Metal oxide nanomaterials based electrochemical and optical biosensors for biomedical applications: Recent advances and future prospectives

The amalgamation of nanostructures with modern electrochemical and optical techniques gave rise to interesting devices, so-called biosensors. A biosensor is an analytical tool that incorporates various biomolecules with an appropriate physicochemical transducer. Over the past few years, metal oxide nanomaterials (MONMs) have significantly stimulated biosensing research due to their desired functionalities, versatile chemical stability, and low cost along with their unique optical, catalytic, electrical, and adsorption properties that provide an attractive platform for linking the biomolecules, for example, antibodies, nucleic acids, enzymes, and receptor proteins as sensing elements with the transducer for the detection of signals or signal amplifications. The signals to be measured are in direct proportionate to the concentration of the bioanalyte. Because of their simplicity, cost-effectiveness, portability, quick analysis, higher sensitivity, and selectivity against a broad range of biosamples, MONMs-based electrochemical and optical biosensing platforms are exhaustively explored as powerful early-diagnosis tools for point of care applications. Herein, we made a bibliometric analysis of past twenty years (2004-2023) on the application of MONMs as electrochemical and optical biosensing units using Web of Science database and the results of which clearly reveal the increasing number of publications since 2004. Geographical area distribution analysis of these publications shows that China tops the list followed by the United States of America and India. In this review, we first describe the electrochemical and optical properties of MONMs that are crucial for the creation of extremely stable, specific, and sensitive sensors with desirable characteristics. Then, the biomedical applications of MONMs-based bare and hybrid electrochemical and optical biosensing frameworks are highlighted in the light of recent literature. Finally, current limitations and future challenges in the field of biosensing technology are addressed.

The BTB-BACK-TAZ domain protein MdBT2 reduces drought resistance by weakening the positive regulatory effect of MdHDZ27 on apple drought tolerance via ubiquitination

Drought stress is one of the dominating challenges to the growth and productivity in crop plants. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of plants responses to drought stress is fundamental to improve fruit quality. However, such molecular mechanisms are poorly understood in apple (Malus domestica Borkh.). In this study, we explored that the BTB-BACK-TAZ protein, MdBT2, negatively modulates the drought tolerance of apple plantlets. Moreover, we identified a novel Homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factor, MdHDZ27, using a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screen with MdBT2 as the bait. Overexpression of MdHDZ27 in apple plantlets, calli, and tomato plantlets enhanced their drought tolerance by promoting the expression of drought tolerance-related genes [responsive to dehydration 29A (MdRD29A) and MdRD29B]. Biochemical analyses demonstrated that MdHDZ27 directly binds to and activates the promoters of MdRD29A and MdRD29B. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo assays indicate that MdBT2 interacts with and ubiquitinates MdHDZ27, via the ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway. This ubiquitination results in the degradation of MdHDZ27 and weakens the transcriptional activation of MdHDZ27 on MdRD29A and MdRD29B. Finally, a series of transgenic analyses in apple plantlets further clarified the role of the relationship between MdBT2 and MdHDZ27, as well as the effect of their interaction on drought resistance in apple plantlets. Collectively, our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which the MdBT2-MdHDZ27 regulatory module controls drought tolerance, which is of great significance for enhancing the drought resistance of apple and other plants.

Study of CHF3/CH2F2 Adsorption Separation in TIFSIX-2-Cu-i

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) have important applications in different industries; however, they are environmentally unfriendly due to their high global warming potential (GWP). Hence, reclamation of used hydrofluorocarbons via energy-efficient adsorption-based separation will greatly contribute to reducing their impact on the environment. In particular, the separation of azeotropic refrigerants remains challenging, such as typical mixtures of CH2F2 (HFC-23) and CHF3 (HFC-32), due to a lack of adsorptive mechanisms. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can provide a promising solution for the separation of CHF3-CH2F2 mixtures. In this study, the adsorption mechanism of CHF3-CH2F2 mixtures in TIFSIX-2-Cu-i was revealed at the microscopic level by combining static pure-component adsorption experiments, molecular simulations, and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. The adsorption separation selectivity of CH2F2/CHF3 in TIFSIX-2-Cu-i is 3.17 at 3 bar under 308 K. The existence of similar TiF62- binding sites for CH2F2 or CHF3 was revealed in TIFSIX-2-Cu-i. Interactions between the fluorine atom of the framework and the hydrogen atom of the guest molecule were found to be responsible for determining the high adsorption separation selectivity of CH2F2/CHF3. This exploration is important for the design of highly selective adsorbents for the separation of azeotropic refrigerants.

Effects of High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) on Clinical Symptoms in COPD

Background

Mucociliary clearance plays a critical role in pulmonary host defense. Abnormal mucociliary clearance contributes to the pathogenesis of pulmonary disorders, including COPD. In bronchiectasis, treatments targeting mucus obstruction in the airways include the use of high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) therapy. This prospective outcome based study was designed to investigate the changes in symptoms and quality of life (QOL) to measure the effect of adjunctive HFCWO therapy to standard of care therapy for patients with COPD.

Research Question

When HFCWO is indicated and used as intended, will the quality of life for those patients with COPD improve and sustain improvement.

Study Design and Methods

We conducted a prospective, openl-label, observational study in COPD patients without concomitant bronchiectasis. Participants had assessments of QOL at baseline (day 0) and then at 30 and 90 days after initiation of HFCWO therapy. The St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire for COPD Patients (SGRQ-C) was employed and longitudinally followed at each timepoint. Paired t-tests were used to compare means between each time points adjusted for multiple comparisons. A linear mixed model for the analysis of longitudinal data was then constructed to determine the simultaneous contribution of race, gender, ethnicity, time, and selected interactions in the primary outcome of change in SGRQ-C across 0, 30, and 90 days.

Results

The cohort of patients (n=102) demonstrated a significant reduction in the SGRQ-C at 30 and sustained at 90 days compared to baseline. In addition, two component scores of the SGRQ-C questionnaire ("Symptoms" and Impacts") were significantly reduced at 30 and 90 days.

Interpretation

This prospective, observational study demonstrates statistically significant and clinically favorable responses to HFCWO as an adjunctive therapy for patients with a primary diagnosis of COPD without concomitant bronchiectasis. Results of this study inform the design of additional additional studies of HFCWO to prove efficacy inCOPD patients.

Fermenting Distiller's Grains by the Domesticated Microbial Consortium To Release Ferulic Acid

The microbial consortium FA12 that can release ferulic acid (FA) by fermenting distiller's grains was screened from Daqu. Taibaiella, Comamonadaceae, and Ochrobacum were highly abundant in FA12 by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In the process of long-term acclimation with distiller's grains as a medium, the biomass of FA12 remained stable, and the pH value of fermentation liquid was also relatively stable. Meanwhile, the activities of cellulase, xylanase, and feruloyl esterase secreted by FA12 were stable in the ranges of 0.2350-0.4470, 0.1917-0.3078, and 0.1103-0.1595 U/mL, respectively, and the release of FA could reach 133.77 μg/g. It is proven that the microbial consortium has good genetic stability. In addition, the structural changes of lignocellulose in distiller's grains before and after fermentation were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the changes of distiller's grains weight and lignocellulose content before and after fermentation were also detected. These results all confirmed that FA12 had the function of degrading distiller's grains. In this study, we explored a method to use microbial communities to release FA from distiller's grains and degrade lignocellulose in the waste, which opened up a new way for the application of the high value of lost waste.

Drug delivery system based on metal-organic framework improved 5-Fluorouracil against spring viremia of carp virus

Spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV), as a high pathogenicity pathogen, has seriously restricts the healthy and sustainable development of cyprinid farming industry. In this study, we selected 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) as the drug model based on zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) to construct a drug delivery system (5-Fu@ZIF-8), and the anti-SVCV activity was detected in vitro and in vivo. The results showed 5-Fu@ZIF-8 was uniform cubic particle with truncated angle and smooth surface, and the particle size was 90 nm. The anti-SVCV activity in vitro results showed that the highest inhibition rate of 5-Fu was 77.93% at 40 mg/L and the inhibitory concentration at half-maximal activity (IC50) was 20.86 mg/L. For 5-Fu@ZIF-8, the highest inhibition rate was 91.36% at 16 mg/L, and the IC50 value was 5.85 mg/L. In addition, the cell viability was increased by 18.1% after 5-Fu treatment. Similarly, after 5-Fu@ZIF-8 treatment, the cell viability increased by 27.3%. Correspondingly, in vivo experimental results showed the viral loads reduced by 18.1% on the days 7 and the survival rate increased to 19.4% at 80 mg/L after 5-Fu treatment. For 5-Fu@ZIF-8, the viral loads reduced by 41.2% and the survival rate increased to 54.8%. Mechanistically, 5-Fu inhibits viral replication by regulating p53 expression and promoting early apoptosis in infected cells. All results indicated that 5-Fu@ZIF-8 improved the anti-SVCV activity; it may be a potential strategy to construct a drug-loaded system with ZIF-8 as a carrier for the prevention and treatment of aquatic diseases.

