Decoupled Contrastive Multi-view Clustering with High-order Random Walks

In recent, some robust contrastive multi-view clustering (MvC) methods have been proposed, which construct data pairs from neighborhoods to alleviate the false negative issue, i.e., some intra-cluster samples are wrongly treated as negative pairs. Although promising performance has been achieved by these methods, the false negative issue is still far from addressed and the false positive issue emerges because all in- and out-of-neighborhood samples are simply treated as positive and negative, respectively. To address the issues, we propose a novel robust method, dubbed decoupled contrastive multi-view clustering with high-order random walks (DIVIDE). In brief, DIVIDE leverages random walks to progressively identify data pairs in a global instead of local manner. As a result, DIVIDE could identify in-neighborhood negatives and out-of-neighborhood positives. Moreover, DIVIDE embraces a novel MvC architecture to perform inter- and intra-view contrastive learning in different embedding spaces, thus boosting clustering performance and embracing the robustness against missing views. To verify the efficacy of DIVIDE, we carry out extensive experiments on four benchmark datasets comparing with nine state-of-the-art MvC methods in both complete and incomplete MvC settings

Germline RECQL gene mutations in Chinese patients with breast cancer

IntroductionBreast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women, seriously threatening health and survival. TP-dependent DNA helicase Q1 (RECQL) is a breast cancer susceptibility gene with possible familial links. However, RECQL gene mutations among Chinese women with breast cancer have not been evaluated. Therefore, this study assessed RECQL mutations and their relationships with clinicopathological and epidemiological characteristics in Chinese women with breast cancer.MethodClinical information was also obtained via the hospital information system and a follow-up questionnaire. Peripheral venous blood (2 mL) was extracted from all patients and stored at –80°C for future use; the early venous blood samples were from our hospital’s sample bank. RECQL gene sequencing were performed by the Shanghai Aishe Gene Company (China).ResultsWe found that a RECQL mutation is a susceptibility factor for breast cancer. Moreover, patients with RECQL mutations were more likely to have a family history of breast cancer than those without. Also, patients with RECQL variants of uncertain significance (VUS) were less likely to develop invasive ductal carcinoma than those without. In addition, unexplained RECQL mutations occurred more often in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2+ breast cancer than in those with other subtypes.DiscussionThese results provide a basis for creating screening criteria specific to Chinese women. However, the frequency of RECQL mutations was low, and the number of pathogenic mutations was too small and could not be analyzed. Thus, more extensive, long-term studies that include other functional experiments are needed to verify these results

ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS Quantum Dot-Based Downconversion Light-Emitting Diodes and Their Thermal Effect

The quantum dot-based light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) were fabricated using blue GaN chips and red-, yellow-, and green-emitting ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS QDs. The power efficiencies were measured as 14.0 lm/W for red, 47.1 lm/W for yellow, and 62.4 lm/W for green LEDs at 2.6 V. The temperature effect of ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS QDs on these LEDs was investigated using CIE chromaticity coordinates, spectral wavelength, full width at half maximum (FWHM), and power efficiency (PE). The thermal quenching induced by the increased surface temperature of the device was confirmed to be one of the important factors to decrease power efficiencies while the CIE chromaticity coordinates changed little due to the low emission temperature coefficients of 0.022, 0.050, and 0.068 nm/°C for red-, yellow-, and green-emitting ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS QDs. These indicate that ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS QDs are more suitable for downconversion LEDs compared to CdSe QDs

The Transcription Factor TCF1 Preserves the Effector Function of Exhausted CD8 T Cells During Chronic Viral Infection

The long-term persistence of viral antigens drives virus-specific CD8 T cell exhaustion during chronic viral infection. Yet exhausted, CD8 T cells are still endowed with certain levels of effector function, by which they can keep viral replication in check in chronic infection. However, the regulatory factors involved in regulating the effector function of exhausted CD8 T cell are largely unknown. Using mouse model of chronic LCMV infection, we found that the deletion of transcription factor TCF-1 in LCMV-specific exhausted CD8 T cells led to the profound reduction in cytokine production and degranulation. Conversely, ectopic expression of TCF-1 or using agonist to activate TCF-1 activities promotes the effector function of exhausted CD8 T cells. Mechanistically, TCF-1 fuels the functionalities of exhausted CD8 T cells by promoting the expression of an array of key effector function-associated transcription regulators, including Foxo1, Zeb2, Id3, and Eomes. These results collectively indicate that targeting TCF-1 mediated transcriptional pathway may represent a promising immunotherapy strategy against chronic viral infections by reinvigorating the effector function of exhausted virus-specific CD8 T cells

