Kirigami triboelectric spider fibroin microneedle patches for comprehensive joint management

Joint injuries are among the leading causes of disability. Present concentrations were focused on oral drugs and surgical treatment, which brings severe and unnecessary difficulties for patients. Smart patches with high flexibility and intelligent drug control-release capacity are greatly desirable for efficient joint management. Herein, we present a novel kirigami spider fibroin-based microneedle triboelectric nanogenerator (KSM-TENG) patch with distinctive features for comprehensive joint management. The microneedle patch consists of two parts: the superfine tips and the flexible backing base, which endow it with great mechanical strength to penetrate the skin and enough flexibility to fit different bends. Besides, the spider fibroin-based MNs served as a positive triboelectric material to generate electrical stimulation, thereby forcing drug release from needles within 720 min. Especially, kirigami structures could also transform the flat patch into three dimensions, which could impart the patch with flexible properties to accommodate the complicated processes produced by joint motion. Benefiting from these traits, the KSM-TENG patch presents excellent performance in inhibiting the inflammatory response and promoting wound healing in mice models. The results indicated that the mice possessed only 2% wound area and the paw thickness was reduced from 10.5 mm to 6.2 mm after treatment with the KSM-TENG patch, which further demonstrates the therapeutic effect of joints in vivo. Thus, it is believed that the proposed novel KSM-TENG patch is valuable in the field of comprehensive treatments and personalized clinical applications.

COVID-19 vaccines and adverse events of special interest: A multinational Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) cohort study of 99 million vaccinated individuals

BACKGROUND

The Global COVID Vaccine Safety (GCoVS) Project, established in 2021 under the multinational Global Vaccine Data Network™ (GVDN®), facilitates comprehensive assessment of vaccine safety. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of adverse events of special interest (AESI) following COVID-19 vaccination from 10 sites across eight countries.

METHODS

Using a common protocol, this observational cohort study compared observed with expected rates of 13 selected AESI across neurological, haematological, and cardiac outcomes. Expected rates were obtained by participating sites using pre-COVID-19 vaccination healthcare data stratified by age and sex. Observed rates were reported from the same healthcare datasets since COVID-19 vaccination program rollout. AESI occurring up to 42 days following vaccination with mRNA (BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273) and adenovirus-vector (ChAdOx1) vaccines were included in the primary analysis. Risks were assessed using observed versus expected (OE) ratios with 95 % confidence intervals. Prioritised potential safety signals were those with lower bound of the 95 % confidence interval (LBCI) greater than 1.5.

RESULTS

Participants included 99,068,901 vaccinated individuals. In total, 183,559,462 doses of BNT162b2, 36,178,442 doses of mRNA-1273, and 23,093,399 doses of ChAdOx1 were administered across participating sites in the study period. Risk periods following homologous vaccination schedules contributed 23,168,335 person-years of follow-up. OE ratios with LBCI > 1.5 were observed for Guillain-Barré syndrome (2.49, 95 % CI: 2.15, 2.87) and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (3.23, 95 % CI: 2.51, 4.09) following the first dose of ChAdOx1 vaccine. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis showed an OE ratio of 3.78 (95 % CI: 1.52, 7.78) following the first dose of mRNA-1273 vaccine. The OE ratios for myocarditis and pericarditis following BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and ChAdOx1 were significantly increased with LBCIs > 1.5.

CONCLUSION

This multi-country analysis confirmed pre-established safety signals for myocarditis, pericarditis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Other potential safety signals that require further investigation were identified.

Clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of salivary gland myoepithelial carcinoma: institutional experience of 42 cases

Myoepithelial carcinoma (MECA) is a rare type of carcinoma for which the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors have not yet been fully clarified. A retrospective study of 42 patients diagnosed with salivary gland MECA was performed, focusing on the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors. Of the 42 patients, 20 died of cancer, 20 lived without tumour, one lived with distant metastasis, and one was lost to follow-up. Overall, 69.0% had tumour recurrence, 16.7% had cervical nodal metastasis, and 21.4% had distant metastasis. The 5-year overall survival rate was 70.2%. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with pathological positive lymph nodes (pN+), multiple recurrences of tumour, and higher histological grade had worse overall survival. Multivariate Cox analysis indicated pN+ and higher histological grade to be independent predictors of decreased survival. The 5-year overall survival rate in the pN0 group was 87.5%, while that in the pN+ group was 28.6%. In conclusion, myoepithelial carcinoma can be defined as a tumour with a high incidence of recurrence and poor prognosis, especially in pN+ patients. Pathological positive lymph nodes and histological grade may serve as predictors of survival.

