Machine learning-driven shortening the screening process towards high-performance nitrogen reduction reaction electrocatalysts with four-step screening strategy

The urgent need to prepare clean energy by environmentally friendly and efficient methods, which has led to widespread attention on electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) for ammonia production. At present, single atom catalytic nitrogen reduction has become the earliest promising method for industrial production due to its high atomic utilization rate, high selectivity, high controllability, and high stability. However, how to quickly screen catalysts with high catalytic efficiency and selectivity in single-atom catalysts (SACs) remains a challenge. Herein, the 29 SACs are constructed from C6N2 nanosheets doped with transition metals (TM@C6N2), which are analyzed for stability, adsorption performance, NRR catalytic activity, electronic properties, and competitiveness using first-principles calculations. The results show that Mo@C6N2 and Re@C6N2 exhibit the most outstanding catalytic performances, with limiting potentials (UL) of -0.29 and -0.31 V, respectively, in the solvent model. Machine learning is used to derive descriptors from the intrinsic features to predict the free energy changes for the potential-determining step. The importance of features is calculated, with the first ionisation energy (IE1) being the most significant influencing factor. Based on the guidance of machine learning and considering that IE1 is related to the ability of metal atoms to donate electrons, a four-step screening strategy using the Integrated Crystal Orbital Hamilton Populations (ICOHP) to screen catalysts instead of the traditional five-step screening not only improves the screening efficiency but also obtains completely consistent screening results. This work presents a new approach to predicting the catalytic performance of SACs and provides new insights into the influence of intrinsic properties on catalytic activity.

[Clinical efficacy of dorsal venous complex pre-suture technique in the robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy]

The clinical data of 33 patients who underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic Vattikuti Institute prostatectomy (VIP) in Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from October 2020 to April 2022 were reviewed and analyzed. Among them, 18 patients received traditional VIP technique and 15 patients received VIP technique with pre-sutured dorsal venous complex (DVC). The ages of the traditional VIP group and the pre-sutured DVC VIP group were (66.1±7.3) and (66.6±5.7) years, respectively. The body mass index (BMI) of the traditional VIP group and the pre-sutured DVC VIP group was (24.3±2.9) and (25.3±2.6) kg/m2, respectively. The medical expenses were (91 797.0±7 029.6) and (87 106.6±7 031.4) yuan, respectively, with no statistical significance (all P>0.05). The operations of all the 33 cases were successfully completed, and no cases were transferred to open surgery. The operation time of traditional VIP group was longer than that of pre-sutured DVC VIP group [(193.0±37.2) vs (171.1±16.1) min]. The amount of intraoperative blood loss was higher than that in the pre-sutured DVC VIP group [(68.3±22.8) vs (44.0±9.1) ml)], all P<0.05. No patients had perioperative blood transfusion, and no patients had complications within 30 days after surgery. All the 33 patients had negative incisal margins. DVC presuture technique can reduce intraoperative bleeding and shorten operative time in robot-assisted laparoscopic VIP radical prostatectomy, and has good curative effect.

Tailoring Zn2+ Flux by an Ion Acceleration Layer Modified Separator for High-Rate Long-Lasting Zn Metal Anodes

A large concentration gradient originating from sluggish ion transport on the surface of Zn metal anodes will result in uneven Zn2+ flux, giving rise to severe dendrite growth, especially at high current density. Herein, an ion acceleration layer is introduced by a facile separator engineering strategy to realize modulated Zn2+ flux and dendrite-free deposition. Zinc hexacyanoferrate as the modifying agent featuring strong zincophilicity and rapid diffusion tunnel can enable fast trap for Zn2+ near the electrode surface and immediate transport onto deposition sites, respectively. The ion acceleration effect is substantiated by improved ion conductivity, decreased activated energy, and promoted Zn2+ transference number, which can moderate concentration gradient to guide homogenous Zn2+ flux distribution. As a result, the separator engineering guarantees Zn||Zn symmetrical cells with long-term stability of 2700 h at 2 mA cm-2, and 1770 h at a large current density of 10 mA cm-2. Moreover, cycling stability and rate capability for full cells with different cathodes can be substantially promoted by the modified separator, validating its superior practical feasibility. This study supplies a new scalable approach to tailoring ion flux near the electrode surface to enable robust Zn metal anodes at a high current density.

scCaT: An explainable capsulating architecture for sepsis diagnosis transferring from single-cell RNA sequencing