Lipopeptide C17 Fengycin B Exhibits a Novel Antifungal Mechanism by Triggering Metacaspase-Dependent Apoptosis in Fusarium oxysporum

Fusarium wilt is a worldwide soil-borne fungal disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum that causes serious damage to agricultural products. Therefore, preventing and treating fusarium wilt is of great significance. In this study, we purified ten single lipopeptide fengycin components from Bacillus subtilis FAJT-4 and found that C17 fengycin B inhibited the growth of F. oxysporum FJAT-31362. We observed early apoptosis hallmarks, including reactive oxygen species accumulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and phosphatidylserine externalization in C17 fengycin B-treated F. oxysporum cells. Further data showed that C17 fengycin B induces cell apoptosis in a metacaspase-dependent manner. Importantly, we found that the expression of autophagy-related genes in the TOR signaling pathway was significantly upregulated; simultaneously, the accumulation of acidic autophagy vacuoles in F. oxysporum cell indicated that the autophagy pathway was activated during apoptosis induced by C17 fengycin B. Therefore, this study provides new insights into the antifungal mechanism of fengycin.

Economic Evaluation of COVID-19 Immunization Strategies: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to systematically assess global economic evaluation studies on COVID-19 vaccination, offer valuable insights for future economic evaluations, and assist policymakers in making evidence-based decisions regarding the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination.

METHODS

Searches were performed from January 2020 to September 2023 across seven English databases (PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, EBSCO, KCL-Korean Journal Dataset, SciELO Citation Index, and Derwent Innovations Index) and three Chinese databases (Wanfang Data, China Science and Technology Journal, and CNKI). Rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Data were extracted from eligible studies using a standardized data collection form, with the reporting quality of these studies assessed using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards 2022 (CHEERS 2022).

RESULTS

Of the 40 studies included in the final review, the overall reporting quality was good, evidenced by a mean score of 22.6 (ranging from 10.5 to 28). Given the significant heterogeneity in fundamental aspects among the studies reviewed, a narrative synthesis was conducted. Most of these studies adopted a health system or societal perspective. They predominantly utilized a composite model, merging dynamic and static methods, within short to medium-term time horizons to simulate various vaccination strategies. The research strategies varied among studies, investigating different doses, dosages, brands, mechanisms, efficacies, vaccination coverage rates, deployment speeds, and priority target groups. Three pivotal parameters notably influenced the evaluation results: the vaccine's effectiveness, its cost, and the basic reproductive number (R0). Despite variations in model structures, baseline parameters, and assumptions utilized, all studies identified a general trend that COVID-19 vaccination is cost-effective compared to no vaccination or intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

The current review confirmed that COVID-19 vaccination is a cost-effective alternative in preventing and controlling COVID-19. In addition, it highlights the profound impact of variables such as dose size, target population, vaccine efficacy, speed of vaccination, and diversity of vaccine brands and mechanisms on cost effectiveness, and also proposes practical and effective strategies for improving COVID-19 vaccination campaigns from the perspective of economic evaluation.

Activation of BMP4/SMAD pathway by HIF-1α in hypoxic environment promotes osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and leads to ectopic bone formation

OBJECTIVE

Heterotopic ossification (HO), also known as ossifying myositis, is a condition that produces abnormal bone and cartilage tissue in the soft tissues. Hypoxia inducible factor lα (HIF-lα) regulates the expression of various genes, which is closely related to the promotion of bone formation, and Drosophila mothers against decapentaplegic protein (SMAD) mediates the signal transduction in the Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway, which affects the function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and thus plays a key role in the regulation of bone remodeling. We aimed to investigate the mechanism by which HIF-1α induces osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in a hypoxic environment.

METHODS

A cellular hypoxia model was constructed to verify the expression of HIF-1α, while alizarin red staining was performed to observe the osteogenic differentiation ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Alizarin red staining was used to analyze the late mineralization ability of the cells. Western blot analysis was performed to analyze the expression levels of osteogenesis-related factors OCN, OPN proteins as well as the pathway proteins BMP4, p-Smad1/5/8, and Smad1. We also constructed a rat model of ectopic bone formation, observed ectopic ossification by X-ray, and verified the success of the rat model by ELISA of HIF-1α. HE staining was used to observe the matrix and trabecular structure of bone, and Masson staining was used to observe the collagen and trabecular structure of bone. Immunohistochemistry analyzed the expression of OCN and OPN in ectopic bone tissues, and WB analyzed the expression of pathway proteins BMP4, p-Smad1/5/8 and Smad1 in ectopic bone tissues to verify the signaling pathway of ectopic bone formation.

RESULTS

Our results indicate that hypoxic environment upregulates HIF-1a expression and activates BMP4/SMAD signaling pathway. This led to an increase in ALP content and enhanced expression of the osteogenesis-related factors OCN and OPN, resulting in enhanced osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. The results of our in vivo experiments showed that rats inoculated with BMSCs overexpressing HIF-1α showed bony structures in tendon tissues, enhanced expression of the bone signaling pathways BMP4 and p-Smad1/5/8, and enhanced expression levels of the osteogenic-related factors OCN and OPN, resulting in the formation of ectopic bone.

CONCLUSIONS

These data further suggest a novel mechanistic view that hypoxic bone marrow BMSCs activate the BMP4/SMAD pathway by up-regulating the expression level of HIF-1α, thereby promoting the secretion of osteogenic factors leading to ectopic bone formation.

Probing the Critical Role of Interfaces for Superior Performance in PbS Quantum Dot/Graphene Nanohybrid Broadband Photodetectors

Colloidal quantum dots/graphene (QD/Gr) nanohybrids have been studied intensively for photodetection in a broadband spectrum including ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared (UV-vis-NIR-SWIR). Since the optoelectronic process in the QD/Gr nanohybrid relies on the photogenerated charge carrier transfer from QDs to graphene, understanding the role of the QD-QD and QD-Gr interfaces is imperative to the QD/Gr nanohybrid photodetection. Herein, a systematic study is carried out to probe the effect of these interfaces on the noise, photoresponse, and specific detectivity in the UV-vis-NIR-SWIR spectrum. Interestingly, the photoresponse has been found to be negligible without a 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) ligand exchange, moderate with a single ligand exchange after all QD layers are deposited on graphene, and maximum if it is performed after each QD layer deposition up to five layers of total QD thickness of 260-280 nm. Furthermore, exposure of graphene to C-band UV (UVC) for a short period of 4-5 min before QD deposition leads to improved photoresponse via removal of polar molecules at the QD/Gr interface. With the combination of the MPA ligand exchange and UVC exposure, optimal optoelectronic properties can be obtained on the PbS QD/Gr nanohybrids with high specific detectivity up to 2.6 × 1011, 1.5 × 1011, 5 × 1010, and 1.9 × 109 Jones at 400, 550, 1000, and 1700 nm, respectively, making the nanohybrids promising for broadband photodetection.

[Effect of HBV DNA load on the safety and prognosis of systematic therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To study the effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the occurrence of liver damage, HBV reactivation (HBVr) and the influence of HBVr on the prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving systemic therapy. Methods: The clinical data of 403 patients with HBV-related HCC at the Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University et al, from July 2018 to December 2020 were collected. The incidence of liver damage and HBVr during systematic therapy, and the influence of HBVr on survival prognosis were analyzed. Results: Of the 403 patients, 89.1% were male (n=359), with a median age of 51 years (51.5±12.1). Before propensity score matching (PSM), the proportion of patients with cirrhosis, TNM and advanced BCLC stage was higher in high HBV-DNA (baseline HBV-DNA>1000 U/ml, n=147) group comparing with the low HBV-DNA (baseline HBV DNA≤1000 u/ml, n=256) group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in baseline indexes between the two groups after PSM. In 290 patients after PSM, there was no significant difference in the incidence of liver damage and HBVr between high HBV-DNA group and low HBV-DNA group (P>0.05). Survival analysis was performed on 169 patients with survival data, the median overall survival (OS) was found to be 11.49 months (95%CI: 7.77-12.89) and 16.65 months (95%CI: 10.54-21.99, P=0.008) in the high and low HBV-DNA groups, respectively. And median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.41 months (95%CI: 5.06-8.67) and 10.55 months (95%CI: 6.72-13.54, P=0.038), respectively, with a statistically significant difference. There were no differences in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between patients with and without HBVr and those with or without liver damage (P>0.05). Conclusions: HBV-DNA levels above 1 000 U/ml before systemic therapy do not increase the risk of liver damage or HBVr during systemic therapy in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma, and such patients can safely receive systemic therapy.

The fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in sewer sediments:Adsorption triggering resistance gene proliferation

In recent years, large quantities of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been discharged into sewers, while the mechanisms of PPCPs enrichment in sewer sediments have rarely been revealed. In this study, three PPCPs (tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, and triclocarban) were added consecutively over a 90-day experimental period to reveal the mechanisms of PPCPs enrichment and the transmission of resistance genes in sewer sediments. The results showed that tetracycline (TC) and triclocarban (TCC) have higher adsorption concentration in sediments compared to sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The absolute abundance of Tets and suls genes increased in sediments under PPCPs pressure. The increase in secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the loosening of the structure exposed a large number of hydrophobic functional groups, which promoted the adsorption of PPCPs. The absolute abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), EPS and the content of PPCPs in sediments exhibited significant correlations. The enrichment of PPCPs in sediments was attributed to the accumulation of EPS, which led to the proliferation of ARGs. These findings contributed to further understanding of the fate of PPCPs in sewer sediments and opened a new perspective for consideration of controlling the proliferation of resistance genes.

Engineering Co-N-Cr Cross-Interfacial Electron Bridges to Break Activity-Stability Trade-Off for Superdurable Bifunctional Single Atom Oxygen Electrocatalysts

Atomically dispersed metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) catalysts have exhibited encouraging oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity. Nevertheless, the insufficient long-term stability remains a widespread concern owing to the inevitable 2-electron byproducts, H2O2. Here, we construct Co-N-Cr cross-interfacial electron bridges (CIEBs) via the interfacial electronic coupling between Cr2O3 and Co-N-C, breaking the activity-stability trade-off. The partially occupied Cr 3d-orbitals of Co-N-Cr CIEBs induce the electron rearrangement of CoN4 sites, lowering the Co-OOH* antibonding orbital occupancy and accelerating the adsorption of intermediates. Consequently, the Co-N-Cr CIEBs suppress the two-electron ORR process and approach the apex of Sabatier volcano plot for four-electron pathway simultaneously. As a proof-of-concept, the Co-N-Cr CIEBs is synthesized by the molten salt template method, exhibiting dominant 4-electron selectively and extremely low H2O2 yield confirmed by Damjanovic kinetic analysis. The Co-N-Cr CIEBs demonstrates impressive bifunctional oxygen catalytic activity (▵E=0.70 V) and breakthrough durability including 100 % current retention after 10 h continuous operation and cycling performance over 1500 h for Zn-air battery. The hybrid interfacial configuration and the understanding of the electronic coupling mechanism reported here could shed new light on the design of superdurable M-N-C catalysts.

Engineering Phage Nanocarriers Integrated with Bio-Intelligent Plasmids for Personalized and Tunable Enzyme Delivery to Enhance Chemodynamic Therapy

Customizable and number-tunable enzyme delivery nanocarriers will be useful in tumor therapy. Herein, a phage vehicle, T4-Lox-DNA-Fe (TLDF), which adeptly modulates enzyme numbers using phage display technology to remodel the tumor microenvironment (TME) is presented. Regarding the demand for lactic acid in tumors, each phage is engineered to display 720 lactate oxidase (Lox), contributing to the depletion of lactic acid to restructure the tumor's energy metabolism. The phage vehicle incorporated dextran iron (Fe) with Fenton reaction capabilities. H2O2 is generated through the Lox catalytic reaction, amplifying the H2O2 supply for dextran iron-based chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Drawing inspiration from the erythropoietin (EPO) biosynthetic process, an EPO enhancer is constructed to impart the EPO-Keap1 plasmid (DNA) with tumor hypoxia-activated functionality, disrupting the redox homeostasis of the TME. Lox consumes local oxygen, and positive feedback between the Lox and the plasmid promotes the expression of kelch ECH Associated Protein 1 (Keap1). Consequently, the downregulation of the antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2, in synergy with CDT, amplifies the oxidative killing effect, leading to tumor suppression of up to 78%. This study seamlessly integrates adaptable T4 phage vehicles with bio-intelligent plasmids, presenting a promising approach for tumor therapy.

Ethnobotanical study of Zhuang medicinal herbs of Ardisia: variety systematization, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, clinical application, and toxicity

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to systematize the Zhuang medicinal herbs of Ardisia (ZMHA) in China, to clarify the traditional use in Zhuang medicine and the dynamics of international research on phytochemistry, pharmacology, clinical application, and toxicity.

KEY FINDINGS

There are 25 species of ZMHA, approximately 938 compounds from the different part, including triterpenoids, phenolics, volatile oils, etc. Pharmacological activity studies have also shown that this genus has anti-tumour, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, etc., and significant effects on respiratory, digestive, urinary, and musculoskeletal system diseases without toxic side effects.

SUMMARY

The Ardisia has a medicinal history of nearly a thousand years, mainly for treating diseases of the injuries, musculoskeletal, and symptomatic system in Zhuang medicine. Some plants, such as A. crenata, A. gigantifolia, and A. japonica, are also commonly used in folk Zhuang medicine formulas, to treat musculoskeletal, injury, respiratory, and urinate systems disease. These diseases are related to inflammation. These could provide a new direction for future new drug development research. Therefore, species identification and resource investigation should be strengthened, and conducted in vitro mechanism, in vivo pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and toxicology studies and establish a perfect quality standard system.

Comprehensive analysis of m6A modification patterns and m6A-related lncRNAs as potential biomarkers in lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is considered to induce tumor cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Understanding the mechanism of m6A-related lncRNAs in the development of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) may help predict prognosis.

METHODS

m6A-related lncRNAs related to lung cancer were identified and combined with the MeRIP-Seq dataset. The consensus clustering method was utilized to divide LUAD patients, and prognostic model was constructed using the Lasso Cox algorithm. The cluster profiler package was used for gene ontology and KEGG enrichment. The proportion of immune infiltration was estimated using the CIBERSORT algorithm. The decision tree was constructed by the rpart package, and nomograms were built by the rms package. The Connectivity Map database was analyzed for the therapeutic effects of small molecule drugs for LUAD. In addition, qPCR, colony formation and transwell assays were performed to validate functions of m6A-associated lncRNAs.

RESULTS

Nineteen m6A-modified lncRNAs in LUAD were identified. LUAD patients were divided into two categories based on the expression of 19 m6A-related lncRNAs. Cluster 2 patients had better antigen production and expression, while naive B cells, plasma cells, and activated NK cells were lower in cluster 1. Nine m6A-related lncRNAs were selected to establish a risk model for evaluating the prognosis of LUAD patients. The high-risk group had higher tumor mutational burden and lower TIDE scores with more gamma delta T cells and neutrophils. Nomograms showed that the prognostic model had predominant predictive ability for LUAD patients based on the risk score analyzed by the decision tree model. Benzo(a)pyrene and neurodazine might improve the prognosis of LUAD patients. The qRT-PCR results confirmed the reliability of the analytical results.

CONCLUSION

The establishment of a prognostic model of m6A-related lncRNAs can independently predict overall survival in LUAD and may help to develop personalized immunotherapy strategies.

Investigation of the structure, rheology and 3D printing characteristics of corn starch regulated by glycyrrhizic acid

This study aimed to construct a novel corn starch-glycyrrhizic acid (CS-GA) ink and systematically investigate the effects of GA on the water distribution, microstructure, rheology and 3D printing properties of CS hydrogels. The results showed that the CS chains could form strong hydrogen bonds with GA molecules, inhibit the formation of short-range ordered structure of CS and reduce the content of B-type starch. The low-field nuclear magnetic results showed that the introduction of GA could increase bound water content in CS-GA hydrogels. With the increase of GA content, the CS-GA hydrogel changed from CS-dominated to a GA-dominated gel network system. Rheological results showed that all samples exhibited typical shear thinning behavior. High GA concentration was beneficial to increasing the self-supporting properties and thixotropic recovery of CS-GA hydrogels. Compared with the pure CS hydrogel, the 3D printing characteristics of CS-GA hydrogels were significantly enhanced due to the increased bound water content and the enhancement of rheological properties. At 40 % GA content, CS-GA hydrogel showed the highest printing accuracy of 96.4 % ± 0.30 %. The printed product could perfectly replicate the preset model. Therefore, this study provided a theoretical basis for regulating starch's rheology and 3D printing characteristics and developing novel food-grade 3D printing inks.

