CuCS/Cur composite wound dressings promote neuralized skin regeneration by rebuilding the nerve cell "factory" in deep skin burns

Regenerating skin nerves in deep burn wounds poses a significant clinical challenge. In this study, we designed an electrospun wound dressing called CuCS/Cur, which incorporates copper-doped calcium silicate (CuCS) and curcumin (Cur). The unique wound dressing releases a bioactive Cu2+-Cur chelate that plays a crucial role in addressing this challenge. By rebuilding the "factory" (hair follicle) responsible for producing nerve cells, CuCS/Cur induces a high expression of nerve-related factors within the hair follicle cells and promotes an abundant source of nerves for burn wounds. Moreover, the Cu2+-Cur chelate activates the differentiation of nerve cells into a mature nerve cell network, thereby efficiently promoting the reconstruction of the neural network in burn wounds. Additionally, the Cu2+-Cur chelate significantly stimulates angiogenesis in the burn area, ensuring ample nutrients for burn wound repair, hair follicle regeneration, and nerve regeneration. This study confirms the crucial role of chelation synergy between bioactive ions and flavonoids in promoting the regeneration of neuralized skin through wound dressings, providing valuable insights for the development of new biomaterials aimed at enhancing neural repair.

Adsorption of perfluoroalkyl substances on deep eutectic solvent-based amorphous metal-organic framework: Structure and mechanism

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of emerging organic pollutants characterized by high toxicity, environmental persistence, and widespread detection in water sources. The removal of PFASs from water is a matter of global concern, given their detrimental impact on both the environment and public health. Many commonly used PFAS adsorbents demonstrate limited adsorption capacities and/or slow adsorption kinetics. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of efficient adsorbents. For the first time, this work systematically investigated the performance of a deep eutectic solvent (DES)-based amorphous metal-organic framework (MOF) for the adsorption of PFASs with different carbon-chain lengths under the state of the mixture in aquatic environments. The adsorption mechanism was probed by a suite of adsorption kinetics studies, adsorption isotherm profiling, spectral characterization, and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations, revealing that PFAS adsorption is driven by synergistic capturing effects including acid/base coordination, CF-π (carbon-fluorine-π), hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions. Furthermore, the adsorption processes of short-chain and long-chain targets were found to involve different rate-controlling steps and interaction sites. Hydrophobic interactions facilitated the swift arrival of long-chain PFASs at the coordinatively interacting sites between carboxyl termini and Lewis acid Zr unsaturated sites, thanks to their lower reaction barriers. On the other hand, the adsorption of short-chain PFASs primarily relied on a Zr hydroxyl-based ligand exchange force, which would take place at Brønsted acid sites. The existence of massive structural disorder in amorphous UiO-66 led to the development of larger pores, thus improving the accessibility of abundant adsorption sites and facilitating adsorption and diffusion. The presence of multiple types of interactions and flexible structure in defect-rich amorphous UiO-66 significantly increased the exposure of functional groups to the adsorbates. Additionally, this material possessed outstanding regeneration efficiency and outperformed other MOF-based adsorbents with high affinity for targets. It enhances our understanding of the adsorption performances and mechanisms of amorphous materials toward PFASs, thereby paving the way for designing more efficient PFAS adsorbents.

Methionine-choline deficient diet deteriorates DSS-induced murine colitis through disturbance of gut microbes and infiltration of macrophages

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is associated with changed dietary habits and mainly linked with the gut microbiota dysbiosis, necroptosis of epithelial cells, and mucosal ulcerations. Liver dysfunction and abnormal level of liver metabolism indices were identified in UC patients, suggesting a close interaction between gut and liver disorders. Methionine-choline deficient diet (MCD) has been shown to induce persistent alterations of gut microbiota and metabolome during hepatitis. In this study we further explored the disease phenotypes in UC patients and investigated whether MCD functioned as a trigger for UC susceptibility. After assessing 88 serum specimens from UC patients, we found significant liver dysfunction and dyslipidemia including abnormal ALT, AST, TG, TC, LDL-c and HDL-c. Liver dysfunction and dyslipidemia were confirmed in DSS-induced colitis mice. We fed mice with MCD for 14 days to cause mild liver damage, and then treated with DSS for 7 days. We found that MCD intake significantly exacerbated the pathogenesis of mucosal inflammation in DSS-induced acute, progressive, and chronic colitis, referring to promotion of mucosal ulcers, colon shortening, diarrhea, inflammatory immune cell infiltration, cytokines release, and abnormal activation of inflammatory macrophages in colon and liver specimens. Intraperitoneal injection of clodronate liposomes to globally delete macrophages dramatically compromised the pathogenesis of MCD-triggering colitis. In addition, MCD intake markedly changed the production pattern of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in murine stools, colons, and livers. We demonstrated that MCD-induced colitis pathogenesis largely depended on the gut microbes and the disease phenotypes could be transmissible through fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). In conclusion, this study supports the concept that intake of MCD predisposes to experimental colitis and enhances its pathogenesis via modulating gut microbes and macrophages in mice.

Simultaneous size and defect control of metal-organic framework by deep eutectic solvent for efficient perfluoroalkyl substances adsorption: Delving into mechanism

This study reports an environment-friendly protocol to prepare a metal-organic framework (MOF) with simultaneously controlled particle size and open metal site for adsorption removal of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). The successful preparation of UiO-66 with defect and crystal size modulation was achieved using a green and straightforward method, adjusting the components and molar ratios of ammonium salt/glycolic acid deep eutectic solvents (DESs). The corresponding modulation mechanism primarily relied on the combined regulation of the deprotonation and competitive coordination abilities of the eutectic solvent components. The adsorption process was thoroughly examined using spectral analyses, adsorption behavior profiling, and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The results revealed that PFAS adsorption is driven by combined capturing effects, such as CF-π, acid/base coordination, C-F⋯Zr, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions. Our findings were not thus that the smaller the crystal size of MOF and the higher the defect concentration in the material, the better the PFAS adsorption performance. The result demonstrated the combined effect of these adsorbent features on PFAS mixtures. Furthermore, they revealed unique differences in sorption properties between these targets with different carbon chain lengths. Extensive defects in DES-based UiO-66 led to larger pores, increasing the availability of many adsorption sites and aiding in PFAS adsorption and diffusion. Nevertheless, the surplus of larger pores in the substance increased the competitive adsorption, reducing the total quantity of PFASs absorbed. Furthermore, various interactions and a less restrictive configuration increased the contact of functional groups with adsorbates, substantially enhancing the adsorption. This study investigates the basic questions about how PFAS molecules are adsorbed on DES-based MOFs and the relationship among the structure, properties, and performance to improve the efficiency of this novel adsorbent.

Revisiting the Role of Valeric Acid in Manipulating Ulcerative Colitis

BACKGROUND

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by a complicated interaction between mucosal inflammation, epithelial dysfunction, abnormal activation of innate immune responses, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Though valeric acid (VA), one type of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), has been identified in other inflammatory disorders and cancer development, the pathological role of VA and underlying mechanism of VA in UC remain under further investigation.

