Comparative study on the enzymatic degradation of phenolic esters: The HPLC-UV quantification of tyrosol and gallic acid liberated from tyrosol acyl esters and alkyl gallates by hydrolytic enzymes

HPLC-UV analysis was used to evaluate the enzymatic degradation characteristics of tyrosol acyl esters (TYr-Es) and alkyl gallates (A-GAs). Among various hydrolytic enzymes, TYr-Es can be hydrolyzed by pancrelipase, while A-GAs cannot be hydrolyzed by pancrelipase. Interestingly, carboxylesterase-1b (CES-1b), carboxylesterase-1c (CES-1c) and carboxylesterase-2 (CES-2) are able to hydrolyze TYr-Es and A-GAs, and thus to liberate tyrosol (TYr) and gallic acid (GA). By contrast, the degrees of hydrolysis (DHs) of TYr-Es and A-GAs by CES-1b and CES-1c were significantly higher than those by CES-2. Meanwhile, the DHs of TYr-Es were much higher than those of A-GAs. Especially, the DHs firstly increased and then decreased with the increasing alkyl chain length. Besides, DHs positively correlated with the unsaturation degree at the same chain length. Through regulating carbon length, unsaturation degree and the ester bond structure, controlled-release of phenolic compounds and fatty acids (or fatty alcohols) from phenolic esters will be easily achieved.

Improvements in Neoplasm Classification in the International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Revision: Systematic Comparative Study With the Chinese Clinical Modification of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision

BACKGROUND

The International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Revision (ICD-11) improved neoplasm classification.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to study the alterations in the ICD-11 compared to the Chinese Clinical Modification of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10-CCM) for neoplasm classification and to provide evidence supporting the transition to the ICD-11.

METHODS

We downloaded public data files from the World Health Organization and the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China. The ICD-10-CCM neoplasm codes were manually recoded with the ICD-11 coding tool, and an ICD-10-CCM/ICD-11 mapping table was generated. The existing files and the ICD-10-CCM/ICD-11 mapping table were used to compare the coding, classification, and expression features of neoplasms between the ICD-10-CCM and ICD-11.

RESULTS

The ICD-11 coding structure for neoplasms has dramatically changed. It provides advantages in coding granularity, coding capacity, and expression flexibility. In total, 27.4% (207/755) of ICD-10 codes and 38% (1359/3576) of ICD-10-CCM codes underwent grouping changes, which was a significantly different change (χ21=30.3; P<.001). Notably, 67.8% (2424/3576) of ICD-10-CCM codes could be fully represented by ICD-11 codes. Another 7% (252/3576) could be fully described by uniform resource identifiers. The ICD-11 had a significant difference in expression ability among the 4 ICD-10-CCM groups (χ23=93.7; P<.001), as well as a considerable difference between the changed and unchanged groups (χ21=74.7; P<.001). Expression ability negatively correlated with grouping changes (r=-.144; P<.001). In the ICD-10-CCM/ICD-11 mapping table, 60.5% (2164/3576) of codes were postcoordinated. The top 3 postcoordinated results were specific anatomy (1907/3576, 53.3%), histopathology (201/3576, 5.6%), and alternative severity 2 (70/3576, 2%). The expression ability of postcoordination was not fully reflected.

CONCLUSIONS

The ICD-11 includes many improvements in neoplasm classification, especially the new coding system, improved expression ability, and good semantic interoperability. The transition to the ICD-11 will inevitably bring challenges for clinicians, coders, policy makers and IT technicians, and many preparations will be necessary.

In vitro plasma hydrolysis of phenolic esters and their absorption kinetics in rats: Controlled release of phenolic compounds and enhanced health benefits

Phenolic esters are considered as promising functional food ingredients. However, their digestion, absorption and metabolism are still unclear. Tyrosol acyl esters (TYr-Es), hydroxytyrosol acyl esters (HTy-Es) and alkyl gallates (A-GAs) were hydrolyzed by carboxylesterase in plasma and exhibited slow release of polyphenols (phenolic acids). In vitro hydrolysis degrees initially increased and then decreased with the increasing carbon chain length (C2-C16). TYr-Es exhibited higher hydrolysis degrees compared to HTy-Es, and hydrolysis degrees of TYr-Es and HTy-Es were markedly higher than those of A-GAs. Due to the fast hydrolysis rates of TYr-Es and HTy-Es, they were undetectable in all rat plasma samples collected at several times within 24 h after administration. Whereas, A-GAs could be detected in rat plasmas and three absorption peaks were found in the pharmacokinetic profiles. Importantly, the T1/2, MRT, AUC0-∞, AUC0-t in octyl gallate group were longer (or stronger) than those in propyl gallate and dodecyl gallate groups.

Organic Electrolyte Additive: Dual Functions Toward Fast Sulfur Conversion and Stable Li Deposition for Advanced Li-S Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is of great potential for the next generation energy storage device due to the high specific capacity energy density. However, the sluggish kinetics of S redox and the dendrite Li growth are the main challenges to hinder its commercial application. Herein, an organic electrolyte additive, i.e., benzyl chloride (BzCl), is applied as the remedy to address the two issues. In detail, BzCl can split into Bz· radical to react with the polysulfides, forming a Bz-S-Bz intermediate, which changes the conversion path of S and improves the kinetics by accelerating the S splitting. Meanwhile, a tight and robust solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) rich in inorganic ingredients namely LiCl, LiF, and Li2 O, is formed on the surface of Li metal, accelerating the ion conductivity and blocking the decomposition of the solvent and lithium polysulfides. Therefore, the Li-S battery with BzCl as the additive remains high capacity of 693.2 mAh g-1 after 220 cycles at 0.5 C with a low decay rate of 0.11%. This work provides a novel strategy to boost the electrochemical performances in both cathode and anode and gives a guide on the electrolyte design toward high-performance Li-S batteries.

Design, synthesis and antibacterial activity of novel 7H-thiazolo[3,2-b]-1,2,4-triazin-7-one derivatives

Based on the observed biological activity of 1,2,4-triazin-5-one derivatives and their cyclic analogues, a novel series of 7H-thiazolo[3,2-b]-1,2,4-triazin-7-one derivatives that contain ester moiety compounds 3a-3g, carboxylic acid moiety compounds 4a-4g and piperazine amide moiety compounds 5a-5k at position-3 of the thiazolotriazinone scaffold were synthesized. The intermolecular cyclization occurred regioselectively at N2-position of 1,2,4-triazine ring was characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis. The in vitro biological activities of the target compounds were assayed against some bacterial strains. Compared with ciprofloxacin, compounds 3g and 4g exhibited more excellent antibacterial activity, especially the activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, showing that the fluorine at the para position of the benzyl group would be the best choice. In addition, compounds 4e-4g with carboxylic acid moiety can enhance the antibacterial activity. Compounds 5g-5k containing bulky 1-(substituted phenyl)piperazine moiety were found with slightly less biological activity. Similar to ciprofloxacin, the docking result of target compounds with DNA topoisomerase II indicates the carboxyl group of the target compounds with carboxylic acid moiety has a crucial salt bridge interaction with Mg2+ in the protein.

