Ultrasonic microbubbles promote mesenchymal stem cell homing to the fibrotic liver via upregulation of CXCR4 expression

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the mechanism of ultrasound microbubbles (UTMB) promoting stem cells homing to fibrotic liver.

METHODS

Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were divided into 5 groups with or without ultrasound microbubbles and continuously irradiated with ultrasound conditions of frequency 1 MHZ and output power 0.6 W/cm2 for different times, and then injected into a mouse model of liver fibrosis through the tail vein with or without ultrasound microbubbles, with sound intensity. The effect of ultrasound microbubbles on MSC expression of CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and homing fibrotic liver was evaluated by flow cytometry (FCM), western blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis.

RESULTS

The level of CXCR4 expression was significantly higher in the ultrasound microbubble group than in the non-intervention group (P < 0.05), and the number of MSC and the rate of CXCR4 receptor positivity in the ultrasound microbubble-treated liver tissues were significantly higher than in the non-intervention group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Ultrasonic microbubbles can promote the expression of CXCR4 on the surface of MSCs, thus improving the homing rate of MSCs in fibrotic liver.

[Comparison among different flushing media for intracoronary imaging with optical coherence tomography]

Objective: To explore the effects and safety of saline mixed 1∶1 with contrast medium (mixed medium) and pure heparinized saline as alternative media for optimal Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: This single-center, prospective cohort study enrolled patients who underwent PCI with OCT guidance for chronic stable angina or acute coronary syndrome at the Department of Cardiology, the Second Hospital of Jilin University from October 2021 to August 2022. The target vessels were examined using OCT with three different flushing media at the same anatomical positions: contrast agent, mixed medium, and pure heparinized saline. An independent observer analyzed all imaging results and evaluated the lumen imaging quality, using the proportion of the clear imaging field (CIF%) as a quantitative measure for analysis. The average luminal diameter was compared among different flushing media. The study also assessed the image quality of the luminal anatomical structures, lesion pathologies, and stents. Results: A total of 105 patients were enrolled in the study, including 110 target vessels. The age of the enrolled patients was (60.5±8.4) years, with 60 male patients (57.1%). OCT examinations were successfully completed using all three media, and no related complications were observed in any groups. The three flushing media presented with the same image quality in terms of depicting the lumen anatomical structures, lesion characteristics, and stent-related features. The mixed medium group achieved a comparable CIF% to the contrast group with both right and left coronary arteries (right coronary 100.0% (100.0%, 100.0%) vs. 100.0% (100.0%, 100.0%), P>0.05; left coronary 100.0% (95.9%, 100.0%) vs. 100.0% (100.0%, 100.0%), P>0.05). While the saline group reached a comparable CIF% to the contrast group with right coronary arteries (100.0% (97.6%, 100.0%) vs. 100.0% (95.9%, 100.0%), P>0.05) but showed a significantly lower CIF% with left coronary arteries (84.9% (75.9%, 93.4%) vs. 100.0% (100.0%, 100.0%), P<0.05). For the average diameter of the coronary lumen, there was no statistically significant difference between the mixed medium group and the saline group compared to the contrast group with both right and left coronary arteries (P>0.05). Conclusions: A 1∶1 heparinized saline and contrast mixture can serve as a substitute flushing medium for OCT examination during PCI procedure. Pure saline can also yield good results in OCT examination of the right coronary artery, and both alternatives are safe for use as flushing medium in OCT imaging.

Is Ancient Medical Treatment an Option for Curating Osteosarcoma Combined with Chemotherapy? A Basic Analysis of Clinic Pharmacy

BACKGROUND

As a malignant tumor, osteosarcoma (OS) ranks first place among adolescent cancers and is susceptible to developing resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Differently, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has multiple pharmacodynamic targets and complex biological components, which can inhibit tumor survival and drug resistance and gradually play an important role in the treatment of sarcoma.

METHODS

This study is to systematically evaluate the safety and efficacy of TCM combined with chemotherapy performed in the clinical treatment of OS. Based on multiple mainstream databases, eleven articles on the relationship between natural products and chemotherapy involving 656 patients were selected from all the literature published as of June 2022. Revman 5.4 software was used for a comprehensive search analysis, supplemented by established exclusion criteria, the Jadad scale, and the evaluation methods provided by Cochrane.

RESULTS

The efficiency of TCM combined with chemotherapy was significantly increased compared with chemical drugs alone [OR=2.56, 95% CI (1.36,4.79), Z=2.92, P=0.003]. Meanwhile, the adverse reactions such as nausea and vomiting, hepatotoxicity, and hematological changes caused by chemical drugs were alleviated correspondingly.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates that the mode of TCM combined with chemotherapy sheds light on the clinical treatment of OS, which is much better than the one-way mode.

Search for New Phenomena in Two-Body Invariant Mass Distributions Using Unsupervised Machine Learning for Anomaly Detection at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

Searches for new resonances are performed using an unsupervised anomaly-detection technique. Events with at least one electron or muon are selected from 140  fb^{-1} of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV recorded by ATLAS at the Large Hadron Collider. The approach involves training an autoencoder on data, and subsequently defining anomalous regions based on the reconstruction loss of the decoder. Studies focus on nine invariant mass spectra that contain pairs of objects consisting of one light jet or b jet and either one lepton (e,μ), photon, or second light jet or b jet in the anomalous regions. No significant deviations from the background hypotheses are observed. Limits on contributions from generic Gaussian signals with various widths of the resonance mass are obtained for nine invariant masses in the anomalous regions.

Synthesis of 1,4-epoxy-2-aryltetrahydro-1-benzazepines via rhodium(III)-catalyzed C-H allylation/intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition

Herein, we report a new synthetic route to 1,4-epoxy-2-aryltetrahydro-1-benzazepine derivatives with high efficiency, namely the Rh(III)-catalyzed C-H allylation of nitrones with allyl precursors, followed by subsequent intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, to deliver the title compounds. This reaction is regio- and stereo-selective, generating the cis-isomer with a broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance.

Unveiling the nature of Pt-induced anti-deactivation of Ru for alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction

While Ru owns superior catalytic activity toward hydrogen oxidation reaction and cost advantages, the catalyst deactivation under high anodic potential range severely limits its potential to replace the Pt benchmark catalyst. Unveiling the deactivation mechanism of Ru and correspondingly developing protection strategies remain a great challenge. Herein, we develop atomic Pt-functioned Ru nanoparticles with excellent anti-deactivation feature and meanwhile employ advanced operando characterization tools to probe the underlying roles of Pt in the anti-deactivation. Our studies reveal the introduced Pt single atoms effectively prevent Ru from oxidative passivation and consequently preserve the interfacial water network for the critical H* oxidative release during catalysis. Clearly understanding the deactivation nature of Ru and Pt-induced anti-deactivation under atomic levels could provide valuable insights for rationally designing stable Ru-based catalysts for hydrogen oxidation reaction and beyond.

4D printed hydrogel scaffold with swelling-stiffening properties and programmable deformation for minimally invasive implantation

The power of three-dimensional printing in designing personalized scaffolds with precise dimensions and properties is well-known. However, minimally invasive implantation of complex scaffolds is still challenging. Here, we develop amphiphilic dynamic thermoset polyurethanes catering for multi-material four-dimensional printing to fabricate supportive scaffolds with body temperature-triggered shape memory and water-triggered programmable deformation. Shape memory effect enables the two-dimensional printed pattern to be fixed into temporary one-dimensional shape, facilitating transcatheter delivery. Upon implantation, the body temperature triggers shape recovery of the one-dimensional shape to its original two-dimensional pattern. After swelling, the hydrated pattern undergoes programmable morphing into the desired three-dimensional structure because of swelling mismatch. The structure exhibits unusual soft-to-stiff transition due to the water-driven microphase separation formed between hydrophilic and hydrophobic chain segments. The integration of shape memory, programmable deformability, and swelling-stiffening properties makes the developed dynamic thermoset polyurethanes promising supportive void-filling scaffold materials for minimally invasive implantation.