Miniature, multi-dichroic instrument for measuring the concentration of multiple fluorophores

Identification of tumour margins during resection of the brain is critical for improving the post-operative outcomes. Due to the highly infiltrative nature of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and limited intraoperative visualization of the tumour margin, incomplete surgical resection has been observed to occur in up to 80 % of GBM cases, leading to nearly universal tumour recurrence and overall poor prognosis of 14.6 months median survival. This research presents a miniaturized, SiPMT-based optical system for simultaneous measurement of powerful DRS and weak auto-fluorescence for brain tumour detection. The miniaturisation of the optical elements confined the spatial separation of eight select wavelengths into footprint measuring 1.5 × 2 × 16 mm. The small footprint enables this technology to be integrated with existing surgical guidance instruments in the operating room. It's dynamic ability to subtract any background illumination and measure signal intensities across a broad range from pW to mWs make this design much more suitable for clinical environments as compared to spectrometer-based systems with limited dynamic ranges and high integration times. Measurements using optical tissue phantoms containing mixed fluorophores demonstrate correlation coefficients between the fitted response and actual concentration using PLS regression being 0.95, 0.87 and 0.97 for NADH, FAD and PpIX , respectively. These promising results indicate that our proposed miniaturized instrument could serve as an effective alternative in operating rooms, assisting surgeons in identifying brain tumours to achieving positive surgical outcomes for patients.

SSLDTI: A novel method for drug-target interaction prediction based on self-supervised learning

Many computational methods have been proposed to identify potential drug-target interactions (DTIs) to expedite drug development. Graph neural network (GNN) methods are considered to be one of the most effective approaches. However, shallow GNN methods can only aggregate local information from nodes. Also, deep GNN methods may result in over-smoothing while obtaining long-distance neighbourhood information. As a result, existing GNN methods struggle to extract the complete features of the graph. Additionally, the number of known DTIs is insufficient, and there are far more unknown drug-target pairs than known DTIs, leading to class imbalance. This article proposes a model that combines graph autoencoder and self-supervised learning to accurately encode multilevel features of graphs using only a small number of labelled samples. We introduce a positive sample compensation coefficient to the objective function to mitigate the impact of class imbalance. Experiments on two datasets demonstrated that our model outperforms the four baseline methods, and the new DTIs predicted by the SSLDTI model were verified by the DrugBank database.

Inhibition mechanism of cordycepin and ergosterol from Cordyceps militaris Link. against xanthine oxidase and cyclooxygenase-2

Cordyceps militaris Link. (C. militaris) is an entomopathogenic fungus that parasitizes the pupa or cocoon of lepidopteran insect larvae, with various bioactive compounds. Cordycepin and ergosterol are the two active components in C. militaris. This study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory activity of cordycepin and ergosterol against xanthine oxidase (XO) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), as well as investigate the inhibition mechanism. Cordycepin could better inhibit XO (IC50 = 0.014 mg/mL) and COX-2 (IC50 = 0.055 mg/mL) than ergosterol. Additionally, surface hydrophobicity and circular dichroism (CD) spectra results confirmed the conformational changes in enzymes induced by cordycepin and ergosterol. Finally, cordycepin and ergosterol significantly decreased uric acid (UA) and inflammatory factors to normal level in mice with gouty nephropathy (GN). This study could provide theoretical evidence for utilization of C. militaris in hyperuricemia-management functional foods.

Extended-wavelength diffuse reflectance spectroscopy dataset of animal tissues for bone-related biomedical applications

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) has been extensively studied in both preclinical and clinical settings for multiple applications, notably as a minimally invasive diagnostic tool for tissue identification and disease delineation. In this study, extended-wavelength DRS (EWDRS) measurements of ex vivo tissues ranging from ultraviolet through visible to the short-wave infrared region (355-1919 nm) are presented in two datasets. The first dataset contains labelled EWDRS measurements collected from bone cement samples and ovine specimens including 10 tissue types commonly encountered in orthopedic surgeries for data curation purposes. The other dataset includes labelled EWDRS measurements of primarily bone structures at different depths during stepwise drilling into intact porcine skulls until plunging into the cranial cavity. The raw data with code for pre-processing and calibration is publicly available for reuse on figshare. The datasets can be utilized not only for exploratory purposes in machine learning model construction, but also for knowledge discovery in the orthopedic domain to identify important features for surgical guidance, extract physiological parameters and provide diagnostic insights.

[Clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of pediatric epiretinal membranes without specific etiologies]

Objective: To describe clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of pediatric epiretinal membranes (ERMs) without specific etiologies. Methods: Medical data of a cohort of pediatric patients (≤14 years) who had ERMs without specific etiologies, underwent surgical removal from January 2019 to September 2021, and were followed up for at least 12 months were retrospectively reviewed. Age at presentation, chief complaints, color fundus photographs, optical coherence tomographic images, preoperative and postoperative visual acuities, anatomical changes, and postoperative complications were assessed. Results: There were 14 patients (17 eyes), including 5 females (6 eyes) and 9 males (11 eyes). The mean age at surgery was 6.31±2.91 years, and the follow-up duration was 17.3±9.5 months. Eight patients were found to have low vision in the school physical examination. Fifteen eyes had an appearance of cellophane macular reflex on fundus images. On optical coherence tomographic images, 10 eyes had"taco"folds, and 7 eyes had"ripple"folds. Five eyes had ellipsoid zone disruptions, while 12 eyes had ellipsoid zone integrity. The preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuities in logMAR were 0.532±0.302 and 0.340±0.298. One patient suffered traumatic cataract and secondary retinal detachment postoperatively, and after further vitrectomy, the retina became attached. Conclusion: Pediatric ERMs without specific etiologies were mostly found in school-age children with cellophane macular reflex and"taco"folds. Vitrectomy may result in both potential visual acuity and macular anatomical improvements.