Evaluating the Suitability of Using Rat Models for Preclinical Efficacy and Side Effects with Inhaled Corticosteroids Nanosuspension Formulations

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are often prescribed as first-line therapy for patients with asthma Despite their efficacy and improved safety profile compared with oral corticosteroids, the potential for systemic side effects continues to cause concern. In order to reduce the potential for systemic side effects, the pharmaceutical industry has begun efforts to generate new drugs with pulmonary-targeted topical efficacy. One of the major challenges of this approach is to differentiate both efficacy and side effects (pulmonary vs. systemic) in a preclinical animal model. In this study, fluticasone and ciclesonide were used as tool compounds to explore the possibility of demonstrating both efficacy and side effects in a rat model using pulmonary delivery via intratracheal (IT) instillation with nanosuspension formulations. The inhibition of neutrophil infiltration into bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and cytokine (TNFα) production were utilized to assess pulmonary efficacy, while adrenal and thymus involution as well as plasma corticosterone suppression was measured to assess systemic side effects. Based on neutrophil infiltration and cytokine production data, the ED50s for ciclesonide and fluticasone were calculated to be 0.1 and 0.03 mg, respectively. At the ED50, the average adrenal involution was 7.6 ± 5.3% for ciclesonide versus 16.6 ± 5.1% for fluticasone, while the average thymus involution was 41.0 ± 4.3% for ciclesonide versus 59.5 ± 5.8% for fluticasone. However, the differentiation became less significant when the dose was pushed to the EDmax (0.3 mg for ciclesonide, 0.1 mg for fluticasone). Overall, the efficacy and side effect profiles of the two compounds exhibited differentiation at low to mid doses (0.03–0.1 mg ciclesonide, 0.01–0.03 mg fluticasone), while this differentiation diminished at the maximum efficacious dose (0.3 mg ciclesonide, 0.1 mg fluticasone), likely due to overdosing in this model. We conclude that the rat LPS model using IT administration of nanosuspensions of ICS is a useful tool to demonstrate pulmonary-targeted efficacy and to differentiate the side effects. However, it is only suitable at sub-maximum efficacious levels

Evaluation of Aerosol Delivery of Nanosuspension for Pre-clinical Pulmonary Drug Delivery

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are pulmonary diseases that are characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration, cytokine production, and airway hyper-reactivity. Most of the effector cells responsible for these pathologies reside in the lungs. One of the most direct ways to deliver drugs to the target cells is via the trachea. In a pre-clinical setting, this can be achieved via intratracheal (IT), intranasal (IN), or aerosol delivery in the desired animal model. In this study, we pioneered the aerosol delivery of a nanosuspension formulation in a rodent model. The efficiency of different dosing techniques and formulations to target the lungs were compared, and fluticasone was used as the model compound. For the aerosol particle size determination, a ten-stage cascade impactor was used. The mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) was calculated based on the percent cumulative accumulation at each stage. Formulations with different particle size of fluticasone were made for evaluation. The compatibility of regular fluticasone suspension and nanosuspension for aerosol delivery was also investigated. The in vivo studies were conducted on mice with optimized setting. It was found that the aerosol delivery of fluticasone with nanosuspension was as efficient as intranasal (IN) dosing, and was able to achieve dose dependent lung deposition

Comparison of In vitro Nanoparticles Uptake in Various Cell Lines and In vivo Pulmonary Cellular Transport in Intratracheally Dosed Rat Model

