In Situ Piezoelectric-Catalytic Anti-Inflammation Promotes the Rehabilitation of Acute Spinal Cord Injury in Synergy

Relieving inflammation via scavenging toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the acute phase of spinal cord injury (SCI) proves to be an effective strategy to mitigate secondary spinal cord injury and improve recovery of motor function. However, commonly used corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs show adverse side effects which may induce increased risk of wound infection. Fortunately, hydrogen (H2), featuring selective antioxidant performance, easy penetrability, and excellent biosafety, is being extensively investigated as a potential anti-inflammatory therapeutic gas for the treatment of SCI. In this work, by a facile in situ growth approach of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the piezoelectric BaTiO3, a particulate nanocomposite with Schottky heterojunction (Au@BT) is synthesized, which can generate H2 continuously by catalyzing H+ reduction through piezoelectric catalysis. Further, theoretical calculations are employed to reveal the piezoelectric catalytic mechanism of Au@BT. Transcriptomics analysis and nontargeted large-scale metabolomic analysis reveal the deeper mechanism of the neuroprotective effect of H2 therapy. The as-prepared Au@BT nanoparticle is first explored as a flexible hydrogen gas generator for efficient SCI therapy. This study highlights a promising prospect of nanocatalytic medicine for disease treatments by catalyzing H2 generation; thus, offering a significant alternative to conventional approaches against refractory spinal cord injury.

[The timing and challenges of early intervention for infantile esotropia]

Infantile esotropia is a common ophthalmic disease in children. A lot of clinical and basic research evidence suggests that early surgery enhances sensory and ocular motor development. However, the proper timing of surgery has been debated for decades. In addition, there is more likely instability of deviation in the preoperative evaluation of infants, and even if the patient achieved alignment after surgery, the defects in binocular vision may accompany for a lifetime. This article analyzes the difficulties and key points of early intervention for infantile esotropia, aiming to provide scientific ideas for the early treatment of children with infantile esotropia in China.

Neutrophil-Driven M2-Like Macrophages Are Critical for Skin Fibrosis in a Systemic Sclerosis Model

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a challenging autoimmune disease characterized by progressive fibrosis affecting the skin and internal organs. Despite the known infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils, their precise contributions to SSc pathogenesis remain elusive. In this study, we elucidated that CD206hiMHCIIlo M2-like macrophages constitute the predominant pathogenic immune cell population in the fibrotic skin of a bleomycin-induced SSc mouse model. These cells emerged as pivotal contributors to the profibrotic response by orchestrating the production of TGF-β1 through a MerTK signaling-dependent manner. Notably, we observed that neutrophil infiltration was a prerequisite for accumulation of M2-like macrophages. Strategies such as neutrophil depletion or inhibition of CXCR1/2 were proven effective in reducing M2-like macrophages, subsequently mitigating SSc progression. Detailed investigations revealed that in fibrotic skin, neutrophil-released neutrophil extracellular traps were responsible for the differentiation of M2-like macrophages. Our findings illuminate the significant involvement of the neutrophil-macrophage-fibrosis axis in SSc pathogenesis, offering critical information for the development of potential therapeutic strategies.

Strontium doped Fe-based porous carbon for highly efficient electrocatalytic ORR and MOR reactions

The catalytic activity improvement of Fe-based active sites derived from metal organic frameworks toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) remains a major challenge. In this study, the growth of strontium decorated 2-methylimidazole zinc salt (Sr/ZIF-8) is prepared as a carrier to vapor deposited iron formation Sr doped Fe-based nitrogen-doped carbon framework (named as Sr/FeNC). After high-temperature pyrolysis and vapor deposition, strontium carbonate nanocrystals are evenly dispersed on the shrunk dodecahedron carbon frame and multitudinous Fe-based active catalytic sites are embedded in carbon skeleton. The optimal Sr/FeNC-2 catalyst demonstrates the outstanding ORR performance in terms of a half-wave potential of 0.851 V and an onset potential of 0.90 V, while Sr/FeNC-2 exhibits a high current density of 18.2 mA cm-2 and a lower Tafel slope of 21 mV dec-1 in MOR. The exceptional catalytic activity could be ascribed to the synergistic coupling effect of strontium compounds with Fe-based catalytic sites (Fe-Nx, Fe, and iron oxide). In particular, the formation of SrCO3 affects the bonding configuration of the iron species sites, leading to an optimization of the electronic structure within the multihole carbon matrix. The synthetic approach presents a prospective strategy for future endeavors in developing innovative and advanced bifunctional catalysts for ORR and MOR.

Decoding selectivity: computational insights into AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 inhibition

Understanding selectivity mechanisms of inhibitors towards highly homologous proteins is of paramount importance in the design of selective candidates. Human aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) pertain to a superfamily of monomeric oxidoreductases, which serve as NADPH-dependent cytosolic enzymes to catalyze the reduction of carbonyl groups to primary and secondary alcohols using electrons from NADPH. Among AKRs, AKR1B1 is emerging as a promising target for cancer treatment and diabetes, despite its high structural similarity with AKR1B10, which leads to severe adverse events. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the selectivity mechanisms of AKR1B1 and AKR1B10 to discover safe anticancer candidates with optimal therapeutic efficacy. In this study, multiple computational strategies, including sequence alignment, structural comparison, Protein Contacts Atlas analysis, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, MM-GBSA calculation, alanine scanning mutagenesis and pharmacophore modeling analysis were employed to comprehensively understand the selectivity mechanisms of AKR1B1/10 inhibition based on selective inhibitor lidorestat and HAHE. This study would provide substantial evidence in the design of potent and highly selective AKR1B1/10 inhibitors in future.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in dust, hair and urine: Exposure, excretion

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been detected in various environmental media and human tissues. PBDEs concentrations in dust from college buildings and homes and in paired hair and urine samples from students were determined. This is of great significance to explore the accumulation and excretion patterns of PBDEs in the human body. The median PBDEs concentrations in the dust (College: 84.59 ng/g; Home: 170.32 ng/g) and hair (undergraduate: 6.16 ng/g; Home: 3.25 ng/g) samples were generally lower than were found in the majority of previous studies. The PBDEs concentrations in the hair and urine samples were subjected to principal component analysis, and the results combined with the PBDEs detection rates confirmed that hair is a useful non-invasive sampling medium for assessing PBDEs exposure and the risks posed. Body mass indices (BMIs) were used to divide students who had not been exposed to large amounts of PBDEs into groups. Body fat percentage is an important factor affecting the accumulation of PBDE in the human body. Environmental factors were found to affect the PBDEs concentrations in the hair and urine samples less for normal-weight students (BMI≤24) than overweight students (BMI>24). Short-term environmental changes to more readily affect the PBDEs concentrations in the tissues of the normal-weight than overweight students. PBDEs with seven or more bromine substituents were found not to be readily excreted in urine. Performing molecular docking simulations of the binding of isomers BDE-99 and BDE-100 to megalin. The binding energy was higher for BDE-100 and megalin than for BDE-99 and megalin, meaning BDE-99 would be more readily excreted than BDE-100.

Hydrogen-Bonded Complex of the Parent Phosphinidene

The diatomic molecule PH is very reactive, and it serves as the parent compound for phosphinidenes featuring a monovalent phosphorus atom. Herein, we report the characterization and reactivity of a rare hydrogen-bonded complex of PH. Specifically, the molecular complex between PH and HCl has been generated by photolysis of chlorophosphine (H2 PCl) at 254 nm in a solid Ar-matrix at 10 K. The IR spectrum of the complex HP⋅⋅⋅HCl and quantum chemical calculations at the UCCSD(T)-F12a/haTZ level consistently prove that the phosphorus atom acts as a hydrogen bond acceptor with a binding energy (D0 ) of -0.6 kcal mol-1 . In line with the observed absorption at 341 nm for the binary complex, the triplet phosphinidene PH undergoes prototype H-Cl bond insertion by reformation of H2 PCl upon photoexcitation at 365 nm. However, this hydrogen-bonded complex is unstable in the presence of N2 and HCl, as both molecules prefers stronger interactions with HCl than PH in the observed complexes HP⋅⋅⋅HCl⋅⋅⋅N2 and HP⋅⋅⋅2HCl.

