A 13-Gene Metabolic Prognostic Signature Is Associated With Clinical and Immune Features in Stomach Adenocarcinoma

Patients with advanced stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) commonly show high mortality and poor prognosis. Increasing evidence has suggested that basic metabolic changes may promote the growth and aggressiveness of STAD; therefore, identification of metabolic prognostic signatures in STAD would be meaningful. An integrative analysis was performed with 407 samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and 433 samples from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to develop a metabolic prognostic signature associated with clinical and immune features in STAD using Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). The different proportions of immune cells and differentially expressed immune-related genes (DEIRGs) between high- and low-risk score groups based on the metabolic prognostic signature were evaluated to describe the association of cancer metabolism and immune response in STAD. A total of 883 metabolism-related genes in both TCGA and GEO databases were analyzed to obtain 184 differentially expressed metabolism-related genes (DEMRGs) between tumor and normal tissues. A 13-gene metabolic signature (GSTA2, POLD3, GLA, GGT5, DCK, CKMT2, ASAH1, OPLAH, ME1, ACYP1, NNMT, POLR1A, and RDH12) was constructed for prognostic prediction of STAD. Sixteen survival-related DEMRGs were significantly related to the overall survival of STAD and the immune landscape in the tumor microenvironment. Univariate and multiple Cox regression analyses and the nomogram proved that a metabolism-based prognostic risk score (MPRS) could be an independent risk factor. More importantly, the results were mutually verified using TCGA and GEO data. This study provided a metabolism-related gene signature for prognostic prediction of STAD and explored the association between metabolism and the immune microenvironment for future research, thereby furthering the understanding of the crosstalk between different molecular mechanisms in human STAD. Some prognosis-related metabolic pathways have been revealed, and the survival of STAD patients could be predicted by a risk model based on these pathways, which could serve as prognostic markers in clinical practice

Effects of progressive muscle relaxation on anxiety and sleep quality in patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND: Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19) will experience high levels of anxiety and low sleep quality due to isolation treatment. Some sleep-improving drugs may inhibit the respiratory system and worsen the condition. Prolonged bedside instruction may increase the risk of medical infections. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation on anxiety and sleep quality of COVID-19. METHODS: In this randomized controlled clinical trial, a total of 51 patients who entered the isolation ward were included in the study and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group used progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) technology for 30 min per day for 5 consecutive days. During this period, the control group received only routine care and treatment. Before and after the intervention, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI) and Sleep State Self-Rating Scale (SRSS) were used to measure and record patient anxiety and sleep quality. Finally, data analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0 software. RESULTS: The average anxiety score (STAI) before intervention was not statistically significant (P = 0.730), and the average anxiety score after intervention was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The average sleep quality score (SRSS) of the two groups before intervention was not statistically significant (P = 0.838), and it was statistically significant after intervention (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Progressive muscle relaxation as an auxiliary method can reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality in patients with COVID-19

A Compact Laser Pumped 4He Magnetometer with Laser-Frequency Stabilization by Inhomogeneous Light Shifts

We propose a compact 4He magnetometer realizing magnetic field measurement and laser-frequency stabilization simultaneously in a single 4He atomic cell. The frequency stabilization scheme is based on the asymmetric line shape of magnetic resonance which is induced by spatially inhomogeneous light shifts. We investigate the asymmetric line shape of the magnetic resonance signal theoretically and experimentally in laser pumped 4He magnetometer with the magneto-optical double-resonance configuration. Notice that, due to the asymmetric line shape, the in-phase component of the magnetic resonance signal is shown to have a linear dependence with respect to the laser frequency detuning and is used to actively lock the laser frequency to the resonant point. The method reduces the complexity of the system and improves the stability of the magnetometer, making the laser-pumped 4He magnetometer more compact and portable

Short-term survival and safety of apatinib combined with oxaliplatin and S-1 in the conversion therapy of unresectable gastric cancer

