Regulating the defects of MIL-101(Cr) for the efficient and simultaneous determination of eleven plant growth regulators in fresh fruit juice

This work presents an efficient sorbent for plant growth regulators (PGRs) by regulating the defects of a metal-organic framework MIL-101(Cr). Using the regulated MIL-101(Cr), we developed a simple and effective method for the simultaneous determination of eleven PGRs in fresh fruit juice. The extraction conditions were optimized by an orthogonal array design. Under optimal conditions, the method showed a satisfactory limit of detection (0.1-1.2 ng/g), recovery rates (83.4-110.2 %), and precision (2.9-18.0 % for intra-day and 2.7-10.8 % for inter-day), as well as a greatly suppressed matrix effect. Notably, regulating the defects significantly enhanced the desorption of PGRs on MIL-101(Cr). The sorbent didn't need to be destroyed to release the adsorbed PGRs and could be reused at least 6 times. Furthermore, the defects of MIL-101(Cr) and interactions between the sorbent and PGRs were studied by TGA, ATR-IR, XPS, NH3-TPD and UV-Vis DRS.

A Tumor Environment-Activated Photosensitized Biomimetic Nanoplatform for Precise Photodynamic Immunotherapy of Colon Cancer

Aggressive nature of colon cancer and current imprecise therapeutic scenarios simulate the development of precise and effective treatment strategies. To achieve this, a tumor environment-activated photosensitized biomimetic nanoplatform (PEG2000-SiNcTI-Ph/CpG-ZIF-8@CM) is fabricated by encapsulating metal-organic framework loaded with developed photosensitizer PEG2000-SiNcTI-Ph and immunoadjuvant CpG oligodeoxynucleotide within fusion cell membrane expressing programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) and cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47). By stumbling across, systematic evaluation, and deciphering with quantum chemical calculations, a unique attribute of tumor environment (low pH plus high concentrations of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP))-activated photodynamic effect sensitized by long-wavelength photons is validated for PEG2000-SiNcTI-Ph/CpG-ZIF-8@CM, advancing the precision of cancer therapy. Moreover, PEG2000-SiNcTI-Ph/CpG-ZIF-8@CM evades immune surveillance to target CT26 colon tumors in mice mediated by CD47/signal regulatory proteins α (SIRPα) interaction and PD-1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) interaction, respectively. Tumor environment-activated photodynamic therapy realized by PEG2000-SiNcTI-Ph/CpG-ZIF-8@CM induces immunogenic cell death (ICD) to elicit anti-tumor immune response, which is empowered by enhanced dendritic cells (DC) uptake of CpG and PD-L1 blockade contributed by the nanoplatform. The photodynamic immunotherapy efficiently combats primary and distant CT26 tumors, and additionally generates immune memory to inhibit tumor recurrence and metastasis. The nanoplatform developed here provides insights for the development of precise cancer therapeutic strategies.

Flower-shaped 2D crystals grown in curved fluid vesicle membranes

The morphologies of two-dimensional (2D) crystals, nucleated, grown, and integrated within 2D elastic fluids, for instance in giant vesicle membranes, are dictated by an interplay of mechanics, permeability, and thermal contraction. Mitigation of solid strain drives the formation of crystals with vanishing Gaussian curvature (i.e., developable domain shapes) and, correspondingly, enhanced Gaussian curvature in the surrounding 2D fluid. However, upon cooling to grow the crystals, large vesicles sustain greater inflation and tension because their small area-to-volume ratio slows water permeation. As a result, more elaborate shapes, for instance, flowers with bendable but inextensible petals, form on large vesicles despite their more gradual curvature, while small vesicles harbor compact planar crystals. This size dependence runs counter to the known cumulative growth of strain energy of 2D colloidal crystals on rigid spherical templates. This interplay of intra-membrane mechanics and processing points to the scalable production of flexible molecular crystals of controllable complex shape.

Crystal Structure Regulation of CoSe2 Induced by Fe Dopant for Promoted Surface Reconstitution toward Energetic Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Most nonoxide catalysts based on transition metal elements will inevitably change their primitive phases under anodic oxidation conditions in alkaline media. Establishing a relationship between the bulk phase and surface evolution is imperative to reveal the intrinsic catalytic active sites. In this work, it is demonstrated that the introduction of Fe facilitates the phase transition of orthorhombic CoSe2 into its cubic counterpart and then accelerates the Co-Fe hydroxide layer generation on the surface during electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). As a result, the Fe-doped cubic CoSe2 catalyst exhibits a significantly enhanced activity with a considerable overpotential decrease of 79.9 and 66.9 mV to deliver 10 mA·cm-2 accompanied by a Tafel slope of 48.0 mV·dec-1 toward OER when compared to orthorhombic CoSe2 and Fe-doped orthorhombic CoSe2, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the introduction of Fe on the surface hydroxide layers will tune electron density around Co atoms and raise the d-band center. These findings will provide deep insights into the surface reconstitution of the OER electrocatalysts based on transition metal elements.

Label-free and highly-sensitive detection of calcium ions using a silicon-on-sapphire light-addressable potentiometric sensor

BACKGROUND

Ionic calcium (Ca2+) plays a crucial role in maintaining normal physiological and biochemical functions within the human body. Detecting the concentration of Ca2+ is of utmost significance for various purposes, including disease screening, cellular metabolism research, and evaluating drug effectiveness. However, current detection approaches such as fluorescence and colorimetry face limitations due to complex labeling techniques and the inability to track changes in Ca2+ concentration. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted in this field to explore label-free and efficient approaches.

RESULTS

In this study, a novel light-addressed potentiometric sensor (LAPS) using silicon-on-sapphire technology, has been successfully developed for Ca2+ sensing. The Ca2+-sensitive LAPS achieved a wide-range detection of Ca2+, ranging from 10-2 M to 10-7 M, with an impressive detection limit of 100 nM. These advancements are attributed to the ultra-thin silicon layer, silicon dioxide layer, and solid-state silicon rubber sensitive membrane around 6 μm. Furthermore, the sensor demonstrated the ability to dynamically monitor fluctuations in Ca2+ concentration ranging from 10-9 M to 10-2 M within a solution. Its remarkable selectivity, specificity, and long-term stability have facilitated its successful application in the detection of Ca2+ in human serum and urine.

SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY

This work presents a Ca2+-sensitive sensor that combines a low detection limit and a wide detection range. The development represents the emergence of a label-free and rapid Ca2+ detection tool with immense prospects in home-based health monitoring, community disease screening, as well as cellular metabolism, and drug screening evaluations.

