High-resolution free-breathing hepatobiliary phase MRI of the liver using XD-GRASP

PURPOSE

To evaluate the performance of high-resolution free-breathing (FB) hepatobiliary phase imaging of the liver using the eXtra-Dimension Golden-angle RAdial Sparse Parallel (XD-GRASP) MRI technique.

METHODS

Fifty-eight clinical patients (41 males, mean age = 52.9 ± 12.9) with liver lesions who underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI with a liver-specific contrast agent were prospectively recruited for this study. Both breath-hold volumetric interpolated examination (BH-VIBE) imaging and FB imaging were performed during the hepatobiliary phase. FB images were acquired using a stack-of-stars golden-angle radial sequence and were reconstructed using the XD-GRASP method. Two experienced radiologists blinded to acquisition schemes independently scored the overall image quality, liver edge sharpness, hepatic vessel clarity, conspicuity of lesion, and overall artifact level of each image. The non-parametric paired two-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Compared to BH-VIBE images, XD-GRASP images received significantly higher scores (P < 0.05) for the liver edge sharpness (4.83 ± 0.45 vs 4.29 ± 0.46), the hepatic vessel clarity (4.64 ± 0.67 vs 4.15 ± 0.56) and the conspicuity of lesion (4.75 ± 0.53 vs 4.31 ± 0.50). There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between BH-VIBE and XD-GRASP images for the overall image quality (4.61 ± 0.50 vs 4.74 ± 0.47) and the overall artifact level (4.13 ± 0.44 vs 4.05 ± 0.61).

CONCLUSION

Compared to conventional BH-VIBE MRI, FB radial acquisition combined with XD-GRASP reconstruction facilitates higher spatial resolution imaging of the liver during the hepatobiliary phase. This enhancement can significantly improve the visualization and evaluation of the liver.

Implantation of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (ADSCs)-Lining Prosthetic Graft Promotes Vascular Regeneration in Monkeys and Pigs

BACKGROUND

Current replacement procedures for stenosis or occluded arteries using prosthetic grafts have serious limitations in clinical applications, particularly, endothelialization of the luminal surface is a long-standing unresolved problem.

METHOD

We produced a cell-based hybrid vascular graft using a bioink engulfing adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs) and a 3D bioprinting process lining the ADSCs on the luminal surface of GORE-Tex grafts. The hybrid graft was implanted as an interposition conduit to replace a 3-cm-long segment of the infrarenal abdominal aorta in Rhesus monkeys.

RESULTS

Complete endothelium layer and smooth muscle layer were fully developed within 21 days post-implantation, along with normalized collagen deposition and crosslinking in the regenerated vasculature in all monkeys. The regenerated blood vessels showed normal functionality for the longest observation of more than 1650 days. The same procedure was also conducted in miniature pigs for the interposition replacement of a 10-cm-long right iliac artery and showed the same long-term effective and safe outcome.

CONCLUSION

This cell-based vascular graft is ready to undergo clinical trials for human patients.

METTL5 promotes gastric cancer progression via sphingomyelin metabolism

BACKGROUND

The treatment of gastric cancer (GC) has caused an enormous social burden worldwide. Accumulating studies have reported that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is closely related to tumor progression. METTL5 is a m6A methyltransferase that plays a pivotal role in maintaining the metabolic stability of cells. However, its aberrant regulation in GC has not been fully elucidated.

AIM

To excavate the role of METTL5 in the development of GC.

METHODS

METTL5 expression and clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed via The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset and further verified via immunohistochemistry, western blotting and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in tissue microarrays and clinical samples. The tumor-promoting effect of METTL5 on HGC-27 and AGS cells was explored in vitro by Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, colony formation assays, scratch healing assays, transwell assays and flow cytometry. The tumor-promoting role of METTL5 in vivo was evaluated in a xenograft tumor model. The EpiQuik m6A RNA Methylation Quantification Kit was used for m6A quantification. Next, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to evaluate the association between METTL5 and sphingomyelin metabolism, which was confirmed by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and rescue tests. In addition, we investigated whether METTL5 affects the sensitivity of GC cells to cisplatin via colony formation and transwell experiments.

RESULTS

Our research revealed substantial upregulation of METTL5, which suggested a poor prognosis of GC patients. Increased METTL5 expression indicated distant lymph node metastasis, advanced cancer stage and pathological grade. An increased level of METTL5 correlated with a high degree of m6A methylation. METTL5 markedly promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells in vitro. METTL5 also promotes the growth of GC in animal models. METTL5 knockdown resulted in significant changes in sphingomyelin metabolism, which implies that METTL5 may impact the development of GC via sphingomyelin metabolism. In addition, high METTL5 expression led to cisplatin resistance.

CONCLUSION

METTL5 was found to be an oncogenic driver of GC and may be a new target for therapy since it facilitates GC carcinogenesis through sphingomyelin metabolism and cisplatin resistance.

Combination of S1-N-Terminal and S1-C-Terminal Domain Antigens Targeting Double Receptor-Binding Domains Bolsters Protective Immunity of a Nanoparticle Vaccine against Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus

Variants of coronavirus porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) frequently emerge, causing an incomplete match between the vaccine and variant strains, which affects vaccine efficacy. Designing vaccines with rapidly replaceable antigens and high efficacy is a promising strategy for the prevention of infection with PEDV variant strains. In our study, three different types of self-assembled nanoparticles (nps) targeting receptor-binding N-terminal domain (NTD) and C-terminal domain (CTD) of S1 protein, named NTDnps, CTDnps, and NTD/CTDnps, were constructed and evaluated as vaccine candidates against PEDV. NTDnps and CTDnps vaccines mediated significantly higher neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers than NTD and CTD recombinant proteins in mice. The NTD/CTDnps in varying ratios elicited significantly higher NAb titers when compared with NTDnps and CTDnps alone. The NTD/CTDnps (3:1) elicited NAb with titers up to 92.92% of those induced by the commercial vaccine. Piglets immunized with NTD/CTDnps (3:1) achieved a passive immune protection rate of 83.33% of that induced by the commercial vaccine. NTD/CTDnps (3:1) enhanced the capacity of mononuclear macrophages and dendritic cells to take up and present antigens by activating major histocompatibility complex I and II molecules to stimulate humoral and cellular immunity. These data reveal that a combination of S1-NTD and S1-CTD antigens targeting double receptor-binding domains strengthens the protective immunity of nanoparticle vaccines against PEDV. Our findings will provide a promising vaccine candidate against PEDV.

Cetuximab inhibits colorectal cancer development through inactivating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and modulating PLCB3 expression

Colorectal cancer (CRC) often necessitates cetuximab (an EGFR-targeting monoclonal antibody) for treatment. Despite its clinical utility, the specific operative mechanism of cetuximab remains elusive. This research investigated the influence of PLCB3, a potential CRC oncogene, on cetuximab treatment. We extracted differentially expressed genes from the GSE140973, the overlapping genes combined with 151 Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway-related genes were identified. Then, we conducted bioinformatics analysis to pinpoint the hub gene. Subsequently, we investigated the clinical expression characteristics of this hub gene, through cell experimental, scrutinized the impact of cetuximab and PLCB3 on CRC cellular progression. The study identified 26 overlapping genes. High expression of PLCB3, correlated with poorer prognosis. PLCB3 emerged as a significant oncogene associated with patient prognosis. In vitro tests revealed that cetuximab exerted a cytotoxic effect on CRC cells, with PLCB3 knockdown inhibiting CRC cell progression. Furthermore, cetuximab treatment led to a reduction in both β-catenin and PLCB3 expression, while simultaneously augmenting E-cadherin expression. These findings revealed PLCB3 promoted cetuximab inhibition on Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Finally, simultaneous application of cetuximab with a Wnt activator (IM12) and PLCB3 demonstrated inhibited CRC proliferation, migration, and invasion. The study emphasized the pivotal role of PLCB3 in CRC and its potential to enhance the efficacy of cetuximab treatment. Furthermore, cetuximab suppressed Wnt/β-catenin pathway to modulate PLCB3 expression, thus inhibiting colorectal cancer progression. This study offered fresh perspectives on cetuximab mechanism in CRC.