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition characterized by an exaggerated immune response to pathogens, leading to organ damage and high mortality rates in the intensive care unit. Although deep learning has achieved impressive performance on prediction and classification tasks in medicine, it requires large amounts of data and lacks explainability, which hinder its application to sepsis diagnosis. We introduce a deep learning framework, called scCaT, which blends the capsulating architecture with Transformer to develop a sepsis diagnostic model using single-cell RNA sequencing data and transfers it to bulk RNA data. The capsulating architecture effectively groups genes into capsules based on biological functions, which provides explainability in encoding gene expressions. The Transformer serves as a decoder to classify sepsis patients and controls. Our model achieves high accuracy with an AUROC of 0.93 on the single-cell test set and an average AUROC of 0.98 on seven bulk RNA cohorts. Additionally, the capsules can recognize different cell types and distinguish sepsis from control samples based on their biological pathways. This study presents a novel approach for learning gene modules and transferring the model to other data types, offering potential benefits in diagnosing rare diseases with limited subjects.

m6Am Methyltransferase PCIF1 Regulates Periodontal Inflammation

N6,2'-O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am), a common mRNA modification in eukaryotic capped mRNAs, plays a pivotal role in cellular functions and disease progression. However, its involvement in host inflammation remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that loss of m6Am methyltransferase phosphorylated CTD interacting factor 1 (PCIF1) attenuates periodontal inflammation in whole-body and myeloid lineage-specific knockout mouse models. Pcif1 deletion inhibits macrophage phagocytosis and migration through m6Am-Csf1r signaling. In addition, colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) is identified as a potential target for the treatment of periodontitis. We thus reveal a previously unrecognized role for PCIF1-mediated m6Am modification in governing macrophage responses and periodontal inflammation.

Temporal variation in the oral microbiome and the prediction of early childhood caries in different ethnicities

Globally, early childhood caries (ECC) is a significant public health concern, necessitating effective prediction and prevention strategies. This study aimed to explore variations in the oral microbiome of saliva from pre-school Han and Uyghur children during ECC development and establish a predictive model based on temporal oral microbiome changes. Saliva samples were collected from a single kindergarten every three months over six months. Forty-four pre-school children provided 132 samples, categorized into six groups: (1) HEF (healthy pre-school Han children), (2) HEO (Han children with caries), (3) HEP (Han children with progressive caries), (4) WEF (healthy pre-school Uyghur children), (5) WEO (Uyghur children with caries), and (6) WEP (Uyghur children with progressive caries). Illumina Miseq sequencing identified oral microbiome differences between groups and time points. The Random Forest (RF) algorithm established ECC prediction models. The T1HEO group exhibited significantly higher Chaol index, observed species index, PD whole tree index, and Shannon index than the T2HEO group (p < 0.01). Similarly, the T1WEO group had significantly higher Chaol index, observed species index, and PD whole tree index than the T2WEO group (p < 0.05). The AUROC value for the ECC prediction model based on temporal oral flora changes was 0.517 (95% CI: 0.275-0.759) for pre-school Han children and 0.896 (95% CI: 0.78-1.00) for pre-school Uyghur children. In the onset of caries in pre-school Han children, bacterial species richness and community diversity in saliva declined, paralleled by a decrease in bacterial species richness in pre-school Uyghur children's oral saliva. The ECC prediction model grounded on temporal oral microflora changes exhibited robust predictive power, particularly for pre-school Uyghur children, potentially leading to more effective ECC prevention measures.

Multimodal Nuclear Factor-Erythroid-2-Related Factor (NRF2) Therapy in the Context of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) Inhibition Reprograms the Acute Systemic and Pulmonary Immune Response after Combined Burn and Inhalation Injury