Recent advances of microneedles biosensors for plants

As the lack of plants can affect the energy operation of the entire ecosystem, monitoring and improving the health status of plants is crucial. However, ordinary biosensing platforms lack accuracy and timeliness in monitoring plant growth status. In addition, the prevention and control of plant diseases often involve spraying and administering drugs, which is inefficient and prone to pollution. Microneedles have unique dimensions and shapes, and they have significant advantages as biosensors in the fields of sensing, detection, and drug delivery. Recent evidence suggests that microneedle biosensors can become effective tools for plant diagnosis and treatment. In this review, the comprehensive development of the application of microneedle biosensors in the field of plants is introduced, as well as their manufacturing processes and sensing and detection functions. Furthermore, the application of microneedle biosensors in this field is discussed, and future development directions are proposed.

Frameworks of wavelength selection in diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for tissue differentiation in orthopedic surgery

Significance

Wavelength selection from a large diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) dataset enables removal of spectral multicollinearity and thus leads to improved understanding of the feature domain. Feature selection (FS) frameworks are essential to discover the optimal wavelengths for tissue differentiation in DRS-based measurements, which can facilitate the development of compact multispectral optical systems with suitable illumination wavelengths for clinical translation.

Aim

The aim was to develop an FS methodology to determine wavelengths with optimal discriminative power for orthopedic applications, while providing the frameworks for adaptation to other clinical scenarios.

Approach

An ensemble framework for FS was developed, validated, and compared with frameworks incorporating conventional algorithms, including principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and backward interval partial least squares (biPLS).

Results

Via the one-versus-rest binary classification approach, a feature subset of 10 wavelengths was selected from each framework yielding comparable balanced accuracy scores (PCA: 94.8 ± 3.47 % , LDA: 98.2 ± 2.02 % , biPLS: 95.8 ± 3.04 % , and ensemble: 95.8 ± 3.16 % ) to those of using all features (100%) for cortical bone versus the rest class labels. One hundred percent balanced accuracy scores were generated for bone cement versus the rest. Different feature subsets achieving similar outcomes could be identified due to spectral multicollinearity.

Conclusions

Wavelength selection frameworks provide a means to explore domain knowledge and discover important contributors to classification in spectroscopy. The ensemble framework generated a model with improved interpretability and preserved physical interpretation, which serves as the basis to determine illumination wavelengths in optical instrumentation design.

Fermented rape pollen powder can alleviate benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats by reducing hormone content and changing gut microbiota

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can cause urethral compression, bladder stone formation, and renal function damage, which may endanger the life of patients. Therefore, we aimed to develop plant-based preparations for BPH treatment with no side effects. In this study, the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 322Hp, Lactobacillus acidophilus 322Ha, and Limosilactobacillus reuteri 322Hr were used to ferment rape pollen. The fermented rape pollen was subsequently converted into fermented rape pollen powder (FRPP) through vacuum freeze-drying technology. After fermenting and drying, the bioactive substances and antioxidant capacity of FRPP were significantly higher than those of unfermented rapeseed pollen, and FRPP had a longer storage duration, which can be stored for over one year. To investigate the therapeutic effect of FRPP on BPH, a BPH rat model was established by hypodermic injection of testosterone propionate. The BPH rats were treated differently, with the model group receiving normal saline, the positive control group receiving finasteride, and the low, medium, and high dose FRPP group receiving FRPP at doses of 0.14 g/kg/d, 0.28 g/kg/d, and 0.56 g/kg/d, respectively. The results indicate that medium dose FRPP reduced the levels of hormone such as testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and oestradiol in rats with BPH by about 32%, thus bringing the prostate tissue of BPH rats closer to normal. More importantly, medium dose FRPP treatment had a significant effect on the composition of gut microbiota in rats with BPH, increasing the levels of beneficial genera (such as Coprococcus and Jeotgalicoccus), and decreasing the levels of harmful pathogens (such as Turicibacter and Clostridiaceae_Clostridium) in the gut. This study showed that medium dose FRPP reduced the hormone level and regulated the unbalanced gut microbiota in BPH rats, thereby alleviating BPH.

