Morphological Growth Patterns Research Articles

Archaeobotanical Elucidation of <i>Moringa oleifera</i>: It’s Biological, Ethnopharmacological and Phytochemical Activities

Moringa oleifera (family Moringaceae) was originally first found in India now it has been cultivated in various regions of the world. The architecture of a plant is an endogenous morphological growth pattern through which the plant develops its shape. Analysing plant architecture is important for the understanding of plant growth, and branching patterns. A high source of natural phytochemical compounds is present in Moringa, and plant parts have high nutritional value. Moringa is used in animal feeding systems to fight malnutrition in India and Africa. The potency of Moringa is evaluated for its effectiveness on rats and humans, among other animals. It is a safe, affordable, and effective pharmacological and dietary option. M. oleifera is a fantastic food crop with clear economic, medicinal, and nutritional advantages. Moringa contains Alkaloids, vincristine, vinblastine, kaempferitrin, isoquercitrin, kaempherol, polyphenols and flavonoids that may be present in Moringa. Moringa leaves contain vitamin C and beta-carotene which act against free radicals. Quercetin acts as an antioxidant property and chlorogenic acid, polyphenol act as an antioxidant and anticancer activity. The presence of 4-L-rhamnosyloxybenzyl isothiocyanate is responsible for showing the antibacterial activity of the root. Moringa is used as a superfood supplement and has immune booster properties. Ethnopharmacological activity of Moringa includes antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, analgesic, chronic periodontitis, antipyretic, cardio protecting, anti-asthmatic, antispasmodic, promoting breast milk production, biogas production and water filtration properties. Numerous studies have shown that it can control physiological processes, as well as both prevent and treat illnesses. Nowadays researchers developed Moringa oleifera leaf nanoparticles that show antidiabetic and antiproliferative activity against human cancer lines and others. In clinical or human studies, lower doses of Moringa were not associated with any negative effects or toxicities.

Evaluation of immunohistochemical expression of novel neuroendocrine marker INSM1 and histological tumor growth pattern in well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of the appendix: 15-year single tertiary center experience.

Well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of the appendix (A-WDNET) are the most common neoplasms of the appendix but are rare and incidental. INSM1 is a novel transcription factor marker with high sensitivity and specificity for neuroendocrine differentiation. It may display architecturally diverse tumor growth patterns including solid, nest, insular trabecular, and acinar. The aim of this study was to determine the staining expression of INSM1 in A-WDNETs and detail the morphological tumor growth patterns. INSM1 immunohistochemistry was performed on 35 A-WDNET patients. Tumors were histologically classified according to their growth patterns. Thirty-five patients, 60% of whom were male, had a mean age of 30 years at diagnosis and a mean tumor size of 0.9 cm. Eight percent of the tumors invaded the mucosa/submucosa, 34.3% showed invasion into the muscularis propria, 57.1% showed invasion into the subserosa or mesoappendix, LN metastasis was observed in two patients, lymph-vascular invasion in two patients, and perineural invasion in five patients. Ninety-four percent of the tumors were grade 1, the mitotic rate was >2% in two cases, and Ki-67 PI was >3% in two cases. INSM1 was positive in all cases (100%), 1+ 8.6%, 2+ 5.7%, 3+ 17.1%, 4+ 68.6%, weak staining in 11.4%, moderate staining in 22.9%, and strong staining in 67.7%. Type A histological growth pattern was observed in 54.3%, type B in 31.4%, and type C in 14.3% architecturally. INSM1 was positive in all A-WDNET morphological patterns and was 100% sensitive. INSM1 IHC can be used as an alternative to traditional neuroendocrine markers or in combination with the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors.

Anatomical Mechanisms of Leaf Blade Morphogenesis in Sasaella kogasensis 'Aureostriatus'.

