Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly invasive malignant tumor with high mortality. Most cases of CCA are already advanced when they are detected, resulting in poor prognosis. As such, there is an ongoing need for the identification of effective biomarkers for CCA. The long noncoding RNA DLGAP1-AS2 has been reported to have prognostic value in glioma and Wilms’ tumor. Here, we investigated the function of DLGAP1-AS2 in CCA. The differential expression of DLGAP1-AS2 in CCA tissues and normal tissues was first examined using data from the The Cancer Genome Atlas database and then in CCA cell lines by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). The target gene was predicted by bioinformatics analysis, and the binding sites were confirmed using luciferase assay. DLGAP1-AS2 is up-regulated in CCA, and high DLGAP1-AS2 expression promotes cell viability and is associated with poor prognosis. Notably, DLGAP1-AS2 acts as a sponge to suppress miR-505 expression, and miR-505 reduces the expression of N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 10 (GALNT10) in CCA cells. Biofunctional experiments revealed that a miR-505 inhibitor almost completely removed the inhibitory effect of si-DLGAP1-AS2 on CCA cell malignant progression, whereas the malignant phenotype of cells cotransfected with si-DLGAP1-AS2 and si-GALNT10 was significantly reduced as compared with the control. In summary, the DLGAP1-AS2/miR-505/GALNT10 axis may contribute to regulating the malignant progression of CCA and may have potential as a novel target for CCA therapy.Contemporary discussions about operational definition often hark back to Stanley S. Stevens’ classic papers on psychological operationism. Still, he was far from the only psychologist to call for conceptual hygiene. Some of Stevens’ direct colleagues at Harvard-most notably B. F. Skinner and E. G. Boring-were also actively applying Bridgman’s conceptual strictures to the study of mind and behavior. In this paper, I shed new light on the history of operationism by reconstructing the Harvard debates about operational definition in the years before Stevens published his seminal articles. Building on a large set of archival evidence from the Harvard University Archives, I argue that we can get a more complete understanding of Stevens’ contributions if we better grasp the operationisms of his former teachers and direct colleagues at Harvard’s Department of Philosophy and Psychology.One of the urgent tasks of neuroscience is to understand how neuronal circuits operate, what makes them fail, and how to repair them when needed. Achieving this goal requires identifying the principal circuitry elements and their interactions with one another. However, what constitutes 'an atom’ of a neuronal circuit, a neuronal type, is a complex question. In this review we focus on a class of cortical neurons that are exclusively identified by the expression of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). The genetic profile of these VIP+ /ChAT+ interneurons suggests that they can release both γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholine (ACh). This hints to a specific potential role in the cortical circuitry. Yet the VIP+ /ChAT+ interneurons are sparse (a mere 0.5% of the cortical neurons), which raises questions about their potential to significantly affect the circuit function. In view of recent developments in genetic techniques that allow for direct manipulation of these neurons, we provide a thorough and updated picture of the properties of the VIP+ /ChAT+ interneurons. We discuss their genetic profile, their physiological and structural properties, and their input-output mapping in sensory cortices and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Then, we examine possible amplification mechanisms for mediating their function in the cortical microcircuit. Finally, we discuss directions for further exploration of the VIP+ /ChAT+ population, focusing on its function during behavioral tasks as compared to the VIP+ /ChAT- population.

In addition to known allergens, other proteins in pollen can aid the development of an immune response in allergic individuals. The contribution of the „unknown” protein allergens is apparent in phylogenetically related species where, despite of high homology of the lead allergens, the degree of allergenic potential can vary greatly. The aim of this study was to identify other potentially allergenic proteins in pollen of three common and highly related allergenic tree species birch (Betula pendula), hazel (Corylus avellana) and alder (Alnus glutinosa).

For that purpose, we carried out a comprehensive, comparative proteomic screening of the pollen from the three species. In order to maximize protein recovery and coverage, different protein extraction and isolation strategies during sample preparation were employed.

As a result, we report 2500-3000 identified proteins per each of the pollen species. Identified proteins were further used for a number of annotation steps, providing insight into differential distribution of peptidases, peptidase inhibitors and other potential allergenic proteins across the three species. Moreover, we carried out functional enrichment analyses that, interestingly, corroborated high species similarity in spite of their relatively distinct protein profiles.

We provide to our knowledge first insight into proteomes of two very important allergenic pollen types, hazel and alder, where not even transcriptomics data are available, and compared them to birch. Datasets from this study can be readily used as protein databases and as such serve as basis for further functional studies.

We provide to our knowledge first insight into proteomes of two very important allergenic pollen types, hazel and alder, where not even transcriptomics data are available, and compared them to birch. Datasets from this study can be readily used as protein databases and as such serve as basis for further functional studies.

Riedel’s thyroiditis (RT) is a very rare chronic fibrosing thyroiditis that is often associated with multifocal fibrosclerosis. Although the relationship of RT and IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) has been suggested, the expression of IgG and IgG4 in thyroid tissues of patients with RT has seldom been studied.