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.f induced kidney injury through mediating inflammation via PI3K-Akt/HIF-1/TNF signaling pathway: A study of network toxicology and molecular docking

We intend to explore potential mechanisms of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.f (TwHF) induced kidney injury (KI) using the methods of network toxicology and molecular docking. We determined TwHF potential compounds with its targets and KI targets, obtained the TwHF induced KI targets after intersecting targets of TwHF and KI. Then we conducted protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, gene expression analysis, gene ontology (GO) function and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis to explore the mechanism of TwHF-induced KI. Finally we conducted molecular docking to verify the core toxic compounds and the targets. We obtained 12 TwHF toxic compounds and 62 TwHF-induced KI targets. PPI network, gene expression analysis and GO function enrichment analysis unveiled the key biological process and suggested the mechanism of TwHF-induced KI might be associated with inflammation, immune response, hypoxia as well as oxidative stress. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway were key signaling pathways of TwHF induced KI. Molecular docking showed that the binding energy of core targets and toxic compounds was all less than -6.5 kcal/mol that verified the screening ability of network pharmacology and provided evidence for modifying TwHF toxic compounds structure. Through the study, we unveiled the mechanism of TwHF induce KI that TwHF might activate PI3K-Akt signaling pathway as well as TNF signaling pathway to progress renal inflammation, mediate hypoxia via HIF-1 signaling pathway to accelerate inflammatory processes, and also provided a theoretical basis for modifying TwHF toxic compounds structure as well as supported the follow-up research.

Broadband phase noise measurement of single-frequency lasers by the short-fiber recirculating delayed self-heterodyne method

Characterization of single-frequency lasers (SFLs) requires a precise measurement of their phase noise. However, there exists a contradiction between the frequency range and laser phase noise measurement sensitivity in the delay self-heterodyne method. Achieving a broadband and highly sensitive phase noise measurement often requires overlapping the results obtained from different delay lengths. In this study, we present a precisely designed short-fiber recirculating delayed self-heterodyne (SF-RDSH) method that enables the broadband and highly sensitive laser phase noise measurement in a compact setup. By designing the length of the delay fiber based on a theoretical model, the RDSH technique with a shortest delay length of 200 m enables a highly sensitive laser phase noise measurement from 1 Hz to 1 MHz for the first time, to our knowledge. In the experiment, we demonstrate the broadband phase noise measurement of an SFL by analyzing the 1st and 10th beat notes.

Dying to Defend: Neutrophil Death Pathways and their Implications in Immunity

Neutrophils, accounting for ≈70% of human peripheral leukocytes, are key cells countering bacterial and fungal infections. Neutrophil homeostasis involves a balance between cell maturation, migration, aging, and eventual death. Neutrophils undergo different death pathways depending on their interactions with microbes and external environmental cues. Neutrophil death has significant physiological implications and leads to distinct immunological outcomes. This review discusses the multifarious neutrophil death pathways, including apoptosis, NETosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis, and outlines their effects on immune responses and disease progression. Understanding the multifaceted aspects of neutrophil death, the intersections among signaling pathways and ramifications of immunity will help facilitate the development of novel therapeutic methods.

New techniques to identify the tissue of origin for cancer of unknown primary in the era of precision medicine: progress and challenges

Despite a standardized diagnostic examination, cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a rare metastatic malignancy with an unidentified tissue of origin (TOO). Patients diagnosed with CUP are typically treated with empiric chemotherapy, although their prognosis is worse than those with metastatic cancer of a known origin. TOO identification of CUP has been employed in precision medicine, and subsequent site-specific therapy is clinically helpful. For example, molecular profiling, including genomic profiling, gene expression profiling, epigenetics and proteins, has facilitated TOO identification. Moreover, machine learning has improved identification accuracy, and non-invasive methods, such as liquid biopsy and image omics, are gaining momentum. However, the heterogeneity in prediction accuracy, sample requirements and technical fundamentals among the various techniques is noteworthy. Accordingly, we systematically reviewed the development and limitations of novel TOO identification methods, compared their pros and cons and assessed their potential clinical usefulness. Our study may help patients shift from empirical to customized care and improve their prognoses.

Structural Design and Analysis of Large-Diameter D30 Conical Polycrystal Diamond Compact (PDC) Teeth under Engineering Rotary Mining Conditions

In the realm of engineering rotary excavation, the rigid and brittle nature of the Polycrystal Diamond Compact (PDC) layer poses challenges to the impact resistance of conical teeth. This hinders their widespread adoption and utilization. In this paper, the Abaqus simulation is used. By optimizing the parameters of the radius of the cone top arc, we analyzed the changing law of the parameters of large-diameter D30 series conical PDC teeth, such as the equivalent force, impact force, and energy absorption of the conical teeth during the impact process, and optimized the best structure of the conical PDC teeth. After being subjected to a high temperature and high pressure, we synthesized the specimen for impact testing and analyzed the PDC layer crack extension and fracture failure. The findings reveal the emergence of a stress ring below the compacted area of the conical tooth. As the radius of the cone top arc increases, so does the area of the stress ring. When R ≥ 10 mm, the maximum stress change is minimal, and at R = 10 mm, the stress change in its top unit is relatively smooth. Optimal impact resistance is achieved, withstanding a total impact work value of 7500 J. Extrusion cracks appear in the combined layer part of PDC layers I and II, but the crack source is easy to produce in the combined layer of PDC layer II and the alloy matrix and extends to both sides, and the right side extends to the surface of the conical tooth in a "dragon-claw". The failure morphology of the conical teeth includes ring shedding at the top of the PDC layer, the lateral spalling of the PDC layer, and the overall cracking of the conical teeth. Through this study, we aim to promote the popularization and application of large-diameter conical PDC teeth in the field of engineering rotary excavation.

Cerium oxide boosted CoFe-N codoped carbon nanotubes with abundant oxygen-vacancies toward efficient oxygen reduction and methanol oxidation reaction

In this study, we designed a novel strategy that utilizes N-doped carbon nanotubes as the chemical bond supporter to stabilize ultrafine CoFe alloy and introduces secondary CeO2 active sites into the hybrid, resulting in the formation of CeO2/CoFe-NCNTs heterostructures with exceptional bifunctional electrocatalytic capabilities. To be specific, solution dispersion and high-temperature calcination methods were employed to create the CoFe-NCNTs active sites through the introduction of ethylenediamine into the network interstitials of Co-EDTA and Fe-EDTA. The CeO2/CoFe-NCNTs hybrid not only promotes oxygen absorption and conversion of intermediates, but also accelerates charge transfer capability, thus enhancing oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance, while simultaneously inducing boosted the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) activity. Moreover, the well-dispersed CoFe nanoparticles within the hybrid hold significant potential for establishing metal-nitrogen bonds with the N-doped carbon nanotube network, resulting in efficient catalytic behavior driven by synergistic effects with CeO2 nanoparticles, which contributes to reactant activation. As expected, the resultant CeO2/CoFe-NCNTs-2 exhibits remarkable electrocatalytic performance, with a current density of 281.40 mA cm-2 at a scan rate of 200 mV s-1 and a low Tafel slope (71.3 mV dec-1) for MOR, as well as achieving excellent half-wave potential and onset potential values of 0.834 and 0.90 V (vs. RHE) for ORR. Additionally, it exhibits durable cycle stability for both MOR and ORR, retaining 92.8% and 96.4% of its initial current density during the I-t test, respectively. This work establishes a highly efficient bifunctional earth-abundant electrocatalysts for both anode and cathode reactions in methanol fuel cells.