Inhibiting cholesterol de novo synthesis promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by upregulating prostaglandin E synthase 2-mediated arachidonic acid metabolism under high fatty acid conditions

Inhibition of cholesterol de novo synthesis (DNS) by statins has controversial effects on the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). High fatty acid conditions have been reported to limit the effect of statins on metabolism diseases. Whether high fatty acid conditions interfere with the effect of statins on HCC remains unclear. Here, we reported that inhibiting cholesterol DNS with atorvastatin promoted the oncogenic capabilities of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in mice fed high fatty acid diets (HFD). The combined analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics revealed that arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism was the most significant changed pathway between mice with and without atorvastatin treatment. In vitro, in the presence of AA precursor linoleic acid (LA), atorvastatin promoted the proliferation and migration ability of HCC cell lines. However, in the absence of LA, these phenomena disappeared. TCGA and tissue microarray examination revealed that prostaglandin e synthase 2 (PTGES2), a key enzyme in AA metabolism, was associated with the poor outcome of HCC patients. Overexpression of PTGES2 promoted the proliferation and migration of HCC cell lines, and knockdown of PTGES2 inhibited the proliferation and migration of cells. Additionally, atorvastatin upregulated PTGES2 expression by enhancing Sterol-regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP2)-mediated transcription. Knockdown of PTGES2 reversed the proliferation and migration ability enhanced by atorvastatin. Overall, our study reveals that a high fatty acid background is one of the possible conditions limiting the application of statins in HCC, under which statins promote the progression of HCC by enhancing SREBP2-mediated PTGES2 transcription.

Hydrolysis and Transport Characteristics of Phospholipid Complex of Alkyl Gallates: Potential Sustained Release of Alkyl Gallate and Gallic Acid

Phospholipid complexes of alkyl gallates (A-GAs) including ethyl gallate (EG), propyl gallate (PG), and butyl gallate (BG) were successfully prepared by the thin film dispersion method. HPLC-UV analysis in an everted rat gut sac model indicated that A-GAs can be liberated from phospholipid complexes, which were further hydrolyzed by intestinal lipase to generate free gallic acid (GA). Both A-GAs and GA are able to cross the membrane, and the hydrolysis rate of A-GAs and the transport rate of GA are positively correlated with the alkyl chain length. Especially, compared with the corresponding physical mixtures, the phospholipid complexes exhibit slower sustained-release of A-GAs and GA. Therefore, the formation of phospholipid complexes is an effective approach to prolong the residence time in vivo and additionally enhance the bioactivities of A-GAs and GA. More importantly, through regulating the carbon skeleton lengths, controlled-release of alkyl gallates and gallic acid from phospholipid complexes will be achieved.

Government and dealer regulatory decisions on producer illegal production in China's food supply chain

Illegal food production in China has proliferated in recent years, triggering serious public concerns on food safety. In this work, we model a regulatory event in a food supply chain comprising a local government, a dealer, and a producer involved in illegal food production, and get equilibrium regulatory decisions of the government and the dealer, and equilibrium production decisions of the producer. The results show that: 1) in a situation where the producer is likely to produce illegally, the government does not regulate, and implements insufficient or sufficient regulation according to the utility-cost ratio of regulating. 2) The regulatory decisions of the dealer depend not only on the regulatory decisions of the government but also on the utility-cost ratio of regulating. 3) Only when the joint regulatory intensity of the government and the dealer is not less than a certain threshold value, the producer will not produce illegally, and the threshold value is the optimal regulatory intensity jointly implemented by the government and the dealer. Otherwise it is ineffective, inadequate, or excessive regulation. Therefore, we suggest that the government and the dealer jointly make regulatory decisions to achieve optimal regulation at the lowest regulatory cost and evade illegal food production by the producer.

A Rare Case of Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma of Pineal Gland in An Adult Male

Introduction/Objective

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), mesenchymal derived tumor, is predominantly diagnosed in the pediatric population but may present at any age. Less than 1% of all adult solid malignant cancers are sarcomas, and rhabdomyosarcoma comprises &lt;0.001% of adult sarcomas. Primary intracranial RMS is rare and has been reported in the cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, and the meninges. The occurrence of a primary intracranial RMS arising from the pineal gland is exceedingly rare.

Methods/Case Report

An adult male presented to the ED with complaint of several months of headaches, progressive confusion, forgetfulness and most recently difficulty in finding words. CT scan showed a large mass arising from the pineal gland causing obstructive hydrocephalus. Subsequently, the patient underwent excisional biopsy. The histopathology examination revealed small round basophilic cells and large polygonal cells with large eccentric nuclei and prominent nucleoli, abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm containing globular paranuclear eosinophilic inclusions, characteristic of rhabdoid cells. Immunohistochemical (IHC) showed tumor cells are positive for Desmin, MyoD1, CK8/18, INI1 (hSNF5; SMARCB1) with retained nuclear expression and faint positivity for Synaptophysin and focally positivity for Neurofilament. The tumor cells showed negative staining for Pankeratin, SOX10, Oct4, SALL4, INSM1, LCA AND CD30, which excluded the possibility of Germ cell tumor and Pineoblastoma. The case was finalized as primary malignant neoplasm, consistent with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma of pineal gland.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

NA

Conclusion

This case highlights the rare occurrence of rhabdomyosarcoma originating from the pineal gland in an adult male. Morphologic and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Since primary rhabdomyosarcoma of the pineal gland is rare, this case contributes to the limited body of literature on such cases. It underscores the importance of considering unusual entities in intracranial tumors. The distinct morphology and the use of IHC aids in diagnosing this rare entity.

Origin of thermally activated Er3+ emission in GeGaSe films and waveguides

The origin of the dead or active emission from Er in various Er-doped films has been unclear. Here we took Er-doped GeGaSe as examples and investigated the correlation between the intensity of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra, the content of the activated Er ions, and the intensity of the absorption spectra in the waveguides. We found the linear correlation between the content of Er ions, photoluminescence, and absorption intensity. This provides clear evidence that thermal annealing can promote the conversion of Er metals into Er ions, and such a conversion is essential for practical applications, in which the number of the activated Er ions rather than the nominal Er contents in the materials plays an important role in achieving emission and thus effective optical amplification and lasing.

Prediagnosis ultra-processed food consumption and prognosis of patients with colorectal, lung, prostate, or breast cancer: a large prospective multicenter study

Background and aims

Whether ultra-processed food consumption is associated with cancer prognosis remains unknown. We aimed to test whether prediagnosis ultra-processed food consumption is positively associated with all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in patients with colorectal, lung, prostate, or breast cancer.

Methods

This study included 1,100 colorectal cancer patients, 1750 lung cancer patients, 4,336 prostate cancer patients, and 2,443 breast cancer patients. Ultra-processed foods were assessed using the NOVA classification before the diagnosis of the first cancer. Multivariable Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for all-cause and cancer-specific mortality.

Results

High ultra-processed food consumption before cancer diagnosis was significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in lung (HRquartile 4 vs. 1: 1.18; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.40; Ptrend = 0.021) and prostate (HRquartile 4 vs. 1: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.39; Ptrend = 0.017) cancer patients in a nonlinear dose-response manner (all Pnonlinearity < 0.05), whereas no significant results were found for other associations of interest. Subgroup analyses additionally revealed a significantly positive association with colorectal cancer-specific mortality among colorectal cancer patients in stages I and II but not among those in stages III and IV (Pinteraction = 0.006), and with prostate cancer-specific mortality among prostate cancer patients with body mass index <25 but not among those with body mass index ≥25 (Pinteraction = 0.001).

Conclusion

Our study suggests that reducing ultra-processed food consumption before cancer diagnosis may improve the overall survival of patients with lung or prostate cancer, and the cancer-specific survival of certain subgroups of patients with colorectal or prostate cancer.