TE/TM mode electro-optic conversion based on a titanium diffusion lithium niobate waveguide with a polarization-maintained fiber structure

For the development of photonic integrated circuits and lithium niobate (L i N b O 3, LN) optical waveguide technology, the implementation and application of polarization devices based on LN are also becoming more widespread, where titanium (Ti)-diffused LN waveguides form the basis of many important electro-optic (EO) integrated optical devices. Moreover, utilizing polarization conversion has the potential to enhance both the effectiveness and capacity of optical transmission. Thus, we have presented an EO polarization mode converter packaging with PANDA polarization-maintaining optical fibers (PMFs) in the broadband wavelength range (1440-1620 nm) to obtain the multiwavelength modulation, featuring the wavelength tunability. Additionally, the fabricated device is able to achieve transverse electric (TE) to transverse magnetic (TM) mode conversion efficiently with the applied voltage of  ±, which provides high conversion efficiency. Importantly, our device also features a high-frequency response of about 600 MHz with overall insertion loss below 5 dB. The rapid development of LN-based polarization devices holds great promise for chip-integrated systems in the field of polarization telecommunication.

Advanced Silk Fibroin Biomaterials-Based Microneedles for Healthcare

Microneedles are a promising transdermal drug delivery system that has the advantages of minimal invasiveness, painlessness, and on-demand drug delivery compared with commonly used medical techniques. Natural resources are developed as next-generation materials for microneedles with varying degrees of success. Among them, silk fibroin is a natural polymer obtained from silkworms with good biocompatibility, high hardness, and controllable biodegradability. These properties provide many opportunities for integrating silk fibroin with implantable microneedle systems. In this review, the research progress of silk fibroin microneedles in recent years is summarized, including their materials, processing technology, detection, drug release methods, and applications. Besides, the research and development of silk fibroin in a multidimensional way are analyzed. Finally, it is expected that silk fibroin microneedles will have excellent development prospects in various fields.

Gut Microbiota-Derived D-Tagatose from EGCG Attenuates Radiation-Induced Intestinal Injury

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

As a rapidly self-renewing tissue, the small intestine is particularly sensitive to ionizing radiation, which limits the outcomes of radiotherapy against abdominal malignancies, resulting in poor prognosis. The polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major bioactive constituent of green tea, is beneficial in radiation-induced intestinal injury (RIII) alleviation. However, the bioavailability of EGCG in vivo is very low, with only 0.1% to 1.6% being absorbed into the intestine of mice. It is unclear whether gut microbial metabolites mediated by EGCG exert an effect to protect against radiation-induced intestinal injury.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to 13 Gy abdominal irradiation after EGCG gavage, and the severity of intestinal tissue damage was evaluated by HE staining, immunohistochemistry, and TUNEL assays. Fresh fecal samples were collected after the end of gavage, and then fecal sterile fecal filtrate (SFF) was obtained. Stool samples were collected 3 d after irradiation. The gut microbiome was detected by 16S rRNA sequencing, the metabolites were detected by GC‒MS analysis, and then the metabolites were applied to male C57BL/6J mice, observing and evaluating the severity of RIII.

RESULTS

We first explored the effect of oral EGCG delivery on radiation-induced intestinal injury. Our results revealed that EGCG pre-supplementation prolongs survival time, prevents weight loss in mice and mitigates radiation-induced intestinal injury in irradiated mice. Using 16S rRNA gene-based microbiota analysis, we first found that EGCG ameliorated ionizing radiation-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis and enriched short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria such as Roseburia, Ruminococcus, and Clostridia_UCG-014. In addition, metabolomic profiling analysis showed that the gut microbiota modulated EGCG-induced metabolic reprogramming in colonic tissues, particularly by enhancing galactose metabolism. Notably, EGCG supplementation resulted in the enrichment of the microbiota-derived galactose metabolism metabolite D-tagatose. Furthermore, exogenous treatment with D-tagatose reproduced similar protective effects as EGCG to protect against radiation-induced intestinal injury (RIII). D-tagatose restored the length of villi and improved the number of goblet cells, Ki-67-positive cells and Lgr5+ ISCs, while the number of TUNEL-positive cells in the intestinal tissues decreased significantly. To validate these discoveries, we performed fecal sterile fecal filtrate (SFF) from EGCG-dosed mice to untreated mice before ionizing radiation. SFF from EGCG-dosed mice alleviated the RIII over SFF from control mice superiorly.

CONCLUSION

This study provides the first data indicating that oral EGCG ameliorated radiation-induced intestinal injury (RIII) by regulating the gut microbiota and metabolites. Our findings provide novel insights into D-tagatose derived by gut microbiota from EGCG-mediated remission of RIII.

