvic and groin regions showed positive signals on MRI enhancement. Uterine adenomatoid tumors are challenging to diagnose, especially adenomatosis with signet ring cells. However, the accuracy of diagnosing this disease can be greatly improved by combining ultrasound and MRI. This article describes the most comprehensive and reliable imaging features of ultrasound and MRI, which play an important role in diagnosing uterine adenomatoid tumors and provide useful information for clinicians.

Abstract Background Cervical cancer (CC) is a common malignancy of the female reproductive tract, and preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis (LNM) is essential. This study aims to design and validate a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics-based predictive model capable of detecting LNM in patients diagnosed with CC. Methods This retrospective analysis incorporated 86 and 38 CC patients into the training and testing groups, respectively. Radiomics features were extracted from MRI T2WI, T2WI-SPAIR, and axial apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) sequences. Selected features identified in the training group were then used to construct a radiomics scoring model, with relevant LNM-related risk factors having been identified through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The resultant predictive model was then validated in the testing cohort. Results In total, 16 features were selected for the construction of a radiomics scoring model. LNM-related risk factors included worse differentiation (P < 0.001), more advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages (P = 0.03), and a higher radiomics score from the combined MRI sequences (P = 0.01). The equation for the predictive model was as follows: −0.0493–2.1410 × differentiation level + 7.7203 × radiomics score of combined sequences + 1.6752 × FIGO stage. The respective area under the curve (AUC) values for the T2WI radiomics score, T2WI-SPAIR radiomics score, ADC radiomics score, combined sequence radiomics score, and predictive model were 0.656, 0.664, 0.658, 0.835, and 0.923 in the training cohort, while these corresponding AUC values were 0.643, 0.525, 0.513, 0.826, and 0.82 in the testing cohort. Conclusions This MRI radiomics-based model exhibited favorable accuracy when used to predict LNM in patients with CC. Relative to the use of any individual MRI sequence-based radiomics score, this predictive model yielded superior diagnostic accuracy.

Considering the theoretical constraints on the charged-current (CC) non-standard neutrino interaction (NSI) parameters in a simplified W′ model, we study the sensitivities of the Large Hadron electron Collider (LHeC) and Future Circular Collider-hadron electron (FCC-he) to the CC NSI parameters through the subprocess e−q→W′→veq′. Our results show that the LHeC with L=100fb−1 is a little more sensitive to the CC NSI parameters than that of the high-luminosity (HL) LHC, and the absolute values of the lower limits on the CC NSI parameters at the FCC-he are smaller than those of the HL-LHC about two orders of magnitude.

The light leptophilic gauge boson Zx predicted by the U(1)Lx models can contribute to the lepton flavor universality (LFU) parameter Rℓ/ℓ′P and the leptonic decays P→ℓνℓℓ′ℓ′¯ via the process P→ℓνℓZx with Zx decaying into a pair of neutrinos or charged leptons, where P denotes the charged pseudoscalar mesons π±, K±, D(s)± or B±. Using the corresponding experimental data, we obtain the constraints on different U(1)Lx models. The most strict constraints on the U(1)Lx models come from the decay K+→μ+νμe+e−.