Temporal dynamics of microbial composition and antibiotic resistome in fermentation bed culture pig farms across various ages

The discharge from pig farms presents significant challenges to the environment and human health, specifically regarding the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Fermentation bed culture has emerged as an increasingly popular and environmentally friendly pig farming model in China, as it minimizes the release of harmful substances into the environment. However, there remains a limited understanding of the occurrence and dynamics of microbiome and antibiotic resistome in fermentation bed culture. Herein, we collected fermentation bed materials (FBM) from four fermentation bed culture pig farms with varying service ages and investigated their bacterial communities, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs), metal resistance genes (MRGs) and potential antibiotic-resistant bacterial hosts through metagenomics. Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota and Bacillota were identified as the dominant phyla present in the FBM. In total, we detected 258 unique ARGs in the FBM samples, with 79 core ARGs shared by all FBM samples, accounting for 95 % of the total ARG abundance. Our results revealed significant variations in microbial communities and ARG profiles across varying service ages of FBM. Compared to long-term FBW, short-term FBM exhibited higher numbers and abundances of ARGs, MRGs and MGEs, along with higher levels of potential bacterial pathogens and high-risk ARGs. Further analysis of metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) indicated that the putative hosts of ARGs primarily belonged to Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota and Bacillota. Alarmingly, among the 80 recovered ARG-carrying MAGs, 23 MAGs encoded multi-resistance, including clinically significant species that require urgent attention. Overall, this study provided valuable insights into the temporal patterns of antibiotic resistome and bacterial communities within FBM, enhancing our understanding of FBM in pig farming. The findings could potentially contribute to the development of effective strategies for evaluating and regulating fermentation bed culture practices in pig farming.

Sublingual Edaravone Dexborneol for the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke: The TASTE-SL Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Sublingual edaravone dexborneol, which can rapidly diffuse and be absorbed through the oral mucosa after sublingual exposure, is a multitarget brain cytoprotection composed of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients edaravone and dexborneol.

Objective

To investigate the efficacy and safety of sublingual edaravone dexborneol on 90-day functional outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, parallel-group, phase 3 randomized clinical trial conducted from June 28, 2021, to August 10, 2022, with 90-day follow-up. Participants were recruited from 33 centers in China. Patients randomly assigned to treatment groups were aged 18 to 80 years and had a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score between 6 and 20, a total motor deficit score of the upper and lower limbs of 2 or greater, a clinically diagnosed AIS symptom within 48 hours, and a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or less before stroke. Patients who did not meet the eligibility criteria or declined to participate were excluded.

Intervention

Patients were assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive sublingual edaravone dexborneol (edaravone, 30 mg; dexborneol, 6 mg) or placebo (edaravone, 0 mg; dexborneol, 60 μg) twice daily for 14 days and were followed up until 90 days.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary efficacy outcome was the proportion of patients with mRS score of 1 or less on day 90 after randomization.

Results

Of 956 patients, 42 were excluded. A total of 914 patients (median [IQR] age, 64.0 [56.0-70.0] years; 608 male [66.5%]) were randomly allocated to the edaravone dexborneol group (450 [49.2%]) or placebo group (464 [50.8%]). The edaravone dexborneol group showed a significantly higher proportion of patients experiencing good functional outcomes on day 90 after randomization compared with the placebo group (290 [64.4%] vs 254 [54.7%]; risk difference, 9.70%; 95% CI, 3.37%-16.03%; odds ratio, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.15-1.95, P = .003). The rate of adverse events was similar between the 2 groups (89.8% [405 of 450] vs 90.1% [418 of 464]).

Conclusion and Relevance

Among patients with AIS within 48 hours, sublingual edaravone dexborneol could improve the proportion of those achieving a favorable functional outcome at 90 days compared with placebo.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04950920.

The Combination of Anti-CD47 Antibody with CTLA4 Blockade Enhances Anti-Tumor Immunity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer via Normalization of Tumor Vasculature and Reprogramming of the Immune Microenvironment

In solid tumors, the formidable anti-tumor impact resulting from blocking the "don't eat me" signal, arising from CD47-SIRPα interaction, is constrained, especially compared to its efficacy in hematopoietic malignancies. Activating macrophage anti-tumor activity not only necessitates the inhibition of the "don't eat me" signal, but also the activation of the "eat me" (pre-phagocyte) signal. Intriguingly, the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) antibody (Ab) has been identified to stimulate Fc receptor-mediated active phagocytes in the tumor microenvironment, thereby generating "eat me" signals. This study postulates that concurrently targeting CD47 and CTLA4 could intensify the anti-tumor effects by simultaneously blocking the "don't eat me" signal while triggering the "eat me" signal. The experimental data from this investigation confirm that the combined targeting of CD47 and CTLA4 enhances immunity against solid tumors in LLC cell-transplanted tumor-bearing mice. This effect is achieved by reducing myeloid-derived suppressor cell infiltration while increasing the presence of effector memory CD8+ T cells, NK1.1+ CD8+ T cells, and activated natural killer T cells. Meanwhile, combination therapy also alleviated anemia. Mechanistically, the anti-CD47 Ab is shown to upregulate CTLA4 levels in NSCLC cells by regulating Foxp1. Furthermore, targeting CD47 is demonstrated to promote tumor vascular normalization through the heightened infiltration of CD4+ T cells. These findings suggest that the dual targeting of CD47 and CTLA4 exerts anti-tumor effects by orchestrating the "eat me" and "don't eat me" signals, reshaping the immune microenvironment, and fostering tumor vascular normalization. This combined therapeutic approach emerges as a potent strategy for effectively treating solid tumors.

Research progress in rodent models of endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common and frequent disease in gynecology; its etiology and pathogenesis are partially understood and still not clear. The construction of suitable animal models is beneficial for basic research related to the disease. Currently, rodents have the advantages of low cost, fast reproduction, easy rearing, and a similar endometrial structure to humans. Depending on the purpose of the experiment, different molding methods have their advantages. In this paper, we describe the traditional methods of constructing endometriosis rodent models, compare their advantages and disadvantages, and introduce newly developed rodent models, such as cell line injection models, pain models, genetically engineered mouse models, fluorescent tracer models, iron overload models, chemical induction models, and methods of constructing rodent models of different subtypes of endometriosis. Fertility and treatment of endometriosis rodent models are also described. This study provides a reference for researchers in the selection of animal models for pathogenesis and drug treatment studies.

Predicting pharmacodynamic effects through early drug discovery with artificial intelligence-physiologically based pharmacokinetic (AI-PBPK) modelling

A mechanism-based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model links the concentration-time profile of a drug with its therapeutic effects based on the underlying biological or physiological processes. Clinical endpoints play a pivotal role in drug development. Despite the substantial time and effort invested in screening drugs for favourable pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, they may not consistently yield optimal clinical outcomes. Furthermore, in the virtual compound screening phase, researchers cannot observe clinical outcomes in humans directly. These uncertainties prolong the process of drug development. As incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK) model can assist in forecasting pharmacodynamic (PD) effects within the human body, we introduce a methodology for utilizing the AI-PBPK platform to predict the PK and PD outcomes of target compounds in the early drug discovery stage. In this integrated platform, machine learning is used to predict the parameters for the model, and the mechanism-based PD model is used to predict the PD outcome through the PK results. This platform enables researchers to align the PK profile of a drug with desired PD effects at the early drug discovery stage. Case studies are presented to assess and compare five potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) compounds, after calibration and verification using vonoprazan and revaprazan.

Suppression of cerebral ischemia injury induced blood brain barrier breakdown by dexmedetomidine via promoting CCN1

BACKGROUND

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) could aggravate cerebral ischemia injury. Dexmedetomidine (Dex) has been believed to play a protective role in cerebral ischemia injury-induced BBB injury.

METHODS

Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) models were established to simulate cerebral ischemia injury. Animal experiments included 4 groups, Sham, MCAO, MCAO+Dex, MCAO+Dex+sh-CCN1. Generally applicable gene set enrichment analysis was performed to analyze gene expression difference. Total collagen content and Evans blue staining were performed to measure infarct ratio and BBB breakdown, respectively. The cell apoptosis, mRNA and protein expression were measured through flow cytometry, PCR, and western blotting, respectively. The levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in serum were measured with commercial ELISA kits.

RESULTS

Dex greatly promoted the expression level of CCN1. Dex suppressed cerebral ischemia injury, increased tight junction protein expression, improved the memory ability and neurological function of MCAO rats through targeting CCN1. The significant increase of inflammatory factors in the serum of MCAO rats were suppressed by Dex. Dex suppressed OGD induced increase of HRP permeability and promoting tight junction protein expression in vitro through regulating CCN1. The neurological function evaluation was performed with Neurological Severity Score (NSS) and Longa Score Scale.

CONCLUSIONS

Dex could remarkably alleviate cerebral ischemia injury by inhibiting BBB breakdown, inflammatory response, and promoting neurological function and tight junction protein expression via up-regulating CCN1. This study might provide a novel therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of cerebral ischemia injury-induced BBB.