There are limited studies on the cytology of bamboo leaf development from primordium to maturity. This study delves into the leaf morphological characteristics and growth patterns of Sasaella kogasensis 'Aureostriatus' and provides a three-dimensional anatomical analysis of cell division, expansion, and degradation. Leaves on the same branch develop bottom-up, while individual leaves develop the other way around. Like bamboo shoots and culms, the leaves follow a "slow-fast-slow" growth pattern, with longitudinal growth being predominant during their development. The growth zones of individual leaves included division, elongation, and maturation zones based on the distribution of growth space. By measuring 13,303 epidermal long cells and 3293 mesophyll cells in longitudinal sections of rapidly elongating leaves, we observed that in the rapid elongation phase (S4-S5), the division zone was located in the 1-2 cm segment at the bottom of the leaf blade and maintained a constant size, continuously providing new cells for leaf elongation, whereas in the late rapid elongation phase (S6), when the length of the leaf blade was approaching that of a mature leaf, its cells at the bottom of the blade no longer divided and were replaced by the ability to elongate. Furthermore, to gain an insight into the dynamic changes in the growth of the S. kogasensis 'Aureostriatus' leaves in the lateral and periclinal directions, the width and thickness of 1459 epidermal and 2719 mesophyll cells were counted in the mid-cross section of leaves at different developmental stages. The results showed that during the early stages of development (S1-S3), young leaves maintained vigorous division in the lateral direction, while periplasmic division gradually expanded from the bottom to the top of the leaf blade and the number of cell layers stabilized at S4. The meristematic tissues on both sides of the leaf were still able to divide at S4 but the frequency of the division gradually decreased, while cell division and expansion occurred simultaneously between the veins. At S6, the cells at the leaf margins and between the veins were completely differentiated and the width of the leaf blade no longer expanded. These findings revealed changes in cell growth anisotropically during the leaf development of S. kogasensis 'Aureostriatus' and demonstrated that leaf elongation was closely related to the longitudinal expansion of epidermal cells and proliferative growth of mesophyll cells, whereas the cell division of meristematic tissues and expansion of post-divisional cells contributed to the increases in blade width and thickness. The presented framework will facilitate a further exploration of the molecular regulatory mechanisms of leaf development in S. kogasensis 'Aureostriatus' and provide relevant information for developmental and taxonomic studies of bamboo plants.

Growth patterns of bacterial cultures depending on the nitrogen availability

Morphological and ultrastructural growth patterns of bacterial cultures in response to the nitrogen availability were demonstrated using cultivation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that strains of Pseudomonas sp. 1CB and Streptomyces sp. 21A are able to grow only in the medium with available nitrogen. Rhizobium sp. 2A formed biofilm on glass in medium with nitrate and in medium without available nitrogen. In a non-nitrogenous medium, an increase in the diameter of bacterial cells was observed due to the intensive secretion of polysaccharide mucus, which can be considered a mechanism of protection of the nitrogenase complex from the damaging effect of oxygen.

Investigating High-Pressure Liquid CO2 Hydrate Formation, Dissociation Kinetics, and Morphology in Brine and Freshwater Static Systems

Carbon capture and storage [CCS] is crucial for mitigating CO2 emissions. One of the potential CCS concepts is to compress and store the captured CO2 into deep oceanic sediments as gas hydrates. However, seawater is highly saline [brine], which may impair the formation/dissociation kinetics and storage of CO2 hydrates. Therefore, it is essential to understand the liquid CO2 [LCO2] hydrate formation and dissociation kinetics in static brine systems. In this experimental study, we have examined the formation/dissociation kinetics and morphology of high-pressure LCO2 hydrates in brine using a static [unstirred] high-pressure crystallizer at deep oceanic [1 km] thermodynamic conditions [10 MPa, 1–2 °C]. The results are compared with [unstirred/stirred] freshwater systems with/without hydrate promoters. Three key stages have been identified in the experiments: nucleation [stage 1], LCO2-hydrate-brine film formation [stage 2], and LCO2-hydrate-brine film breakage [stage 3]. In the absence of stirring, the formation of the LCO2-hydrate-brine film resists the mass transfer of LCO2 into the brine, and most likely, the volume expansion during hydrate formation causes the LCO2-hydrate-brine film to break. New hydrate morphological growth patterns have been identified. It was estimated that the hydrate conversion in the freshwater system was higher [27.5% (±3.04%) in 21.1 (±1.26) h] compared to the brine system [25.0% in 24.2 (±0.58) h]. LCO2 hydrates dissociate faster in brine [1.7 (±0.14) h] compared to the freshwater system [5.7 (±1.77) h]. Finally, the presence of the eco-friendly hydrate promoter 500 ppm l-tryptophan can delay the dissociation process.