Tannins are polyphenols that are present in various plants, and potentially contain antioxidant properties that promote reproduction in animals. This study investigated how tannic acid (TA) affects the reproductive parameters of male Brandt’s voles, Lasiopodomys brandtii (Radde, 1861). Specifically, the anti-oxidative level of serum, autophagy in the testis, and reproductive physiology were assessed in males treated with TA from the pubertal stage. Compared to the control, low dose TA enhanced relative testis and epididymis weight and sperm concentration in the epididymis, and significantly increased the level of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). mRNA levels of autophagy related genes LC3 and Beclin1 decreased significantly with low dose TA compared to the control. However, compared to the control, high dose TA sharply reduced the levels of serum SOD, GSH-Px, CAT, serum testosterone (T), and mRNA level in steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) in the testis. Both sperm abnormality and mortality increased with high dose TA compared to the control and low dose TA. Collectively, this study demonstrated that TA treatment during puberty had a dose-dependent effect on the reproductive responses of male Brandt’s voles. TA might mediate autophagy in the testis, through both indirect and direct processes. TA mainly affected the reproductive function of male Brandt’s voles by regulating anti-oxidative levels. This study advances our understanding of the mechanisms by which tannins influence reproduction in herbivores.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have important regulatory roles in cancer biology. Although some lncRNAs have well‐characterized functions, the vast majority of this class of molecules remains functionally uncharacterized. To systematically pinpoint functional lncRNAs, a computational approach was proposed for identification of lncRNA‐mediated competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) through combining global and local regulatory direction consistency of expression. Using esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as model, we further identified many known and novel functional lncRNAs acting as ceRNAs (ce‐lncRNAs). We found that most of them significantly regulated the expression of cancer‐related hallmark genes. These ce‐lncRNAs were significantly regulated by enhancers, especially super‐enhancers (SEs). Landscape analyses for lncRNAs further identified SE‐associated functional ce‐lncRNAs in ESCC, such as HOTAIR, XIST, SNHG5, and LINC00094. THZ1, a specific CDK7 inhibitor, can result in global transcriptional downregulation of SE‐associated ce‐lncRNAs. We further demonstrate that a SE‐associated ce‐lncRNA, LINC00094 can be activated by transcription factors TCF3 and KLF5 through binding to SE regions and promoted ESCC cancer cell growth. THZ1 downregulated expression of LINC00094 through inhibiting TCF3 and KLF5. Our data demonstrated the important roles of SE‐associated ce‐lncRNAs in ESCC oncogenesis and might serve as targets for ESCC diagnosis and therapy.

Abstract Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine syndrome with poorly understood mechanisms. To provide patients with PCOS with individualized therapy, it is critical to precisely diagnose the phenotypes of the disease. However, the criteria for diagnosing the different phenotypes are mostly based on symptoms, physical examination and laboratory results. This study aims to compare the accuracy and efficacy of diagnosing PCOS by integrating metabolomic markers with common clinical characteristics. Methods This is a prospective, multicenter, analyst-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Participants will be grouped into (1) people without PCOS (healthy control group), (2) patients diagnosed with PCOS based on clinical indices (experimental group 1), and (3) patients diagnosed with PCOS based on metabolomic indices (experimental group 2). A total of 276 participants, including 60 healthy people and 216 patients with PCOS, will be recruited. The 216 patients with PCOS will be randomly assigned to the two experimental groups in a 1:1 ratio, and each group will receive a different 6-month treatment. The primary outcome for the experimental groups will be the effect of PCOS treatment. Discussion The results of this trial should help to determine whether using metabolomic indices is more accurate and effective than using clinical characteristics in diagnosing the phenotypes of PCOS. The results could provide a solid foundation for the accurate diagnosis of different PCOS subgroups and for future research on individualized PCOS therapy. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ID: ChiCTR-INR-1800016346. Registered 26 May 2018.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the diagnostic value of deep learning-based image reconstruction (DLR) and hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR) for calcification-related obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) evaluation by using coronary CT angiography (CCTA) images and subtraction CCTA images.Methods: Forty-two consecutive patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease who underwent coronary CTA on a 320-row CT scanner and subsequent invasive coronary angiography (ICA), which was used as the reference standard, were enrolled. The DLR and HIR images were reconstructed as CTADLR and CTAHIR, and, based on which, the corresponding subtraction CCTA images were established as CTAsDLR and CTAsHIR, respectively. Qualitative images quality comparison was performed by using a Likert 4 stage score, and quantitative images quality parameters, including image noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio were calculated. Diagnostic performance on the lesion level was assessed and compared among the four CCTA approaches (CTADLR, CTAHIR, CTAsDLR, and CTAsHIR).Results: There were 166 lesions of 86 vessels in 42 patients (32 men and 10 women; 62.9 ± 9.3 years) finally enrolled for analysis. The qualitative and quantitative image qualities of CTAsDLR and CTADLR were superior to those of CTAsHIR and CTAHIR, respectively. The diagnostic accuracies of CTAsDLR, CTADLR, CTAsHIR, and CTAHIR to identify calcification-related obstructive diameter stenosis were 83.73%, 69.28%, 75.30%, and 65.66%, respectively. The false-positive rates of CTAsDLR, CTADLR, CTAsHIR, and CTAHIR for luminal diameter stenosis ≥50% were 15%, 31%, 24%, and 34%, respectively. The sensitivity and the specificity to identify ≥50% luminal diameter stenosis was 90.91% and 83.23% for CTAsDLR.Conclusion: Our study showed that deep learning–based image reconstruction could improve the image quality of CCTA images and diagnostic performance for calcification-related obstructive CAD, especially when combined with subtraction technique.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved and abundant non-coding RNAs whose functions and regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we identify and characterize an epigenomically distinct group of circRNAs (TAH-circRNAs), which are transcribed to a higher level than their host genes. By integrative analysis of cistromic and transcriptomic data, we find that compared with other circRNAs, TAH-circRNAs are expressed more abundantly and have more transcription factors (TFs) binding sites and lower DNA methylation levels. Concordantly, TAH-circRNAs are enriched in open and active chromatin regions. Importantly, ChIA-PET results showed that 23–52% of transcription start sites (TSSs) of TAH-circRNAs have direct interactions with cis-regulatory regions, strongly suggesting their independent transcriptional regulation from host genes. In addition, we characterize molecular features of super-enhancer-driven circRNAs in cancer biology. Together, this study comprehensively analyzes epigenomic characteristics of circRNAs and identifies a distinct group of TAH-circRNAs that are independently transcribed via enhancers and super-enhancers by TFs. These findings substantially advance our understanding of the regulatory mechanism of circRNAs and may have important implications for future investigations of this class of non-coding RNAs.