METHODS

Studies of human clinical specimens and experimental colitis models were conducted to confirm the pathological manifestations of the level of SCFAs from human fecal samples and murine colonic homogenates. Valeric acid-intervened murine colitis and a macrophage adoptive transfer were applied to identify the underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

In line with gut microbiota dysfunction in UC, alteration of SCFAs from gut microbes were identified in human UC patients and dextran sodium sulfate -induced murine colitis models. Notably, VA was consistently negatively related to the disease severity of UC, the population of monocytes, and the level of interluekin-6. Moreover, VA treatment showed direct suppressive effects on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and murine macrophages in the dependent manner of upregulation of GPR41 and GPR43. Therapeutically, replenishment of VA or adoptive transfer with VA-modulated macrophages showed resistance to dextran sodium sulfate-driven murine colitis though modulating the production of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, the research uncovered the pathological role of VA in modulating the activation of macrophages in UC and suggested that VA might be a potential effective agent for UC patients.

Imaging the intracellular refractive index distribution (IRID) for dynamic label-free living colon cancer cells via circularly depolarization decay model (CDDM)

Label-free detection of intracellular substances for living cancer cells remains a significant hurdle in cancer pathogenesis research. Although the sensitivity of light polarization to intracellular substances has been validated, current studies are predominantly focused on tissue lesions, thus label-free detection of substances within individual living cancer cells is still a challenge. The main difficulty is to find specific detection methods along with corresponding characteristic parameters. With refractive index as an endogenous marker of substances, this study proposes a detection method of intracellular refractive index distribution (IRID) for label-free living colon cancer (LoVo) cells. Utilizing the circular depolarization decay model (CDDM) to calculate the degree of circular polarization (DOCP) modulated by the cell allows for the derivation of the IRID on the focal plane. Experiments on LoVo cells demonstrated the refractive index of single cell can be accurately and precisely measured, with precision of 10-3 refractive index units (RIU). Additionally, chromatin content during the interphases (G1, S, G2) of cell cycle was recorded at 56.5%, 64.4%, and 71.5%, respectively. A significantly finer IRID can be obtained compared to the phase measurement method. This method is promising in providing a dynamic label-free intracellular substances detection method in cancer pathogenesis studies.

The virtual staining method by quantitative phase imaging for label free lymphocytes based on self-supervised iteration cycle-consistent adversarial networks

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) provides 3D structural and morphological information for label free living cells. Unfortunately, this quantitative phase information cannot meet doctors' diagnostic requirements of the clinical "gold standard," which displays stained cells' pathological states based on 2D color features. To make QPI results satisfy the clinical "gold standard," the virtual staining method by QPI for label free lymphocytes based on self-supervised iteration Cycle-Consistent Adversarial Networks (CycleGANs) is proposed herein. The 3D phase information of QPI is, therefore, trained and transferred to a kind of 2D "virtual staining" image that is well in agreement with "gold standard" results. To solve the problem that unstained QPI and stained "gold standard" results cannot be obtained for the same label free living cell, the self-supervised iteration for the CycleGAN deep learning algorithm is designed to obtain a trained stained result as the ground truth for error evaluation. The structural similarity index of our virtual staining experimental results for 8756 lymphocytes is 0.86. Lymphocytes' area errors after converting to 2D virtual stained results from 3D phase information are less than 3.59%. The mean error of the nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio is 2.69%, and the color deviation from the "gold standard" is less than 6.67%.

Efficacy and safety of intrathecal pemetrexed for TKI-failed leptomeningeal metastases from EGFR+ NSCLC: an expanded, single-arm, phase II clinical trial

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intrathecal pemetrexed (IP) for treating patients with leptomeningeal metastases (LM) from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who progressed from epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment in an expanded, prospective, single-arm, phase II clinical study (ChiCTR1800016615).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with confirmed NSCLC-LM who progressed from TKI received IP (50 mg, day 1/day 5 for 1 week, then every 3 weeks for four cycles, and then once monthly) until disease progression or intolerance. Objectives were to assess overall survival (OS), response rate, and safety. Measurable lesions were assessed by investigator according to RECIST version 1.1. LM were assessed according to the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria.

RESULTS

The study included 132 patients; 68% were female and median age was 52 years (31-74 years). The median OS was 12 months (95% confidence interval 10.4-13.6 months), RANO-assessed response rate was 80.3% (106/132), and the most common adverse event was myelosuppression (n = 42; 31.8%), which reversed after symptomatic treatment. The results of subgroup analysis showed that absence of brain parenchymal metastasis, good Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, good response to IP treatment, negative cytology after treatment, and patients without neck/back pain/difficult defecation had longer survival. Gender, age, previous intrathecal methotrexate/cytarabine, and whole-brain radiotherapy had no significant influence on OS.

CONCLUSIONS

This study further showed that IP is an effective and safe treatment method for the EGFR-TKI-failed NSCLC-LM, and should be recommended for these patients in clinical practice and guidelines.

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

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

Dynamic three-dimensional deformation measurement by polarization-multiplexing of full complex amplitude

This paper provides an extensive discussion of a complex amplitude-based dynamic three-dimensional deformation measurement method, in which the phase and amplitude of the speckle field are used for out-of-plane and in-plane deformation calculation respectively. By determining the optimal polarization states of the speckle field and reference field from the comprehensive analysis of measurement mathematical model in the principle of polarization multiplexing, the 3-step phase-shifting interferograms and one speckle gram can be directly recorded by a polarization camera in a single shot. The out-of-plane deformation would be recovered from the subtraction of speckle phases that are demodulated by a special least square algorithm; speckle gram with improved quality is offered for correlation computation to obtain in-plane deformation. The advancement and significance of the optimized strategy are intuitively demonstrated by comparing the measurement accuracy under different combinations of polarization states. Finally, the dynamic thermal deformation experiment reveals the potential in practical real-time applications.

DLP Fabrication of Multiple Hierarchical Biomimetic GelMA/SilMA/HAp Scaffolds for Enhancing Bone Regeneration

Severe bone defects resulting from trauma and diseases remain a persistent clinical challenge. In this study, a hierarchical biomimetic microporous hydrogel composite scaffold was constructed by mimicking the hierarchical structure of bone. Initially, gelatin methacrylamide (GelMA) and methacrylic anhydride silk fibroin (SilMA) were synthesized, and GelMA/SilMA inks with suitable rheological and mechanical properties were prepared. Biomimetic micropores were then generated by using an aqueous two-phase emulsification method. Subsequently, biomimetic microporous GelMA/SilMA was mixed with hydroxyapatite (HAp) to prepare biomimetic microporous GelMA/SilMA/HAp ink. Hierarchical biomimetic microporous GelMA/SilMA/HAp (M-GSH) scaffolds were then fabricated through digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing. Finally, in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate cell adhesion, proliferation, and inward migration as well as osteogenic differentiation and vascular regeneration effects. In vivo experiments indicated that the biomimetic microporous scaffold significantly promoted tissue integration and bone regeneration after 12 weeks of implantation, achieving 42.39% bone volume fraction regeneration. In summary, this hierarchical biomimetic microporous scaffold provides a promising strategy for the repair and treatment of bone defects.

Measurement of the Centrality Dependence of the Dijet Yield in p+Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

ATLAS measured the centrality dependence of the dijet yield using 165  nb^{-1} of p+Pb data collected at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16  TeV in 2016. The event centrality, which reflects the p+Pb impact parameter, is characterized by the total transverse energy registered in the Pb-going side of the forward calorimeter. The central-to-peripheral ratio of the scaled dijet yields, R_{CP}, is evaluated, and the results are presented as a function of variables that reflect the kinematics of the initial hard parton scattering process. The R_{CP} shows a scaling with the Bjorken x of the parton originating from the proton, x_{p}, while no such trend is observed as a function of x_{Pb}. This analysis provides unique input to understanding the role of small proton spatial configurations in p+Pb collisions by covering parton momentum fractions from the valence region down to x_{p}∼10^{-3} and x_{Pb}∼4×10^{-4}.

