Utility of cone-beam CT imaging for the determination of feeding vessels during arterial embolization for massive hemoptysis

PURPOSE:We aimed to evaluate the role of cone-beam computed tomography (CT) performed as an adjunct to angiography for the determination of feeding vessels responsible for bleeding during arterial embolization for massive hemoptysis.METHODS:In this retrospective study, 23 patients with massive hemoptysis who underwent cone-beam CT evaluation prior to arterial embolization from December 2014 to December 2017 were included. During the angiographic session, two interventional radiologists selected the possible feeding vessels that were likely to supply the bleeding target lesions. Contrast-enhanced cone-beam CT was performed at the indefinite feeding arteries as an adjunct to angiography to determine whether the artery was a real feeding vessel, based on whether the target lesion was detected in the perfused territory of the study artery on images.RESULTS:Selective cone-beam CT was successfully performed in 21 patients, at 26 possible feeding vessels that were detected by selective angiography. Cone-beam CT determined the feeding vessel in 24 arteries (92.3%) in 19 patients (90.5%). As a result of cone-beam CT findings, 16 of 24 study arteries were judged as definitively not feeding vessels (66.7%) and the remaining 8 study arteries were judged as definitively feeding vessels (33.3%). In 2 of 26 study arteries, cone-beam CT could not determine the feeding vessel (7.7%).CONCLUSION:Cone-beam CT performed as an adjunctive technique to angiography is sufficient to provide adequate information for confident determination of the feeding vessel, which is essential for the operators to perform accurate embolization during arterial embolization for massive hemoptysis

Identification and expression pattern analysis of the OsSnRK2 gene family in rice

Sucrose non-fermenting-1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) is a class of plant-specific serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinase that plays an important role in rice stress tolerance, growth and development. However, systematic bioinformatics and expression pattern analysis have not been reported. In the current study, ten OsSnRK2 genes were identified in the rice genome and located on 7 chromosomes, which can be classified into three subfamilies (I, II, and III). Many cis-regulatory elements were identified in the promoter region of OsSnRK2 genes, including hormone response elements, defense and stress responsive elements, indicating that the OsSnRK2 family may play a crucial role in response to hormonal and abiotic stress. Quantitative tissue analysis showed that OsSnRK2 genes expressed in all tissues of rice, but the expression abundance varied from different tissues and showed varietal variability. In addition, expression pattern of OsSnRK2 were analyzed under abiotic stress (salt, drought, salt and drought) and showed obvious difference in diverse abiotic stress. In general, these results provide useful information for understanding the OsSnRK2 gene family and analyzing its functions in rice in response to ABA, salt and drought stress, especially salt-drought combined stress

Room-Temperature entangled quantum processor on integrated semiconductor photonics platform

The rise of the 4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator (SiCOI) platform marks a promising pathway towards the realization of monolithic quantum photonic networks. However, the challenge of establishing room-temperature entangled registers on these integrated photonics platforms remains unresolved. Herein, we demonstrate the first entangled processor on the SiCOI platform. We show that both deterministic generation of single divacancy electron spins and near-unity spin initialization of a single $^{13}$C nuclear spin can be achieved on SiCOI at room temperature. Besides coherently manipulating the single nuclear spin, a maximally entangled state with a fidelity of 0.89 has been prepared on this CMOS-compatible semiconductor-integrated photonics system. This work establishes the foundation for compact and on-chip solutions within existing defect-based computing and sensing protocols, positioning the SiCOI platform as the most promising candidate for integrated monolithic quantum photonic networks.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

Forecasting the Number of the Wounded after an Earthquake Disaster Based on the Continuous Interval Grey Discrete Verhulst Model

