Additively Manufactured Flexible Liquid Metal-Coated Self-Powered Magnetoelectric Sensors with High Design Freedom

Although additive manufacturing enables controllable structural design and customized performance for magnetoelectric sensors, their design and fabrication still require careful matching of the size and modulus between the magnetic and conductive components. Achieving magnetoelectric integration remains challenging, and the rigid coils limit the flexibility of the sensors. To overcome these obstacles, this study proposes a composite process combining selective laser sintering (SLS) and 3D transfer printing for fabricating flexible liquid metal-coated magnetoelectric sensors. The liquid metal forms a conformal conductive network on the SLS-printed magnetic lattice structure. Deformation of the structure alters the magnetic flux passing through it, thereby generating voltage. A reverse model segmentation and summation method is established to calculate the theoretical magnetic flux. The impact of the volume fraction, unit size, and height of the sensors on the voltage is studied, and optimization of these factors yields a maximum voltage of 45.6 µV. The sensor has excellent sensing performance with a sensitivity of 10.9 kPa-1 and a minimum detection pressure of 0.1 kPa. The voltage can be generated through various external forces. This work presents a significant advancement in fabricating liquid metal-based magnetoelectric sensors by improving their structural flexibility, magnetoelectric integration, and design freedom.

A Metabolome and Microbiome Analysis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Insights into the Carnosine-Histidine Metabolic Pathway

Metabolism underlies the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and can be influenced by gut microbiota. However, the specific metabolic changes in different tissues and the role of gut microbiota in AML remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed the metabolome differences in blood samples from patients with AML and healthy controls using UPLC-Q-Exactive. Additionally, we examined the serum, liver, and fecal metabolome of AML model mice and control mice using UPLC-Q-Exactive. The gut microbiota of the mice were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Our UPLC-MS analysis revealed significant differences in metabolites between the AML and control groups in multiple tissue samples. Through cross-species validation in humans and animals, as well as reverse validation of Celastrol, we discovered that the Carnosine-Histidine metabolic pathway may play a potential role in the occurrence and progression of AML. Furthermore, our analysis of gut microbiota showed no significant diversity changes, but we observed a significant negative correlation between the key metabolite Carnosine and Peptococcaceae and Campylobacteraceae. In conclusion, the Carnosine-Histidine metabolic pathway influences the occurrence and progression of AML, while the gut microbiota might play a role in this process.

Size Control of On-Surface Self-Assembled Nanochains Using Soft Building Blocks

Owing to their conformational flexibility, soft molecules with side chains play a crucial role in molecular self-assembly or self-organization processes toward bottom-up building of supramolecular nanostructures. However, the influence of the rotating side chains in the confined space and subsequent surface-confined supramolecular self-assembly remains rarely explored. Herein, using the spatial confinement effect between soft building blocks, we realized size control on surface-confined supramolecular coordination self-assembly through the synergy between the repulsive steric hindrance and the attractive chemical interactions. Combining scanning tunneling microscopy with density functional theory calculations and Monte Carlo simulations, we elucidated the effective repulsive force generated by the thermal wiggling motions of the soft building blocks, allowing length tuning of the self-assembled chain structures. Through a delicate balance between the repulsive interaction induced by the spatial confinement effect and the coordinate chemical interaction, we provide a new strategy for controlling the geometry of the on-surface supramolecular nanostructures.

3D Printed Conformal Strain and Humidity Sensors for Human Motion Prediction and Health Monitoring via Machine Learning

Wearable sensors have garnered considerable attention due to their flexibility and lightweight characteristics in the realm of healthcare applications. However, developing robust wearable sensors with facile fabrication and good conformity remains a challenge. In this study, a conductive graphene nanoplate-carbon nanotube (GC) ink is synthesized for multi jet fusion (MJF) printing. The layer-by-layer fabrication process of MJF not only improves the mechanical and flame-retardant properties of the printed GC sensor but also bolsters its robustness and sensitivity. The direction of sensor bending significantly impacts the relative resistance changes, allowing for precise investigations of joint motions in the human body, such as those of the fingers, wrists, elbows, necks, and knees. Furthermore, the data of resistance changes collected by the GC sensor are utilized to train a support vector machine with a 95.83% accuracy rate for predicting human motions. Due to its stable humidity sensitivity, the sensor also demonstrates excellent performance in monitoring human breath and predicting breath modes (normal, fast, and deep breath), thereby expanding its potential applications in healthcare. This work opens up new avenues for using MJF-printed wearable sensors for a variety of healthcare applications.

Recent Advances in Laser-Induced Synthesis of MOF Derivatives

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline materials with permanent pores constructed by the self-assembly of organic ligands and metal clusters through coordination bonds. Due to their diversity and tunability, MOFs are used as precursors to be converted into other types of functional materials by pyrolytic recrystallization. Laser-induced synthesis is proven to be a powerful pyrolytic processing technique with fast and accurate laser irradiation, low loss, high efficiency, selectivity, and programmability, which endow MOF derivatives with new features. Laser-induced MOF derivatives exhibit high versatility in multidisciplinary research fields. In this review, first, the basic principles of laser smelting and the types of materials for laser preparation of MOF derivatives are briefly introduced. Subsequently, it is focused on the peculiarity of the engineering of structural defects and their applications in catalysis, environmental protection, and energy fields. Finally, the challenges and opportunities at the current stage are highlighted with the aim of elucidating the future direction of the rapidly growing field of laser-induced synthesis of MOF derivatives.

Genomic and transcriptomic insights into complex virus-prokaryote interactions in marine biofilms

Marine biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms that play a crucial ecological role in oceans. Although prokaryotes are the dominant members of these biofilms, little is known about their interactions with viruses. By analysing publicly available and newly sequenced metagenomic data, we identified 2446 virus-prokaryote connections in 84 marine biofilms. Most of these connections were between the bacteriophages in the Uroviricota phylum and the bacteria of Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidota. The network of virus-host pairs is complex; a single virus can infect multiple prokaryotic populations or a single prokaryote is susceptible to several viral populations. Analysis of genomes of paired prokaryotes and viruses revealed the presence of 425 putative auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs), 239 viral genes related to restriction-modification (RM) systems and 38,538 prokaryotic anti-viral defence-related genes involved in 15 defence systems. Transcriptomic evidence from newly established biofilms revealed the expression of viral genes, including AMGs and RM, and prokaryotic defence systems, indicating the active interplay between viruses and prokaryotes. A comparison between biofilms and seawater showed that biofilm prokaryotes have more abundant defence genes than seawater prokaryotes, and the defence gene composition differs between biofilms and the surrounding seawater. Overall, our study unveiled active viruses in natural biofilms and their complex interplay with prokaryotes, which may result in the blooming of defence strategists in biofilms. The detachment of bloomed defence strategists may reduce the infectivity of viruses in seawater and result in the emergence of a novel role of marine biofilms.

A Psychoacoustic Quality Criterion for Path-Traced Sound Propagation

In developing virtual acoustic environments, it is important to understand the relationship between the computation cost and the perceptual significance of the resultant numerical error. In this article, we propose a quality criterion that evaluates the error significance of path-tracing-based sound propagation simulators. We present an analytical formula that estimates the error signal power spectrum. With this spectrum estimation, we can use a modified Zwicker's loudness model to calculate the relative loudness of the error signal masked by the ideal output. Our experimental results show that the proposed criterion can explain the human perception of simulation error in a variety of cases.