Correlation between APOE4 gene and gut microbiota in Alzheimer's disease

Gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis has been increasingly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the association between APOE4, the most common genetic risk factor for sporadic AD, and GM in AD remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the GM of participants from China and the USA, with and without APOE4 genes and with or without AD (67 AD cases, 67 control cases). Our results revealed that the GM alpha diversity was not different between groups (AD_APOE4, Control_APOE4, AD_non-APOE4, and Control_non-APOE4) (419.031 ± 143.631 vs 391.091 ± 126.081, 351.086 ± 169.174 and 386.089 ± 177.200, respectively. P > 0.05). Interestingly, individuals in the AD_APOE4 group had different bacterial compositions and bacterial biomarkers. The Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test indicated that the abundances of many bacterial species in the AD_APOE4 patients differed from those in control individuals, including decreases in unclassified_g__Escherichia-Shigella (1.763 ± 6.73, 4.429 ± 11.13, 8.245 ± 16.55, and 5.69 ± 13.91 in four groups, respectively; P < 0.05), and unclassified_g_Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 (0.1519 ± 0.348, 2.502 ± 5.913, 0.5146 ± 0.9487, 1.063 ± 3.428 in four groups, respectively; P < 0.05), and increases in gut_metagenome_g_Faecalibacterium (2.885 ± 4.47, 2.174 ± 3.957, 0.5765 ± 1.784, 1.582 ± 2.92 in four groups, respectively. P < 0.01) and unclassified_g_Bacteroides (3.875 ± 3.738, 2.47 ± 2.748, 2.046 ± 3.674, 3.206 ± 3.446 in four groups, respectively; P < 0.05). In the KEGG pathway level 2 analysis, we identified three significant differences in relative abundances of predicted functions between AD_APOE4 and AD_non-APOE4_carrier groups: neurodegenerative diseases (0.0007 ± 0.0005 vs 0.0009 ± 0.0004; P < 0.01), metabolism (0.0240 ± 0.0003 vs 0.0250 ± 0.0003; P < 0.05), and biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites (0.0094 ± 0.0002 vs 0.0090 ± 0.0002; P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curves further demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.74 for the discrimination of AD_APOE4_carrier and AD_non-APOE4_carrier individuals.

In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion and Microbial Hydrolysis of Hydroxytyrosol-SCFA and Tyrosol-SCFA Acyl Esters: Controlled-Release of SCFAs and Polyphenols

Phenolipids such as hydroxytyrosol-SCFA acyl esters (HTy-SEs) and tyrosol-SCFA acyl esters (TYr-SEs) with various alkyl chains lengths (C1-C4) and different isomers (branched-chain and straight-chain) were successfully synthesized. All esters were hydrolyzed by pancreatic lipase to produce polyphenols (HTy and TYr) and SCFAs (iso-butyric acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, and n-butyric acid). Moreover, HTy-SEs (and TYr-SEs) could also be hydrolyzed to free HTy (and TYr) and SCFAs by gut microbiota and Lactobacillus from mice feces. Especially, the hydrolysis rates showed positive correlation with the carbon skeleton length, and the hydrolysis degree (DH) of ester with a branched-chain fatty acid was weaker than that of ester with a straight-chain fatty acid. Besides, the DH values of TYr -SEs were significantly higher than those of HTy-SEs. Therefore, through regulating the structures of polyphenols, carbon skeleton lengths, and isomers, controlled-release of polyphenols and SCFAs from phenolipids will be easily achieved.

Rhenium Suppresses Iridium (IV) Oxide Crystallization and Enables Efficient, Stable Electrochemical Water Oxidation

IrO₂ as benchmark electrocatalyst for acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) suffers from its low activity and poor stability. Modulating the coordination environment of IrO₂ by chemical doping is a methodology to suppress Ir dissolution and tailor adsorption behavior of active oxygen intermediates on interfacial Ir sites. Herein, the Re-doped IrO₂ with low crystallinity is rationally designed as highly active and robust electrocatalysts for acidic OER. Theoretical calculations suggest that the similar ionic sizes of Ir and Re impart large spontaneous substitution energy and successfully incorporate Re into the IrO₂ lattice. Re-doped IrO₂ exhibits a much larger migration energy from IrO₂ surface (0.96 eV) than other dopants (Ni, Cu, and Zn), indicating strong confinement of Re within the IrO₂ lattice for suppressing Ir dissolution. The optimal catalysts (Re: 10 at%) exhibit a low overpotential of 255 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 and a high stability of 170 h for acidic OER. The comprehensive mechanism investigations demonstrate that the unique structural arrangement of the Ir active sites with Re-dopant imparts high performance of catalysts by minimizing Ir dissolution, facilitating *OH adsorption and *OOH deprotonation, and lowering kinetic barrier during OER. This study provides a methodology for designing highly-performed catalysts for energy conversion.

Ultra-processed food consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial

Whether ultra-processed food consumption is associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer has not been determined. We performed a prospective study to fill this gap. A population-based cohort of 98 265 American adults was identified from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Ultra-processed foods were defined by the NOVA classification. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for pancreatic cancer incidence. Subgroup analysis was performed to identify the potential effect modifiers. During a mean follow-up of 8.86 years, 387 pancreatic cancer cases occurred. High consumption of ultra-processed foods was found to be associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer (fully adjusted HR_{quartile 4 vs 1} :1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-2.07; P_trend  = .021) in a linear dose-response manner (P_nonlinearity  = .075). Subgroup analysis further found that the positive association of ultra-processed food consumption with the risk of pancreatic cancer was more pronounced in subjects aged <65 years (HR_{quartile 4 vs 1} :2.17; 95% CI: 1.14-4.15) than in those aged ≥65 years (HR_{quartile 4 vs 1} :1.32; 95% CI: 0.88-1.94), though the interaction test failed to achieve the statistical significance (P_interaction  = .061). These findings suggest that reducing ultra-processed food consumption may be beneficial in decreasing pancreatic cancer incidence.

Intercalation-induced amorphous hydrated vanadium oxide for boosted aqueous Zn2+ storage

An amorphous hydrated vanadium oxide induced by Zn²⁺ intercalation in Mg-ion inserted V₂O₅·nH₂O (MgVOH) is developed as a high-performance cathode for ZIBs. In particular, zinc pyrovanadate as the product of the second phase transition is found to suppress the dissolution issue of the vanadium species for the cathode to facilitate long lifespan.

Adaptively Reforming Natural Enzyme to Activate Catalytic Microenvironment for Polysulfide Conversion in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Catalyzing polysulfide conversion is a promising way toward accelerating complex and sluggish sulfur redox reactions (SRRs) in lithium-sulfur batteries. Reasonable alteration of an enzyme provides a new means to expand the natural enzyme universe to catalytic reactions in abiotic systems. Herein, we design and fabricate a denatured hemocyanin (DHc) to efficiently catalyze the SRR. After denaturation, the unfolded β-sheet architectures with exposed rich atomically dispersed Cu, O, and N sites and intermolecular H-bonds are formed in DHc, which not only provides the polysulfides for a strong spatial confinement effect in microenvironment via S-O and Li···N interactions but also activates chemical channels for electron/Li⁺ transport into the Cu active center via H/Li-bonds to catalyze polysulfide conversion. As expected, the charge/discharge kinetics of DHc-containing cathodes is fundamentally improved in cyclability with nearly 100% Coulombic efficiency and capacity even under high sulfur loading (4.3 mg cm^-2) and lean-electrolyte (8 μL mg^-1) conditions.