Simultaneous Detection of Citric Acid and Oxalic Acid Based on Dual Spectrum and Biomimetic Peroxidase for Urolithiasis Screening with a Fully Automatic Urine Analyzer

Urolithiasis stands as a prevalent ailment within the urinary system, with hyperoxaluria and hypocitraturia being the most frequent manifestations characterized by excessive oxalic acid (OA) and deficient citric acid (CA) levels in urine. Detecting these compounds in urine quantitatively holds paramount importance for early urolithiasis screening. Existing methodologies fall short in achieving simultaneous and on-site identification of OA and CA, posing challenges for accurate urolithiasis screening. Addressing this concern, the study successfully accomplishes the concurrent identification of OA and CA in urine through a combination of dual-spectral analysis and biomimetic peroxidase utilization. Bovine serum albumin and dithiothreitol-modified copper nanoclusters (BSA-DTT-CuNCs) are employed as biomimetic peroxidases, effectively mitigating interference and enabling the simultaneous determination of OA and CA. The quantification range spans from 0 to 12 mm for OA and 0.5 to 2.5 mm for CA, with detection limits of 0.18 and 0.11 mm, respectively. To facilitate swift and on-location urine analysis, a fully automated urine analyzer (FAUA) is introduced that streamlines the process of biomarker pretreatment and identification within urine samples. Validation with real urine samples from urolithiasis patients demonstrates the method's diagnostic precision, highlighting the dual-spectral technique and analyzer's promising role in urolithiasis screening.

Copper Metabolism and Cuproptosis: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Copper is an essential trace element, and plays a vital role in numerous physiological processes within the human body. During normal metabolism, the human body maintains copper homeostasis. Copper deficiency or excess can adversely affect cellular function. Therefore, copper homeostasis is stringently regulated. Recent studies suggest that copper can trigger a specific form of cell death, namely, cuproptosis, which is triggered by excessive levels of intracellular copper. Cuproptosis induces the aggregation of mitochondrial lipoylated proteins, and the loss of iron-sulfur cluster proteins. In neurodegenerative diseases, the pathogenesis and progression of neurological disorders are linked to copper homeostasis. This review summarizes the advances in copper homeostasis and cuproptosis in the nervous system and neurodegenerative diseases. This offers research perspectives that provide new insights into the targeted treatment of neurodegenerative diseases based on cuproptosis.

Triple Cascade Quantum-Strip for Heart Failure Point-of-Care Testing

Heart failure (HF) is a life-threatening syndrome. Timely and accurate bedside monitoring of the occurrence and progression of HF via measurements of multiple HF-related biomarkers remains a challenge. Here, we report a triple cascade quantum-strip (TCQS) sensing strategy for the rapid and selective multiplex-tracing of three clinically validated HF biomarkers (BNP/NT-proBNP/ST2) in serum. High selectivity to the three biomarkers is achieved by controlling the individual recognition ability of three target-specific quantum immunoprobes and tuning their simultaneous use to BNP/NT-proBNP/ST2 recognition without mutual interference, which allows the three biomarkers to be directly enriched from serum samples. Benefiting from the fast release-binding kinetics of target-bound immunoprobes on TCQS, recognizable fluorescent signals can be rapidly read out through combining with a self-designed smartphone-based portable reader. This rapid and simple profiling strategy results in good specificity and sensitivity with LODs of 0.097, 0.072, and 0.948 ng/mL for BNP, NT-proBNP, and ST2, respectively, which match the need of clinical applications. Real serum samples are tested with an accuracy of 92.86% for HF diagnosis, validating the capability of the smartphone-read TCQS for practical applications. In particular, the simultaneous detection of the TCQS sensing strategy for BNP/NT-proBNP/ST2 will facilitate the accurate monitoring of HF occurrence, risk stratification, progression, and prognosis as a powerful POCT tool.

Trends in suicide mortality among cancer survivors in the US, 1975-2020

BACKGROUND

Suicide in cancer survivors is a major public health concern, but its trends and risk factors are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the standardized mortality rate (SMR) and trends in suicide among cancer survivors in the United States.

METHODS

Using data from the SEER-9 database and US Mortality data, we identified 3,684,040 cancer survivors diagnosed between 1975 and 2020. The SMR of suicide among cancer survivors was calculated, and Poisson regression analysis was used to evaluate trends in suicide risk. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age, gender, race, tumor site, and stage. A competing risk model was used to calculate the 10-year cumulative incidence of suicide.

RESULTS

Among cancer survivors, the overall SMR of suicide was 1.49 (95%CI: 1.46-1.53) times higher than that of the general population in the US. The risk of suicide varied significantly by cancer site, with the highest risk found in patients with malignant respiratory system cancer. Overall, we observed a significant downward trend in the suicide mortality rate among cancer patients. The cumulative incidence of suicide mortality among cancer survivors across four study periods exhibited significant statistical differences (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the need for targeted suicide prevention efforts for cancer survivors, particularly those diagnosed with respiratory system cancer. The trend of declining suicide mortality rates among cancer survivors is promising, but continued efforts are needed to understand and address the underlying risk factors.

VDAC1, as a downstream molecule of MLKL, participates in OGD/R-induced necroptosis by inducing mitochondrial damage

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury constitutes a significant risk factor for a range of diseases, including ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and trauma. Following the restoration of blood flow post-tissue ischemia, oxidative stress can lead to various forms of cell death, including necrosis, apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis. Recent evidence has highlighted the crucial role of mitochondrial dysfunction in I/R injury. Nevertheless, there remains much to be explored regarding the molecular signaling network governing cell death under conditions of oxidative stress. Voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), a major component in the outer mitochondrial membrane, is closely involved in the regulation of cell death. In a cellular model of oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R), which effectively simulates I/R injury in vitro, our study reveals that OGD/R induces VDAC1 oligomerization, consequently exacerbating cell death. Furthermore, we have revealed the translocation of mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) to the mitochondria, where it interacts with VDAC1 following OGD/R injury, leading to an increased mitochondrial membrane permeability. Notably, the inhibition of MLKL by necrosulfonamide hinders the binding of MLKL to VDAC1, primarily by affecting the membrane translocation of MLKL, and reduces OGD/R-induced VDAC1 oligomerization. Collectively, our findings provide preliminary evidence of the functional association between MLKL and VDAC1 in the regulation of necroptosis.

Trends in suicide mortality among prostate cancer survivors in the United States, 1975-2019

BACKGROUND

Suicide was an important cause of death in prostate cancer. This study intended to investigate trends in suicide mortality among prostate cancer (PCa) survivors from 1975 to 2019 in the United States.

METHOD

We identified PCa survivors from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program from January 1975 to December 2019. Standardized mortality rate (SMR) was calculated d to assess the relative risk of suicide in PCa survivors compared with the general men population. Poisson regression model was performed to test for trend of SMRs. The cumulative mortality rate of suicide was calculated to assess the clinical burden of suicide mortality.