Chemoproteomic mapping of the glycolytic targetome in cancer cells

Hyperactivated glycolysis is a metabolic hallmark of most cancer cells. Although sporadic information has revealed that glycolytic metabolites possess nonmetabolic functions as signaling molecules, how these metabolites interact with and functionally regulate their binding targets remains largely elusive. Here, we introduce a target-responsive accessibility profiling (TRAP) approach that measures changes in ligand binding-induced accessibility for target identification by globally labeling reactive proteinaceous lysines. With TRAP, we mapped 913 responsive target candidates and 2,487 interactions for 10 major glycolytic metabolites in a model cancer cell line. The wide targetome depicted by TRAP unveils diverse regulatory modalities of glycolytic metabolites, and these modalities involve direct perturbation of enzymes in carbohydrate metabolism, intervention of an orphan transcriptional protein's activity and modulation of targetome-level acetylation. These results further our knowledge of how glycolysis orchestrates signaling pathways in cancer cells to support their survival, and inspire exploitation of the glycolytic targetome for cancer therapy.

Causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism: a bidirectional two-sample univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization study

Objective

The causal relationship between Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism remains controversial due to the limitations of conventional observational research, such as confounding variables and reverse causality. We aimed to examine the potential causal relationship between RA and hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism using Mendelian randomization (MR).

Method

We conducted a bidirectional two-sample univariable analysis to investigate the potential causal relationship between hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism and RA. Furthermore, we performed a multivariate analysis to account for the impact of body mass index (BMI), smoking quantity, and alcohol intake frequency.

Results

The univariable analysis indicated that RA has a causative influence on hypothyroidism (odds ratio [OR]=1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.01-1.14, P=0.02) and hyperthyroidism (OR=1.32, 95% CI=1.15-1.52, P<0.001). When hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism was considered as an exposure variable, we only observed a causal relationship between hypothyroidism (OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.05-1.40, P=0.01) and RA, whereas no such connection was found between hyperthyroidism (OR=0.91, 95% CI=0.83-1.01, P=0.07) and RA. In the multivariate MR analyses, after separately and jointly adjusting for the effects of daily smoking quantity, alcohol intake frequency, and BMI, the causal impact of RA on hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism on RA remained robust. However, there is no evidence to suggest a causal effect of hyperthyroidism on the risk of RA (P >0.05).

Conclusion

Univariate and multivariate MR analyses have validated the causal association between RA and hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism confirmed a causal relationship with RA when employed as an exposure variable, whereas no such relationship was found between hyperthyroidism and RA.

The Characteristics of Transcription Factors Regulating T Cell Exhaustion Were Analyzed to Predict the Prognosis and Therapeutic Effect in Patients with HCC

Purpose

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, posing a significant threat to people in diverse regions. T-cell exhaustion (Tex) can hinder the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with HCC, and the transcription factors that regulate Tex in HCC have not yet been fully elucidated.

Patients and Methods

We used the single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) method to define the transcription factor pathway that regulates Tex and employed LASSO regression analysis to establish Tex related genes (TEXRS). To predict differences in immunotherapy efficacy between the two groups, we used the immunophenotype score and submap algorithm. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression levels of the model genes in 21 pairs of HCC tissues. Finally, we assessed the cell communication strength and identified ligand receptors using the "CellChat" R package.

Results

Nine Tex transcription factors were identified as regulators of the HCC immune microenvironment, with Tex scores affecting patient survival. Patients with a high Tex Risk Score (TEXRS) had significantly worse overall survival compared to patients with low TEXRS. After adjusting for confounding factors, TEXRS remained an independent prognostic factor. Importantly, TEXRS performed well in multiple independent external validation cohorts. Various algorithms have shown that patients in the low-TEXRS group might benefit more from immunotherapy. Finally, RT-qPCR analysis of 21 HCC samples showed that C7, CD5L, and SDS were significantly downregulated in HCC tissues, consistent with the bioinformatics analysis results.

Conclusion

TEXRS proved to be a valuable predictor of immunotherapy and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization efficacy in patients with HCC. This holds promise for enhancing the prognosis and treatment outcomes of patients with HCC.

Genomic insights into the adaptation of Synechococcus to the coastal environment on Xiamen

Synechococcus are widely distributed in the global ocean, from the pelagic zone to coastal waters. However, little is known about Synechococcus in coastal seawater due to limitations in isolation and culture conditions. In this study, a combination of metagenomic sequencing technology, flow cytometry sorting, and multiple displacement amplification was used to investigate Synechococcus in the coastal seawater of Xiamen Island. The results revealed 18 clades of Synechococcus and diverse metabolic genes that appear to contribute to their adaptation to the coastal environment. Intriguingly, some metabolic genes related to the metabolism of carbohydrates, energy, nucleotides, and amino acids were found in 89 prophage regions that were detected in 16,258 Synechococcus sequences. The detected metabolic genes can enable prophages to contribute to the adaptation of Synechococcus hosts to the coastal marine environment. The detection of prophages also suggests that the cyanophages have infected Synechococcus. On the other hand, the identification of 773 genes associated with antiviral defense systems indicates that Synechococcus in Xiamen have evolved genetic traits in response to cyanophage infection. Studying the community diversity and functional genes of Synechococcus provides insights into their role in environmental adaptation and marine ecosystems.

Conventional Understanding of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and Common Strategies for Developing Its Inhibitors

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought a widespread influence on the world, especially in the face of sudden coronavirus infections, and there is still an urgent need for specific small molecule therapies to cope with possible future pandemics. The pathogen responsible for this pandemic is Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and understanding its structure and lifecycle is beneficial for designing specific drugs of treatment for COVID-19. The main protease (Mpro ) which has conservative and specific advantages is essential for viral replication and transcription. It is regarded as one of the most potential targets for anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug development. This review introduces the popular knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in drug development and lists a series of design principles and relevant activities of advanced Mpro inhibitors, hoping to provide some new directions and ideas for researchers.

Intelligent upgrade of waste-activated sludge dewatering process based on artificial neural network model: Core influential factor identification and non-experimental prediction of sludge dewatering performance

Owing to the extremely complex compositions and origins of waste-activated sludge (WAS), the multiple physiochemical properties of WAS have impacts on its dewaterability, and there is a complex interaction relationship among the multiple physiochemical properties, which makes it difficult to identify the controlling factors on WAS dewaterability. Accordingly, there is still no unified certainty in the appropriate ranges of physiochemical properties for the optimal dewaterability of sludge from different sources, resulting in a lack of clear theoretical basis for technical selection and optimization of sludge dewatering processes. The large consumption of conditioning chemicals and low process efficiency stand for the major deficiency of existing sludge conditioning technologies. This study proposed to use a non-linear, adaptive and self-organizing artificial neural network (ANN) model to integrate the multiple physiochemical properties of WAS affecting its dewaterability, and WAS dewatering performance under certain conditioning schemes could be predicated by ANN model with the multiple physiochemical properties and conditioning operation parameters as the input arguments. Thus, the laborious filtration experiments for screening conditioning chemicals could be replaced by the input adjustment of ANN model. Rooted mean squared error (RMSE) of 6.51 and coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.73 confirmed the satisfied stability and accuracy of established ANN model. Furthermore, the predictor-exclusive method revealed that the exclusion of polar interface free energy decreased most, which reflected the importance of surface hydrophilicity reduction in sludge dewaterability improvement. All the contributions presented here were believed to provide an intelligent insight to improve the experience operation status of WAS dewatering process.

Reverse complete heart block using transcutaneous pacing and repeated plasmapheresis in a neonate with lupus: a case report

BACKGROUND

It has been reported that the complete heart block (CHB) in neonatal lupus (NL) cannot be reversed. This study reported a case of NL-CHB that was reversed by transcutaneous pacing and repeated plasmapheresis.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 35+ 6-week male preterm baby was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit of the Army Medical Center in May 2020 for slight cyanosis around the lips and nose. Two days after birth, a sudden decrease in heart rate was observed during electrocardiogram (EGG) monitoring. Physical examination revealed a bluish-purple discoloration around the lips and an irregular heartbeat. EGG showed the presence of isolated P (142 bpm) and QRS (78 bpm) waves, ventricular escape beats, and a diagnosis of NL-CHB. To reverse the condition, transcutaneous pacing and five sessions of plasmapheresis were performed. At a 1.5-year follow-up, the baby exhibited well-developed cardiac structure and normal neurodevelopment.