Modulating autophagy to treat diseases: A revisited review on in silico methods

BACKGROUND

Autophagy refers to the conserved cellular catabolic process relevant to lysosome activity and plays a vital role in maintaining the dynamic equilibrium of intracellular matter by degrading harmful and abnormally accumulated cellular components. Accumulating evidence has recently revealed that dysregulation of autophagy by genetic and exogenous interventions may disrupt cellular homeostasis in human diseases. In silico approaches as powerful aids to experiments have also been extensively reported to play their critical roles in the storage, prediction, and analysis of massive amounts of experimental data. Thus, modulating autophagy to treat diseases by in silico methods would be anticipated.

AIM OF REVIEW

Here, we focus on summarizing the updated in silico approaches including databases, systems biology network approaches, omics-based analyses, mathematical models, and artificial intelligence (AI) methods that sought to modulate autophagy for potential therapeutic purposes, which will provide a new insight into more promising therapeutic strategies.

KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW

Autophagy-related databases are the data basis of the in silico method, storing a large amount of information about DNA, RNA, proteins, small molecules and diseases. The systems biology approach is a method to systematically study the interrelationships among biological processes including autophagy from a macroscopic perspective. Omics-based analyses are based on high-throughput data to analyze gene expression at different levels of biological processes involving autophagy. mathematical models are visualization methods to describe the dynamic process of autophagy, and its accuracy is related to the selection of parameters. AI methods use big data related to autophagy to predict autophagy targets, design targeted small molecules, and classify diverse human diseases for potential therapeutic applications.

OsNAC5 orchestrates OsABI5 to fine-tune cold tolerance in rice

Due to its tropical origins, rice (Oryza sativa) is susceptible to cold stress, which poses severe threats to production. OsNAC5, a NAC-type transcription factor, participates in the cold stress response of rice, but the detailed mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that OsNAC5 positively regulates cold tolerance at germination and in seedlings by directly activating the expression of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 5 (OsABI5). Haplotype analysis indicated that single nucleotide polymorphisms in a NAC-binding site in the OsABI5 promoter are strongly associated with cold tolerance. OsNAC5 also enhanced OsABI5 stability, thus regulating the expression of cold-responsive (COR) genes, enabling fine-tuned control of OsABI5 action for rapid, precise plant responses to cold stress. DNA affinity purification sequencing coupled with transcriptome deep sequencing identified several OsABI5 target genes involved in COR expression, including DEHYDRATION-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING FACTOR 1A (OsDREB1A), OsMYB20, and PEROXIDASE 70 (OsPRX70). In vivo and in vitro analyses suggested that OsABI5 positively regulates COR gene transcription, with marked COR upregulation in OsNAC5-overexpressing lines and downregulation in osnac5 and/or osabi5 knockout mutants. This study extends our understanding of cold tolerance regulation via OsNAC5 through the OsABI5-CORs transcription module, which may be used to ameliorate cold tolerance in rice via advanced breeding.

The roles of chromatin regulatory factors in endometriosis

PURPOSE

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent inflammatory disease and one of the most common gynecological diseases in women of reproductive age. The aim of the review was to explore the relationship between the chromatin regulatory factors and endometriosis.

METHODS

By searching for literature on chromatin regulators and endometriosis in PuMed. Finally, 98 documents were selected.

RESULTS

Chromatin regulators (CRs) are essential epigenetic regulatory factors that can regulate chromatin structure changes and are usually divided into three categories: DNA methylation compounds, histone modification compounds, and chromatin remodeling complexes. Noncoding RNAs are also chromatin regulators and can form heterochromatin by binding to protein complexes. Chromatin regulators cause abnormal gene expression by regulating chromatin structure, thereby affecting the occurrence and development of endometriosis.

CONCLUSION

This review summarizes the participation of chromatin regulators in the mechanisms of endometriosis, and these changes in related chromatin regulators provide a comprehensive reference for diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.

A generalized simplicial model and its application

Higher-order structures, consisting of more than two individuals, provide a new perspective to reveal the missed non-trivial characteristics under pairwise networks. Prior works have researched various higher-order networks, but research for evaluating the effects of higher-order structures on network functions is still scarce. In this paper, we propose a framework to quantify the effects of higher-order structures (e.g., 2-simplex) and vital functions of complex networks by comparing the original network with its simplicial model. We provide a simplicial model that can regulate the quantity of 2-simplices and simultaneously fix the degree sequence. Although the algorithm is proposed to control the quantity of 2-simplices, results indicate it can also indirectly control simplexes more than 2-order. Experiments on spreading dynamics, pinning control, network robustness, and community detection have shown that regulating the quantity of 2-simplices changes network performance significantly. In conclusion, the proposed framework is a general and effective tool for linking higher-order structures with network functions. It can be regarded as a reference object in other applications and can deepen our understanding of the correlation between micro-level network structures and global network functions.

Predicting Drug-Drug Interactions Involving Rifampicin Using a Semi-mechanistic Hepatic Compartmental Model

AIMS

To develop a semi-mechanistic hepatic compartmental model to predict the effects of rifampicin, a known inducer of CYP3A4 enzyme, on the metabolism of five drugs, in the hope of informing dose adjustments to avoid potential drug-drug interactions.

METHODS

A search was conducted for DDI studies on the interactions between rifampicin and CYP substrates that met specific criteria, including the availability of plasma concentration-time profiles, physical and absorption parameters, pharmacokinetic parameters, and the use of healthy subjects at therapeutic doses. The semi-mechanistic model utilized in this study was improved from its predecessors, incorporating additional parameters such as population data (specifically for Chinese and Caucasians), virtual individuals, gender distribution, age range, dosing time points, and coefficients of variation.

RESULTS

Optimal parameters were identified for our semi-mechanistic model by validating it with clinical data, resulting in a maximum difference of approximately 2-fold between simulated and observed values. PK data of healthy subjects were used for most CYP3A4 substrates, except for gilteritinib, which showed no significant difference between patients and healthy subjects. Dose adjustment of gilteritinib co-administered with rifampicin required a 3-fold increase of the initial dose, while other substrates were further tuned to achieve the desired drug exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

The pharmacokinetic parameters AUCR and CmaxR of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4, when influenced by Rifampicin, were predicted by the semi-mechanistic model to be approximately twice the empirically observed values, which suggests that the semi-mechanistic model was able to reasonably simulate the effect. The doses of four drugs adjusted via simulation to reduce rifampicin interaction.

[The research of the contralateral ear hearing thresholds and the hearing prognosis in unilateral Meniere's disease]

Objective:This study analyzed the pure tone audiometry results of the affected ear and the contralateral ear of unilateral Meniere's disease to investigate the correlation of the hearing threshold of the contralateral ear and the hearing prognosis of unilateral Meniere's disease. Methods:In this study, the follow-up data of 135 patients with unilateral Meniere's disease in Beijing Tongren Hospital were used to analyze the pure tone audiometry results of the affected and contralateral ears at the first visit and 1 year later. Results:①At the first visit, there was no statistically significant difference between the mean hearing thresholds of the affected ear in the normal hearing group and the high-frequency hearing loss group of the contralateral ear（P>0.05）. ②The range of improvement of hearing thresholds in the affected ear was greater in the contralateral ear normal hearing group than in the contralateral ear high-frequency hearing loss group. In the normal hearing group of the contralateral ear, the hearing thresholds of the affected ear at 0.25 kHz（P<0.01）, 0.50 kHz（P<0.01）, 1.00 kHz（P<0.01）, and 2.00 kHz（P<0.05） were significantly improved; and in the high-frequency hearing loss group of the contralateral ear, the hearing thresholds at 0.25 kHz（P<0.01） hearing thresholds improved significantly, and there was no significant difference between the rest of the frequencies before and after treatment（P>0.05）. A consistent pattern was observed in both higher and lower age groups. ③After 1 year of follow-up, the low and mid-frequency hearing of the affected ear improved. 0.25 kHz（P<0.01）, 0.50 kHz（P<0.01）, 1.00 kHz（P<0.01） hearing thresholds improved significantly; 8.00 kHz hearing thresholds decreased slightly（P<0.05）. Conclusion:After standardized treatment, the results of 1-year follow-up suggested that the low-frequency hearing of MD patients could be improved, but the high-frequency hearing was slightly decreased. The hearing prognosis of the affected ear with normal hearing threshold of the contralateral ear may be better.