RESULTS

7108 (0.2%) cases were death from suicide cause, and 2,308,923(65.04%%) cases recorded as dying from non-suicidal causes. Overall, a slightly higher suicide mortality rate among PCa survivors was observed compared with general male population (SMR: 1.15, 95%CI: 1.09-1.2). The suicide mortality rate declined significantly relative to the general population by the calendar year of diagnosis, from an SMR of 1.74(95%CI: 1.17-2.51) in 1975-1979 to 0.99(0.89-1.1) in 2015-2019 (Ptrend < 0.001). PCa survivors with aged over 84 years, black and other races, registered in registrations (including Utah, New Mexico, and Hawaii) failed to observe a decrease in suicide mortality (Ptrend > 0.05). The cumulative suicide mortality during 1975-1994 was distinctly higher than in 1995-2019(P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The trend in suicide mortality declined significantly from 1975 to 2019 among PCa survivors compared with the general male population in the United States. Notably, part of PCa survivors had no improvement in suicide mortality, and additional studies in the future were needed to explore it.

The association between serum testosterone level and congestive heart failure in US male adults: data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2016

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum testosterone levels and the risk of congestive heart failure (CHF) in adult males. Previous research has suggested a potential link between serum testosterone and cardiovascular health, but the findings have been inconclusive.

METHODS

This study was cross-sectional, and the data were obtained from the 2011-2016 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which included a sample of 6,841 male participants. Serum testosterone levels were measured using a standardized assay, and CHF status was assessed through self-reporting. Covariates such as age, ethnicity, lifestyle factors, and health conditions were considered in the analysis.

RESULTS

Among the participants, 242 individuals had a documented history of CHF. We observed a linear correlation between serum testosterone levels and CHF occurrence, with higher serum testosterone levels associated with a decreased risk of CHF (Q4 vs. Q1, OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.19-0.47, P < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding variables, multivariate analysis revealed that high serum testosterone levels remained significantly associated with a lower risk of CHF (OR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.27-0.80, P = 0.01). Subgroup analysis indicated a significant association between high serum testosterone levels and reduced CHF risk in individuals over 50 years old.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the serum testosterone level was positively associated with CHF in adult males. This study highlights the potential role of serum testosterone in cardiovascular health, particularly in older individuals. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and explore the clinical implications of these findings.

The administration of rhBmal1 reduces sleep deprivation-induced anxiety and cognitive impairment in mice

BACKGROUND

In mammals, circadian rhythms control metabolism, immunological response and reproductive processes. Bmal1 (brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1) is a key element in the regulation of circadian rhythms.

METHODS

This investigation explores the pathophysiological effects of sleep deprivation in a mouse model as well as the potential underlying mechanisms. A mouse sleep deprivation model was constructed using a modified multi-platform water environment method. The anxiety-like behaviours of mice were assessed by the open field test and elevated plus maze, and the cognitive function of mice was tested by the nest-building test. The expression levels of targeted genes were determined by Western blotting assay and RT-qPCR assay.

RESULTS

We found that sleep deprivation profoundly enhanced anxiety levels and impaired cognitive function in mice. Sleep deprivation also reduced the expression levels of Bmal1 and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and increased oxidative stress in the hippocampus of mice. The intraperitoneal injection of human recombinant rhBmal1 protein alleviated sleep deprivation-induced anxiety and cognitive impairment, restored Bmal1 and BDNF levels, and reduced oxidative stress in the hippocampus of mice.

CONCLUSIONS

rhBmal1 treatment might serve as a potential therapy for mitigating sleep deprivation-related unfavourable symptoms.

A Silicon-Based Field-Effect Biosensor for Drug-Induced Cardiac Extracellular Calcium Ion Change Detection

Calcium ions participate in the regulation of almost all biological functions of the body, especially in cardiac excitation-contraction coupling, acting as vital signaling through ion channels. Various cardiovascular drugs exert their effects via affecting the ion channels on the cell membrane. The current strategies for calcium ion monitoring are mainly based on fluorescent probes, which are commonly used for intracellular calcium ion detection (calcium imaging) and cannot achieve long-term monitoring. In this work, an all-solid-state silicone-rubber ion-sensitive membrane was fabricated on light-addressable potentiometric sensors to establish a program-controlled field-effect-based ion-sensitive light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) platform for extracellular calcium ion detection. L-type calcium channels blocker verapamil and calcium channel agonist BayK8644 were chosen to explore the effect of ion channel drugs on extracellular calcium ion concentration in HL-1 cell lines. Simultaneously, microelectrode array (MEA) chips were employed to probe the HL-1 extracellular field potential (EFP) signals. The Ca2+ concentration and EFP parameters were studied to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of cardiovascular drugs. This platform provides more dimensional information on cardiovascular drug efficacy that can be utilized for accurate drug screening.

Assessing the prognostic impact of prostatic urethra involvement and developing a nomogram for T1 stage bladder cancer

PURPOSE

To investigate prognostic values of prostatic urethra involvement (PUI) and construct a prognostic model that estimates the probability of cancer-specific survival for T1 bladder cancer patients.

METHOD AND MATERIALS

We investigated the national Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2004-2015) to get patients diagnosed with T1 bladder cancer. An external validation cohort was obtained from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test was applied to assess cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Moreover, the propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariable Cox proportional hazard model were performed. All patients were randomly divided into the development cohort and validation group at the ratio of 7:3. The performance of the model was internally validated by calibration curves and the concordance index (C-index).

RESULTS

The PUI group had a lower survival rate of both CSS and overall survival OS before and after PSM when compared to non-involved patients (All P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed a poor prognosis in the PUI group for cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and all-cause mortality (ACM) analyses before and after PSM (All P < 0.05). Seven variables, including age, surgery, radiotherapy, tumour size, PUI, and marital status, were incorporated in the final nomogram. The C-index in the development cohort was 0.715 (0.711-0.719), while it was 0.672 (0.667-0.677) in the validation group. Calibration plots for 3- and 5-year cancer-specific survival showed good concordance in the development and validation cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

PUI was an independent risk factor of ACM and CSM in T1 bladder cancer patients. In addition, a highly discriminative and precise nomogram that predicted the individualized probability of cancer-specific survival for patients with T1 bladder cancer was constructed.

