RUNX2 interacts with SCD1 and activates Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway to promote the progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Abstract Background Previous studies have demonstrated that Runt‐associated transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) serves as the main transcription factor for osteoblast differentiation and chondrocyte maturation. RUNX2 is related to a variety of tumors, particularly tumor invasion and metastasis, while the expression and molecular mechanisms of RUNX2 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) keep to be determined. Stearyl CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), an endoplasmic reticulum fatty acid desaturase, transfers saturated fatty acids to monounsaturated fatty acids, is expressed highly in numerous malignancies. Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datebase and Western blot was used to analyzed the mRNA and protein levels of the target gene in ccRCC tissues and adjacent tissues. The proliferation ability of ccRCC cells was tested by colony forming and EdU assay. The migration ability of cells was detected by transwell assay. Immunoprecipitation was utilized to detect protein–protein interaction. Cycloheximide chase assay was used to measure the half‐life of SCD1 protein. Results In this study, the expressions of RUNX2 and SCD1 are increased in ccRCC tissues as well as ccRCC cell lines. Both RUNX2 and SCD1 could promote proliferation and migration in ccRCC cells. Furthermore, RUNX2 could physically interact with SCD1. In addition, the functional degradation and the inactivation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway triggered by the downregulation of RUNX2 could be partly offset by the overexpression of SCD1. Conclusion The findings indicate that the RUNX2/SCD1 axis may act as a potential therapeutic target via the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway of ccRCC

Alterations in the coupling functions between cerebral oxyhaemoglobin and arterial blood pressure signals in post-stroke subjects.

Cerebral autoregulation (CA) is the complex homeostatic regulatory relationship between blood pressure (BP) and cerebral blood flow (CBF). This study aimed to analyze the frequency-specific coupling function between cerebral oxyhemoglobin concentrations (delta [HbO2]) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) signals based on a model of coupled phase oscillators and dynamical Bayesian inference. Delta [HbO2] was measured by 24-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and arterial BP signals were obtained by simultaneous resting-state measurements in patients with stroke, that is, 9 with left hemiparesis (L-H group), 8 with right hemiparesis (R-H group), and 17 age-matched healthy individuals as control (healthy group). The coupling functions from MAP to delta [HbO2] oscillators were identified and analyzed in four frequency intervals (I, 0.6-2 Hz; II, 0.145-0.6 Hz; III, 0.052-0.145 Hz; and IV, 0.021-0.052 Hz). In L-H group, the CS from MAP to delta [HbO2] in interval III in channel 8 was significantly higher than that in healthy group (p = 0.003). Compared with the healthy controls, the coupling in MAP→delta [HbO2] showed higher amplitude in interval I and IV in patients with stroke. The increased CS and coupling amplitude may be an evidence of impairment in CA, thereby confirming the presence of impaired CA in patients with stroke. In interval III, the CS in L-H group from MAP to delta [HbO2] in channel 16 (p = 0.001) was significantly lower than that in healthy controls, which might indicate the compensatory mechanism in CA of the unaffected side in patients with stroke. No significant difference in region-wise CS between affected and unaffected sides was observed in stroke groups, indicating an evidence of globally impaired CA. These findings provide a method for the assessment of CA and will contribute to the development of therapeutic interventions in stroke patients

Blood-based liquid biopsy: insights into early detection, prediction, and treatment monitoring of bladder cancer

Abstract Bladder cancer (BC) is a clinical challenge worldwide with late clinical presentation, poor prognosis, and low survival rates. Traditional cystoscopy and tissue biopsy are routine methods for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of BC. However, due to the heterogeneity and limitations of tumors, such as aggressiveness, high cost, and limited applicability of longitudinal surveillance, the identification of tumor markers has attracted significant attention in BC. Over the past decade, liquid biopsies (e.g., blood) have proven to be highly efficient methods for the discovery of BC biomarkers. This noninvasive sampling method is used to analyze unique tumor components released into the peripheral circulation and allows serial sampling and longitudinal monitoring of tumor progression. Several liquid biopsy biomarkers are being extensively studied and have shown promising results in clinical applications of BC, including early detection, detection of microscopic residual disease, prediction of recurrence, and response to therapy. Therefore, in this review, we aim to provide an update on various novel blood-based liquid biopsy markers and review the advantages and current limitations of liquid biopsy in BC therapy. The role of blood-based circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA, cell-free RNA, exosomes, metabolomics, and proteomics in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring, and their applicability to the personalized management of BC, are highlighted

Rock magnetic properties of the Upper Silurian Longmu Co Upper Formation in the North Qiangtang Terrane

Objective Palaeomagnetic study of the early Palaeozoic North Qiangtang Terrane can quantitatively constrain its palaeogeographic location since the Palaeozoic, which serves as an important foundation and key constraint for studying of the palaeotectonic pattern of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the evolution of the Phanerozoic Tethys and palaeogeographic reconstruction. Methods Prior to palaeomagnetic study, it is essential to investigate the magnetic properties of rocks to identify the types and assemblages of magnetic carriers present in rocks, which will facilitate the selection of demagnetization experimental protocols and discussions on the primary nature of remanent magnetization. This paper focuses on the magnetic properties of limestone and sandstone from the Late Silurian Longmu Co Upper Formation in the North Qiangtang Terrane, through analyses of isothermal remanence acquisition curves, magnetic susceptibility with temperature(χ-T) curves, triaxial thermal demagnetization experiments, low-temperature magnetic properties tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectral (EDS) analysis. Results Results show that magnetite is the predominant magnetic carrier in the limestone samples of the Longmu Co Upper Fm, with small amounts of pyrrhotite. The magnetic assemblage in the sandstone samples is more complex, dominated by magnetite, possibly with other magnetic minerals such as pyrrhotite. Conclusion Moreover, it demonstrates that stable high-temperature remanent magnetization components can be isolated from the limestone samples in the Longmu Co Upper Formation, making them suitable for further palaeomagnetic researches