CONCLUSIONS

Transcutaneous pacing and repeated plasmapheresis might be possible to reverse CHB in NL.

Exploring Effects and Mechanism of Ingredients of Herba Epimedii on Osteogenesis and Osteoclastogenesis In Vitro

BACKGROUND

Herba Epimedii, a commonly used traditional herb, has been proven effective in ameliorating osteoporosis. However, the active ingredients and potential mechanism need further exploration.

OBJECTIVE

To screen active ingredients of Herba Epimedii with the effect of ameliorating osteoporosis and to explore their potential mechanisms.

METHODS

TCMSP and Swiss Target Prediction were applied to collect the ingredients of Herba Epimedii and their targets. UniProt, GeneCards, TTD, DisGeNET, and OMIM were adopted to search osteoporosis-related genes. STRING and DAVID were used to perform enrichment analysis. Effects of screened ingredients were evaluated on MC3T3-E1 cells and RAW264.7 cells, respectively.

RESULTS

Eleven ingredients were screened by Network Pharmacology. They exerted a promoting effect on MC3T3-E1 cells (10-9-10-5 M). The ingredients didn't significantly affect ALP activity and osteoblastogenesis-related genes. Baohuoside 1, Sagittatoside B, Chlorogenic acid, Cryptochlorogenic acid, and Neochlorogenic acid significantly increased calcium depositions. The ingredients didn't exhibit a dose-dependent inhibition or promotion on RAW264.7 cells. Baohuoside 1, Sagittatoside B, Neochlorogenic acid, Cryptochlorogenic acid, Icariin, Epimedin A, Chlorogenic acid, Sagittatoside A, and Epimedin C suppressed the level of TRACP. Baohuoside 1, Sagittatoside B, Cryptochlorogenic acid, Neochlorogenic acid, Chlorogenic acid, Sagittatoside A, and Icariin decreased the number of multinucleated osteoclastic cells. Baohuoside 1, Sagittatoside B, and Cryptochlorogenic acid could significantly inhibit MMP-9 expression.

CONCLUSION

Neochlorogenic acid, Sagittatoside B, Chlorogenic acid, and Cryptochlorogenic acid promoted MC3T3-E1 differentiation, among which Neochlorogenic acid showed significant promotion in viability, mineralization, and OPN expression. Baohuoside 1, Sagittatoside B, Cryptochlorogenic acid, Neochlorogenic acid, Chlorogenic acid, and Icariin inhibited RAW264.7 differentiation, among which Baohuoside 1 showed significant inhibition on TRACP, multinucleated osteoclastic cells number and MPP-9 expression. The mechanism might relate to the FoxO signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway.

Targeted inhibition of Wnt signaling with a Clostridioides difficile toxin B fragment suppresses breast cancer tumor growth

Wnt signaling pathways are transmitted via 10 homologous frizzled receptors (FZD1-10) in humans. Reagents broadly inhibiting Wnt signaling pathways reduce growth and metastasis of many tumors, but their therapeutic development has been hampered by the side effect. Inhibitors targeting specific Wnt-FZD pair(s) enriched in cancer cells may reduce side effect, but the therapeutic effect of narrow-spectrum Wnt-FZD inhibitors remains to be established in vivo. Here, we developed a fragment of C. difficile toxin B (TcdBFBD), which recognizes and inhibits a subclass of FZDs, FZD1/2/7, and examined whether targeting this FZD subgroup may offer therapeutic benefits for treating breast cancer models in mice. Utilizing 2 basal-like and 1 luminal-like breast cancer models, we found that TcdBFBD reduces tumor-initiating cells and attenuates growth of basal-like mammary tumor organoids and xenografted tumors, without damaging Wnt-sensitive tissues such as bones in vivo. Furthermore, FZD1/2/7-positive cells are enriched in chemotherapy-resistant cells in both basal-like and luminal mammary tumors treated with cisplatin, and TcdBFBD synergizes strongly with cisplatin in inhibiting both tumor types. These data demonstrate the therapeutic value of narrow-spectrum Wnt signaling inhibitor in treating breast cancers.

The bacterial succession and its role in flavor compounds formation during the fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves

Fermentation is the key process required for developing the characteristic properties of cigar tobacco leaves, complex microorganisms are involved in this process. However, the microbial fermentation mechanisms during the fermentation process have not been well-characterized. This study investigated the dynamic changes in conventional chemical composition, flavor compounds, and bacterial community during the fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves from Hainan and Sichuan provinces in China, as well as the potential roles of bacteria. Fermentation resulted in a reduction of conventional chemical components in tobacco leaves, with the exception of a noteworthy increase in insoluble protein content. Furthermore, the levels of 10 organic acids and 19 amino acids showed a significant decrease, whereas the concentration of 30 aromatic substances exhibited a unimodal trend. Before fermentation, the bacterial community structures and dominant bacteria in Hainan and Sichuan tobacco leaves differed significantly. As fermentation progressed, the community structures in the two regions became relatively similar, with Delftia, Ochrobactrum, Rhodococcus, and Stenotrophomonas being dominant. Furthermore, a total of 12 functional bacterial genera were identified in Hainan and Sichuan tobacco leaves using bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares (O2PLS) analysis. Delftia, Ochrobactrum, and Rhodococcus demonstrated a significant negative correlation with oleic acid and linoleic acid, while Stenotrophomonas and Delftia showed a significant negative correlation with undesirable amino acids, such as Ala and Glu. In addition, Bacillus showed a positive correlation with benzaldehyde, while Kocuria displayed a positive correlation with 2-acetylfuran, isophorone, 2, 6-nonadienal, and β-damascenone. The co-occurrence network analysis of microorganisms revealed a prevalence of positive correlations within the bacterial network, with non-abundant bacteria potentially contributing to the stabilization of the bacterial community. These findings can improve the overall tobacco quality and provide a novel perspective on the utilization of microorganisms in the fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves.

Comparison of subperiosteal or subgaleal drainage and subdural drainage in patients with chronic subdural hematoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a relatively common disease, especially in the elderly, for which there is no clear standard of treatment available. The authors systematically evaluated the efficacy of various surgical procedures for the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma.

METHODS

Electronic databases of PubMed, EmBase, Web of Science, Medicine, and the Cochrane Library were searched systematically. Based on the PRISMA template, we finally selected and analyzed 13 eligible papers to evaluate the effect of different drainage methods on CSDH. The primary outcomes were recurrence and clinical outcomes. Secondary outcomes were mortality and postoperative complications and other parameters.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis included 3 randomized controlled trials and 10 retrospective studies (non-randomized controlled trials) involving 3619 patients. The pooled results showed no statistically significant difference between non-subdural drainage (NSD) and subdural drainage (SD) in mortality and complication rates (P > 0.05). Additionally, overall pooled results showed that the use of NSD (10.9%) has a lower recurrence rate than the use of SD (11.7%), but the results were not statistically significant (relative risk ratio [RR] = 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.70-1.45; I2 = 47%; P = .92). However, the difference between NSD and SD in postoperative bleeding rate reached statistical significance (RR = 2.39; 95% CI = 1.31-4.36; I2 = 0 %; P = .004). Subgroup analysis showed that SD was associated with similar recurrent CSDH (RR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.52-1.09; I2 = 0%; P = .14), good recovery (RR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.93-1.04; I2 = 0%; P = .50), and mortality (RR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.37-2.57; I2 = 0%; P = .96), compared to NSD.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that NSD and SD are equally effective in the treatment of patients with CSDH, with no difference in final clinical characteristics and radiologic outcomes. However, in patients with limited subdural space after evacuation of a hematoma, NSD may be the preferred strategy to avoid iatrogenic brain injury.