A Biomimetic Nanoplatform with Improved Inflammatory Targeting Behavior for ROS Scavenging-Based Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC), a refractory disease, has become a global problem. Herein, a biomimetic nanoplatform (AU-LIP-CM) comprising Au cluster enzymes (AU)-loaded liposomes (AU-LIP) camouflaged with the fusion membrane (CM) consisting of neutrophil (NC) and red blood cell (RBC) membrane is designed for the treatment of UC. Briefly, revealed by second near-infrared (NIR-II) imaging through collection of fluorescence emitting >1200 nm from AU, the improved inflammatory targeting behavior contributed by CM cloaking, which inherits abilities of inflammatory targeting and immune escape from NC and RBC, respectively, promotes specific accumulation of AU within inflammatory intestines with up to ≈11.5 times higher than that of bare AU. Afterward, AU possessing superoxide dismutase- and catalase-like activities realizes high-efficiency scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to repair of intestinal barriers, regulation of the immune system, and modulation of gut microbiota, which surpass first-line UC drug. In addition, study of underlying therapeutic mechanism demonstrated that the treatment with AU-LIP-CM can alter the gene signature associated with response to ROS for UC mice to a profile similar to that of healthy mice, deciphering related signal pathways. The strategy developed here provides insights of learning from properties of natural bio-substances to empower biomimetic nanoplatform to confront diseases.

Rare-earth hydroxide/MXene hybrid: a promising agent for near-infrared photothermy and magnetic resonance imaging

Layered gadolinium hydroxide (LGdH) and Ti3C2 monolayers were assembled into a LGdH/Ti3C2 (GTC) hybrid. The hybrid demonstrated enhanced near-infrared (NIR) light absorption properties and superior photothermal performance. Moreover, the GTC hybrid achieved an excellent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) effect.

Prediction of thermophilic protein using 2-D general series correlation pseudo amino acid features

The demand for thermophilic protein has been increasing in protein engineering recently. Many machine-learning methods for identifying thermophilic proteins have emerged during this period. However, most machine learning-based thermophilic protein identification studies have only focused on accuracy. The relationship between the features' meaning and the proteins' physicochemical properties has yet to be studied in depth. In this article, we focused on the relationship between the features and the thermal stability of thermophilic proteins. This method used 2-D general series correlation pseudo amino acid (SC-PseAAC-General) features and realized accuracy of 82.76% using the J48 classifier. In addition, this research found the presence of higher frequencies of glutamic acid in thermophilic proteins, which help thermophilic proteins maintain their thermal stability by forming hydrogen bonds and salt bridges that prevent denaturation at high temperatures.

Regulated Cell Death of Retinal Ganglion Cells in Glaucoma: Molecular Insights and Therapeutic Potentials

Glaucoma is a group of diseases characterized by the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and progressive, irreversible vision loss. High intraocular pressure (IOP) heightens the likelihood of glaucoma and correlates with RGC loss. While the current glaucoma therapy prioritizes lower the IOP; however, RGC, and visual loss may persist even when the IOP is well-controlled. As such, discovering and creating IOP-independent neuroprotective strategies for safeguard RGCs is crucial for glaucoma management. Investigating and clarifying the mechanism behind RGC death to counteract its effects is a promising direction for glaucoma control. Empirical studies of glaucoma reveal the role of multiple regulated cell death (RCD) pathways in RGC death. This review delineates the RCD of RGCs following IOP elevation and optic nerve damage and discusses the substantial benefits of mitigating RCD in RGCs in preserving visual function.

Model for predicting prognosis and immunotherapy based on CD+8 T cells infiltration in neuroblastoma

BACKGROUND

Neuroblastoma (NBL) is an extracranial malignant tumor in children deriving from the neural crest in the sympathetic nervous system. Although various immunotherapy interventions have made significant breakthroughs in many adult cancers, the efficacy of these immunotherapies was still limited in NBL. NBL has low immunogenicity which results in a lack of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Moreover, tumor cells can wield many immune evasion strategies both in the TME and systemically to impede lymphocyte infiltration and activation. All these factors hamper the anti-tumor effects of CD8+ T cells during immunotherapy and the levels of infiltrating CD8+ T cells correlate with therapy response.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we utilized multidimensional bioinformatic methods to establish a risk model based on CD8+ T cells -related genes (CD8+ TRGs).

RESULTS

We obtained 33 CD8+ TRGs with well-predictive ability for prognosis in both GSE49711 and E-MTAB-8248 cohorts. Then, 12 CD8+ TRGs including HK2, RP2, HPSE, ELL2, GFI1, SLC22A16, FCGR3A, CTSS, SH2D1A, RBP5, ATF5, and ADAM9 were finally identified for risk model construction and validation. This model revealed a stable performance in prognostic prediction of the overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) in patients with NBL. Additionally, our research indicated that the immune and stromal scores, immune-related pathways, immune cell infiltration, the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and immune checkpoint molecules, immunotherapy response, and drug susceptibility revealed significant differences between high and low-risk groups.

CONCLUSIONS

According to our analyses, the constructed CD8+ TRGs-based risk model may be promising for the clinical prediction of anti-tumor therapy responses and prognoses in NBL.

A Study on the Efficacy of Ω Toenail Correction Treating Paronychia

To study the clinical effects of Ω toenail correction in the treatment of paronychia. One hundred thirty-six cases of 130 patients during the period from August 2018 to August 2021 were treated with Ω toenail correction according to clinical stages, the clinical therapeutic effects of which were evaluated in terms of the operation time, the time to resume movement, treatment cycle, 1-y recurrence rate, and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores before and after treatment. The clinical efficacy was analyzed and compared of Ω toenail correction in treating paronychia of different clinical stages. It has been demonstrated that there was no significant difference in operation time, time to resume movement, treatment cycle and recurrence rate among different stages of paronychia, while there existed the significant difference (p < .05) in VAS score of resting-state pain before and after correction which stood at 6.43 ± 0.29 points with the after-treatment VAS scores at 1.10 ± 0.22. There is a statistical difference (p < .05) in VAS score of movement-evoked pain between before and after treatment. The VAS scores of movement-evoked pain stood at 7.55 ± 0.42, which is in contrast with the after-treatment VAS at 1.74 ± 0.93. It has been concluded that Ω toenail correction characterized by easy operation can relieve the pain immediately, which can achieve satisfactory clinical efficacy for treating paronychia of different stages.

Modified Prebiotic-Based "Shield" Armed Probiotics with Enhanced Resistance of Gastrointestinal Stresses and Prolonged Intestinal Retention for Synergistic Alleviation of Colitis

Oral administration of probiotics is a promising method to alleviate inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). However, gastrointestinal environmental sensitivity and inferior intestinal colonization of probiotics hinder the alleviation effect. Here, we developed a simple yet effective modified prebiotic-based "shield" (Fe-TA@mGN) composed of an Fe3+-tannic acid cross-linking network and carboxymethylated β-glucan for arming Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN@Fe-TA@mGN). The Fe-TA@mGN "shield" not only acted as a dynamic barrier to enhance the gastrointestinal stress resistance ability of EcN but also aided the intestinal colonization of EcN as well as synergized with EcN for the alleviation of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induced colitis. More specifically, with the protection of the Fe-TA@mGN "shield", the survival rate of armed EcN could be up to ∼1720 times higher than that of bare EcN after exposure to simulated gastric fluid. Excitingly, the intestinal retention rate of EcN@Fe-TA@mGN was as high as 47.54 ± 6.06% at 16 h post-administration, while almost all bare EcNs were excreted out at 8 h post-administration. With all of the aforementioned attributes, EcN@Fe-TA@mGN efficiently alleviated colitis, verified by the repair of the intestinal barrier and the attenuation of inflammation. Moreover, for EcN@Fe-TA@mGN, mGN synergized with EcN to positively modulate gut microbiota and promote the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs, especially for butyric acid, a primary source for maintaining intestinal health), both of which would further advance the alleviation of colitis. We envision that the strategy developed here will inspire the exploitation of various prebiotics to arm probiotics for the effective alleviation of IBD.