IrO2-Stablized La2IrO6 perovskite nanotubes via corner-shared interconnections as highly-efficient oxygen evolution electrocatalysts

One-dimensional nanotube heterostructures with IrO₂-stabilized La₂IrO₆ is obtained by an electrospinning approach. The La₂IrO₆/IrO₂ catalyst exhibits superior catalytic activity and strong stability for the oxygen evolution reaction. The synergistic cooperation between the two types of Ir as the active sites in La₂IrO₆/IrO₂ is demonstrated by in situ Raman spectrum and DFT calculation.

Desolvation Synergy of Multiple H/Li-Bonds on an Iron-Dextran-Based Catalyst Stimulates Lithium-Sulfur Cascade Catalysis

Traditional lithium-sulfur battery catalysts are still facing substantial challenges in solving sulfur redox reactions, which involve multistep electron transfer and multiphase transformations. Here, inspired by the combination of iron dextran (INFeD) and ascorbic acid (VC) as a blood tonic for the treatment of anemia, a highly efficient VC@INFeD catalyst is developed in the sulfur cathode, accomplishing the desolvation and enrichment of high-concentration solvated lithium polysulfides at the cathode/electrolyte interface with the assistance of multiple H/Li-bonds and resolving subsequent sulfur transformations through gradient catalysis sites where the INFeD promotes long-chain lithium polysulfide conversions and VC accelerates short-chain lithium polysulfide conversions. Comprehensive characterizations reveal that the VC@INFeD can substantially reduce the energy barrier of each sulfur redox step, inhibit shuttle effects, and endow the lithium-sulfur battery with high sulfur utilization and superior cycling stability even under a high sulfur loading (5.2 mg cm^-2 ) and lean electrolyte (electrolyte/sulfur ratio, ≈7 µL mg^-1 ) condition.

An Autopsy Case Report of ARDS Caused by Tumor Lysis Syndrome in A Patient with Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Introduction/Objective

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a type of respiratory failure caused by diffuse injury to surfactant-producing cells and fluid buildup in the alveoli. ARDS impairs lung's ability and is potentially fatal. Tumor lysis syndrome is an oncologic emergency mostly triggered by the initiation of chemotherapy causing life- threatening metabolic cascades even with preventable therapies.

Methods/Case Report

We report an autopsy case of a 71-year-old male who was referred to the Emergency Department with complaints of poor appetite, dizziness, nausea. He was found to have a white blood cell count over 1,000,000, with hemoglobulin of 7.7, platelet count of 95, uric acid 11.5, LDH 486. He was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) involving peripheral blood and received Allopurinol for tumor lysis syndrome prophylaxis. He started to receive Rituximab. Soon after, he became lethargic and more hypoxemic and needed intubation. But he became pulseless and he did not recover.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

The autopsy revealed an extensive spread of the lymphoma to multi-organs, including the esophagus, spleen, liver, kidney, heart, prostate. Bone marrow and lymph nodes were diffusely infiltrated by atypical medium lymphocytes. Stains on lymph nodes show the atypical lymphocytes are positive for CD20, CD5, Cyclin D1, Bcl2, negative for CD23, Bcl6, with a Ki-67 proliferative index around 40%, consistent with MCL. The patient's lungs were heavy and microscopic examination confirmed ARDS.

Conclusion

We, here describe a patient with MCL who developed tumor lysis syndrome with Rituximab monotherapy and died of ARDS shortly after. It's rarely reported that tumor lysis syndrome results in fatal ARDS.

Fried food consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer: A large prospective multicenter study

Background and aims

Whether fried food consumption is associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer remains elusive. We aimed to examine this association in a US population.

Methods

A population-based cohort of 101,729 US adults was identified. Fried food consumption was assessed with a validated food frequency questionnaire. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Explanatory analyses were conducted to identify main contributor(s) to the observed association.

Results

During an average follow-up of 8.86 years (900871.2 person-years), 402 pancreatic cancer cases occurred. High consumption of total fried foods (deep-fried plus pan-fried foods; HRquartile4 vs. 1 0.71, 95% CI 0.51-0.99, P trend = 0.047) and deep-fried foods (HRquartile 4 vs. 1 0.64, 95% CI 0.47-0.88, P trend = 0.011), but not pan-fried foods (HRquartile 4 vs. 1 0.98, 95% CI 0.73-1.32; P trend = 0.815), was found to be associated with a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer in a non-linear dose-response manner, which was not modified by predefined stratification factors and persisted in sensitivity analyses. In explanatory analyses, only chip consumption was found to be inversely associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer; consistently, the initial significant associations between total fried food and deep-fried food consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer changed to be non-significant after omitting or further adjusting for chip consumption.

Conclusion

Consumption of deep-fried foods, but not pan-fried foods, is inversely associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer in this US population. The role of deep-fried foods in reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer appears to be mainly attributable to chips. More studies are needed to confirm our findings in other populations and settings.

Nanoemulsion assembly toward vaterite mesoporous CaCO3 for high-efficient uranium extraction from seawater

Uranium extraction from seawater is particularly significant and regarded as an indispensable strategy for satisfying the increasing demand for nuclear fuel owing to the high uranium reserves (about 4.5 billion tons) in seawater, while remains great challenges due to the low concentration, the interference of various cations and the complexity of the marine environment. Thus, developing a highly efficient adsorbent with high adsorption capacity, excellent selectivity, low cost, and facile synthesis method is significant and urgently required. Inorganic materials show many advantages in adsorption such as low cost, fast response, high stability, etc, while conventionally, have poor capacity and selectivity especially in real seawater. Herein, mesoporous CaCO₃ (mCaCO₃) with vaterite phase is synthesized by a facile nanoemulsion strategy and "ready-to-use" for uranium adsorption without functionalization and post treatment. Surfactant Pluronic F127 not only assembles into reverse micelles to form mesopores, but also stabilizes the active vaterite phase. The obtained mCaCO₃ with high surface area (48.2 m²/g), interconnected mesopores (11 nm), and unique vaterite phase achieves highly efficient uranium adsorption with a maximum adsorption capacity of 850 ± 20 mg-U/g in uranium-spiked seawater and 6.5 ± 0.5 mg-U/g in 700 L of natural seawater for one week, as well as excellent selectivity, matching the state-of-the-art U adsorbents. After adsorption, mCaCO₃-U is dissolved with a simple acid elution to obtain concentrated uranyl solution for purification, avoiding the disposal of adsorbents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case to report mesoporous CaCO₃ for uranium adsorption from seawater with such a good performance. The facile synthesis, abundant raw materials and eco-friendly adsorption-desorption processes endow the mCaCO₃ as a promising candidate for large-scale uranium extraction from seawater.

Pd/PdO Electrocatalysts Boost Their Intrinsic Nitrogen Reduction Reaction Activity and Selectivity via Controllably Modulating the Oxygen Level

The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR) is regarded as promising sustainable ammonia (NH₃) production alternative to the industrial Haber-Bosch process. However, the current electrocatalytic systems still exhibit a grand challenge to simultaneously boost their eNRR activity and selectivity under ambient conditions. Herein, we construct Pd/PdO electrocatalysts with a controlled oxygen level by a facile electrochemical deposition approach at different gas atmospheres. Theoretical calculation results indicate that the introduction of an oxygen atom into a pure Pd catalyst would modulate the electron density of the Pd/PdO heterojunction and thus influence the adsorption energy for nitrogen and hydrogen. The calculation results and experiments show that the Pd/PdO heterojunction with a moderate oxygen level (O-M) exhibits optimal eNRR performance with a high NH₃ yield of 11.0 μg h^-1 mg_cat^-1 and a large Faraday efficiency (FE) of 22.2% at 0.03 V (vs RHE) in a 0.1 M KOH electrolyte. The moderate affinity of Pd to N in the Pd/PdO heterojunction and the inhibition of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) can facilitate the breaking of the triple bond of N₂ and promote the protonation of N, which is confirmed by ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and in situ Raman spectroscopy. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations further disclose that the O-M catalysts prefer the distal association pathway during the eNRR process. This work opens a new way to construct heterostructures by controlling the oxygen level in other electrochemical fields.

