Blockage of the NLRP3 inflammasome by MCC950 improves anti-tumor immune responses in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The NLRP3 inflammasome is a critical innate immune pathway responsible for producing active interleukin (IL)-1β, which is associated with tumor development and immunity. However, the mechanisms regulating the inflammatory microenvironment, tumorigenesis and tumor immunity are unclear. Herein, we show that the NLRP3 inflammasome was over-expressed in human HNSCC tissues and that the IL-1β concentration was increased in the peripheral blood of HNSCC patients. Additionally, elevated NLRP3 inflammasome levels were detected in tumor tissues of Tgfbr1/Pten 2cKO HNSCC mice, and elevated IL-1β levels were detected in the peripheral blood serum, spleen, draining lymph nodes and tumor tissues. Blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation using MCC950 remarkably reduced IL-1β production in an HNSCC mouse model and reduced the numbers of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), regulatory T cells (Tregs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Moreover, inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation increased the numbers of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in HNSCC mice. Notably, the numbers of exhausted PD-1⁺ and Tim3⁺ T cells were significantly reduced. A human HNSCC tissue microarray showed that NLRP3 inflammasome expression was correlated with the expression of CD8 and CD4, the Treg marker Foxp3, the MDSC markers CD11b and CD33, and the TAM markers CD68 and CD163, PD-1 and Tim3. Overall, our results demonstrate that the NLRP3 inflammasome/IL-1β pathway promotes tumorigenesis in HNSCC and inactivation of this pathway delays tumor growth, accompanied by decreased immunosuppressive cell accumulation and an increased number of effector T cells. Thus, inhibition of the tumor microenvironment through the NLRP3 inflammasome/IL-1β pathway may provide a novel approach for HNSCC therapy.     

Fe掺杂对BiTaO_4陶瓷样品介电和铁电特性的影响

为探究Fe掺杂对BiTaO4陶瓷样品介电特性和铁电特性的影响,采用传统固相烧结法制备了Bi Ta1-xFexO4-x(x=0,0.01,0.03)陶瓷样品,利用X线衍射仪和扫描电子显微镜对样品的晶体结构和表面形貌进行分析,利用精密阻抗分析仪和铁电分析仪对样品的介电性能和铁电性能进行检测.结果表明:Fe掺杂没有明显改变样品的晶体结构;随着Fe掺杂量的增加,样品的介电常数表现出较好的稳定性,介电损耗略有减小,且基本保持在tanδ=0.05以下,其漏电流先增大后减小,且掺杂样品均可得到比较完整的电滞回线.     

关于检查井沉降与解决措施的研究

基于我国检查井施工中出现的不均匀沉降及相关施工问题的实际情况,针对导致上述问题出现的各方面原因进行分析,就优化设计、规范开挖及回填施工、强化检查井的砌筑等方面提出了相应解决措施.以期为我国市政管线建设中的检查井设计及施工提供借鉴.     

南方丝绸之路对大理的影响及当前的对策

大理历史悠久,文化灿烂,风光秀丽,古道纵横。过去南方丝绸之路对大理的经济、政治、交通、文化、宗教等有较大的影响,今天在国家"一带一路"的大战略背景下,大理应该怎么办,大理学院应该怎么办,这是当代学人的新课题。以古代南方丝绸之路为出发点,建议今天大理的"一带一路"定位为交往之路、人情之路。     

上海黄浦江两支流河流甲烷含量研究

甲烷是一种重要的温室气体,虽然目前大气中含量远小于二氧化碳,但排放增长率却大于后者.研究区域为上海市黄浦江支流苏州河和淀浦河,通过实验数据对比城郊春夏的甲烷排放的差异,探讨甲烷产生的机制及其与环境因子的关系,这将有助于研究河流甲烷排放对于环境变化的影响.研究结果认为河流甲烷主要来源于水中沉积物,其产生与水质、温度等因素相关;同时甲烷摩尔浓度与硝酸根离子质量体积比存在负相关性,与铵根离子质量体积比和有机碳质量分数存在正相关性.     

Defining G protein-coupled receptor peptide ligand expressomes and signalomes in human and mouse islets

Introduction

Islets synthesise and secrete numerous peptides, some of which are known to be important regulators of islet function and glucose homeostasis. In this study, we quantified mRNAs encoding all peptide ligands of islet G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in isolated human and mouse islets and carried out in vitro islet hormone secretion studies to provide functional confirmation for the species-specific role of peptide YY (PYY) in mouse islets.

Materials and methods

GPCR peptide ligand mRNAs in human and mouse islets were quantified by quantitative real-time PCR relative to the reference genes ACTB, GAPDH, PPIA, TBP and TFRC. The pathways connecting GPCR peptide ligands with their receptors were identified by manual searches in the PubMed, IUPHAR and Ingenuity databases. Distribution of PYY protein in mouse and human islets was determined by immunohistochemistry. Insulin, glucagon and somatostatin secretion from islets was measured by radioimmunoassay.

Results

We have quantified GPCR peptide ligand mRNA expression in human and mouse islets and created specific signalomes mapping the pathways by which islet peptide ligands regulate human and mouse GPCR signalling. We also identified species-specific islet expression of several GPCR ligands. In particular, PYY mRNA levels were ~ 40,000-fold higher in mouse than human islets, suggesting a more important role of locally secreted Pyy in mouse islets. This was confirmed by IHC and functional experiments measuring insulin, glucagon and somatostatin secretion.

Discussion

The detailed human and mouse islet GPCR peptide ligand atlases will allow accurate translation of mouse islet functional studies for the identification of GPCR/peptide signalling pathways relevant for human physiology, which may lead to novel treatment modalities of diabetes and metabolic disease.

     

Post李超代数结构的性质

通过post李超代数的定义, 讨论post李超代数结构的基本性质, 给出post李超代数的一些存在性结果, 并利用post李超代数可构造LR超代数和左对称超代数, 给出交换post李超代数结构的相关结果.     

Study on the Centralization Strategy of the Blood Allocation Among Different Departments within a Hospital

By far, the researches on how to distribute blood products among different departments in hospital have not been further studied, though the problem of blood shortage and wastage that caused by improper blood allocation is severe, which may endanger patient’s lives and impose considerable costs on hospitals. In order to solve this problem, this paper mainly studies on how to distribute the blood items among different departments within a hospital and investigates the allocation approach with the novel management method by centralizing the inventory of several different departments. By integrating the blood inventory requirements of some departments, the hospital could reduce the rate of blood shortage and wastage effectively, release the pressure of the occupancy of resources and reduce the bullwhip effect of blood products. This paper illustrates the centralization principle in hospital and formulates the mixed integer programming model to work out the optimal allocation network scheme and the optimal inventory setting for every department. And the results of the numerical example demonstrate that this centralization method could considerably reduce blood shortage and wastage in hospital by about 72% and 90% respectively. Furthermore, it could decrease the total cost by about 108,540 RMB a month on blood supply chain management in the hospital and improve the effect of some certain surgeries by transfusing the fresh blood to patients.     

江苏省县域经济增长的趋同与差异分析

运用统计分析方法对江苏省2000~2011年县域经济增长的趋同与差异问题进行实证分析.结果表明,在这11年内出现了σ趋同,但不明显,且该阶段存在绝对β趋同;进一步分析发现,江苏省县域经济差距经历了先扩大后缩小的过程,特别是2007年以来,差距缩小的趋势明显.