Heterointerface engineering of NiFe (oxy)hydroxides/CNTs by in situ anchoring of sub-nano Au for efficient water oxidation

Heterointerface engineering of NiFe (oxy)hydroxides is a prospective way of improving OER activity by the pre-catalysis of metal hydroxides accompanying the modulation of defects, but enhancement of the kinetics is controversial. Herein, in situ phase transformation of NiFe hydroxides was proposed and heterointerface engineering was optimized by sub-nano Au anchoring in simultaneously formed cation vacancies. Controllable size and concentrations of anchored sub-nano Au in the cation vacancies resulted in the modulation of the electronic structure at the heterointerface, and improved water oxidation activity was ascribed to the enhanced intrinsic activity and charge transfer rate. Here, Au/NiFe (oxy)hydroxide/CNTs with an Fe/Au molar ratio of 24 exhibited an overpotential of ∼236.3 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 in 1.0 M KOH under simulated solar light irradiation, which is ∼19.8 mV lower than that without the consumption of solar energy. Spectroscopic studies reveal that the photo-responsive FeOOH in these hybrids and modulation of sub-nano Au anchoring in cation vacancies are favorable in improving solar energy conversion and suppressing photo-induced charge recombination.

Electrical/Optical Biosensing and Regulating Technology

Biosensing has emerged as a powerful tool for exploring biomedical mechanisms [...].

A biodegradable, flexible photonic patch for in vivo phototherapy

Diagnostic and therapeutic illumination on internal organs and tissues with high controllability and adaptability in terms of spectrum, area, depth, and intensity remains a major challenge. Here, we present a flexible, biodegradable photonic device called iCarP with a micrometer scale air gap between a refractive polyester patch and the embedded removable tapered optical fiber. ICarP combines the advantages of light diffraction by the tapered optical fiber, dual refractions in the air gap, and reflection inside the patch to obtain a bulb-like illumination, guiding light towards target tissue. We show that iCarP achieves large area, high intensity, wide spectrum, continuous or pulsatile, deeply penetrating illumination without puncturing the target tissues and demonstrate that it supports phototherapies with different photosensitizers. We find that the photonic device is compatible with thoracoscopy-based minimally invasive implantation onto beating hearts. These initial results show that iCarP could be a safe, precise and widely applicable device suitable for internal organs and tissue illumination and associated diagnosis and therapy.

Single-stranded DNA binding protein coupled aptasensor with carbon-gold nanoparticle amplification for marine toxins detection assisted by a miniaturized absorbance reader

Okadaic acid (OA), one of the most widely distributed marine toxins worldwide poses a severe threat to human health. Previous sensing methods for OA detection are usually based on antigen-antibody binding mechanism. However, the drawbacks of antibodies especially the enzyme-labeled antibodies, such as the harsh storage condition and high cost, lead to significant challenges to OA detection in biological samples. To overcome these limitations, a single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) coupled aptasensor was developed for OA detection. SSB was incubated on the microplate as a substitute for conventional OA-protein conjugations. Carbon-gold nanoparticles were synthesized and labeled with horseradish peroxidase and thiol-modified aptamers to obtain a capture probe (CGNs@HRP-Apt) instead of the enzyme-labeled antibody for signal amplification. OA and SSB competed to bind with limited aptamers on CGNs@HRP-Apt probes followed by colorimetric assay to obtain the optical signals correlated to OA concentration. To achieve on-site detection, a miniaturized and multichannel absorbance reader (Smart-plate reader) was self-designed with full automation for OA detection. Utilizing the SSB coupled aptasensor and the Smart-plate reader, our approach enables cost-effective and on-site OA sensing with a detection range of 2.5-80 ppb and an ultra-low limit of detection of 0.68 ppb. Moreover, novel OA detection kits based on the SSB coupled aptasensor were prepared which can effectively reduce the cost by 15 times lower than that of commercial ELISA kits. Therefore, the developed platform provides a favorable and promising avenue for marine toxin detection in aquaculture and food safety.

[Integrated management during the perinatal period for total anomalous pulmonary venous connection]

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of integrated management during the perinatal period for fetuses diagnosed with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) by prenatal echocardiography.

METHODS

Clinical data of 64 cases of TAPVC fetuses diagnosed by prenatal echocardiography and managed with integrated perinatal care in Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Integrated perinatal care included multidisciplinary collaboration among obstetrics, fetal medicine, ultrasound, pediatric cardiology, pediatric anesthesia, and neonatology.

RESULTS

Among the 64 TAPVC fetuses, there were 29 cases of supracardiac type, 27 cases of intracardiac type, 2 cases of infracardiac type, and 6 cases of mixed type. Chromosomal analysis was performed in 42 cases, and no obvious abnormalities were found. Among the 64 TAPVC fetuses, 37 were induced labor, and 27 were followed up until term birth. Among the 27 TAPVC cases, 2 cases accepted palliative care, 2 cases were referred to another hospital for treatment and lost to follow-up, while the remaining 23 cases underwent primary repair surgery. One case died within 6 months after the operation due to low cardiac output syndrome, while the other 22 cases were followed up for (2.1±0.3) years with good outcomes (2 cases underwent a second surgery within 1 year after the first operation due to anastomotic stenosis or pulmonary vein stenosis).

CONCLUSIONS

TAPVC fetuses can achieve good outcomes with integrated management during the perinatal period.

