[Analysis of the progress in the field of oral microbiology and regenerative medicine from 2014 to 2023]

Objective: To analyze the trends in literature related to oral microbiology and regenerative medicine from 2014 to 2023. By identifying key research countries, institutions, and their collaboration networks, as well as exploring research hotspots and development directions, the study seeks to provide references for researchers and decision-makers in the field of oral microbiology and regenerative medicine, thereby guiding the direction of future research. Methods: Relevant literature was retrieved using the Web of Science Core Collection database, with data processing and analysis conducted using CiteSpace 6.2.R6 software. Time slicing, node type selection, and the application of the g-index (g-index) were used for filtering, analyzing countries, institutions, authors, journals, and keywords. Results: The volume of literature in the field of oral microbiology and regenerative medicine has steadily increased from 2014 to 2023, with the number of publications first exceeding one hundred in 2020 and reaching 134 in 2022, accompanied by a citation frequency of 3 363 times. China and the United States have been at the forefront in terms of the volume of publications, while the United States and Germany lead in terms of intermediary centrality. The research primarily spans disciplines such as oral medicine, interdisciplinary studies, materials science, and immunology. High-frequency keywords include stem cells, scaffold materials, and gut microbiota, while cluster analysis indicates that inflammation, drug delivery, and antimicrobial activity remain consistent research themes. In recent years, the research heat in "tissue regeneration""gut microbiota " and "maxillofacial surgery" has risen, suggesting these may become focal points of future research. Conclusions: Over the past decade, the volume of literature published in the fields of oral microbiology and regenerative medicine, along with their citation frequencies, has increased annually. The research focus has shifted over time. Understanding the interactions between oral and gut microbiomes is crucial for developing innovative regenerative treatment strategies.

Quasi-optical design for the cross-polarization scattering diagnostic on the HL-3 tokamak

As the plasma beta (β) increases in high-performance tokamaks, electromagnetic turbulence becomes more significant, potentially constraining their operational range. To investigate this turbulence, a cross-polarization scattering (CPS) diagnostic system is being developed on the HL-3 tokamak for simultaneous measurements of density and magnetic fluctuations. In this work, a quasi-optical system has been designed and analyzed for the Q-band CPS diagnostic. The system includes a lens group for beam waist size optimization, a rotatable wire-grid polarizer for polarization adjustment, and a reflector group for measurement range regulation and system response enhancement. Laboratory tests demonstrated a beam radius of order 4 cm at the target measurement location (near the plasma pedestal), cross-polarization isolation exceeding 30 dB, and poloidal and toroidal angle adjustment ranges of ±40° and ±15°, respectively. These results verify the system's feasibility through laboratory evaluations. The quasi-optical system has been installed on the HL-3 tokamak during the 2023 experimental campaign to support the development of CPS diagnostics.

PVP Passivated δ-CsPbI3: Vacancy Induced Visible-Light Absorption and Efficient Photocatalysis

The aqueous instability of halide perovskite seriously hinders its direct application in water as a potential photocatalyst. Here, we prepared a new type of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) passivated δ-CsPbI3 (δ-CsPbI3@PVP) microcrystal by a facile method. This material can be uniformly dispersed in water and stably maintain its crystal structure for a long time, breaking through the bottleneck of halide perovskite photocatalysis in water. Under visible light, δ-CsPbI3@PVP can almost completely photodegrade organic dyes (including Rhodamine B, methylene blue, and crystal violet) in only 20 min. The efficient photocatalytic activity is attributed to the enhanced visible light absorption arising from PbI2 defects in δ-CsPbI3@PVP and the intrinsic low photoluminescence quantum yield of δ-CsPbI3, which induces efficient light absorption and photocatalytic activity. We highlight δ-CsPbI3@PVP as an effective aqueous photocatalyst, and this study provides new insights into how to exploit the potential of halide perovskite in photocatalytic applications.

CircNRD1 elevates THAP domain containing 11 through sequestering microRNA-421 to inhibit gastric cancer growth and tumorigenesis

We explored the role and mechanism of circular RNAcircNRD1 in gastric cancer (GC) progression, aiming to identify new bio-markers for the treatment and prognosis of GC patients. The RNA expression was examined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were analyzed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay, scratch assay and transwell assay. Western blot assay was conducted for protein expression measurement. Dual-luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation, and RNA pull-down assays were conducted to verify the interaction between microRNA-421 (miR-421) and circNRD1 or THAP domain containing 11 (THAP11). Xenograft tumor model was established to perform in vivo experiments. CircNRD1 was notably downregulated in GC tissues and cell lines. Additionally, decreased circNRD1 level was closely associated with advanced tumor stage and dismal prognosis in GC patients. CircNRD1 overexpression suppressed the proliferation and metastasis of GC cells. CircNRD1 acted as a molecular sponge for miR-421 in GC cells, and the antitumor impacts of circNRD1 overexpression in GC cells could be alleviated by miR-421 overexpression. miR-421 directly targeted THAP11, and circNRD1 could up-regulate THAP11 expression in GC cells through sponging miR-421. THAP11 knockdown reversed circNRD1 overexpression-induced tumor suppressing effects in GC cells. CircNRD1 overexpression significantly blocked tumor growth in vivo. CircNRD1 suppressed the proliferation and metastasis of GC cells in vitro and blocked tumor growth in vivo via modulating miR-421/THAP11 axis.

Inflammatory factors mediated the effect of air pollution on ischemic stroke: a two-step, mediation Mendelian randomization study

OBJECTIVE

Numerous investigations have indicated a correlation between air pollution (AP) and an elevated ischemic stroke (IS) likelihood. The existing literature does not provide a consensus about the possible link between AP and IS. A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was utilized to systematically measure the causal link between AP and ischemic stroke. Furthermore, the mediating impact of inflammatory factors was also performed by a two-step MR.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A two-sample MR analysis was utilized to examine the AP impact on the incidence of IS. Additionally, a two-step MR approach was carried out to account for possible mediating variables. The indirect impact was determined by employing the product approach, which included multiplying the AP impact on inflammatory factors by the inflammatory factors' impacts on IS. The MR effect was identified through inverse variance-weighted (IVW) meta-analysis of each Wald Ratio. Additionally, complementary studies were conducted using the weighted median and MR-egger approaches.

RESULTS

The IVW method with random effects showed that the per unit increase in genetically predicted PM2.5 was linked to the 0.362-fold elevated ischemic stroke risk (OR: 1.362, 95% CI: 1.032-1.796, p=0.029). Furthermore, the IVM technique, incorporating random effects, demonstrated that the per unit increase in genetically predicted PM2.5 was related to an elevated Interleukin (IL)-1β risk (OR: 1.529, 95% CI: 1.191-1.963, p=0.001), IL-6 (OR: 1.498, 95% CI: 1.094-2.052, p=0.012) and IL-17 (OR: 1.478, 95% CI: 1.021-2.139, p=0.038). IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 modulated the PM2.5 impact on ischemic stroke, while the proportion mediated by them was 59.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

A positive correlation between genetically predicted PM2.5 levels and elevated ischemic stroke risk is mediated by IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17.