Cell type-specific connectome predicts distributed working memory activity in the mouse brain

Recent advances in connectomics and neurophysiology make it possible to probe whole-brain mechanisms of cognition and behavior. We developed a large-scale model of the multiregional mouse brain for a cardinal cognitive function called working memory, the brain's ability to internally hold and process information without sensory input. The model is built on mesoscopic connectome data for interareal cortical connections and endowed with a macroscopic gradient of measured parvalbumin-expressing interneuron density. We found that working memory coding is distributed yet exhibits modularity; the spatial pattern of mnemonic representation is determined by long-range cell type-specific targeting and density of cell classes. Cell type-specific graph measures predict the activity patterns and a core subnetwork for memory maintenance. The model shows numerous attractor states, which are self-sustained internal states (each engaging a distinct subset of areas). This work provides a framework to interpret large-scale recordings of brain activity during cognition, while highlighting the need for cell type-specific connectomics.

The Effect of Web-Based Telerehabilitation Programs on Children and Adolescents With Brain Injury: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Acquired brain injury (ABI) in children and adolescents can lead to motor and executive impairments that often require long-term treatment. The implementation of web-based telerehabilitation therapy at home is a method to improve the functional status of patients. Therefore, we performed a systematic review of the effects of web-based telerehabilitation programs on functional outcomes in children and adolescents with brain injury and supplemented the findings with a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the therapeutic effect of web-based telerehabilitation training on children and adolescents with brain injury to determine whether web-based telerehabilitation therapy improved motor function, executive function, physical activity level, lower limb strength, hand and upper limb function, visual processing skills, and occupational functional performance in children and adolescents with brain injury.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials on web-based telerehabilitation programs in children and adolescents with brain injury until December 2022, and the risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration Tool. Relevant data were extracted, and a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.3 software.

RESULTS

Overall, 17 studies involving 848 patients were included. Web-based telerehabilitation therapy improved the motor function (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.29, 95% CI 0.01-0.57; P=.04), physical activity level (SMD 0.42, 95% CI 0.11-0.73; P=.007), lower limb strength (SMD 0.52, 95% CI 0.13-0.90; P=.009), and visual processing skills (SMD 0.26, 95% CI 0.02-0.50; P=.04) of children and adolescents with brain injury. It also improved executive function in letter-number sequencing (SMD 1.26, 95% CI 0.26-2.26; P=.01), attention (SMD 0.38, 95% CI 0.09-0.66; P=.009), and symbol search (SMD 1.18, 95% CI 0.43-1.93, P=.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Web-based telerehabilitation therapy improved motor function, physical activity level, lower limb strength, letter-number sequencing, attention, and symbol search, which improved the quality of life in children and adolescents with brain injury. Web-based telerehabilitation programs provide great convenience for children and adolescents with ABI who need long-term treatment and allow them to exercise at home for rehabilitation training. The widespread implementation of remote interventions also provides children and adolescents in remote areas with better access to rehabilitation services. This review provides evidence for the effectiveness of web-based telerehabilitation therapy, but there was heterogeneity in some of the results because of different disease types and intervention programs. Future studies can expand the sample size according to disease type and increase follow-up time according to different exercise prescriptions to further refine the long-term effects of this intervention on various functions of children and adolescents with ABI.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42023421917; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=421917.

GPX4 inhibits apoptosis of thyroid cancer cells through regulating the FKBP8/Bcl-2 axis

GPX4 has attracted much attention as a key molecule of cell ferroptosis, but its role in cell apoptosis is rarely reported, and its role in apoptosis of thyroid cancer (TC) cell has not been reported. The analysis of TCGA database showed that both GPX4 and FKBP8 were highly expressed in TC tumor tissues; The expression of GPX4 and FKBP8 were positively correlated. The immunohistochemical analysis further confirmed that GPX4 and FKBP8 were highly expressed in TC tumor tissues. In addition, the high expression of GPX4 and FKBP8 were both significantly correlated with the poor prognosis of TC. Silencing GPX4 significantly inhibited the proliferation, induced apoptosis of TC cells, and reduced tumor growth in mice. The co-immunoprecipitation assay revealed a physical interaction between GPX4 and FKBP8 observed in the TC cells. Knockdown of FKBP8 significantly inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of TC cells. Rescue experiments suggested that knockdown of FKBP8 could reverse the strengthens of cell proliferation and apoptosis and the higher expression of FKBP8 and Bcl-2 caused by overexpression of GPX4. Our results suggest that the GPX4/FKBP8/Bcl-2 axis promotes TC development by inhibiting TC cell apoptosis, which provides potential molecular targets for TC therapeutic strategies.

Boosting activity on copper functionalized biomass graphene by coupling nanocrystalline Nb2O5 as impressive rate capability for supercapacitor and outstanding catalytic activity for oxygen reduction

A novel and hierarchical porous but cross-linked copper-doped biomass graphene (Cu@HPBG) combined with Nb2O5 (denoted as Nb2O5/Cu@HPBG) is successfully fabricated on a large-scale using fig peels as biomass carbon and copper as the graphitization catalyst. During the synthesis process, basic copper carbonate serves dual functions of pore-forming agent, as well as homogeneous copper provider, and NH3 is employed as a defect-forming agent and N dopant. Owing to the porous hierarchical structure increased availability of contact interface and pseudo capacitance active sites provided by copper and Nb2O5, the assembled asymmetrical supercapacitor (ASC) employing Nb2O5/Cu@HPBG as positive electrode and HPBG as negative electrode can not only widen the stability window range of 0～1.9 V, but also deliver a maximum gravimetric energy density of 82.8 W h kg-1 at the power density of 950.0 W kg-1 and maintain a remarkable cycling stability of 97.1% after 15,000 cycles. Impressively, due to the synergistic enhancement of Cu@HPBG and Nb2O5, the resulting Nb2O5/Cu@HPBG hybrid displays more positive half wave potential (∼0.85 V) and a long-life stability than Pt/C electrode toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Our research provides a feasible strategy to fabricate renewable biomass graphene electroactive composites for large-scale supercapacitor electrodes and efficient ORR catalysts toward energy applications.

Association of white matter hyperintensities with long-term EGFR-TKI treatment and prediction of progression risk

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that brain white matter hyperintensities (WMH) are more common in patients receiving epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) and identify clinical risk factors associated with WMH.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

This multiple-center, prospective cohort study was conducted from March 2017 to July 2020. Two groups of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received or did not receive EGFR-TKI were included and followed up for more than 24 months. The progression of WMH was defined as an increase of ≥1 point on the Fazekas visual rating scale between the baseline and at the 2-year follow-up. A modified Poisson regression model was performed to evaluate risk factors on increased WMH load.

RESULTS

Among 286 patients with NSCLC, 194 (68%) patients with NSCLC who received EGFR-TKI and 92 (32%) patients with NSCLC without EGFR-TKI treatment were analyzed. Modified Poisson regression analysis showed that EGFR-TKI treatment was independently associated with the WMH progression (EGFR-TKI: aRR 2.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.46-5.06, p = .002). Interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and IL-10 were associated with increased WMH in the adjusted model (IL-2: aRR 1.55 [95% CI 1.06-2.25], p = .023; IL-4: aRR 1.66 [95% CI 1.13-2.43], p = .010; IL-10: aRR 1.48 [95% CI 1.06-2.06], p = .020).

CONCLUSION

Patients with NSCLC who received EGFR-TKI may be at higher risk of developing WMH or worsening of WMH burden. The impact of increased WMH lesions in these patients is to be further assessed. IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10 may be used as potential biomarkers to monitor the risk of increased WMH burden.

Frequency dependent whole-brain coactivation patterns analysis in Alzheimer's disease

Background

The brain in resting state has complex dynamic properties and shows frequency dependent characteristics. The frequency-dependent whole-brain dynamic changes of resting state across the scans have been ignored in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective

Coactivation pattern (CAP) analysis can identify different brain states. This paper aimed to investigate the dynamic characteristics of frequency dependent whole-brain CAPs in AD.

Methods

We utilized a multiband CAP approach to model the state space and study brain dynamics in both AD and NC. The correlation between the dynamic characteristics and the subjects' clinical index was further analyzed.