Abstract Background We conducted a single-arm phase II trial to investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with oxaliplatin and S-1 in the treatment of unresectable gastric cancer. Patients and methods Previously untreated patients with unresectable HER-2-negative advanced gastric cancer were selected. All the patients received six cycles of S-1 and oxaliplatin and five cycles of apatinib, which were administered at intervals of three weeks. The surgery was performed after six cycles of drug treatment. The primary endpoints were radical resection (R0) rate and safety. This study was registered with the China Trial Register, number ChiCTR-ONC-17010430  (01/12/2016–01/12/2022). Results A total of 39 patients were enrolled. Efficacy evaluation was feasible for 37 patients. One patient achieved complete response (CR, 2.7%), 26 patients achieved partial response (PR, 70.3%), three patients had stable disease (SD, 8.1%) and seven patients had progressive disease (PD, 18.9%). The objective response rate (ORR) was 73.0% and the disease control rate (DCR) was 81.1%. 22 patients underwent surgery, among which 14 patients underwent radical resection (R0), with a R0 resection rate of 63.6%. The 1-year survival rate of the surgical group (22 patients) was 71.1% and the 2-year survival rate was 41.1%. The median survival time was 21 months. The incidence of adverse events (AEs) was 100%. Leucopenia (65.3%) and granulocytopenia (69.2%) were the most common hematological AEs. The most common non-hematological AEs were fatigue (51.3%) and oral mucositis (35.9%). Conclusion Apatinib combined with oxaliplatin and S-1 showed good short-term survival and acceptable safety in the conversion therapy of unresectable gastric cancer

An actin filament branching surveillance system regulates cell cycle progression, cytokinesis and primary ciliogenesis

The authors find that the ciliopathy-associated protein Oral-Facial-Digital syndrome 1 functions as a class II nucleation promoting factor to drive actin filament branching, required for cell cycle progression. Interferring with this function suppresses cancer cell growth

Whole exome sequencing reveals novel CEP104 mutations in a Chinese patient with Joubert syndrome

Abstract Background Joubert syndrome (JS, OMIM: 213300) is a recessive developmental disorder characterized by cerebellar vermis hypoplasia and a distinctive mid‐hindbrain malformation called the “molar tooth sign” on axial magnetic resonance imaging. To date, more than 35 ciliary genes have been identified as the causative genes of JS. Methods Whole exome sequencing was performed to detect the causative gene mutations in a Chinese patient with JS followed by Sanger sequencing. RT‐PCR and Sanger sequencing were used to confirm the abnormal transcript of centrosomal protein 104 (CEP104, OMIM: 616690). Results We identified two novel heterozygous mutations of CEP104 in the proband, which were c.2364+1G>A and c.414delC (p.Asn138Lysfs*11) (GenBank: NM_014704.3) and consistent with the autosomal recessive inheritance mode. Conclusion Our study reported the fourth case of JS patients with CEP104 mutations, which expands the mutation spectrum of CEP104 and elucidates the clinical heterogeneity of JS

Understanding Interfacial Properties between Li-Rich Layered Oxide and Electrolyte Containing Triethyl Borate

Boron-containing electrolyte additives have been successfully used to improve the cyclability for Li-rich layered oxide, a hopeful cathode of high energy density lithium ion battery, but available mechanisms on their contribution are diversified. In this paper, we provide evidence to confirm the mechanism that Li-rich layered oxide is protected by a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer derived from boron-containing electrolyte additives. Triethyl borate (TEB), a simple boron-containing molecule, is selected as the electrolyte additive, and a representative Li-rich layered oxide, Li­[Li_0.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13]­O₂, is synthesized for understanding the interfacial properties between the oxide and the electrolyte through physical and electrochemical characterizations. Cyclability tests display that the as-prepared oxide exhibits a fast capacity decrease in the standard electrolyte, 1.0 M LiPF₆, in a mixed carbonate solvent of ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), and ethylene carbonate (EC) (EMC/DMC/EC = 5/2/3, in weight), with only 30% capacity retention after 150 cycles at 0.5 C (1 C = 250 mAh g^–1), which can be improved to 79% when 3% TEB is introduced. Physical characterizations demonstrate that the as-prepared oxide suffers a severe structural destruction accompanied by thick deposits from electrolyte decomposition products, but the crystal structure of the oxide is well protected by a uniform solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer formed from the preferential oxidation of TEB