Low-dose anti-thymocyte globulin plus low-dose post-transplant cyclophosphamide-based regimen for prevention of graft-versus-host disease after haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplants: a large sample, long-term follow-up retrospective study

Introduction

The novel low-dose anti-thymocyte (ATG, 5 mg/kg) plus low-dose post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy, 50 mg/kg) (low-dose ATG/PTCy)-based regimen had promising activity for prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in haploidentical-peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (haplo-PBSCT), but its impacts on long-term outcomes remain to be defined.

Methods

We performed a large sample, long-term follow-up retrospective study to evaluate its efficacy for GVHD prophylaxis.

Results

The study enrolled 260 patients, including 162 with myeloid malignancies and 98 with lymphoid malignancies. The median follow-up time was 27.0 months. For the entire cohort, the cumulative incidences (CIs) of grade II-IV and III-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD) by 180 days were 13.46% (95% CI, 9.64%-17.92%) and 5.77% (95% CI, 3.37%-9.07%); while total and moderate/severe chronic GVHD (cGVHD) by 2 years were 30.97% (95% CI, 25.43%-36.66%) and 18.08% (95% CI, 13.68%-22.98%), respectively. The 2-year overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS), non-relapse mortality (NRM), and CIs of relapse were 60.7% (95% CI, 54.8%-67.10%), 58.1% (95% CI, 52.2%-64.5%), 50.6% (95% CI, 44.8-57.1%), 23.04% (95% CI, 18.06%-28.40%), and 18.09% (95% CI, 14.33%-23.97%, respectively. The 1-year CIs of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation were 43.46% (95% CI, 37.39%-49.37%) and 18.08% (95% CI, 13.68%-22.98%), respectively. In multivariate analysis, the disease status at transplantation was associated with inferior survivor outcomes for all patients and myeloid and lymphoid malignancies, while cGVHD had superior outcomes for all patients and myeloid malignancies, but not for lymphoid malignancies.

Discussion

The results demonstrated that the novel regimen could effectively prevent the occurrence of aGVHD in haplo-PBSCT.

[Short term clinical observation of keratoconus treated with stromal lenticule addition keratoplasty combined with corneal collagen cross-linking]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of Femtosecond laser-assisted stromal lenticule addition keratoplasty (SLAK) combined with corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) in the treatment of middle and advanced Keratoconus. Methods: It was a retrospective case series study. Data of 23 cases (24 eyes) of keratoconus treated with femtosecond laser-assisted SLAK combined with CXL in Laser Vision Centre of Xi'an No.1 Hospital from September 2020 to June 2022 were collected, including 16 males and 7 females, aged (23.69±5.18) years. The thickness, diopter number and diameter of the donor corneal stromal lens were assessed. uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and diopter were recorded before and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Sirius 3D fault corneal topography instrument to measure flat simulated keratometry (Kf), steep simulated keratometry (Ks) and the difference between them (ΔK), as well as central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal high-order aberration. Results: Six months after surgery, CCT (454.83±50.01) μm were significantly higher than before (384.92±35.45) μm (P<0.05). Six months after surgery, UCVA (1.41±0.32) was significantly lower than before (1.11±0.33)(P<0.05). Six months after surgery, spherical diopter [(-15.73±7.89) D], Kf [(56.82±4.76) D] and Ks [(61.00±4.70) D] were significantly higher than before [(-12.08±5.99) D, (53.55±4.95) D, (58.65±5.10) D] (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in BCVA, column mirror degree and higher order aberrations before and 6 months after surgery(P>0.05). No corneal stromal lens folds, melting and displacement were observed in all eyes during the follow-up period, and no corneal opacity or immune rejection was observed. Conclusions: femtosecond laser-assisted SLAK combined with CXL can significantly increase the corneal thickness of keratoconus and has good effectiveness. In addition, six months of postoperative follow-up of patients showed no significant changes in BCVA and high-order aberrations in the 6 mm central diameter of the cornea, and no postoperative adverse reaction were found in all eyes, indicating that the operation has certain safety.

TRAF6 promotes chemoresistance to paclitaxel of triple negative breast cancer via regulating PKM2-mediated glycolysis

Ample evidence reveals that glycolysis is crucial to tumor progression; however, the underlying mechanism of its drug resistance is still worth being further explored. TRAF6, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, is well recognized to overexpress in various types of cancer, which predicts a poor prognosis. In our study, we discovered that TRAF6 was expressed more significantly in the case of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) than in other of breast cancers, promoting chemoresistance to paclitaxel; that inhibited TRAF6 expression in the chemoresistant TNBC (TNBC-CR) cells enhanced the sensitivity by decreasing glucose uptake and lactate production; that TRAF6 regulated glycolysis and facilitated chemoresistance via binding directly to PKM2; and that overexpressing PKM2 in the TNBC-CR cells with TRAF6 knocked down regained significantly TRAF6-dependent drug resistance and glycolysis. Additionally, we verified that TRAF6 could facilitate PKM2-mediated glycolysis and chemoresistance in animal models and clinical tumor tissues. Thus, we identified the novel function of TRAF6 to promote glycolysis and drug resistance in TNBC with the regulation of PKM2, which could provide a potential molecular target for TNBC treatment.

Focal Brachytherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Advances in image-guided brachytherapy have increased the interest in focal brachytherapy (F-BT) approaches to optimize disease control, while reducing the toxicities associated whole gland treatments for prostate cancer (PCa). In this study we performed a systematic review to report biochemical control (BC), and genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity rates in patients with localized prostate cancer treated with F-BT as a definitive or salvage modality.

MATERIALS/METHODS

This project was registered in the PROSPERO database (ID CRD42022320921). A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Cochrane Central databases, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase Classic +Embase, and Medline ALL, all from the OvidSP platform and Web of Science from Clarivate, from each database's inception to July 2022. Search was restricted to English and included terms: focal brachytherapy/prostate cancer, partial brachytherapy/prostate cancer. In total, 14862 articles were identified. Manuscripts that not related to focal or partial prostate brachytherapy, review papers and studies not reporting BC were excluded. After eliminating duplicates, and studies deemed irrelevant by consensus among three independent reviewers, 44 articles remained for in-depth review and data extraction.

RESULTS

Thirty studies that included BC outcomes were included for this analysis, comprising 1556 patients treated with F-BT for PCa. Of these, 1094 (70%) and 462 (30%) underwent F-BT as definitive monotherapy or salvage, respectively; while 585 (38%) and 971 (62%) received HDR or LDR, respectively. For F-BT as monotherapy, the most commonly prescribed dose for HDR was 19 Gy in 1 fraction (range 19-24 Gy), and for LDR, 145 Gy (90-160Gy). Whereas for salvage F-BT, most common dose schedule of HDR was 19Gy in 1 fraction (19-27GY) and LDR 145Gy (144-145Gy). BC random effects estimate for F-BT monotherapy at 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-years were 100% (P = 1.0), 96% (P = 0.45), 91% (P = 0.45) and 87% (P< 0.01), respectively. Whereas BC random effects estimate for salvage at 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-years were 91% (P = 0.86), 68% (0.17), and 57% (P = 0.20), respectively. GI and GU grade 3-4 crude toxicity rates for monotherapy and salvage ranged from 0-3.33% and 0-17%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Over the last decade, there has been increasing interest in F-BT approaches, both as monotherapy and in the salvage setting. BC and toxicity profiles of F-BT appear favorable, and future studies directly comparing with whole-gland treatments are warranted.