Association between allostatic load and accelerated white matter brain aging: findings from the UK Biobank

White matter (WM) brain age, a neuroimaging-derived biomarker indicating WM microstructural changes, helps predict dementia and neurodegenerative disorder risks. The cumulative effect of chronic stress on WM brain aging remains unknown. In this study, we assessed cumulative stress using a multi-system composite allostatic load (AL) index based on inflammatory, anthropometric, respiratory, lipidemia, and glucose metabolism measures, and investigated its association with WM brain age gap (BAG), computed from diffusion tensor imaging data using a machine learning model, among 22 951 European ancestries aged 40 to 69 (51.40% women) from UK Biobank. Linear regression, Mendelian randomization, along with inverse probability weighting and doubly robust methods, were used to evaluate the impact of AL on WM BAG adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic, and lifestyle behaviors. We found increasing one AL score unit significantly increased WM BAG by 0.29 years in association analysis and by 0.33 years in Mendelian analysis. The age- and sex-stratified analysis showed consistent results among participants 45-54 and 55-64 years old, with no significant sex difference. This study demonstrated that higher chronic stress was significantly associated with accelerated brain aging, highlighting the importance of stress management in reducing dementia and neurodegenerative disease risks.

Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in male tilapia lacking a functional rln3b gene

Relaxin 3 is a neuropeptide that plays a crucial role in reproductive functions of mammals. Previous studies have confirmed that rln3a plays an important role in the male reproduction of tilapia. To further understand the significance of its paralogous gene rln3b in male fertility, we generated a homozygous mutant line of rln3b in Nile tilapia. Our findings indicated that rln3b mutation delayed spermatogenesis and led to abnormal testes structure. Knocking out rln3b gene resulted in a decrease in sperm count, sperm motility and male fish fertility. TUNEL detection revealed a small amount of apoptosis in the testes of rln3b-/- male fish at 390 days after hatching (dah). RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated that mutation of rln3b gene caused a significant downregulation of steroid synthesis-related genes such as cyp17a1, cyp11b2, germ cell marker gene, Vasa, and gonadal somatic cell marker genes of amh and amhr2. Furthermore, we found a significant down-regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis-related genes, while a significantly up-regulation of the dopamine synthetase gene in the rln3b-/- male fish. Taken together, our data strongly suggested that Rln3b played a crucial role in the fertility of XY tilapia by regulating HPG axis genes.

Comparative study on the activation of peroxymonosulfate and peroxydisulfate by Ar plasma-etching CNTs for sulfamethoxazole degradation: Efficiency and mechanisms

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX), a widely utilized antibiotic, was continually detected in the environment, causing serious risks to aquatic ecology and water security. In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with abundant defects were developed by argon plasma-etching technology to enhance the activation of persulfate (PS, including peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and peroxydisulfate (PDS)) for SMX degradation while reducing environmental toxicity. Obviously, the increase of ID/IG value from 0.980 to 1.333 indicated that Ar plasma-etching successfully introduced rich defects into CNTs. Of note, Ar-90-CNT, whose Ar plasma-etching time was 90 min with optimum catalytic performance, exhibited a significant discrepancy between PMS activation and PDS activation. Interestingly, though the Ar-90-CNT/PDS system (kobs = 0.0332 min-1) was more efficient in SMX elimination than the Ar-90-CNT/PMS system (kobs = 0.0190 min-1), Ar plasma-etching treatment had no discernible enhancement in the catalytic efficiency of MWCNT for PDS activation. Then the discrepancy on activation mechanism between PMS and PDS was methodically investigated through quenching experiments, electron spin resonance (ESR), chemical probes, electrochemical measurements and theoretical calculations, and the findings unraveled that the created vacancy defects were the ruling active sites for the production of dominated singlet oxygen (1O2) in the Ar-90-CNT/PMS system to degrade SMX, while the electron transfer pathway (ETP), originated from PDS activation by the inherent edge defects, was the central pathway for SMX removal in the Ar-90-CNT/PDS system. Based on the toxicity test of Microcystis aeruginosa, the Ar-90-CNT/PDS system was more effective in alleviating environmental toxicity during SMX degradation. These findings not only provide insights into the discrepancy between PMS activation and PDS activation via carbon-based materials with controlled defects regulated by the plasma-etching strategy, but also efficiently degrade sulfonamide antibiotics and reduce the toxicity of their products.

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics: Current techniques and future advancements

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays a critical role in metabolic waste clearance from the brain, requiring its circulation throughout various brain pathways, including the ventricular system, subarachnoid spaces, para-arterial spaces, interstitial spaces, and para-venous spaces. The complexity of CSF circulation has posed a challenge in obtaining noninvasive measurements of CSF dynamics. The assessment of CSF dynamics throughout its various circulatory pathways is possible using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with optimized sensitivity to incoherent water movement across the brain. This review presents an overview of both established and emerging diffusion MRI techniques designed to measure CSF dynamics and their potential clinical applications. The discussion offers insights into the optimization of diffusion MRI acquisition parameters to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of diffusion metrics on underlying CSF dynamics. Lastly, we emphasize the importance of cautious interpretations of diffusion-based imaging, especially when differentiating between tissue- and fluid-related changes or elucidating structural versus functional alterations.

Contrastive learning with token projection for Omicron pneumonia identification from few-shot chest CT images

Introduction

Deep learning-based methods can promote and save critical time for the diagnosis of pneumonia from computed tomography (CT) images of the chest, where the methods usually rely on large amounts of labeled data to learn good visual representations. However, medical images are difficult to obtain and need to be labeled by professional radiologists.

Methods

To address this issue, a novel contrastive learning model with token projection, namely CoTP, is proposed for improving the diagnostic quality of few-shot chest CT images. Specifically, (1) we utilize solely unlabeled data for fitting CoTP, along with a small number of labeled samples for fine-tuning, (2) we present a new Omicron dataset and modify the data augmentation strategy, i.e., random Poisson noise perturbation for the CT interpretation task, and (3) token projection is utilized to further improve the quality of the global visual representations.

Results

The ResNet50 pre-trained by CoTP attained accuracy (ACC) of 92.35%, sensitivity (SEN) of 92.96%, precision (PRE) of 91.54%, and the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) of 98.90% on the presented Omicron dataset. On the contrary, the ResNet50 without pre-training achieved ACC, SEN, PRE, and AUC of 77.61, 77.90, 76.69, and 85.66%, respectively.

Conclusion

Extensive experiments reveal that a model pre-trained by CoTP greatly outperforms that without pre-training. The CoTP can improve the efficacy of diagnosis and reduce the heavy workload of radiologists for screening of Omicron pneumonia.

[18F]SynVesT-1 and [18F]FDG quantitative PET imaging in the presurgical evaluation of MRI-negative children with focal cortical dysplasia type II

PURPOSE

MRI-negative children with focal cortical dysplasia type II (FCD II) are one of the most challenging cases in surgical epilepsy management. We aimed to utilize quantitative positron emission tomography (QPET) analysis to complement [18F]SynVesT-1 and [18F]FDG PET imaging and facilitate the localization of epileptogenic foci in pediatric MRI-negative FCD II patients.

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled 17 MRI-negative children with FCD II who underwent [18F]SynVesT-1 and [18F]FDG PET before surgical resection. The QPET scans were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) with respect to healthy controls. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the curve (AUC) of [18F]SynVesT-1 PET, [18F]FDG PET, [18F]SynVesT-1 QPET, and [18F]FDG QPET in the localization of epileptogenic foci were assessed. Additionally, we developed a multivariate prediction model based on dual trace PET/QPET assessment.

RESULTS

The AUC values of [18F]FDG PET and [18F]SynVesT-1 PET were 0.861 (sensitivity = 94.1%, specificity = 78.2%, PPV = 38.1%, NPV = 98.9%) and 0.908 (sensitivity = 82.4%, specificity = 99.2%, PPV = 93.3%, NPV = 97.5%), respectively. [18F]FDG QPET showed lower sensitivity (76.5%) and NPV (96.6%) but higher specificity (95.0%) and PPV (68.4%) than visual assessment, while [18F]SynVesT-1 QPET exhibited higher sensitivity (94.1%) and NPV (99.1%) but lower specificity (97.5%) and PPV (84.2%). The multivariate prediction model had the highest AUC value (AUC = 0.996, sensitivity = 100.0%, specificity = 96.6%, PPV = 81.0%, NPV = 100%).

CONCLUSIONS

The multivariate prediction model based on [18F]SynVesT-1 and [18F]FDG PET/QPET assessments holds promise in noninvasively identifying epileptogenic regions in MRI-negative children with FCD II. Furthermore, the combination of visual assessment and QPET may improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests in localizing epileptogenic foci and achieving a preferable surgical outcome in MRI-negative FCD II.