Morphological, clinical and molecular characteristics in ARID1a‑deficient microsatellite‑stable oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

Publications describe the relevance of the AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A (ARID1a) mutation in gastric adenocarcinoma, which occurs predominantly in the microsatellite instable (MSI)- and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated subtypes. It is unclear whether potential therapeutic, prognostic or morphologic descriptions are not epiphenomena of MSI (or EBV). Since personalised therapeutics are largely lacking for oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), clinical trials investigating the efficacy of these therapeutics specifically in this subgroup are useful. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first study analysing the relevant tumour subset of microsatellite-stable (MSS) EAC with loss of function of ARID1a. A total of 875 patients with EAC and data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analysed. Statistical analyses associating previously known molecular characteristics of the present tumour cohort, overall survival, morphological growth patterns and tumour heterogeneity issues were considered. Subsequently, 10% of EAC were ARID1a-deficient, the majority of which were MSS (7.5%). There was no characteristic growth pattern. Approximately 60% of tumours were PD-L1 positive to varying degrees. TP53 mutations occurred together with ARID1a defective EAC in the present cohort and in the TCGA collective. The extent of 7.5% MSS-EAC with ARID1a loss was unaffected by neoadjuvant therapy. ARID1a loss was often detected to be homogeneous (92%). ARID1a loss is not an epiphenomenon of MSI in EAC. The high homogeneity of ARID1a loss tumour clones could be considered an argument for the effectiveness of potential therapeutics. Since the majority of genomic ARID1a alterations result in protein loss, immunohistochemistry is a useful screening technique, especially in the absence of morphological characteristics.

The Importance of Metastatic Papillary Serous Carcinoma in Cases of High-grade Encapsulated Papillary Carcinoma of the Breast: An Extremely Rare Case and a Possible Pitfall

Background: Encapsulated papillary carcinoma (EPC) of the breast has a favorable prognosis. High-grade EPCs, triple-negative or HER-2-positive, are dealt with as invasive carcinomas. Breast metastasis associated with serous carcinoma is a late-stage event. The discrimination between the two diagnoses can be very challenging.Case Presentation: A 79-year-old woman with a history of well controlled high-grade serous papillary carcinoma of the peritoneum went through a total left mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) because of an invasive carcinoma in her left breast. In the lab, a peripheral nodular mass of 4cm was found. Microscopically, large intracystic papillary stalks, with high nuclear grade, surrounded by collagenous tissue were identified compatible with invasive encapsulated papillary carcinoma with positive estrogen receptor. A few months later, the patient was diagnosed with a supraclavicular cervical mass, which on FNB was indicative of metastatic serous papillary carcinoma. Immunohistochemical stains were similar in breast and previously treated peritoneal tumor showed ER+, PAX8+, p53+ (wild type) and high Ki-67 (80%). WT1 was positive only in peritoneal serous carcinoma. GATA-3 was weakly, scarcely expressed in both specimens. The findings pointed to metastatic SPC in the breast, mimicking primary carcinoma of the EPC type. Conclusion: Pathology of breast metastases and distincion from primary breast cancers is done by a combination of morphological and IHC features. In our case, the lack of clinical history, the type of surgical approach (mastectomy and SLNB), the solitary lesion, the EPC pattern of growth and the diffuse ER+ staining, were indicative of primary breast lesion. Various morphologic growth patterns of metastatic PSC have been described, among which EPC-like needs to be considered.

Hidden clues in prostate cancer - Lessons learned from clinical and pre-clinical approaches on diagnosis and risk stratification.

The heterogeneity of prostate cancer is evident at clinical, morphological and molecular levels. To aid clinical decision making, a three-tiered system for risk stratification is used to designate low-, intermediate-, and high-risk of disease progression. Intermediate-risk prostate cancers are the most frequently diagnosed, and even with common diagnostic features, can exhibit vastly different clinical progression. Thus, improved risk stratification methods are needed to better predict patient outcomes. Here, we provide an overview of the improvements in diagnosis/prognosis arising from advances in pathology reporting of prostate cancer, which can improve risk stratification, especially for patients with intermediate-risk disease. This review discusses updates to pathology reporting of morphological growth patterns, and proposes the utility of integrating prognostic biomarkers or innovative imaging techniques to enhance clinical decision-making. To complement clinical studies, experimental approaches using patient-derived tumors have highlighted important cellular and morphological features associated with aggressive disease that may impact treatment response. The intersection of urology, pathology and scientific disciplines is required to work towards a common goal of understanding disease pathogenesis, improving the stratification of patients with intermediate-risk disease and subsequently defining optimal treatment strategies using precision-based approaches.

A comparison and review of the flow cytometric findings in classic Hodgkin lymphoma, nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma, T cell/histiocyte rich large B cell lymphoma, and primary mediastinal large B cell lymphoma.