Crystallization-driven evolution of water occurrence states with implications on dewaterability improvement of waste-activated sludge

This study proposed to improve the dewaterability of waste-activated sludge (WAS) through crystallization-driven evolution of water occurrence states. Primarily, the feasibility of clathrate hydrate (i.e., CO2 hydrate) formation in WAS was examined. The thermodynamic analysis indicated that the CO2 hydrate formation with the excessive water in WAS followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, and fit of the data yielded a kobs value of 3.905 × 10-5 L∙mol-1∙s-1 for 274.15 K. With the water conversion efficiency of 100%, the crystallization-dissociation process of CO2 hydrate significantly improved the dewaterability of WAS in term of capillary suction time (CST) decreasing from 251.5 s to 57.4 s. Also, the relief of gas pressure can induce the hydrate dissociation, which creates a novel way to recycle CO2 gas and save the consumption of chemicals required by sludge dewatering process. Regarding the mechanism of hydrates-based sludge dewatering, the evolution of water occurrence state was investigated. The in-situ synchrotron X-ray computed microtomography visually analyzed the micro-scale porosity and interstitial water of WAS flocs. The model of three-dimensional pore structure was established and the porosity parameters of solid aggregates were determined. It was found that the volume of connected pores and the total pore volume fraction of solid compositions increased. But the mean volume and mean area of isolated pores simultaneously decreased by 14.6% and 12.4%, respectively, which meant that the steric hindrance caused by isolated pores was weakened due to the reduced solid-water contact area. In addition, the crystallization of water caused the reformation of conformation arrangement of vicinal water and solid molecules, which highly organized the water molecules into the crystal structure. Accordingly, an estimation method for vicinal water layer thickness was developed based on atom force microscope. The thickness of vicinal water layer was found to be reduced by 77.4% and the hydration repulsion among solid compositions was correspondingly weakened, which facilitated the aggregation of solid compositions, and the relatively separated hydrate phase and solid phase could be formed. All the above results open up a novel strategy for enhanced water-solid separation of WAS through the crystallization-driven evolution of water occurrence states. As distinguished from the conventional approaches, the hydrates-based sludge dewatering enhances the water-solid separation only with regulating the spatial arrangement of water-solid molecules, but without altering the chemical compositions. Thus, more chances can be created to increase the environmentally friendly attributes related to WAS dewatering.

Hybrid Polypyrrole and Polydopamine Nanosheets for Precise Raman/Photoacoustic Imaging and Photothermal Therapy

The development of near-infrared light responsive conductive polymers provides a useful theranostic platform for malignant tumors by maximizing spatial resolution with deep tissue penetration for diagnosis and photothermal therapy. Herein, the self-assembly of ultrathin 2D polypyrrole nanosheets utilizing dopamine as a capping agent and a monolayer of octadecylamine as a template is demonstrated. The 2D polypyrrole-polydopamine nanostructure has tunable size distribution which shows strong absorption in the first and second near-infrared windows, enabling photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy. The hybrid double-layer is demonstrated to increase Raman intensity for 3D Raman imaging (up to two orders of magnitude enhancement and spatial resolution up to 1 µm). The acidic environment drives reversible doping of polypyrrole, which can be detected by Raman spectroscopy. The combined properties of the nanosheets can substantially enhance performance in dual-mode Raman and photoacoustic guided photothermal therapy, as shown by the 69% light to heat conversion efficiency and higher cytotoxicity against cancer spheroids. These pH-responsive features highlight the potential of 2D conductive polymers for applications in accurate, highly efficient theranostics.

[Clinical characteristics of aplastic anemia patients with abnormal autoantibodies and the impact of autoantibodies on immunosuppressive therapy response]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with acquired aplastic anemia (AA) accompanied by abnormal antinuclear antibody (ANA) and autoantibodies and their effects on the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy (IST). Method: A retrospective case-control study was conducted, analyzing the clinical data of 291 patients with AA who underwent IST and were screened for autoantibodies at initial diagnosis between January 2018 and December 2019 at Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. According to the titer of ANA at the initial diagnosis, extracted nuclear antigen antibodies (ENAs) abnormality and the change of ANA titer after treatment, the treatment responses of 3 months and 6 months after IST were compared. The correlation between clinical features and ANA abnormality was analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The parameters of univariate analysis P<0.1 were included in multivariate analysis, stepwise regression analysis and subgroup analysis. Results: A total of 291 patients were included in the study, of which 145 (49.83%) were male. Among all patients, 147 (50.52%) tested positive for ANA at initial diagnosis, with titers of 1∶100, 1∶320, and 1∶1 000 observed in 94, 47, and 6 cases, respectively. Female gender, older age, presence of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) clone, and higher levels of IgG, IgA, and thyroid hormone were significantly associated with ANA positivity at initial diagnosis, while white cell counts, reticulocytes, and free triiodothyronine were significantly lower than that of ANA-negatively patients (all P<0.05). Furthermore, logistic regression analyses revealed that female gender (OR=1.980, 95%CI 1.206-3.277), older age (OR=1.017, 95%CI 1.003-1.032), and presence of PNH clone (OR=1.875, 95%CI 1.049-3.408) were independent risk factors for ANA positivity at initial diagnosis. Subgroup analysis indicated that the risk of ANA positivity at initial diagnosis was even higher in PNH clone-positive patients in the subgroups of females (OR=1.24, 95%CI 1.02-1.51), severe AA (OR=1.26, 95%CI 1.07-1.47), and age≥40 years (OR=1.26, 95%CI 1.05-1.52) (all P<0.05). However, ANA titers at initial diagnosis, presence of other abnormal ENAs, and changes in ANA titers after treatment with IST were not correlated with treatment response (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Approximately 50% of patients with AA had abnormal ANA, and their presence was significantly associated with female gender, older age, and presence of PNH clone at initial diagnosis. However, the presence of abnormal ANA and changes in ANA titers after treatment did not affect the efficacy of IST in patients with AA.

Thiacalix[4]arene-protected alkynyl Agn (n = 9, 18) nanoclusters: syntheses, structural characterizations, photocurrent responses and fluorescence properties

Two thiacalix[4]arene-protected silver(I) alkynyl nanoclusters, [Na2(H2O)2][Ag9(TC4A)(tBuCC)4(CH3OH)2(SbF6)0.5(OH)2.5]·3.5H2O·CH3OH (1, abbreviated as Ag9) and [Ag9(TC4A)(tBuCC)4(CF3COO)]2·4CH3OH (2, abbreviated as Ag18), were synthesized by the reaction of [tBuCCAg]n, p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene (H4TC4A), NaBH4, and AgSbF6 or CF3COOAg in the mixed solvent of methanol-trichloromethane-toluene under solvothermal conditions, respectively. Driven by SbF6- and CF3COO- with different coordination properties, the structural unit [Ag9(TC4A)(tBuCC)4]+ in both the compounds migrated in different modes, accompanied by distinct Ag⋯Ag distances. Ag9 and Ag18 exhibit similar UV-Vis absorption and diffuse reflection spectra along with contrary tendency between photocurrent responses and solid-state fluorescence. The solution stability of Ag9 and Ag18 was demonstrated by 1H NMR and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The fluorescence responses of Ag9 and Ag18 towards different organic molecules were also investigated, which indicated that the polarity of solvent has a certain effect on the emission intensities of Ag9 and Ag18. This study provides a positive guide for the controlled synthesis and further study of the structure-activity relationship of thiacalix[4]arene-protected silver alkynyl nanoclusters.