Experimental and theoretical insight into carbamazepine degradation by chlorine-based advanced oxidation processes: Efficiency, energy consumption, mechanism and DBPs formation

Chlorine has been widely used in different advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for micropollutants removal. In this study, different chlorine-based AOPs, namely medium pressure (MP) UV/chlorine, low pressure (LP) UV/chlorine, and in-situ chlorination, were compared for carbamazepine (CBZ) removal efficiency, energy consumption, and disinfection by-products (DBPs) formation. All three processes could achieve nearly 100% CBZ removal, while the reaction time needed by in-situ chlorination was double the time required by UV/chlorine processes. The energy consumed per magnitude of CBZ removed (EE/O) of MP UV/chlorine was 13 times higher than that of LP UV/chlorine, and relative to that of in-situ chlorination process. Accordingly, MP and LP UV/chlorine processes generated one to two orders of magnitude more hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and reactive chlorine species (RCS) than in-situ chlorination. Besides, RCS were the dominant reactive species, contributing to 78.3%, 75.6%, and 71.6% of CBZ removal in MP, LP UV/chlorine, and in-situ chlorination, respectively. According to the Gibbs free energy barriers between CBZ and RCS/•OH calculated based on density functional theory (DFT), RCS had more reaction routes with CBZ and showed lower energy barrier in the main CBZ degradation pathways like epoxidation and formation of iminostilbene. When applied to secondary wastewater effluent, UV/chlorine and in-situ chlorination produced overall DBPs ranging from 104.77 to 135.41 µg/L. However, the production of chlorate during UV/chlorine processes was 15 times higher than that during in-situ chlorination.

Rotavirus infection inhibits SLA-I expression on the cell surface by degrading β2 M via ERAD-proteasome pathway

Group A Rotavirus (RVA) is a major cause of diarrhea in infants and piglets. β2-microglobulin (β2 M), encoded by the B2M gene, serves as a crucial subunit of the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules. β2 M is indispensable for the transport of MHC-I to the cell membrane. MHC-I, also known as swine leukocyte antigen class I (SLA-I) in pigs, presents viral antigens to the cell surface. In this study, RVA infection down-regulated β2 M expression in both porcine intestinal epithelial cells-J2 (IPEC-J2) and MA-104 cells. RVA infection did not down-regulate the mRNA level of the B2M gene, indicating that the down-regulation of β2 M occurred on the protein level. Mechanismly, RVA infection triggered β2 M aggregation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and enhanced the Lys48 (K48)-linked ubiquitination of β2 M, leading to the degradation of β2 M through ERAD-proteasome pathway. Furthermore, we found that RVA infection significantly impeded the level of SLA-I on the surface, and the overexpression of β2 M could recover its expression. In this study, our study demonstrated that RVA infection degrades β2 M via ERAD-proteasome pathway, consequently hampering SLA-I expression on the cell surface. This study would enhance the understanding of the mechanism of how RVA infection induces immune escape.

Reduced eye gaze fixation during emotion recognition among patients with temporal lobe epilepsy

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the facial scan patterns during emotion recognition (ER) through the dynamic facial expression task and the awareness of social interference test (TASIT) using eye tracking (ET) technology, and to find some ET indicators that can accurately depict the ER process, which is a beneficial supplement to existing ER assessment tools.

METHOD

Ninety-six patients with TLE and 88 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. All participants watched the dynamic facial expression task and TASIT including a synchronized eye movement recording and recognized the emotion (anger, disgust, happiness, or sadness). The accuracy of ER was recorded. The first fixation time, first fixation duration, dwell time, and fixation count were selected and analyzed.

RESULTS

TLE patients exhibited ER impairment especially for disgust (Z =  - 3.391; p = 0.001) and sadness (Z =  - 3.145; p = 0.002). TLE patients fixated less on the face, as evidenced by the reduced fixation count (Z =  - 2.549; p = 0.011) of the face and a significant decrease in the fixation count rate (Z =  - 1.993; p = 0.046). During the dynamic facial expression task, TLE patients focused less on the eyes, as evidenced by the decreased first fixation duration (Z =  - 4.322; p = 0.000), dwell time (Z =  - 4.083; p = 0.000), and fixation count (Z =  - 3.699; p = 0.000) of the eyes.

CONCLUSION

TLE patients had ER impairment, especially regarding negative emotions, which may be attributable to their reduced fixation on the eyes during ER, and the increased fixation on the mouth could be a compensatory effect to improve ER performance. Eye-tracking technology could provide the process indicators of ER, and is a valuable supplement to traditional ER assessment tasks.

Effects of a Nurse-Led Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Parents of Children With Epilepsy

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a nurse-led cognitive behavioral intervention for parents of children with epilepsy (CWE).

METHODS

The study recruited 238 CWE from the neurology ward of Xiangya Hospital from March 2019 to August 2022. According to the interventions after discharge, the children and their parents were randomly divided into 117 parent-child dyads in the intervention group and 121 parent-child dyads in the control group. The seizure severity and treatment compliance in CWE as well as the parents' psychological states and satisfaction with the care provided by nurses were compared before and after intervention.

RESULTS

The follow-up six months after discharge showed that the seizure frequency among CWE in the intervention group was significantly less than the controls (P = 0.048). Compared with the controls, the intervention group also reported fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, better sleep quality, and more positive attitudes toward epilepsy, as well as higher nursing satisfaction (P < 0.001). The correlation analysis indicated the correlation of CWE's seizure severity was correlated with the compliance, parents' psychological states, and parents' satisfaction with the care provided by nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

The adoption of the nurse-led cognitive behavioral intervention on parents of CWE can improve the parents' mental health status and their satisfaction with the nurses, which can have a positive association with the seizure severity of CWE. In light of this information, this nursing intervention may be a new method for the long-term disease management of CWE.

Fabrication of porous and defect-rich BiOI/MWCNTs photocatalyst by Ar plasma-etching for emerging pollutants degradation

Carbon material modification and defect engineering are indispensable for bolstering the photocatalytic effectiveness of bismuth halide oxide (BiOX). In this study, a novel porous and defect-rich Ar-CB-2 photocatalyst was synthesized for emerging pollutants degradation. Leveraging the interfacial coupling effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), we expanded the absorption spectrum of BiOI nanosheets and significantly suppressed the recombination of charge carriers. Introducing defects via Argon (Ar) plasma-etching further bolstered the adsorption efficacy and electron transfer properties of photocatalyst. In comparison to the pristine BiOI and CB-2, the Ar-CB-2 photocatalyst demonstrated superior photodegradation efficiency, with the first-order reaction rates for the photodegradation of tetracycline (TC) and bisphenol A (BPA) increasing by 2.83 and 4.53 times, respectively. Further probe experiments revealed that the steady-state concentrations of ·O2- and 1O2 in the Ar-CB-2/light system were enhanced by a factor of 1.67 and 1.28 compared to CB-2/light system. This result confirmed that the porous and defect-rich structure of Ar-CB-2 inhibited electron-hole recombination and boosted photocatalyst-oxygen interaction, swiftly transforming O2 into active oxygen species, thus accelerating their production. Furthermore, the possible degradation pathways for TC and BPA in the Ar-CB-2/light system were predicted. Overall, these findings offered a groundbreaking approach to the development of highly effective photocatalysts, capable of swiftly breaking down emerging pollutants.

iJAZ-based approach to engineer lepidopteran pest resistance in multiple crop species

The fall armyworm (FAW) poses a significant threat to global crop production. Here we showed that overexpression of jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) protein GhJAZ24 confers resistance to cotton bollworm and FAW, while also causing sterility in transgenic cotton by recruiting TOPLESS and histone deacetylase 6. We identified the NGR motif of GhJAZ24 that recognizes and binds the aminopeptidase N receptor, enabling GhJAZ24 to enter cells and disrupt histone deacetylase 3, leading to cell death. To overcome plant sterility associated with GhJAZ24 overexpression, we developed iJAZ (i, induced), an approach involving damage-induced expression and a switch from intracellular to extracellular localization of GhJAZ24. iJAZ transgenic cotton maintained fertility and showed insecticidal activity against cotton bollworm and FAW. In addition, iJAZ transgenic rice, maize and tobacco plants showed insecticidal activity against their lepidopteran pests, resulting in an iJAZ-based approach for generating alternative insecticidal proteins with distinctive mechanisms of action, thus holding immense potential for future crop engineering.

Constructing Metal(II)-Sulfate Site Catalysts toward Low Overpotential Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction to Fuel Chemicals

Precise regulation of the active site structure is an important means to enhance the activity and selectivity of catalysts in CO2 electroreduction. Here, we creatively introduce anionic groups, which can not only stabilize metal sites with strong coordination ability but also have rich interactions with protons at active sites to modify the electronic structure and proton transfer process of catalysts. This strategy helps to convert CO2 into fuel chemicals at low overpotentials. As a typical example, a composite catalyst, CuO/Cu-NSO4/CN, with highly dispersed Cu(II)-SO4 sites has been reported, in which CO2 electroreduction to formate occurs at a low overpotential with a high Faradaic efficiency (-0.5 V vs. RHE, FEHCOO-=87.4%). Pure HCOOH is produced with an energy conversion efficiency of 44.3% at a cell voltage of 2.8 V. Theoretical modeling demonstrates that sulfate promotes CO2 transformation into a carboxyl intermediate followed by HCOOH generation, whose mechanism is significantly different from that of the traditional process via a formate intermediate for HCOOH production.