Nowhere to Hide: Online Rumor Detection Based on Retweeting Graph Neural Networks

Online rumor detection is crucial for a healthier online environment. Traditional methods mainly rely on content understanding. However, these contents can be easily adjusted to avoid such supervision and are insufficient to improve the detection result. Compared with the content, information propagation patterns are more informative to support further performance promotion. Unfortunately, learning the propagation patterns is difficult, since the retweeting tree is more topologically complicated than linear sequences or binary trees. In light of this, we propose a novel rumor detection framework based on structure-aware retweeting graph neural networks. To capture the propagation patterns, we first design a novel conversion method to transform the complex retweeting tree as more tractable binary tree without losing the reconstruction information. Then, we serialize the retweeting tree as a corpus of meta-tree paths, where each meta-tree can preserve a basic substructure. A deep neural network is then designed to integrate all meta-trees and to generate the global structural embeddings. Furthermore, we propose to integrate content, users, and propagation patterns to enhance more reliable performance. To this end, we propose a novel self-attention-based retweeting neural network to learn individual features from both content and users. We then fuse the node-level features with our global structural embeddings via a mutual attention unit. In this way, we can generate more comprehensive representations for rumor detection. Extensive evaluations on two real-world datasets show remarkable superiorities of our model compared with existing methods.

B cell-reactive triad of B cells, follicular helper and regulatory T cells at homeostasis

Autoreactive B cells are silenced through receptor editing, clonal deletion and anergy induction. Additional autoreactive B cells are ignorant because of physical segregation from their cognate autoantigen. Unexpectedly, we find that follicular B cell-derived autoantigen, including cell surface molecules such as FcγRIIB, is a class of homeostatic autoantigen that can induce spontaneous germinal centers (GCs) and B cell-reactive autoantibodies in non-autoimmune animals with intact T and B cell repertoires. These B cell-reactive B cells form GCs in a manner dependent on spontaneous follicular helper T (TFH) cells, which preferentially recognize B cell-derived autoantigen, and in a manner constrained by spontaneous follicular regulatory T (TFR) cells, which also carry specificities for B cell-derived autoantigen. B cell-reactive GC cells are continuously generated and, following immunization or infection, become intermixed with foreign antigen-induced GCs. Production of plasma cells and antibodies derived from B cell-reactive GC cells are markedly enhanced by viral infection, potentially increasing the chance for autoimmunity. Consequently, immune homeostasis in healthy animals not only involves classical tolerance of silencing and ignoring autoreactive B cells but also entails a reactive equilibrium attained by a spontaneous B cell-reactive triad of B cells, TFH cells and TFR cells.

Exosome MiR-21-5p Upregulated by HIF-1α Induces Adipose Stem Cell Differentiation to Promote Ectopic Bone Formation

Heterotopic bone occurs after burns, trauma and major orthopedic surgery, which cannot be completely cured by current treatments. The development of new treatments requires more in-depth research into the mechanism of HO. Available evidence suggests that miR-21-5p plays an important role in bone formation. However, its mechanism in traumatic HO is still unclear. First, we identified exosomes extracted from L6 cells using TEM observation of the structure and western blotting detection of the surface marker CD63. Regulation effect of HIF-1α to miR-21-5p was confirmed by q-PCR assay. Then we co-cultured L6 cells with ASCs and performed alizarin red staining and ALP detection. Overexpression of miR-21-5p upregulated BMP4, p-smad1/5/8, OCN and OPN, which suggests the BMP4-smad signaling pathway may be involved in miR-21-5p regulation of osteogenic differentiation of ASCs. Finally in vivo experiments showed that miR-21-5p exosomes promoted ectopic formation in traumatized mice. This study confirms that HIF-1α could modulate miR-21-5p exosomes to promote post-traumatic ectopic bone formation by inducing ASCs cell differentiation. Our study reveals the mechanisms of miR-21-5p in ectopic ossification formation after trauma.

Functional analyses of TRAF6 gene in Argopecten scallops

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor (TRAF) family has been reported to be involved in many immune pathways. In a previous study, we identified 5 TRAF genes, including TRAF2, 3, 4, 6, and 7, in the bay scallop (Argopecten irradians, Air) and the Peruvian scallop (Argopecten purpuratus, Apu). Since TRAF6 is a key molecular link in the TNF superfamily, we conducted a series of studies targeting the TRAF6 gene in the Air and Apu scallops as well as their hybrid progeny, Aip (Air ♀ × Apu ♂) and Api (Apu ♀ × Air ♂). Subcellular localization assay showed that the Air-, Aip-, and Api-TRAF6 were widely distributed in the cytoplasm of the human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK293T). Additionally, dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that among TRAF3, TRAF4, and TRAF6, only the overexpression of TRAF6 significantly activated NF-κB activity in the HEK293T cells in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest a crucial role of TRAF6 in the immune response in Argopecten scallops. To investigate the specific immune mechanism of TRAF6 in Argopecten scallops, we conducted TRAF6 knockdown using RNA interference. Transcriptomic analyses of the TRAF6 RNAi and control groups identified 1194, 2403, and 1099 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the Air, Aip, and Api scallops, respectively. KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that these DEGs were primarily enriched in transport and catabolism, amino acid metabolism, peroxisome, lysosome, and phagosome pathways. Expression profiles of 28 key DEGs were confirmed by qRT-PCR assays. The results of this study may provide insights into the immune mechanisms of TRAF in Argopecten scallops and ultimately benefit scallop breeding.

Spurious Local Minima are Common for Deep Neural Networks With Piecewise Linear Activations

In this article, theoretically, it is shown that spurious local minima are common for deep fully connected networks and average-pooling convolutional neural networks (CNNs) with piecewise linear activations and datasets that cannot be fit by linear models. Motivating examples are given to explain why spurious local minima exist: each output neuron of deep fully connected networks and CNNs with piecewise linear activations produces a continuous piecewise linear (CPWL) function, and different pieces of the CPWL output can optimally fit disjoint groups of data samples when minimizing the empirical risk. Fitting data samples with different CPWL functions usually results in different levels of empirical risk, leading to the prevalence of spurious local minima. The results are proved in general settings with arbitrary continuous loss functions and general piecewise linear activations. The main proof technique is to represent a CPWL function as maximization over minimization of linear pieces. Deep networks with piecewise linear activations are then constructed to produce these linear pieces and implement the maximization over minimization operation.

Pulmonary MRI with hyperpolarized xenon-129 demonstrates novel alterations in gas transfer across the air-blood barrier in asthma

BACKGROUND

Individuals with asthma can vary widely in clinical presentation, severity, and pathobiology. Hyperpolarized xenon-129 (Xe129) MRI is a novel imaging method to provide 3-D mapping of both ventilation and gas exchange in the human lung.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the functional changes in adults with asthma as compared to healthy controls using Xe129 MRI.

METHODS

All subjects (20 controls and 20 asthmatics) underwent lung function measurements and Xe129 MRI on the same day. Outcome measures included the pulmonary ventilation defect and transfer of inspired Xe129 into two soluble compartments: tissue and blood. Ten asthmatics underwent Xe129 MRI before and after bronchodilator to test whether gas transfer measures change with bronchodilator effects.

RESULTS

Initial analysis of the results revealed striking differences in gas transfer measures based on age, hence we compared outcomes in younger (n = 24, ≤ 35 years) versus older (n = 16, > 45 years) asthmatics and controls. The younger asthmatics exhibited significantly lower Xe129 gas uptake by lung tissue (Asthmatic: 0.98% ± 0.24%, Control: 1.17% ± 0.12%, P = 0.035), and higher Xe129 gas transfer from tissue to the blood (Asthmatic: 0.40 ± 0.10, Control: 0.31% ± 0.03%, P = 0.035) than the younger controls. No significant difference in Xe129 gas transfer was observed in the older group between asthmatics and controls (P > 0.05). No significant change in Xe129 transfer was observed before and after bronchodilator treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

By using Xe129 MRI, we discovered heterogeneous alterations of gas transfer that have associations with age. This finding suggests a heretofore unrecognized physiological derangement in the gas/tissue/blood interface in young adults with asthma that deserves further study.