Existing hip joint disease is associated with an increased incidence of hip fracture in adults: A retrospective survey of 9710 individuals from a single center

Objective

In hip disease patients, pain and movement restrictions might cause changes in bone strength and increase the likelihood of falls, finally leading to hip fracture. The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of, characteristics of and risk factors for hip fracture in patients with existing hip disease.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients with existing hip disease treated at both outpatient and inpatient departments of our institute were identified by searching the electronic medical record system and followed retrospectively for the occurrence of hip fracture. Demographic and clinical characteristics, such as age, sex and kind of primary hip disease, were collected from the electronic medical record system. The incidence and timing of hip fracture were estimated, and a Cox regression model was built to identify the independent risk factors for hip fracture in these patients.

Results

A total of 9710 eligible patients were included. After a mean follow-up of 3.97 years, hip fractures were identified in 95 patients, for an estimated incidence of hip fracture of 978.37 per 100,000 patients. The femoral neck was involved in 49 fractures (51.58 %), and the femoral trochanter was involved in 45 fractures (47.37 %). Four independent risk factors and one protective factor for hip fracture in patients with hip diseases were identified: age (HR = 1.116, 95 % CI = 1.094-1.138), the presence of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (HR = 2.201, 95 % CI = 1.217-3.980), a lower Harris hip score (HR = 0.966, 95 % CI = 0.949-0.982), a history of previous hip surgery (HR = 2.126, 95 % CI = 1.304-3.466) and the use of walking aids (HR = 0.588, 95 % CI = 0.354-0.975). A scoring system with a total score of 20 points was built, which included all of the above risk factors. The predictive scores for a low risk (estimated incidence of hip fracture ≤30 %), a moderate risk (estimated incidence of hip fracture 31 %-69 %), and a high risk (estimated incidence of hip fracture ≥70 %) of hip fracture were ≤8.5 points, 9.0-13.0 points and ≥13.5 points, respectively.

Conclusion

The incidence of hip fracture in the special population of patients with existing hip disease was determined. Elderly patients, patients with a history of hip surgery, patients with osteonecrosis and patients with poor Harris hip scores were at increased risk of hip fracture. In patients with a predictive score greater than 9 points, indicating a moderate to high risk of hip fracture, the use of a walking aid might reduce the risk of hip fracture.

The mutual overlapping impact of stress and infection on mental health problems in adolescents and youths during and after COVID-19 pandemic in China

BACKGROUND

It is unclear about the mutual impact of COVID-19 related psychological stress and infection on mental health of adolescent and youth students. This study aimed to explore the mutual impact of COVID-19 related psychological stress and infection on mental health problems among students.

METHODS

This study was conducted from December 14, 2022 to February 28, 2023 in Sichuan, China. Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Insomnia Severity Index, and Internet Addiction Test were used. Participants were grouped by COVID-19 infection and psychological stress level. The differences among groups were compared, and logistic regression analysis was used to investigate risk factors for depression, anxiety, PTSD and insomnia among groups.

RESULTS

Of 90,118 participants, 82,873 (92.0 %) finished the questionnaires and were included in the study. Of 82,873 participants, 33,314 (40.2 %) reported to be infected with COVID-19. Participants had depression symptoms (38.1 %), anxiety symptoms (31.8 %), PTSD (33.9 %), insomnia (34.0 %), and internet addiction (60.3 %). Compared with participants uninfected with low psychological stress level, the risk for symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD and insomnia increased by 9.6 %, 12.3 %, 6.6 %, and 12.0 % in participants infected with low psychological stress level (p < 0.001), 106.8 %, 125.9 %, 125.2 %, and 95.7 % in participants uninfected with high psychological stress level (p < 0.001), and 147.3 %, 161.1 %, 158.7 %, and 141.0 % in participants infected with high psychological stress level (p < 0.001).

LIMITATION

This study is a cross-sectional design, and no causal associations should be inferred. Infection status was based on self-report of participants with infectious symptoms.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 related psychological stress and infection per se have mutually overlapping impacts on mental health problems among students. Further health policies and psychosocial interventions should be developed to reduce mutually overlapping impact and improve the long-term mental health among students.

Ultrahigh-order QAM secure transmission based on delta-sigma modulation using discrete memristive-enhanced chaos

This Letter proposes a high-security and high-order signal transmission method that is based on delta-sigma modulation (DSM) and discrete memristive-enhanced chaos (DMEC). We employ the DMEC for the encryption of DSM signals to achieve a key space of 1098 in size. Moreover, we demonstrated a high-security transmission of 16384QAM signals using the DSM over a 25 km single-mode fiber in the intensity-modulated direct detection (IMDD) system. The experimental results show that the proposed ultrahigh-order transmission scheme based on DMEC and DSM guarantees high signal transmission performances with improved security and a key sensitivity level of 10-17.

Alterations in the composition and metabolite profiles of the saline-alkali soil microbial community through biochar application

Saline-alkali soil poses significant chanllenges to sustainable development of agriculture. Although biochar is commonly used as a soil organic amendment, its microbial remediation mechanism on saline-alkali soil requires further confirmation. To address this, we conducted a pot experiment using cotton seedlings to explore the potential remediation mechanism of rice straw biochar (BC) at three different levels on saline-alkaline soil. The results showed that adding of 2% biochar greatly improved the quality of saline-alkaline soil by reducing pH levels, electrical conductivity (EC), and water-soluble ions. Moreover, biochar increased the soil organic matter (SOM), nutrient availability and extracellular enzyme activity. Interestingly, it also reduced soil salinity and salt content in various cotton plant tissues. Additionally, biochar had a notable impact on the composition of the microbial community, causing changes in soil metabolic pathways. Notably, the addition of biochar promoted the growth and metabolism of dominant salt-tolerant bacteria, such as Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota. By enhancing the positive correlation between microorganisms and metabolites, biochar alleviated the inhibitory effect of salt ions on microorganisms. In conclusion, the incorporation of biochar significantly improves the soil microenvironment, reduces soil salinity, and shows promise in ameliorating saline-alkaline soil conditions.

Dynamic and Reversible Blending Interface on Polyoxovanadate Electrode for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries

Solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) plays a critical role in the performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In contrast to the clear interface between the traditional consecutive electrode materials and SEI, ionic polyoxometalates (POMs) as electrode could bilaterally diffuse with SEI and form a blending interface for superior electrochemical performance. POMs have recently aroused much interest as electrode materials in LIBs due to their structural flexibility, high capacity, and cycling stability. However, the interface evolution between POM-based electrodes and SEI, which is critical for Li+ ion transportation, has rarely been explored. Herein, we choose Li10[V12B18O60H6] (LVB) as an example to investigate the formation and structural evolution of the electrode-electrolyte interface. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry together with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates the evolution of a blending layer at the interface containing typical SEI components, a polyanion from LVB and a phosphate anion from decomposition products of LiPF6. In the blending layer, ion migration takes place between the P-related inorganic species and the polyanion during the Li+ insertion/extraction reaction. Such a compatible blending layer favors Li+ transportation and the reversibility of the redox reactions, as supported by a series of electrochemical analyses. This work provides detailed insights into understanding the interface evolution of the LVB electrode and demonstrates the importance of interfacial engineering to induce proper interface layers in the development of high-performance POM-based electrodes for LIBs.

Discovery of Pyroptosis-inducing Drugs and Antineoplastic Activity Based on the ROS/ER Stress/Pyroptosis Axis

BACKGROUND

Pyroptosis, a cell death process triggered by chemotherapy drugs, has emerged as a highly promising mechanism for combating tumors in recent years. As the lead of new drugs, natural products play an important role in the discovery of anticancer drugs. Compared to other natural products, the medicine food homologous natural products (MFHNP) exhibit a superior safety profile. Among a series of MFHNP molecular skeletons, this study found that only benzylideneacetophenone (1) could induce cancer cell pyroptosis. However, the anti-cancer activity of 1 remains to be improved.

AIMS

This study aimed to find a pyroptosis inducer with highly effective antitumor activity by modifying the chalcone structure.

METHODS

To examine the effect of the Michael receptor in compound 1 on the induction of pyroptosis, several analogs were synthesized by modifying the Michael acceptor. Subsequently, the anticancer activity was tested by MTT assay, and morphological indications of pyroptosis were observed in human lung carcinoma NCI-H460 and human ovarian cancer CP-70 cell lines. Furthermore, to improve the activity of the chalcone skeleton, the anticancer group 3,4,5- trimethoxyphenyl was incorporated into the phenyl ring. Subsequently, compounds 2-22 were designed, synthesized, and screened in human lung cancer cells (NCI-H460, H1975, and A549). Additionally, a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model was established using the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) machine learning library to identify the pharmacophore. Furthermore, both in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to investigate the molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis induced by the active compound.