Probiotic Consortia and their Metabolites Protect Intestine Against Radiation Injury by Improving Intestinal Epithelial Homeostasis

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The intestine is a highly radiosensitive tissue that is susceptible to structural and functional damage due to systemic as well as localized radiation exposure. Unfortunately, no therapeutic agents are available at present to manage radiation-induced intestinal injuries (RIII). Probiotics, especially Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium, are orally taken as food supplements or microbial drugs by patients with gastrointestinal disorders due to their safety, efficacy, and power to restore the gut microenvironment. Our results demonstrate that probiotic consortia and their metabolites could exert protective roles in the RIII mouse model by restoring the structure of the gut microbiota and regulating redox imbalance. Moreover, the effect of probiotic consortia is better than that of any single probiotic strain.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Male C57BL/6J mice were treated with 13 Gy of whole abdominal irradiation (WAI). Probiotics were administered by gavage before (once a day for 30 days) WAI. The survival and body weight were recorded, while the severity of RIII was evaluated by HE staining, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and TUNEL assay of gut tissues. Meanwhile, stool samples were obtained 3.5 d after irradiation. Gut microbiome were measured by 16S rRNA sequencing, and metabolites were detected by LC-MS analysis. For sterile fecal filtrate (SFF), the supernatants were collected and passed through 70 and 0.2μm filters.

RESULTS

Compared to the control, probiotic consortia (Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus paracasei) treatment significantly increased survival rates by 50% (P<0.05) and improved clinical scores of mice after WAI. HE staining showed that probiotics mitigated RIII, as reflected by the dramatic attenuation of crypt-villus architecture destruction. IHC results showed that probiotic consortia treatment markedly increased the Lgr5+ cells, Paneth cells, and Ki67+ cells (P<0.001) per crypt, indicating that probiotics promoted the proliferation and differentiation of ISCs after WAI. Consistent with the H&E staining, the level of CD4/CD8 was increased by the probiotic consortia compared with that of the control group. The probiotic consortia modulated the structure of the gut microbiota and metabolites in the RIII mouse model. To further investigate the impact of metabolites on RIII, crude probiotic fermentation metabolites were administered to the RIII mouse model. Specifically, mice fed the mixed-metabolite daily for 7 days before IR had significantly more Lgr5+ and Ki67+cells in the SI crypt than mice of control. Moreover, treatment with mixed metabolites resulted in insignificant changes in SOD, MDA, GSH and T-AOC activity compared to the control group in intestinal tissues.

CONCLUSION

In the present study, we demonstrate that probiotic consortia and their metabolites treatment attenuate RIII by modulating the structure and composition of the gut microbiota and regulating redox imbalance.

Predicting potential lncRNA biomarkers for lung cancer and neuroblastoma based on an ensemble of a deep neural network and LightGBM

Introduction: Lung cancer is one of the most frequent neoplasms worldwide with approximately 2.2 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths each year. The expression levels of programmed death ligand-1 (PDL1) demonstrate a complex association with lung cancer. Neuroblastoma is a high-risk malignant tumor and is mainly involved in childhood patients. Identification of new biomarkers for these two diseases can significantly promote their diagnosis and therapy. However, in vivo experiments to discover potential biomarkers are costly and laborious. Consequently, artificial intelligence technologies, especially machine learning methods, provide a powerful avenue to find new biomarkers for various diseases. Methods: We developed a machine learning-based method named LDAenDL to detect potential long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) biomarkers for lung cancer and neuroblastoma using an ensemble of a deep neural network and LightGBM. LDAenDL first computes the Gaussian kernel similarity and functional similarity of lncRNAs and the Gaussian kernel similarity and semantic similarity of diseases to obtain their similar networks. Next, LDAenDL combines a graph convolutional network, graph attention network, and convolutional neural network to learn the biological features of the lncRNAs and diseases based on their similarity networks. Third, these features are concatenated and fed to an ensemble model composed of a deep neural network and LightGBM to find new lncRNA-disease associations (LDAs). Finally, the proposed LDAenDL method is applied to identify possible lncRNA biomarkers associated with lung cancer and neuroblastoma. Results: The experimental results show that LDAenDL computed the best AUCs of 0.8701, 107 0.8953, and 0.9110 under cross-validation on lncRNAs, diseases, and lncRNA-disease pairs on Dataset 1, respectively, and 0.9490, 0.9157, and 0.9708 on Dataset 2, respectively. Furthermore, AUPRs of 0.8903, 0.9061, and 0.9166 under three cross-validations were obtained on Dataset 1, and 0.9582, 0.9122, and 0.9743 on Dataset 2. The results demonstrate that LDAenDL significantly outperformed the other four classical LDA prediction methods (i.e., SDLDA, LDNFSGB, IPCAF, and LDASR). Case studies demonstrate that CCDC26 and IFNG-AS1 may be new biomarkers of lung cancer, SNHG3 may associate with PDL1 for lung cancer, and HOTAIR and BDNF-AS may be potential biomarkers of neuroblastoma. Conclusion: We hope that the proposed LDAenDL method can help the development of targeted therapies for these two diseases.