Results

The results showed similar CAP patterns at different frequency bands, but the occurrence of patterns was different. In addition, CAPs associated with the default mode network (DMN) and the ventral/dorsal visual network (dorsal/ventral VN) were altered significantly between the AD and NC groups. This study also found the correlation between the altered dynamic characteristics of frequency dependent CAPs and the patients' clinical Mini-Mental State Examination assessment scale scores.

Conclusion

This study revealed that while similar CAP spatial patterns appear in different frequency bands, their dynamic characteristics in subbands vary. In addition, delineating subbands was more helpful in distinguishing AD from NC in terms of CAP.

Knowledge mapping and emerging trends of ferroptosis in ischemia reperfusion injury research: A bibliometric analysis (2013-2022)

Objective

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is an inevitable dilemma when previously ischemic multiple organs and tissues are returned to a state of blood flow, with confirming a critical role of ferroptosis in molecular, pathway mechanisms, subcellular structure. Discovering the potential relationship may provide useful approaches for the clinical treatment and prognosis of the pathophysiological status of IRI. Therefore, a comprehensive visualization and scientometric analysis were conducted to systematically summarize and discuss the "ferroptosis in ischemia reperfusion injury" research to demonstrate directions for scholars in this field.

Methods

We retrieved all publications focusing on I/R injury and ferroptosis from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), published from 2013 to October 2022. Next, scientometric analysis of different items was performed using various bibliometrics softwares to explore the annual trends, countries/regions, institutions, journals, authors and their multi-dimensional relationship pointing to current hotspots and future advancement in this field.

Results

We included a total of 421 English articles in set timespan. The number of publications increased steadily annually. China produced the highest number of publications, followed by the United States. Most publications were from Central South University, followed by Sichuan University and Wuhan University. The most authoritative academic journal was Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. Cell occupied the first rank of co-cited journal list. Andreas Linkermann and Scott J Dixon may have the highest influence in this intersected field with the highest number of citations and co-cited references respectively. The essential biological reactions such as oxidative stress response, lipid peroxidation metabolism, anti-inflammmatory and pro-inflammatory procedure, and related molecular pathways were knowledge base and current hotspots. Molecules pathways exploration, effective inhibition of I/R injury and promising strategy of improving allografts may become future trends and focuses.

Conclusions

Research on ferroptosis in I/R injury had aroused great interest recently. This first bibliometric study comprehensively analyzed the research landscape of ferroptosis and I/R injury, and also provided a reliable reference for related scholars to facilitate further advancement in this field.

Nitric oxide-dependent immunosuppressive function of thymus-derived mesenchymal stromal/stem cells

BACKGROUND

The thymus is required for T cell development and the formation of the adaptive immunity. Stromal cells, which include thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), are essential for thymic function. However, the immunomodulatory function of thymus-derived MSCs (T-MSCs) has not been fully explored.

METHODS

MSCs were isolated from mouse thymus and their general characteristics including surface markers and multi-differentiation potential were characterized. The immunomodulatory function of T-MSCs stimulated by IFN-γ and TNF-α was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of MSCs in the thymus was interrogated by using tdTomato-flox mice corssed to various MSC lineage Cre recombinase lines.

RESULTS

A subset of T-MSCs express Nestin, and are mainly distributed in the thymic medulla region and cortical-medulla junction, but not in the capsule. The Nestin-positive T-MSCs exhibit typical immunophenotypic characteristics and differentiation potential. Additionally, when stimulated with IFN-γ and TNF-α, they can inhibit activated T lymphocytes as efficiently as BM-MSCs, and this function is dependent on the production of nitric oxide (NO). Additionally, the T-MSCs exhibit a remarkable therapeutic efficacy in acute liver injury and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

CONCLUSIONS

Nestin-positive MSCs are mainly distributed in medulla and cortical-medulla junction in thymus and possess immunosuppressive ability upon stimulation by inflammatory cytokines. The findings have implications in understanding the physiological function of MSCs in thymus.

Circadian gene ARNTL initiates circGUCY1A2 transcription to suppress non-small cell lung cancer progression via miR-200c-3p/PTEN signaling

BACKGROUND

As a subclass of endogenous stable noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs are beginning to be appreciated for their potential as tumor therapeutics. However, the functions and mechanisms by which circRNAs exert protective functions in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain largely elusive.

METHODS

The prognostic role of circGUCY1A2 was explored in lung adenocarcinoma specimens. The overexpressed and knockdown plasmids were used to evaluate the effect of circGUCY1A2 on NSCLC cell proliferation and apoptosis efficacy. Luciferase reporter system is used to prove that circGUCY1A2 could bind to miRNA. Chip-PCR was used to prove that circGUCY1A2 could be initiated by transcription factors ARNTL. Subcutaneous tumorigenicity grafts models were established to validate findings in vivo.

RESULTS

The expression of circGUCY1A2 were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with tumor size (P < 0.05) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). CircGUCY1A2 upregulation promoted apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation and growth of subcutaneous tumorigenicity grafts in nude mice (P < 0.01). In addition, intra-tumor injection of pLCDH-circGUCY1A2 inhibited tumor growth in patient-derived NSCLC xenograft models (PDX). Mechanism studies showed that circGUCY1A2 could act as a sponge to competitively bind miR-200c-3p, promote PTEN expression, and thereby inhibit PI3K/AKT pathway. In addition, we found that the circadian gene ARNTL, which was reduced in NSCLC and prolonged the overall survival of patients, could bind to the promoter of circGUCY1A2, thereby increasing its expression.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is an original demonstration that ARNTL can inhibit the development of lung adenocarcinoma through the circGUCY1A2/miR-200c-3p/PTEN axis, and this finding provides potential targets and therapeutic approaches for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

TXNIP activates NLRP3/IL-1β and participate in inflammatory response and oxidative stress to promote deep venous thrombosis

Increasing evidence indicates that deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a common peripheral vascular disease. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) and nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in deep venous thrombosis (DVT). A total of 66 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were employed to conduct DVT model. DVT rat was treated with silenced TXNIP (si-TXNIP) lentivirus and MCC950 (a NLRP3 inhibitor). The thrombosis weight and weight/length ratio, tissue factor, inflammatory factors, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining was used to investigate the pathological change. Western blotting was used to determine the protein expression level. The expression level of thioredoxin (TRx) was suppressed, whereas TXNIP and NLRP3 were elevated in DVT rat. Si-TXNIP or MCC950 could reduce the thrombosis weight and weight/length ratio, ameliorate the pathological change, and decrease inflammatory reaction. Mechanistically, si-TXNIP or MCC950 inhibited the expression levels of TXNIP, NLRP3, and interleukin (IL)-1β while elevating the TRx level, thereby suppressing the DVT. Our study indicated that si-TXNIP or MCC950 injection rescued the injury of vein induced by DVT. The possible mechanisms connected with the inhibition of TXNIP and NLRP3. TXNIP is a possible therapeutic target for DVT.

FP(μ-N)2 S: A Sulfur-Pnictogen Four-Membered Ring with 6π Electrons

The new 6π-electron four-membered ring compound 3-fluoro-1λ2 ,2,4,3λ3 -thiadiazaphosphetidine, FP(μ-N)2 S, has been generated in the gas phase through high-vacuum flash pyrolysis (HVFP) of thiophosphoryl diazide, FP(S)(N3 )2 , at 1000 K. Subsequent isolation of FP(μ-N)2 S in cryogenic matrices (Ar, Ne, and N2 ) allows its characterization with matrix-isolation IR and UV-vis spectroscopy by combination with 15 N-isotope labeling and computations at the CCSD(T)-F12a/VTZ-F12 level of theory. Upon visible-light irradiation at 550 nm, this cyclic compound undergoes ring-opening to the thiazyl isomer FPNSN, followed by dissociation to FP and SN2 under subsequent UV-irradiation at 365 nm. In sharp contrast to the square planar structure for the isolobal four-membered ring S2 N2 , a puckered structure with significant biradical character has been found for FP(μ-N)2 S.