RESULTS

α, β-unsaturated ketone was the functional group of the chalcone skeleton and played a pivotal role in inducing cancer cell pyroptosis. QSAR models showed that the regression coefficients (R2) were 0.992 (A549 cells), 0.990 (NCI-H460 cells), and 0.998 (H1975 cells). Among these compounds, compound 7 was selected to be the active compound. Moreover, compound 7 was found to induce pyroptosis in lung cancer cells by upregulating the expression of CHOP by increasing the ROS level. Furthermore, it effectively suppressed the growth of lung cancer xenograft tumors.

CONCLUSION

Compound 7 exhibits antineoplastic activity by regulating the ROS/ER stress/pyroptosis axis and is a kind of promising pyroptosis inducer.

Self-Aligning Nanojunctions for Integrated Single-Molecule Circuits

Robust, high-yield integration of nanoscale components such as graphene nanoribbons, nanoparticles, or single-molecules with conventional electronic circuits has proven to be challenging. This difficulty arises because the contacts to these nanoscale devices must be precisely fabricated with angstrom-level resolution to make reliable connections, and at manufacturing scales this cannot be achieved with even the highest-resolution lithographic tools. Here we introduce an approach that circumvents this issue by precisely creating nanometer-scale gaps between metallic carbon electrodes by using a self-aligning, solution-phase process, which allows facile integration with conventional electronic systems with yields approaching 50%. The electrode separation is controlled by covalently binding metallic single-walled carbon nanotube (mCNT) electrodes to individual DNA duplexes to create mCNT-DNA-mCNT nanojunctions, where the gap is precisely matched to the DNA length. These junctions are then integrated with top-down lithographic techniques to create single-molecule circuits that have electronic properties dominated by the DNA in the junction, have reproducible conductance values with low dispersion, and are stable and robust enough to be utilized as active, high-specificity electronic biosensors for dynamic single-molecule detection of specific oligonucleotides, such as those related to the SARS-CoV-2 genome. This scalable approach for high-yield integration of nanometer-scale devices will enable opportunities for manufacturing of hybrid electronic systems for a wide range of applications.

Modularly assembled multiplex prime editors for simultaneous editing of agronomically important genes in rice

Prime editing (PE) technology enables precise alterations in the genetic code of a genome of interest. PE offers great potential for identifying major agronomically important genes in plants and editing them into superior variants, ideally targeting multiple loci simultaneously to realize the collective effects of the edits. Here, we report the development of a modular assembly-based multiplex PE system in rice and demonstrate its efficacy in editing up to four genes in a single transformation experiment. The duplex PE (DPE) system achieved a co-editing efficiency of 46.1% in the T0 generation, converting TFIIAγ5 to xa5 and xa23 to Xa23SW11. The resulting double-mutant lines exhibited robust broad-spectrum resistance against multiple Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae (Xoo) strains in the T1 generation. In addition, we successfully edited OsEPSPS1 to an herbicide-tolerant variant and OsSWEET11a to a Xoo-resistant allele, achieving a co-editing rate of 57.14%. Furthermore, with the quadruple PE (QPE) system, we edited four genes-two for herbicide tolerance (OsEPSPS1 and OsALS1) and two for Xoo resistance (TFIIAγ5 and OsSWEET11a)-using one construct, with a co-editing efficiency of 43.5% for all four genes in the T0 generation. We performed multiplex PE using five more constructs, including two for triplex PE (TPE) and three for QPE, each targeting a different set of genes. The editing rates were dependent on the activity of pegRNA and/or ngRNA. For instance, optimization of ngRNA increased the PE rates for one of the targets (OsSPL13) from 0% to 30% but did not improve editing at another target (OsGS2). Overall, our modular assembly-based system yielded high PE rates and streamlined the cloning of PE reagents, making it feasible for more labs to utilize PE for their editing experiments. These findings have significant implications for advancing gene editing techniques in plants and may pave the way for future agricultural applications.

High-Safety Electrolytes with an Anion-Rich Solvation Structure Tuned by Difluorinated Cations for High-Voltage Lithium Metal Batteries

As next-generation energy storage devices, lithium metal batteries (LMBs) must offer high safety, high-voltage resistance, and a long life span. Electrolyte engineering is a facile strategy to tailor the interfacial chemistry of LMBs. In particular, the solvation structure and derived solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) are crucial for a satisfactory battery performance. Herein, a novel middle-concentrated ionic liquid electrolyte (MCILE) with an anion-rich solvation structure tuned by difluorinated cations is demonstrated to achieve ultrahigh safety, high-voltage stability, and excellent ternary-cathode compatibility. Novel gem-difluorinated cations first synthesized for prestoring fluorine on positively charged species, not only preferentially adsorb in the inner-Helmholtz layers, but also participate in regulating the Li+ solvation structure, resulting in a robust interphase. Moreover, these weak interactions in the Li+ solvation structure including anion-solvent and ionic liquid (IL) cation-solvent pairs are first revealed, which are beneficial for promoting an anion-dominated solvation structure and the desolvation process. Benefiting from the unique anion-rich solvation structure, a stable hetero-SEI structure is obtained. The designed MCILE exhibits compatibility with Li metal anode and the high-voltage ternary cathode at high temperatures (60 °C). This work provides a new approach for regulating the solvation structure and electrode interphase chemistry of LMBs via difluorinated IL cations.

Functional nanoporous graphene superlattice

Two-dimensional (2D) superlattices, formed by stacking sublattices of 2D materials, have emerged as a powerful platform for tailoring and enhancing material properties beyond their intrinsic characteristics. However, conventional synthesis methods are limited to pristine 2D material sublattices, posing a significant practical challenge when it comes to stacking chemically modified sublattices. Here we report a chemical synthesis method that overcomes this challenge by creating a unique 2D graphene superlattice, stacking graphene sublattices with monodisperse, nanometer-sized, square-shaped pores and strategically doped elements at the pore edges. The resulting graphene superlattice exhibits remarkable correlations between quantum phases at both the electron and phonon levels, leading to diverse functionalities, such as electromagnetic shielding, energy harvesting, optoelectronics, and thermoelectrics. Overall, our findings not only provide chemical design principles for synthesizing and understanding functional 2D superlattices but also expand their enhanced functionality and extensive application potential compared to their pristine counterparts.

Detection of HIV-1 DNA/RNA in Peripheral Blood, Bone Marrow and Femoral Head of Patients with Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head

Background

With the increasing life expectancy of people living with HIV (PLWH) following antiretroviral therapy (ART), there is a growing prevalence of chronic diseases such as osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). Compared with the more accessible blood, the viral infection profile in bone marrow and necrotic femoral heads in PLWH remains inadequately characterized.

Methods

Femoral head and bone marrow were collected from 15 PLWH undergoing total hip arthroplasty. For each femoral head, samples were obtained from the subchondral, necrotic, sclerotic, and normal areas. HIV DNA and HIV RNA assays were employed to evaluate disparities in viral load and reservoir between bone marrow and blood, as well as to quantify viral infection in distinct regions of the necrotic femoral head.

Results

Blood HIV RNA dropped below detectable levels in 8 patients (below 20 copies/mL). The median of bone marrow HIV RNA was 255.89 copies/mL. HIV DNA in blood and bone marrow was 296.35 and 454.31 copies/106 cells. HIV DNA in necrotic area was about half that in sclerotic area, HIV RNA was about twice that in normal area, the difference was statistically significant.

Conclusion

Despite using ART, there is still substantial active HIV and a potential reservoir in the bone marrow. Viral transcription was most active in the necrotic area of the femoral head, which may indicate that HIV itself is directly involved in ONFH.

Computer Vision-Based Biomass Estimation for Invasive Plants

We report on the detailed steps of a method to estimate the biomass of invasive plants based on UAV remote sensing and computer vision. To collect samples from the study area, we prepared a sample square assembly to randomize the sampling points. An unmanned aerial camera system was constructed using a drone and camera to acquire continuous RGB images of the study area through automated navigation. After completing the shooting, the aboveground biomass in the sample frame was collected, and all correspondences were labeled and packaged. The sample data was processed, and the aerial images were segmented into small images of 280 x 280 pixels to create an image dataset. A deep convolutional neural network was used to map the distribution of Mikania micrantha in the study area, and its vegetation index was obtained. The organisms collected were dried, and the dry weight was recorded as the ground truth biomass. The invasive plant biomass regression model was constructed using the K-nearest neighbor regression (KNNR) by extracting the vegetation index from the sample images as an independent variable and integrating it with the ground truth biomass as a dependent variable. The results showed that it was possible to predict the biomass of invasive plants accurately. An accurate spatial distribution map of invasive plant biomass was generated by image traversal, allowing precise identification of high-risk areas affected by invasive plants. In summary, this study demonstrates the potential of combining unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing with machine learning techniques to estimate invasive plant biomass. It contributes significantly to the research of new technologies and methods for real-time monitoring of invasive plants and provides technical support for intelligent monitoring and hazard assessment at the regional scale.