[The association between body mass index and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events in patients with acute coronary syndrome]

Objective: To assess the association between body mass index (BMI) and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: This was a multicenter prospective cohort study, which was based on the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China (CCC) project. The hospitalized patients with ACS aged between 18 and 80 years, registered in CCC project from November 1, 2014 to December 31, 2019 were included. The included patients were categorized into four groups based on their BMI at the time of admission: underweight (BMI<18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2), overweight (BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m2), and obese (BMI≥30.0 kg/m2). Multivariate logistic regression models was used to analyze the relationship between BMI and the risk of in-hospital MACCE. Results: A total of 71 681 ACS inpatients were included in the study. The age was (63.4±14.7) years, and 26.5% (18 979/71 681) were female. And the incidence of MACCE for the underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese groups were 14.9% (322/2 154), 9.5% (3 997/41 960), 7.9% (1 908/24 140) and 7.0% (240/3 427), respectively (P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a higher incidence of MACCE in the underweight group compared to the normal weight group (OR=1.30, 95%CI 1.13-1.49, P<0.001), while the overweight and obese groups exhibited no statistically significant difference in the incidence of MACCE compared to the normal weight group (both P>0.05). Conclusion: ACS patients with BMI below normal have a higher risk of in-hospital MACCE, suggesting that BMI may be an indicator for evaluating short-term prognosis in ACS patients.

Chromothripsis orchestrates leukemic transformation in blast phase MPN through targetable amplification of DYRK1A

Chromothripsis, the process of catastrophic shattering and haphazard repair of chromosomes, is a common event in cancer. Whether chromothripsis might constitute an actionable molecular event amenable to therapeutic targeting remains an open question. We describe recurrent chromothripsis of chromosome 21 in a subset of patients in blast phase of a myeloproliferative neoplasm (BP-MPN), which alongside other structural variants leads to amplification of a region of chromosome 21 in ∼25% of patients ('chr21amp'). We report that chr21amp BP-MPN has a particularly aggressive and treatment-resistant phenotype. The chr21amp event is highly clonal and present throughout the hematopoietic hierarchy. DYRK1A , a serine threonine kinase and transcription factor, is the only gene in the 2.7Mb minimally amplified region which showed both increased expression and chromatin accessibility compared to non-chr21amp BP-MPN controls. We demonstrate that DYRK1A is a central node at the nexus of multiple cellular functions critical for BP-MPN development, including DNA repair, STAT signalling and BCL2 overexpression. DYRK1A is essential for BP-MPN cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo , and DYRK1A inhibition synergises with BCL2 targeting to induce BP-MPN cell apoptosis. Collectively, these findings define the chr21amp event as a prognostic biomarker in BP-MPN and link chromothripsis to a druggable target.

Genome-wide association study identifies variants associated with semen volume in white-feathered broilers

Semen is a measure of the reproductive efficiency of roosters, which affects the economic benefits of white-feathered broilers. Over the years, research in this field has mainly focused on hens, while there have been fewer studies on the reproductive traits of roosters. To identify the genes related to the semen traits of roosters, we used a chicken 55 K SNP chip to genetically type the white-feathered population (220) and performed imputation with resequencing data from 97 roosters. In total, 1 048 576 SNPs were obtained and used for genome-wide association analysis of semen volume, from which 197 genome-wide significant markers were identified, all within the interval of 13.82-16.12 Mb on chromosome 7. By combining our results with the biological functions of genes in the interval, four candidate genes were identified that potentially relate to semen volume: FAPP1, OSBPL6, SESTD1 and SSFA2. Our findings may provide a basis for further research on the genetic mechanism and marker-assisted selection of semen volume in white-feathered broilers.

Multiband seizure type classification based on 3D convolution with attention mechanisms

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal contains important information about abnormal brain activity, which has become an important basis for epilepsy diagnosis. Recently, epilepsy EEG signal classification methods mainly extract features from the perspective of a single domain, which cannot effectively utilize the spatial domain information in EEG signals. The redundant information in EEG signals will affect the learning features with the increase of convolution layer and multi-domain features, resulting in inefficient learning and a lack of distinguishing features. To tackle these issues, we propose an end-to-end 3D convolutional multiband seizure-type classification model based on attention mechanisms. Specifically, to process preprocessed electroencephalogram (EEG) data, a multilevel wavelet decomposition is applied to obtain the joint distribution information in the two-dimensional time-frequency domain across multiple frequency bands. Subsequently, this information is transformed into three-dimensional spatial data based on the electrode configuration. Discriminative joint activity features in the time, frequency, and spatial domains are then extracted by a series of parallel 3D convolutional sub-networks, where 3D channels and spatial attention mechanisms improve the ability to learn critical global and local information. A multi-layer perceptron is finally implemented to integrate the extracted features and further map them to the classification results. Experimental results on the TUSZ dataset, the world's largest publicly available seizure corpus, show that 3D-CBAMNet significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art methods, indicating effectiveness in the seizure type classification task.

Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Quantum Dot-Passivated δ-Phase CsPbI3: A Water-Stable Photocatalytic Adjuvant to Degrade Rhodamine B

Inorganic halide perovskite CsPbI3 is highly promising in the photocatalytic field for its strong absorption of UV and visible light. Among the crystal phases of CsPbI3, the δ-phase as the most aqueous stability; however, directly using it in water is still not applicable, thus limiting its dye photodegradation applications in aqueous solutions. Via adopting nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs) as surfactants to prepare δ-phase CsPbI3 nanocrystals, we obtained a water-stable material, NGQDs-CsPbI3. Such a material can be well dispersed in water for a month without obvious deterioration. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometer characterizations showed that NGQDs-CsPbI3 is also a δ-phase CsPbI3 after NGQD coating. The ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra indicated that compared to δ-CsPbI3, NGQDs-CsPbI3 has an obvious absorption enhancement of visible light, especially near the wavelength around 521 nm. The good dispersity and improved visible-light absorption of NGQDs-CsPbI3 benefit their aqueous photocatalytic applications. NGQDs-CsPbI3 alone can photodegrade 67% rhodamine B (RhB) in water, while after compositing with TiO2, NGQDs-CsPbI3/TiO2 exhibits excellent visible-light photocatalytic ability, namely, it photodegraded 96% RhB in 4 h. The strong absorption of NGQDs-CsPbI3 in the visible region and effective transfer of photogenerated carriers from NGQDs-CsPbI3 to TiO2 play the key roles in dye photodegradation. We highlight NGQDs-CsPbI3 as a water-stable halide perovskite material and effective photocatalytic adjuvant.

PIK3CD correlates with prognosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor immune infiltration in breast carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Breast carcinoma (BRCA) is one of the most common, fatal, and aggressive cancers, with increasing morbidity that has a major impact on human health. PIK3CD appears to have important roles in the beginning and advancement of various forms of human cancer, according to mounting data. However,the particular role and mechanism of PIK3CD in BRCA remains not fully identified.

METHODOLOGY

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov/ ), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) data and the UCSC Xena browser ( https://xenabrowser.net ) data were used in this study's initial pan-cancer analysis of PIK3CD expression and prognosis. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) that regulated the expression of PIK3CD were subsequently found using a combination of in silico investigations of expression, correlation, and survival. Measurements of PIK3CD expression and an analysis of the in vitro function of PIK3CD in BRCA cells were performed using real-time RT-PCR, Western blotting and Transwell assays.