ABSTRACT

Severe burn injuries induce acute and chronic susceptibility to infections, which is largely attributed to a hyper-pro-inflammatory response followed by a chronic anti-inflammatory response. Concurrent inhalation injury (B + I) causes airway inflammation. Pulmonary macrophages and neutrophils are "hyperactive" with increased reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen species (RONS) activity, but are unable to clear infection, causing airway damage upon activation. Nuclear Factor-Erythroid-2-Related Factor (NRF2) is a critical immunomodulatory component that induces compensatory anti-inflammatory pathways when activated. On the other hand, inhibition of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) reduces pro-inflammatory responses. The therapeutic use of these targets is limited, as known modulators of these pathways are insoluble in saline and require long-term administration. A biocompatible NRF2 agonist (CDDO) and rapamycin (RAPA) poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles (MP) were created, which we hypothesized would reduce the acute hyper-inflammatory response in our murine model of B + I injury. BI-injured mice that received CDDO-MP or both CDDO-MP and RAPA-MP (Combo-MP) an hour after injury displayed significant changes in the activation patterns of pulmonary and systemic immune genes and their associated immune pathways 48 h after injury. For example, mice treated with Combo-MP showed a significant reduction in inflammatory gene expression compared to untreated or CDDO-MP-treated mice. We also hypothesized that Combo-MP therapy would acutely decrease bacterial susceptibility after injury. BI-injured mice that received Combo-MP an hour after injury, inoculated 48 h later with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1), and sacrificed 48 h after infection, displayed significantly decreased bacterial counts in the lungs and liver versus untreated B + I mice. This reduction in infection was accompanied by significantly altered lung and plasma cytokine profiles and immune reprogramming of pulmonary and splenic cells. Our findings strongly suggest that multimodal MP-based therapy holds considerable promise for reprogramming the immune response after burn injuries, particularly by mitigating the hyper-inflammatory phase, and preventing subsequent susceptibility to infection.

Genome-Wide Methylation Profiling of Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas Identifies TRIP13 as a Critical Driver of Tumor Proliferation and Survival

Cytosine methylation contributes to the regulation of gene expression and normal hematopoiesis in mammals. It is catalyzed by the family of DNA methyltransferases that include DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B. Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) represent aggressive mature T-cell malignancies exhibiting a broad spectrum of clinical features with poor prognosis and inadequately understood molecular pathobiology. To better understand the molecular landscape and identify candidate genes involved in disease maintenance, we profiled DNA methylation and gene expression of PTCLs. We found that the methylation patterns in PTCLs are deregulated and heterogeneous but share 767 hypo- and 567 hypermethylated differentially methylated regions (DMRs) along with 231 genes up- and 91 genes downregulated in all samples, suggesting a potential association with tumor development. We further identified 39 hypomethylated promoters associated with increased gene expression in the majority of PTCLs. This putative oncogenic signature included the TRIP13 (thyroid hormone receptor interactor 13) gene whose genetic and pharmacologic inactivation inhibited the proliferation of T-cell lines by inducing G2-M arrest and apoptosis. Our data thus show that human PTCLs have a significant number of recurrent methylation alterations that may affect the expression of genes critical for proliferation whose targeting might be beneficial in anti-lymphoma treatments.

Observation of Strong Nuclear Suppression in Exclusive J/ψ Photoproduction in Au+Au Ultraperipheral Collisions at RHIC

We report a measurement of exclusive J/ψ and ψ(2s) photoproduction in Au+Au ultraperipheral collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV using the STAR detector. For the first time, (i) the ψ(2s) photoproduction in midrapidity at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider has been experimentally measured; (ii) nuclear suppression factors are measured for both the coherent and incoherent J/ψ production. At average photon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 25.0 GeV, the coherent and incoherent J/ψ cross sections of Au nuclei are found to be 71±10% and 36±7%, respectively, of that of free protons. The stronger suppression observed in the incoherent production provides a new experimental handle to study the initial-state parton density in heavy nuclei. Data are compared with theoretical models quantitatively.

Observation of the antimatter hypernucleus H ¯ Λ ¯ 4

At the origin of the Universe, an asymmetry between the amount of created matter and antimatter led to the matter-dominated Universe as we know it today. The origins of this asymmetry remain unknown so far. High-energy nuclear collisions create conditions similar to the Universe microseconds after the Big Bang, with comparable amounts of matter and antimatter1-6. Much of the created antimatter escapes the rapidly expanding fireball without annihilating, making such collisions an effective experimental tool to create heavy antimatter nuclear objects and to study their properties7-14, hoping to shed some light on the existing questions on the asymmetry between matter and antimatter. Here we report the observation of the antimatter hypernucleusH ¯ Λ ¯ 4 , composed of aΛ ¯ , an antiproton and two antineutrons. The discovery was made through its two-body decay after production in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider15,16. In total, 15.6 candidateH ¯ Λ ¯ 4 antimatter hypernuclei are obtained with an estimated background count of 6.4. The lifetimes of the antihypernucleiH ¯ Λ ¯ 3 andH ¯ Λ ¯ 4 are measured and compared with the lifetimes of their corresponding hypernuclei, testing the symmetry between matter and antimatter. Various production yield ratios among (anti)hypernuclei (hypernuclei and/or antihypernuclei) and (anti)nuclei (nuclei and/or antinuclei) are also measured and compared with theoretical model predictions, shedding light on their production mechanisms.