Earthquake disaster causes serious casualties, so the prediction of casualties is conducive to the reasonable and efficient allocation of emergency relief materials, which plays a significant role in emergency rescue. In this paper, a continuous interval grey discrete Verhulst model based on kernels and measures (CGDVM-KM), different from the previous forecasting methods, can help us to efficiently predict the number of the wounded in a very short time, that is, an “S-shape” curve for the numbers of the sick and wounded. That is, the continuous interval sequence is converted into the kernel and measure sequences with equal information quantity by the interval whitening method, and it is combined with the classical grey discrete Verhulst model, and then the grey discrete Verhulst models of the kernel and measure sequences are presented, respectively. Finally, CGDVM-KM is developed. It can effectively overcome the systematic errors caused by the discrete form equation for parameter estimation and continuous form equation for simulation and prediction in classical grey Verhulst model, so as to improve the prediction accuracy. At the same time, the rationality and validity of the model are verified by examples. A comparison with other forecasting models shows that the model has higher prediction accuracy and better simulation effect in forecasting the wounded in massive earthquake disasters

Genome-Wide Identification of the HMA Gene Family and Expression Analysis under Cd Stress in Barley

In recent years, cadmium (Cd) pollution in soil has increased with increasing industrial activities, which has restricted crop growth and agricultural development. The heavy metal ATPase (HMA) gene family contributes to heavy metal stress resistance in plants. In this study, 21 HMA genes (HvHMAs) were identified in barley (Hordeumvulgare L., Hv) using bioinformatics methods. Based on phylogenetic analysis and domain distribution, barley HMA genes were divided into five groups (A–E), and complete analyses were performed in terms of physicochemical properties, structural characteristics, conserved domains, and chromosome localization. The expression pattern analysis showed that most HvHMA genes were expressed in barley and exhibited tissue specificity. According to the fragments per kilobase of exon per million fragments values in shoots from seedlings at the 10 cm shoot stage (LEA) and phylogenetic analysis, five HvHMA genes were selected for expression analysis under Cd stress. Among the five HvHMA genes, three (HvHMA1, HvHMA3, and HvHMA4) were upregulated and two (HvHMA2 and HvHMA6) were downregulated following Cd treatments. This study serves as a foundation for clarifying the functions of HvHMA proteins in the heavy metal stress resistance of barley

Effects of salicylic acid on growth, physiology, and gene expression in rice seedlings under salt and drought stress

Salt and drought stress has been an important factor limiting agricultural production, and SA is an important phenolic involved in stress response, but the function of SA in response to dual salt and drought stress in rice is not clear. In this study, the effects and mechanisms of exogenous SA-triggered in rice adaptation to dual salt and drought stress were investigated by detecting physiological and biochemical indexes and the expression of salt and drought tolerance genes. The results showed that the application of SA could significantly increase the antioxidant enzyme activities of rice seedlings under salt and drought stress, thereby reducing the contents of rice H2O2 and MDA and maintaining the growth of rice seedlings. Moreover, the expression of genes involved in the response of abiotic stress, such as OsDREB2A, OsSAPK8, OsSAPK10 and OsMYB2, were up-regulated under salt and drought treatment, and SA application could further enhance the expression of those genes like OsDREB2A and OsSAPK8, suggesting that SA might regulate antioxidant enzyme activity via inducing the expression of salt and drought tolerance genes and enhancing the salt and drought tolerance of rice. The results will enrich the knowledge of the function of SA and provide a reference for studying the mechanism of SA in the salt and drought resistance of rice, and breeding new rice germplasm with improved salt and drought resistance

A catalog of bacterial reference genomes from cultivated human oral bacteria

Abstract The oral cavity harbors highly diverse communities of microorganisms. However, the number of isolated species and high-quality genomes is limited. Here we present a Cultivated Oral Bacteria Genome Reference (COGR), comprising 1089 high-quality genomes based on large-scale aerobic and anaerobic cultivation of human oral bacteria isolated from dental plaques, tongue, and saliva. COGR covers five phyla and contains 195 species-level clusters of which 95 include 315 genomes representing species with no taxonomic annotation. The oral microbiota differs markedly between individuals, with 111 clusters being person-specific. Genes encoding CAZymes are abundant in the genomes of COGR. Members of the Streptococcus genus make up the largest proportion of COGR and many of these harbor entire pathways for quorum sensing important for biofilm formation. Several clusters containing unknown bacteria are enriched in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, emphasizing the importance of culture-based isolation for characterizing and exploiting oral bacteria