RESULTS

In BRCA GLI2, RAB32, LAMB1, MGAT2, ITGA8, CHF, COL6A3 and PRRX1-miR-30b-5p axis was identified as the most likely upstream CircRNA-related route of PIK3CD. PIK3CD was correlated with the expression of EMT markers. The PIK3CD cDNA improved the capacity for invasion and migration. The expression of PIK3CD was linked to some of the m1A/m5C/m6A regulators. Additionally, it was discovered that the expression of PIK3CD was found to be highly connected to the expression of immunological checkpoints, immune cell biomarkers, and tumor immune cell invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings reveal that PIK3CD expression is associated with prognosis, EMT, and tumor immune infiltration in BRCA patients.

[Application effects of 3D visualization reconstruction technique in pheochromocytoma/ paraganglioma surgery]

To investigate the value of 3D visualization reconstruction technology in pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma surgery.The clinical data of 87 patients with pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma admitted to the Department of Urology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2019 and December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, and 3D visualization model reconstruction was performed preoperatively in 47 patients [Group A:males was 24 cases,the age M(Q1, Q3)42.00(30.00, 54.00)]. while the remaining 40 patients [Group B: males was 23 cases,the age M(Q1, Q3) 44.00(30.25, 53.75)] was not. The maximum tumor diameter, operation time, intraoperative bleeding, drain retention time and postoperative hospital stay were compared between the two groups. Surgery was successfully completed in both groups. 37 (78.7%) patients in group A underwent laparoscopic surgery, 7 (14.9%) patients underwent open surgery, and 3 (6.4%) patients underwent laparoscopic-to-open surgery. Thirty-one (77.5%) patients in group B underwent laparoscopic surgery, 5 (12.5%) patients underwent open surgery, and 4 (10.0%) patients underwent laparoscopic to open surgery. There was a difference in the maximum diameter of the tumor between the two groups [(6.09±3.02) cm vs (5.32±1.76) cm, P<0.05], the retention time of the drainage tube was significantly shorter in group A compared with group B [(3.20±1.38) d vs (4.02±1.98) d, P<0.05], and the length of the hospital stay after surgery was significantly shorter [(5.75±2.12) d vs (6.49±3.37) d, P<0.05]. Comparison of operation time and intraoperative bleeding between the two groups showed no statistically significant difference (P>0.05).Two cases of postoperative anemia and one case of pulmonary atelectasis in group B patients improved before discharge. Conclusion when the tumor diameter is>6 cm or has a close relationship with the surrounding organs and blood vessels, the use of 3D visual reconstruction technology can formulate and implement a more accurate and safe surgical plan, shorten the retention time of the drainage tube and postoperative hospitalization time, which is conducive to the patient's postoperative recovery and reduce postoperative complications.

Maximizing Electrostatic Polarity of Non-Sacrificial Electrolyte Additives Enables Stable Zinc-Metal Anodes for Aqueous Batteries

Although additives are widely used in aqueous electrolytes to inhibit the formation of dendrites and hydrogen evolution reactions on Zn anodes, there is a lack of rational design principles and systematic mechanistic studies on how to select a suitable additive to regulate reversible Zn plating/stripping chemistry. Here, using saccharides as the representatives, we reveal that the electrostatic polarity of non-sacrificial additives is a critical descriptor for their ability to stabilize Zn anodes. Non-sacrificial additives are found to continuously modulate the solvation structure of Zn ions and form a molecular adsorption layer (MAL) for uniform Zn deposition, avoiding the thick solid electrolyte interphase layer due to the decomposition of sacrificial additives. A high electrostatic polarity renders sucrose the best hydrated Zn2+ desolvation ability and facilitates the MAL formation, resulting in the best cycling stability with a long-term reversible plating/stripping cycle life of thousands of hours. This study provides theoretical guidance for the screening of optimal additives for high-performance ZIBs.

Rapid fabrication of physically robust hydrogels

Hydrogel materials show promise for diverse applications, particular as biocompatible materials due to their high water content. Despite advances in hydrogel technology in recent years, their application is often severely limited by inadequate mechanical properties and time-consuming fabrication processes. Here we report a rapid hydrogel preparation strategy that achieves the simultaneous photo-crosslinking and establishment of biomimetic soft-hard material interface microstructures. These biomimetic interfacial-bonding nanocomposite hydrogels are prepared within seconds and feature clearly separated phases but have a strongly bonded interface. Due to effective interphase load transfer, biomimetic interfacial-bonding nanocomposite gels achieve an ultrahigh toughness (138 MJ m-3) and exceptional tensile strength (15.31 MPa) while maintaining a structural stability that rivals or surpasses that of commonly used elastomer (non-hydrated) materials. Biomimetic interfacial-bonding nanocomposite gels can be fabricated into arbitrarily complex structures via three-dimensional printing with micrometre-level precision. Overall, this work presents a generalizable preparation strategy for hydrogel materials and acrylic elastomers that will foster potential advances in soft materials.

Preliminary results of the 105 GHz collective Thomson scattering system on HL-2A

A 105 GHz collective Thomson scattering (CTS) diagnostic has been successfully developed for fast-ion measurements on the HL-2A tokamak, and it has been deployed during an experimental campaign. Enhanced signals exhibiting synchronous modulation characteristics have been observed across all CTS channels upon the launch of a modulated probe wave. Results show that the intensity of the CTS signal increases with Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) power and is proportional to neutron count, indicating that the scattering signal contains a contribution from fast ions. Compared with the signal without NBI, the enhanced scattering spectrum due to NBI is slightly wider than the predicted fast ion range. Such broadening might be attributed to the heating effects of the gyrotron.

Effective Removal of Dyes from Wastewater by Osmanthus Fragrans Biomass Charcoal

The exploration of low-cost, high-performance adsorbents is a popular research issue. In this work, a straightforward method that combined hydrothermal with tube firing was used to produce Osmanthus fragrans biomass charcoal (OBC) from low-cost osmanthus for dye adsorption in water. The study examined the parameters of starting concentration, pH, and duration, which impacted the process of adsorption of different dyes by OBC. The analysis showed that the adsorption capacities of OBC for six dyes: malachite green (MG, C0 = 800 mg/L, pH = 7), Congo red (CR, C0 = 1000 mg/L, pH = 8), rhodamine B (RhB, C0 = 500 mg/L, pH = 6), methyl orange (MO, C0 = 1000 mg/L, pH = 7), methylene blue (MB, C0 = 700 mg/L, pH = 8), and crystalline violet (CV, C0 = 500 mg/L, pH = 7) were 6501.09, 2870.30, 554.93, 6277.72, 626.50, and 3539.34 mg/g, respectively. The pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir isotherm model were compatible with the experimental findings, which suggested the dominance of ion exchange and chemisorption. The materials were characterized by using XRD, SEM, FTIR, BET, and XPS, and the results showed that OBC had an outstanding specific surface area (2063 m2·g-1), with potential adsorption mechanisms that included electrostatic mechanisms, hydrogen bonding, and π-π adsorption. The fact that the adsorption capacity did not drastically decrease after five cycles of adsorption and desorption suggests that OBC has the potential to be a dye adsorbent.