Sulfur Reduction Catalyst Design Inspired by Elemental Periodic Expansion Concept for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

The key challenges facing the commercialization of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are shortening the lithium polysulfide (LiPS) intermediate existence time while accelerating solid-phase conversion reactions. Herein, inspired by highly efficient natural enzymes with Fe/N active sites for oxygen reduction reactions, we report a periodic expansion catalysis concept, i.e., Ru and P synergic stereoselectivity, for designing sulfur reduction reaction (SRR) catalysts. As a proof of concept, a RuP₂-configuration molecular catalyst was exploited to assemble an interlayer in Li-S batteries that adsorbs LiPSs, optimizes Li⁺ migration paths, and catalyzes SRRs. Comprehensive investigation identified the elimination of steric hindrance and strong electron orbital couplings between metallic d band and nonmetallic p band as the main contributing factors of PEC for the SRRs. As a result, the Li-S battery with ∼0.5 wt % catalyst additive showed enhanced cycling stability even under a high sulfur loading (6.5 mg cm^-2) and low electrolyte/sulfur ratio (9 μL mg^-1).

Effect of Molecular Architecture and Symmetry on Self-Assembly: A Quantitative Revisit Using Discrete ABA Triblock Copolymers

The inherent statistical heterogeneities associated with chain length, composition, and architecture of synthetic block copolymers compromise the quantitative interpretation of their self-assembly process. This study scrutinizes the contribution of molecular architecture on phase behaviors using discrete ABA triblock copolymers with precise chemical structure and uniform chain length. A group of discrete triblock copolymers with varying composition and symmetry were modularly synthesized through a combination of iterative growth methods and efficient coupling reactions. The symmetric ABA triblock copolymers self-assemble into long-range ordered structures with expanded domain spacings and enhanced phase stability, compared with the diblock counterparts snipped at the middle point. By tuning the relative chain length of two end blocks, the molecular asymmetry reduces the packing frustration, and thus increases the order-to-disorder transition temperature and enlarges the domain sizes. This study would serve as a quantitative model system to correlate the experimental observations with the theoretical assessments and to provide quantitative understandings for the relationship between molecular architecture and self-assembly.

Identification of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Therapeutic Biomarkers by a Novel Molecular Subtype Based on Aging-Related Genes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors with poor prognosis. Increasing evidence has revealed that immune cells and checkpoints in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and aging are associated with the prognosis of HCC. However, the association between aging and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in HCC is still unclear.

Methods

RNA expression profiles and clinical data concerning HCC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Based on differentially expressed aging-related genes (DEAGs), unsupervised clustering was used to identify a novel molecular subtype in HCC. The features of immune cell infiltration and checkpoints were further explored through CIBERSORTx. Enrichment analysis and both univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were conducted to construct a 3-gene model for predicting prognosis and chemosensitivity. Finally, the mRNA and protein expression levels of the 3 genes were verified in HCC and other cancers through database searches and experiments.

Results

Eleven differentially expressed AGs (GHR, APOC3, FOXM1, PON1, TOP2A, FEN1, HELLS, BUB1B, PPARGC1A, PRKDC, and H2AFX) correlated with the prognosis of HCC were used to divide HCC into two subtypes in which the prognosis was different. In cluster 2, which had a poorer prognosis, the infiltration of naive B cells and monocytes was lower in the TCGA and GEO cohorts, while the infiltration of M0 macrophages was higher. In addition, the TCGA cohort indicated that the microenvironment of cluster 2 had more immunosuppression through immune checkpoints. Enrichment analysis suggested that the MYC and E2F targets were positively associated with cluster 2 in the TCGA and GEO cohorts. Additionally, 3 genes (HMGCS2, SLC22A1, and G6PD) were screened to construct the prognostic model through univariate/multivariate Cox analysis. Then, the model was validated through the TCGA validation set and GEO dataset (GSE54236). Cox analysis indicated that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor and that patients in the high-risk group were sensitive to multiple targeted drugs (sorafenib, gemcitabine, rapamycin, etc.). Finally, significantly differential expression of the 3 genes was detected across cancers.

Conclusion

We systematically described the immune differences in the TME between the molecular subtypes based on AGs and constructed a novel three-gene signature to predict prognosis and chemosensitivity in patients with HCC.

Cofactor-Assisted Artificial Enzyme with Multiple Li-Bond Networks for Sustainable Polysulfide Conversion in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries possess high theoretical energy density but suffer from rapid capacity fade due to the shuttling and sluggish conversion of polysulfides. Aiming at these problems, a biomimetic design of cofactor-assisted artificial enzyme catalyst, melamine (MM) crosslinked hemin on carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (i.e., [CNTs-MM-hemin]), is presented to efficiently convert polysulfides. The MM cofactors bind with the hemin artificial enzymes and CNT conductive substrates through FeN5 coordination and/or covalent amide bonds to provide high and durable catalytic activity for polysulfide conversions, while π-π conjugations between hemin and CNTs and multiple Li-bond networks offered by MM endow the cathode with good electronic/Li+ transmission ability. This synergistic mechanism enables rapid sulfur reaction kinetics, alleviated polysulfide shuttling, and an ultralow (<1.3%) loss of hemin active sites in electrolyte, which is ≈60 times lower than those of noncovalent crosslinked samples. As a result, the Li-S battery using [CNTs-MM-hemin] cathode retains a capacity of 571 mAh g-1 after 900 cycles at 1C with an ultralow capacity decay rate of 0.046% per cycle. Even under raising sulfur loadings up to 7.5 mg cm-2 , the cathode still can steadily run 110 cycles with a capacity retention of 83%.

Incidence and outcomes of primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a SEER population-based study

Introduction/Objective

Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (PC-ALCL) is the second most type of cutaneous lymphoma of T cell origin. Although PC-ALCL is considered clinically indolent with an excellent overall survival rate, very few studies have examined the epidemiology and survival of this disease in significant depth. Here we have used the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to identify the cases of PC-ALCL with immunohistologic or molecular confirmation and analyzed disease-specific survival across various epidemiological factors.

Methods/Case Report

We identified patients with PC-ALCL from the SEER database from 1975 - 2017. Cases with only histological and immunohistochemical or molecular evidence of diagnosis were included in the study. Age, sex, and race-standardized incidence rates (IR) were calculated. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

93 individuals were identified with a diagnosis of PC-ALCL. Increased age correlated significantly with the total number of cases within age groups, suggesting an associated risk. Males were significantly overrepresented in the disease population at 62%. The racial distribution of patients with PC-ALCL did not significantly differ from the racial distribution in the US. Kaplan-Meier DSS analysis was performed to assess possible influence of race, sex, age, or primary site location on the prognosis in patients with PC-ALCL. Age appears to be one of the greatest factors influencing survival, and while this trended strongly, it was not a statistically significant observation. Although males were disproportionately represented among PC-ALCL patients, sex did not affect survival. Similarly, the patient’s race had no significant effect on the length of survival. The location of the primary tumor trends towards affecting survival, and while this is quantitatively the most impressive observation, it does not reach the threshold of statistical significance.