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.

Hydrogel dressings with intrinsic antibiofilm and antioxidative dual functionalities accelerate infected diabetic wound healing

Chronic wounds are often infected with biofilm bacteria and characterized by high oxidative stress. Current dressings that promote chronic wound healing either require additional processes such as photothermal irradiation or leave behind gross amounts of undesirable residues. We report a dual-functionality hydrogel dressing with intrinsic antibiofilm and antioxidative properties that are synergistic and low-leaching. The hydrogel is a crosslinked network with tethered antibacterial cationic polyimidazolium and antioxidative N-acetylcysteine. In a murine diabetic wound model, the hydrogel accelerates the closure of wounds infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm. Furthermore, a three-dimensional ex vivo human skin equivalent model shows that N-acetylcysteine promotes the keratinocyte differentiation and accelerates the re-epithelialization process. Our hydrogel dressing can be made into different formats for the healing of both flat and deep infected chronic wounds without contamination of the wound or needing other modalities such as photothermal irradiation.

Ochratoxin A Induces Renal Cell Ferroptosis by Disrupting Iron Homeostasis and Increasing ROS

Mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) is a critical food safety concern due to its nephron-toxic effects and is detected in a wide range of food and feedstuffs. OTA nephrotoxicity is related to oxidative stress and damage. However, the mediator(s) of the excessive oxidative stress is unclear. The current study used human kidney cell lines to investigate whether and how intracellular iron contributed to OTA-induced ROS accumulation and how OTA-induced iron-dependent ferroptotic cell death. Our results showed that OTA treatment affected the cell viability and induced the typical characteristics of cell ferroptosis. Furthermore, gene and protein expression results indicated that OTA disrupted iron homeostasis by upregulating the expression levels of iron importer TFR1 and FTH, while downregulating the expression level of iron exporter FPN and dramatically increasing its negative regulator Hepcidin. The changes were consistent with the induction of intracellular iron accumulation and elevated levels of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Additionally, co-treatment with OTA and an iron chelator significantly improved cell viability, reduced cellular total iron and ROS, and reversed OTA-induced changes in iron metabolism gene expression levels. Interestingly, the addition of a ROS scavenger also reversed cell death and changes in mRNA and protein expression levels of iron metabolism genes but to a lesser degree than that of the iron-chelating agent. Our results revealed that OTA induced ferroptosis in renal cells by disrupting iron homeostasis and increasing ROS.

Observation of WZγ Production in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

This Letter reports the observation of WZγ production and a measurement of its cross section using 140.1±1.2  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The WZγ production cross section, with both the W and Z bosons decaying leptonically, pp→WZγ→ℓ^{'}^{±}νℓ^{+}ℓ^{-}γ (ℓ^{(^{'})}=e, μ), is measured in a fiducial phase-space region defined such that the leptons and the photon have high transverse momentum and the photon is isolated. The cross section is found to be 2.01±0.30(stat)±0.16(syst)  fb. The corresponding standard model predicted cross section calculated at next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and at leading order in the electroweak coupling constant is 1.50±0.06  fb. The observed significance of the WZγ signal is 6.3σ, compared with an expected significance of 5.0σ.

pH-Responsive Wound Dressing Based on Biodegradable CuP Nanozymes for Treating Infected and Diabetic Wounds

Nanozymes, emerging nanomaterials for wound healing, exhibit enzyme-like activity to modulate the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at wound sites. Yet, the solo regulation of endogenous ROS by nanozymes often falls short, particularly in chronic refractory wounds with complex and variable pathological microenvironments. In this study, we report the development of a multifunctional wound dressing integrating a conventional alginate (Alg) hydrogel with a newly developed biodegradable copper hydrogen phosphate (CuP) nanozyme, which possesses good near-infrared (NIR) photothermal conversion capabilities, sustained Cu ion release ability, and pH-responsive peroxidase/catalase-mimetic catalytic activity. When examining acute infected wounds characterized by a low pH environment, the engineered Alg/CuP composite hydrogels demonstrated high bacterial eradication efficacy against both planktonic bacteria and biofilms, attributed to the combined action of catalytically generated hydroxyl radicals and the sustained release of Cu ions. In contrast, when applied to chronic diabetic wounds, which typically have a high pH environment, these composite hydrogels exhibit significant angiogenic performance. This is driven by the provision of catalytically generated dissolved oxygen and a beneficial supplement of Cu ions released from the degradable CuP nanozyme. Further, a mild thermal effect induced by NIR irradiation amplifies the catalytic activities and bioactivity of Cu ions, thereby enhancing the healing process of both infected and diabetic wounds. Our study validates that the synergistic integration of photothermal effects, catalytic activity, and released Cu ions can concurrently yield high antibacterial efficiency and tissue regenerative activity, rendering it highly promising for various clinical applications in wound healing.

Calcium-gated potassium channel blockade via membrane-facing fenestrations

Quaternary ammonium blockers were previously shown to bind in the pore to block both open and closed conformations of large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK and MthK) channels. Because blocker entry was assumed through the intracellular entryway (bundle crossing), closed-pore access suggested that the gate was not at the bundle crossing. Structures of closed MthK, a Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum homolog of BK channels, revealed a tightly constricted intracellular gate, leading us to investigate the membrane-facing fenestrations as alternative pathways for blocker access directly from the membrane. Atomistic free energy simulations showed that intracellular blockers indeed access the pore through the fenestrations, and a mutant channel with narrower fenestrations displayed no closed-state TPeA block at concentrations that blocked the wild-type channel. Apo BK channels display similar fenestrations, suggesting that blockers may use them as access paths into closed channels. Thus, membrane fenestrations represent a non-canonical pathway for selective targeting of specific channel conformations, opening novel ways to selectively drug BK channels.

Combined Measurement of the Higgs Boson Mass from the H→γγ and H→ZZ^{*}→4ℓ Decay Channels with the ATLAS Detector Using sqrt[s]=7, 8, and 13 TeV pp Collision Data

A measurement of the mass of the Higgs boson combining the H→ZZ^{*}→4ℓ and H→γγ decay channels is presented. The result is based on 140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector during LHC run 2 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV combined with the run 1 ATLAS mass measurement, performed at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, yielding a Higgs boson mass of 125.11±0.09(stat)±0.06(syst)=125.11±0.11  GeV. This corresponds to a 0.09% precision achieved on this fundamental parameter of the Standard Model of particle physics.

Search for Dark Photons in Rare Z Boson Decays with the ATLAS Detector

A search for events with a dark photon produced in association with a dark Higgs boson via rare decays of the standard model Z boson is presented, using 139  fb^{-1} of sqrt[s]=13  TeV proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The dark boson decays into a pair of dark photons, and at least two of the three dark photons must each decay into a pair of electrons or muons, resulting in at least two same-flavor opposite-charge lepton pairs in the final state. The data are found to be consistent with the background prediction, and upper limits are set on the dark photon's coupling to the dark Higgs boson times the kinetic mixing between the standard model photon and the dark photon, α_{D}ϵ^{2}, in the dark photon mass range of [5, 40] GeV except for the ϒ mass window [8.8, 11.1] GeV. This search explores new parameter space not previously excluded by other experiments.