Plasma position measurements by O-mode and X-mode reflectometry systems in tokamak plasmas

Plasma Position Reflectometry (PPR) is planned to provide plasma position and shape information for plasma operation in future fusion reactors. Its primary function is to calibrate the drift of the magnetic signals due to the integral nature of magnetic measurement. Here, we attempt to measure plasma position using ordinary mode (O-mode) and extraordinary mode (X-mode) reflectometry systems on two tokamaks. A new physical model based on the phase shift is proposed to deduce the relative movement of the cut-off layer without density inversion. We demonstrate the plasma position measurements by absolute measurement from density profile inversion and relative measurement from phase shift. The combination of X-mode and O-mode reflectometers can minimize the limitations of single polarization reflectometry and further increase the accuracy of plasma position measurement. These results could provide an important technical basis for the further development of a real-time control system based on PPR.

Synthesis of Cellulose-Poly(Acrylic Acid) Using Sugarcane Bagasse Extracted Cellulose Fibres for the Removal of Heavy Metal Ions

In this study, sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was treated with sodium hydroxide and bleached to separate the non-cellulose components to obtain cellulose (CE) fibres. Cross-linked cellulose-poly(sodium acrylic acid) hydrogel (CE-PAANa) was successfully synthesised via simple free-radical graft-polymerisation to remove heavy metal ions. The structure and morphology of the hydrogel display an open interconnected porous structure on the surface of the hydrogel. Various factors influencing batch adsorption capacity, including pH, contact time, and solution concentration, were investigated. The results showed that the adsorption kinetics were in good agreement with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and that the adsorption isotherms followed the Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacities calculated by the Langmuir model are 106.3, 333.3, and 163.9 mg/g for Cu(II), Pb(II), and Cd(II), respectively. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) results demonstrated that cationic exchange and electrostatic interaction were the main heavy metal ions adsorption mechanisms. These results demonstrate that CE-PAANa graft copolymer sorbents from cellulose-rich SCB can potentially be used for the removal of heavy metal ions.

One-Step Synthesis of Ag2O/Fe3O4 Magnetic Photocatalyst for Efficient Organic Pollutant Removal via Wide-Spectral-Response Photocatalysis-Fenton Coupling

Photocatalysis holds great promise for addressing water pollution caused by organic dyes, and the development of Ag₂O/Fe₃O₄ aims to overcome the challenges of slow degradation efficiency and difficult recovery of photocatalysts. In this study, we present a novel, environmentally friendly Ag₂O/Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanocomposite synthesized via a simple coprecipitation method, which not only constructs a type II heterojunction but also successfully couples photocatalysis and Fenton reaction, enhancing the broad-spectrum response and efficiency. The Ag₂O/Fe₃O₄ (10%) nanocomposite demonstrates exceptional degradation performance toward organic dyes, achieving 99.5% degradation of 10 mg/L methyl orange (MO) within 15 min under visible light irradiation and proving its wide applicability by efficiently degrading various dyes while maintaining high stability over multiple testing cycles. Magnetic testing further highlighted the ease of Ag₂O/Fe₃O₄ (10%) recovery using magnetic force. This innovative approach offers a promising strategy for constructing high-performance photocatalytic systems for addressing water pollution caused by organic dyes.

Optimization of deposition process for a productive and cohesive bio-CaCO3 to repair concrete existing cracks

Microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is being investigated to repair concrete cracks because of its good durability and compatibility with cementitious matrix. However, during the in-situ application, the repairing often lasts weeks, even months. And the strength regain is quite low. The repairing time is largely determined by the CaCO₃ yield, and the strength regain after the repair is closely related to the cohesion and bonding strength of CaCO₃ itself. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to obtain an efficient precipitation of bio-CaCO₃ with both high yield and good cohesion to improve the in-situ repairing efficiency. Firstly, the most influential factors on urease activity were screened and the precipitation kinetics were detailly investigated. The results show that the CaCO₃ with the largest yield and cohesion was obtained when the bacterial concentration was 10⁷ cells/mL and the concentration of urea and calcium was both 0.5 M at 20 °C. This weight loss of bio-CaCO₃ was 9.24% under ultrasonic attack. Secondly, two models were established to quantify or semi-quantify the relationship between the most influential factors and the yield and cohesion of precipitates, respectively. The results showed the order of contribution for bio-CaCO₃ precipitation was calcium ions concentration > bacterial concentration > urea concentration > temperature > initial pH. According to these models, the required yield and cohesion of CaCO₃ by engineering could be obtained by adjusting affecting factors. Models were proposed for guiding the application of MICP in practical engineering. KEY POINTS: • Screened the most affecting factors on urease activity and investigated the precipitation kinetics. • Obtained optimal conditions of bio-CaCO. • Established two models in order to give some guidance for practical civil engineering.

A Novel Non-Metallic Photocatalyst: Phosphorus-Doped Sulfur Quantum Dots

In this paper, a novel phosphorus-doped sulfur quantum dots (P-SQDs) material was prepared using a simple hydrothermal method. P-SQDs have a narrow particle size distribution as well as an excellent electron transfer rate and optical properties. Compositing P-SQDs with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) can be used for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes under visible light. More active sites, a narrower band gap, and stronger photocurrent are obtained after introducing P-SQDs into g-C₃N₄, thus promoting its photocatalytic efficiency by as much as 3.9 times. The excellent photocatalytic activity and reusability of P-SQDs/g-C₃N₄ are prospective signs of its photocatalytic application under visible light.

COVID-19 pandemic and neonatal birth weight: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Lockdown was implemented in many countries during the pandemic, which led to myriad changes in pregnant women's lives. However, the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on neonatal outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the association between the pandemic and neonatal birth weight.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of the previous literature.

METHODS

We searched the MEDLINE and Embase databases up to May 2022 and extracted 36 eligible studies that compared neonatal birth weight between the pandemic and the prepandemic period. The following outcomes were included: mean birth weight, low birth weight (LBW), very low birth weight (VLBW), macrosomia, small for gestational age (SGA), very small for gestational age (VSGA), and large for gestational age (LGA). Statistical heterogeneity among studies was assessed to determine whether a random effects model or fixed effects model was conducted.

RESULTS

Of the 4514 studies identified, 36 articles were eligible for inclusion. A total of 1,883,936 neonates during the pandemic and 4,667,133 neonates during the prepandemic were reported. We identified a significant increase in mean birth weight (pooled mean difference [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 15.06 [10.36, 19.76], I² = 0.0%, 12 studies) and a reduction in VLBW (pooled OR [95% CI] = 0.86 [0.77, 0.97], I² = 55.4%, 12 studies). No overall effect was identified for other outcomes: LBW, macrosomia, SGA, VSGA, and LGA. There was publication bias for mean birth weight with a borderline significance (Egger's P = 0.050).

CONCLUSION

Pooled results showed the pandemic was significantly associated with an increase in mean birth weight and a reduction in VLBW, but not for other outcomes. This review provided clues about the indirect effects of the pandemic on neonatal birth weight and more healthcare measures needed to improve neonatal long-term health.