Evaluating the efficacy and cardiotoxicity of EGFR-TKI AC0010 with a novel multifunctional biosensor

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Although epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have dramatically improved the life expectancy of patients with NSCLC, concerns about TKI-induced cardiotoxicities have increased. AC0010, a novel third-generation TKI, was developed to overcome drug resistance induced by EGFR-T790M mutation. However, the cardiotoxicity of AC0010 remains unclear. To evaluate the efficacy and cardiotoxicity of AC0010, we designed a novel multifunctional biosensor by integrating microelectrodes (MEs) and interdigital electrodes (IDEs) to comprehensively evaluate cell viability, electrophysiological activity, and morphological changes (beating of cardiomyocytes). The multifunctional biosensor can monitor AC0010-induced NSCLC inhibition and cardiotoxicity in a quantitative, label-free, noninvasive, and real-time manner. AC0010 was found to significantly inhibit NCI-H1975 (EGFR-L858R/T790M mutation), while weak inhibition was found for A549 (wild-type EGFR). Negligible inhibition was found in the viabilities of HFF-1 (normal fibroblasts) and cardiomyocytes. With the multifunctional biosensor, we found that 10 μM AC0010 significantly affected the extracellular field potential (EFP) and mechanical beating of cardiomyocytes. The amplitude of EFP continuously decreased after AC0010 treatment, while the interval decreased first and then increased. We analyzed the change in the systole time (ST) and diastole time (DT) within a beating interval and found that the DT and DT/beating interval rate decreased within 1 h after AC0010 treatment. This result probably indicated that the relaxation of cardiomyocytes was insufficient, which may further aggravate the dysfunction. Here, we found that AC0010 significantly inhibited EGFR-mutant NSCLC cells and impaired cardiomyocyte function at low concentrations (10 μM). This is the first study in which the risk of AC0010-induced cardiotoxicity was evaluated. In addition, novel multifunctional biosensors can comprehensively evaluate the antitumor efficacy and cardiotoxicity of drugs and candidate compounds.

Protective Effect of Anoectochilus formosanus Polysaccharide against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression in BALB/c Mice

In this study, Anoectochilus formosanus polysaccharide (AFP) was acquired a via water extraction and alcohol precipitation method. The immunoregulatory activity of AFP was first evaluated on cyclophosphamide (Cy)-treated mice. Galacturonic acid, glucose and galactose were confirmed to be the main components of AFP. AFP demonstrated the ability to stimulate the production of TNF-α and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Not surprisingly, the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway by AFP was validated via Western blot analysis. Furthermore, AFP could alleviate Cy-induced immunosuppression, and significantly enhance the immunity of mice via increasing the thymus index and body weight, stimulating the production of cytokines (IgA, IgG, SIgA, IL-2, IL-6 and IFN-γ). The improvement in the intestinal morphology of immunosuppressed mice showed that AFP could alleviate Cy-induced immune toxicity. These results have raised the possibility that AFP may act as a natural immunomodulator. Overall, the study of AFP was innovative and of great significance for AFP's further application and utilization.

Trends in cause of death among patients with renal cell carcinoma in the United States: a SEER-based study

BACKGROUND

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) survival has improved due to recent developments in RCC treatment. Therefore, other co-morbid conditions may have a more critical role. This study aims to explore the common causes of death in patients with RCC to improve the management and survival of RCC.

METHOD

We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) (1992-2018) database to get patients with RCC. We calculated the percentage of total deaths of six kinds of the cause of death (COD) and the cumulative incidence of death for each selected cause over survival time. The joinpoint regression was utilized to present the trend of mortality rate by COD.

RESULTS

We enrolled 107,683 cases with RCC. RCC was the leading cause of death in patients with RCC [25376(48.3%)], followed by cardiovascular diseases [9023(17.2%)], other cancers [8003 (15.2%)], other non-cancer diseases [4195 (8%)], non-disease cause [4023 (7.7%)], and respiratory diseases [1934 (3.6%)]. The proportion of patients who died of RCC decreased gradually over survival time, and this value decreased from 69.71% in 1992-1996 to 38.96% in 2012-2018. The non-RCC cause mortality rate showed an increasing trend, whereas a slight decrease was observed in RCC specific mortality rate. The distribution of such conditions varied across different patient populations.

CONCLUSION

RCC was still the primary COD of patients with RCC. However, non-RCC cause death was increasingly important among RCC patients in recent two decades. Cardiovascular disease and other cancers were crucial co-morbidities that required significant attention in the management of RCC patients.

Inhibition of mitochondrial VDAC1 oligomerization alleviates apoptosis and necroptosis of retinal neurons following OGD/R injury

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common pathological mechanism in many retinal diseases, which can lead to cell death via mitochondrial dysfunction. Voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), which is mainly located in the outer mitochondrial membrane, is the gatekeeper of mitochondria. The permeability of mitochondrial membrane can be regulated by controlling the oligomerization of VDAC1. However, the functional mechanism of VDAC1 in retinal I/R injury was unclear. Our results demonstrate that oxygen-glucose deprivation and re-oxygenation (OGD/R) injury leads to apoptosis, necroptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction of R28 cells. The OGD/R injury increases the levels of VDAC1 oligomerization. Inhibition of VDAC1 oligomerization by VBIT-12 rescued mitochondrial dysfunction by OGD/R and also reduced apoptosis/necroptosis of R28 cells. In vivo, the use of VBIT-12 significantly reduced aHIOP-induced neuronal death (apoptosis/necroptosis) in the rat retina. Our findings indicate that VDAC1 oligomers may open and enlarge mitochondrial membrane pores during OGD/R injury, leading to the release of death-related factors in mitochondria, resulting in apoptosis and necroptosis. This study provides a potential therapeutic strategy against ocular diseases caused by I/R injury.

Enzyme-free and wide-range portable colorimetric sensing system for uric acid and hydrogen peroxide based on copper nanoparticles

Uric acid (UA) is the final product of purine metabolism. A high concentration of UA in body fluid may lead to kidney stones, gout, and some cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the non-invasive daily monitoring of UA is of great significance for both hyperuricemia patients and fit people. However, most of the current detection methods for UA are enzyme-dependent which limits the application scenarios and lacks portable instruments for on-site detection, including optics and electrochemistry. In this work, an enzyme-free and wide-range colorimetric sensor for UA and H₂O₂ detection was developed based on a mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA)-modified Cu nanoparticles (CuNPs). Under the action of UA or H₂O₂, with the cleavage of MSAs on the CuNPs surface, small Cu particles are further aggregated into larger particles with a lightning violet color. With the employment of the multi-channel handheld automatic photometer (MHAP), the concentration of UA and H₂O₂ can be determined on-site according to the absorbance measurement by the photodiodes. The linear range of UA was 5 μM-4.5 mM with the limit of detection (LOD) of 3.7 μM, while the linear range of H₂O₂ was 5 mM-500 mM and 5 μM-5 mM with the LOD of 4.3 μM. This approach has been applied to the detection of UA in human urine, providing more possibilities for non-invasive home health monitoring, community medical diagnosis, and broader prospects of on-site disease detection.