Quantified pathway mutations associate epithelial-mesenchymal transition and immune escape with poor prognosis and immunotherapy resistance of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Pathway mutations have been calculated to predict the poor prognosis and immunotherapy resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). To uncover the unique markers predicting prognosis and immune therapy response, the accurate quantification of pathway mutations are required to evaluate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and immune escape. Yet, there is a lack of score to accurately quantify pathway mutations.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Firstly, we proposed Individualized Weighted Hallmark Gene Set Mutation Burden (IWHMB, https://github.com/YuHongHuang-lab/IWHMB ) which integrated pathway structure information and eliminated the interference of global Tumor Mutation Burden to accurately quantify pathway mutations. Subsequently, to further elucidate the association of IWHMB with EMT and immune escape, support vector machine regression model was used to identify IWHMB-related transcriptomic features (IRG), while Adversarially Regularized Graph Autoencoder (ARVGA) was used to further resolve IRG network features. Finally, Random walk with restart algorithm was used to identify biomarkers for predicting ICI response.

RESULTS

We quantified the HNSCC pathway mutation signatures and identified pathway mutation subtypes using IWHMB. The IWHMB-related transcriptomic features (IRG) identified by support vector machine regression were divided into 5 communities by ARVGA, among which the Community 1 enriching malignant mesenchymal components promoted EMT dynamically and regulated immune patterns associated with ICI responses. Bridge Hub Gene (BHG) identified by random walk with restart was key to IWHMB in EMT and immune escape, thus, more predictive for ICI response than other 70 public signatures.

CONCLUSION

In summary, the novel pathway mutation scoring-IWHMB suggested that the elevated malignancy mediated by pathway mutations is a major cause of poor prognosis and immunotherapy failure in HNSCC, and is capable of identifying novel biomarkers to predict immunotherapy response.

Extra-Cavity Image Registration via the Aortic Root During Left Ventricular Mapping and Ablation

BACKGROUND

Computed tomography (CT) image integration is of limited use in left ventricular (LV) ablation due to inadequate accuracy of registration. The current study aimed to investigate the accuracy and feasibility of extra-cavity LV image registration via the coronary cusp.

METHODS

Consecutive patients were enrolled as the validation group (n = 41) and feasibility group (n = 48). After extra-cavity registration via the aortic root, the LV anatomy derived from CT image was activated and moved into real space. Accuracy of LV anatomy via this registration method was verified by intracardiac echocardiography reconstruction in the validation group and tested further in the feasibility group via measuring the location differences (<3 mm) and volume difference (<8 mL).

RESULTS

In validation group, the LV volume of CT image and ICE map were comparable (113.6 ± 15.5 mL vs. 109.0 ± 15.3 mL, P =.27), and the location difference was 3.1 ± 1.1 mm at LV summit, 1.8 ± 0.9 mm at the free wall, and 1.8 ± 0.7 mm at the LV apex. There was a mean of 2.9 ± 1.2 mm and 3.0 ± 1.0 mm length difference in anterior PM and posterior PM, the position difference of the PM's base was 2.8 ± 0.9 mm for anterior PM and 2.2 ± 0.9 mm for posterior PM. In feasibility group, the distance differences of LV summit, LV septum, LV apex, and LV free averaged 1.8 ± 0.8 mm, 1.5 ± 0.7 mm, 1.4 ± 0.6 mm, 1.3 ± 0.7 mm, respectively. Compared with validation group, acute success (100% vs. 96.5%, P =.51), complications rate (4.9% vs. 2.0%, P = 0.59) and fluoroscopic time (1.6 ± 1.1 vs. 1.9 ± 1.6 minutes, P =.30) exhibited no significant difference, but was significantly reduced with procedure time (74.5 ± 8.1 vs. 61.2 ± 9.5 minutes, P <.001) with CT image registration only.

CONCLUSION

LV mapping and ablation could be successfully achieved by extra-cavity registration via coronary cusp without needing positions within LV beforehand.

A multicenter clinical AI system study for detection and diagnosis of focal liver lesions

Early and accurate diagnosis of focal liver lesions is crucial for effective treatment and prognosis. We developed and validated a fully automated diagnostic system named Liver Artificial Intelligence Diagnosis System (LiAIDS) based on a diverse sample of 12,610 patients from 18 hospitals, both retrospectively and prospectively. In this study, LiAIDS achieved an F1-score of 0.940 for benign and 0.692 for malignant lesions, outperforming junior radiologists (benign: 0.830-0.890, malignant: 0.230-0.360) and being on par with senior radiologists (benign: 0.920-0.950, malignant: 0.550-0.650). Furthermore, with the assistance of LiAIDS, the diagnostic accuracy of all radiologists improved. For benign and malignant lesions, junior radiologists' F1-scores improved to 0.936-0.946 and 0.667-0.680 respectively, while seniors improved to 0.950-0.961 and 0.679-0.753. Additionally, in a triage study of 13,192 consecutive patients, LiAIDS automatically classified 76.46% of patients as low risk with a high NPV of 99.0%. The evidence suggests that LiAIDS can serve as a routine diagnostic tool and enhance the diagnostic capabilities of radiologists for liver lesions.

Assessing Diagnostic Performance Using the Transverse Plane Plus Coronal Plane Compared With the Transverse Plane Alone in Screening Automated Breast Ultrasound

OBJECTIVES

The coronal plane is the unique display mode of automated breast (AB) ultrasound (US), which has valuable features of showing the entire breast anatomy and providing additional diagnostic value for breast lesions. However, whether adding the coronal plane could improve the diagnostic performance in screening breast cancer remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the value of adding the coronal plane in interpretation for AB US screening.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, AB US images from 644 women (396 in the no-finding group, 143 with benign lesions, and 105 with malignant lesions) aged 40-70 years were collected between January 2016 and October 2020. Four novice radiologists (with 1-5 years of experience with breast US) and four experienced radiologists (with >5 years of experience with breast US) were assigned to read all AB US images in the transverse plane plus coronal plane (T + C planes) and transverse plane (T plane) alone in separate reading sessions. Diagnostic performance, lesion conspicuity, and reading time were compared using analysis of variance.

RESULTS

The mean reading time of all radiologists was significantly shorter in the T + C planes reading mode than in the T plane alone (115 ± 32 vs 128 ± 31 s, respectively; P < .05), and cancers had a higher conspicuity (odds ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-3.08; P = .04). No significant differences were noted in the two reading modes (T + C planes vs T plane) in the sensitivity (82% [95% CI, 74-89%] vs 81% [95% CI, 74-88%], respectively; P = .68) and specificity (68% [95% CI, 62-75%] vs 70% [95% CI, 64-75%], respectively; P = .39) when Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 3 was set as the threshold. There were also no significant differences in the two reading modes (T + C planes vs T plane) in the sensitivity (70% [95% CI, 64-76%] vs 69% [95% CI, 63-75%], respectively; P = .39) and specificity (91% [95% CI, 87-96%] vs 91% [95% CI, 88-95%], respectively; P = .90) when BI-RADS 4 was set as the threshold. In addition, the mean areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of all radiologists in the two reading modes (T + C planes vs T plane) were not significantly different (0.84 [95% CI, 0.79-0.89] vs 0.83 [95% CI, 0.78-0.89], respectively; P = .61).

CONCLUSIONS

Adding a coronal plane in the AB US screening setting saved the reading time and improved the conspicuity of breast cancers but not the diagnostic performance.

A Spiking Artificial Vision Architecture Based on Fully Emulating the Human Vision

Intelligent vision necessitates the deployment of detectors that are always-on and low-power, mirroring the continuous and uninterrupted responsiveness characteristic of human vision. Nonetheless, contemporary artificial vision systems attain this goal by the continuous processing of massive image frames and executing intricate algorithms, thereby expending substantial computational power and energy. In contrast, biological data processing, based on event-triggered spiking, has higher efficiency and lower energy consumption. Here, this work proposes an artificial vision architecture consisting of spiking photodetectors and artificial synapses, closely mirroring the intricacies of the human visual system. Distinct from previously reported techniques, the photodetector is self-powered and event-triggered, outputting light-modulated spiking signals directly, thereby fulfilling the imperative for always-on with low-power consumption. With the spiking signals processing through the integrated synapse units, recognition of graphics, gestures, and human action has been implemented, illustrating the potent image processing capabilities inherent within this architecture. The results prove the 90% accuracy rate in human action recognition within a mere five epochs utilizing a rudimentary artificial neural network. This novel architecture, grounded in spiking photodetectors, offers a viable alternative to the extant models of always-on low-power artificial vision system.