Improving the Photocatalytic Activity of Ti3C2 MXene by Surface Modification of N Doped

Methyl orange dye (MO) is one of the azo dyes, which is not only difficult to degrade but also hazardous to human health, therefore, it is necessary to develop an efficient photocatalyst to degrade MO. In this paper, a facile and low-cost elemental doping method was used for the surface modification of Ti₃C₂ MXene, i.e., nitrogen-doped titanium carbide was used as the nitrogen source, and the strategy of combining solvent heat treatment with non-in situ nitrogen doping was used to prepare N-Ti₃C₂ MXene two-dimensional nanomaterials with high catalytic activity. It was found that the catalytic efficiency of N-Ti₃C₂ MXene materials was enhanced and improved compared to the non-doped Ti₃C₂ MXene. In particular, N-Ti₃C₂ 1:8 MXene showed the best photo-catalytic ability, as demonstrated by the fact that the N-Ti₃C₂ 1:8 MXene material successfully degraded 98.73% of MO (20 mg/L) under UV lamp irradiation for 20 min, and its catalytic efficiency was about ten times that of Ti₃C₂ MXene, and the N-Ti₃C₂ photo-catalyst still showed good stability after four cycles. This work shows a simplified method for solvent heat-treating non-in situ nitrogen-doped Ti₃C₂ MXene, and also elaborates on the photo-catalytic mechanism of N-Ti₃C₂ MXene, showing that the high photo-catalytic effect of N-Ti₃C₂ MXene is due to the synergistic effect of its efficient charge transfer and surface-rich moieties. Therefore, N-Ti₃C₂ MXene has a good prospect as a photo-catalyst in the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.

Modified transcrestal sinus floor elevation with concomitant implant placement in edentulous posterior maxillae with residual bone height of 5 mm or less: a non-controlled prospective study

The aim of this study was to describe a modified transcrestal sinus floor elevation (mTSFE) technique and to evaluate its clinical effectiveness and reliability when residual bone height is severely reduced. Forty-three maxillary edentulous patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. All patients underwent the mTSFE technique; 66 dental implants were inserted simultaneously. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed 2 weeks after surgery. Prosthetic crowns were placed 6 months after surgery. Radiographic analyses and clinical analyses were conducted to assess the clinical effectiveness and feasibility of mTSFE during a follow-up period of 2-8 years. The mean vertical bone increase after surgery was 8.09 mm, and it decreased to 6.56 mm at 6 months after surgery. Two cases of membrane perforation occurred during surgery and one implant was lost in the third year after surgery; the survival rate at the implant level was 98.48%. No severe postoperative complication was reported and the subjective feeling of patients was acceptable. This mTSFE technique could simplify the operative procedure and might be helpful to reduce intraoperative trauma, as well as to alleviate postoperative discomfort.

MHD instability dynamics and turbulence enhancement towards the plasma disruption at the HL-2A tokamak

The evolutions of MHD instability behaviors and enhancement of both electrostatic and electromagnetic turbulence towards the plasma disruption have been clearly observed in the HL-2A plasmas. Two types of plasma disruptive discharges have been investigated for similar equilibrium parameters: one with a distinct stage of a small central temperature collapse ([Formula: see text] 5-10%) around 1 millisecond before the thermal quench (TQ), while the other without. For both types, the TQ phase is preceded by a rotating 2/1 tearing mode, and it is the development of the cold bubble from the inner region of the 2/1 island O-point along with its inward convection that causes the massive energy loss. In addition, the micro-scale turbulence, including magnetic fluctuations and density fluctuations, increases before the small collapse, and more significantly towards the TQ. Also, temperature fluctuations measured by electron cyclotron emission imaging enhances dramatically at the reconnection site and expand into the island when approaching the small collapse and TQ, and the expansion is more significant close to the TQ. The observed turbulence enhancement near the X-point cannot be fully interpreted by the linear stability analysis by GENE. Evidences suggest that nonlinear effects, such as the reduction of local [Formula: see text] shear and turbulence spreading, may play an important role in governing turbulence enhancement and expansion. These results imply that the turbulence and its interaction with the island facilitate the stochasticity of the magnetic flux and formation of the cold bubble, and hence, the plasma disruption.

Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected healthcare systems and daily well-being. However, the reports of the indirect impacts of the pandemic on preterm birth remain conflicting. We performed a meta-analysis to examine whether the pandemic altered the risk of preterm birth.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of the previous literature.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE and Embase databases until March 2022 using appropriate keywords and extracted 63 eligible studies that compared preterm between the COVID-19 pandemic period and the prepandemic period. A random effects model was used to obtain the pooled odds of each outcome. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (No. CRD42022326717).

RESULTS

The search identified 3827 studies, of which 63 reports were included. A total of 3,220,370 pregnancies during the COVID-19 pandemic period and 6,122,615 pregnancies during the prepandemic period were studied. Compared with the prepandemic period, we identified a significant decreased odds of preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks' gestation; pooled odds ratio [OR; 95% confidence interval (CI)] = 0.96 [0.94, 0.98]; I² = 78.7%; 62 studies) and extremely PTB (<28 weeks' gestation; pooled OR [95% CI] = 0.92 [0.87, 0.97]; I² = 26.4%; 25 studies) during the pandemic, whereas there was only a borderline significant reduction in the odds of very PTB (<32 weeks' gestation; pooled OR [95% CI] = 0.93 [0.86, 1.01]; I² = 90.1%; 33 studies) between the two periods. There was significant publication bias for PTB.

CONCLUSION

Pooled results suggested the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with preterm birth, although there was only a borderline significant reduction for very PTB during the pandemic compared with the prepandemic period. Large studies showed conflicting results, and further research on whether the change is related to pandemic mitigation measures was warranted.

(Cd,Mg)Te crystals for picosecond-response optical-to-x-ray radiation detectors

We demonstrate a photodetector sensitive to both optical and x-ray picosecond pulses based on our in-house grown cadmium magnesium telluride (Cd,Mg)Te single crystal. Specifically, we developed In-doped Cd_0.96Mg_0.04Te material and discuss its femtosecond optical photoresponse, as well as the detector performance, such as <100-pA dark current and up to 0.22-mA/W responsivity for 780-nm wavelength optical radiation. The detector exposed to Ti fluorescence (K alpha) x-ray pulses at 4.5 keV, generated by a free-electron laser beam with the central energy of 9.8 keV and <100 fs pulse width, exhibited readout-electronics-limited 200-ps full-width-at-half-maximum photoresponse, demonstrating that it is suitable for coarse timing in free-electron laser x-ray/optical femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy applications.

[Analysis and significance of HBV DNA below the lower detection limit of HBV RNA levels after long-term NAs antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis B virus cirrhosis]