The "Hodgkin-like" lymphomas including classic Hodgkin lymphoma, nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma, T cell/histiocyte rich large B cell lymphoma, and primary mediastinal large B cell lymphoma have been shown to be pathobiologically related. With the exception of primary mediastinal large B cell lymphoma, these lymphomas have similar morphologic growth patterns with occasional neoplastic cells within a prominent reactive cell background. Historically, distinguishing these entities was difficult by flow cytometry; however, over the past 15 years, our laboratory has developed antibody-fluorochrome combinations capable of accurately distinguishing these entities by their immunoprofile. Additionally, an algorithmic approach based on characterization of the background reactive B-cell and T-cell populations can aid in narrowing the differential diagnosis. This review summarizes both the morphologic and immunophenotypic features and the current flow cytometric insights of the neoplastic and reactive populations found in this unique subset of lymphomas.

The Reduced Longitudinal Growth Induced by Overexpression of pPLAIIIγ Is Regulated by Genes Encoding Microtubule-Associated Proteins.

There are three subfamilies of patatin-related phospholipase A (pPLA) group of genes: pPLAI, pPLAII, and pPLAIII. Among the four members of pPLAIIIs (α, β, γ, δ), the overexpression of three isoforms (α, β, and δ) displayed distinct morphological growth patterns, in which the anisotropic cell expansion was disrupted. Here, the least studied pPLAIIIγ was characterized, and it was found that the overexpression of pPLAIIIγ in Arabidopsis resulted in longitudinally reduced cell expansion patterns, which are consistent with the general phenotype induced by pPLAIIIs overexpression. The microtubule-associated protein MAP18 was found to be enriched in a pPLAIIIδ overexpressing line in a previous study. This indicates that factors, such as microtubules and ethylene biosynthesis, are involved in determining the radial cell expansion patterns. Microtubules have long been recognized to possess functional key roles in the processes of plant cells, including cell division, growth, and development, whereas ethylene treatment was reported to induce the reorientation of microtubules. Thus, the possible links between the altered anisotropic cell expansion and microtubules were studied. Our analysis revealed changes in the transcriptional levels of microtubule-associated genes, as well as phospholipase D (PLD) genes, upon the overexpression of pPLAIIIγ. Overall, our results suggest that the longitudinally reduced cell expansion observed in pPLAIIIγ overexpression is driven by microtubules via transcriptional modulation of the PLD and MAP genes. The altered transcripts of the genes involved in ethylene-biosynthesis in pPLAIIIγOE further support the conclusion that the typical phenotype is derived from the link with microtubules.

Drought and Elevated Carbon Dioxide Impact the Morphophysiological Profile of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Treating plants with elevated carbon dioxide (eCO2) can increase their drought tolerance. Increased atmospheric CO2, a fundamental factor in climate change, may compensate for the drought-induced reduction in crop growth and yield. Basil, being moderately sensitive to drought stress (DS), experiences several morphological changes under DS. Thus, we designed an experiment that addresses how DS and different levels of CO2 affect the overall morphological growth patterns during basil’s early and late-season growth. The experiment was conducted under four different growth conditions: two water treatments, (1) a full-strength Hoagland’s solution was added to the basil plants at 120% of the evapotranspiration each day, and (2) 50% of the full-strength Hoagland’s solution was added to basil plants for the drought treatment, alongside two levels of CO2 application [ambient 420 ppm (aCO2) and elevated 720 ppm (eCO2)]). The DS had a severe impact on the morphological traits of the shoot and root systems. Compared to control, DS reduced the marketable fresh mass (FM) by 31.6% and 55.2% in the early and late stages of growth. FM was highest under control + eCO2 (94.4–613.7 g) and lowest under DS + aCO2 (67.9–275.5 g). Plant height under DS + aCO2 and DS + eCO2 reduced by 16.8% and 10.6% during the late season. On the other hand, dry mass percent (DM%) increased by 31.6% and 55.2% under DS + eCO2 compared to control in the early and late stages of growth, respectively. This study suggested that eCO2 during DS significantly impacts basil morphological traits compared to aCO2. Besides, anthocyanin decreased by 10% in DS + aCO2 and increased by 12.6% in DS + aCO2 compared to control. Similarly, nitrogen balance index, a ratio of chlorophyll and flavonoids, was recorded to be the highest in DS + aCO2 (40.8) compared to any other treatments. Overall, this study indicates that the suppression of basil’s morphophysiological traits by DS is more prominent in its later growth stage than in the earlier stages, and eCO2 played an important role in alleviating the negative effect of DS by increasing the DM% by 55%.