3D Printable Organohydrogel with Long-Lasting Moisture and Extreme-Temperature Tolerance for Flexible Electronics

Hydrogels with high electrical conductivity and mechanical stretchability are promising materials for flexible electronics. However, traditional hydrogels are applied in short-term usage at room temperature or low temperature due to their poor water-retention ability and freezing-tolerance property. Here, a dually cross-linked glycerol-organohydrogel (GL-organohydrogel) based on GL and acrylic acid was synthesized in a GL-water binary solvent. Fe3+ ions working as an electrolyte were added to improve the conductivity of the organohydrogel and form coordination interactions between Fe3+ ions and carboxyl groups of acrylic acid. The strong hydrogen bonding between GL and water molecules firmly lock water in the organohydrogel network, thereby endowing the GL-organohydrogel with the antifreezing property, long-term stability, and moisture lock-in capability. Our organohydrogel could endure extremely low temperature (-80 °C) over 30 days without freezing and retain its water content (almost 100% of its initial state) after being stored at room temperature (25 °C, 54% humidity) for 30 days. It also demonstrated desired stretchable properties, conductivity, three-dimensional (3D) printability, and self-healing ability. A wearable data glove was constructed by using the GL-organohydrogel and digital light processing technology. This work opens a new avenue for developing hydrogels with long-term stability, moisture lock-in capability, and extreme-temperature tolerance for stretchable electronics.

Promoted Electronic Coupling of Acoustic Phonon Modes in Doped Semimetallic MoTe2

As a prototype of the Weyl superconductor, layered molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) encompasses two semimetallic phases (1T' and Td) which differentiate from each other via a slight tilting of the out-of-plane lattice. Both phases are subjected to serious phase mixing, which complicates the analysis of its origin of superconductivity. Herein, we explore the electron-phonon coupling (EPC) of the monolayer semimetallic MoTe2, without phase ambiguity under this thickness limit. Apart from the hardening or softening of the phonon modes, the strength of the EPC can be strongly modulated by doping. Specifically, longitudinal and out-of-plane acoustic modes are significantly activated for electron doped MoTe2. This is ascribed to the presence of rich valley states and equispaced nesting bands, which are dynamically populated under charge doping. Through comparing the monolayer and bilayer MoTe2, the strength of EPC is found to be less likely to depend on thickness for neutral samples but clearly promoted for thinner samples with electron doping, while for hole doping, the strength alters more significantly with the thickness than doping. Our work explains the issue of the doping sensitivity of the superconductivity in semimetallic MoTe2 and establishes the critical role of activating acoustic phonons in such low-dimensional materials.

In Situ Filler Addition for Homogeneous Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes in Multi Jet Fusion-Printed Elastomer Composites

The dispersibility of fillers determines their effect on the mechanical properties and anisotropy of the 3D-printed polymeric composites. Nanoscale fillers have the tendency to aggregate, resulting in the deterioration of part performance. An in situ filler addition method using the newly developed dual-functional toughness agents (TAs) is proposed in this work for the homogeneous dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in elastomer composites printed via multi jet fusion. The CNTs added in the TAs serve as an infrared absorbing colorant for selective powder fusion, as well as the strengthening and toughening fillers. The printability of the TA is theoretically deduced based on the measured physical properties, which are subsequently verified experimentally. The printing parameters and agent formulation are optimized to maximize the mechanical performance of the printed parts. The printed elastomer parts show significant improvement in strength and toughness for all printing orientations and alleviation of the mechanical anisotropy originating from the layer-wise fabrication manner. This in situ filler addition method using tailorable TAs is applicable for fabricating parts with site-specific mechanical properties and is promising in assisting the scalable manufacturing of 3D-printed elastomers.

Biological functions of CRTC2 and its role in metabolism-related diseases

CREB-regulated transcription coactivator2 (CRTC2 or TORC2) is a transcriptional coactivator of CREB(cAMP response element binding protein), which affects human energy metabolism through cyclic adenosine phosphate pathway, Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, Sterol regulatory element binding protein 1(SREBP1), Sterol regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP2) and other substances Current studies on CRTC2 mainly focus on glucose and lipid metabolism, relevant studies show that CRTC2 can participate in the occurrence and development of related diseases by affecting metabolic homeostasis. It has been found that Crtc2 acts as a signaling regulator for cAMP and Ca2 + signaling pathways in many cell types, and phosphorylation at ser171 and ser275 can regulate downstream biological functions by controlling CRTC2 shuttling between cytoplasm and nucleus.

Fiber reinforced hydrated networks recapitulate the poroelastic mechanics of articular cartilage

The role of poroelasticity on the functional performance of articular cartilage has been established in the scientific literature since the 1960s. Despite the extensive knowledge on this topic there remain few attempts to design for poroelasticity and to our knowledge no demonstration of an engineered poroelastic material that approaches the physiological performance. In this paper, we report on the development of an engineered material that begins to approach physiological poroelasticity. We quantify poroelasticity using the fluid load fraction, apply mixture theory to model the material system, and determine cytocompatibility using primary human mesenchymal stem cells. The design approach is based on a fiber reinforced hydrated network and uses routine fabrication methods (electrohydrodynamic deposition) and materials (poly[ɛ-caprolactone] and gelatin) to develop the engineered poroelastic material. This composite material achieved a mean peak fluid load fraction of 68%, displayed consistency with mixture theory, and demonstrated cytocompatibility. This work creates a foundation for designing poroelastic cartilage implants and developing scaffold systems to study chondrocyte mechanobiology and tissue engineering. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Poroelasticity drives the functional mechanics of articular cartilage (load bearing and lubrication). In this work we develop the design rationale and approach to produce a poroelastic material, known as a fiber reinforced hydrated network (FiHy™), that begins to approach the native performance of articular cartilage. This is the first engineered material system capable of exceeding isotropic linear poroelastic theory. The framework developed here enables fundamental studies of poroelasticity and the development of translational materials for cartilage repair.

Computed torque control and force analysis for mechanical leg with variable rotation axis powered by servo pneumatic muscle

It is difficult for a humanoid leg driven by two groups of antagonistic pneumatic muscles (PMs) to achieve a flexible humanoid gait, and its inherent strong coupling nonlinear characteristics make it hard to achieve good tracking performance in a large range of motion. Therefore, a four-bar linkage bionic knee joint structure with a variable axis and a double closed-loop servo position control strategy based on computed torque control are designed to improve anthropomorphic characteristics and the dynamic performance of the bionic mechanical leg powered by servo pneumatic muscle (SPM). Firstly, the relationship between the joint torque, the initial jump angle and the bounce height of the mechanical leg is established, and then we design a double-joint PM bionic mechanical leg containing a four-bar linkage mechanism of the knee joint. Secondly, a cascade position control strategy is developed, which consists of the outer position loop and the inner contraction force loop, and the mapping relationship is designed between joint torque and antagonistic PM contraction force. Finally, we further project bounce action timing of mechanical leg to realize the periodic jumping movement of the mechanical leg, and simulation and physical experiments of the real-style machine platform have been provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the designed SPM controller.

TRIM65 Suppresses oxLDL-induced Endothelial Inflammation by Interaction with VCAM-1 in Atherogenesis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Endothelial cell activation, characterized by increased levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), plays a crucial role in the development of atherosclerosis (AS). Therefore, inhibition of VCAM-1-mediated inflammatory response is of great significance in the prevention and treatment of AS. The tripartite motif (TRIM) protein-TRIM65 is involved in the regulation of cancer development, antivirals and inflammation. We aimed to study the functions of TRIM65 in regulating endothelial inflammation by interacting with VCAM-1 in atherogenesis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In vitro, we report that human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) significantly upregulate the expression of TRIM65 in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Overexpression of TRIM65 reduces oxLDL-triggered VCAM-1 protein expression, decreases monocyte adhesion to HUVECs and inhibits the production of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α as well as endothelial oxLDL transcytosis. In contrast, siRNA-mediated knockdown of TRIM65 promotes the expression of VCAM-1, resulting in increased adhesion of monocytes and the release of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α and enhances endothelial oxLDL transcytosis. In vivo, we measured the high expression of TRIM65 in ApoE-/- mouse aortic plaques compared to C57BL/6J mouse aortic plaques. Then, we examined whether the blood levels of VCAM-1 were higher in TRIM65 knockout ApoE-/- mice than in control mice induced by a Western diet. Furthermore, Western blot results showed that the protein expression of VCAM-1 was markedly enhanced in TRIM65 knockout ApoE-/- mouse aortic tissues compared to that of the controls. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that the expression of VCAM-1 was significantly increased in atherosclerotic plaques of TRIM65-/-/ApoE-/- aortic vessels compared to ApoE-/- controls. Mechanistically, TRIM65 specifically interacts with VCAM-1 and targets it for K48-linked ubiquitination.