Characterization of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PM415 as a potential bio-preserving probiotic

Animal feed is vulnerable to fungal infections, and the use of bio-preserving probiotics has received increasing attention. In contrast to Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria spp., fewer Bacillus spp. have been recognized as antifungal probiotics. Therefore, our objective was to screen antifungal strains and provide more Bacillus candidates to bridge this gap. Here, we screened 56 bacterial strains for cyclic lipopeptide genes and conducted an antifungal assay with Aspergillus niger as a representative fungus. We found that a Bacillus strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PM415, isolated from pigeon manure, exhibited the highest fungal inhibition activity as demonstrated by the confrontation assay and morphological observation under scanning electron microscope (SEM). Preliminary safety assessment and probiotic characterization revealed its non-pathogenic feature and stress tolerance capability. Whole genome sequencing of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PM415 revealed a genome size of 4.16 Mbp and 84 housekeeping genes thereof were used for phylogenetic analysis showing that it is most closely related to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LFB112. The in silico analysis further supported its non-pathogenic feature at the genomic level and revealed potential biosynthetic gene clusters responsible for its antifungal property. RNA-seq analysis revealed genome-wide changes in transportation, amino acid metabolism, non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs) biosynthesis and glycan degradation during fungal antagonism. Our results suggest that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PM415 is a safe and effective probiotic strain that can prevent fungal growth in animal feeds.

Multiple factors and features dictate the selective production of ct-siRNA in Arabidopsis

Coding transcript-derived siRNAs (ct-siRNAs) produced from specific endogenous loci can suppress the translation of their source genes to balance plant growth and stress response. In this study, we generated Arabidopsis mutants with deficiencies in RNA decay and/or post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) pathways and performed comparative sRNA-seq analysis, revealing that multiple RNA decay and PTGS factors impede the ct-siRNA selective production. Genes that produce ct-siRNAs often show increased or unchanged expression and typically have higher GC content in sequence composition. The growth and development of plants can perturb the dynamic accumulation of ct-siRNAs from different gene loci. Two nitrate reductase genes, NIA1 and NIA2, produce massive amounts of 22-nt ct-siRNAs and are highly expressed in a subtype of mesophyll cells where DCL2 exhibits higher expression relative to DCL4, suggesting a potential role of cell-specific expression of ct-siRNAs. Overall, our findings unveil the multifaceted factors and features involved in the selective production and regulation of ct-siRNAs and enrich our understanding of gene silencing process in plants.

Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in AChR-Ab Positive Generalized Myasthenia Gravis: A Real World Study About Its Early Response

Background

Since there is no clear priority or selection principle in the guidelines for myasthenia crisis, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) and intravenous immunoglobulin are often administered randomly. However, it should be more prudent in taking TPE due to its higher cost and risk. Studying its early response factors is crucial for managing myasthenia crisis and can improve medical and economic benefits.

Methods

A prospective observational study was conducted, and patients classified as having "impending myasthenia crisis" or experiencing a myasthenia crisis and treated by TPE were included. The primary endpoint was the response after TPE. Univariate logistic regression analysis and repeated measurement were performed to analyze factors related to TPE efficacy.

Results

A total of 30 patients who treated with TPE as their fast-acting treatments were enrolled. After TPE, those whose QMGs and/or MGCs decreased by ≥5 points or ≥30% of the baseline were judged as "response group", accounting for 66.67% (20/30). Respiratory symptoms had a response rate of 72.00% (18/25), showing the most remarkable improvement. Meanwhile, extraocular symptoms were the least sensitive, with only 8.00% (2/25) showing efficacy. Thymoma (100.00% vs 50.00%, P=0.002) and a high concentration of AChR-Ab (37.37 nmol/L vs 25.4 nmol/L, P=0.039) were common in the early response group. Repeated measures showed significant changes in AChR-Ab and CD19+ B cells before and after TPE (all with P < 0.05). After treatment, the CD19+ B cells tended to decrease in the response group.

Discussion

These results indicated that, for AChR-Ab positive generalized MG, TPE can quickly improve respiratory symptoms. Thymoma and a high concentration of AChR-Ab before TPE predict an early better response. Additionally, TPE may work by decreasing AChR-Ab levels and inducing immune regulation. Future prospective and randomized controlled studies are needed.

Enhanced photocatalytic gaseous formaldehyde degradation using N-CQDs/OVs-TiO2 composite under visible light: Unraveling the synergistic effects of N-CQDs and oxygen vacancies

Limited utilization of photogenerated charge carriers in titanium dioxide under visible light have hinder its application development. To address this challenge, a novel N-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) and oxygen vacancies (OVs) synergistically decorated on TiO2 (P25) was synthesized through a facile one-step hydrothermal method. Under visible light irradiation, the first order reaction rate constants of formaldehyde (HCHO) photocatalytic oxidation by OVs-TiO2 and N-CQDs/OVs-TiO2 was significantly higher than that of pristine P25, with 10.1 and 16.7 folds increase, respectively. Characterization results confirmed the generation of OVs on the surface of N-CQDs/TiO2 composite. The optical and electrochemical experiments suggested the electron capture center effect of OVs and the properties of N-CQDs in unique up-converted photoluminescence, efficient charge separation, as well as significant adsorption in visible light region. In addition, the work function also clarified that photoelectrons could transfer from N-CQDs to OVs-TiO2. Furthermore, different relative humidity and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments demonstrated that the hydroxyl radical (•OH) was the dominant reactive radical in HCHO photodegradation. The •O2- could also enhance the photodegradation efficiency of HCHO. This work provides an in-depth understanding on the complementary roles of N-CQDs and OVs and is helpful for designing metallic oxide photocatalysts for volatile organic compounds removal.

Construction of MoB@LDH heterojunction and its derivates through phase and interface engineering for advanced supercapacitor applications

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) has been attracted widespread attention in supercapacitor due to their unique layered structure and associated advantages. However, the inherent limitations of low electrical conductivity and reaction kinetics rate of LDH restrict its widespread application. Various modification techniques, such as heterojunction formation, phosphorization and introduction of phosphorus vacancies, are employed to modify LDH with the goal of improving the electrochemical performance. Preparation of composite materials using MoB MBene as conductive template and phosphorization are the effective ways for enhancing the electrical conductivity of electrode materials. MoB MBene is prepared using a modified method that combines NaOH etching and a high-temperature hydrothermal process. The presence of phosphorus vacancy is beneficial for enhancing the kinetics rate during electrode reactions. Through the synergistic effect of various modification methods, MP2 demonstrates an optimal electrochemical performance with a superior specific capacitance of 1731.19F/g (238.28 mAh g-1) at 1 A/g. It also demonstrates an impressive rate capacity of 81.28 % at 10 A/g and maintains a satisfactory capacitance retention of 88.14 % after 5000 cycles. In addition, a fabricated MP2//AC ASC device achieves an impressive energy density of 39.91 Wh kg-1 at the power density of 948.25 W kg-1 and demonstrates satisfactory cycling stability of 78.76 % after 5000 cycles. This work presents a comprehensive framework for analyzing the impact of material structure, components, and crystal phases on energy storage performance. It also examines the regulatory impact of different modification methods on energy storage mechanisms.

A chromosome-level genome reveals genome evolution and molecular basis of anthraquinone biosynthesis in Rheum palmatum

BACKGROUND

Rhubarb is one of common traditional Chinese medicine with a diverse array of therapeutic efficacies. Despite its widespread use, molecular research into rhubarb remains limited, constraining our comprehension of the geoherbalism.

RESULTS

We assembled the genome of Rheum palmatum L., one of the source plants of rhubarb, to elucidate its genome evolution and unpack the biosynthetic pathways of its bioactive compounds using a combination of PacBio HiFi, Oxford Nanopore, Illumina, and Hi-C scaffolding approaches. Around 2.8 Gb genome was obtained after assembly with more than 99.9% sequences anchored to 11 pseudochromosomes (scaffold N50 = 259.19 Mb). Transposable elements (TE) with a continuous expansion of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTRs) is predominant in genome size, contributing to the genome expansion of R. palmatum. Totally 30,480 genes were predicted to be protein-coding genes with 473 significantly expanded gene families enriched in diverse pathways associated with high-altitude adaptation for this species. Two successive rounds of whole genome duplication event (WGD) shared by Fagopyrum tataricum and R. palmatum were confirmed. We also identified 54 genes involved in anthraquinone biosynthesis and other 97 genes entangled in flavonoid biosynthesis. Notably, RpALS emerged as a compelling candidate gene for the octaketide biosynthesis after the key residual screening.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our findings offer not only an enhanced understanding of this remarkable medicinal plant but also pave the way for future innovations in its genetic breeding, molecular design, and functional genomic studies.

Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus nucleocapsid protein antagonizes the IFN response through inhibiting TRIM25 oligomerization and functional activation of RIG-I/TRIM25

Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), an emerging Alpha-coronavirus, brings huge economic loss in swine industry. Interferons (IFNs) participate in a frontline antiviral defense mechanism triggering the activation of numerous downstream antiviral genes. Here, we demonstrated that TRIM25 overexpression significantly inhibited SADS-CoV replication, whereas TRIM25 deficiency markedly increased viral yield. We found that SADS-CoV N protein suppressed interferon-beta (IFN-β) production induced by Sendai virus (SeV) or poly(I:C). Moreover, we determined that SADS-CoV N protein interacted with RIG-I N-terminal two caspase activation and recruitment domains (2CARDs) and TRIM25 coiled-coil dimerization (CCD) domain. The interaction of SADS-CoV N protein with RIG-I and TRIM25 caused TRIM25 multimerization inhibition, the RIG-I-TRIM25 interaction disruption, and consequent the IRF3 and TBK1 phosphorylation impediment. Overexpression of SADS-CoV N protein facilitated the replication of VSV-GFP by suppressing IFN-β production. Our results demonstrate that SADS-CoV N suppresses the host IFN response, thus highlighting the significant involvement of TRIM25 in regulating antiviral immune defenses.

Red and processed meat intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Previous observational studies have yielded inconsistent findings regarding associations between red/processed meat intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Some studies have suggested positive relationships, while others have demonstrated no significant associations. However, causal effects remain uncertain. This 2023 Mendelianrandomization (MR) study investigated the causal relationship between red and processed meat (porkmeat, mutton meat, beef meat)intake and CVD risk by analyzing summary data from the UK Biobank (exposure), CARDIoGRAMplusC4D (coronary artery disease [CAD]), MEGASTROKE (stroke), Nielsen et al. (atrial fibrillation [AF]), HERMES (heart failure [HF]), and FinnGen (cardiovascular outcomes) public databases.

METHODS

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of red meat (pork, beef, and mutton) and processed meat were sourced from the United Kingdom (UK) Biobank. GWAS data on CVD for this study were obtained from the Gene and FinnGen consortia. The primary method employed for the two-sample MR analysis was inverse variance weighting (IVW). Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the reliability and consistency of the results.

RESULTS

Genetically predicted red and processed meat consumption did not demonstrate a causal association with any CVD outcomes when employing the IVW method. For processed meat intake, the odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals CIs) in large consortia were as follows: 0.88 (0.56-1.39) for CAD, 0.91 (0.65-1.27) for AF, 0.84 (0.58-1.21) for HF, and 1.00 (0.75-1.05) for stroke. In FinnGen, the ORs were as follows: 1.15 (0.83-1.59) for CAD, 1.25 (0.75-2.07) for AF, 1.09 (0.73-1.64) for HF, and 1.27 (0.85-1.91) for stroke. For beef intake, the ORs (95% CIs) in large consortia were as follows: 0.70 (0.28-1.73) for CAD, 0.85 (0.49-1.49) for AF, 0.80 (0.35-1.83) for HF, and 1.29 (0.85-1.95) for stroke. In FinnGen, the ORs were as follows: 2.01 (0.75-5.39) for CAD, 1.83 (0.60-5.56) for AF, 0.80 (0.30-2.13) for HF, and 1.30 (0.62-2.73) for stroke. For pork intake, the ORs (95% CIs) in large consortia were as follows: 1.25 (0.37-4.22) for CAD, 1.26 (0.73-2.15) for AF, 1.71 (0.86-3.39) for HF, and 1.15 (0.63-2.11) for stroke. In FinnGen, the ORs were as follows: 1.12 (0.43-2.88) for CAD, 0.39 (0.08-1.83) for AF, 0.62 (0.20-1.88) for HF, and 0.60 (0.21-1.65) for stroke. For mutton intake, the ORs (95% CIs) in large consortia were as follows: 0.84 (0.48-1.44) for CAD, 0.84 (0.56-1.26) for AF, 1.04 (0.65-1.67) for HF, and 1.06 (0.77-1.45) for stroke. In FinnGen, the ORs were as follows: 1.20 (0.65-2.21) for CAD, 0.92 (0.44-1.92) for AF, 0.74 (0.34-1.58) for HF, and 0.75 (0.45-1.24) for stroke. The results remained robust and consistent in both the meta-analysis and supplementary MR analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This MR study demonstrated no significant causal relationships between red/processed meat intake and the risk of the four CVD outcomes examined. Further investigation is warranted to confirm these findings.

Preoperative structural-functional coupling at the default mode network predicts surgical outcomes of temporal lobe epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

Structural-functional coupling (SFC) has shown great promise in predicting postsurgical seizure recurrence in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In this study, we aimed to clarify the global alterations in SFC in TLE patients and predict their surgical outcomes using SFC features.

METHODS

This study analyzed presurgical diffusion and functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 71 TLE patients and 48 healthy controls (HCs). TLE patients were categorized into seizure-free (SF) and non-seizure-free (nSF) groups based on postsurgical recurrence. Individual functional connectivity (FC), structural connectivity (SC), and SFC were quantified at the regional and modular levels. The data were compared between the TLE and HC groups as well as among the TLE, SF, and nSF groups. The features of SFC, SC, and FC were categorized into three datasets: the modular SFC dataset, regional SFC dataset, and SC/FC dataset. Each dataset was independently integrated into a cross-validated machine learning model to classify surgical outcomes.

RESULTS

Compared with HCs, the visual and subcortical modules exhibited decoupling in TLE patients (p < .05). Multiple default mode network (DMN)-related SFCs were significantly higher in the nSF group than in the SF group (p < .05). Models trained using the modular SFC dataset demonstrated the highest predictive performance. The final prediction model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of .893 with an overall accuracy of .887.

SIGNIFICANCE

Presurgical hyper-SFC in the DMN was strongly associated with postoperative seizure recurrence. Furthermore, our results introduce a novel SFC-based machine learning model to precisely classify the surgical outcomes of TLE.

Memory deficit in patients with cerebral small vessel disease: evidence from eye tracking technology

Cerebral small vessel disease is the one of the most prevalent causes of vascular cognitive impairment. We aimed to find objective and process-based indicators related to memory function to assist in the detection of memory impairment in patients with cerebral small vessel disease. Thirty-nine cerebral small vessel disease patients and 22 healthy controls were invited to complete neurological examinations, neuropsychological assessments, and eye tracking tasks. Eye tracking indicators were recorded and analyzed in combination with imaging features. The cerebral small vessel disease patients scored lower on traditional memory task and performed worse on eye tracking memory task performance compared to the healthy controls. The cerebral small vessel disease patients exhibited longer visit duration and more visit count within areas of interest and targets and decreased percentage value of total visit duration on target images to total visit duration on areas of interest during decoding stage among all levels. Our results demonstrated the cerebral small vessel disease patients performed worse in memory scale and eye tracking memory task, potentially due to their heightened attentional allocation to nontarget images during the retrieval stage. The eye tracking memory task could provide process-based indicators to be a beneficial complement to memory assessment and new insights into mechanism of memory impairment in cerebral small vessel disease patients.

Dimension-controlled synthesis of BiOI for efficient visible light photodegradation of tetracycline: role of pore structure

The transformation of photogenerated charge carriers (PC) in variable dimensional photocatalyst plays a pivotal role in unraveling the generation of reactive species (RS). However, the dimensional structure-activity relationship in photocatalysis remains elusive, with limited insights into its intricacies. Herein, we report a controlled synthesis strategy by using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-assisted precipitation method for BiOI photocatalyst. Due to the steric hindrance of PVP, the 3D microsphere (3D-PVP0.5) and porous structure (3D-PVP1) of BiOI catalysts have been successfully prepared at room temperature. The 3D-PVP1 photocatalyst contains abundant mesopores and larger pores, which significantly shorten the diffusion distance of PC. Also, these PC in porous structure is beneficial for transferring from the inner phase to the surface of materials. Combined with optical property and radicals trapping experiments, the recombination rate of PC in porous structure performs a significant decrease, leading to the generation of more dominated ROS (•O2- and h+). The •O2- played a dominated role (86.98% of contribution rate) in photodegradation of tetracycline (TC) in 3D-PVP1 photocatalytic process. Compared with 2D nanosheet of BiOI (16.7% removal rate of TC), the as-prepared 3D porous structure of BiOI catalyst exhibits unique stable and high removal capacities (90.5%) for TC photodegradation under visible light irradiation. The kobs of 3D-PVP1 photocatalyst increased by 5.1 times than that of 2D nanosheet. To investigate its practical application, the effects of inorganic anions and pH have been systematically studied. This work sheds light on the design of variable dimension BiOI catalyst and provides more insight into the transfer mechanism of PC.