Broadband, Polarization-Sensitive, and Self-Powered High-Performance Photodetection of Hetero-Integrated MoS2 on Lithium Niobate

High-performance photodetectors hold promising potential in optical communication and imaging systems. However, conventional counterparts are suffering narrow detection range, high power consumption, and poor polarization sensitivity. Characteristics originating from switchable polarization in ferroelectrics can be used to optimize the photo-to-electric procedure and improve the photodetection performance. In this regard, we constructed a configuration by integrating 2-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) with ferroelectric lithium niobate (LiNbO₃), resulting in the MoS₂/LiNbO₃ heterostructured photodetector. Benefiting from the pyroelectric effect of LiNbO₃, the limitation of bandgap on the detection range can be broken, thus broadening the response band of the detector to 365 to 1,064 nm, as well as enabling the self-powered characteristic. Meanwhile, high carrier mobility and decent light absorbance of MoS₂ introduce robust light-matter interactions with the underlying LiNbO₃, leading to ultrafast rise/fall times of ≈150 μs/250 μs and switching ratios of up to ≈190. Moreover, the highest responsivity, specific detectivity, and external quantum efficiency achieved were 17.3 A·W^-1, 4.3 × 10¹¹ Jones, and 4,645.78%, respectively. Furthermore, because of the anisotropy of the spontaneous-polarized LiNbO₃ substrate, the photocurrent of the device achieved a dichroic ratio of 7.42, comparing favorably to most MoS₂-based photodetectors. This work demonstrates the integration potential between ferroelectric LiNbO₃ and 2-dimensional materials for high-performance photodetection.

Phenylacetylglutamine as a novel biomarker of type 2 diabetes with distal symmetric polyneuropathy by metabolomics

PURPOSE

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSPN) is a disease involving the nervous system caused by metabolic disorder, while the metabolic spectrum and key metabolites remain poorly defined.

METHODS

Plasma samples of 30 healthy controls, 30 T2DM patients, and 60 DSPN patients were subjected to nontargeted metabolomics. Potential biomarkers of DSPN were screened based on univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, ROC curve analysis, and logistic regression. Finally, another 22 patients with T2DM who developed DSPN after follow-up were selected for validation of the new biomarker based on target metabolomics.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group and the T2DM group, 6 metabolites showed differences in the DSPN group (P < 0.05; FDR < 0.1; VIP > 1) and a rising step trend was observed. Among them, phenylacetylglutamine (PAG) and sorbitol displayed an excellent discriminatory ability and associated with disease severity. The verification results demonstrated that when T2DM progressed to DSPN, the phenylacetylglutamine content increased significantly (P = 0.004).

CONCLUSION

The discovered and verified endogenous metabolite PAG may be a novel potential biomarker of DSPN and involved in the disease pathogenesis.

Intestine-inspired wrinkled MXene microneedle dressings for smart wound management

Composite MXene-based materials are prone to crack propagation, thus limiting their tensile properties. Numerous efforts have been devoted to removing material constraints and fabricating unitary MXene elastic films. Here, for the first time, inspired by the intestinal wrinkles and villi structure, we presented a ductile, biologically friendly, and highly conductive MXene-based microneedle (MMN) dressing composed of stacked MXene film and superfine microneedle arrays through a simple stretching and laser engraving strategy for wound healing. By utilizing photothermal responsive MXene, periodic porous structures, and a temperature-responsive polymer to construct the MMN dressing, the system can act as an effective route for facilitating controllable drug delivery controlled by near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. In addition, superior conductivity imparts them with the capacity to realize continuous and steady monitoring of motion sensing. The practical performance further demonstrated that the versatile MMN dressing showed obvious therapeutic efficacy in vivo animal wound models. Thus, it is believed that MMN dressings with biomimetic structures, controllable drug release, and conductive pathways will open a new chapter for wound management and widen other practical applications in biomedical fields, such as artificial tendons and soft robotics. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: MXene-based materials have been demonstrated as critical tools in advancing our understanding of wound healing. However, the rapid crack propagation is a constraint on their tensile properties. Here, inspired by the intestinal wrinkles and villi structure, a single-step method has also been discussed to present a MXene-based microneedle dressing composed of unitary MXene elastic film and superfine microneedle arrays. At the same time, the dressing with biomimetic structures, controllable drug release, and conductive pathways has prospects in intelligent wound management and varieties of related biomedical fields.