Histopathological validation of safe margin for nephron-sparing surgery based on individual tumor growth pattern

BackgroundTo evaluate the clinicopathologic value of morphological growth patterns of small renal cell carcinoma (sRCC) and determine the actual demand for taking a rim of healthy parenchyma to avoid positive SM.MethodsData was collected from 560 sRCC patients who underwent laparoscopic surgeries from May 2010 to October 2017. One hundred forty-nine cases received nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) and others received radical nephrectomy (RN). All specimens were analyzed separately by two uropathologists, and three morphological growth patterns were identified. The presence of pseudocapsule (PC), surgical margins (SM), and other routine variables were recorded. The relationship between growth patterns and included variables was measured by the χ2 test and Fisher’s exact probability test. Survival outcomes were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test.ResultsThe median age of patients was 63.2 years old and the mean tumor diameter was 3.0 cm. Four hundred eighty (85.7%) cases were clear cell RCC and 541 (96.6%) cases were at the pT1a stage. Peritumoral PC was detected in 512 (92.5%) specimens, and the ratio of tumor invasion in PC in infiltration pattern increased obviously than that of the other growth patterns. Similarly, the pT stage was significantly correlated with the infiltration pattern as well. One hundred forty-nine patients underwent NSS and 3 (2.0%) of them showed positive SM after operation. Statistical differences of the 5-year overall survival (OS) and the cancer-specific survival (CSS) existed between different morphological growth patterns, PC status, and pT stages.ConclusionsMorphological growth patterns of sRCC might be used as a potential biomarker to help operate NSS to avoid the risk of positive SM. How to distinguish different morphological growth patterns before operation and the effectiveness of the growth pattern as a novel proposed parameter to direct NSS in sRCC patients deserves further exploration.

Clinical implication of tumor location in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and assessment of the current staging system

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) exhibits a variety of morphologic and histologic growth pattern, and its treatment and prognosis are known to vary depending on the location and extent of tumor. This study aims to compare the clinical data according to the tumor location in ICC and to verify the current staging system used in ICC. 302 patients who underwent curative resection were reviewed. Central type ICC (C-ICC) was defined when the tumor had an invasion of intrahepatic secondary confluence or segmental branches of the bile duct and peripheral type ICC (P-ICC) when the tumor was located more peripherally. Clinicopathologic characteristics, oncological outcomes, and prognostic stratification of the AJCC 8th staging system were assessed. Among 302 patients, 123 were classified as C-ICC and 179 as P-ICC. Bigger tumor size, higher rate of elevated CA19-9 level, vascular invasion, periductal invasion type, R1 rate, and advanced T stage was found in C-ICC. Five-year overall survival rates were 34.0% for C-ICC and 47.5% for P-ICC (p = 0.005). A significant difference in disease-free survival was seen as well (p = 0.036). The prognostic utility of ICC T stage was assessed in N0 C-ICC but failed to stratify T2, T3, and T4 tumors (median survival; T2: 37 m. T3: 34 m. T4: 33 m. p = 0.591). When applying the perihilar cholangiocarcinoma staging system (p < 0.001), stratification was improved and similar results were also seen in the overall staging. C-ICC has a worse aggressive clinical course compared to P-ICC. The perihilar cholangiocarcinoma cancer staging system is better than ICC staging to stratify the prognosis of C-ICC.

Spatial distribution of immune checkpoint proteins in histological subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma

The most prevalent histological type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is adenocarcinoma. The WHO classifies this tumor into subtypes according to the predominant growth pattern such as lepidic, acinar, papillary, solid or micropapillary, each harboring specific molecular features. NSCLC adenocarcinoma heterogeneity is discussed to be a reason for therapy failure using targeted therapy or immune checkpoint inhibitors. For successful therapy of immune checkpoint inhibitors the expression and distribution of the involved immune checkpoint proteins is essential. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the distribution of five prominent immune checkpoint proteins in regard of the histological growth patterns of lung adenocarcinoma. We performed immunohistochemical staining of 84 tumor segments from 22 resected tumor samples to evaluate the expression of PD-L1, PD-1, Nectin-2, PVR, and TIGIT in distinct growth patterns of lung adenocarcinoma. We determined a distinct heterogeneity between and within different tumor segments regarding morphological growth patterns. Furthermore, expression of immune checkpoint proteins varied between different growth pattern areas as well as within one distinct growth pattern. Expression of PVR was significantly higher in solid compared to acinar growth pattern (p= 0.00736). Of note, we detected TIGIT not only on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes but also on tumor cells, whereas non-neoplastic lung tissue was consistently TIGIT-negative. The immune checkpoint protein distribution in histologic subtypes of pulmonary adenocarcinoma displays an considerable intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity implying the requirement of either a multiregion or an adjusted analysis when determining the expression status of PD-1:PD-L1 and the TIGIT:PVR/Nectin-2 checkpoint proteins as predictive markers.

Gender-specific Morphological Growth Patterns of the Estuarine Mud Crab Scylla olivacea in North-eastern Sundarbans, Bangladesh

The economic expansion of estuarine mud crab Scylla olivacea necessitated for the inclusive research on its biological characteristics, especially morphological features. This study explored the gender- specific growth pattern and condition factors of S. olivacea from the coastal waters of Sundarbans, Bangladesh. A total of 360 S. olivacea were collected using a nonmechanized trap from the landing center of Rampal Upazila at Bagerhat District in Bangladesh, and their body weight (BW), carapace width (CW), carapace length (CL), abdominal length (AL), and propodus length (PL) were measured. The male-to-female ratio was 1:0.87, and females (BW: 107.02 ± 24.99 g, CW: 7.98 ± 0.74 cm) were significantly heavier than males (BW: 98.03 ± 24.00 g, CW: 7.48 ± 1.02 cm). The inter-relationship of CW with BW, CL, AL, and PL was significant. Body weight showed a negative allometric growth pattern with CW (b < 3) for both sexes. Carapace length showed a positive allometric growth pattern with CW (b > 3) in male crabs but an isometric growth pattern (b = 3) in female crabs. The calculated mean condition factors (Fulton’s condition factors, allometric condition factors, and relative condition factors), for male and female crabs were higher than or close to one, indicating crabs were in a healthy state and the average relative weight was 100 g and above for both male and female samples were in healthy physiological condition in the study area. This study provides knowledge on the current condition and distinguishing morphometric features of local S. olivacea which will assist fisheries resource managers and conservation biologists for the better management of this commercially important crab species in Bangladesh waters.

Cribriform colon cancer: a morphological growth pattern associated with extramural venous invasion, nodal metastases and microsatellite stability

BackgroundCribriform comedo-type adenocarcinoma was a colon cancer subtype recognised in the previous WHO classification of tumours that is no longer included in the recent edition. Previous reports have described colon...

Abstract 3935: Runt related transcription factor-1 (runx1) plays a central role in vessel co-option of colorectal cancer liver metastases

Abstract Colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) has two major morphological growth pattern subtypes including desmoplastic (DHGP) and replacement (RHGP). The DHGP tumors depend on angiogenesis for their growth. Conversely, RHGP tumors are non-angiogenic and obtain their blood supply through vessel co-option, which the cancer cells hijacking pre-existing blood vessels of the surrounding liver tissue. Therefore, anti-angiogenic therapies have shown modest efficacy in CRCLM patients with RHGP lesions. In this study, we found overexpression of Runt Related Transcription Factor-1 (RUNX1) in the cancer cells of RHGP lesions. Upregulation of RUNX1 is positively correlated with cancer cell motility and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro. Our results also showed that RUNX1 regulated by Transforming Growth Factor Beta-1 (TGFβ1) through TGFβ Receptor II (TGFβRII). Significantly, RUNX1 knockdown induced conversion RHGP lesions to DHGP in vivo. Collectively, this study suggests RUNX1 as a potential target therapy to overcome resistance to anti-angiogenic therapy in CRCLM. Citation Format: Miran Rada, Audrey Kapelanski-Lamoureux, Stephanie Petrillo, Sébastien Tabariès, Peter Siegel, Anthoula Lazaris, Peter Metrakos. Runt related transcription factor-1 (runx1) plays a central role in vessel co-option of colorectal cancer liver metastases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3935.