Friction reducing ability of a poly-l-lysine and dopamine modified hyaluronan coating for polycaprolactone cartilage resurfacing implants

Frictional properties of cartilage resurfacing implants should be sufficiently low to limit damaging of the opposing cartilage during articulation. The present study determines if native lubricious molecule proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) can adsorb onto a layer-by-layer bioinspired coating composed of poly-l-lysine (PLL) and dopamine modified hyaluronic acid (HADN) and thereby can reduce the friction between implant and articular cartilage. An ELISA was developed to quantify the amount of immobilized human recombinant (rh)PRG4 after exposure to the PLL-HADN coating. The effect on lubrication was evaluated by comparing the coefficient of friction (CoF) of bare polycaprolactone (PCL) disks to that of PLL-HADN coated PCL disks while articulated against cartilage using a ring-on-disk geometry and a lubricant solution consisting of native synovial fluid components including rhPRG4. The PLL-HADN coating effectively immobilized rhPRG4. The surface roughness of PCL disks significantly increased while the water contact angle significantly decreased after application of the coating. The average CoF measured during the first minute of bare PCL against cartilage exceeded twice the CoF of the PLL-HADN coated PCL against cartilage. After 60 min, the CoF reached equilibrium values which were still significantly higher for bare PCL compared to coated PCL. The present study demonstrated that PCL can effectively be coated with PLL-HADN. Additionally, this coating reduces the friction between PCL and cartilage when a PRG4-rich lubricant is used, similar to the lubricating surface of native cartilage. This makes PLL-HADN coating a promising application to improve the clinical success of PCL-based cartilage resurfacing implants.

Electrochemical Thiocyanation/Cyclization Cascade to Access Thiocyanato-Containing Benzoxazines

Due to the importance of SCN-containing heteroarenes, developing novel and green synthetic protocols for the synthesis of SCN-containing compounds has drawn much attention over the last decades. We reported here an electrochemical oxidative cyclization of ortho-vinyl aniline to access various SCN-containing benzoxazines. Mild conditions, an extra catalyst-free and oxidant-free system, and good tolerance for air highlight the application potential of this method.

Advanced hematite nanomaterials for newly emerging applications

Because of the combined merits of rich physicochemical properties, abundance, low toxicity, etc., hematite (α-Fe2O3), one of the most chemically stable compounds based on the transition metal element iron, is endowed with multifunctionalities and has steadily been a research hotspot for decades. Very recently, advanced α-Fe2O3 materials have also been developed for applications in some cutting-edge fields. To reflect this trend, the latest progress in developing α-Fe2O3 materials for newly emerging applications is reviewed with a particular focus on the relationship between composition/nanostructure-induced electronic structure modulation and practical performance. Moreover, perspectives on the critical challenges as well as opportunities for future development of diverse functionalities are also discussed. We believe that this timely review will not only stimulate further increasing interest in α-Fe2O3 materials but also provide a profound understanding and insight into the rational design of other materials based on transition metal elements for various applications.

Case report: Extravascular catheter migration in a child: A rare complication of the totally implantable venous access device

BACKGROUND

Totally implantable venous access devices (TIVADs) are widely used to gain intermittent central venous access, such as in patients who need long-term chemotherapy, total parenteral nutrition, and long-term antibiotic treatment. At present, there are many complications associated with the use of these devices. Complete extravascular migration of TIVADs via the internal jugular vein is a very rare and potentially serious condition, especially in children.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 1-year-old girl needed palliative chemotherapy because of hepatoblastoma complicated by inferior vena cava thrombosis. A TIVAD was implanted through the right internal jugular vein with a routine heparin flushing tube. On the second day after the operation, a pale bloody liquid was drawn out from the device and the chest X-ray was checked to confirm that the position of the catheter was normal. On the third day after the operation, however, the patient's right respiratory sound was weakened on physical examination and auscultation. Fluoroscopy showed that the tip of the catheter was located in the right thoracic cavity, and there was a large amount of effusion in the right thoracic cavity. The pleural effusion was removed, the TIVAD was replaced again, and the child was discharged 2 days later.

CONCLUSIONS

Following TIVAD implantation, if abnormalities are found, in addition to chest X-ray, saline flush and echocardiography should be performed to determine the position of the catheter and rule out extravascular migration of the catheter to avoid irreparable consequences.

Multifunctional AuNPs@HRP@FeMOF immune scaffold with a fully automated saliva analyzer for oral cancer screening

Delayed diagnosis of cancer-causing death is a worldwide concern. General diagnosis methods are invasive, time-consuming, and operation complicated, which are not suitable for preliminary screening. To address these challenges, the sensing platform based on immune scaffold and fully automated saliva analyzer (FASA) was proposed for oral cancer screening for the first time by non-invasive detection of Cyfra21-1 in saliva. Through one-step synthesis method with unique covalent and electrostatic adsorption strategy, AuNPs@HRP@FeMOF immune scaffold features multiple functions including antibody carrier, catalytic activity, and signal amplification. Highly integrated FASA with the immune scaffold provides automatic testing to avoid false-positive results and reduce pretreatment time without any user intervention. Compared with the commercial analyzer, FASA has comparable performance for Cyfra21-1 detection with a detection range of 3.1-50.0 ng/mL and R² of 0.971, and superior features in full automation, high integration, time saving and low cost. Oral cancer patients could be distinguished accurately by the platform with an excellent correlation (R² of 0.904) and average RSD (5.578%) without sample dilution. The proposed platform provides an effective and promising tool for cancer screening in point-of-care applications, which can be further extended for biomarker detection in universal body fluids, disease screening, prognosis review and homecare monitoring.

Determination of Isoflavones in Radix puerariae from Different Origins by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Based on Optimal Pretreatment Method

A new method for simultaneous determination of puerarin, daidzin, daidzein and genistein in Radix puerariae by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography was established. The target analytes were extracted from Radix puerariae by 70% ethylene glycol with the assistance of ultrasonication, purified by the absorption of N-propyl ethylenediamine (PSA), and separated on a Supersil ODS column (4.6 mm × 250 mm × 2.5 μm). Gradient elution in 12 min was performed with the mobile phase 0.1% formic acid(A)-acetonitrile(B). The column temperature was 25 °C and the flow rate was 1 mL/min. The detection wavelength of the four target analytes was 250 nm. The limits of detection (LODs) of puerarin, daidzin, daidzein and genistein were 0.086 mg/L, 0.020 mg/L, 0.027 mg/L and 0.037 mg/L, respectively, and limits of quantitation (LOQs) were 0.29 mg/L, 0.065 mg/L, 0.090 mg/L and 0.12 mg/L, respectively. The recovery of the four substances ranged from 90.5% to 109.6%, and the relative standard deviation (n = 6) was less than 7.7%. With the established methods, puerarin, daidzin, daidzein and genistein in Radix puerariae from 11 origins were determined. The contents of the four compounds varied with the origin and variety. It provides basic data and technical means for quality control and regulation of Radix puerariae.