Risk factors for high-stage histological chorioamnionitis among pregnancies with cervical incompetence

AIM

The study aimed to identify predictive risk factor to identify high-stage histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) in pregnancies with cervical incompetence (CIC).

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted by including 116 pregnant women with cervical incompetence that required prophylactical and therapeutical cerclage. The histopathology examination on placenta was conducted with informed patient consent. All the cases included in this study were divided based on the severity degree of HCA. The demographic characteristic and the parameters related to maternal and fetal outcome were all analyzed. Besides, perioperative parameters of cerclage, including cervical length, cervical morphology, and laboratory indexes were also compared between two groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to determine the risk factor of severe chorioamnionitis.

RESULTS

Severe HCA was significantly associated with cervical morphology, cerclage indication, cerclage type, and cervical length measured via ultrasound and vaginal examination. After adjusted for confounders, V-type funneling and short cervix was indicated as independent risk factors of severe HCA by multivariate logistic regression analysis, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

V-type funneling and short cervix may indicate the elevated risk of high-stage HCA. Due to the negative outcomes related with high-stage HCA, appropriate prenatal treatment would improve the pregnancy outcomes in cerclaged population. To facilitate postpartum treatment, placental histological examination should be routinely recommended to identify the high-stage HCA, especially in high risk pregnancies.

Measurements of All-Particle Energy Spectrum and Mean Logarithmic Mass of Cosmic Rays from 0.3 to 30 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

We present the measurements of all-particle energy spectrum and mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays in the energy range of 0.3-30 PeV using data collected from LHAASO-KM2A between September 2021 and December 2022, which is based on a nearly composition-independent energy reconstruction method, achieving unprecedented accuracy. Our analysis reveals the position of the knee at 3.67±0.05±0.15  PeV. Below the knee, the spectral index is found to be -2.7413±0.0004±0.0050, while above the knee, it is -3.128±0.005±0.027, with the sharpness of the transition measured with a statistical error of 2%. The mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays is almost heavier than helium in the whole measured energy range. It decreases from 1.7 at 0.3 PeV to 1.3 at 3 PeV, representing a 24% decline following a power law with an index of -0.1200±0.0003±0.0341. This is equivalent to an increase in abundance of light components. Above the knee, the mean logarithmic mass exhibits a power law trend towards heavier components, which is reversal to the behavior observed in the all-particle energy spectrum. Additionally, the knee position and the change in power-law index are approximately the same. These findings suggest that the knee observed in the all-particle spectrum corresponds to the knee of the light component, rather than the medium-heavy components.

Co-targeting CD47 and VEGF elicited potent anti-tumor effects in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

CD47, serving as an intrinsic immune checkpoint, has demonstrated efficacy as an anti-tumor target in hematologic malignancies. Nevertheless, the clinical relevance of CD47 in gastric cancer and its potential as a therapeutic target remains unclear.

METHODS

The expression of CD47 in clinical gastric cancer tissues was assessed using immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Patient-derived cells were obtained from gastric cancer tissues and co-cultured with macrophages derived from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Flow cytometry analyses were employed to evaluate the rate of phagocytosis. Humanized patient-derived xenografts (Hu-PDXs) models were established to assess the efficacy of anti-CD47 immunotherapy or the combination of anti-CD47 and anti-VEGF therapy in treating gastric cancer. The infiltrated immune cells in the xenograft were analyzed by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

In this study, we have substantiated the high expression of CD47 in gastric cancer tissues, establishing a strong association with unfavorable prognosis. Through the utilization of SIRPα-Fc to target CD47, we have effectively enhanced macrophage phagocytosis of PDCs in vitro and impeded the growth of Hu-PDXs. It is noteworthy that anti-CD47 immunotherapy has been observed to sustain tumor angiogenic vasculature, with a positive correlation between the expression of VEGF and CD47 in gastric cancer. Furthermore, the successful implementation of anti-angiogenic treatment has further augmented the anti-tumor efficacy of anti-CD47 therapy. In addition, the potent suppression of tumor growth, prevention of cancer recurrence after surgery, and significant prolongation of overall survival in Hu-PDX models can be achieved through the simultaneous targeting of CD47 and VEGF using the bispecific fusion protein SIRPα-VEGFR1 or by combining the two single-targeted agents.

CONCLUSIONS

Our preclinical studies collectively offer substantiation that CD47 holds promise as a prospective target for gastric cancer, while also highlighting the potential of anti-angiogenic therapy to enhance tumor responsiveness to anti-CD47 immunotherapy.

Structure Sensitivity of Metal Catalysts Revealed by Interpretable Machine Learning and First-Principles Calculations

The nature of the active sites and their structure sensitivity are the keys to rational design of efficient catalysts but have been debated for almost one century in heterogeneous catalysis. Though the Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi (BEP) relationship along with linear scaling relation has long been used to study the reactivity, explicit geometry, and composition properties are absent in this relationship, a fact that prevents its exploration in structure sensitivity of supported catalysts. In this work, based on interpretable multitask symbolic regression and a comprehensive first-principles data set, we discovered a structure descriptor, the topological under-coordinated number mediated by number of valence electrons and the lattice constant, to successfully address the structure sensitivity of metal catalysts. The database used for training, testing, and transferability investigation includes bond-breaking barriers of 20 distinct chemical bonds over 10 transition metals, two metal crystallographic phases, and 17 different facets. The resulting 2D descriptor composing the structure term and the reaction energy term shows great accuracy to predict the reaction barriers and generalizability over the data set with diverse chemical bonds in symmetry, bond order, and steric hindrance. The theory is physical and concise, providing a constructive strategy not only to understand the structure sensitivity but also to decipher the entangled geometric and electronic effects of metal catalysts. The insights revealed are valuable for the rational design of the site-specific metal catalysts.

Clinical features of adult patients with positive NMDAR-IgG coexisting with MOG-IgG

INTRODUCTION

This study was designed to analyze clinical and radiographic features of adult patients coexisting with NMDAR-IgG and MOG-IgG.

METHODS

Eleven adult patients coexisting with NMDAR-IgG and MOG-IgG were collected from Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, between June 2017 and December 2021. Fifty-five patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis and 49 with MOG-AD were served as controls.

RESULTS

Onset age was 27 (IQR 20-34) years old. Seizures and psychotic symptoms were prominent symptoms. Ten of eleven patients presented abnormal T2/FLAIR hyperintensity, mainly involving the cortex, brainstem, and optic nerve. Compared with the NMDAR IgG ( +)/MOG IgG ( -) group, the NMDAR IgG ( +)/MOG IgG ( +) group showed more ataxia symptoms (27.3% vs. 3.6%, P = 0.037), while more T2/FLAIR hyperintensity lesions were found in the brainstem (54.5% vs. 7.3%, P < 0.001) and optic nerve (27.3% vs. 1.8%, P = 0.011) with more abnormal MRI patterns (90.9% vs. 41.8%, P = 0.003). In comparison with the NMDAR IgG ( -)/MOG IgG ( +) group, the NMDAR IgG ( +)/MOG IgG ( +) group had more seizures (72.7% vs. 24.5%, P = 0.007) and mental symptoms (45.5% vs. 0, P < 0.001). The NMDAR IgG ( +)/MOG IgG ( +) group tended to be treated with corticosteroids alone (63.6% vs. 20.0%, P = 0.009), more prone to recur (36.5% vs. 7.3%, P = 0.028) and lower mRS score (P = 0.036) at the last follow-up than pure anti-NMDAR encephalitis.

CONCLUSION

The symptoms of the NMDAR IgG ( +)/MOG IgG ( +) group were more similar to anti-NMDAR encephalitis, while MRI patterns overlapped more with MOG-AD. Detecting both NMDAR-IgG and MOG-IgG maybe warranted in patients with atypical encephalitis symptoms and demyelinating lesions in infratentorial regions.