CONCLUSION

Our studies indicate that TRIM65 attenuates the endothelial inflammatory response by targeting VCAM-1 for ubiquitination and provides a potential therapeutic target for the inhibition of endothelial inflammation in AS.

Hydrogel Bioelectronics for Health Monitoring

Hydrogels are considered an ideal platform for personalized healthcare due to their unique characteristics, such as their outstanding softness, appealing biocompatibility, excellent mechanical properties, etc. Owing to the high similarity between hydrogels and biological tissues, hydrogels have emerged as a promising material candidate for next generation bioelectronic interfaces. In this review, we discuss (i) the introduction of hydrogel and its traditional applications, (ii) the work principles of hydrogel in bioelectronics, (iii) the recent advances in hydrogel bioelectronics for health monitoring, and (iv) the outlook for future hydrogel bioelectronics' development.

4D Printing of Butterfly Scale-Inspired Structures for Wide-Angle Directional Liquid Transport

Unidirectional liquid transport has been extensively explored for water/fog harvesting, electrochemical sensing, and desalination. However, current research mainly focuses on linear liquid transport (transport angle α = 0°), which exhibits hindered lateral liquid spreading and low unidirectional transport efficiency. Inspired by the wide-angle (0° < α < 180°) liquid transport on butterfly wings, this work successfully achieves linear (α = 0°), wide-angle, and even ultra-wide-angle (α = 180°) liquid transport by four-dimensional (4D) printing of butterfly scale-inspired re-entrant structures. These asymmetric re-entrant structures can achieve unidirectional liquid transport, and their layout can control the Laplace pressure in the forward (structure-tilting) and lateral directions to adjust the transport angle. Specifically, high transport efficiency and programmable forward/lateral transport paths are simultaneously achieved by the ultra-wide-angle transport, where liquid fills the lateral path before being transported forward. Moreover, the ultra-wide-angle transport is also validated in 3D space, which provides an innovative platform for advanced biochemical microreaction, large-area evaporation, and self-propelled oil-water separation.

Progressive Macular Vessel Density Loss Observed on Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Glaucoma Patients With Single-Hemifield Visual Field Defects

PRCIS

Faster hemispheric mVD loss was found in the affected hemifield of POAG patients without significant changes in hemispheric thickness. The progression of mVD loss was associated with the severity of VF damage.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the changes in macular vessel density (mVD) loss in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients with visual field (VF) defects confined to 1 hemifield.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This longitudinal cohort study used linear mixed models to evaluate the changes in the hemispheric mean total deviation (mTD), mVD, macular ganglion cell complex, macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer, and retinal nerve fiber layer between affected hemifields, unaffected hemifields, and healthy controls.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine POAG eyes and 25 healthy eyes were followed for an average of 29 months. In POAG eyes, the rates of decline in hemispheric mTD and hemispheric mVD in the affected hemifields were significantly faster than those in the unaffected hemifields (-0.42±1.24 vs. 0.02±0.69 dB/year, P =0.018 and -2.16±1.01 vs. -1.77±0.90% / year, P =0.031, respectively). There were no differences in the rate of hemispheric thickness change between the 2 hemifields. The rate of hemispheric mVD decline in both hemifields of POAG eyes was significantly faster than that of the healthy controls (All P <0.05). An association between the reduced mTD of the VF and the rate of hemispheric mVD loss in the affected hemifield was observed (r=0.484, P =0.008). Faster rates of mVD loss (β=-1.72±0.80, P =0.050) were significantly related to reduced hemispheric mTD in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Faster hemispheric mVD loss was found in the affected hemifield of POAG patients without significant changes in hemispheric thickness. The progression of mVD loss was associated with the severity of VF damage.

Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing for Pathogens in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Improves the Survival of Patients with Pulmonary Complications After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

INTRODUCTION

Unbiased metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has been used for infection diagnosis. In this study, we explored the clinical diagnosis value of mNGS for pulmonary complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).

METHODS

From August 2019 to June 2021, a prospective study was performed to comparatively analyze the pathogenic results of mNGS and conventional tests for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from 134 cases involving 101 patients with pulmonary complications after allo-HSCT.

RESULTS

More pathogens were identified by mNGS than with conventional tests (226 vs 120). For bacteria, the diagnostic sensitivity (P = 0.144) and specificity (P = 0.687) were similar between the two methods. For fungus except Pneumocystis jirovecii (PJ), conventional tests had a significantly higher sensitivity (P = 0.013) with a similarly high specificity (P = 0.109). The sensitivities for bacteria and fungi could be increased with the combination of the two methods. As for PJ, both the sensitivity (100%) and specificity (99.12%) of mNGS were very high. For viruses, the sensitivity of mNGS was significantly higher (P = 0.021) and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 95.74% (84.27-99.26%). Pulmonary infection complications accounted for 90.30% and bacterium was the most common pathogen whether in single infection (63.43%) or mixed infection (81.08%). The 6-month overall survival (OS) of 88.89% in the early group (mNGS ≤ 7 days) was significantly higher than that of 65.52% (HR 0.287, 95% CI 0.101-0.819, P = 0.006) in the late group (mNGS > 7 days).

CONCLUSIONS

mNGS for BALF could facilitate accurate and fast diagnosis for pulmonary complications. Early mNGS could improve the prognosis of patients with pulmonary complications after allo-HSCT.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT04051372.

HPV16 E6/E7 -based mRNA vaccine is therapeutic in mice bearing aggressive HPV-positive lesions

HPV (Human papillomavirus) affects 600,000 people worldwide each year. Almost all cervical cancers are associated with a past HPV infection. In particular, the positivity to the high-risk type HPV16 is detected in most of the invasive cervical cancers. FDA has approved prophylactic vaccines that protect against new HPV16 infections, but do not induce immunity in those patients with established infections or neoplasms. To date, no therapeutic vaccine targeting HPV16-associated lesions has been authorized. We have developed an mRNA-based vaccine against the HPV16 late oncoproteins E6 and E7, which are abundantly and exclusively expressed in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), a stage of the cervical disease that precedes the progression to carcinoma. Our in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the translated mRNA is functional and elicits an antigen-specific adaptive immune response. Upon immunization with the vaccine, mice with HPV16+ lesions exhibited tumor growth inhibition, extension of lifespan, and development of a protective immune memory. In light of these results and the remarkable clinical success of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV2, we believe that our mRNA-based therapeutic vaccine has the potential to offer a non-invasive treatment alternative to the current standard of care for HPV16+ HSILs.

4D Printing of Reprogrammable Liquid Crystal Elastomers with Synergistic Photochromism and Photoactuation

4D printing of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) via direct ink writing has opened up great opportunities to create stimuli-responsive actuations for applications such as soft robotics. However, most 4D-printed LCEs are limited to thermal actuation and fixed shape morphing, posing a challenge for achieving multiple programmable functionalities and reprogrammability. Here, a 4D-printable photochromic titanium-based nanocrystal (TiNC)/LCE composite ink is developed, which enables the reprogrammable photochromism and photoactuation of a single 4D-printed architecture. The printed TiNC/LCE composite exhibits reversible color-switching between white and black in response to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and oxygen exposure. Upon near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the UV-irradiated region can undergo photothermal actuation, allowing for robust grasping and weightlifting. By precisely controlling the structural design and the light irradiation, the single 4D-printed TiNC/LCE object can be globally or locally programmed, erased, and reprogrammed to achieve desirable photocontrollable color patterns and 3D structure constructions, such as barcode patterns and origami- and kirigami-inspired structures. This work provides a novel concept for designing and engineering adaptive structures with unique and tunable multifunctionalities, which have potential applications in biomimetic soft robotics, smart construction engineering, camouflage, multilevel information storage, etc.