[The effectiveness and safety of the anti gastroesophageal reflux system in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease: a single center study of 23 cases]

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of domestically produced magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) for gastroesophageal reflux disease. Method: This study is a prospective cohort study. Patients with typical heartburn and reflux symptoms (at least partial response to proton pump inhibitors), abnormal esophageal acid exposure and normal esophageal peristalsis were included, prospectively in the Department of Gastroesophageal Surgery, Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center from June 2019 to September 2022. Patients with hiatal hernia >2 cm and severe esophagitis were excluded. The MSA was wrapped around the distal esophagus after esophageal hiatus repair by laparoscopy. A postoperative questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the relief of symptom, complications, the discontinuation rate of proton pump inhibitor, and surgical satisfaction. Gastroscopy, high-resolution esophageal pressure measurement, and pH value impedance monitoring were also reviewed. The pre- and postoperative rates were compared using the McNeinar χ2 test. Result: Currently, 23 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease were enrolled and underwent MSA surgery. There were 20 males and 3 females, aged (M (IQR)) 48 (14) years (range: 25 to 64 years). All cases were successfully implanted with MSA. Subjective indicators were followed for 17 (18) months (range: 14 to 53 months), while objective indicators were followed for 17 (1) months (range: 12 to 23 months). The postoperative gastrointestinal and extraesophageal symptom scores showed a significant decrease compared to preoperative levels as follows: the degree of subjective relief of overall digestive symptoms was 90 (20)% (range:0~100%), the degree of subjective relief of overall respiratory symptoms was 100(10)% (range: 10%~100%), the overall satisfaction rate was 83% (19/23), the proton pump inhibitor discontinuation rate was 70% (16/23). The proportion of esophagitis has decreased from 44% (10/23) to 9% (2/23) (κ=0.169, P=0.039), The Hill grade of gastroesophageal valve morphology improved from 1 case of grade Ⅰ, 5 cases of grade Ⅱ, 10 cases of grade Ⅲ, and 7 cases of grade Ⅲ preoperative to 22, 1, 0, and 0 cases postoperative. The proportion of lower esophageal sphincter pressure below normal has decreased from 70% (16/23) to 35% (8/23) (κ=0.170, P=0.012). There were 21 patients who restored normal esophageal acid exposure. Eleven patients had mild long-term dysphagia, but it didn't affect their daily life. No postoperative device migration, erosion, or secondary surgical removal occurred. Conclusions: Laparoscopic implantation of the MSA device was safe and well tolerated. It can effectively control the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, reduce medication, restore normal cardia morphology and function, and esophageal acid exposure. The main postoperative complication was dysphagia, but it was relatively mild.

Obesity and abdominal hernia in ambulatory patients, 2018-2023

PURPOSE

To determine the relationship between abdominal hernia and obesity. Although obesity is frequently cited as a risk factor for abdominal hernia, few studies have confirmed this association (Menzo et al. Surg Obes Relat Dis 14:1221-1232. 10.1016/j.soard.2018.07.005, 2018).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of primary care ambulatory patients aged older than 16 years treated at UCLA Health from 01/01/2018 to 06/06/2023. Abdominal hernia was identified by clinic encounter ICD-10 codes (K40-K46).

RESULTS

There were 41,703 hernias identified among 1,362,440 patients (306.1 per10,000) with a mean age of 62.5 ± 16.1 years, and 57.6% were men. Nearly half (44.7%) of all abdominal hernias were diaphragmatic. There was an approximately equal distribution of the ventral (28.7%) and inguinal (24.3%) hernia. Each hernia type had a different relationship with obesity: The odds of having a ventral hernia increased with BMI in both sexes: BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2 odds ratio (OR) = 1.65, (CI 1.56-1.74); BMI 30-39.9 kg/m2 OR = 2.42 (CI 2.29-2.56), BMI 40-49.9 kg/m2 OR = 2.28 (CI 2.05-2.54) and BMI >  = 50 kg/m2 OR = 2.54 (CI 2.03-3.17) all relative to normal BMI. In contrast, the odds of having an inguinal hernia decreased with obesity relative to normal weight [obesity (BMI 30-39.9 kg/m2): OR = 0.60 (CI 0.56-0.65)], morbid obesity (BMI 40-49.9 kg/m2): OR = 0.29 (CI 0.23-0.37). The OR for diaphragmatic hernia peaks with obesity in women and overweight status in men but was found to decrease with morbid obesity [OR = 1.18 (CI 1.07-1.30)]. There was no significant difference between men and women in the prevalence of femoral hernia (men: 0.7/per10,000, women: 0.9/per10,000, p = 0.19).