Effects of occupational therapy on quality of life in breast cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The objective was to discuss the impact of occupational therapy on different domains of quality of life in breast cancer patients. We performed a literature search to identify articles published before June 27, 2023, using the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to discuss the impact of occupational therapy on different domains of quality of life in breast cancer patients.

DATA SOURCES

We performed a literature search to identify articles published before June 27, 2023, using the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus.

METHODS

This study was reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Randomized controlled trials that reported the effects of occupational therapy on quality of life in breast cancer patients were identified. Two reviewers independently assessed eligibility, extracted data, and determined risks of bias. Pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using random-effects meta-analyses. Galbraith plots, meta-regression analysis, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis were used to identify heterogeneity in treatment effects.

RESULTS

Eight studies were included, with a total of 543 patients. The experimental group exhibited better global health (pooled SMD = 0.640, 95% CI = 0.251-1.028, P = .001), physical health (pooled SMD = 0.640, 95% CI = 0.251-1.028, P = .019), social health (pooled SMD = 0.251, 95% CI = 0.011-0.490, P = .040), and cognitive function (pooled SMD = 0.863, 95% CI = 0.266-1.460, P = .05) and improve fatigue (pooled SMD = -0.389, 95% CI = -0.586 to -0.192, P = .000), and role function (pooled SMD = 0.287, 95% CI = 0.029-0.546, P = .029) than the control group. The 2 groups exhibited comparable emotional health (pooled SMD = 0.243, 95% CI = -0.051 to 0.536, P = .105) and pain (pooled SMD = -0.312, 95% CI = -0.660 to 0.036, P = .079).

CONCLUSION

The current evidence shows that occupational therapy can improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients, especially their global health, physical health, social health, cognitive function, fatigue, and role function.

The space cold atom interferometer for testing the equivalence principle in the China Space Station

The precision of the weak equivalence principle (WEP) test using atom interferometers (AIs) is expected to be extremely high in microgravity environment. The microgravity scientific laboratory cabinet (MSLC) in the China Space Station (CSS) can provide a higher-level microgravity than the CSS itself, which provides a good experimental environment for scientific experiments that require high microgravity. We designed and realized a payload of a dual-species cold rubidium atom interferometer. The payload is highly integrated and has a size of [Formula: see text]. It will be installed in the MSLC to carry out high-precision WEP test experiment. In this article, we introduce the constraints and guidelines of the payload design, the compositions and functions of the scientific payload, the expected test precision in space, and some results of the ground test experiments.

Proteomic profiling of gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis identifies a protein signature associated with immune microenvironment and patient outcome

BACKGROUND

Peritoneal metastasis (PM) frequently occurs in patients with gastric cancer (GC) and is a major cause of mortality. Risk stratification for PM can optimize decision making in GC treatment.

METHODS

A total of 25 GC patients (13 with synchronous, 6 with metachronous PM and 6 PM-free) were included in this study. Quantitative proteomics by high-depth tandem mass tags labeling and whole-exome sequencing were conducted in primary GC and PM samples. Proteomic signature and prognostic model were established by machine learning algorithms in PM and PM-free GC, then validated in two external cohorts. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells in GC were analyzed by CIBERSORT.

RESULTS

Heterogeneity between paired primary and PM samples was observed at both genomic and proteomic levels. Compared to primary GC, proteome of PM samples was enriched in RNA binding and extracellular exosomes. 641 differently expressed proteins (DEPs) between primary GC of PM group and PM-free group were screened, which were enriched in extracellular exosome and cell adhesion pathways. Subsequently, a ten-protein signature was derived based on DEPs by machine learning. This signature was significantly associated with patient prognosis in internal cohort and two external proteomic datasets of diffuse and mixed type GC. Tumor-infiltrating immune cell analysis showed that the signature was associated with immune microenvironment of GC.

CONCLUSIONS

We characterized proteomic features that were informative for PM progression of GC. A protein signature associated with immune microenvironment and patient outcome was derived, and it could guide risk stratification and individualized treatment.

Two New Red/Near-Infrared Ir(Ⅲ) Complexes with Reversible and Force-Induced Enhanced Mechanoluminescence

Two novel ionic red/near-infrared Ir(III) complexes (Ir1 and Ir2) were reasonably designed and prepared using 2-(1-isoquinolinyl)-9,10-anthraquinone as the main ligand and 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridyl and 4,4'-dimethoxy-2,2'-bipyridyl as the auxiliary ligands, respectively. Both complexes showed bright phosphorescence in solution (peak at 618 nm with a shoulder at 670 nm). Interestingly, the phosphorescence peak of two Ir(III) complexes showed a blue-shift of about 36 nm after being ground. Simultaneously, both complexes exhibited mechanical force-induced enhanced emission, and the intensity of the luminescence for Ir1 and Ir2 increased by around two times compared to the one before being ground, respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculation were utilized to understand well the mechanism of this phenomenon and suggested that the destruction of the well-ordered crystalline nature and the decline in triplet-triplet annihilation maybe responsible for the pressure-induced blue-shift and the enhancement of the phosphorescence.

Two Novel Neutral Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes Based on 10,11,12,13-Tetrahydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazine for Efficient Red Electroluminescence

Two novel neutral phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes (Ir1 and Ir2) were rationally designed and synthesized with high yields using 10,11,12,13-tetrahydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazine as the main ligand. The two complexes showed bright-red phosphorescence (625 nm for Ir1, and 620 nm for Ir2, in CH₂Cl₂), high-luminescence quantum efficiency (0.32 for Ir1, and 0.35 for Ir2), obvious solvatochromism and good thermostability. Then, they were used to fabricate high-efficiency red OLEDs via vacuum evaporation; the maximum current efficiency, power efficiency, and external quantum efficiency of the red devices based on Ir1 and Ir2 are 13.47/15.22 cd/A, 10.35/12.26 lm/W, and 10.08/7.48%, respectively.

lncRNA GMDS-AS1 restrains lung adenocarcinoma progression via recruiting TAF15 protein to stabilize SIRT1 mRNA

Aim: To explore the roles of GMDS-AS1 in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Materials & methods: Cell functions were detected by flow cytometry, cell counting kit-8, wound healing assays and transwell assays. RNA immunoprecipitation and pull-down assays were applied for determining the interaction among GMDA-AS1, TAF15 and SIRT1. A subcutaneous xenograft model was established. Results: GMDS-AS1 downregulation was associated with poor survival of LUAD patients. GMDS-AS1 repressed malignant phenotypes, tumor growth and EMT in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, GMDS-AS1 recruited TAF15 protein to stabilize SIRT1 mRNA and thereby deacetylated p65 and reduced the recruitment of p65 to MMP-9 promoter, thus inhibiting MMP-9 expression. Conclusion: GMDS-AS1 represses EMT by recruiting TAF15 protein to stabilize SIRT1 mRNA and deacetylate p65, thus restraining LUAD progression.

Iodinene Nanosheet-to-Iodine Molecule Allotropic Transformation for Antibiosis

Iodine, as a typical haloid element in group VIIA, has been extensively applied as antiseptics clinically, thanks to its effective and wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Nevertheless, current iodic sterilizing agents are still limited to topical applications such as instrument sterilization and treatments of skin or mucous membrane infection due to its unsatisfactory stability and biocompatibility. Here, we propose an emerging two-dimensional iodine nanomaterial (noted as iodinene) for the treatment of infection diseases in vivo. Iodinene nanosheets were fabricated by a facile and environmentally friendly approach via sonication-assisted liquid exfoliation, which present an intriguing layered structure and negligible toxicity. The as-synthesized iodinene would experience an in situ allotropic transformation spontaneously to release active HIO and I₂ molecules by reacting with H₂O₂ in the infectious microenvironment. By the in situ production of active HIO and I₂ molecules via allotropic transformation, iodinene presents enhanced antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In vivo outcome demonstrates the desirable antibacterial efficacy of iodinene in treating bacterial wound infection and pneumonia. This study thus offers an alternative to conventional sterilizing agents against hard-to-treat bacterial infections.