Individual tree segmentation of airborne and UAV LiDAR point clouds based on the watershed and optimized connection center evolution clustering

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data can provide 3D structural information of objects and are ideal for extracting individual tree parameters, and individual tree segmentation (ITS) is a vital step for this purpose. Various ITS methods have been emerging from airborne LiDAR scanning (ALS) or unmanned aerial vehicle LiDAR scanning (ULS) data. Here, we propose a new individual tree segmentation method, which couples the classical and efficient watershed algorithm (WS) and the newly developed connection center evolution (CCE) clustering algorithm in pattern recognition. The CCE is first used in ITS and comprehensively optimized by considering tree structure and point cloud characteristics. Firstly, the amount of data is greatly reduced by mean shift voxelization. Then, the optimal clustering scale is automatically determined by the shapes in the projection of three different directions. We select five forest plots in Saihanba, China and 14 public plots in Alpine region, Europe with ULS or ALS point cloud densities from 11 to 3295 pts/m². Eleven ITS methods were used for comparison. The accuracy of tree top detection and tree height extraction is estimated by five and two metrics, respectively. The results show that the matching rate (R _match) of tree tops is up to 0.92, the coefficient of determination (R ²) of tree height estimation is up to .94, and the minimum root mean square error (RMSE) is 0.6 m. Our method outperforms the other methods especially in the broadleaf forests plot on slopes, where the five evaluation metrics for tree top detection outperformed the other algorithms by at least 11% on average. Our ITS method is both robust and efficient and has the potential to be used especially in coniferous forests to extract the structural parameters of individual trees for forest management, carbon stock estimation, and habitat mapping.

Influenza A virus inhibits TET2 expression by endoribonuclease PA-X to attenuate type I interferon signaling and promote viral replication

Influenza A virus (IAV) expresses several accessory proteins to limit host anti-viral restriction factors to facilitate viral replication. The Ten-Eleven Translocation 2 (TET2) is a methylcytosine dioxygenase that promotes DNA demethylation by catalyzing the oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), which plays a vital role in hematopoiesis and immunity. Here we report that TET2 is a host restriction factor that limits IAV replication. But IAV endoribonuclease PA-X is able to remove the replication restriction by binding to TET2 mRNA and driving TET2 mRNA degradation to reduce TET2 expression during infection. Genetic inactivation of TET2 markedly enhances IAV replication in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that TET2 regulates demethylation and transcription of STAT1 and some interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), including ISG15, ISG20, and IFIT5, so the loss of TET2 greatly impairs type I Interferon signaling. Furthermore, we confirmed that TET2-mediated demethylation of the STAT1 gene is critical for interferon anti-viral activity. Our study demonstrates that the host TET2 is essential to the innate immune response against IAV infection.

Recent Advances in 4D Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are renowned for their large, reversible, and anisotropic shape change in response to various external stimuli due to their lightly cross-linked polymer networks with an oriented mesogen direction, thus showing great potential for applications in robotics, bio-medics, electronics, optics, and energy. To fully take advantage of the anisotropic stimuli-responsive behaviors of LCEs, it is preferable to achieve a locally controlled mesogen alignment into monodomain orientations. In recent years, the application of 4D printing to LCEs opens new doors for simultaneously programming the mesogen alignment and the 3D geometry, offering more opportunities and higher feasibility for the fabrication of 4D-printed LCE objects with desirable stimuli-responsive properties. Here, the state-of-the-art advances in 4D printing of LCEs are reviewed, with emphasis on both the mechanisms and potential applications. First, the fundamental properties of LCEs and the working principles of the representative 4D printing techniques are briefly introduced. Then, the fabrication of LCEs by 4D printing techniques and the advantages over conventional manufacturing methods are demonstrated. Finally, perspectives on the current challenges and potential development trends toward the 4D printing of LCEs are discussed, which may shed light on future research directions in this new field.

Autophagy in the pharmacological activities of celastrol (Review)

Celastrol, a natural compound extracted from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, possesses broad-spectrum pharmacological properties. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process through which cytoplasmic cargo is delivered to the lysosomes for degradation. Autophagy dysregulation contributes to multiple pathological processes. Therefore, targeting autophagic activity is a promising therapy for various diseases, as well as a drug-development strategy. According to previous studies, autophagy is specifically targeted and may be altered in response to celastrol treatment, highlighting that autophagy modulation is an important mechanism underlying the therapeutic efficacy of celastrol for the treatment of various diseases. The present study summarizes the currently available information regarding the role of autophagy in the effect of celastrol to exert anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-pulmonary fibrosis and anti-macular degeneration activities. The diverse signaling pathways involved are also analyzed to provide insight into the mechanisms of action of celastrol and thereby pave the way for establishing celastrol as an efficacious autophagy modulator in clinical practice.

Determination of multicomponents from Zhuanggu Guanjie Capsule in rat plasma by UHPLC-MS/MS and pharmacokinetic study

Aim: To develop a UHPLC-MS/MS method for the quantification of 12 constituents in rat plasma after oral administration of Zhuanggu Guanjie. Methods: Constituent separation was performed on a C₁₈ column, and the mass spectrometric detection was performed in multiple reaction monitoring mode with a positive-negative ionization mode. Results: The method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of these 12 constituents after rats taking Zhuanggu Guanjie capsules. The results showed that psoralen, isopsoralen and aspersaponin VI were the key effective components and had high exposure. Conclusion: A rapid, simple and sensitive ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method for the detection of 12 components in rat plasma after taking Zhuanggu Guanjie was developed and applied in this pharmacokinetics study.

Unveiling hepatotoxicity distinction of coumarin-related compounds from glycosides to aglycones in Fructus Psoraleae by integrating UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and high content analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Fructus Psoraleae (FP), the dried and ripe fruit of Cullen corylifolium (L.) Medik., is widely used due to its various clinical pharmacological effects, but its hepatotoxicity restricts its clinical application. So far, its hepatotoxic components and their underlying mechanism have not been systematically elucidated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study was undertaken to reveal the hepatotoxicity distinction of coumarin-related compounds from glycosides to aglycones in FP and elucidate their potential mechanism.

METHODS

Rats were administrated with the aqueous extract of Fructus Psoraleae (AEFP), in which eight coumarin-related compounds were focused. Subsequently, compounds exposed in rats' livers were detected by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, and the identified hepatotoxic compounds were evaluated to elaborate their possible mechanism by the aid of high content analysis (HCA).

RESULTS

Eight coumarin-related compounds were identified, among which psoralenoside (PO), isopsoralenoside (IPO), psoralen (P), and isopsoralen (IP) were the principally exposed compounds in rats' livers. Furocoumarinic acid glucoside (FAG), (E)-3-(4-(((2S, 3R, 4S, 5S, 6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl) tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl) oxy) benzofuran-5-yl) acrylic acid (isofurocoumarinic acid glucoside, IFAG), furocoumarinic acid (FA), and (E)-3-(4-hydroxybenzofuran-5-yl) acrylic acid (isofurocoumarinic acid, IFA) were also detected in low abundance. P, IP, FA, and IFA were identified as the hepatotoxic compounds, while their glycosides were almost non-hepatotoxic. The HCA's results showed that hepatotoxic compounds disrupted the balance in reactive oxygen species (ROS), nuclear area, and mitochondrial membrane potential of HepG2 cells, leading to the occurrence of hepatotoxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

P, IP, FA, and IFA were identified as hepatotoxic compounds, from which P and IP were proposed as the important risk components for hepatotoxicity. The conversion from glycosides to aglycones played an essential role in FP-induced hepatotoxicity.