In present study, the potential drug delivery of nanoformulations was validated via the comparison of cellular uptake of nanoparticles in various cell lines and in vivo pulmonary cellular uptake in intratracheally (IT) dosed rat model. Nanoparticles were prepared by a bench scale wet milling device and incubated with a series of cell lines, including Caco-2, RAW, MDCK and MDCK transfected MDR1 cells. IT dosed rats were examined for the pulmonary cellular uptake of nanoparticles. The processes of nanoparticle preparation did not alter the crystalline state of the material. The uptake of nanoparticles was observed most extensively in RAW cells and the least in Caco-2 cells. Efflux transporter P-gp did not prevent cell from nanoparticles uptake. The cellular uptake of nanoparticles was also confirmed in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cells and in bronchiolar epithelial cells, type II alveolar epithelial cells in the intratracheally administrated rats. The nanoparticles uptake in MDCK, RAW cells and in vivo lung epithelial cells indicated the potential applications of nanoformulation for poorly soluble compounds. The observed limited direct uptake of nanoparticles in Caco-2 cells suggests that the improvement in oral bioavailability by particle size reduction is via increased dissolution rate rather than direct uptake

The biosynthesis of manumycin type metabolites

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000The biosynthesis of manumycin type metabolites has been thoroughly studied, mainly with the asukamycin producer, Streptomyces nodosus. A complete biosynthetic pathway has been elucidated from two approaches: (i) synthesizing and feeding labeled compounds to S. nodosus and the manumycin A producer, S. parvulus; (ii) tracing and isolating pathway related metabolites by feeding an isotopically labeled precursor. 3-Amino-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-AHBA) was identified as the key precursor of the mC7N unit of manumycins by synthesizing and feeding 3,4-[7- 13C]-AHBA. The discovery of a shunt metabolite, 7-(3-(N-acetylamino-4-hydroxyphenyl)-( 2E, 4E, 6E)-hepta-2,4,6-trienoic acid (85) and other type I manumycin (epoxyquinol mC7N unit) co-metabolites produced by S. nodosus helped to elucidate the biosynthetic pathway which proceeds from 3,4-AHBA by the "lower" polyketide chain extension followed by attachment of the "upper" chain and subsequently of the C5N unit. The quantitative studies on the composition of fatty acids and type I manumycins from S. nodosus revealed that the production of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid ( 39) is a rate limiting step of asukamycin biosynthesis. This limitation results in formation of shunt metabolite 85 and type I manumycin co-metabolites which differ from asukamycin at the starter unit of the "upper" chain by using branched chain starter units instead of 39. The multi-step synthesis and feeding of N1-(2-hydroxy-5-oxo-cyclopent-1-enyl)-7-[3-(7-cyclohexyl-hepta-( 2E, 4E, 6E)-trienoyl)-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl]-[1,2- 13C2]hepta-(2E, 4E, 6E)-trienamide (71) and its incorporation into asukamycin further demonstrated that oxidation/epoxidation is the last reaction on the biosynthetic pathway to the type I manumycins. The discovery of a series of new type II manumycins (hydroxyquinol mC7N unit) and the study of the fermentation course indicated that the type II manumycins produced at a later stage are formed from the type I manumycins by reduction of the epoxide

Enantioselective metabolism of the endocrine disruptor pesticide methoxychlor by human cytochromes P450 (P450s): major differences in selective enantiomer formation by various P450 isoforms