Targeting Necroptosis: A Novel Therapeutic Option for Retinal Degenerative Diseases

The discovery of the necroptosis, a form of regulated necrosis that is mediated by receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), RIPK3, and mixed-lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL), represents a major breakthrough that has dramatically altered the conception of necrosis - traditionally thought of as uncontrolled cell death - in various human diseases. Retinal cell death is a leading cause of blindness and has been identified in most retinal diseases, e.g., age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal detachment, retinitis pigmentosa, etc. Increasing evidence demonstrates that retinal degenerative diseases also share a common mechanism in necroptosis. Exacerbated necroptotic cell death hinders the treatment for retinal degenerative diseases. In this review, we highlight recent advances in identifying retinal necroptosis, summarize the underlying mechanisms of necroptosis in retinal degenerative diseases, and discuss potential anti-necroptosis strategies, such as selective inhibitors and chemical agents, for treating retinal degenerative diseases.

Utilize a few features to classify presynaptic and postsynaptic neurotoxins

Neurotoxins are a class of proteins that have a significant damaging effect on nerve tissue. Neurotoxins are classified into presynaptic neurotoxins and postsynaptic neurotoxins, and accurate identification of neurotoxins plays a key role in drug development. In this study, 90 presynaptic neurotoxins and 165 postsynaptic neurotoxins were classified. The features of the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurotoxin sequences were extracted using the AutoProp feature extraction method and feature selection was performed using the maximum relevance maximum distance (MRMD) program, Finally, only two features were retained to achieve 84.7% classification accuracy. Moreover, it was found that the two retained features were present in the conserved sites and motifs of presynaptic neurotoxins and could represent the critical structures of presynaptic neurotoxins. This method demonstrates that using a few key features to classify proteins can effectively identify critical protein structures.

Limitations of Electrochemical Nitrogen Oxidation toward Nitrate

The electrocatalytic N₂ oxidation reaction (NOR) using renewable electricity is a promising alternative to the industrial synthesis of nitrate from NH₃ oxidation. However, breaking the triple bond in the nitrogen molecule is one of the most essential challenges in chemistry. In this work, we use density functional theory simulations to investigate the plausible reaction mechanisms of electrocatalytic NOR and its competition with oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the atomic scale. We focus on the electrochemical conversion of inert N₂ to active *NO during NOR. We propose formation of *N₂O from *N₂ and *O as the rate-determining step (RDS). Following the RDS, a microkinetic model is utilized to study the rate of NOR on metal oxides. Our results demonstrate that a lower activation energy is obtained when a catalyst binds *O weakly. We show that the reaction is extremely challenging but also that design strategies have been suggested to promote electrochemical NOR.

An Immunocolorimetric Sensing System for Highly Sensitive and High-Throughput Detection of BNP with Carbon-Gold Nanocomposites Amplification

Conventional immunocolorimetric sensing of biomolecules continues to be challenged with low sensitivity although its wide application as a diagnostic tool in medicine and biotechnology. Herein, we present a multifunctional immunocolorimetric sensing system for sensitive and high-throughput detection of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) with carbon-gold nanocomposite (CGNs) amplification. Using a “green” strategy, monodisperse carbon nanospheres (CNs) were successfully synthesized by glucose carbonization. A simple and efficient hydrothermal method was developed to assemble abundant gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto the surfaces of CNs. The resulting CGNs were characterized and utilized for biomarker detection with superior properties of easy manufacturing, good biocompatibility, satisfactory chemical stability, and high loading capacity for biomolecules. As a proof of concept, the as-prepared CGNs were conjugated with horseradish peroxidase-labeled antibody against BNP (CGNs@AntiBNP-HRP) functioning as the carrier, signal amplifier, and detector for the sensitive detection of BNP. Under optimal conditions, the established CGNs@AntiBNP-HRP immunoprobe remarkably enhanced the detection performance of BNP, achieving signal amplification of more than 9 times compared to the conventional method. Based on our self-developed bionic electronic eye (e-Eye) and CGNs@AntiBNP-HRP immunoprobe, the multifunctional sensing system displayed a wide dynamic linear range of 3.9–500 ng/mL and a LOD of 0.640 ng/mL for BNP detection with high specificity, good accuracy and reproducibility. This portable sensing system with enhanced performance demonstrates great potential for BNP detection in point of care applications, and offers a universal and reliable platform for in vitro biomarker detection.

Predictive Value of the Log Odds of Negative Lymph Nodes/T Stage as a Novel Prognostic Factor in Bladder Cancer Patients After Radical Cystectomy

Background

The effect of lymph node resection on the prognosis of bladder cancer (BLCA) patients receiving radical cystectomy should not be ignored. Our aim was to explore the prognostic value of the log odds of negative lymph nodes/T stage (LONT) and construct a more effective nomogram based on LONT to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) in postoperative BLCA patients.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with BLCA after radical cystectomy between 2004 and 2015 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were enrolled. We randomly split (7:3) these patients into the primary cohort and internal validation cohort. 86 patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were collected as the external validation set. Univariate and multivariate cox regression analyses were carried out to seek prognostic factors of postoperative BLCA patients. According to these significantly prognostic factors, a simple-to-use nomogram was established for predicting CSS. Their performances were evaluated by using calibration curves, the concordance index (C-index), the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). In addition, different risk groups were tested by Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests.

Result

Whether in cancer-specific survival (CSS) or overall survival (OS), LONT was an independent and significant prognostic factor. Through further screening, the ultimate nomogram of CSS was composed of nine independent prognostic factors including LONT, age, race, tumor size, histologic type, T stage, N stage, summary stage and chemotherapy. The C-index of nomogram in the primary cohort, internal and external validation cohort were 0.734, 0.720 and 0.728, respectively. The AUC of predicting CSS at 3 and 5 years were 0.783 and 0.774 in the primary cohort and 0.781 and 0.781 in the validation cohort. The results of calibration and DCA showed good concordance and clinical applicability. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were displayed in CSS among different risk groups.

Conclusion

LONT was regarded as a novel and reliable prognostic factor. Compared with the AJCC staging system, the established nomogram based on LONT can more effectively predict the prognosis of BLCA patients after radical cystectomy.

Tb3+/Sm3+ co-doped double perovskite: synthesis, exfoliation and luminescence properties

Tb³⁺/Sm³⁺ co-doped double perovskite K[K_1.5(Tb_1-xSm_x)_0.5]Ta₃O₁₀ (denoted as KKT_1-xS_xTO) was prepared, which exhibited typical Tb³⁺ and Sm³⁺ photoluminescence emissions and tunable colours. After protonation and subsequent exfoliation processes, unilaminar KT_1-xS_xTO nanosheets with a lateral size of ∼300 nm and thickness of ∼2.7 nm were obtained.