The Physalis floridana genome provides insights into the biochemical and morphological evolution of Physalis fruits

The fruits of Physalis (Solanaceae) have a unique structure, a lantern-like fruiting calyx known as inflated calyx syndrome (ICS) or the Chinese lantern, and are rich in steroid-related compounds. However, the genetic variations underlying the origin of these characteristic traits and diversity in Physalis remain largely unknown. Here, we present a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome assembly of Physalis floridana (similar to 1.40 Gb in size) with a contig N50 of similar to 4.87 Mb. Through evolutionary genomics and experimental approaches, we found that the loss of the SEP-like MADS-box gene MBP21 subclade is likely a key mutation that, together with the previously revealed mutation affecting floral MPF2 expression, might have contributed to the origination of ICS in Physaleae, suggesting that the origination of a morphological novelty may have resulted from an evolutionary scenario in which one mutation compensated for another deleterious mutation. Moreover, the significant expansion of squalene epoxidase genes is potentially associated with the natural variation of steroid-related compounds in Physalis fruits. The results reveal the importance of gene gains (duplication) and/or subsequent losses as genetic bases of the evolution of distinct fruit traits, and the data serve as a valuable resource for the evolutionary genetics and breeding of solanaceous crops

Table_1_Combined treatment of disulfiram with PARP inhibitors suppresses ovarian cancer.docx

IntroductionDue to the difficulty of early diagnosis, nearly 70% of ovarian cancer patients are first diagnosed at an advanced stage. Thus, improving current treatment strategies is of great significance for ovarian cancer patients. Fast-developing poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases inhibitors (PARPis) have been beneficial in the treatment of ovarian cancer at different stages of the disease, but PARPis have serious side effects and can result in drug resistance. Using PARPis in combination with other drug therapies could improve the efficacy of PRAPis.In this study, we identified Disulfiram as a potential therapeutic candidate through drug screening and tested its use in combination with PARPis.MethodsCytotoxicity tests and colony formation experiments showed that the combination of Disulfiram and PARPis decreased the viability of ovarian cancer cellsResultsThe combination of PARPis with Disulfiram also significantly increased the expression of DNA damage index gH2AX and induced more PARP cleavage. In addition, Disulfiram inhibited the expression of genes associated with the DNA damage repair pathway, indicating that Disulfiram functions through the DNA repair pathway.DiscussionBased on these findings, we propose that Disulfiram reinforces PARPis activity in ovarian cancer cells by improving drug sensitivity. The combined use of Disulfiram and PARPis provides a novel treatment strategy for patients with ovarian cancer.</p

DataSheet_1_Combined treatment of disulfiram with PARP inhibitors suppresses ovarian cancer.docx

IntroductionDue to the difficulty of early diagnosis, nearly 70% of ovarian cancer patients are first diagnosed at an advanced stage. Thus, improving current treatment strategies is of great significance for ovarian cancer patients. Fast-developing poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases inhibitors (PARPis) have been beneficial in the treatment of ovarian cancer at different stages of the disease, but PARPis have serious side effects and can result in drug resistance. Using PARPis in combination with other drug therapies could improve the efficacy of PRAPis.In this study, we identified Disulfiram as a potential therapeutic candidate through drug screening and tested its use in combination with PARPis.MethodsCytotoxicity tests and colony formation experiments showed that the combination of Disulfiram and PARPis decreased the viability of ovarian cancer cellsResultsThe combination of PARPis with Disulfiram also significantly increased the expression of DNA damage index gH2AX and induced more PARP cleavage. In addition, Disulfiram inhibited the expression of genes associated with the DNA damage repair pathway, indicating that Disulfiram functions through the DNA repair pathway.DiscussionBased on these findings, we propose that Disulfiram reinforces PARPis activity in ovarian cancer cells by improving drug sensitivity. The combined use of Disulfiram and PARPis provides a novel treatment strategy for patients with ovarian cancer.</p