TRIM27 Promotes Endothelial Progenitor Cell Apoptosis in Patients with In-Stent Restenosis by Ubiquitinating TBK1

Approximately 2-10% in-stent restenosis (ISR) may occur following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) despite the use of modern drug-eluting stents (DES); thus, our study aimed to explore the effects of tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) 27 on ISR and the underlying mechanism. For this purpose, a total of 42 patients undergoing coronary angiography who had prior coronary angiography with DES implantation were recruited. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) markers (defined as CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factoreceptor-2 (VEGFR-2)) in peripheral blood were measured to asses the circulating EPC level. The TRIM family-related gene expressions were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results suggested that ISR patients had reduced CD34+VEGFR-2+ and increased apoptosis rate of EPCs, along with upregulated TRIM27 and TRIM37 and downregulated TRIM28. TRIM27 promoted and TBK1 inhibited the apoptosis rate of EPCs. Mechanically, TRIM27 interacted with TBK1 to ubiquitinate TBK1 in in vitro study. In summary, TRIM27 promoted the progression of ISR in patients after PCI by ubiquitinating TBK1, which might provide novel ideas for the clinical treatment of ISR.

Differentiated mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomes immobilized in decellularized sciatic nerve hydrogels for peripheral nerve repair

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) and the limitations of current treatments often result in incomplete sensory and motor function recovery, which significantly impact the patient's quality of life. While exosomes (Exo) derived from stem cells and Schwann cells have shown promise on promoting PNI repair following systemic administration or intraneural injection, achieving effective local and sustained Exo delivery holds promise to treat local PNI and remains challenging. In this study, we developed Exo-loaded decellularized porcine nerve hydrogels (DNH) for PNI repair. We successfully isolated Exo from differentiated human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSC) with a Schwann cell-like phenotype (denoted as dExo). These dExo were further combined with polyethylenimine (PEI), and DNH to create polyplex hydrogels (dExo-loaded pDNH). At a PEI content of 0.1%, pDNH showed cytocompatibility for hADMSCs and supported neurite outgrowth of dorsal root ganglions. The sustained release of dExos from dExo-loaded pDNH persisted for at least 21 days both in vitro and in vivo. When applied around injured nerves in a mouse sciatic nerve crush injury model, the dExo-loaded pDNH group significantly improved sensory and motor function recovery and enhanced remyelination compared to dExo and pDNH only groups, highlighting the synergistic regenerative effects. Interestingly, we observed a negative correlation between the number of colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) positive cells and the extent of PNI regeneration at the 21-day post-surgery stage. Subsequent in vitro experiments demonstrated the potential involvement of the CSF-1/CSF-1R axis in Schwann cells and macrophage interaction, with dExo effectively downregulating CSF-1/CSF-1R signaling.

Machine-learning-based classification of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients by a 7-mRNA signature enriched with immune infiltration and cell cycle

BACKGROUND

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) exhibits remarkable heterogeneity but still remains undiagnosed in identifying the subpopulation of DLBCL to predict the prognosis and guide clinical treatment.

METHODS

Molecular subgroups were identified in gene expression data from GSE10846 by a consensus clustering algorithm. And gene set enrichment analysis, immune infiltration, and the proposed cell cycle algorithm were applied to explore the biological functions of different subtypes. Meanwhile, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate independent prognostic factors of DLBCL. Finally, the prognostic model, including some key genes screened by Lasso regression, Random Forest algorithm, and point-biserial correlation, was constructed by an optimal classifier from seven machine learning algorithms and validated by another three external datasets (GSE34171, GSE87371, GSE31312).

RESULTS

Comprehensive genomic analysis of 1,143 DLBCL samples identify 2 molecularly, prognostically relevant subtypes: immune-enriched (IME) and cell-cycle-enriched (CCE). Then a new predictive model including seven key genes (SERPING1, TIMP2, NME1, DCTPP1, RFC4, POLE2, and SNRPD1) was developed with high prediction accuracy (88.6%) and strong predictive power (AUC = 0.973) based on the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm in 414 patients from GSE10846. The predictive power was similar in another three testing sets (HR > 1.400, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This model could evaluate survival independently with strong predictive power compared with other clinical risk factors. Our study constructed a reliable model to predict two new subtypes of DLBCL patients, which could guide the implementation of individualized treatment.

cla-miR164-NO APICAL MERISTEM (ClNAM) regulates the inflorescence architecture development of Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium

Chrysanthemum × morifolium has great ornamental and economic value on account of its exquisite capitulum. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the corolla morphology of the capitulum. Such an approach cannot explain the variable inflorescence architecture of the chrysanthemum. Previous research from our group has shown that NO APICAL MERISTEM (ClNAM) is likely to function as a hub gene in capitulum architecture in the early development stage. In the present study, ClNAM was used to investigate the function of these boundary genes in the capitulum architecture of Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium, a closely related species of C. × morifolium in the genus. Modification of ClNAM in C. lavandulifolium resulted in an advanced initiation of the floral primordium at the capitulum. As a result, the receptacle morphology was altered and the number of florets decreased. The ray floret corolla was shortened, but the disc floret was elongated. The number of capitula increased significantly, arranged in more densely compounded corymbose synflorescences. The yeast and luciferase reporter system revealed that ClAP1, ClRCD2, and ClLBD18 target and activate ClNAM. Subsequently, ClNAM targets and activates ClCUC2a/c, which regulates the initiation of floral and inflorescence in C. lavandulifolium. ClNAM was also targeted and cleaved by cla-miR164 in this process. In conclusion, this study established a boundary gene regulatory network with cla-miR164-ClNAM as the hub. This network not only influences the architecture of capitulum, but also affects compound corymbose synflorescences of the C. lavandulifolium. These results provide new insights into the mechanisms regulating inflorescence architecture in chrysanthemum.

Exceptional Magnetocaloric Responses in a Gadolinium Silicate with Strongly Correlated Spin Disorder for Sub-Kelvin Magnetic Cooling

The development of magnetocaloric materials with a significantly enhanced volumetric cooling capability is highly desirable for the application of adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators in confined spatial environments. Here, the thermodynamic characteristics of a magnetically frustrated spin-7/2 Gd9.33[SiO4]6O2 is presented, which exhibits strongly correlated spin disorder below ≈1.5 K. A quantitative model is proposed to describe the magnetization results by incorporating nearest-neighbor Heisenberg antiferromagnetic and dipolar interactions. Remarkably, the recorded magnetocaloric responses are unprecedentedly large and applicable below 1.0 K. It is proposed that the S = 7/2 spin liquids serve as versatile platforms for investigating high-performance magnetocaloric materials in the sub-kelvin regime, particularly those exhibiting a superior cooling power per unit volume.

Straw Addition Enhances Crop Yield, Soil Aggregation, and Soil Microorganisms in a 14-Year Wheat-Rice Rotation System in Central China

Straw return utilizes waste resources to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers worldwide. However, information is still lacking on the relative impact of straw return on soil fertility, the nutrient composition of different soil aggregates, and soil microbial communities. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the effects of different management practices on the crop yield, soil fertility, and soil community composition in a 14-year wheat-rice rotation system. The treatments included a control (without fertilizer and straw addition), chemical fertilization (NPK), straw return without fertilizer (S), and straw addition with chemical fertilizer (NPKS). The results showed that NPKS improved the wheat and rice yield by 185.12% and 88.02%, respectively, compared to the CK treatment. Additionally, compared to the CK treatment, the N, P, and K contents of the wheat stem were increased by 39.02%, 125%, and 20.23% under the NPKS treatment. Compared to the CK treatment, SOM, TN, TP, AN, AP, AK, CEC, AFe, AMn, ACu, and AZn were increased by 49.12%, 32.62%, 35.06%, 22.89%, 129.36%, 48.34%, 13.40%, 133.95%, 58.98%, 18.26% and 33.33% under the NPKS treatment, respectively. Moreover, straw addition promoted the creation and stabilization of macro-aggregates in crop soils. The relative abundance of macro-aggregates (0.25-2 mm) increased from 37.49% to 52.97%. Straw addition was associated with a higher proportion of aromatic and carbonyl carbon groups in the soil, which, in turn, promoted the formation of macro-aggregates. Redundancy analysis showed that straw return significantly increased the microbial community diversity. These findings demonstrate that straw addition together with chemical fertilizer could increase the crop yield by improving soil fertility, soil aggregate stability, and the diversity of fungi.