Polybessurus-like fossils as key contributors to Permian–Triassic boundary microbialites in South China

Massive occurrences of microbialites near the Permian–Triassic boundary have been interpreted as being due to benthic microbial proliferation in unusual marine conditions after the end-Permian mass extinction. Here, we present large populations of Polybessurus-like microfossils in the microbialites of the South China Craton to reveal their morphological structures, growth patterns, and ecological implications. These distinctive microfossils are composed of layered stalks and spherical endpoints. The spheroids, 20–40 μm in diameter, comprising external thin micritic walls and internal sparry parts, are interpreted as coccoid cyanobacteria. The stalks consist of multiple “stacked-cup” micritic envelopes consisting of micron-sized magnesian calcite/dolomite grains and are catalogued as calcified remains of coccoid cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Early microbially mediated calcification of EPS increased the preservation potential of microfossils. The microfossils stand upright as coccoid unicells supported by the highly unidirectional secretion of EPS, revealing their benthic behaviours. The successively secreted EPS lift the cells away from the substrate, expanding their ecological niches to gain more sunlight for photosynthesis in the barren marine floor. The distinctive Polybessurus-like microfossils can be viewed both in laminae of stromatolites and in spotted/digitate clots of thrombolites, suggesting their critical roles in microbe-dominated reefs in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction. The morphological features and growth patterns of the Polybessurus-like fossils resemble their Proterozoic counterpart—Polybessurus bipartitus Fairchild ex Green et al. (1987). The widespread Polybessurus-like fossils in the Permian–Triassic boundary microbialites of the South China Craton suggest pervasive retrogressive ecosystems on carbonate platforms after the largest extinction event during the Earth's history.

Morphological traits and growth studies of some promising chickpea [&lt;em&gt;Cicer arietinum&lt;/em&gt; (L.)] genotypes

The morphological traits and growth studies of crop varieties are important feature that may help to better understand their inherent capacity or energy to stand as well as to know their pattern of growth. With this target, a field experiment was conducted in order to study the morphological traits and growth patterns of nine promising chickpea genotypes namely, AGBL-184, IPC-2010-94, IPC-2011-70, ICCV-13107, RSG-888, 24001-4-1, 24004-3-1, 24034-4-1 and 24017-1-1. Following randomized complete block design with four replications, the observations on several growth parameters were taken at fortnight intervals, starting from 15 DAS to 60 DAS. The parameters taken were plant height, leaf number, leaf area, leaf dry weight, shoot dry weight and total plant dry weight. The pattern of growth based on the morphological traits of the genotypes was different in respect of their pattern of stem elongation, leaf area expansion, dry matter accumulation in leaf, shoot as well as whole plant. However, some common points were also noticed. The result revealed that, major proportion of stem elongation occurred within 30 DAS, whereas, leaf expansion in early growth stage was nominal but made a huge jump around flowering stage for all the genotypes. A huge enhancement in dry matter production in leaf, shoot and total plant was observed at post flowering stage. Correlation analysis showed that the parameters leaf area, leaf dry weight, shoot dry weight as well as total plant dry weight were found to be strongly associated with the seed yield. The highest yielder was genotype AGBL-184 that also maintained highest leaf and total plant dry weight irrespective of the growth stages. In terms of leaf area and shoot dry weight also, AGBL-184 was among the top-ranking genotypes.

Morphometric characterization of the very young child mandibular growth pattern: What happen before and after the deciduous dentition development?

Numerous tools have been developed to characterize the morphometry of 3D models. The aim of this study was to apply these techniques to better understand the morphometric growth pattern of healthy children's mandibles. The study sample was composed of 480 very young children aged from 36 gestational weeks to 7 years old. The sample was divided into three subsamples according to the development stages of their deciduous dentition. Several biometric data were collected on 3D mandibular models. There was homothetic growth during the first years of life. Once all deciduous teeth were fully erupted, the mandibular corpus warped more independently of the ramus, and the inter-individual variability was more pronounced. Throughout the growth period, several subgroups could be identified, highlighting the morphological growth pattern of the mandible. A particular morphogenesis of the mandible during the growth period was observed, which was correlated with deciduous dentition development. In younger individuals, this morphological pattern was mainly characterized by the progressive closure of the chin symphysis and ramus growth. The tongue movements in the oral space, depending on whether the child was bottle- or breast-fed, may explain this result. As the children grew older, the mandible widened to create sufficient space for the developing teeth buds. During the eruption of deciduous dentition, the mandible took on various morphologies, which was likely based on the child's sex and diet. Therefore, we assume that this mandibular morphogenesis is induced by the functional strains affecting the mandible during deciduous teeth development.