Identification of differentially expressed key genes between glioblastoma and low-grade glioma by bioinformatics analysis

Gliomas are a very diverse group of brain tumors that are most commonly primary tumor and difficult to cure in central nervous system. It’s necessary to distinguish low-grade tumors from high-grade tumors by understanding the molecular basis of different grades of glioma, which is an important step in defining new biomarkers and therapeutic strategies. We have chosen the gene expression profile GSE52009 from gene expression omnibus (GEO) database to detect important differential genes. GSE52009 contains 120 samples, including 60 WHO II samples and 24 WHO IV samples that were selected in our analysis. We used the GEO2R tool to pick out differently expressed genes (DEGs) between low-grade glioma and high-grade glioma, and then we used the database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery to perform gene ontology analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of gene and genome pathway analysis. Furthermore, we used the Cytoscape search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes with molecular complex detection plug-in applied to achieve the visualization of protein–protein interaction (PPI). We selected 15 hub genes with higher degrees of connectivity, including tissue inhibitors metalloproteinases-1 and serum amyloid A1; additionally, we used GSE53733 containing 70 glioblastoma samples to conduct Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. In conclusion, our bioinformatics analysis showed that DEGs and hub genes may be defined as new biomarkers for diagnosis and for guiding the therapeutic strategies of glioblastoma

Z₃-Vestigial Nematic Order Due to Superconducting Fluctuations in the Doped Topological Insulators NbₓBi₂Se₃ and CuₓBi₂Se₃

A state of matter with a multi-component order parameter can give rise to vestigial order. In the vestigial phase, the primary order is only partially melted, leaving a remaining symmetry breaking behind, an effect driven by strong classical or quantum fluctuations. Vestigial states due to primary spin and charge-density-wave order have been discussed in iron-based and cuprate materials. Here we present the observation of a partially melted superconductivity in which pairing fluctuations condense at a separate phase transition and form a nematic state with broken Z3, i.e., three-state Potts-model symmetry. Thermal expansion, specific heat and magnetization measurements of the doped topological insulators NbxBi2Se3 and CuxBi2Se3 reveal that this symmetry breaking occurs at Tnem ≃ 3.8K above Tc ≃ 3.25K, along with an onset of superconducting fluctuations. Thus, before Cooper pairs establish long-range coherence at Tc, they fluctuate in a way that breaks the rotational invariance at Tnem and induces a crystalline distortion

Z3_{3}-vestigial nematic order due to superconducting fluctuations in the doped topological insulators Nbx_{x}Bi2_{2}Se3_{3} and Cux_{x}Bi2_{2}Se3_{3}

A state of matter with a multi-component order parameter can give rise to vestigial order. In the vestigial phase, the primary order is only partially melted, leaving a remaining symmetry breaking behind, an effect driven by strong classical or quantum fluctuations. Vestigial states due to primary spin and charge-density-wave order have been discussed in iron-based and cuprate materials. Here we present the observation of a partially melted superconductivity in which pairing fluctuations condense at a separate phase transition and form a nematic state with broken Z$_{3}$, i.e., three-state Potts-model symmetry. Thermal expansion, specific heat and magnetization measurements of the doped topological insulators Nb$_{x}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ and Cu$_{x}$Bi$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ reveal that this symmetry breaking occurs at T$_{nem}$≃3.8K above T$_{c}$≃3.25K, along with an onset of superconducting fluctuations. Thus, before Cooper pairs establish long-range coherence at T$_{c}$, they fluctuate in a way that breaks the rotational invariance at T$_{nem}$ and induces a crystalline distortion

Effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on levels of serum S100B, IL-6, and IL-17 in patients with malignant glioma

From February 2014 to 2016, we recruited 80 patients with malignant glioma in the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. To study the effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on the levels of serum S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 17 (IL-17), all patients were divided into two groups randomly and evenly. In one group, all 40 patients received the three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). In another group, all patients received combinatorial treatment of 3D-CRT and temozolomide (TMZ). The therapeutic effect, immune function index before and after the treatment, change of serum S100B, IL-6, and IL-17 levels as well as adverse reactions were analyzed and compared between those two groups. We found that the effective rate of the combination group was 82.5%, which is significantly higher than 52.5% in the control group. After treatment, the number of CD3+, CD4+, and NK cells in the combination group was higher. But, CD8+ cells were lower compared with those before treatment. The levels of serum S100B, IL-6, and IL-17 in both groups were lower than those before treatment. In conclusion, radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy is more effective than radiotherapy alone in the treatment of malignant cerebral gliomas and is worthy of clinical spreading

Understanding factors influencing people with disabilities’ participation in sports and cultural activities

Abstract Background Improving people with disabilities’ participation in sports and cultural activities benefits their physical and mental health. However, only a few studies have examined the factors that influence participation systematically. Methods Using the survey data gathered from 4,319 disabled people living in a district in Wuhan, China, this study explored the impacts of sports and cultural activity participation in terms of individual physiological characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and built environmental features. The sports and cultural facility supply and the walkability index of their community environment were calculated to assess built environment features. Binary logistic regression models were also used to investigate the influence of the aforementioned variables. Results There is a significant positive correlation between sports and cultural activity participation and education (OR = 3.44, p < 0.01), employment status (OR = 2.04, p < 0.01), as well as the number of cultural facilities (OR = 1.33, p < 0.01) in the neighborhood area. No significant association was found between the inclination to participate frequently and individual psychological factors. Conclusion Regarding people with disabilities’ participation in sports and cultural activities, socioeconomic and built environment factors are more influential than individual psychological ones. The findings can give ideas for identifying targeted and comprehensive interventions to promote a healthy lifestyle for people with disabilities

Essential genes Ptgs2, Tlr4, and Ccr2 regulate neuro-inflammation during the acute phase of cerebral ischemic in mice

Abstract Ischemic stroke (IS) is associated with changes in gene expression patterns in the ischemic penumbra and extensive neurovascular inflammation. However, the key molecules related to the inflammatory response in the acute phase of IS remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, conducted a study using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) on two gene expression profiles, GSE58720 and GSE202659, downloaded from the GEO database. We screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using GEO2R and analyzed 170 differentially expressed intersection genes for Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis. We also used Metascape, DAVID, STRING, Cytoscape, and TargetScan to identify candidate miRNAs and genes. The targeted genes and miRNA molecule were clarified using the mice middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion (MCAO/R) model. Our findings revealed that 170 genes were correlated with cytokine production and inflammatory cell activation, as determined by GO and KEGG analyses. Cluster analysis identified 11 hub genes highly associated with neuroinflammation: Ccl7, Tnf, Ccl4, Timp1, Ccl3, Ccr1, Sele, Ccr2, Tlr4, Ptgs2, and Il6. TargetScan results suggested that Ptgs2, Tlr4, and Ccr2 might be regulated by miR-202-3p. In the MCAO/R model, the level of miR-202-3p decreased, while the levels of Ptgs2, Tlr4, and Ccr2 increased compared to the sham group. Knockdown of miR-202-3p exacerbated ischemic reperfusion injury (IRI) through neuroinflammation both in vivo and in vitro. Our study also demonstrated that mRNA and protein levels of Ptgs2, Tlr4, and Ccr2 increased in the MCAO/R model with miR-202-3p knockdown. These findings suggest that differentially expressed genes, including Ptgs2, Tlr4, and Ccr2 may play crucial roles in the neuroinflammation of IS, and their expression may be negatively regulated by miR-202-3p. Our study provides new insights into the regulation of neuroinflammation in IS