The Safety and Efficacy of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy Combined with PD-(L)1 Inhibitors and Molecular Targeted Therapies for the Treatment of Intermediate and Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Unsuitable for Transarterial Chemoembolization

Objective

To investigate the efficacy and safety of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) combined with PD-(L)1 inhibitors and molecular targeted therapies (MTT) for intermediate and advanced HCC that are unsuitable for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from patients with TACE-unsuitable HCC who were receiving triple therapy from January 2020 to December 2021 at two medical centers. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), and the secondary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rates (ORR), disease control rates (DCR), and incidence of adverse events (AEs).

Results

A total of 55 patients were enrolled in the study with median treatment periods of 4 and 6 for HAIC and PD-(L)1 inhibitors, respectively. The median OS and PFS were 15.0 and 10.0 months, respectively, with a median follow-up of 11.0 months (range: 4.0-27.5 months). According to the mRECIST criteria, the optimal ORR was 43.6% (24/55) and the DCR was 61.8% (34/55). The incidence of AEs was 58.2%, with grade 3 and above accounting for 20.0%; elevated AST (18.2%), hyperbilirubinemia (16.4%), and thrombocytopenia (16.4%) were most common. There were no treatment-related fatalities and all AEs were effectively managed. Multifactorial analysis showed that NLR > 3.82 (HR 2.380, 95% CI 1.116-2-5.079, P = 0.025), ECOG 1 (HR 2.906, 95% CI 1.373-6.154, P = 0.005), and extrahepatic metastases (HR 8.373, 95% CI 3.492-20.078, P < 0.001) were associated with the median OS.

Conclusion

Triple therapy with HAIC, PD-(L)1 inhibitors, and MTT was safe and effective for patients with intermediate and advanced HCC for TACE-unsuitability.

Structural Characteristics and Antioxidant Mechanism of Donkey-Hide Gelatin Peptides by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

This study aimed to explore the structural characteristics and antioxidant mechanism of donkey-hide gelatin peptides. After hydrolysis and ultrafiltration treatment, five gelatin peptides with different molecular weights (MWs) were obtained. Amino acid analysis showed that gelatin peptides with different MWs contained a large number of amino acids, including G, P, E, N, A, and R, and differences were noted in the content of various amino acids. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and circular dichroism revealed that these gelatin peptides differed in terms of the peak strength of functional groups and number of secondary structures. Moreover, 26 pentapeptides/hexapeptides were identified. Among them, we investigated by molecular docking how PGPAP, which has the best antioxidant activity, may interact with the Keap1 protein. The results showed that the PGPAP-Keap1 complex had a stable conformation, and Arg415, Gly462, Phe478, and Tyr572 were the key residues involved in the binding of the peptide PGPAP to Keap1. Our results demonstrated that PGPAP could serve as a bioactive peptide with antioxidant activity.

A countercurrent chromatography solvent system based on deep eutectic solvents for separation of cis- and trans-crocetin from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis

Due to the structural similarity and large difference in concentration, the separation of trans- and cis-crocetin has been challenging, and the cis-crocetin is usually neglected. In this work, a countercurrent chromatography method was developed for the quick separation of trans-crocetin and cis-crocetin from the hydrolytic extract of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis. High purity of trans-crocetin (>95%) and cis-crocetin (>91%) were prepared simultaneously for the first time through a novel biphasic system based on deep eutectic solvents, n-heptane/n-butyl alcohol/13 mmol/L Na2 CO3 in water/acetamide-benzyltrimethylammonium chloride (4:1, mol/mol) (4:7:9:1, v/v). The addition of deep eutectic solvent significantly improved the separation efficiency. The two targets can be easily recovered from the separation system through simple acidification and precipitation. It has potential for preparative separations on a large scale.

Structure and dynamics of differential ligand binding in the human ρ-type GABAA receptor

The neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) drives critical inhibitory processes in and beyond the nervous system, partly via ionotropic type-A receptors (GABAARs). Pharmacological properties of ρ-type GABAARs are particularly distinctive, yet the structural basis for their specialization remains unclear. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of a lipid-embedded human ρ1 GABAAR, including a partial intracellular domain, under apo, inhibited, and desensitized conditions. An apparent resting state, determined first in the absence of modulators, was recapitulated with the specific inhibitor (1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridin-4-yl)methylphosphinic acid and blocker picrotoxin and provided a rationale for bicuculline insensitivity. Comparative structures, mutant recordings, and molecular simulations with and without GABA further explained the sensitized but slower activation of ρ1 relative to canonical subtypes. Combining GABA with picrotoxin also captured an apparent uncoupled intermediate state. This work reveals structural mechanisms of gating and modulation with applications to ρ-specific pharmaceutical design and to our biophysical understanding of ligand-gated ion channels.

Research on a Multimodel Fusion Diagnosis Method for Evaporation Ducts in the East China Sea

Evaporation ducts are abnormal states of the atmosphere in the air-sea boundary layer that directly affect the propagation trajectory of electromagnetic (EM) waves. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of the evaporation duct height (EDH) is important for studying the propagation trajectory of EM waves in evaporation ducts. Most evaporation duct models (EDMs) based on the Monin-Obukhov similarity theory are empirical methods. Different EDMs have different levels of environmental adaptability. Evaporation duct diagnosis methods based on machine learning methods only consider the mathematical relationship between data and do not explore the physical mechanism of evaporation ducts. To solve the above problems, this study observed the meteorological and hydrological parameters of the five layers of the low-altitude atmosphere in the East China Sea on board the research vessel Xiangyanghong 18 in April 2021 and obtained the atmospheric refractivity profile. An evaporation duct multimodel fusion diagnosis method (MMF) based on a library for support vector machines (LIBSVM) is proposed. First, based on the observed meteorological and hydrological data, the differences between the EDH diagnosis results of different EDMs and MMF were analyzed. When ASTD ≥ 0, the average errors of the diagnostic results of BYC, NPS, NWA, NRL, LKB, and MMF are 2.57 m, 2.92 m, 2.67 m, 3.27 m, 2.57 m, and 0.24 m, respectively. When ASTD < 0, the average errors are 2.95 m, 2.94 m, 2.98 m, 2.99 m, 2.97 m, and 0.41 m, respectively. Then, the EM wave path loss accuracy analysis was performed on the EDH diagnosis results of the NPS model and the MMF. When ASTD ≥ 0, the average path loss errors of the NPS model and MMF are 5.44 dB and 2.74 dB, respectively. When ASTD < 0, the average errors are 5.21 dB and 3.46 dB, respectively. The results show that the MMF is suitable for EDH diagnosis, and the diagnosis accuracy is higher than other models.

Measurement of the Sensitivity of Two-Particle Correlations in pp Collisions to the Presence of Hard Scatterings

A key open question in the study of multiparticle production in high-energy pp collisions is the relationship between the "ridge"-i.e., the observed azimuthal correlations between particles in the underlying event that extend over all rapidities-and hard or semihard scattering processes. In particular, it is not known whether jets or their soft fragments are correlated with particles in the underlying event. To address this question, two-particle correlations are measured in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=13  TeV using data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, with an integrated luminosity of 15.8  pb^{-1}, in two different configurations. In the first case, charged particles associated with jets are excluded from the correlation analysis, while in the second case, correlations are measured between particles within jets and charged particles from the underlying event. Second-order flow coefficients, v_{2}, are presented as a function of event multiplicity and transverse momentum. These measurements show that excluding particles associated with jets does not affect the measured correlations. Moreover, particles associated with jets do not exhibit any significant azimuthal correlations with the underlying event, ruling out hard processes contributing to the ridge.