Methoxychlor, a currently used pesticide that in mammals elicits proestrogenic/estrogenic activity and reproductive toxicity, has been classified as a prototype endocrine disruptor. Methoxychlor is prochiral, and its metabolites 1,1,1-trichloro-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethane (mono-OH-M); 1,1,1-trichloro- 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethane (catechol-M); and 1,1,1-trichloro-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethane (tris-OH-M) are chiral; whereas 1,1,1-trichloro-2, 2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane (bis-OH-M) is achiral. These metabolites are formed during methoxychlor incubation with liver microsomes or recombinant cytochrome p450s (rp450s). Since methoxychlor-metabolite enantiomers may have different estrogenic/antiestrogenic/antiandrogenic activities than corresponding racemates, the possibility that p450s preferentially generate or use R or S enantiomers, was examined. Indeed, rCYP1A2 and r2A6 mono-demethylated methoxychlor primarily into (R)-mono-OH-M at 91 and 75%, respectively, whereas rCYP1A1, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, and 2D6 formed the (S)-enantiomer at 69, 66, 75, 95, 96, and 80%, respectively. However, rCYP3A4, 3A5, and 2B1(rat) weakly demethylated methoxychlor without enantioselectivity. Human liver microsomes generated (S)-mono-OH-M (77-87%), suggesting that CYP1A2 and 2A6 display only minor catalytic contribution. P450 inhibitors demonstrated that CYP2C9 and possibly 2C19 are major hepatic catalysts forming (S)-mono-OH-M, and CYP1A2 is primarily involved in forming the (R)-mono-OH-M. Demethylation rate of (S)-mono-OH-M versus (R)-mono-OH-M forming achiral bis-OH-M by rCYP1A2 was 97/3, compared with 15/85 and 17/83 for rCYP2C9 and 2C19, respectively, indicating opposite substrate enantioselectivity of rCYP1A2 versus 2C9 and 2C19. Also, rCYP1A2 preferentially O-demethylated (R)-catechol-M into (R)-tris-OH-M (at 80%), contrasting r2C9 and r2C19 that yielded (S)-tris-OH-M at 80 and 77%, respectively. Ortho-hydroxylation of mono-OH-M into catechol-M and bis-OH-M into tris-OH-M was primarily by 3A4 and was not enantioselective. In conclusion, enantiomeric abundance of methoxychlor metabolites depends on the relative catalytic activity of the hepatic p450 isoforms

Metabolism of the endocrine disruptor pesticide-methoxychlor by human P450s: pathways involving a novel catechol metabolite

The metabolism of methoxychlor, a proestrogenic pesticide (endocrine disruptor), was investigated with cDNA expressed human cytochrome P450s and liver microsomes (HLM). In addition to 1,1,1-trichloro-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethane (mono-OH-M), 1,1,1-trichloro-2, 2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane (bis-OH-M), and 1,1,1-trichloro-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethane (tris-OH-M), a new metabolite was identified as 1,1,1-trichloro-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethane (catechol-M; previously assumed to be ring-OH-M) and as a key metabolic intermediate. A novel metabolic route was proposed involving methoxychlor O-demethylation to mono-OH-M, followed by bifurcation of the pathway, both leading to the same final product tris-OH-M: pathway a, mono-OH-M is demethylated to bis-OH-M, followed by ortho-hydroxylation forming tris-OH-M and pathway b, mono-OH-M is ortho-hydroxylated forming catechol-M that is O-demethylated forming tris-OH-M. Among the human cDNA-expressed P450s examined, CYP1A2, 2A6, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, and 2D6 exhibited mainly O-demethylation, with CYP2C19 being the most catalytically competent. CYP3A4, 3A5, and rat 2B1 catalyzed primarily ortho-hydroxylation of mono-OH-M (CYP3A4 being catalytically the most active) but were weak in O-demethylation. CYP1A1, 1B1, 2E1, and 4A11 demonstrated little or no catalytic activity. CYP2B6 appeared unique, catalyzing effectively both O-demethylation and ortho-hydroxylation. Thus, CYP2B6 demethylated methoxychlor to mono-OH-M and ortho-hydroxylated the mono-OH-M forming catechol-M; however, 2B6 did not appreciably demethylate mono-OH-M or ortho-hydroxylate bis-OH-M, suggesting a narrow substrate specificity. CYP2C19-catalyzed demethylation of methoxychlor, mono-OH-M and catechol-M, demonstrating relatively good substrate affinity (K(m) = 0.23 - 0.41 microM). However, the 3A4 ortho-hydroxylation of mono-OH-M and bis-OH-M exhibited lower affinity, K(m) = 12 and 25 microM, respectively. Thus, a phenolic group seems essential for efficient ortho-hydroxylation, forming catechol-M and tris-OH-M. Inhibition studies with HLM and P450s indicate that CYP2C9 and likely 2C19 are catalysts of methoxychlor-mono-demethylation