Objective: To analyze the significance of HBV DNA below the lower detection limit of HBV RNA levels after long-term nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis B virus cirrhosis. Methods: 97 cases with hepatitis B virus cirrhosis treated with NAs antiviral therapy for at least 3 years between May 2018 to July 2019 were selected. High-sensitivity HBV DNA (<20 IU/ml), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV RNA at least twice every 6 months were detected. According to Child-Pugh classification, HBeAg, HBsAg level, and HBV RNA level intergroup comparison was performed. Rank sum test, χ² test and linear regression analysis were performed on the data. Results: Compared with the HBV RNA level of child-Pugh class A patients, the HBV RNA level of Child-Pugh class B+C patients were significantly higher [4.1 (0,4.9) log₁₀ copies/ml and 2.0 (0,3.5) log₁₀ copies/ml], and the difference was statistically significant (Z=2.370, P<0.05). According to different HBeAg levels, they were divided into HBeAg positive and negative group, and the quantitative comparison of HBV RNA levels between the two groups were 2.0 (0, 4.5) log₁₀ copies/ml and 1.0 (1.0, 2.0) log₁₀ copies/ml, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (Z=3.233, P<0.05). According to different HBsAg levels, they were divided into three groups: HBsAg≤100 IU/ml, 100<HBsAg<1 000 IU/ml, and HBsAg≥1 000 IU/ml, and the quantitative comparison of HBV RNA levels among the three groups were 0 (0, 2.0) log₁₀, 2.0 (0,4.6) log_10, and 2.2 (2.0, 4.7) log₁₀ copies/ml, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (H=11.265, P<0.05). Gender, age, ALT, AST, GGT, HBsAg, and HBeAg were included for linear regression analysis, and the HBsAg and AST levels were correlated with HBV RNA quantification (P<0.05). Adverse events occurrence during 1-year follow-up were recorded. 19 (31.7%) out of 60 cases had adverse events with detectable HBV RNA, and 3 (8.1%) out of 37 cases had adverse events with undetectable HBV RNA, and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=7.24, P<0.05). Conclusion: HBV RNA can still be detected after HBV DNA falls below the detection limit in patients with hepatitis B virus cirrhosis treated with long-term NAs antiviral therapy. HBV RNA quantification level is higher in patients with Child Pugh class B and C. Patients with detectable HBV RNA has higher proportion of adverse events, and AST and HBsAg levels may be correlated with serum HBV RNA.

[Correlation analysis between blood routine-derived inflammatory markers and respiratory function in pneumoconiosis patients]

Objective: To analyze the correlation between blood routine-derived inflammation indicators and respiratory function in patients with pneumoconiosis. Methods: In January 2021, 492 male pneumoconiosis patients hospitalized in Hefei Institute of Occupational Disease Control and Prevention from 2012 to 2020 were randomly selected as the case group, 492 dust exposed non pneumoconiosis workers who underwent occupational health examination at the same time were taken as the control group. The occupational history and clinical examination data of the two groups of subjects were collected, the correlation between blood routine-derived inflammatory indexes and pulmonary function and blood gas analysis was analyzed retrospectively. Results: Compared with the control group, the lymphocyte monocyte ratio (LMR) in the case group was decreased, and the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was increased, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . There were significant differences in forced vital capacity as a percentage of the predicted value (FVC) , forced expiratory volume in the first second as a percentage of the predicted value (FEV(1)%) , one second rate (FEV(1)/FVC) , partial pressure of oxygen (PaO(2)) , partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO(2)) , and pH among pneumoconiosis patients at different stages (P<0.05) . FVC%, FEV(1)%, FEV(1)/FVC, and PaO(2) decreased with the increase of the stage, the trend test was statistically significant (tau-b=-0.24, -0.34, -0.37, -0.17, P<0.05) , PaCO(2) and pH increased with the increase of the stage, and the trend test was statistically significant (tau-b=0.10, 0.08, P<0.05) . There were statistically significant differences in LYM, LMR, NLR, platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with pneumoconiosis at different stages (P<0.05) , and LYM and LMR decreased with the increase of stage, trend test showed that there was statistically significant (tau-b=-0.11, -0.13, P<0.05) . There were significant differences in FVC%, FEV(1)%, FEV(1)/FVC, PaO(2), pH, LMR, NLR, PLR among patients with different types of pneumoconiosis (P<0.05) . LMR in pneumoconiosis patients was significantly positively correlated with FVC%, FEV(1)%, FEV(1)/FVC and PaO(2) (r(s)=0.342, 0.324, 0.203, 0.207, P<0.05) , NLR was significantly negatively correlated with FVC%, FEV(1)%, FEV(1)/FVC and PaO(2) (r(s)=-0.193, -0.202, -0.164, -0.177, P<0.05) , PLR was significantly negatively correlated with FVC%, FEV(1)%, FEV(1)/FVC and PaO(2) (r(s)=-0.194, -0.193, -0.106, -0.113, P<0.05) . Multiple linear regression analysis showed that LMR in pneumoconiosis patients was positively related with FVC%, FEV(1)% and PaO(2) (P<0.05) . Conclusion: LMR in patients with pneumoconiosis has a certain correlation with lung function and blood gas analysis, LMR is expected to become a sensitive indicator for evaluating pneumoconiosis.

Fused 6/5/6 Metallocycle-Based Tetradentate Pt(II) Emitters for Efficient Green Phosphorescent OLEDs

Pt(II) complexes are promising phosphorescent materials for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) applications in the fields of display, lighting, healthcare, aerospace, and so on. A series of novel biphenyl (bp)-based tetradentate 6/5/6 Pt(II) emitters using oxygen or carbon as a linking atom was designed and developed. The intermolecular interactions in crystal packing, electrochemical, and photophysical properties of the bp-based Pt(II) emitters and also their excited-state properties were systematically studied, which could be effectively regulated by ligand modification through linking group control; however, their emission spectra nearly showed no change. All the bp-based Pt(II) emitters exhibited vibronically featured emission spectra with dominant peaks at 502-505 nm and photoluminescent quantum yields of 24-34% in dichloromethane solution. Green OLED using Pt(bp-12) as an emitter achieved a maximum brightness (L_max) of 16,644 cd/m².

[Inhibition of Sonic Hedgehog signaling inhibits fibrous scar formation and adversely affects functional outcome after ischemic brain injury in rats]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of inhibiting Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling on fibrous scar formation and functional outcome after ischemic brain injury.

METHODS

Adult SD rats were randomized into sham-operated group, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion (I/R) group, I/R with intraventricular empty adenoviral vector (rAd-NC) injection group, and I/R with adenovirus-mediated Shh knockdown (rAd-ShShh) group. After the treatments, the neurological deficits of the rats were assessed, and the protein and mRNA expressions of fibronectin (Fn), α-SMA, and Shh in the ischemic hemisphere were detected with immunofluorescence assay and qPCR; TUNEL staining was used for detecting neural cell apoptosis. In the cell experiment, primary meningeal fibroblasts isolated from neonatal SD rats were pretreated for 24 h with TGF-β1 or TGF-β1 plus cyclopamine (CYC) before oxygen-glucose deprivation for 150 min followed by reoxygenation for 72 h (OGD/R). CCK-8 assay and scratch test were performed to examine the changes in cell proliferation and migration, and immunofluorescence assay, qPCR and Western blotting were used for detecting cell transformation and the expressions of Shh, α-SMA, and Fn.

RESULTS

Cerebral I/R injury significantly increased the protein and mRNA expressions of Shh, α-SMA, and Fn in the ischemic hemisphere of the rats, but their expression levels were significantly lowered by intraventricular injection of rAd-Shshh (P < 0.05), which obviously increased cell apoptosis in the ischemic hemisphere (P < 0.05) and improved modified mNSS and modified Bederson scores of the rats (P < 0.05). In the cell experiment, pretreatment with TGF-β1 and TGF-β1+CYC both increased the viability of the primary meningeal fibroblasts after OGD/R. TGF-β1 significantly enhanced the migration ability and induced obvious transformation of the exposed cells (P < 0.05), but these effects were significantly attenuated by co-treatment with CYC (P < 0.05). The expressions of Shh, α-SMA and Fn in the TGF-β1 group were all significantly higher in TGF-β1-treated cells (P < 0.05) and were obviously lowered by co-treatment with CYC (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Inhibition of Shh signaling may inhibit fibrous scar formation and functional recovery in rats after ischemic brain injury.