Bifurcation in space: Emergence of function modularity in the neocortex

How does functional modularity emerge in a multiregional cortex made with repeats of a canonical local circuit architecture? We investigated this question by focusing on neural coding of working memory, a core cognitive function. Here we report a mechanism dubbed "bifurcation in space", and show that its salient signature is spatially localized "critical slowing down" leading to an inverted V-shaped profile of neuronal time constants along the cortical hierarchy during working memory. The phenomenon is confirmed in connectome-based large-scale models of mouse and monkey cortices, offering an experimentally testable prediction to assess whether working memory representation is modular. Many bifurcations in space could explain the emergence of different activity patterns potentially deployed for distinct cognitive functions, This work demonstrates that a distributed mental representation is compatible with functional specificity as a consequence of macroscopic gradients of neurobiological properties across the cortex, suggesting a general principle for understanding brain's modular organization.

Opioid-free anesthesia with lidocaine for improved postoperative recovery in hysteroscopy: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Anesthesia with opioids negatively affects patients' quality of recovery. Opioid-free anesthesia attempts to avoid these effects. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of opioid-free anesthesia on the quality of recovery, using lidocaine on patients undergoing hysteroscopy.

METHODS

A parallel-group, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was conducted in Yichang Central Peoples' Hospital, Hubei Province, China, from January to April, 2022. We included 90 female patients (age: 18-65 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Class I-II) scheduled for elective hysteroscopy, 45 of whom received lidocaine (Group L), and 45 received sufentanil (Group S). Patients were randomly allocated to receive either lidocaine or sufentanil perioperatively. The primary outcome was the quality of postoperative recovery, which was assessed using the QoR-40 questionnaire (a patient-reported outcome questionnaire measuring the quality of recovery after surgery).

RESULTS

The two groups were similar in age, American Society of Anesthesiology physical status, height, weight, body mass index, and surgical duration. The QoR scores were significantly higher in Group L than Group S. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, as well as the time to extubation were significantly lower in Group L than Group S.

CONCLUSION

Opioid-free anesthesia with lidocaine achieves a better quality of recovery, faster recovery, and a shorter time to extubation than general anesthesia with sufentanil.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was registered on January 15, 2022 in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=149386 ), registration number ChiCTR2200055623.(15/01/2022).

[Short-term efficacy of empagliflozin in children with glycogen storage disease type Ⅰb]

Objective: To analyze the short-time efficacy of empagliflozin in the treatment of glycogen storage disease type Ⅰb (GSD Ⅰb). Methods: In this prospective open-label single-arm study, the data of 4 patients were collected from the pediatric department in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from December 2020 to December 2022. All of them were diagnosed by gene sequencing and had neutropenia. These patients received empagliflozin treatment. Their clinical symptoms such as height and weight increase, abdominal pain, diarrhea, oral ulcer, infection times, and drug applications were recorded at 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, and 15 months after treatment to assess the therapeutic effect. The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was used to monitor the changes in 1, 5-anhydroglucitol (1, 5AG) concentration in plasma. At the same time, adverse reactions such as hypoglycemia and urinary tract infection were closely followed up and monitored. Results: The 4 patients with GSD Ⅰb were 15, 14, 4 and 14 years old, respectively at the beginning of empagliflozin treatment, and were followed up for 15, 15, 12 and 6 months, respectively. Maintenance dose range of empagliflozin was 0.24-0.39 mg/(kg·d). The frequency of diarrhea and abdominal pain decreased in cases 2, 3, and 4 at 1, 2 and 3 months of treatment, respectively. Their height and weight increased at different degrees.The absolute count of neutrophils increased from 0.84×10⁹, 0.50×10⁹, 0.48×10⁹, 0.48×10⁹/L to 1.48×10⁹, 3.04×10⁹, 1.10×10⁹, 0.73×10⁹/L, respectively. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was gradually reduced in 1 patients and stopped in 3 patient. Plasma 1, 5 AG levels in 2 children were significantly decreased after administration of empagliflozin (from 46.3 mg/L to 9.6 mg/L in case 2, and from 56.1 mg/L to 15.0 mg/L in case 3). All 4 patients had no adverse reactions such as hypoglycemia, abnormal liver or kidney function, or urinary system infection. Conclusion: In short-term observation, empagliflozin can improve the symptoms of GSD Ⅰb oral ulcers, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and recurrent infection, also can alleviate neutropenia and decrease 1, 5AG concentration in plasma, with favorable safety.

Bioinspired Self-Standing, Self-Floating 3D Solar Evaporators Breaking the Trade-Off between Salt Cycle and Heat Localization for Continuous Seawater Desalination

Facing the global water shortage challenge, solar-driven desalination is considered a sustainable technology to obtain freshwater from seawater. However, the trade-off between the salt cycle and heat localization of existing solar evaporators (SE) hinders its further practical applications. Here, inspired by water hyacinth, a self-standing and self-floating 3D SE with adiabatic foam particles and aligned water channels is built through a continuous directional freeze-casting technique. With the help of the heat insulation effect of foam particles and the efficient water transport of aligned water channels, this new SE can cut off the heat transfer from the top photothermal area to the bulk water without affecting the water supply, breaking the long-standing trade-off between salt cycle and heat localization of traditional SEs. Additionally, its self-standing and self-floating features can reduce human maintenance. Its large exposure height can increase evaporation area and collect environmental energy, breaking the long-standing limitation of solar-to-vapor efficiency of conventional SEs. With the novel structure employed, an evaporation flux of 2.25 kg m^-2 h^-1 , and apparent solar-to-vapor efficiency of 136.7% are achieved under 1 sun illumination. This work demonstrates a new evaporator structure, and also provides a key insight into the structural design of next-generation salt-tolerant and high-efficiency SEs.

Inorganic Nanosheet-Shielded Probiotics: A Self-Adaptable Oral Delivery System for Intestinal Disease Treatment

The oral delivery of probiotics is commonly adopted for intestinal disease treatments in clinical settings; however, the probiotics suffer from a strong acidic attack in the gastric area and the low-efficiency intestinal colonization of naked probiotics. Coating living probiotics with synthetic materials has proven effective in enabling the adaption of bacteria to gastrointestinal environments, which, unfortunately, may shield the probiotics from initiating therapeutic responses. In this study, we report a copolymer-modified two-dimensional H-silicene nanomaterial (termed SiH@TPGS-PEI) that can facilitate probiotics to adapt to diverse gastrointestinal microenvironments on-demand. Briefly, SiH@TPGS-PEI electrostatically coated on the surface of probiotic bacteria helps to resist erosive destruction in the acidic stomach and spontaneously degrades by reacting with water to generate hydrogen, an anti-inflammatory gas in response to the neutral/weakly alkaline intestinal environment, thus exposing the probiotic bacteria for colitis amelioration. This strategy may shed new light on the development of intelligent self-adaptive materials.

Triple-network analysis of Alzheimer's disease based on the energy landscape

Introduction

Research on the brain activity during resting state has found that brain activation is centered around three networks, including the default mode network (DMN), the salient network (SN), and the central executive network (CEN), and switches between multiple modes. As a common disease in the elderly, Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects the state transitions of functional networks in the resting state.

Methods

Energy landscape, as a new method, can intuitively and quickly grasp the statistical distribution of system states and information related to state transition mechanisms. Therefore, this study mainly uses the energy landscape method to study the changes of the triple-network brain dynamics in AD patients in the resting state.

Results

AD brain activity patterns are in an abnormal state, and the dynamics of patients with AD tend to be unstable, with an unusually high flexibility in switching between states. Also , the subjects' dynamic features are correlated with clinical index.

Discussion

The atypical balance of large-scale brain systems in patients with AD is associated with abnormally active brain dynamics. Our study are helpful for further understanding the intrinsic dynamic characteristics and pathological mechanism of the resting-state brain in AD patients.