Potential rapid intraoperative cancer diagnosis using dynamic full-field optical coherence tomography and deep learning: A prospective cohort study in breast cancer patients

An intraoperative diagnosis is critical for precise cancer surgery. However, traditional intraoperative assessments based on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) histology, such as frozen section, are time-, resource-, and labor-intensive, and involve specimen-consuming concerns. Here, we report a near-real-time automated cancer diagnosis workflow for breast cancer that combines dynamic full-field optical coherence tomography (D-FFOCT), a label-free optical imaging method, and deep learning for bedside tumor diagnosis during surgery. To classify the benign and malignant breast tissues, we conducted a prospective cohort trial. In the modeling group (n = 182), D-FFOCT images were captured from April 26 to June 20, 2018, encompassing 48 benign lesions, 114 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), 10 invasive lobular carcinoma, 4 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and 6 rare tumors. Deep learning model was built up and fine-tuned in 10,357 D-FFOCT patches. Subsequently, from June 22 to August 17, 2018, independent tests (n = 42) were conducted on 10 benign lesions, 29 IDC, 1 DCIS, and 2 rare tumors. The model yielded excellent performance, with an accuracy of 97.62%, sensitivity of 96.88% and specificity of 100%; only one IDC was misclassified. Meanwhile, the acquisition of the D-FFOCT images was non-destructive and did not require any tissue preparation or staining procedures. In the simulated intraoperative margin evaluation procedure, the time required for our novel workflow (approximately 3 min) was significantly shorter than that required for traditional procedures (approximately 30 min). These findings indicate that the combination of D-FFOCT and deep learning algorithms can streamline intraoperative cancer diagnosis independently of traditional pathology laboratory procedures.

Measurements of All-Particle Energy Spectrum and Mean Logarithmic Mass of Cosmic Rays from 0.3 to 30 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

We present the measurements of all-particle energy spectrum and mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays in the energy range of 0.3-30 PeV using data collected from LHAASO-KM2A between September 2021 and December 2022, which is based on a nearly composition-independent energy reconstruction method, achieving unprecedented accuracy. Our analysis reveals the position of the knee at 3.67±0.05±0.15  PeV. Below the knee, the spectral index is found to be -2.7413±0.0004±0.0050, while above the knee, it is -3.128±0.005±0.027, with the sharpness of the transition measured with a statistical error of 2%. The mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays is almost heavier than helium in the whole measured energy range. It decreases from 1.7 at 0.3 PeV to 1.3 at 3 PeV, representing a 24% decline following a power law with an index of -0.1200±0.0003±0.0341. This is equivalent to an increase in abundance of light components. Above the knee, the mean logarithmic mass exhibits a power law trend towards heavier components, which is reversal to the behavior observed in the all-particle energy spectrum. Additionally, the knee position and the change in power-law index are approximately the same. These findings suggest that the knee observed in the all-particle spectrum corresponds to the knee of the light component, rather than the medium-heavy components.

Study of High-Transverse-Momentum Higgs Boson Production in Association with a Vector Boson in the qqbb Final State with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter presents the first study of Higgs boson production in association with a vector boson (V=W or Z) in the fully hadronic qqbb final state using data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137  fb^{-1}. The vector bosons and Higgs bosons are each reconstructed as large-radius jets and tagged using jet substructure techniques. Dedicated tagging algorithms exploiting b-tagging properties are used to identify jets consistent with Higgs bosons decaying into bb[over ¯]. Dominant backgrounds from multijet production are determined directly from the data, and a likelihood fit to the jet mass distribution of Higgs boson candidates is used to extract the number of signal events. The VH production cross section is measured inclusively and differentially in several ranges of Higgs boson transverse momentum: 250-450, 450-650, and greater than 650 GeV. The inclusive signal yield relative to the standard model expectation is observed to be μ=1.4_{-0.9}^{+1.0} and the corresponding cross section is 3.1±1.3(stat)_{-1.4}^{+1.8}(syst)  pb.

Research on smart city public health detection system and improvement technology based on intelligent multi-objective

Introduction

With the increase of urban population density, urban sanitation becomes more severe; urban sanitation has important influence on public health. Therefore, in order to realize the detection of public health in smart cities, the research will use cutting-edge scientific and technological methods to improve urban environmental health, so as to promote the realization of public health achievements. This study introduces public health detection and optimizationtechnologies for smart cities.

Methods

Firstly, a data detection system for urban public health environment was established using sensors and intelligent multi-objective technology to evaluate the water quality, air quality, and noise level of the city. Then, an intelligent garbage management system based on Tensor-flow was constructed to achieve efficient garbage collection and treatment. Finally, an intelligent traffic management system was developed to monitor and regulate urban traffic flow.

Results

The results of the simulation experiment demonstrated that the life data detection system was operationally stable, with a high success rate of 98%. Furthermore, its accuracy in detecting residents' living environment data was above 95%, the maximum relative error was only 0.0465, making it a reliable and efficient tool. The waste recycling system achieved a minimum accuracy of 83.6%, the highest accuracy rate was 95.3%, making it capable of sorting and recycling urban waste effectively. Additionally, the smart traffic management system led to a 20% reduction in traffic congestion rates, 20 tonnes less tailpipe emissions and an improvement in public health and well-being.

Discussion

In summary, the plan proposed in this study aims to create a more comfortable, safe, and healthy urban public health environment, while providing theoretical support for environmental health management in smart cities.

Promotion of improved intestinal barrier health by soybean-derived bioactive peptides in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) fed a low fishmeal diet

To alleviate the growth inhibition, and intestinal damage of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) induced by low fishmeal diets (LF), an 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the addition of dietary soybean-derived bioactive peptides (SBP) in LF diets on the regulation of growth, digestion and intestinal health. The crabs were fed isonitrogenous and isoenergetic conventional diet and LF diets (10 % fishmeal replaced by soybean meal, LF) supplemented with 0, 1 %, 2 %, 4 % and 6 % SBP, respectively. The results showed that LF diet inhibited growth while inclusion of SBP quadratically remitted the growth inhibition induced by LF. For digestive function, increasing addition level of SBP quadratically improved the α-amylase and trypsin activities. For antioxidant function, LF group significantly increased the malondialdehyde content, while SBP linearly decreased the malondialdehyde level and cubically increased the anti-superoxide anion activity and total antioxidant capacity level. For intestinal health, the peritrophic membrane (PM) almost completely separated from the inner wall of the intestinal lumen, the epithelial cells reduced, the muscularis became thinner and the apoptotic signals increased in LF group; with SBP addition, the intestinal morphology was improved, with the PM adhering to the inner wall of the intestinal lumen, an increase in the number of epithelial cells and an increase in the thickness of the muscularis. Additionally, there was a decrease in apoptotic signals. Dietary SBP also increased the expression of PT and Crustin1 quadratically and decreased the expression of ALF1 linearly, ALF3 and ILF2 quadratically.

Template-Free Synthesis of High Dehydration Performance CHA Zeolite Membranes with Increased Si/Al Ratio Using SSZ-13 Seeds

Pervaporation is an energy-efficient alternative to conventional distillation for water/alcohol separations. In this work, a novel CHA zeolite membrane with an increased Si/Al ratio was synthesized in the absence of organic templates for the first time. Nanosized high-silica zeolite (SSZ-13) seeds were used for the secondary growth of the membrane. The separation performance of membranes in different alcohol-aqueous mixtures was measured. The effects of water content in the feed and the temperature on the separation performance using pervaporation and vapor permeation were also studied. The best membrane showed a water/ethanol separation factor above 100,000 and a total flux of 1.2 kg/(m2 h) at 348 K in a 10 wt.% water-ethanol mixed solution. A membrane with high performance and an increased Si/Al ratio is promising for the application of alcohol dehydration.

Thermophoretic Aggregation Imaging of Tumor-Derived Exosomes by CRISPR-Cas13a-Based Nanoprobes

The inherent heterogeneity of tumor-derived exosomes holds great promise for enhancing the precision of cancer diagnostics. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) encapsulated in tumor-associated exosomes have emerged as valuable biomarkers for the early detection of cancers. Nevertheless, the flexible structure and inherent instability of RNA limit its application in biological diagnostics. The CRISPR-Cas13a system, distinguished by its target-responsive "collateral effect", represents a powerful tool for advancing cancer diagnostics. In this study, we harness the CRISPR-Cas13a system as an innovative signal amplification tool to image cancer-related exosomal miRNA in situ. Furthermore, we capitalize on the thermophoretic aggregation effect exhibited by gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) to consolidate the fluorescent signals generated by the CRISPR-Cas13a system. Subsequently, the developed nanoprobe is applied to detect lung cancer-related exosomal miRNA from human serum, enabling the aggregated visualization of low-abundance cancer exosomes in individuals with lung cancer compared with healthy individuals. This sensitive thermophoretic aggregation assay provides a diagnostic tool for lung cancer in the clinic.