Improving the green space arrangement in residential areas from the perspective of tree leaf temperature utilizing scenario simulation in ENVI-met

Studying the differences in leaf temperature and their mechanisms can help us accurately understand the microenvironment in which plants are located. In this paper, typical residential areas in Jianye District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, are selected as the research area, we investigated the suitability of green space configurations from the perspective of tree leaf temperature of residential areas based on the scenario simulation in ENVI-met. Firstly, twenty abstract models were constructed, including four kinds of aspect ratio of trees (ARTs) which can be used to indicate the different green space arrangement and two typical tree species, camphora tree and platanus tree. And then three aspects were discussed including impacts of different Aspect Ratio of Trees (ART), different house-side configurations on tree leaf temperature and the relationship between temperature of tree leaves and land surface temperature (ΔSurfT) and the thermal comfort index of physiological equivalent temperature (ΔPET). The results showed that B-1 (camphor tree, ART = 2) demonstrates the most effective cooling effect in summer, with ΔPET of 3.09 °C and ΔSurfT of 3.34 °C. In winter, A-1 (platanus tree, ART = 2) proves to be the most effective in enhancing thermal comfort (ΔPET = -0.15 °C), while B-1 excels in improving surface temperature (ΔSurfT = 0.55 °C). In all, for residential area, especially in summer, planting dense camphora trees is better than platanus trees and house-side green space was very necessary. This research can help to determine appropriate tree species and green space configuration strategies for future residential areas to enhance thermal comfort.

NLRP1 restricts porcine deltacoronavirus infection via IL-11 inhibiting the phosphorylation of the ERK signaling pathway

Continuously emerging highly pathogenic coronaviruses remain a major threat to human and animal health. Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a newly emerging enterotropic swine coronavirus that causes large-scale outbreaks of severe diarrhea disease in piglets. Unlike other porcine coronaviruses, PDCoV has a wide range of species tissue tropism, including primary human cells, which poses a significant risk of cross-species transmission. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain-containing 1 (NLRP1) has a key role in linking host innate immunity to microbes and the regulation of inflammatory pathways. We now report a role for NLRP1 in the control of PDCoV infection. Overexpression of NLRP1 remarkably suppressed PDCoV infection, whereas knockout of NLRP1 led to a significant increase in PDCoV replication. A mechanistic study revealed that NLRP1 suppressed PDCoV replication in cells by upregulating IL-11 expression, which in turn inhibited the phosphorylation of the ERK signaling pathway. Furthermore, the ERK phosphorylation inhibitor U0126 effectively hindered PDCoV replication in pigs. Together, our results demonstrated that NLRP1 exerted an anti-PDCoV effect by IL-11-mediated inhibition of the phosphorylation of the ERK signaling pathway, providing a novel antiviral signal axis of NLRP1-IL-11-ERK. This study expands our understanding of the regulatory network of NLRP1 in the host defense against virus infection and provides a new insight into the treatment of coronaviruses and the development of corresponding drugs.IMPORTANCECoronavirus, which mainly infects gastrointestinal and respiratory epithelial cells in vivo, poses a huge threat to both humans and animals. Although porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is known to primarily cause fatal diarrhea in piglets, reports detected in plasma samples from Haitian children emphasize the potential risk of animal-to-human spillover. Finding effective therapeutics against coronaviruses is crucial for controlling viral infection. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain-containing 1 (NLRP1), a key regulatory factor in the innate immune system, is highly expressed in epithelial cells and associated with the pathogenesis of viruses. We demonstrate here that NLRP1 inhibits the infection of the intestinal coronavirus PDCoV through IL-11-mediated phosphorylation inhibition of the ERK signaling pathway. Furthermore, the ERK phosphorylation inhibitor can control the infection of PDCoV in pigs. Our study emphasizes the importance of NLRP1 as an immune regulatory factor and may open up new avenues for the treatment of coronavirus infection.

OSMAC Strategy: A promising way to explore microbial cyclic peptides

Microbial secondary metabolites are pivotal for the development of novel drugs. However, conventional culture techniques, have left a vast array of unexpressed biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in microorganisms, hindering the discovery of metabolites with distinct structural features and diverse biological functions. To address this limitation, several innovative strategies have been emerged. The "One Strain Many Compounds" (OSMAC) strategy, which involves altering microbial culture conditions, has proven to be particularly effective in mining numerous novel secondary metabolites for the past few years. Among these, microbial cyclic peptides stand out. These peptides often comprise rare amino acids, unique chemical structures, and remarkable biological function. With the advancement of the OSMAC strategy, a plethora of new cyclic peptides have been identified from diverse microbial genera. This work reviews the progress in mining novel compounds using the OSMAC strategy and the applications of this strategy in discovering 284 microbial cyclic peptides from 63 endophytic strains, aiming to offer insights for the further explorations into novel active cyclic peptides.

Melt-quenched glass formation of a family of metal-carboxylate frameworks

Metal-organic framework (MOF) glasses are an emerging class of glasses which complement traditional inorganic, organic and metallic counterparts due to their hybrid nature. Although a few zeolitic imidazolate frameworks have been made into glasses, how to melt and quench the largest subclass of MOFs, metal carboxylate frameworks, into glasses remains challenging. Here, we develop a strategy by grafting the zwitterions on the carboxylate ligands and incorporating organic acids in the framework channels to enable the glass formation. The charge delocalization of zwitterion-acid subsystem and the densely filled channels facilitate the coordination bonding mismatch and thus reduce the melting temperature. Following melt-quenching realizes the glass formation of a family of carboxylate MOFs (UiO-67, UiO-68 and DUT-5), which are usually believed to be un-meltable. Our work opens up an avenue for melt-quenching porous molecular solids into glasses.

Magnetic Multienzyme@Metal-Organic Material for Sustainable Biodegradation of Insoluble Biomass

Biodegradation of insoluble biomass such as cellulose via carbohydrase enzymes is an effective approach to break down plant cell walls and extract valuable materials therein. Yet, the high cost and poor reusability of enzymes are practical concerns. We recently proved that immobilizing multiple digestive enzymes on metal-organic materials (MOMs) allows enzymes to be reused via gravimetric separation, improving the cost efficiency of cereal biomass degradation [ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2021, 13, 36, 43085-43093]. However, this strategy cannot be adapted for enzymes whose substrates or products are insoluble (e.g., cellulose crystals). Recently, we described an alternative approach based on magnetic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) using model enzymes/substrates [ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, 12, 37, 41794-41801]. Here, we aim to prove the effectiveness of combining these two strategies in cellulose degradation. We immobilized multiple carbohydrase enzymes that cooperate in cellulose degradation via cocrystallization with Ca2+, a carboxylate ligand (BDC) in the absence and presence of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). We then compared the separation efficiency and enzyme reusability of the resultant multienzyme@Ca-BDC and multienzyme@MNP-Ca-BDC composites via gravimetric and magnetic separation, respectively, and found that, although both composites were effective in cellulose degradation in the first round, the multienzyme@MNP-Ca-BDC composites displayed significantly enhanced reusability. This work provides the first experimental demonstration of using magnetic solid supports to immobilize multiple carbohydrase enzymes simultaneously and degrade cellulose and promotes green/sustainable chemistry in three ways: (1) reusing the enzymes saves energy/sources to prepare them, (2) the synthetic conditions are "green" without generating unwanted wastes, and (3) using our composites to degrade cellulose is the first step of extracting valuable materials from sustainable biomasses such as plants whose growth does not rely on nonregeneratable resources.

A novel antigenic epitope identified on the accessory protein NS6 of porcine deltacoronavirus

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a novel enteric coronavirus that can cause vomiting, watery diarrhea in pigs and the death of piglets. The open reading frame (ORF) 5 is one of the accessory genes in PDCoV genome and encodes an accessory protein NS6. To date, the function of NS6 is still unclear. In this study, the recombinant NS6 was successfully expressed in prokaryotic expression system and purified. To prepare monoclonal antibody (mAb), six-week-old female BALB/c mice were primed subcutaneously with purified NS6. A novel mouse mAb against NS6 was obtained and designated as 3D5. The isotype of 3D5 is IgG2b with kappa (κ) light chain. 3D5 can specifically recognizes the natural NS6 in swine testis (ST) cells infected with PDCoV and expressed NS6 in human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK 293T) cells transfected with mammalian vector. The minimal linear B cell epitope recognised by 3D5 on NS6 was 25VPELIDPLVK34 determined by peptide scanning and named EP-3D5. The sequence of EP-3D5 is completely conserved among PDCoV strains. Moreover, six to nine residues of EP-3D5 were identified to be conserved in non-PDCoV strains. These results provide valuable insights into the antigenic structure and function of NS6 in virus pathogenesis, and aid for the development of PDCoV epitope-associated diagnostics and vaccine design.

The impact of medroxyprogesterone acetate on lipid profiles in Women: A time and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

The effect of MPA on the lipid profile and CVD risk is still controversial; hence, this comprehensive dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted to assess the effect of MPA on lipid profiles in women.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted in the following databases: Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline, and Embase, up to October 20, 2023. A random-effects meta-analysis approach based on the DerSimonian and Laird method was used to compute the combined estimates of the intervention's impact on the lipid profile.