A bibliometric analysis of global publication trends on rTMS and aphasia

BACKGROUND

Aphasia is one of the most devastating cognitive disorders caused by brain injury and seriously hinders patients' rehabilitation and quality of life. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation involves the repeated application of extracranial pulsed magnetic fields to the local central nervous system to alter the membrane potential of cortical nerve cells, generating induced currents that affect brain metabolism and electrical activity. As one of the most popular noninvasive brain stimulation techniques, it has been used to treat aphasia. However, only a few bibliometric studies have examined the research direction and main findings in the field.

METHODS

To obtain an in-depth understanding of the research status and trend in this area, a bibliometric analysis based on the Web of Science database was conducted. VOSviewer (Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands) and Microsoft Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, USA) were used to extract bibliometric information. Analysis of global distribution was conducted using the webpage mapping implement GunnMap2 (http://lert.co.nz/map/).

RESULTS

Publications in this field were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database, and 189 articles met the final inclusion criteria. The most influential authors, institutions, journals, and countries were Ralph MA from the University of Manchester, Harvard University, Neuropsychologia, and the USA, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed publication patterns and emerging trends in the literature, providing a detailed and objective overview of the current state of research on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of aphasia. This information will be of great benefit to anyone seeking information about this field and can serve as a reference guide for researchers aiming to conduct further research.

Ethanol depresses neurons in the lateral parabrachial nucleus by potentiating pre- and postsynaptic GABAA receptors

As a psychoactive substance, ethanol is widely used in people's life. However, the neuronal mechanisms underlying its sedative effect remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of ethanol on the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB), which is a novel component related to sedation. Coronal brain slices (280 μm thick) containing the LPB were prepared from C57BL/6J mice. The spontaneous firing and membrane potential of LPB neurons, and GABAergic transmission onto these neurons were recorded using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Drugs were applied through superfusion. The LPB neurons exhibited a regular spontaneous discharge at a rate of 1.5-3 Hz without burst firing. Brief superfusion of ethanol (30, 60, and 120 mM) concentration-dependently and reversibly suppressed the spontaneous firing of the neurons in LPB. In addition, when synaptic transmission was blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX) (1 μM), ethanol (120 mM) caused hyperpolarization of the membrane potential. Furthermore, superfusion of ethanol markedly increased the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents, which were abolished in the presence of the GABAA receptor (GABAA-R) antagonist picrotoxin (100 μM). In addition, the inhibitory effect of ethanol on the firing rate of LPB neurons was completely abolished by picrotoxin. Ethanol inhibits the excitability of LPB neurons in mouse slices, possibly via potentiating GABAergic transmission onto the neurons at pre- and postsynaptic sites.

Hydrogen-Bonded π Complexes between Phosphaethyne and Hydrogen Chloride

The highly labile complexes between phosphaethyne (HCP) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) with 1:1 and 1:2 stoichiometries have been generated in Ar and N₂ matrices at 10 K through laser photolysis of the molecular precursors 1-chlorophosphaethene (CH₂PCl) and dichloromethylphosphine (CH₃PCl₂), respectively. The IR spectrum of the 1:1 complex suggests the preference of a single "T-shaped" structure in which HCl acts as the hydrogen donor that interacts with the electron-rich C≡P triple bond. In contrast, three isomeric structures for the 1:2 complex bearing a core structure of the "T-shaped" 1:1 complex are present in the matrix. The spectroscopic identification of these rare HCP π-electron complexes is supported by D-isotope labeling and the quantum chemical calculations at the CCSD(T)-F12a/cc-pVTZ-F12 level of theory.

The space cold atom interferometer for testing the equivalence principle in the China Space Station

The precision of the weak equivalence principle (WEP) test using atom interferometers (AIs) is expected to be extremely high in microgravity environment. The microgravity scientific laboratory cabinet (MSLC) in the China Space Station (CSS) can provide a higher-level microgravity than the CSS itself, which provides a good experimental environment for scientific experiments that require high microgravity. We designed and realized a payload of a dual-species cold rubidium atom interferometer. The payload is highly integrated and has a size of 460 mm × 330 mm × 260 mm. It will be installed in the MSLC to carry out high-precision WEP test experiment. In this article, we introduce the constraints and guidelines of the payload design, the compositions and functions of the scientific payload, the expected test precision in space, and some results of the ground test experiments.

PPP1R14B is a diagnostic prognostic marker in patients with uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma

Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is one of the most common malignancies of the female genital tract. A recently discovered protein-coding gene, PPP1R14B, can inhibit protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) as well as different PP1 holoenzymes, which are important proteins regulating cell growth, the cell cycle, and apoptosis. However, the association between PPP1R14B expression and UCEC remains undefined. The expression profiles of PPP1R14B in multiple cancers were analysed based on TCGA and GTE databases. Then, PPP1R14B expression in UCEC was investigated by gene differential analysis and single gene correlation analysis. In addition, we performed gene ontology term analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, gene set enrichment analysis, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to predict the potential function of PPP1R14B and its role in the prognosis of UCEC patients. Then, a tool for predicting the prognosis of UCEC, namely, a nomogram model, was constructed. PPP1R14B expression was higher in UCEC tumour tissues than in normal tissues. The results revealed that PPP1R14B expression was indeed closely associated with tumour development. The results of Kaplan-Meier plotter data indicated that patients with high PPP1R14b expression had poorer overall survival, disease-specific survival, and progression-free interval than those with low expression. A nomogram based on the results of multifactor Cox regression was generated. PPP1R14B is a key player in UCEC progression, is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, and can serve as a prognostic marker in the clinic.

[Efficacy and safety of various doses of hybutimibe monotherapy or in combination with atorvastatin for primary hypercholesterolemia: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-controlled phase Ⅲ clinical trial]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hybutimibe monotherapy or in combination with atorvastatin in the treatment of primary hypercholesterolemia. Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-controlled phase Ⅲ clinical trial of patients with untreated primary hypercholesterolemia from 41 centers in China between August 2015 and April 2019. Patients were randomly assigned, at a ratio of 1∶1∶1∶1∶1∶1, to the atorvastatin 10 mg group (group A), hybutimibe 20 mg group (group B), hybutimibe 20 mg plus atorvastatin 10 mg group (group C), hybutimibe 10 mg group (group D), hybutimibe 10 mg plus atorvastatin 10 mg group (group E), and placebo group (group F). After a dietary run-in period for at least 4 weeks, all patients were administered orally once a day according to their groups. The treatment period was 12 weeks after the first dose of the study drug, and efficacy and safety were evaluated at weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12. After the treatment period, patients voluntarily entered the long-term safety evaluation period and continued the assigned treatment (those in group F were randomly assigned to group B or D), with 40 weeks' observation. The primary endpoint was the percent change in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from baseline at week 12. Secondary endpoints included the percent changes in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), apolipoprotein B (Apo B) at week 12 and changes of the four above-mentioned lipid indicators at weeks 18, 24, 38, and 52. Safety was evaluated during the whole treatment period. Results: Totally, 727 patients were included in the treatment period with a mean age of (55.0±9.3) years old, including 253 males. No statistical differences were observed among the groups in demographics, comorbidities, and baseline blood lipid levels. At week 12, the percent changes in LDL-C were significantly different among groups A to F (all P<0.01). Compared to atorvastatin alone, hybutimibe combined with atorvastatin could further improve LDL-C, TG, and Apo B (all P<0.05). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in percent changes in LDL-C at week 12 between group C and group E (P=0.991 7). During the long-term evaluation period, there were intergroup statistical differences in changes of LDL-C, TG and Apo B at 18, 24, 38, and 52 weeks from baseline among the statins group (group A), hybutimibe group (groups B, D, and F), and combination group (groups C and E) (all P<0.01), with the best effect observed in the combination group. The incidence of adverse events was 64.2% in the statins group, 61.7% in the hybutimibe group, and 71.0% in the combination group during the long-term evaluation period. No treatment-related serious adverse events or adverse events leading to death occurred during the 52-week study period. Conclusions: Hybutimibe combined with atorvastatin showed confirmatory efficacy in patients with untreated primary hypercholesterolemia, which could further enhance the efficacy on the basis of atorvastatin monotherapy, with a good overall safety profile.