Individualized anti-thrombotic therapy for acute myocardial infarction complicated with left ventricular thrombus: A case report

BACKGROUND

Presently, there is no established standard anti-blood clot therapy for patients facing acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by left ventricular thrombus (LVT). While vitamin K antagonists are the preferred choice for oral blood thinning, determining the best course of blood-thinning medication remains challenging. It is unclear if non-vitamin K antagonist oral blood thinners have different effectiveness in treating LVT. This study significantly contributes to the medical community.

CASE SUMMARY

The blood-thinning treatment of a patient with AMI and LVT was analyzed. Triple blood-thinning therapy included daily enteric-coated aspirin tablets at 0.1 g, daily clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate at 75 mg, and dabigatran etexilate at 110 mg twice daily. After 15 d, the patient's LVT did not decrease but instead increased. Clinical pharmacists comprehensively analyzed the cases from the perspective of the patient's disease status and drug interaction. The drug regimen was reformulated for the patient, replacing dabigatran etexilate with warfarin, and was administered for six months. The clinical pharmacist provided the patient with professional and standardized pharmaceutical services. The patient's condition was discharged after meeting the international normalized ratio value (2-3) criteria. The patient fully complied with the follow-up, and the time in the therapeutic range was 78.57%, with no serious adverse effects during pharmaceutical monitoring.

CONCLUSION

Warfarin proves to be an effective drug for patients with AMI complicated by LVT, and its blood-thinning course lasts for six months.

Disorganized Functional Connectivity of Anterior Insular Subnetworks in Adults with Executive Dysfunction after Trauma Exposure

There is increasing evidence that major trauma can adversely affect the brain and cognition. In some cases, trauma may lead to deficits in executive function (EF). The anterior insula may be a causal outflow hub acting to coordinate EF-related brain networks. To clarify the neural underpinnings of EF deficits (EFD) after trauma, we performed a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) study of anterior insular subnetworks in adults who have lost their only child. A total of 167 participants completed various psychological and cognitive assessments to assess EF-related deficits. Correlations were computed between abnormal connectivity and cognitive/post-traumatic stress symptoms. The results showed abnormal anterior insular subregion connectivity in the default mode network (DMN), prefrontal lobe, and cerebellum lobe in participants with EFD. No correlation was found between abnormal connectivity and cognitive/post-traumatic stress symptoms in participants with EFD. These results suggest that excessive connections between the insula and DMN could contribute to EFD after trauma. Overall, this study provides novel references into the neural mechanisms of EF status after trauma exposure.

E3 Ubiquitin Ligase ASB14 Inhibits Cardiomyocyte Proliferation by Regulating MAPRE2 Ubiquitination

The ubiquitin proteasome system is a highly specific and selective protein regulatory system that plays an essential role in the regulation of the cell cycle. Despite its significance, the role of ubiquitination in cardiomyocyte proliferation remains largely unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential impact of E3 ubiquitin ligase ASB14 (Ankyrin Repeat And SOCS Box Containing 14) on cardiac regeneration. We conducted a microarray analysis of apical resection ventricle tissues, and our findings revealed that ASB14 was down-regulated during the cardiac regenerative response. Subsequently, we examined the effect of ASB14 silencing on cardiomyocyte nuclear proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicated that ASB14 silencing promoted cardiomyocyte nuclear proliferation, suggesting that ASB14 may play a role in regulating cardiac regeneration. To further investigate the potential therapeutic implications of ASB14 deficiency, we examined the cardiac function of mice with ASB14 deficiency in response to ischemic injury. Our findings showed that mice with ASB14 deficiency exhibited preserved cardiac function and a therapeutic effect in response to ischemic injury, which was attributed to the enhancement of cardiomyocyte nuclear proliferation. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we investigated the effect of ASB14 on microtubule-associated protein RP/EB family member 2 (MAPRE2) protein degradation. Our results indicated that the loss of ASB14 decreased the degradation of MAPRE2 protein, subsequently promoting cardiomyocyte nuclear proliferation and enhancing cardiac repair after myocardial infarction (MI). In conclusion, our study provides evidence that inhibition of ASB14-mediated MAPRE2 ubiquitination promotes cardiomyocyte nuclear proliferation, which may serve as a potential target for treating heart failure induced by MI injury.

Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Negative Emotions in China during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This research aims to explore the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of negative emotions in mainland China during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the external factors influencing this clustering. Using Baidu Index data for 91 negative emotion keywords, a retrospective geographic analysis was conducted across Chinese provinces from 14 October 2019 to 7 July 2022. Four spatial analysis methods (Global Moran's Index, Local Moran's Index, Bivariate Global Moran's Index, and Bivariate Local Moran's Index) are employed to identify potential clustering patterns and influencing factors of negative emotions at different stages. The results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly intensified the clustering effect of negative emotions in China, particularly with a more pronounced radiation effect in northwestern provinces. Spatial positive correlations are observed between pandemic-related Baidu indices (pandemic Baidu index, government Baidu index, nucleic acid Baidu index) and negative emotions. These findings contribute to understanding the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of negative emotions in China post the COVID-19 outbreak and can guide the allocation of psychological resources during emergencies, thereby promoting social stability.

Exploring functional connectivity alterations in sudden sensorineural hearing loss: A multilevel analysis

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) constitutes an urgent otologic emergency, marked by a rapid decline of at least 30 dB across three consecutive frequencies within 72 h. While previous studies have noted brain region alterations encompassing both auditory and non-auditory areas, this research examines functional connectivity changes across integrity, network, and edge levels in SSNHL. The cohort included 184 participants: 107 SSNHL patients and 77 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Our investigation comprises: (1) characterization of overall functional connectivity degree across 55 nodes in nine networks (p < 0.05, corrected for false discovery rate), exposing integrity level changes; (2) identification of reduced intranetwork connectivity strength within sensory and attention networks (somatomotor network, auditory network, ventral attention network, dorsal attention network) in SSNHL individuals (p < 0.05, Bonferroni corrected), and reduced internetwork connectivity across twelve distinct subnetwork pairs (p < 0.05, FDR corrected); (3) revelation of increased internetwork connectivity in SSNHL patients, primarily spanning dorsal attention network, fronto parietal network, default mode network, and limbic network, alongside widespread reductions in connectivity patterns among the nine distinct resting-state brain networks. The study further uncovers negative correlations between SSNHL duration and intranetwork connectivity of the auditory network (p < 0.001, R = -0.474), and between Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores and internetwork connections linking auditory network and dorsal attention network (p < 0.001, R = -0.331). These observed alterations provide crucial insights into the neural mechanisms underpinning SSNHL and extend our comprehension of the brain's network-level responses to sensory loss. By unveiling the intricate interplay between sensory deprivation, adaptation, and cognitive processes, this study lays the groundwork for future research targeting enhanced diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation approaches for individuals afflicted by SSNHL.

Identifying spatial variability of water chemical characteristics and groundwater discharge in Hulun Lake integrated remote sensing data and chemical components

The frozen period interaction of groundwater and lakes is crucial for hydrological properties and aquatic ecology in cold and arid regions. In this study, we investigate the spatial hydrochemical characteristics, influencing factors in the Hulun Lake basin. The hydrochemical type of lake water exhibits Na-HCO3-SO4-Cl, while river shows a primary classification of Na-Ca-HCO3. Groundwater in the eastern and western regions is characterized by Na-SO4-Cl and Na-HCO3, respectively. Silicic acid and ion exchange predominantly influence groundwater chemistry in the western region, whereas evaporation and concentration play a major role in the eastern region. Total dissolved solids, Cl-, and F- emerge as the primary influencing factors of hydrochemical components in the Hulun Lake basin. Ion content decreased from the southern to the northern region, with the lowest value occurring near the Urson River. The high-temperature water body is primarily distributed in the central and southern regions of the lake. Based on characteristic ions and partial characteristics of ice surface temperature, the potential groundwater discharge areas near the inlet of the Xinkai River, the central and southern region are determined. This study reveals the hydrochemical characteristics, vertical ice distribution, and provides a scientific foundation for water resource management in cold and arid regions.