[Clinical study of induction chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of FLT3-ITD(+) acute myeloid leukemia with normal karyotype]

Objective: To assess the efficacy of induction chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in the treatment of FLT3-ITD(+) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with normal karyotype. Methods: The clinical data of FLT3-ITD(+) AML patients with normal karyotype in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from Jan 2018 to March 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The study included 49 patients with FLT3-ITD(+)AML, 31 males, and 18 females, with a median age of 46 (16-59) years old. All patients received induction chemotherapy, and 24 patients received sequential allo-HSCT (transplantation group) . The median follow-up time was 465 days, the one-year overall survival (OS) from diagnosis was (70.0 ± 7.4) %, and one-year disease-free survival (DFS) was (70.3±7.4) %. The one-year OS was significantly different between the transplantation group and the non-transplantation group [ (85.2 ± 7.9) % vs (52.6 ± 12.3) %, P=0.049]. but one-year DFS [ (84.7 ± 8.1) % vs (55.2 ± 11.9) %, P=0.061] was not. No significance was found in one-year OS between patients with low-frequency and high-frequency FLT3-ITD(+) (P>0.05) . There were 12 patients with high-frequency FLT3-ITD(+) in the transplantation and the non-transplantation groups, respectively. The one-year OS [ (68.8 ± 15.7) % in the transplantation group vs (26.2 ± 15.3) % in the non-transplantation group, P=0.027] and one-year DFS [ (45.5 ± 21.3) % in the transplantation group vs (27.8±15.8) % in the non-transplantation group, P=0.032] were significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: Induction chemotherapy followed by allo-HSCT can enhance the prognosis of FLT3-ITD(+) patients, particularly those with FLT3-ITD high-frequency mutation.

Directional Bloch surface wave coupling enabled by magnetic spin-momentum locking of light

We study the magnetic spin-locking of optical surface waves. Through an angular spectrum approach and numerical simulations, we predict that a spinning magnetic dipole develops a directional coupling of light to transverse electric (TE) polarized Bloch surface waves (BSWs). A high-index nanoparticle as a magnetic dipole and nano-coupler is placed on top of a one-dimensional photonic crystal to couple light into BSWs. Upon circularly polarized illumination, it mimics the spinning magnetic dipole. We find that the helicity of the light impinging on the nano-coupler controls the directionality of emerging BSWs. Furthermore, identical silicon strip waveguides are configured on the two sides of the nano-coupler to confine and guide the BSWs. We achieve a directional nano-routing of BSWs with circularly polarized illumination. Such a directional coupling phenomenon is proved to be solely mediated by the optical magnetic field. This offers opportunities for directional switching and polarization sorting by controlling optical flows in ultra-compact architectures and enables the investigation of the magnetic polarization properties of light.

Mobile multi-configuration clinical translational Raman system for oral cancer application

Early diagnosis of oral cancer is critical to improve the survival rate of patients. Raman spectroscopy, a non-invasive spectroscopic technique, has shown potential in identifying early-stage oral cancer biomarkers in the oral cavity environment. However, inherently weak signals necessitate highly sensitive detectors, which restricts widespread usage due to high setup costs. In this research, the fabrication and assembly of a customised Raman system that can adapt three different configurations for the in vivo and ex vivo analysis is reported. This novel design will help in reducing the cost required to have multiple Raman instruments specific for a given application. First, we demonstrated the capability of a customized microscope for acquiring Raman signals from a single cell with high signal-to-noise ratio. Generally, when working with liquid samples with low concentration of analytes (such as saliva) under a microscope, excitation light interacts with a small sample volume, which may not be representative of whole sample. To address this issue, we have designed a novel long-path transmission set-up, which was found to be sensitive towards low concentration of analytes in aqueous solution. We further demonstrated that the same Raman system can be incorporated with the multimodal fibre optical probe to collect in vivo data from oral tissues. In summary, this flexible, portable, multi-configuration Raman system has the potential to provide a cost-effective solution for complete screening of precancer oral lesions.

Meta-analysis of InterTan, PFNA and PFNA-II internal fixation for the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures in elderly individuals

Elderly individuals are often affected by osteoporosis and have poor stability after fracture reduction. Moreover, there is still controversy regarding the clinical effects of the treatment for unstable intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly. The Cochrane, Embase, PubMed, and other databases were searched, and a meta-analysis of the literature on the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures of the elderly with InterTan, PFNA, and PFNA-II was conducted. Seven studies were screened, with a total of 1236 patients. Our meta-analysis results show that InterTan is not significantly different from PFNA in terms of operation and fluoroscopy times, but it takes longer than PFNA-II. In terms of postoperative screw cut, pain, femoral shaft fracture, and secondary operations, InterTan is superior to PFNA and PFNA-II. Conversely, in terms of intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, and postoperative Harris score, there is no significant difference between InterTan and PFNA and PFNA-II. Compared to PFNA and PFNA-II, InterTan internal fixation has advantages in the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures in elderly individuals in terms of screw cutting, femoral shaft fractures, and secondary operations. However, InterTan operation and fluoroscopy times take longer than PFNA and PFNA-II.

Association between sarcopenia and prediabetes among non-elderly US adults

AIM

To explore the specific association between sarcopenia and prediabetes based on large population samples.