CONCLUSIONS

The relationship between hernia and obesity is complex with some hernias decreasing in prevalence as obesity increases. Further research is needed to better understand this paradoxical relationship.

Liraglutide enhances the effect of checkpoint blockade in lung and liver cancers through the inhibition of neutrophil extracellular traps

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) regulates glycemic excursions by augmenting insulin production and inhibiting glucagon secretion. Liraglutide, a long-acting GLP-1 analog, can improve glycemic control for treating type 2 diabetes and prevent neutrophil extravasation in inflammation. Here, we explored the role of liraglutide in the development and therapy of murine lung and liver cancers. In this study, liraglutide substantially decreased circulating neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) markers myeloperoxidase, elastase, and dsDNA in Lewis lung cancer (LLC) and Hepa1-6 tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, liraglutide downregulated NETs and reactive oxygen species (ROS) of neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment. Functionally, in vitro experiments showed that liraglutide reduced NET formation by inhibiting ROS. In addition, we showed that liraglutide enhanced the anti-tumoral efficiency of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibition in LLC and Hepa1-6 tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice. However, the removal of NETs significantly weakened the antitumor efficiency of liraglutide. We further demonstrated that the long-term antitumor CD8+ T cell responses induced by the combination therapy rejected rechallenges by respective tumor cell lines. Taken together, our findings suggest that liraglutide may promote the anti-tumoral efficiency of PD-1 inhibition by reducing NETs in lung and liver cancers.

Thymol improves ischemic brain injury by inhibiting microglia-mediated neuroinflammation

BACKGROUND

Microglia-mediated inflammation is a critical factor in the progression of ischemic stroke. Consequently, mitigating excessive microglial activation represents a potential therapeutic strategy for ischemic injury. Thymol, a monophenol derived from plant essential oils, exhibits diverse beneficial biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, with demonstrated protective effects in various disease models. However, its specific effects on ischemic stroke and microglial inflammation remain unexplored.

METHODS

Rodent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model was established to simulate ischemic stroke. TTC staining, modified neurological function score (mNSS), and behavioral tests were used to assess the severity of neurological damage. Then immunofluorescence staining and cytoskeleton analysis were used to determine activation of microglia. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was utilized to induce the inflammatory response of primary microglia in vitro. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to exam the expression of inflammatory cytokines. And western blot was used to investigate the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect of thymol.

RESULTS

In this study, we found that thymol treatment could ameliorate post-stroke neurological impairment and reduce infarct volume by mitigating microglial activation and pro-inflammatory response (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α). Mechanically, thymol could inhibit the phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), sink serine/threonine kinase (Akt), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), thereby suppressing the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that thymol could reduce the microglial inflammation by targeting PI3K/Akt/mTOR/NF-κB signaling pathway, ultimately alleviating ischemic brain injury. These findings suggest that thymol is a promising candidate as a neuroprotective agent against ischemic stroke.

EIF4A3-Induced Circ_0059914 Promoted Angiogenesis and EMT of Glioma via the miR-1249/VEGFA Pathway

Gliomas are common brain tumors. Despite extensive research, the 5-year survival rate of glioma remains low. Many studies have reported that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a role in promoting the malignant progression of glioma; however, the role of circ_0059914 in this process remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the function and underlying mechanism of circ_0059914 in glioma. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to determine the levels of circ_0059914, miR-1249, VEGFA, N-cadherin, vimentin, Snail, and EIF4A3. EDU and colony formation assays were conducted to evaluate cell proliferation. Transwell assays were used to explore cell migration and invasion and tube formation assays were used to analyze angiogenesis. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to explore the relationship between EIF4A3, circ_0059914, miR-1249, and VEGFA. A xenograft tumor assay was performed to determine the role of circ_0059914 in vivo. Circ_0059914 expression was upregulated in gliomas. Knockdown of gliomal circ_0059914 expression reduced the proliferation, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, and growth of glioma cells in vivo. Circ_0059914 sponged miR-1249, and miR-1249 inhibition reversed the circ_0059914 knockdown-mediated effects in glioma cells. VEGFA was found to be a target gene of miR1249; overexpression of VEGFA reversed the effect of miR-1249 up-regulation in glioma. Finally, EIF4A3 increased the expression of circ_0059914. EIF4A3-induced circ_0059914 expression plays a role in promoting glioma via the miR-1249/VEGFA axis.