Group-average coupling functions <i>q</i>_{<i>delta</i>[<i>HbO2</i>]}(<i>∅</i>_{<i>delta</i>[<i>HbO2</i>]},<i>∅</i>_<i>MAP</i>) between MAP and delta [HbO₂] oscillations in LPFC, RPFC, LPL, RPL, LOL and ROL in interval I.

<p>The coupling functions describe the functional influence from the MAP to delta [HbO₂] oscillator in different brain regions.</p

Group statistical analysis in channel-wise CS from MAP to delta [HbO2] in different frequency interval.

<p>(A) channel-wise CS in frequency interval I (B) channel-wise CS in frequency interval III. Each column shows the CS mean and SD of a specific effective coupling interaction for different groups. The healthy, L–H and R–H groups are represented by different columns as illustrated by the legend in the figure. The line connectors and ‘*’ on the top of individual columns indicate that the difference between the two column distributions was statistically significant.</p

Group-average coupling functions <i>q</i>_{<i>delta</i>[<i>HbO2</i>]}(<i>∅</i>_{<i>delta</i>[<i>HbO2</i>]},<i>∅</i>_<i>MAP</i>) between MAP and delta [HbO₂] oscillations in LPFC, RPFC, LPL, RPL, LOL and ROL in interval IV.

<p>The coupling functions describe the functional influence from the MAP to delta [HbO₂] oscillator in different brain regions.</p

Thrust Structure and Bidirectional Paleocurrent in the Jingzhushan Formation during the Late Cretaceous in the Nyima Basin, Tibet Plateau, China: Approach of Magnetic Fabric and Zircon Chronology

(1) Background: The widely developed thrust structures in the Jingzhushan Formation of late Cretaceous in Nyima Basin are related to the collision which leads to orogeny between the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks. Clarifying the tectonic properties of the Nyima Basin is of great significance to characterize the evolution of the collision between the Lhasa block and the Qiangtang block. (2) Methods: Combined with mineralogy and petrology and U-Pb zircon dating of extrusive rocks, a detailed magnetic fabric test and rock magnetic experiment were carried out on the red sandstones of the Late Cretaceous Jingzhushan Formation in Nyima Basin. (3) Results: The sedimentary magnetic fabrics developed at the three sampling locations in the southern part of the basin are related to paleocurrents. The strained magnetic fabrics developed at one sampling site in the north, including pencil-like fabrics and tensile linear fabrics, are related to SE-NW tectonic stress. The average magnetic susceptibility value of the strained fabric with sandstone is lower than that of the sedimentary fabric, and its size is controlled by mica paramagnetic minerals. Ferromagnetic minerals are magnetite or hematite. In addition, the age of sandstone in the Jingzhushan Formation from the Nyima Basin matches the age of the eruptive rock in the Jingzhushan Formation from Coqen Basin, which is 92 Ma. (4) Conclusions: The strained fabric is developed near the thrust fault, which can explain the widely developed thrust structures in the basin. The Nyima Basin of the Jingzhushan Formation in the Late Cretaceous was an ocean-continent transitional foreland basin developed under the background of arc-arc “soft collision”

Thrust Structure and Bidirectional Paleocurrent in the Jingzhushan Formation during the Late Cretaceous in the Nyima Basin, Tibet Plateau, China: Approach of Magnetic Fabric and Zircon Chronology

(1) Background: The widely developed thrust structures in the Jingzhushan Formation of late Cretaceous in Nyima Basin are related to the collision which leads to orogeny between the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks. Clarifying the tectonic properties of the Nyima Basin is of great significance to characterize the evolution of the collision between the Lhasa block and the Qiangtang block. (2) Methods: Combined with mineralogy and petrology and U-Pb zircon dating of extrusive rocks, a detailed magnetic fabric test and rock magnetic experiment were carried out on the red sandstones of the Late Cretaceous Jingzhushan Formation in Nyima Basin. (3) Results: The sedimentary magnetic fabrics developed at the three sampling locations in the southern part of the basin are related to paleocurrents. The strained magnetic fabrics developed at one sampling site in the north, including pencil-like fabrics and tensile linear fabrics, are related to SE-NW tectonic stress. The average magnetic susceptibility value of the strained fabric with sandstone is lower than that of the sedimentary fabric, and its size is controlled by mica paramagnetic minerals. Ferromagnetic minerals are magnetite or hematite. In addition, the age of sandstone in the Jingzhushan Formation from the Nyima Basin matches the age of the eruptive rock in the Jingzhushan Formation from Coqen Basin, which is 92 Ma. (4) Conclusions: The strained fabric is developed near the thrust fault, which can explain the widely developed thrust structures in the basin. The Nyima Basin of the Jingzhushan Formation in the Late Cretaceous was an ocean-continent transitional foreland basin developed under the background of arc-arc &ldquo;soft collision&rdquo;