POS0409 INTESTINAL HIF1α EXPRESSION PROTECTS AGAINST EPITHELIAL CELL DEATH IN ARTHRITIS

Background

While a so-called gut-joint axis is supported by many clinical observations, the current knowledge on such axis is mostly confined to descriptive and correlative data, e.g. showing the microbiota changes are associated with arthritis. In contrast, mechanistic data on how molecular changes in the intestinal epithelium influence the development of arthritis are scarce.

Objectives

To investigate, whether the mucosal barrier in the intestine dependent of the epithelial cell survival maintenance, influences the development of arthritis.

Methods

Intestinal hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α expression was assessed before, at onset and during experimental arthritis and human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Intestinal epithelial cell-specific HIF1α conditional knock-out mice were generated (HIF1αΔIEC) and subjected to collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Clinical and histological courses of arthritis were recorded, and T and B cell subsets were analyzed in the gut and secondary lymphatic organs, and intestinal epithelial cells were subjected to molecular mRNA sequencing in HIF1αΔIEC and littermate control mice. Furthermore, pharmacologic HIF1α stabilization by PHD inhibitor was used for the treatment of arthritis.

Results

Intestinal HIF1α expression peaked at onset and remained high in experimental arthritis and RA. Conditionally deletion of HIF1α in gut epithelial cells strongly exacerbate arthritis and was associated with increased gut epithelial cell death, intestinal and lymphatic Th1 and Th17 activation. Mechanistically, HIF1α inhibits the transcription of necroptotic and apoptotic markers, which leads to a defect in the intestinal barrier integrity. Furthermore, treatment with HIF1α stabilization reinforced the gut epithelial cell survival and inhibited arthritis.

Conclusion

These findings show that the HIF1α regulating epithelial cells survival is critical for the breakdown of the intestinal barrier function in arthritis highlighting the functional link between intestinal homeostasis and arthritis.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared.

Overexpression of Human Aspartyl (Asparaginyl) β-hydroxylase in NSCLC: Its Diagnostic Value by Means of Exosomes of Bronchoalveolar Lavage

The human aspartyl β-hydroxylase (ASPH) is overexpressed in tumor tissues. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a diagnostic procedure for infections and malignancies. The aim of this study was to investigate whether tumor exosomes carrying ASPH gene marker were present in bronchoalveolar fluid of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A tissue microarray analysis was applied to explore the expression of ASPH in different histologic NSCLC. The human NSCLC cell lines and normal bronchial cell lines were used to study exosomal ASPH exprerssion. A total of 27 NSCLC, 21 benign tumor, and 15 healthy controls underwent BAL. Immunohistochemistry was performed to study the ASPH expression in malignant and normal lung tissues. The expression characteristics of ASPH in different NSCLC and normal bronchial cells and pneumocytes were confirmed by cell blocks. A reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was carried out to study the levels of exosomal ASPH expression. Immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarray demonstrated that overexpression of ASPH was found in NSCLC tissues including adenocarcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma, but absent in adjacent normal tissues. All NSCLC specimens exhibited high levels of ASPH immunoreactivity, while nonmalignant and normal lung tissues exhibited a very low level of expression. Overexpression of ASPH was found in exosomes from NSCLC cell lines but absent from the normal bronchial cell line NL-20. ASPH level from BAL exosomes was significantly increased in NSCLC patients compared with that from nonmalignant or health group. Our method of isolation of BAL exosomes was easily performed in the clinical laboratory. BAL exosomal ASPH can be a potential biomarker for NSCLC diagnosis.

Combination therapy with interleukin-15 and metformin as a synergistic treatment for pancreatic cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacies and mechanisms of combination therapy with interleukin-15 (IL-15) and metformin (Met) on suppressing pancreatic cell proliferation and protecting Panc02-bearing mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MTT assays were applied to assess the inhibitory effects of IL-15 combined Met or Met and IL-15 alone on proliferation of normal HPDE6-C7 and Panc02 cells. After tumor grew up to 150 mm3, the Panc02-bearing xenograft model mice were randomly divided into saline group, IL-15 and Met alone group and combined treatment group (n=8) with the administration of each agent every other day for three weeks, and survival rates were recorded. The changes in tumor size, expression levels of the apoptosis, autophagy as well as Akt/mTOR/STAT3-related factors in tumor tissues were all measured.

RESULTS

MTT assays demonstrated significantly inhibiting efficacy of combination therapy with IL-15 and Met on Panc02 cell proliferation compared to other groups (all p<0.05) with combination index<1 showing evident synergistic effect. Moreover, the apoptosis rate of Panc02 cell under combined treatment were 95.5±3.2% and significantly higher than those of others (all p<0.01). In addition, combined administration remarkably inhibited the growth of pancreatic carcinoma, and improved survival rate of Panc02-bearing model with less body weight loss. Furthermore, combined treatment significantly downregulated anti-apoptotic proteins as well as Akt/mTOR/STAT3 signaling pathway and upregulated autophagy related factors, respectively, compared with those of monotherapy groups in both Panc02 cells and tumor tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

Combined treatment of IL-15 with Met showed synergistic anti-tumor efficacies on Panc02 cells attributing to promotion on apoptosis, autophagy and inhibition on Akt/mTOR/STAT3 signaling-transduction in Panc02-bearing model mice.

Development of solid state terahertz interferometer for the first plasma on HL-2M tokamak

A solid state terahertz interferometer has been developed on the recent commissioned HL-2M tokamak. It can work in a wide frequency region of 220-325 GHz, and the terahertz wave is generated from a low frequency phase locked voltage controlled oscillator with the frequency multiplying technique. A phase processor based on field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology is designed for the heterodyne interferometer, and it contributes to real-time display of electron density. To extract phase information, a novel numerical algorithm related to fast Fourier transform is written on the FPGA chip and enables one to obtain phase shift without being affected by amplitude variation induced by plasma absorption or frequency modulation from the outer electromagnetic environment. The interferometer achieves minimum measurable electron density in the order of 10¹⁶ m^-3. With the plasma diagnosis, electron density and low frequency tearing mode have been measured during the first experimental campaign.

Size Effect of Graphene Quantum Dots on Photoluminescence

High-photoluminescence (PL) graphene quantum dots (GQDs) were synthesized by a simple one-pot hydrothermal process, then separated by dialysis bags of different molecular weights. Four separated GQDs of varying sizes were obtained and displayed different PL intensities. With the decreasing size of separated GQDs, the intensity of the emission peak becomes much stronger. Finally, the GQDs of the smallest size revealed the most energetic PL intensity in four separated GQDs. The PL energy of all the separated GQDs shifted slightly, supported by density functional theory calculations.

A remote gain controlled and polarization angle tunable Doppler backward scattering reflectometer

Remote control of the diagnostic systems is the basic requirement for the high performance plasma operation in a fusion device. This work presents the development of the remote control system for the multichannel Doppler backward scattering (DBS) reflectometers. It includes a remote controlled quasi-optical system and a remote intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier gain control system. The quasi-optical system contains a rotational polarizer, its polarization angle is tunable through a remote controlled motor, and it could combine the microwave beams with a wide frequency range into one focused beam. The remote IF gain control system utilizes the digital microcontroller (MCU) technique to regulate the signal amplitude for each signal channel. The gain parameters of amplifiers are adjustable, and the feedback of working status in the IF system will be sent to MCU in real time for safe operation. The gain parameters could be controlled either by the Ethernet remote way or directly through the local control interface on the system. Preliminary experimental results show the effectiveness of the remote controlled multichannel DBS system.