Real-Time High-Quality Computer-Generated Hologram Using Complex-Valued Convolutional Neural Network

Holographic displays are ideal display technologies for virtual and augmented reality because all visual cues are provided. However, real-time high-quality holographic displays are difficult to achieve because the generation of high-quality computer-generated hologram (CGH) is inefficient in existing algorithms. Here, complex-valued convolutional neural network (CCNN) is proposed for phase-only CGH generation. The CCNN-CGH architecture is effective with a simple network structure based on the character design of complex amplitude. A holographic display prototype is set up for optical reconstruction. Experiments verify that state-of-the-art performance is achieved in terms of quality and generation speed in existing end-to-end neural holography methods using the ideal wave propagation model. The generation speed is three times faster than HoloNet and one-sixth faster than Holo-encoder, and the Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) is increased by 3 dB and 9 dB, respectively. Real-time high-quality CGHs are generated in 1920 × 1072 and 3840 × 2160 resolutions for dynamic holographic displays.

Bromocriptine sensitivity in bromocriptine-induced drug-resistant prolactinomas is restored by inhibiting FGF19/FGFR4/PRL

PURPOSE

At present, various treatment strategies are available for pituitary adenomas, including medications, surgery and radiation. The guidelines indicate that pharmacological treatments, such as bromocriptine (BRC) and cabergoline (CAB), are important treatments for prolactinomas, but drug resistance is an urgent problem that needs to be addressed. Therefore, exploring the mechanism of drug resistance in prolactinomas is beneficial for clinical treatment.

METHODS

In our research, BRC-induced drug-resistant cells were established. Previous RNA sequencing data and an online database were used for preliminary screening of resistance-related genes. Cell survival was determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assays and flow cytometry. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR), western blotting, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) were used to assess the molecular changes and regulation. The therapeutic efficacy of BRC and FGFR4 inhibitor fisogatinib (FISO) combination was evaluated in drug-resistant cells and xenograft tumors in nude mice.

RESULTS

Consistent with the preliminary results of RNA sequencing and database screening, fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) expression was elevated in drug-resistant cells and tumor samples. With FGF19 silencing, drug-resistant cells exhibited increased sensitivity to BRC and decreased intracellular phosphorylated fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) levels. After confirming that FGF19 binds to FGFR4 in prolactinoma cells, we found that FGF19/FGFR4 regulated prolactin (PRL) synthesis through the ERK1/2 and JNK signaling pathways. Regarding the effect of targeting FGF19/FGFR4 on BRC efficacy, FISO and BRC synergistically inhibited the growth of tumor cells, promoted apoptosis and reduced PRL levels.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our study revealed FGF19/FGFR4 as a new mechanism involved in the drug resistance of prolactinomas, and combination therapy targeting the pathway could be helpful for the treatment of BRC-induced drug-resistant prolactinomas.

Factors associated with under-five mortality in Rwanda: An analysis of the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2020