Observation of an Excess of Dicharmonium Events in the Four-Muon Final State with the ATLAS Detector

A search is made for potential ccc[over ¯]c[over ¯] tetraquarks decaying into a pair of charmonium states in the four muon final state using proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140  fb^{-1} recorded by the ATLAS experiment at LHC. Two decay channels, J/ψ+J/ψ→4μ and J/ψ+ψ(2S)→4μ, are studied. Backgrounds are estimated based on a hybrid approach involving Monte Carlo simulations and data-driven methods. Statistically significant excesses with respect to backgrounds dominated by the single parton scattering are seen in the di-J/ψ channel consistent with a narrow resonance at 6.9 GeV and a broader structure at lower mass. A statistically significant excess is also seen in the J/ψ+ψ(2S) channel. The fitted masses and decay widths of the structures are reported.

Flexible dynamic quantitative phase imaging based on division of focal plane polarization imaging technique

This paper proposes a flexible and accurate dynamic quantitative phase imaging (QPI) method using single-shot transport of intensity equation (TIE) phase retrieval achieved by division of focal plane (DoFP) polarization imaging technique. By exploiting the polarization property of the liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM), two intensity images of different defocus distances contained in orthogonal polarization directions can be generated simultaneously. Then, with the help of the DoFP polarization imaging, these images can be captured with single exposure, enabling accurate dynamic QPI by solving the TIE. In addition, our approach gains great flexibility in defocus distance adjustment by adjusting the pattern loaded on the LC-SLM. Experiments on microlens array, phase plate, and living human gastric cancer cells demonstrate the accuracy, flexibility, and dynamic measurement performance for various objects. The proposed method provides a simple, flexible, and accurate approach for real-time QPI without sacrificing the field of view.

Dose Painting Radiotherapy Guided by Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance vs. 18F-FDG-PET/CT in Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

This phase II randomized controlled trial aimed at comparing the efficacy and toxicity of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI)-guided dose painting radiotherapy (DP-RT), FDG-PET/CT-guided DP-RT, and conventional MRI-based radiotherapy (RT) in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 330 patients with stage III-IVa NPC disease were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy by DWI-guided DP-RT (group A, n = 110), FDG-PET/CT-guided DP-RT (group B, n = 110), or conventional MRI-based RT (group C, n = 110). All patients received volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). In group A, subvolume GTVnx-DWI (gross tumor volume of nasopharynx in DWI) was defined as the areas within the GTVnx (gross tumor volume of nasopharynx) with an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) below the mean ADC (ADC < mean). In group B, subvolume GTVnx-PET (gross tumor volume of nasopharynx in PET images) was defined within GTVnx as the SUV50%max isocontour. The doses to GTVnx-DWI in group A and GTVnx-PET in group B were escalated to 75.2 Gy/32 fx in patients with T1-2 disease and to 77.55 Gy/33 fx in those with T3-4 disease in 2.35 Gy per fraction. In group C, planning gross tumor volume of nasopharynx (PGTVnx) was irradiated at 70.4 to 72.6 Gy/32 to 33 fx in 2.2 Gy per fraction. This trial is registered with chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2200057476).

RESULTS

Group A and B showed significant higher complete response (CR) rates than group C (100%, 100%, and 96.4% for group A, B and C, respectively, p = 0.036). In groups A, B and C, the 1-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rates were 100%, 100%, and 94.5%, respectively (p = 0.002). The 1-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 100%, 99.1%, and 92.7%, respectively (p = 0.001). The 1-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates were 100%, 99.1%, and 93.6%, respectively (p = 0.004). The 1-year overall survival (OS) rates were 100%, 100%, and 95.4%, respectively (p = 0.006). Group A and B had significantly higher 1-year LRFS, DFS, DMFS, and OS than those in group C. No significant differences were observed in LRFS, DFS, DMFS and OS between group A and B. Group B (PET/CT group) had a higher incidence of grade 3-4 acute ototoxicity (3.6%) than group A (0%) and group C (0%, p = 0.036). No significant differences in other grade 3-4 acute adverse events and late toxic effects were observed among the three groups, and no patient had grade 5 toxicities. Multivariate analysis showed that dose painting (DWI-guided DP-RT and PET/CT-guided DP-RT vs conventional MRI-based RT) was associated with improved LRFS, DFS, DMFS and OS.

CONCLUSION

Both DWI-guided DP-RT and PET/CT-guided DP-RT plus chemotherapy are associated with improved LRFS, DFS, DMFS and OS compared with conventional MRI-based RT among patients with locoregionally advanced NPC. DWI-guided DP-RT does not increase toxicities, but PET/CT-guided DP-RT has higher incidence of acute ototoxicity.

Efficacy and Toxicity of Different Target Volume Delineations of Radiotherapy Based on the Updated RTOG/NRG and EORTC Guidelines in Patients with High Grade Glioma: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Postoperative radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) is the standard of care for newly diagnosed high grade glioma, but the optimal method for target volume delineations for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is still unclear. We hypothesized that compared with the EORTC guidelines, IMRT based on the updated RTOG/NRG guidelines was equally effective, without increasing toxicities for patients with high-grade glioma. The purpose of this randomized phase 2 study was to compare the efficacy and toxicity of IMRT based on different target volume delineations (updated RTOG/NRG versus EORTC guidelines) with concomitant and adjuvant TMZ for patients with high grade glioma.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 302 patients with newly diagnosed high-grade glioma (WHO grade 3-4) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive postoperative IMRT based on either updated RTOG/NRG guidelines (RTOG/NRG group, n = 151) or EORTC guideline (EORTC group, n = 151), with concomitant and adjuvant TMZ. In the RTOG/NRG group, an initial volume consisting of enhancement, postoperative cavity, plus surrounding edema (or fluid-attenuated inversion recovery [FLAIR] abnormality defined by magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) and a 2-cm margin received 46 Gy in 23 fractions followed by a boost of 14 Gy in 7 fractions to the area of enhancement plus the cavity and a 2-cm margin. In the EORTC group, a single planning volume was used to deliver 60 Gy in 30 fractions to the area of enhancement and the cavity with a 2-cm margin. The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicities associated with each treatment.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were observed between groups for 1-year OS (71.8% for RTOG/NRG group and 69.9% for EORTC group, respectively; P = 0.759) or 1-year PFS (46.7% for RTOG/NRG group and 43.6% for EORTC group, respectively; P = 0.674). Efficacy did not differ by MGMT methylation status. There were no differences in grade 3-4 toxicities (leukopenia, lymphopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, fatigue, nausea and vomiting) between the two groups. No grade 5 toxicities were observed in both groups. Multivariate analyses showed that tumor MGMT status (methylated vs unmethylated) and WHO grade (grade 3 vs grade 4) were associated with OS and PFS. However, radiation type (RTOG/NRG group vs EORTC), sex, age, and Karnofsky scale did not significantly influence OS or PFS.