A case series and literature review.

We searched our hospital’s pathology database and identified five cases of RT between 2000 and 2019. The expression levels of IgG4 and IgG in thyroid tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. We also performed a literature search of the electronic databases PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI). Eight papers were included in this study.

According to immunohistochemistry, the numbers of IgG4+ plasma cells per high-power field (HPF) of the five RT patients at our hospital were 80, 8, 50, 10 and 22, and the respective IgG4+/IgG+ ratios were 76%, 80%, 43%, 19% and 28%. In the literature, 15 RT patients with confirmed IgG4 and IgG immunohistochemical findings were identified. Only seven of them fulfilled the IgG4-RD diagnostic criteria in terms of immunohistochemistry (IgG4+ > 10/HPF, IgG4+/IgG+ > 40%). In order to ensure that most RT cases can meet the IgG4 immunohistochemical criteria, an organ-specific cut-off value (≥10 IgG4+ plasma cells/HPF and ≥ an IgG4+/IgG ratio of 20%) was finally selected in our study.

Our findings of IgG4 expression in patients with RT suggest that a cut-off of 10 IgG4+ plasma cells/HPF and an IgG4+/IgG ratio of 20% are more suitable diagnostic criteria for RT in IgG4-RD.

Our findings of IgG4 expression in patients with RT suggest that a cut-off of 10 IgG4+ plasma cells/HPF and an IgG4+/IgG ratio of 20% are more suitable diagnostic criteria for RT in IgG4-RD.Amaranthus tuberculatus and Amaranthus palmeri are agronomically important weed species, both with stable dioecious reproductive systems. An understanding of the genetic basis of sex determination may lead to new methods of managing these troublesome weeds. Previous research identified genomic sequences associated with maleness in each species. Male-specific sequences were used to identify genomic regions in both species that are believed to contain sex-determining genes, i.e. the male-specific Y (MSY) region. These regions were compared to understand if sex determination is controlled via the same physiological pathway and if dioecy evolved independently. A contiguously assembled candidate MSY region identified in Amaranthus palmeri is approximately 1.3 Mb with 121 predicted gene models. In Amaranthus tuberculatus, several contigs, with combined length of 4.6 Mb and with 147 gene models, were identified as belonging to the MSY region. Synteny was not detected between the two species’ candidate MSY regions but they shared two predicted genes. With lists of candidate genes for sex determination containing fewer than 200 in each species, future research can address whether sex determination is controlled via similar physiological pathways and whether dioecy has indeed evolved independently in these species.

Monocytes and macrophages are critical innate immune cells of the airways. Despite their differing functions, few clinical studies discriminate between them and little is known about their regulation in asthma.

We aimed to distinguish and quantify macrophages, monocytes and monocyte subsets in induced sputum and blood and examine their relationship with inflammatory and clinical features of asthma.

We applied flow cytometry to distinguish macrophages, monocytes and subsets in sputum and blood (n=53; 45 asthma, 8 non-asthma) and a second asthma sputum cohort (n=26). Monocyte subsets were identified by surface CD14/CD16 (CD14

CD16

classical, CD14

CD16

intermediate and CD14

CD16

non-classical monocytes). Surface CD206, a marker of monocyte tissue differentiation, was measured in sputum. Relationship to airway inflammatory phenotype (neutrophilic n=9, eosinophilic n=14, paucigranulocytic n=22) and asthma severity (severe n=12, non-severe n=33) was assessed.

Flow cytometry- and microscope-quantls to the airways in asthma. Our data suggest further investigation of how airway monocyte dysregulation impacts on asthma-related disease activity is merited.

Flow cytometry allowed distinction of sputum macrophages, monocytes and subsets, revealing compartment-specific dysregulation of monocytes in asthma. We observed an increase in classical and CD206- monocytes in sputum in neutrophilic asthma, suggesting co-recruitment of monocytes and neutrophils to the airways in asthma. Our data suggest further investigation of how airway monocyte dysregulation impacts on asthma-related disease activity is merited.In this work, phenylmalonic acid (H2 pmal) and phenanthroline (phen) are selected to react with Ln(NO3 )3 ·6H2 O (Ln = Tb, Eu) to form two lanthanide coordination complex [Ln2 (PAA)4 (phen)2 (NO3 )2 ] (Ln = Tb, Tb complex; Eu, Eu complex), PAA = deprotonated phenylacetic acid, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline). Two lanthanide complexes are stable in neutral, acid (pH = 4) and base (pH = 10) water solutions. Especially, Tb complex is a bifunctional sensor for acac and Cd2+ , through luminescence „turn on” and „turn off,” respectively. Importantly, the limit of detections (LODs) for acac and Cd2+ are 90 nm and 0.5 μm, respectively. Furthermore, the sensing mechanisms are discussed in detail.