Despite global and Rwandan progress in reducing under-five mortality, the risk of children dying before their fifth birthday persists, necessitating intensified research on determinants. Thus, this study analyzed the birth history data to shed light on the underlying causes of under-five mortality in Rwanda. The study is a secondary analysis of data sourced from the 2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) cross-sectional design. Using SPSS, the data was cleaned, recoded, and weighted, with descriptive and inferential statistics applied. The dependent variable was the child's living status, while independent variables included socio-demographic, media exposure status of mothers, child, and environmental factors. A total of 10267 under-five children of all interviewed mothers were included in the final analysis, of which 12.3% (1260) died. Maternal age (25-34 years: AOR = 1.514, 95% CI = 1.130-2.029, p = 0.005; 45+: AOR = 13.226, 95% CI = 9.253-18.905, p<0.001), occupational status (agricultural workers and other services), and three or more births within five years (AOR = 1.895, 95% CI = 1.433-2.508, p<0.001) significantly increase the risk of under-five mortality. Conversely, maternal education (primary: AOR = 0.821, p = 0.023; secondary: AOR = 0.533, p<0.001; higher: AOR = 0.365, p = 0.010) and higher wealth indexes (middle: AOR = 0.743, p = 0.001; rich: AOR = 0.612, p<0.001), as well as current breastfeeding (AOR = 0.524, 95% CI = 0.455-0.603, p-value <0.001), are associated with lower under-five mortality. Child sex significantly impacts under-five mortality (AOR = 0.873, 95% CI = 0.770-0.991, p = 0.035), favoring females over males. Conversely, multiple birth type children face higher under-five mortality (AOR = 3.541, 95% CI = 2.727-4.599, p<0.001) compared to singletons. Children in the northern (AOR = 1.478, 95% CI = 1.086-2.011, p = 0.013) and eastern (AOR = 1.470, 95% CI = 1.097-1.971, p = 0.010) regions are more susceptible to mortality compared to those in the central (Kigali) region. Additionally, under-five mortality is higher when using water from tanks and other sources (AOR = 2.240, 95% CI = 1.471-3.411, p<0.001) than piped water. This study identifies crucial factors linked to under-five mortality, underscoring the importance of prioritizing them in interventions to enhance Rwandan under-five survival rates.

Hydrophobic association-improved multi-functional hydrogels with liquid metal droplets stabilized by xanthan gum and PEDOT:PSS for strain sensors

The synthesis of liquid metal-infused hydrogels, typically constituted by polyacrylamide networks crosslinked through covalent bonds, often encounters a conundrum: they exhibit restricted extensibility and a diminished capacity for self-repair, owing to the inherently irreversible nature of the covalent linkages. This study introduces a hydrophobically associated hydrogel embedding gallium (Ga)-droplets, realized through the in situ free radical copolymerization of hydrophobic hexadecyl methacrylate (HMA) and hydrophilic acrylamide (AM) in a milieu containing xanthan gum (XG) and PEDOT:PSS, which co-stabilizes the Ga-droplets. The Ga-droplets, synergistically functioning as conductive agents alongside PEDOT:PSS, also expedite the hydrogel's formation. The resultant XG/PEDOT:PSS-Ga-P(AM-HMA) hydrogel is distinguished by its remarkable extensibility (2950 %), exceptional toughness (3.28 MJ/m3), superior adherence to hydrophobic, smooth substrates, and an innate ability for hydrophobic-driven self-healing. As a strain sensing medium, this hydrogel-based sensor exhibits heightened sensitivity (gauge factor = 12.66), low detection threshold (0.1 %), and robust durability (>500 cycles). Furthermore, the inclusion of glycerol endows the XG/PEDOT:PSS-Ga-P(AM-HMA) hydrogel with anti-freezing properties without compromising its mechanical integrity and sensing acumen. This sensor adeptly captures a spectrum of human movements, from the nuanced radial pulse to extensive joint articulations. This research heralds a novel approach for fabricating multifaceted PAM-based hydrogels with toughness and superior sensing capabilities.

Genomics and transcriptomics reveal β-carotene synthesis mechanism in Dunaliella salina

Dunaliella salina is by far the most salt-tolerant organism and contains many active substances, including β-carotene, glycerol, proteins, and vitamins, using in the production of dried biomass or cell extracts for the biofuels, pharmaceutical formulations, food additives, and fine chemicals, especially β-carotene. We report a high-quality genome sequence of D. Salina FACHB435, which has a 472 Mb genome size, with a contig N50 of 458 Kb. A total of 30,752 protein-coding genes were predicted. The annotation results evaluated by BUSCO was shown that completeness was 91.0% and replication was 53.1%. The fragments were 6.3% and the deletions were 2.6%. Phylogenomic and comparative genomic analyses revealed that A. thaliana diverged from Volvocales about 448 million years ago, then Volvocales C. eustigma, D. salina, and other species diverged about 250 million years ago. High light could promote the accumulation of β-carotene in D. salina at a 13 d stage of culture. The enrichment of DEGs in KEGG, it notes that the predicted up-regulated genes of carotenoid metabolic pathway include DsCrtB, DsPDS, DsZ-ISO, DsZDS, DsCRTISO, DsLUT5, DsCrtL-B, and DsCCD8, while the predicted down-regulated genes include DsCrtF, and DsLUT1. The four genes that were both up-regulated and down-regulated were DsZEP, DsCrtR-b, DsCruA/P and DsCrtZ 4. The research results can provide scientific basis for the industrialization practice of D. salina.