RESULTS

35 eligible studies with 58 arms were included in our meta-analyses analysis. Combined effect sizes suggested a significant effect of MPA on total cholesterol (TC) levels (WMD: -3.43 mg/dL, 95 % CI: -5.38 to -1.48, p < 0.001), HDL-C levels (WMD: -3.34 mg/dL, 95 % CI: -3.77 to -2.91, p < 0.001), and triglyceride (TG) levels (WMD: -9.13 mg/dL, 95 % CI: -10.92 to -7.33, p < 0.001). The subgroup meta-analysis revealed a more substantial reduction in TC in studies with dosages > 2.5 mg/day (WMD: -4.10 mg/dL), mean participant age lower than 60 years (WMD: -3.80 mg/dL), mean BMI lower than 25 kg/m2 (WMD: -5.61 mg/dL), duration of intervention of 12 months or more (WMD: -3.98 mg/dL), and when the baseline TC value was equal to or greater than 200 mg/dL (WMD: -4.13 mg/dL).

CONCLUSIONS

The current meta-analysis showed a statistically significant decrease in TC, TG, and HDL-C levels and a non-significant increase in LDL-C levels after MPA administration in women.

Incorporation of view sharing and KWIC filtering into GRASP-Pro improves spatial resolution of single-shot, multi-TI, late gadolinium enhancement MRI

While single-shot late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is useful for imaging patients with arrhythmia and/or dyspnea, it produces low spatial resolution. One approach to improve spatial resolution is to accelerate data acquisition using compressed sensing (CS). Our previous work described a single-shot, multi-inversion time (TI) LGE pulse sequence using radial k-space sampling and CS, but over-regularization resulted in significant image blurring that muted the benefits of data acceleration. The purpose of the present study was to improve the spatial resolution of the single-shot, multi-TI LGE pulse sequence by incorporating view sharing (VS) and k-space weighted contrast (KWIC) filtering into a GRASP-Pro reconstruction. In 24 patients (mean age = 61 ± 16 years; 9/15 females/males), we compared the performance of our improved multi-TI LGE and standard multi-TI LGE, where clinical standard LGE was used as a reference. Two clinical raters independently graded multi-TI images and clinical LGE images visually on a five-point Likert scale (1, nondiagnostic; 3, clinically acceptable; 5, best) for three categories: the conspicuity of myocardium or scar, artifact, and noise. The summed visual score (SVS) was defined as the sum of the three scores. Myocardial scar volume was quantified using the full-width at half-maximum method. The SVS was not significantly different between clinical breath-holding LGE (median 13.5, IQR 1.3) and multi-TI LGE (median 12.5, IQR 1.6) (P = 0.068). The myocardial scar volumes measured from clinical standard LGE and multi-TI LGE were strongly correlated (coefficient of determination, R2  = 0.99) and in good agreement (mean difference = 0.11%, lower limit of the agreement = -2.13%, upper limit of the agreement = 2.34%). The inter-rater agreement in myocardial scar volume quantification was strong (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.79). The incorporation of VS and KWIC into GRASP-Pro improved spatial resolution. Our improved 25-fold accelerated, single-shot LGE sequence produces clinically acceptable image quality, multi-TI reconstruction, and accurate myocardial scar volume quantification.

Effectiveness of a novel rat model of off-target PLA2R1 knockout to renal impairment

Phospholipase A2 receptor 1 (PLA2R1) plays a crucial role in various diseases, including membranous nephropathy. However, the precise implications of PLA2R1 deficiency remain poorly understood. In this study, we created PLA2R1 knockout rats to explore potential consequences resulting from the loss of the PLA2R1 gene. Unexpectedly, our PLA2R1 knockout rats exhibited symptoms resembling those of chronic kidney disease after an 8-week observation period. Notably, several rats developed persistent proteinuria, a hallmark of renal dysfunction. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analyses revealed insignificant glomerular fibrosis, reduced podocyte count, and augmented glomerular expression of complement C3 (C3) compared to immunoglobin A (IgA) and immunoglobin G(IgG) in the rat model. These findings suggest that the loss of PLA2R1 may contribute to the pathogenesis of membranous nephropathy and related conditions. Our knockout rat model provides a valuable tool for investigating the underlying pathology of PLA2R1-associated diseases, and may facilitate the development of targeted therapies for membranous nephropathy and other related disorders.

Discovery of a potent and highly selective inhibitor of SIRT6 against pancreatic cancer metastasis in vivo

Pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive malignancies, has no effective treatment due to the lack of targets and drugs related to tumour metastasis. SIRT6 can promote the migration of pancreatic cancer and could be a potential target for antimetastasis of pancreatic cancer. However, highly selective and potency SIRT6 inhibitor that can be used in vivo is yet to be discovered. Here, we developed a novel SIRT6 allosteric inhibitor, compound 11e, with maximal inhibitory potency and an IC50 value of 0.98 ± 0.13 μmol/L. Moreover, compound 11e exhibited significant selectivity against other histone deacetylases (HADC1‒11 and SIRT1‒3) at concentrations up to 100 μmol/L. The allosteric site and the molecular mechanism of inhibition were extensively elucidated by cocrystal complex structure and dynamic structural analyses. Importantly, we confirmed the antimetastatic function of such inhibitors in four pancreatic cancer cell lines as well as in two mouse models of pancreatic cancer liver metastasis. To our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal the in vivo effects of SIRT6 inhibitors on liver metastatic pancreatic cancer. It not only provides a promising lead compound for subsequent inhibitor development targeting SIRT6 but also provides a potential approach to address the challenge of metastasis in pancreatic cancer.

[Ultrasound-guided percutaneous thermal ablation assisted by artificial ascites and soft tissue edema in the treatment of special-region hepatic tumors]

Objective: To explore the application value and operation skills of ultrasound-guided percutaneous thermal ablation assisted by artificial ascites or/and soft tissue edema in the treatment of special hepatic tumors located nearby the diaphragm, heart, stomach, gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, kidney, and other organs. Methods: The clinical data of 132 patients with special-region hepatic tumors treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous thermal ablation aided by artificial ascites and/or artificial soft tissue edema were retrospectively analyzed. Intraoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound was used to guide ablation when necessary. During the operation, the ablation needle was lifted or pressed down, or the direction of the needle handle was changed to protect vital organs. The technical success rate of artificial ascites and/or soft tissue edema formation, the complete in activation rate of the tumor, and the complications were observed. Results: There were 74 patients (108 lesions) treated with radiofrequency ablation and 58 patients (82 lesions) treated with microwave ablation. Among them, 81 cases was successfully injected artificial abdominal ascites, with a water volume of (1 301±685) ml; artificial soft tissue edema was successfully formed for 19 patients, with a water volume of (534±258) ml. Both artificial ascites and artificial soft tissue edema were built for 30 patients. The success rate of this hydro-isolation technique was 98.5% (130/132). 129 patients successfully completed the treatment, and the complete inactivation rate of the tumor was 92.5% (172/186). The average postoperative hospital stay was three days. No patient had serious complications, such as surface tumor rupture, gastrointestinal injury, or diaphragm perforation. Conclusions: For hepatic tumors located adjacent to other organs such as the diaphragm, heart, gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, and kidney, the application of artificial ascites and/or artificial soft tissue edema can reduce the damage to these organs, as well as reduce the possibility of tumor rupture and diaphragm perforation. These methods are safe and effective in ultrasound-guided percutaneous thermal ablation.

Tubular Nanoclay-Enhanced Calcium Phosphate Mineralization and Assembly to Impart High Stiffness and Antimicrobial Properties

Achieving superior mechanical properties of composite materials in artificially engineered materials is a great challenge due to technical bottlenecks in the size and morphological modulation of inorganic nanominerals. Hence, a "bioprocess-inspired fabrication" is proposed to create multilayered organic-inorganic columnar structures. The sequential assembly of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), polyelectrolytes (PAAs), and calcium phosphates (CaPs) results in organic-inorganic structures. PAA plays a crucial role in controlling the formation of CaP, guiding it into amorphous particles with smaller nanosizes. The introduction of HNT induces the assembly and maturation of CaP-PAA, leading to the formation of a highly crystalline hydroxyapatite. Poly(vinyl alcohol) was then woven into HNT-encapsulated hydroxyapatite nanorods, resulting in composite materials with basic hierarchical structures across multiple scales. The fabricated composite exhibits exceptional hardness (4.27 ± 0.33 GPa) and flexural strength (101.25 ± 1.72 MPa), surpassing those of most previously developed biological hard tissue materials. Additionally, the composite demonstrates effective antibacterial properties and corrosion resistance, attributed to the dense crystalline phase of CaP. This innovative approach showcases the potential of clay minerals, particularly HNT, in the advancement of biomaterial design. The outstanding mechanical and antimicrobial properties of clay-based composites make them a promising candidate for applications in hard tissue repair, offering versatility in biomedicine and engineering.