Conclusion

We performed a comprehensive review of the clinical and epidemiological features present in PC-ALCL. We found age to be the most significant factor in the risk of development of PC-ALCL, and while our study lacks the statistical power to demonstrate it, age may also be the most significant factor in survival.

Characterization of A Rare Case of Vulvar Epithelioid Sarcoma with local recurrence and metastases

Introduction/Objective

Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) is a rare, malignant mesenchymal neoplasm that has a known tendency for local recurrence, regional lymph node involvement, and distant metastases. Two histologic variants have been recognized: classic ES also known as the distal type, and proximal-type ES (PES). The classic ES is common in young adults. It occurs more frequently in the distal upper extremities followed by the distal lower limbs and has a male prevalence of 2:1. Conversely, PES commonly involves deep tissues in the pelvic region, including the genital area. It tends to occur in older patients and follows a more aggressive clinical course. In the female genital tract, PES occurs most frequently in the vulva. The incidence of primary sarcoma of the vulva accounts for 1.5-5% of all malignant tumors, making PES a very rare incidence.

Methods/Case Report

Here we report a 60-year-old female diagnosed with vulvar epithelioid sarcoma treated with a right radical vulvectomy and bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection in 2008. In 2017, further surgery and adjuvant radiation were given for local recurrence. In 2020, the patient developed left hip pain and was found to have an expansile lytic lesion in the left proximal femur. Extensive resection was performed. Grossly the vulvar lesion was nodular with diffuse hemorrhage, degeneration, and necrosis. Microscopically, the tumor cells had large vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. Histologically, the morphology of the tumor cells are similar for the primary vulvar specimen and the bone metastases. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells are positive for vimentin, GATA, FLI-1, SMA, SMHC, partially positive for CAM5.2, AE1/AE3, CD31, and CD163. Immunohistochemistry was negative for CDX2, CD56, S-100, TTF-1, CK5/6, CK20, P40, mammoglobin, MOC31, ER, CK7, CK903, HMB45, PAX8. A Ki-67 proliferative index was around 30-40%. NGS molecular testing detected a SMARCB1 mutation with loss of exons 1-3 and exons 7-9 supporting the diagnosis of epithelioid sarcoma.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

NA

Conclusion

In summary, we report a case of PES of the vulva in a 60 year old female. Grossly, the lesion was nodular with histology showing large vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. It showed loss of INI1/SMARCB1 nuclear expression. The patient is receiving further adjuvant treatment and shows no new metastases.

Identification of a Prognostic Model Based on 2-Gene Signature and Analysis of Corresponding Tumor Microenvironment in Alcohol-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors with the poor prognosis. Nowadays, alcohol is becoming a leading risk factor of HCC in many countries. In our study, we obtained the DEGs in alcohol-related HCC through two databases (TCGA and GEO). Subsequently, we performed enrichment analyses (GO and KEGG), constructed the PPI network and screened the 53 hub genes by Cytoscape. Two genes (BUB1B and CENPF) from hub genes was screened by LASSO and Cox regression analyses to construct the prognostic model. Then, we found that the high risk group had the worse prognosis and verified the clinical value of the risk score in alcohol-related HCC. Finally, we analyzed the tumor microenvironment between high and low risk groups through CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE. In summary, we constructed the two-gene prognostic model that could predict the poor prognosis in patients with alcohol-related HCC.

Construction of multifunctional porcine acellular dermal matrix hydrogel blended with vancomycin for hemorrhage control, antibacterial action, and tissue repair in infected trauma wounds

Prevention of bacterial infection and reduction of hemorrhage, the primary challenges posed by trauma before hospitalization, are essential steps in prolonging the patient's life until they have been transported to a trauma center. Extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel is a promising biocompatible material for accelerating wound closure. However, due to the lack of antibacterial properties, this hydrogel is difficult to be applied to acute contaminated wounds. This study formulates an injectable dermal extracellular matrix hydrogel (porcine acellular dermal matrix (ADM)) as a scaffold for skin defect repair. The hydrogel combines vancomycin, an antimicrobial agent for inducing hemostasis, expediting antimicrobial activity, and promoting tissue repair. The hydrogel possesses a porous structure beneficial for the adsorption of vancomycin. The antimicrobial agent can be timely released from the hydrogel within an hour, which is less than the time taken by bacteria to infest an injury, with a cumulative release rate of approximately 80%, and thus enables a relatively fast bactericidal effect. The cytotoxicity investigation demonstrates the biocompatibility of the ADM hydrogel. Dynamic coagulation experiments reveal accelerated blood coagulation by the hydrogel. In vivo antibacterial and hemostatic experiments on a rat model indicate the healing of infected tissue and effective control of hemorrhaging by the hydrogel. Therefore, the vancomycin-loaded ADM hydrogel will be a viable biomaterial for controlling hemorrhage and preventing bacterial infections in trauma patients.

The Benefits of Physical Activity and Positive Mental Health for Reducing the Burden of COVID-19: Validation from a Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Investigation in China and Germany

Many people experience high burden by the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its consequences for health and everyday life. The present cross-national study investigated potential factors that can reduce the burden by COVID-19 in China and Germany. Cross-sectional and longitudinal (China: N = 474, baseline, BL: 2015, follow-up, FU: 2020; Germany: N = 359, BL: 2019, FU: 2020) data on physical activity (e.g., jogging) (BL/FU), positive mental health (PMH) (BL/FU), and burden by COVID-19 (FU) were collected via online surveys. In both countries, physical activity was positively associated with PMH, and both variables were negatively related to burden by COVID-19. Furthermore, PMH mediated the link between physical activity and burden. The mediation model was significant when physical activity and PMH were assessed at the BL, while burden was measured at the FU; and it was also significant when all variables were assessed at the FU. The present findings reveal that physical activity in combination with PMH can reduce the experience of burden by COVID-19. Conscious fostering of physical activity and PMH is supported as an effective strategy to reduce the negative impact of the pandemic outbreak on mental and physical health. Additional benefits such as increased adherence to governmental measures around COVID-19 are discussed.

Characterization of serum adiponectin and leptin in healthy perinatal dairy cows or cows with ketosis, and their effectson ketosis involved indices

We investigated changes in concentrations of ADP (adiponectin), LEP (leptin), BHBA (beta-hydroxybutyric acid), NEFA (non-esterified fatty acid), Glucose (Glu) and INS (insulin) in serum of healthy perinatal dairy cows and cows with ketosis. Twenty-one healthy cows and seventeen cows with ketosis from a herd of a total 60 Holstein cows (near dry period i.e. 56 days antepartum) were selected. Blood was collected through the tail vein every 7 days, from 56 day antepartum to 56 day postpartum. Serum ADP, LEP, BHBA, NEFA, Glu, and INS concentrations were determined, and ketosis was diagnosed through serum BHBA (≥1.2 mmol/L). We showed the concentration of serum adipokines and energy balancing indices were stable during antepar- tum period. However, ADP concentration increased while LEP decreased, and there were a significant increase in cows with ketosis compared to that of in healthy cows. Serum BHBA and NEFA concentrations increased significantly at first, and then gradually decreased in both healthy cows and cows with ketosis. However, cows with ketosis showed higher concentrations of BHBA and NEFA which restored later. The serum concentration of Glu in both healthy dairy cows and cows with ketosis showed a decreasing trend. INS concentration in healthy cows was decreased while it was increased in cows with ketosis. The results reflect the extent of hypo- glycemia and lipid mobilization postpartum, suggest IR exists in cows with ketosis while serum ADP and LEP might play roles in the development of ketosis.