Tumor plasticity refers to tumor cell's inherent property of transforming one type of cell to different types of cells. Tumor plasticity is the main cause of tumor relapse, metastasis and drug resistance. Cancer stem cell (CSC) model embodies the trait of tumor plasticity. During carcinoma progression, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays crucial role in the formation of CSCs and vasculogenic mimicry (VM) based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. And the unique tumor microenvironment (TME) not only provides suitable niche for CSCs but promotes the building of CSCs and VM that nourishes tumor tissue together with neoplasm metabolism by affecting tumor plasticity. Therapeutic strategies targeting tumor plasticity are promising ways to treat malignant tumor. In this article, we discuss the recent developments of potential drug targets related to CSCs, EMT, TME, VM, and metabolic pathways and summarize drugs that target these areas in clinical trials.

Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is an important mitochondria-bound enzyme that catalyzes the oxidative deamination of monoamine neurotransmitters. Accumulating evidence suggests a significant association of increased MAOA expression and advanced high-grade prostate cancer (PCa) progression and metastasis. Herein, a series of novel conjugates combining the MAOA inhibitor isoniazid (INH) and tumor-targeting near-infrared (NIR) heptamethine cyanine dyes were designed and synthesized. The synthesized compounds G1–G13 were evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxicity against PC-3 cells using the MTT assay, and molecular docking studies were performed. Results showed that most tested compounds exhibited improved antitumor efficacy compared with INH. Moreover, conjugates G10 and G11 showed potent anticancer activity with IC50 values (0.85 and 0.4 μM respectively) comparable to that of doxorubicin (DOX). This may be attributable to the preferential accumulation of these conjugates in tumor cells. G10, G11, and G12 also demonstrated moderate MAOA inhibitory activities. This result and the results of molecular docking studies were consistent with their cytotoxicity activities. Taken together, these data suggest that a combination of the MAOA inhibitor INH with tumor-targeting heptamethine cyanine dyes may prove to be a highly promising tool for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Copyright of Science & Technology of Cereals, Oils & Foods is the property of Science & Technology of Cereals, Oils & Foods 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.)

Copyright of Science & Technology of Cereals, Oils & Foods is the property of Science & Technology of Cereals, Oils & Foods 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.)