Atomically Dispersed Cu Catalysts on Sulfide-Derived Defective Ag Nanowires for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have shown potential for achieving an efficient electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO2RR) despite challenges in their synthesis. Here, Ag₂S/Ag nanowires provide initial anchoring sites for Cu SACs (Cu/Ag₂S/Ag), then Cu/Ag(S) was synthesized by an electrochemical treatment resulting in complete sulfur removal, i.e., Cu SACs on a defective Ag surface. The CO2RR Faradaic efficiency (FE_CO2RR) of Cu/Ag(S) reaches 93.0% at a CO2RR partial current density (j_CO2RR) of 2.9 mA/cm² under -1.0 V vs RHE, which outperforms sulfur-removed Ag₂S/Ag without Cu SACs (Ag(S), 78.5% FE_CO2RR with 1.8 mA/cm²j_CO2RR). At -1.4 V vs RHE, both FE_CO2RR and j_CO2RR over Cu/Ag(S) reached 78.6% and 6.1 mA/cm², which tripled those over Ag(S), respectively. As revealed by in situ and ex situ characterizations together with theoretical calculations, the interacted Cu SACs and their neighboring defective Ag surface increase microstrain and downshift the d-band center of Cu/Ag(S), thus lowering the energy barrier by ∼0.5 eV for *CO formation, which accounts for the improved CO2RR activity and selectivity toward related products such as CO and C₂₊ products.

Identification of a pyroptosis-based model for predicting clinical outcomes from immunotherapy in patients with metastatic melanoma

Immunotherapy has greatly improved outcomes for patients with advanced melanoma, but good predictive biomarkers remain lacking in clinical practice. Although increasing evidence has revealed a vital role of pyroptosis in the tumor microenvironment (TME), it remains unclear for pyroptosis as a predictive biomarker for immunotherapy in melanoma. RNA sequencing data and annotated clinical information of melanoma patients were obtained from four published immunotherapy datasets. LASSO regression analysis was conducted to develop a pyroptosis-based model for quantifying a pyroptosis score in each tumor. Based on four clinical cohorts, we evaluated the predictive capability of the model using multiple immunotherapeutic outcomes, including clinical benefits, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Furthermore, we depicted the distinctive TME features associated with pyroptosis. Compared with the group with low pyroptosis scores, the group with high pyroptosis scores consistently achieved better durable clinical benefits in four independent cohorts and the meta-cohort. ROC analysis validated that the pyroptosis-based model was a reliable biomarker for predicting clinical benefits from immunotherapy in melanoma. Survival analyses showed that the group with high pyroptosis scores harbored more favorable OS and PFS than those with low pyroptosis scores. Molecular analysis revealed that tumors with high pyroptosis scores displayed a typical immune-inflamed phenotype in TME, including enrichment of immunostimulatory pathways, increased level of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, upregulation of immune effectors, and activation of the antitumor immune response. Our findings suggested that the pyroptosis-related model associated with multiple immune-inflamed characteristics might be a reliable tool for predicting clinical benefit and survival outcomes from immunotherapy in melanoma.

Water Complex of Imidogen

Imidogen (NH) is the simplest nitrogen hydride that plays an important role in combustion and interstellar chemistry, and its combination with H₂O is the prototypical amidation reaction of O-H bonds involving a nitrene intermediate. Herein, we report the observation of the elusive water complex of NH, a prereaction complex associated with the amidation reaction in a solid N₂ matrix at 10 K. The hydrogen-bonded structure of NH···OH₂ (versus HN···HOH) is confirmed via IR spectroscopy with comprehensive isotope labeling (D, ¹⁸O, and ¹⁵N) and quantum chemical calculations at the UCCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVQZ level of theory. In line with the observed absorption at 350 nm, irradiation of the complex at 365 nm leads to O-H bond insertion, yielding hydroxylamine NH₂OH.

[Changes of intestinal wall barrier function and its correlation with susceptibility to infection in patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension]

Objective: To investigate the changes of intestinal wall barrier function and its correlation with infection occurrence in patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension. Methods: 263 patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension were split into: the clinically evident portal hypertension (CEPH) combined with infection group (n = 74); CEPH group (n = 104); and Non-CEPH group (n = 85). Among them, 20 CEPH patients and 12 non-CEPH patients in non-infection status were subjected to sigmoidoscopy. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of trigger receptor-1 (TREM-1), CD68, CD14, the inducible nitric oxide synthase molecule, and Escherichia coli (E.coli) in the medullary cells of the colon mucosa. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of soluble myeloid cell trigger receptor-1 (sTREM-1), soluble leukocyte differentiation antigen-14 subtype (sCD14-ST) and intestinal wall permeability index enteric fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP). Fisher's exact probability method, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis-H test, Bonferroni method, and Spearman correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: The serum sTREM-1 and I-FABP levels were higher in CEPH patients than those of non-CEPH patients in the non-infectious state (P < 0.05), but the difference in blood sCD14-ST levels was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Serum levels of sTREM-1, sCD14-ST, and I-FABP in infected patients were higher than those in patients without a concurrent infection (P < 0.05). Serum sCD14-ST levels were positively correlated with serum sTREM-1, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT), and sTREM-1 levels were also positively correlated with CRP and PCT (r > 0.5, P < 0.001). The rates of CD68, inducible nitric oxide synthase, CD14-positive cells, and E.coli-positive glands were higher in the intestinal mucosa of the CEPH group than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Spearman's correlation analysis showed that the rate of E.coli-positive glands in CEPH patients was positively correlated with the expression of molecular markers CD68 and CD14 in the lamina propria macrophages. Conclusion: Patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension have increased intestinal permeability and inflammatory cells, accompanied by bacterial translocation. Serum sCD14-ST and sTREM-1 can be used as indicators to predict and evaluate the occurrence of infection in patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension.

tRNA Modifications and Modifying Enzymes in Disease, the Potential Therapeutic Targets

tRNA is one of the most conserved and abundant RNA species, which plays a key role during protein translation. tRNA molecules are post-transcriptionally modified by tRNA modifying enzymes. Since high-throughput sequencing technology has developed rapidly, tRNA modification types have been discovered in many research fields. In tRNA, numerous types of tRNA modifications and modifying enzymes have been implicated in biological functions and human diseases. In our review, we talk about the relevant biological functions of tRNA modifications, including tRNA stability, protein translation, cell cycle, oxidative stress, and immunity. We also explore how tRNA modifications contribute to the progression of human diseases. Based on previous studies, we discuss some emerging techniques for assessing tRNA modifications to aid in discovering different types of tRNA modifications.

Supercritical Fluid Microcellular Foaming of High-Hardness TPU via a Pressure-Quenching Process: Restricted Foam Expansion Controlled by Matrix Modulus and Thermal Degradation

High-hardness thermoplastic polyurethane (HD-TPU) presents a high matrix modulus, low-temperature durability, and remarkable abrasion resistance, and has been used in many advanced applications. However, the fabrication of microcellular HD-TPU foam is rarely reported in the literature. In this study, the foaming behavior of HD-TPU with a hardness of 75D was investigated via a pressure-quenching foaming process using CO₂ as a blowing agent. Microcellular HD-TPU foam with a maximum expansion ratio of 3.9-fold, a cell size of 25.9 μm, and cell density of 7.8 × 10⁸ cells/cm³ was prepared, where a high optimum foaming temperature of about 170 °C had to be applied with the aim of softening the polymer's matrix modulus. However, the foaming behavior of HD-TPU deteriorated when the foaming temperature further increased to 180 °C, characterized by the presence of coalesced cells, microcracks, and a high foam density of 1.0 g/cm³ even though the crystal domains still existed within the matrix. The cell morphology evolution of HD-TPU foam was investigated by adjusting the saturation time, and an obvious degradation occurred during the high-temperature saturation process. A cell growth mechanism of HD-TPU foams in degradation environments was proposed to explain this phenomenon based on the gas escape through the defective matrix.