CONCLUSION

Compared with EORTC guidelines for postoperative radiotherapy, IMRT based on RTOG/NRG guidelines was equally effective, without increasing toxicities for patients with high-grade glioma. This trial is registered with chictr.org.cn, number ChiCTR2100046667.

Effect of MTA3 Inhibition of Glutamine Synthetase-Mediated Glutaminolysis on Radiosensitivity of Patients with Esophageal Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Metastasis-associated protein 3 (MTA3) can serve as a tumor suppressor in many cancer types. However, the role of MTA3 in radiosensitivity of patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) remains unclear. We thus investigated the function of MTA3 in radiosensitivity for ESCC, one of the most common digestive cancers.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The colony formation assay and nude mice xenograft tumor assay were performed to investigate the effect of MTA3 on radiosensitivity in ESCC. Glutamine consumption assay kit and glutamate production assay kit were used to assess the glutaminolysis. Glutaminase (GLS) Activity Assay Kit and Glutamine Synthetase (GS) Activity Assay Kit were used to analyze the activity of specific metabolic enzymes dominate glutaminolysis. The regulatory mechanism of glutaminolysis by MTA3 was confirmed using Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and Gaussia luciferase assay. The expression levels of MTA3 and GS in ESCC primary tissues were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Survival curves were plotted with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test.

RESULTS

The colony formation assay showed that MTA3 depletion and overexpression caused significantly higher and lower clonogenic survival after different doses of irradiation (IR), respectively. When these cells were subcutaneously injected into nude mice, the tumors derived from the cells with MTA3 overexpression and MTA3 knockdown were significantly smaller and bigger after IR, respectively. These findings suggest that MTA3 can enhance radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, overexpressed and knockdown MTA3 can repress and expedite glutamine consumption and glutamate production uniformly, respectively. To determine how MTA3 acts on glutaminolysis, the activity of two specific metabolic enzymes dominate this metabolism, GS and GLS, were evaluated. It found that overexpressed and knockdown MTA3 can restrain and enhance the activity of GS, respectively, but have less effect on GLS. Moreover, the decreased radiosensitivity mediated by MTA3 knockdown is significantly increased when treated with GS inhibitor, suggesting that GS plays a crucial role in MTA3-mediated radiosensitivity enhancement. Mechanistically, Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and Gaussia luciferase assay showed that MTA3 was recruited to the promoter of GS and suppressed GS transcription. However, knockdown of GATA3 abolished MTA3's repressive effect on GS and inhibited the MTA3's occupation on the promoter region of GS. These results collectively demonstrated that, in ESCC cells, MTA3 is recruited by GATA3 to inhibit GS expression, then ultimately represses glutaminolysis and enhances radiosensitivity. Finally, we showed that the ESCC patients in the MTA3low/GShigh group is significantly associated with shorter overall survival.

CONCLUSION

MTA3 is capable of enhancing radiosensitivity through downregulating GS and MTA3low/GShigh might be a potential prognostic factor for ESCC patients.

LED array microscopy system correction method with comprehensive error parameters optimized by phase smoothing criterion

LED array microscopy is a novel computational imaging technique that can achieve two-dimensional (2D) phase imaging and three-dimensional (3D) refractive index imaging with both high resolution and a large field of view. Although its experimental setup is simple, the errors caused by LED array position and light source central wavelength obviously decrease the quality of reconstructed results. To solve this problem, comprehensive error parameters optimized by the phase smoothing criterion are put forward in this paper. The central wavelength error and 3D misalignment model with six freedom degree errors of LED array are considered as the comprehensive error parameters when the spatial positional and optical features of arbitrarily placed LED array are unknown. Phase smoothing criterion is also introduced to the cost function for optimizing comprehensive error parameters to improve the convergence results. Compared with current system correction methods, the simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method in this paper has the best reconstruction accuracy, which can be well applied to an LED array microscope system with unknown positional and optical features of the LED array.

Rapid extraction of bioactive compounds from gardenia fruit using new and recyclable deep eutectic solvents

The utilization of deep eutectic solvent as an alternative and environmentally friendly option has gained significant attention. This study first proposed a series of benzylammonium chloride based-deep eutectic systems for the extraction of bioactive compounds from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis. Through the implementation of response surface methodology, the optimal solvent was determined to be dodecyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride-levulinic acid (1:3, mol/mol) with 35% (v/v) water, specifically tailored to extract geniposide, genipin-1-β-d-gentiobioside, crocin-1, and crocin-2 from gardenia fruits with the ratio of solid to liquid of 1:20 at 86°C for 16 min. Their total extraction yields could reach 70.6 mg/g, outperforming those obtained by other solvents and corresponding techniques. Furthermore, the eutectic system was retrieved after first-cycle extraction, and then applied in the subsequent extraction progress, yielding a consistent extraction efficiency of 97.1%. As compared to previous traditional methods, a quick, high-yielding, and green extraction procedure was achieved through simple heating settings that did not constrain the instrument. Therefore, dodecyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride-levulinic acid could serve as a sustainable and reusable solvent for efficient extraction of natural bioactive compounds from plant-based raw materials. The application of deep eutectic solvents has demonstrated their potential as designable solvents with stronger extraction capabilities than traditional organic solvents.

Structural insights into opposing actions of neurosteroids on GABAA receptors

γ-Aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors mediate fast inhibitory signaling in the brain and are targets of numerous drugs and endogenous neurosteroids. A subset of neurosteroids are GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators; one of these, allopregnanolone, is the only drug approved specifically for treating postpartum depression. There is a consensus emerging from structural, physiological and photolabeling studies as to where positive modulators bind, but how they potentiate GABA activation remains unclear. Other neurosteroids are negative modulators of GABAA receptors, but their binding sites remain debated. Here we present structures of a synaptic GABAA receptor bound to allopregnanolone and two inhibitory sulfated neurosteroids. Allopregnanolone binds at the receptor-bilayer interface, in the consensus potentiator site. In contrast, inhibitory neurosteroids bind in the pore. MD simulations and electrophysiology support a mechanism by which allopregnanolone potentiates channel activity and suggest the dominant mechanism for sulfated neurosteroid inhibition is through pore block.

Zn2 SiO4 Bioceramic Attenuates Cardiac Remodeling after Myocardial Infarction

In the pursuit of therapeutic strategies for myocardial infarction (MI), a pivotal objective lies in the concurrent restoration of blood perfusion and reduction of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. However, achieving these dual goals simultaneously presents a considerable challenge. In this study, a Zn2 SiO4 bioceramic capable of concurrently sustaining the release of bioactive SiO3 2- and Zn2+ ions, which exhibit a synergistic impact on endothelial cell angiogenesis promotion, cardiomyocyte apoptosis inhibition, and myocardial mitochondrial protection against oxygen-free radical (reactive oxygen species) induced injury is developed. Furthermore, in vivo outcomes from a murine MI model demonstrate that either systemic administration via tail vein injection of Zn2 SiO4 extract or local application through intramyocardial injection of a Zn2 SiO4 composite hydrogel promotes cardiac function and reduces cardiac fibrosis, thus aiding myocardial repair. This research is the first to elucidate the advantageous effects of dual bioactive ions in myocardial protection and may offer a novel therapeutic avenue for ischemic heart disease based on meticulously engineered bioceramics.