Progress and Prospect of Organic Electrocatalysts in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries featured by ultra-high energy density and cost-efficiency are considered the most promising candidate for the next-generation energy storage system. However, their pragmatic applications confront several non-negligible drawbacks that mainly originate from the reaction and transformation of sulfur intermediates. Grasping and catalyzing these sulfur species motivated the research topics in this field. In this regard, carbon dopants with metal/metal-free atoms together with transition-metal complex, as traditional lithium polysulfide (LiPS) propellers, exhibited significant electrochemical performance promotions. Nevertheless, only the surface atoms of these host-accelerators can possibly be used as active sites. In sharp contrast, organic materials with a tunable structure and composition can be dispersed as individual molecules on the surface of substrates that may be more efficient electrocatalysts. The well-defined molecular structures also contribute to elucidate the involved surface-binding mechanisms. Inspired by these perceptions, organic electrocatalysts have achieved a great progress in recent decades. This review focuses on the organic electrocatalysts used in each part of Li-S batteries and discusses the structure-activity relationship between the introduced organic molecules and LiPSs. Ultimately, the future developments and prospects of organic electrocatalysts in Li-S batteries are also discussed.

Epigenetic silencing of GCH1promotes hepatocellular carcinoma growth by activating superoxide anion-mediated ASK1/p38 signaling via inhibiting tetrahydrobiopterin de novo biosynthesis

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its role in HCC remains to be elucidated. Herein, we identified GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GCH1), the first rate-limiting enzyme in tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) de novo biosynthesis, as a novel metabolic regulator of HCC. GCH1 was frequently down-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines by promoter methylation. Low GCH1 expression was associated with larger tumor size, increased tumor number, and worse prognosis in two independent cohorts of HCC patients. Functionally, GCH1 silencing promoted HCC growth in vitro and in vivo, while GCH1 overexpression exerted an opposite effect. The metabolite BH4 inhibited HCC growth in vitro and in vivo. GCH1 silencing exerted its growth-promoting effect through directly inhibiting BH4 de novo biosynthesis. Mechanistically, GCH1 silencing activated ASK1/p38 signaling; pharmacological or genetic inhibition of ASK1 or p38 abolished GCH1 silencing-induced growth-promoting effect. Further mechanistic studies found that GCH1 silencing-induced BH4 reduction resulted in an increase of intracellular superoxide anion levels in a dose-dependent manner, which mediated the activation of ASK1/p38 signaling. Collectively, our study reveals that epigenetic silencing of GCH1 promotes HCC growth by activating superoxide anion-mediated ASK1/p38 signaling via inhibiting BH4 de novo biosynthesis, suggesting that targeting GCH1/BH4 pathway may be a promising therapeutic strategy to combat HCC.

Suppression of Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein C Inhibit Hepatocellular Carcinoma Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion via Ras/MAPK Signaling Pathway

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common malignant tumor, has high fatality and recurrence rates. Accumulating evidence shows that heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (HNRNPC), which is mainly involved in RNA splicing, export, and translation, promotes progression and metastasis of multiple tumor types; however, the effects of HNRNPC in HCC are unknown. In the present study, high levels of HNRNPC were detected in tumor tissues compared with para-tumor tissues by immunohistochemical and western blot assays. Furthermore, Cox proportional hazards regression models, the Kaplan–Meier method, and clinicopathologic features analysis showed that HNRNPC was not only an independent prognostic factor for both overall and disease-free survival in HCC but also a predictor of large tumor size and advanced tumor stage. Functional experiments revealed that silencing of HNRNPC not only led to arrest of more HCC cells at G0/G1 phase to inhibit their proliferation, but also suppressed EMT process to block their invasion, and migration in vitro; this was related to the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway. In addition, blocking of HCC cell proliferation regulated by HNRNPC silencing was observed in vivo. Finally, rescue tests showed that after recovery of Ras/MAPK signaling pathway activity by treatment with Ras agonists, the proliferation, migration, and invasion suppression of Huh-7 and Hep 3B cell lines caused by HNRNPC knockdown was partially reversed. Taken together, these results indicate that HNRNPC knockdown inhibits HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, in part via the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway. Thus, HNRNPC may have an important role in the progression of HCC and represents a promising biomarker for evaluation of prognosis and a potential therapeutic target in HCC patients.

Oxygen doping in antimony sulfide nanosheets to facilitate catalytic conversion of polysulfides for lithium-sulfur batteries

A high-performance catalyst, O-doped Sb₂S₃ nanosheets (SS-O NSs), is synthesized and introduced into lithium-sulfur batteries. Owing to their good conductivity, strong adsorbability/catalytic effect to polysulfides and fast Li⁺ diffusion, the SS-O NSs-modified cathodes can effectively mitigate the shuttle effect, thus achieving outstanding electrochemical performance.

Highly conductive Co3Se4 embedded in N-doped 3D interconnected carbonaceous network for enhanced lithium and sodium storage

Traditional cobalt selenides as active materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) would suffer from drastic volume expansions and large stacking effects, leading to a low cycling stability. In this work, we utilized a facile template method for preparing Co₃Se₄@N-CN (CSNC) that encapsulated Co₃Se₄ nanoparticles into 3D interconnected nitrogen-doped carbon network (N-CN). Satisfactorily, it possesses excellent cycling stability with enhanced lithium and sodium energy storage capacity. As an anode material in LIBs, CSNC exhibited a prominent reversible discharge performance of 1313.5 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g^-1 and 835.6 mAh g^-1 after 500 cycles at 1.0 A g^-1. Interestingly, according to the analysis from cyclic voltammetry, the in-situ generated Se might provide extra capacity that leaded to a rising trend of capacity. When utilized as an anode in SIBs, CSNC delivered an outstanding capacity of 448.7 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g^-1 and could retain 328.9 mAh g^-1 (77.2% of that of 0.1 A g^-1) even at a high current density of 5.0 A g^-1. The results demonstrate that CSNC is a superior anode material in LIBs and SIBs with great promise. More importantly, this strategy opens up an effective avenue for the design of transition metal selenide/carbonaceous composites for advanced battery storage systems.

Hydrogen-substituted graphdiyne/graphene as an sp/sp2 hybridized carbon interlayer for lithium-sulfur batteries

To overcome the shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, an sp/sp2 hybridized all-carbon interlayer by coating graphene (Gra) and hydrogen-substituted graphdiyne (HsGDY) with a specific surface area as high as 2184 m2 g-1 on a cathode is designed and prepared. The two-dimensional network and rich pore structure of HsGDY can enable the fast physical adsorption of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). In situ Raman spectroscopy and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) combined with density functional theory (DFT) computations confirm that the acetylenic bonds in HsGDY can trap the Li+ of LiPSs owing to the strong adsorption of Li+ by acetylenic active sites. The strong physical adsorption and chemical anchoring of LiPSs by the HsGDY materials promote the conversion reaction of LiPSs to further mitigate the shuttling problem. As a result, Li-S batteries integrated with the all-carbon interlayers exhibit excellent cycling stability during long-term cycling with an attenuation rate of 0.089% per cycle at 1 C over 500 cycles.