Fever clinic construction and management targeted to prevention and control of healthcare-associated respiratory viral infections in Jiangsu, China: A cross-sectional observational study

To analyze the post-COVID-19 construction and management of fever clinics targeted to prevention and control of healthcare-associated respiratory viral infections in medical institutions at all levels in China, and to provide a basis for promoting their standardized construction, we conducted this survey on the construction of fever clinics in 429 medical institutions of Jiangsu Province from July to December 2020. Contents of the questionnaire included the general situation of medical institutions, the construction status and future construction plans of fever clinics. We find the construction rate of fever clinic in medical institutions of Jiangsu province was 75.3%. All construction indicators, quality management systems and processes fail to fully meet the requirements of documents and standards. Jiangsu province actively promotes the construction of fever clinic layout, but there is still a gap with the construction standard. As a result, it is necessary to further promote standardized construction of fever clinic, and necessary financial input should be increased to expand all constructions of fever clinic in primary medical institutions.

cbPPGGAN: A Generic Enhancement Framework for Unpaired Pulse Waveforms in Camera-Based Photoplethysmography

Camera-based photoplethysmography (cbP PG) is a non-contact technique that measures cardiac-related blood volume alterations in skin surface vessels through the analysis of facial videos. While traditional approaches can estimate heart rate (HR) under different illuminations, their accuracy can be affected by motion artifacts, leading to poor waveform fidelity and hindering further analysis of heart rate variability (HRV); deep learning-based approaches reconstruct high-quality pulse waveform, yet their performance significantly degrades under illumination variations. In this work, we aim to leverage the strength of these two methods and propose a framework that possesses favorable generalization capabilities while maintaining waveform fidelity. For this purpose, we propose the cbPPGGAN, an enhancement framework for cbPPG that enables the flexible incorporation of both unpaired and paired data sources in the training process. Based on the waveforms extracted by traditional approaches, the cbPPGGAN reconstructs high-quality waveforms that enable accurate HR estimation and HRV analysis. In addition, to address the lack of paired training data problems in real-world applications, we propose a cycle consistency loss that guarantees the time-frequency consistency before/after mapping. The method enhances the waveform quality of traditional POS approaches in different illumination tests (BH-rPPG) and cross-datasets (UBFC-rPPG) with mean absolute error (MAE) values of 1.34 bpm and 1.65 bpm, and average beat-to-beat (AVBB) values of 27.46 ms and 45.28 ms, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that the cbPPGGAN enhances cbPPG signal quality and outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches in HR estimation and HRV analysis. The proposed framework opens a new pathway toward accurate HR estimation in an unconstrained environment.

The Coexistence of Superconductivity and Topological Order in Van der Waals InNbS2

The research on systems with coexistence of superconductivity and nontrivial band topology has attracted widespread attention. However, the limited availability of material platforms severely hinders the research progress. Here, it reports the first experimental synthesis and measurement of high-quality single crystal van der Waals transition-metal dichalcogenide InNbS2 , revealing it as a topological nodal line semimetal with coexisting superconductivity. The temperature-dependent measurements of magnetization susceptibility and electrical transport show that InNbS2 is a type-II superconductor with a transition temperature Tc of 6 K. First-principles calculations predict multiple topological nodal ring states close to the Fermi level in the presence of spin-orbit coupling. Similar features are also observed in the as-synthesized BiNbS2 and PbNbS2 samples. This work provides new material platforms ANbS2 (A = In, Bi, and Pb) and uncovers their intriguing potential for exploring the interplay between superconductivity and band topology.

Loss of RACK1 promotes glutamine addiction via activating AKT/mTOR/ASCT2 axis to facilitate tumor growth in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Metabolic reprogramming is closely related to the development of gastric cancer (GC), which remains as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. As a tumor suppressor for GC, whether receptor for activated C-kinase 1 (RACK1) play a modulatory role in metabolic reprogramming remains largely unclear.

METHODS

GC cell lines and cell-derived xenograft mouse model were used to identify the biological function of RACK1. Flow cytometry and Seahorse assays were applied to examine cell cycle and oxygen consumption rate (OCR), respectively. Western blot, real-time PCR and autophagy double fluorescent assays were utilized to explore the signaling. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of RACK1 and other indicators in tissue sections.

RESULTS

Loss of RACK1 facilitated the viability, colony formation, cell cycle progression and OCR of GC cells in a glutamine-dependent manner. Further investigation revealed that RACK1 knockdown inhibited the lysosomal degradation of Alanine-serine-cysteine amino acid transporter 2 (ASCT2). Mechanistically, depletion of RACK1 remarkably decreased PTEN expression through up-regulating miR-146b-5p, leading to the activation of AKT/mTOR signaling pathway which dampened autophagy flux subsequently. Moreover, knockdown of ASCT2 could reverse the promotive effect of RACK1 depletion on GC tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. Tissue microarray confirmed that RACK1 was negatively correlated with the expression of ASCT2 and p62, as well as the phosphorylation of mTOR.

CONCLUSION

Together, our results demonstrate that the suppressive function of RACK1 in GC is associated with ASCT2-mediated glutamine metabolism, and imply that targeting RACK1/ASCT2 axis provides potential strategies for GC treatment.

The correlation of hearing prognosis and caloric test results in Meniere's disease: a follow up study

BACKGROUND

Hearing loss is important in the diagnosis and treatment of Meniere's disease (MD). However, little is known about the factors associated with hearing changes in MD.

AIMS/OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between hearing prognosis and caloric test (CT) results in MD.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Ninety consecutive patients diagnosed with unilateral definite MD underwent pure tone audiometry (PTA) and CT at initial visits, and were re-tested PTA at the 6-month follow-up.

RESULTS

Fifty-three of ninety MD patients (58.89%) had abnormal CT results. The change of PTA (cPTA = initial PTA-last PTA) was negatively correlated with canal paresis (CP) values (overall association p = 0.032 and non-linear association p = 0.413). Multivariate linear model showed that as the CP value changed from 0 to 1, the cPTA decreased by -13.31 dB (95% CI: -24.03, -2.6) (p = 0.016). Stratified analysis found that the association was present in MD patients of Stage 1 and 2 (p < 0.05) but not in patients of Stage 3 and 4 (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

Elevated CP values may be linked to worse hearing outcomes in MD, especially in Stage 1 and 2 patients. Conducting a caloric test at the initial consultation may aid in assessing hearing regression in MD.

Characteristic alkaloids from Stemona sessilifolia with lung protective effects

In the research on lung protective effects from the roots of Stemona sessilifolia, twenty-five Stemona alkaloids have been isolated, including four undescribed components (1, 3-5), a new natural product (2) and 20 known alkaloids (6-25). Their structures were analyzed by NMR spectra, high-resolution mass spectrum data, and other chemical methods. UPLC-QTOF/MS method was used to identify the Stemona alkaloids and summarize the fragmentation patterns of mass spectrometry. The lung-protective effects of these compounds were evaluated using MLE-12 cells induced by NNK and nm SiO2. The results showed that compounds 3, 5, 8, 10-11, 17-21 and 23 exhibited protective effects on NNK-induced cell injury. Compounds 2, 8-11, 14, 17-19 and 22 showed improvement in nm SiO2-induced lung epithelial cell injury. Compound 10 (tuberostemonine D), a representative alkaloid with a high content in Stemona sessilifolia, significantly protected C57BL/6 lung injury mice induced by nm SiO2, suggesting it a key component of Stemona alkaloids that play a protective role in lung injury. The results of in vivo activity showed that compound 10 could improve the lung injury of mice, reduce ROS content, and recover the levels of SOD and MDA in serum. Its protective effect on lung injury might be related to Nrf2 activation.

Context-dependent role of SIRT3 in cancer

Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), an NAD+-dependent deacetylase, plays a key role in the modulation of metabolic reprogramming and regulation of cell death, as well as in shaping tumor phenotypes. Owing to its critical role in determining tumor-type specificity or the direction of tumor evolution, the development of small-molecule modulators of SIRT3, including inhibitors and activators, is of significant interest. In this review, we discuss recent studies on the oncogenic or tumor-suppressive functions of SIRT3, evaluate advances in SIRT3-targeted drug discovery, and present potential avenues for the design of small-molecule modulators of SIRT3 for cancer therapy.

Toripalimab plus axitinib versus sunitinib as first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma: RENOTORCH, a randomized, open-label, phase III study

BACKGROUND

Immune checkpoint inhibitors in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors are standard treatments for advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This phase III RENOTORCH study compared the efficacy and safety of toripalimab plus axitinib versus sunitinib for the first-line treatment of patients with intermediate-/poor-risk advanced RCC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with intermediate-/poor-risk unresectable or metastatic RCC were randomized in a ratio of 1 : 1 to receive toripalimab (240 mg intravenously once every 3 weeks) plus axitinib (5 mg orally twice daily) or sunitinib [50 mg orally once daily for 4 weeks (6-week cycle) or 2 weeks (3-week cycle)]. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by an independent review committee (IRC). The secondary endpoints were investigator-assessed PFS, overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), and safety.