A near-complete genome assembly of Monochamus alternatus a major vector beetle of pinewood nematode

The Japanese sawyer beetle, Monochamus alternatus, is not only one of the most important wood boring pest itself, but also a major vector of the invasive pinewood nematode (PWN), which is the causal agent of the devastative pine wilt disease (PWD) and threats the global pine forest. Here, we present a near-complete genome of M. alternatus at the chromosome level. The assembled genome was 792.05 Mb with contig N50 length of 55.99 Mb, which is the largest N50 size among the sequenced Coleoptera insects currently. 99.57% of sequence was anchored onto ten pseudochromosomes (one X-chromosome and nine autosomes), and the final genome harbored only 13 gaps. BUSCO evaluation revealed the presence of 99.0% of complete core genes. Thus, our genome assembly represented the highest-contiguity genome assembly as well as high completeness in insects so far. We identified 20,471 protein-coding genes, of which 20,070 (98.04%) were functionally annotated. The genome assembly of M. alternatus provides a valuable resource for exploring the evolution of the symbiosis between PWN and the vector insects.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation study of etomidate: a randomized, open-label, 2-period crossover study in healthy Chinese subjects

Etomidate is a sedative and hypnotic drug through intravenous administration that act on the central nervous system through GABA (Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid) receptors, which is widely used in anesthesia induction and maintenance and long-term sedation in severe patients. The study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of two etomidate fat emulsions after administration through the intravenous infusion pump in healthy Chinese subjects. A randomized, open-label, 2-period crossover study was performed in 52 healthy subjects. The wash-out period was 7 days. Blood samples and pharmacodynamic index values were collected at the specified time points. Etomidate concentrations were measured using validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed using a non-compartment model method. Pharmacodynamic parameters were calculated using pharmacodynamic index values. The study also evaluated the safety of the etomidate. Both the pharmacokinetic parameters and pharmacodynamic parameters result of the test and reference formulation were very similar. The 90% confidence intervals (CI) of the geometric least-squares mean (GLSM) ratios of the test to reference formulation were 91.33-104.96% for the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), 97.21-102.03% for the area under the plasma concentration time curve from time 0 to the time of the last measurable concentration (AUC0-t), and 97.22-102.33% for the area under the plasma concentration time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC0-∞). Meanwhile, the 90% CI of the GLSM ratios of the test to reference formulation were 102.28-110.69% for the minimal BIS value (BISmin), 99.23-101.17% for the area under the BIS time curve from time 0-60 min after administration (BISAUC0-60 min), respectively. The 90% CI of these pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters all fall in the accepted bioequivalence range of 80.00-125.00%. No serious adverse events occurred during the study. This study has shown that the etomidate fat emulsion test and reference formulation had similar pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics in vivo. The two formulations exhibited good safety and well-tolerance.Clinical trials registration number: http://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn/index.html . # CTR20191836.

Bifidobacterium longum suppresses colorectal cancer through the modulation of intestinal microbes and immune function

Colorectal cancer (CRC), one of the most common malignancies in the world, urgently requires more treatment strategies. Although there has been much research on probiotics, limited research has been done in treating cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) in the prevention and treatment of CRC. Through Cell Counting Kit-8 and Colony Formation Assays, 8 h and a B. longum count of 1 × 108 CFU/ml were chosen as the best cocultivation conditions with CRC cells. The role of B. longum in inhibiting the progression of CRC cells was verified by a series of functional and immunofluorescence assays. For instance, in vivo assays have verified that B. longum could alleviate CRC progression. In addition, according to the results of in vivo assays and clinical statistical analysis, B. longum could reduce diarrhea symptoms. Mechanistically, by 16S and RNA sequencing, it was found that B. longum could affect the development of CRC by regulating the composition of gut microbes and enhancing immune function. The B. longum might inhibit the occurrence and development of CRC and relieve diarrhea symptoms by regulating intestinal microbes and immune function.

PD-1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy for first-line treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with distant metastasis: a real-world retrospective study

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the efficacy and safety of PD-1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) with distant metastasis in the real world are as effective and safe as in clinical trials.

Patients and methods

From July 2019 to July 2023, a total of 422 patients with distant metastasis of ESCC were included and divided into the PD-1 inhibitor combined chemotherapy group (PC group) and the chemotherapy alone group (C group) according to the treatment regimen. There were 278 patients in the PC group and 144 patients in the C group. The primary endpoint of this study was progression-free survival (PFS), while secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and safety.

Results

The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of the PC group were 44.60% (124/278) and 91.00% (253/278), respectively, which were 18.9% and 3.5% higher than those of the C group. The median PFS and median OS of the PC group were significantly better than those of the C group (median PFS: 6.5 vs. 5.5 months, P < 0.001; median OS: 16.6 vs. 13.9 months, P = 0.002). Further univariate and multivariate Cox analysis showed that the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) score and the number of metastatic sites were potential predictors of PFS in PC patients. The combination of PD-1 inhibitors with cisplatin and paclitaxel (TP) was more beneficial for patients with PFS compared to the combination of cisplatin and fluorouracil (PF). Furthermore, the presence of bone metastasis, body mass index (BMI), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LWR) before treatment may be potential predictive factors for patient OS. The adverse reactions that occurred in the PC group can be tolerated or alleviated after both prevention and active treatment.

Conclusions

The combination of PD-1 inhibitors and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for ESCC patients with distant metastasis still has good efficacy and safety compared to clinical trials in the real world.

Tuning the Flat Band in Bi2O2Se by Pressure to Induce Superconductivity

The discovery of superconductivity in twisted bilayer graphene has reignited enthusiasm in the field of flat-band superconductivity. However, important challenges remain, such as constructing a flat-band structure and inducing a superconducting state in materials. Here, we successfully achieved superconductivity in Bi2O2Se by pressure-tuning the flat-band electronic structure. Experimental measurements combined with theoretical calculations reveal that the occurrence of pressure-induced superconductivity at 30 GPa is associated with a flat-band electronic structure near the Fermi level. Moreover, in Bi2O2Se, a van Hove singularity is observed at the Fermi level alongside pronounced Fermi surface nesting. These remarkable features play a crucial role in promoting strong electron-phonon interactions, thus potentially enhancing the superconducting properties of the material. These findings demonstrate that pressure offers a potential experimental strategy for precisely tuning the flat band and achieving superconductivity.

Current status of neoadjuvant immunotherapy for the treatment of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors worldwide, characterized by high incidence and mortality rates. At present, comprehensive surgical treatment has enhanced the prognosis of locally advanced gastric cancer patients significantly. However, the postoperative recurrence rate remains high, and the long-term survival for patients is sub-optimal. In recent years, immunotherapy has garnered extensive attention as an innovative approach to the treatment of gastric cancer. Indeed, multiple studies have validated its therapeutic effects in advanced gastric cancer patients, leading to its incorporation into treatment guidelines. Currently, researchers are exploring the application of immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting globally in order to further adjust and refine neoadjuvant immunotherapy regimens for gastric cancer. This article summarizes the research progress and controversies associated with neoadjuvant immunotherapy in gastric cancer, aiming to optimize clinical benefits for gastric cancer patients undergoing this treatment approach. The retrieval methods of this study encompassed databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, clinicaltrials.gov, etc. The retrieved articles included guidelines, consensus, meta-analyses, clinical trials, and reviews related to locally advanced gastric cancer published up to January 2024.

A review of biomineralization in healing concrete: Mechanism, biodiversity, and application

Concrete is the main ingredient in construction, but it inevitably fractures during its service life, requiring a large amount of cement and aggregate for maintenance. Concrete healing through biomineralization can repair cracks and improve the durability of concrete, which is conducive to saving raw materials and reducing carbon emissions. This paper reviews the biodiversity of microorganisms capable of precipitating mineralization to repair the concrete and their mineralization ability under different conditions. To better understand the mass transfer process of precipitates, two biomineralization mechanisms, microbially-controlled mineralization and microbially-induced mineralization, have been briefly described. The application of microorganisms in the field of healing concrete, comprising passive healing and intrinsic healing, is discussed. The key insight on the interaction between cementitious materials and microorganisms is the main approach for developing novel self-healing concrete in the future to improve the corrosion resistance of concrete. At the same time, the limitations and challenges are also pointed out.