Identification of Mutator-Derived Alternative Splicing Signatures of Genomic Instability for Improving the Clinical Outcome of Cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Cholangiocarcinoma is an aggressive carcinoma with increasing incidence and poor outcomes worldwide. Genomic instability and alternative splicing (AS) events are hallmarks of carcinoma development and progression. The relationship between genomic instability, AS events, and tumor immune microenvironment remain unclear.

METHODS

The splicing profiles of patients with cholangiocarcinoma were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) spliceSeq database. The transcriptomics, simple nucleotide variation (SNP) and clinical data of patients with cholangiocarcinoma were obtained from TCGA database. Patients were divided into genomic unstable (GU-like) and genomic stable (GS-like) groups according to their somatic mutations. Survival-related differential AS events were identified through integrated analysis of splicing profiling and clinical data. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis was used to identify AS events occurring in genes enriched in cancer pathways. Pearson correlation was applied to analyze the splicing factors regulating AS events. CIBERSORT was used identify differentially infiltrating immune cells.

RESULTS

A prognostic signature was constructed with six AS events. Using this signature, the hazard ratio of risk score for overall survival is 2.362. For TCGA patients with cholangiocarcinoma, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve is 0.981. CDK11A is a negative regulator of survival associated AS events. Additionally, the CD8+ T cell proportion and PD-L1 expression are upregulated in patients with cholangiocarcinoma and high splicing signatures.

CONCLUSION

We provide a prognostic signature for cholangiocarcinoma overall survival. The CDK11A splicing factor and SLC46A1-39899-ES and IARS-86836-ES AS events may be potential targets for cholangiocarcinoma therapy. Patients with high AS risk score may be more sensitive to anti-PD-L1/PD1 immunotherapy.

Innate immune cells and their interaction with T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor and is associated with necroinflammation driven by various immune cells, such as dendritic cells, macrophages and natural killer cells. Innate immune cells can directly affect HCC or regulate the T-cell responses that mediate HCC. In addition, innate immune cells and T cells are not isolated, which means the interaction between them is important in the HCC microenvironment. Considering the current unsatisfactory efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with HCC, understanding the relationship between innate immune cells and T cells is necessary. In the present review the roles and clinical value of innate immune cells that have been widely reported to be involved in HCC, including dendritic cells, macrophages (including kupffer cells), neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils and innate lymphoid cells and the crosstalk between the innate and adaptive immune responses in the antitumor process have been discussed. The present review will facilitate researchers in understanding the importance of innate immune cells in HCC and lead to innovative immunotherapy approaches for the treatment of HCC.

[Effects of two dimensional gray-scale blood flow imaging combined with color Doppler flow imaging in guiding arterial puncture and catheterization through wounds in patients with large burns]

Objective: To explore the effects of two dimensional gray-scale blood flow imaging (hereinafter referred to as " B-flow" ) combined with color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) in guiding arterial puncture and catheterization through wounds in patients with large burns. Methods: Sixty-seven patients with large burns who met the inclusion criteria and hospitalized in the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2017 to January 2019 were enrolled in the prospectively randomized control study. According to the random number table, CDFI alone group was allocated with 35 patients (23 males and 12 females) and B-flow+ CDFI group with 32 patients (22 males and 10 females), aged 19-60 and 18-58 years, respectively. According to the progress of the disease, arterial puncture and catheterization were performed in the right time. During the operation, CDFI was used alone for guidance in patients of CDFI alone group, while B-flow and CDFI were used together for guidance in patients of B-flow+ CDIF group. Based on the first time of catheterization, the catheterization location, one-time catheterization success rate, post-back stitching re-catheterization success rate, catheterization failure rate, catheterization duration, and incidences of wound sepsis, catheter-related bloodstream infection, and arterial thrombosis within post catheterization day (PCD) 3 of patients in the two groups were recorded. Data were statistically analyzed with the independent-sample t test, chi-square test or Fisher's exact probability test. Results: (1) All the patients underwent catheterization through wounds, and there was no statistically significant difference in catheterization location of patients between the two groups (χ(2)=0.574, P>0.05). The one-time catheterization success rate of patients in B-flow+ CDFI group was 81.25% (26/32), which was obviously higher than 51.43% (18/35) in CDFI alone group (χ(2)=6.594, P<0.05). The catheterization failure rate of patients in B-flow+ CDFI group was 3.12% (1/32), which was obviously lower than 20.00% (7/35) in CDFI alone group (P<0.05). The post-back stitching re-catheterization success rate of patients was similar between the two groups (χ(2)=1.029, P>0.05). (3) The catheterization duration of patients was (15.7±1.1) min in B-flow+ CDFI group, which was obviously shorter than (17.1±2.2) min in CDFI alone group (t=11.316, P<0.01). (4) Within PCD 3, the incidences of wound sepsis and catheter-related bloodstream infection of patients in CDFI alone group were 2.86% (1/35) and 0, close to 0 and 3.12% (1/32) in B-flow+ CDFI group (P>0.05); the incidence of arterial thrombosis of patients in B-flow+ CDFI group was 0, which was obviously lower than 20.00% (7/35) in CDFI alone group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with CDFI alone, B-flow combined with CDFI can improve the success rate of arterial puncture and catheterization through wounds in large area burn patients, shorten the catheterization duration, and effectively reduce the incidence of arterial thrombosis after catheterization, with a good clinical application value.

Macrophages regulate the progression of osteoarthritis

OA is now well accepted as a low-grade inflammatory disease affecting the whole joint. In addition to mechanical loading, inflammation (particularly synovitis), contributes significantly to OA. Synovial macrophages act as immune cells and are of critical importance in the symptomology and structural progression of OA. Activated macrophages are regulated by mTOR, NF-κB, JNK, PI3K/Akt and other signaling pathways, and are polarized into either M1 or M2 subtypes in OA synovial tissues, synovial fluid, and peripheral blood. The activation state and the M1/M2 ratio is highly associated with OA severity. Aside from autocrine interactions, paracrine interactions between macrophages and chondrocytes play a vital role in the initiation and development of OA by secreting inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), which lead to subsequent cartilage degradation and destruction. Treatments targeting synovial macrophages relieve pain, and protect from synovitis, cartilage damage, and osteophyte formation during OA development. Macrophage reprogramming of transformation from the M1 to M2 subtype, more than a decrease in the quantity of activated macrophages, appears to be an effective treatment option for OA. This review provides a broad understanding of the contributions of polarized macrophages to joint health and disease. Multifunctional agents with immunomodulatory effects on macrophage reprogramming can skew the inflammatory microenvironment towards a pro-chondrogenic atmosphere, and are thus, potential therapeutic options for the treatment of OA and other immune diseases.

Efficient synthesis of piperazinyl amides of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid

In the present study, a practical method to prepare piperazinyl amides of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid was developed. Two main procedures for the construction of important intermediate 8 are discussed. One procedure involves the amidation of 1-Boc-piperazine with 3-acetyl-18β-glycyrrhetinic acid, prepared by the reaction of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid with acetic anhydride without any solvent at 130 °C. The other procedure to prepare compound 8 involves the amidation of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid followed by the esterification with acetic anhydride. Finally, compound 8 underwent N-Boc deprotection to prepare product 4. To ascertain the scope of the reaction, another C-3 ester derivative 17 was tested under the optimized reaction conditions. Furthermore, the reasons for the appearance of byproducts were elucidated. Crystallographic data of a selected piperazinyl amide is reported.