Silicate Ions Derived from Calcium Silicate Extract Decelerate Ang II-Induced Cardiac Remodeling

BACKGROUND

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is one of the main activators of heart failure. Currently, no drug can completely reverse or inhibit the development of pathological cardiac hypertrophy. To this end, we proposed a silicate ion therapy based on extract derived from calcium silicate (CS) bioceramics for the treatment of angiotensin II (Ang II) induced cardiac hypertrophy.

METHODS

In this study, the Ang II induced cardiac hypertrophy mouse model was established, and the silicate ion extract was injected to mice intravenously. The cardiac function was evaluated by using a high-resolution Vevo 3100 small animal ultrasound imaging system. Wheat germ Agglutinin, Fluo4-AM staining and immunofluorescent staining was conducted to assess the cardiac hypertrophy, intracellular calcium and angiogenesis of heart tissue, respectively.

RESULTS

The in vitro results showed that silicate ions could inhibit the cell size of cardiomyocytes, reduce cardiac hypertrophic gene expression, including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC), decrease the content of intracellular calcium induced by Ang II. In vivo experiments in mice confirmed that intravenous injection of silicate ions could remarkably inhibit the cardiac hypertrophy and promote the formation of capillaries, further alleviating Ang II-induced cardiac function disorder.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that the released silicate ions from CS possessed potential value as a novel therapeutic strategy of pathological cardiac hypertrophy, which provided a new insight for clinical trials.

Fast and robust calibration method of liquid-crystal spatial light modulator based on polarization multiplexing

We propose a fast and robust method for calibrating Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs) based on polarization phase-shifting interferometry. Our method effectively calibrates the SLM by addressing both the static aberration and nonlinear phase response, utilizing specially designed gray images loaded sequentially onto the SLM. Notably, we introduce a novel kinoform that effectively eliminates the influence of tilt phase shift between two shots of the polarization camera. This results in a highly accurate phase aberration map and phase modulation curve with exceptional stability, making it an ideal method to calibrate the SLM with exceptional efficiency and precision in real applications.

3D printed strontium-zinc-phosphate bioceramic scaffolds with multiple biological functions for bone tissue regeneration

Calcium phosphate (CaP) bioceramics are broadly employed for bone regeneration due to their excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductivity. However, they are not capable of repairing healing-impaired bone defects such as defects with conditions of ischemia or infection due to restricted bioactivities. In this study, we synthesized single-phased strontium-zinc-phosphate (SZP, SrZn2(PO4)2) bioceramics via a solution combustion method and further fabricated SZP scaffolds using a three-dimensional (3D) printing technique. Compared to 3D printed β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffolds, the 3D printed SZP scaffolds presented comparable porosity, compressive strength, and Young's modulus, but increased ability of osteogenesis, angiogenesis, immunomodulation and anti-bacterial activity. Specifically, 3D printed SZP scaffolds not only led to significantly higher osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells and pro-angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) directly or through macrophage-mediated immunomodulation, but also inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The in vivo study of the rat cranial bone defect model further confirmed better vascularized bone regeneration in 3D-printed SZP scaffolds. These findings indicate that the proposed 3D-printed SZP scaffolds might be a versatile candidate for bone tissue engineering.

Construction of NiFe(CN)5NO/Ni3S2 hierarchical submicro-rods on nickel foam as advanced oxygen evolution electrocatalysts

The development of cheap, abundant, and highly efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is urgently needed for hydrogen production from water splitting. Herein, we demonstrate a novel OER electrocatalyst (NiFe(CN)₅NO/Ni₃S₂) prepared by coupling Ni₃S₂ and a bimetallic metal-organic framework (MOF) of NiFe(CN)₅NO on nickel foam (NF) via a simple two-step route. The NiFe(CN)₅NO/Ni₃S₂ electrocatalyst displays an interesting rod-like hierarchical architecture assembled by ultrathin nanosheets. The combination of NiFe(CN)₅NO and Ni₃S₂ optimizes the electronic structure of the metal active sites and increases the electron transfer capability. Benefitting from the synergistic effect between Ni₃S₂ and the NiFe-MOF as well as the unique hierarchical architecture, the NiFe(CN)₅NO/Ni₃S₂/NF electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic OER activity with ultralow overpotentials of 162/197 mV at 10/100 mA cm^-2 and an ultrasmall Tafel slope of 26 mV dec^-1 in 1.0 M KOH, which are far superior to those of the individual NiFe(CN)₅NO, Ni₃S₂ and commercial IrO₂ catalysts. In particular, unlike common metal sulfide-based electrocatalysts, the composition, morphology and microstructure of the NiFe-MOF/Ni₃S₂ composite electrocatalyst can be well retained after the OER, which endows it with fantastic long-term durability. This work offers a new strategy for the construction of novel and high-efficiency MOF-based composite electrocatalysts for energy applications.

Accurate dynamic 3D deformation measurement based on the synchronous multiplexing of polarization and speckle metrology

An accurate dynamic 3D deformation measurement method realized by the combination of phase-shifting speckle interferometry and speckle correlation is proposed. By converting the speckle field and the reference field into a circular polarized and linear polarized state, the three-step phase-shifting speckle interferograms and one specklegram were recorded directly and simultaneously within a single image by using a polarization camera. Then, the out-of-plane deformation was demodulated from the synchronous phase-shifting fringe patterns, and the in-plane deformation was measured by performing correlation calculations by using specklegrams with the effect of the reference field ignored. Thus, the full-field 3D deformation was obtained precisely. Experimental results demonstrated the accuracy and dynamic measurement ability of the proposed method, which is compact and feasible for actual dynamic scenes.

The association of serum testosterone with dyslipidemia is mediated by obesity: the Henan Rural Cohort Study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

This study aimed to evaluate the relationships of serum testosterone with dyslipidemia and blood lipid levels and test whether obesity mediated these associations by gender in Chinese rural population.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 6150 subjects were finally analyzed in this study. Serum testosterone for each subject was detected by liquid chromatography equipped with tandem mass spectrometry. Logistic regression and linear regression were employed to evaluate the associations of serum testosterone with the prevalence of dyslipidemia and blood lipid levels. Mediation analysis was conducted to identify the mediation effects of obesity on the relationship between serum testosterone and dyslipidemia. After adjusting for multiple confounders, per unit change in serum ln-testosterone levels was associated with a decreased prevalent dyslipidemia in men (odds ratio (OR): 0.785, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.708, 0.871)). Males with the levels of serum testosterone in the third or fourth quartiles had a 49.4% (OR: 0.506, 95% CI 0.398, 0.644) or 67.1% (OR: 0.329, 95% CI 0.253, 0.428) significantly lower odds of prevalence of dyslipidemia. In addition, a onefold increase in ln-testosterone was related to a 0.043 mmol/L (95% CI 0.028, 0.059) increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in men. Results of the mediation analysis suggested that obesity played a partial role in the association of testosterone with dyslipidemia in men.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggested that serum testosterone levels were negatively associated with lipid levels and prevalent dyslipidemia, and obesity mediated the effects of serum testosterone on dyslipidemia in men, implying that obesity prevention should be highlighted to decrease the prevalence of dyslipidemia related to changes in testosterone levels.

The benefits of intermittent fasting: A review of possible mechanisms on central neurological disorders

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a dietary strategy that involves alternating periods of abstention from calorie consumption with periods of ad libitum food intake and has been shown to have beneficial effects in many ways. Recent studies have shown that IF attenuates neurodegeneration and improves cognitive decline, enhances functional recovery after stroke as well as attenuates the pathological and clinical features of epilepsy in animal models. Furthermore, IF induced several molecular and cellular adaptations in neurons that overall enhanced cellular stress resistance, synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis. In this review, the beneficial effects of IF on central neurological disorders are discussed. The information summarised in this review can be used to help contextualise existing research and better guide the development of future IF interventions.