RESULTS

A total of 421 patients were randomized to receive toripalimab plus axitinib (n = 210) or sunitinib (n = 211). With a median follow-up of 14.6 months, toripalimab plus axitinib significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 35% compared with sunitinib as assessed by an IRC [hazard ratio (HR) 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.86; P = 0.0028]. The median PFS was 18.0 months in the toripalimab-axitinib group, whereas it was 9.8 months in the sunitinib group. The IRC-assessed ORR was significantly higher in the toripalimab-axitinib group compared with the sunitinib group (56.7% versus 30.8%; P < 0.0001). An OS trend favoring toripalimab plus axitinib was also observed (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40-0.92). Treatment-related grade ≥3 adverse events occurred in 61.5% of patients in the toripalimab-axitinib group and 58.6% of patients in the sunitinib group.

CONCLUSION

In patients with previously untreated intermediate-/poor-risk advanced RCC, toripalimab plus axitinib provided significantly longer PFS and higher ORR than sunitinib and had a manageable safety profile TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04394975.

Automatic planning for head and neck seed implant brachytherapy based on deep convolutional neural network dose engine

BACKGROUND

Seed implant brachytherapy (SIBT) is an effective treatment modality for head and neck (H&N) cancers; however, current clinical planning requires manual setting of needle paths and utilizes inaccurate dose calculation algorithms.

PURPOSE

This study aims to develop an accurate and efficient deep convolutional neural network dose engine (DCNN-DE) and an automatic SIBT planning method for H&N SIBT.

METHODS

A cohort of 25 H&N patients who received SIBT was utilized to develop and validate the methods. The DCNN-DE was developed based on 3D-unet model. It takes single seed dose distribution from a modified TG-43 method, the CT image and a novel inter-seed shadow map (ISSM) as inputs, and predicts the dose map of accuracy close to the one from Monte Carlo simulations (MCS). The ISSM was proposed to better handle inter-seed attenuation. The accuracy and efficacy of the DCNN-DE were validated by comparing with other methods taking MCS dose as reference. For SIBT planning, a novel strategy inspired by clinical practice was proposed to automatically generate parallel or non-parallel potential needle paths that avoid puncturing bone and critical organs. A heuristic-based optimization method was developed to optimize the seed positions to meet clinical prescription requirements. The proposed planning method was validated by re-planning the 25 cases and comparing with clinical plans.

RESULTS

The absolute percentage error in the TG-43 calculation for CTV V100 and D90 was reduced from 5.4% and 13.2% to 0.4% and 1.1% with DCNN-DE, an accuracy improvement of 93% and 92%, respectively. The proposed planning method could automatically obtain a plan in 2.5 ± 1.5 min. The generated plans were judged clinically acceptable with dose distribution comparable with those of the clinical plans.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed method can generate clinically acceptable plans quickly with high accuracy in dose evaluation, and thus has a high potential for clinical use in SIBT.

Fast neutron induced reaction cross sections on natural manganese and tantalum

The cross sections for the 55Mn(n,2n)54Mn, 181Ta(n,2n)180gTa, and 181Ta(n,p)181Hf reactions were measured to be 705.1 ± 26.1 mb at 14.0 MeV, 1362.7 ± 87.2 mb at 13.6 MeV, and 2.31 ± 0.09 mb at 13.6 MeV, respectively, by using an off-line γ-ray spectroscopic technique. The neutrons were produced via the 3H(d,n)4He reaction. The monitor reactions 27Al(n,α)24Na and 93Nb(n,2n)92mNb were used for neutron flux determination. The results from the present work were compared with those of the literature and the evaluated data from ENDF/B-VIII.0, JEFF-3.3, JENDL-5, CENDL-3.2, and BROND-3.1 libraries. Besides, the cross sections were also estimated with the TALYS-1.96 nuclear model code using different level density models for a better description of the present work and literature data. The present experimental results were found to be in good agreement with most of the available literature data and with the evaluated data.

A Novel Technique of Arthroscopic-Assisted Four-Corner Fusion and Robot-Assisted Fixation for Scaphoid Nonunion Advanced Collapse Wrist: A Single Case Study

OBJECTIVE

Scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse (SNAC) is a relatively common and debilitating wrist disorder yet its treatment remains challenging and controversial. We aim to describe a novel technique of a dual arthroscopic and robotic assisted four-corner fusion (4CF) in the treatment of SNAC wrist.

METHODS

In this study, we describe an original arthroscopic and robotic assisted 4CF, which is novel and currently unpublished in literature. The surgical approach included these predefined steps: arthroscopic resection of the scaphoid, radial styloid and of diseased cartilage between the capitate-lunate joint and triquetrum-hamate joint, correction of Dorsal Intercalated Segment Instability (DISI) deformity of the wrist and robotic assisted 4CF performed percutaneously with screws. Dynamic fluoroscopic imaging with the mini C-arm was performed five times and the 3D scanning machine was used once.

RESULTS

Our patient with SNAC II wrist was 57 years old at the time of initial presentation with a history of untreated traumatic wrist injury approximately 20 years ago. Regular wrist X-rays were performed at the outpatient setting and a computed tomography (CT) of the wrist was performed at the third postoperative month to confirm bony union. The patient's wrist range of motion (ROM), grip strength, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score, Quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) score, Modified Mayo Wrist Score (MMWS), and Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) were also evaluated during short-term follow-up at 6 months. During the patient's review at 6 months, his VAS score was 0 with complete pain relief. His wrist flexion was 20° and wrist extension at 45°. His pronation-supination was normal and comparable to his uninjured contralateral wrist. His operated wrist which was also his dominant hand had a grip strength of 22 kg as compared with 28 kg of the unaffected hand. He also had a Mayo Wrist Score of 85, QuickDASH score of 2.3 and PRWE of 6, and resumed his occupation as a clerk at 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

This dual arthroscopic and robotic assisted 4CF is a novel surgical method worth considering in the treatment of SNAC II wrists. It is minimally invasive and allows for accurate placement of the screws in a single attempt. There was bony union by the third postoperative month as confirmed by CT imaging and excellent resolution of symptoms.

A comparative cadaveric study for percutaneous scaphoid fixation: robotic vs freehand

PURPOSES

To compare the robotic-assisted and the traditional freehand percutaneous scaphoid fixation in number of guidewire attempts, duration of fluoroscopy time, amount of radiation dose, and screw centrality.

METHODS

Twenty cadaveric specimens were randomized into either the robotic or freehand group. The scaphoids in both groups were fixed by either the same attending or resident from our hand surgery department. The operation duration, amount of radiation from intraoperative fluoroscopy, total fluoroscopy time, and the number of guidewire attempts were documented and compared. Postoperatively, all the specimens had a computed tomography (CT) scan performed, and the difference in the final position of the screw and the central axis of the scaphoid was examined.

RESULTS

In the robotic group, all the guide wires were satisfactorily positioned within a single attempt, while the median number of attempts in the traditional freehand group was 18 (quaternion 14-65). This also meant that the surgeon in the robotic group experienced significantly lower radiation exposure dose and time as compared to the freehand group. There were no significant differences in the final screw position as compared to the central axis of the scaphoid in both groups. Although there was no difference in surgeon performance in the robotic group, the operative time for the attending was significantly lower as compared to the resident in the freehand group.

CONCLUSION

Robotic-assisted surgery for scaphoid fracture fixation is superior to the traditional freehand method as it facilitates accurate screw placement with lower radiation exposure and fewer guide wire attempts.

Interfacial effect between Ni2P/CdS for simultaneously heightening photocatalytic hydrogen production and lignocellulosic biomass photorefining

Photorefining of biomass is increasingly recognized as a pivotal technology for the simultaneous production of hydrogen and value-added chemicals. The intrinsic recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass puts high demands on the rational design of bifunctional photocatalyst. Herein, Ni2P/CdS with a strong interfacial effect in this work was designed to overcome lignocellulosic biomass photorefining. The strong interfacial effect between Ni2P and CdS not only improved the light absorbance, but also optimized the spatial redistribution of photogenerated electrons and holes. Therefore, Ni2P/CdS exhibited an unprecedented H2 evolution activity (ca. 199.7 mmol·h-1·g-1) in the presence of lactic acid as the traditional sacrificial agent. Considerable H2 generation was also achieved in the presence of lignin (ca. 322.8 μmol·h-1·g-1), cellulose (ca. 534.3 μmol·h-1·g-1) and hemicellulose (ca. 382.2 μmol·h-1·g-1) as the electron donor respectively. Theoretical calculation results indicated that establishing the interfacial effect between Ni2P and CdS optimized their work functions. This optimization fosters improved the redistribution between electrons and holes, as a result, photocatalytic hydrogen production from biomass solution was greatly enhanced. Significantly, Ni2P/CdS showed dual functionalities to produce H2 and value-added compounds from raw biomass directly. This present work demonstrates the potential of raw biomass photorefining through astutely designing photocatalysts.