A novel acupuncture technique at the Zusanli point based on virtual reality and EEG: a pilot study

Introduction

Acupuncture is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) method that achieves therapeutic effects through the interaction of neurotransmitters and neural regulation. It is generally carried out manually, making the related process expert-biased. Meanwhile, the neural stimulation effect of acupuncture is difficult to track objectively. In recent years, virtual reality (VR) in medicine has been on the fast lane to widespread use, especially in therapeutic stimulation. However, the use of related technologies in acupuncture has not been reported.

Methods

In this work, a novel acupuncture stimulation technique using VR is proposed. To track the stimulation effect, the electroencephalogram (EEG) is used as the marker to validate brain activities under acupuncture.

Results and discussion

After statistically analyzing the data of 24 subjects during acupuncture at the "Zusanli (ST36)" acupoint, it has been determined that Virtual Acupuncture (VA) has at least a 63.54% probability of inducing similar EEG activities as in Manual Acupuncture (MA). This work may provide a new solution for researchers and clinical practitioners using Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) in acupuncture.

Pan-cancer analysis for the prognostic and immunological role of CD47: interact with TNFRSF9 inducing CD8 + T cell exhaustion

PURPOSE

The research endeavors to explore the implications of CD47 in cancer immunotherapy effectiveness. Specifically, there is a gap in comprehending the influence of CD47 on the tumor immune microenvironment, particularly in relation to CD8 + T cells. Our study aims to elucidate the prognostic and immunological relevance of CD47 to enhance insights into its prospective utilities in immunotherapeutic interventions.

METHODS

Differential gene expression analysis, prognosis assessment, immunological infiltration evaluation, pathway enrichment analysis, and correlation investigation were performed utilizing a combination of R packages, computational algorithms, diverse datasets, and patient cohorts. Validation of the concept was achieved through the utilization of single-cell sequencing technology.

RESULTS

CD47 demonstrated ubiquitous expression across various cancer types and was notably associated with unfavorable prognostic outcomes in pan-cancer assessments. Immunological investigations unveiled a robust correlation between CD47 expression and T-cell infiltration rather than T-cell exclusion across multiple cancer types. Specifically, the CD47-high group exhibited a poorer prognosis for the cytotoxic CD8 + T cell Top group compared to the CD47-low group, suggesting a potential impairment of CD8 + T cell functionality by CD47. The exploration of mechanism identified enrichment of CD47-associated differentially expressed genes in the CD8 + T cell exhausted pathway in multiple cancer contexts. Further analyses focusing on the CD8 TCR Downstream Pathway and gene correlation patterns underscored the significant involvement of TNFRSF9 in mediating these effects.

CONCLUSION

A robust association exists between CD47 and the exhaustion of CD8 + T cells, potentially enabling immune evasion by cancer cells and thereby contributing to adverse prognostic outcomes. Consequently, genes such as CD47 and those linked to T-cell exhaustion, notably TNFRSF9, present as promising dual antigenic targets, providing critical insights into the field of immunotherapy.

Echinatin protects from ischemic brain injury by attenuating NLRP3-related neuroinflammation

BACKGROUND

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is the major contributor to the secondary brain injury of ischemic stroke. NLRP3 is one of the major components of ischemia-induced microglial activation. Echinatin, a chalcone found in licorice, was reported to have the activity of anti-inflammation and antioxidant. However, the relative study of echinatin in microglia or ischemic stroke is still unclear.

METHODS

We intravenously injected echinatin or vehicle into adult ischemic male C57/BL6J mice induced by 60-min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). The intraperitoneal injection was performed 4.5 h after reperfusion and then daily for 2 more days. Infarct size, blood brain barrier (BBB) leakage, neurobehavioral tests, and microglial-mediated inflammatory reaction were examined to assess the outcomes of echinatin treatment. LPS and LPS/ATP stimulation on primary microglia were used to explore the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism of echinatin.

RESULTS

Echinatin treatment efficiently decreased the infarct size, alleviated blood brain barrier (BBB) damage, suppressed microglial activation, reduced the production of inflammatory factors (e.g., IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, TNF-α, iNOS, COX2), and relieved post-stroke neurological defects in tMCAO mice. Mechanistically, we found that echinatin could suppress the NLRP3 assembly and reduce the production of inflammatory mediators independently of NF-κB and monoamine oxidase (MAO).

CONCLUSION

Based on our study, we have identified echinatin as a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ischemic stroke.