[The value of MRI plain scan and DWI in the diagnosis of brain metastases]

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plain scan and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in the diagnosis of brain metastases. Methods: The MRI plain imaging findings of 105 cases with brain metastases and 103 cases without brain metastases confirmed by enhanced MRI examination and clinical diagnosis were retrospectively analyzed. The comparisons of plain MRI findings including T1 weighted image (T1WI), T2WI, T2/fluid attenuated inversion recovery (T2/FLAIR), DWI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were made between brain metastases and non-brain metastases. Results: The numbers of hypo-intensity, iso-intensity, hyper-intensity and heterogeneous signal intensity of T1WI in the brain metastatic group were 54, 23, 9 and 19, respectively, while the numbers of hypo-intensity and iso-intensity in the non-brain metastatic group were 52 and 51, respectively, with statistically significant difference (P<0.001). The numbers of hypo-intensity, iso-intensity, hyper-intensity and heterogeneous signal intensity of T2WI in the brain metastatic group were 1, 9, 72 and 23, respectively, while the numbers of iso-intensity and hyper-intensity in the non-brain metastatic group were 11 and 92, respectively, with statistically significant difference (P<0.001). The numbers of hypo-intensity, hyper-intensity and heterogeneous signal intensity of DWI in the brain metastatic group were 4, 31 and 65, respectively, while the number of hyper-intensity in the non-brain metastatic group was 4 and others were iso-intensity, respectively, with statistically significant difference (P<0.001). The numbers of hypo-intensity, iso-intensity, hyper-intensity and heterogeneous signal intensity of T2WI/FLAIR in the brain metastatic group were 4, 5, 60 and 36, respectively, while all cases in the non-brain metastatic group were hyper-intensity, with statistically significant difference (P<0.001). The number of lesion accompanied with peripheral edema in the brain metastatic group were 69 cases, significantly higher than 0 cases in the non-brain metastatic group (P<0.001). The mean ADC value in the brain metastatic group were (0.919±0.019)×10(-3) mm(2)/s, significantly lower than (1.098±0.012)×10(-3) mm(2)/s of non-brain metastatic group (P<0.05). Conclusions: For patients with a history of primary malignancy, the MRI plain scan signals of T1WI, T2WI, T2WI/FLAIR and DWI are significantly different between brain metastatic tumor and non-metastatic tumor. The mixed signal, peripheral edema and the restriction of DWI diffusion indicate brain metastases. The combined application of the above parameters can improve the diagnostic efficacy of predicting brain metastases, and contrast enhancement MRI examination should be performed for the confirmation of diagnosis.

Partial repigmentation of a vitiliginous nipple areolar complex following therapeutic mammoplasty

We discuss the unusual repigmentation of a vitiliginous region of a nipple areolar complex following a therapeutic mammoplasty. We consider the autoimmune mechanisms behind the pathogenesis of vitiligo and their potential interplay with the immunological pathways involved in this patient's breast cancer and ultimately in the postoperative recovery period. This case highlights the potential interconnecting thread of immunological disruptions, which may provide a springboard for further discussion around the treatment for vitiligo. It also provides a useful point of note when counselling darker skin patients around scarring when undergoing surgical interventions.

Genomic scan revealed KIT gene underlying white/gray plumage color in Chinese domestic geese

Goose is an important type of domesticated poultry. The wild geese that are regarded as the ancestors of modern domestic geese present gray plumage. Domesticated, geese have both white and gray feathers. To elucidate the genetic mechanisms underlying the formation of white and gray plumage in geese, we resequenced the whole genome of 18 geese from six populations including white and gray goose breeds. The average sequencing depth per individual was 9.81× and the average genome coverage was 96.8%. A total of 346 genes were detected in the top 1% of F_ST scores of gray- and white-feathered geese, and a significant F_ST site was located in the intron region within the KIT gene, the 18 bp deletion in KIT having the strongest potential association with white feathers. It has been reported that a number of genes are associated with plumage colors in birds. However, no studies have identified the relationship between KIT and plumage color in birds at present, although the white coat can be attributed to mutations in KIT in some mammals. Our study showed that that KIT is a plausible candidate gene for white/gray plumage color in Chinese domestic geese.

MicroRNA-26b-5p alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats via inhibiting the N-myc/PTEN axis by downregulating KLF10 expression

MicroRNAs plays important role in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR). However, the role of miR-26b-5p in CIR injury remains unclear. PC12 cells were treated with oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) for 0 h, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, and then reoxygenated for 24 h to construct an in vitro I/R model. Then, miR-26b-5p mimic, small interfering RNA of KLF10 and KLF10 overexpression plasmid were transfected into cells respectively for mechanism study. Our results showed that miR-26b-5p was downregulated in OGD/R-induced PC12 cells. After overexpression of miR-26b-5p, cell proliferation ability was enhanced, apoptosis, ROS and inflammatory mediators were inhibited. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that miR-26b-5p was directly bound to the 3' UTR of KLF10, and downregulated the expression of KLF10. KLF10 was upregulated in OGD/R cells, and transfection with si-KLF10 promoted cell proliferation and reduced apoptosis, NO concentration and inflammatory factor secretion. Moreover, pcDNA-KLF10 reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-26b-5p mimic on apoptosis, NO content and inflammatory factor secretion, as well as the downregulation of N-myc and PTEN expression. Meanwhile, I/R rat models were constructed and divided into sham operation group (femoral artery isolation only), model group (middle cerebral artery occlusion model of rats was prepared by thread embolization), treatment group (200 µL of miR-26b-5p mimic was injected into the brain of model rats). We observed that the infarct size of brain tissue was reduced, KLF10 expression was downregulated, and apoptosis and inflammatory response were reduced. These results suggest that miR-26b-5p had protective effects on CIRI and it may be a potential treatment target.

[Application value of high-throughput gene copy number variation detection in the diagnosis of enlarged vestibular aqueduct]

Objective: To explore the application value of high-throughput gene detection method of copy number variations (CNV) in the diagnosis of enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA). Methods: A total of 46 nonsyndromic hearing loss patients with EVA were recruited between May 2014 and December 2016 from Department of Otolaryngology of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. A high-throughput multiplex analysis method based on double ligation and multiple fluorescent PCR was designed and performed to detect CNV in the three EVA-related genes (SLC26A4, FOXI1 and KCNJ10). The data were analyzed by GeneMapper v4.1. Healthy volunteers (n=100) were selected as normal controls. Results: A total of 46 EVA patients were detected (32 males, 14 females, aged 1 to 26 years). In 4 EVA patients, deletions of exons 1-3 of SLC26A4 gene (4/46, 8.7%) were detected, which were not reported in the database of genomic variants (DGV), and were absent in 100 normal controls. There was no CNV detected in FOXI1 and KCNJ10 in the study. Conclusions: In the current study, three known EVA-related genes were designed as the target area for CNV detection by high-throughput ligation-dependent probe amplification (HLPA) analysis. This method can be used as a supplementary analysis of point mutation detection of hearing loss, which helps achieve the accurate genetic diagnosis of EVA.