An oral phenylacrylic acid derivative suppressed hepatic stellate cell activation and ameliorated liver fibrosis by blocking TGF-β1 signalling

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Liver fibrosis is an excessive wound-healing response governed by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). To date, there is no drug available for liver fibrosis. Although ferulic acid (FA) has multiple pharmacological functions, its anti-hepatic fibrosis activity is weak. Based on the activity modification of the FA structure, we synthesized a series of phenylacrylic derivatives and found a superior compound, FA11. In this study, we investigated its antifibrotic effect and mechanism.

METHODS

Activated HSC and CCl₄ -induced mouse liver fibrosis were established and followed by FA11 treatment. Cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay. Apoptosis and cell cycle analysis were conducted by flow cytometry. Western blot and Real-time qPCR were used to examine the expression of fibrotic and M1/M2-type macrophages markers. Degree of liver fibrosis was shown by histological staining.

RESULTS

In vitro, FA11 inhibited TGF-β1-induced LX-2 proliferation and led to apoptosis and cycle arrest. Furthermore, elevation of fibrotic markers in TGF-β1-induced LX-2 and primary activated HSC was reversed by FA11. In vivo, FA11 administration alleviated collagen deposition and blocked HSC activation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Additionally, FA11 reduced macrophage infiltration in fibrotic liver and prevented macrophage polarization to a profibrotic phenotype. Meanwhile, the systemic toxicity of CCl₄ was also ameliorated by FA11. Mechanistically, FA11 reversed the phosphorylation of canonical and noncanonical TGF-β1 signalling, as well as FGFR1 signalling.

CONCLUSIONS

We reported an oral phenylacrylic acid derivative, FA11, which showed excellent antifibrotic activity and was expected to be an anti-hepatic fibrosis candidate.

Transdermal delivery of Protocatechuic aldehyde using hyaluronic acid/gelatin-based microneedles for the prevention and treatment of hypertrophic scars

The formation of hypertrophic scar (HS) involves many pathological processes, such as reduced apoptosis in fibroblasts, excessive collagen deposition by fibroblasts, over-abundant angiogenesis, etc. The therapeutic effects of current treatments targeting one single pathological process are limited. Due to their diverse biological activities, natural products offer a potential solution to this issue. In this study reported herein, we investigated the effects of Protocatechuic aldehyde (PA) on both hypertrophic scar-derived fibroblasts (HSF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Microneedles (MN) containing PA and hyaluronic acid (HA) or containing PA, HA, and gelatin were prepared by mixing PA stock solution with HA or HA/gelatin at a ratio of 1:10. The HS prevention and treatment outcomes of these HA-PA-MN and HA/gelatin-PA-MN were tested using a rabbit ear HS model. Our data indicate that PA induces apoptosis and reduces collagen deposition in HSF. In addition, PA attenuates VEGF-stimulated angiogenesis of HUVECs. Furthermore, HA-PA-MN or HA/gelatin-PA-MN are able to effectively penetrate the epidermis of the HS tissues and then quickly dissolve, enabling the fast release of PA directly into the dermis of the HS tissues. HA-PA-MN or HA/Gelatin-PA-MN have also been found to effectively prevent or alleviate HS in a rabbit ear HS model. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that PA can be used to prevent and treat HS by simultaneously regulating HSF and HUVECs, which offers a potential novel reagent for HS management.

[Research progress of mouse model of hepatitis B virus infection]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global health problem. Animal models are important for the study of the HBV infection mechanism. In the study related to the mouse model of HBV infection, the researchers have established a variety of mouse models, including transgenic, plasmid hydrodynamic injection, virus vector transfection, cccDNA cycle simulation, human and mouse liver chimerism, and liver/immune dual humanization, according to the characteristics of HBV infection. Herein, the research progress of these models is summarized. Notably, the application of these models can further clarify the mechanism of HBV infection under the conditions of a specific immune response in vivo and lay the foundation for the development of new antiviral drugs and immunotherapy for HBV infection.

Mild Heat-Assisted Polydopamine/Alginate Hydrogel Containing Low-Dose Nanoselenium for Facilitating Infected Wound Healing

In clinical practice, it has become urgent to develop multifunctional wound dressings that can combat infection and prompt wound healing simultaneously. In this study, we proposed a polydopamine/alginate/nanoselenium composite hydrogel (Alg-PDA-Se) for the treatment of infected wounds. In particular, polydopamine endows the composite hydrogel with controllable near-infrared photothermal properties, while low-dosage selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) offer excellent anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, pro-proliferative, pro-migration, and pro-angiogenic performances, which are verified by multiple cells, including macrophages, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. More interestingly, the combination of mild temperature with low-dosage Se NPs produces a synergistic effect on combating both Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) and promoting the healing of bacteria-infected wounds in vivo. We anticipate that the designed composite hydrogel might be a potential candidate for anti-infection bioactive dressing.

Discovery of the novel Benzo[b]thiophene 1,1-dioxide derivatives as a potent STAT3 inhibitor against idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive lung disease of unknown aetiology with limited treatment options. Currently, only two drugs, nintedanib and pirfenidone, are approved for the clinical treatment of IPF, but their efficacies are not satisfactory. Previous studies have shown that STAT3 might be a promising therapeutic target for IPF. Here, we designed several series of compounds and finally synthesized a total of 48 novel compounds as potential STAT3 inhibitors. Notably, compound 10K was the most promising compound with excellent inhibitory activity against STAT3 phosphorylation. Subsequently, the anti-pulmonary fibrosis effect of 10K was further investigated by TGF-β1-stimulated in vitro cell assay and bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis animal models. Specifically, compound 10K inhibited the TGF-β1 induced fibrotic response and blocked the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of A549 cells, and its inhibitory effect was significantly better than that of Stattic. In addition, after oral administration of 10K, the symptoms of IPF in the lung tissue in the prevention and treatment mouse models were significantly reversed, and the efficacy was comparable to that of nintedanib. Moreover, 10K improved BLM-induced imbalance of immune microenvironment in lung tissue. Taken together, these results suggest that 10K could be a potential STAT3 inhibitor for the treatment of IPF.

Ball-and-Chain Inactivation in Potassium Channels

Carefully orchestrated opening and closing of ion channels controls the diffusion of ions across cell membranes, generating the electrical signals required for fast transmission of information throughout the nervous system. Inactivation is a parsimonious means for channels to restrict ion conduction without the need to remove the activating stimulus. Voltage-gated channel inactivation plays crucial physiological roles, such as controlling action potential duration and firing frequency in neurons. The ball-and-chain moniker applies to a type of inactivation proposed first for sodium channels and later shown to be a universal mechanism. Still, structural evidence for this mechanism remained elusive until recently. We review the ball-and-chain inactivation research starting from its introduction as a crucial component of sodium conductance during electrical signaling in the classical Hodgkin and Huxley studies, through the discovery of its simple intuitive mechanism in potassium channels during the molecular cloning era, to the eventual elucidation of a potassium channel structure in a ball-and-chain inactivated state. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biophysics, Volume 52 is May 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.