METHODS

A total of 16,116 U.S. adults aged 20-59 with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was identified from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Sarcopenia was defined according to appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) adjusted for body mass index (BMI). Multivariable binary logistic regression models were used to ascertain odds ratios (ORs) for developing prediabetes. Stratified analyses were also performed.

RESULTS

Prevalence of prediabetes was higher in the sarcopenia group (n = 1055) compared with the non-sarcopenia group (n = 15,061) (45.50% vs 28.74%, P < 0.001). Sarcopenia was strongly associated with an increased risk of prediabetes after full adjustment (OR = 1.21, 95CI%: 1.05, 1.39, P = 0.009). In the stratified analysis, this association remained significant independent of obesity, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. When sarcopenia subjects combined with obesity especially central obesity, the risk of prediabetes was the highest (OR = 2.63, 95CI%: 2.22, 3.11, P < 0.001). Furthermore, a greater proportion of any of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) individuals was observed in the sarcopenia group compared to the non-sarcopenia group among prediabetes population (41.72% vs 24.06%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Sarcopenia was positively associated with prevalent prediabetes especially IGT in the non-elderly. Moreover, synergistic interactions between the sarcopenia and obesity could greatly increase the risk of prediabetes.

METTL21C mediates lysine trimethylation of IGF2BP1 to regulate chicken myoblast proliferation

1. Methyltransferase-like 21C (METTL21C) and insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) play important roles in the proliferation of chicken myoblasts. However, it remains unclear whether there is protein-protein interaction between METTL21C and IGF2BP1 to regulate proliferation of chicken myoblasts.2. In this study, the Igf2bp1 gene was amplified from cDNA of liver tissue of Lueyang black-bone chicken to construct the overexpression vector HA-Igf2bp1. The HA-Igf2bp1 and Flag-Mettl21c vectors were individually transfected and co-transfected into HEK293T, respectively. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay indicated a protein-protein interaction between METTL21C and IGF2BP1.3. Using the Western blotting and LC-MS/MS, it was found that METTL21C could mediate the lysine methylation modification of IGF2BP1. Furthermore, the His-tagged overexpression vector HA-Igf2bp1-His was constructed, transfected and co-transfected with Flag-Mettl21c into HEK293T. His-tagged IGF2BP1 was purified by nickel ion affinity chromatography. Western blotting revealed that IGF2BP1 was successfully purified, and the trimethylation modification level of co-transfection group was significantly elevated compared with the single-transfection Igf2bp1 group.4. Mettl21c and Igf2bp1 overexpression vectors were transfected and co-transfected into primary chicken myoblasts, respectively. The results of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assay and the expression level of Pax7 and MyoD indicated that overexpression of Igf2bp1 alone inhibited the chicken myoblast proliferation, whereas co-expression of Mettl21c and Igf2bp1 eliminated the inhibitory effects of Igf2bp1, thereby favouring cell proliferation and differentiation.5. The results, for the first time, revealed that METTL21C mediated the lysine trimethylation modification of IGF2BP1 to regulate the proliferation of chicken myoblasts, which provided a new insight into in-depth analysis of the molecular mechanism of METTL21C methylation involved in regulating the growth and development of skeletal muscle in Lueyang black-bone chicken.

Dynamic changes of the proportion of HLA-DR and CD38 coexpression subsets on T lymphocytes during IFN-based chronic hepatitis B treatment

Background

To investigate the changes of human leukocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR) and CD38 coexpression subsets on T lymphocytes following interferon (IFN) therapy for those who have chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods

A prospective cohort of CHB patients participated in this study. CHB patients without IFN treatment (including naïve and nucleoside [nucleotide] analogs [NAs]-treated patients) were given pegylated interferon alfa (Peg-IFNα) treatment. Peripheral blood samples were taken at baseline, 4 weeks and 12-24 weeks of Peg-IFNα treatment. For the patients who entered the Peg-IFNα plateau phase due to the stagnation of the decrease in HBsAg, and Peg-IFNα was discontinued and Peg-IFNα therapy was resumed after an interval of 12-24 weeks. During the interval, they received first-line NAs treatment. Peripheral blood samples were collected at the baseline of the plateau phase, 12-24 weeks of intermittent treatment, and 12-24 weeks of Peg-IFNα retreatment. The peripheral blood samples were taken to determine virological, serological and biochemical indices of hepatitis B virus (HBV), and T lymphocyte related phenotypes were detected using flow cytometry.

Results

In the process of long-term treatment of Peg-IFNα, the percentage of HLA-DR⁺CD38^dim subsets increased significantly at first, then decreased gradually, while the percentage of HLA-DR⁺CD38^hi subsets markedly increased. During long-term Peg-IFNα treatment, there was a considerable negative correlation between HBsAg and the HLA-DR⁺CD38^hi subset percentage. The persistent high proportion of HLA-DR⁺CD38^hi subsets was related to the occurrence of Peg-IFNα plateau phase. After Peg-IFNα intermittent treatment, the percentage of HLA-DR⁺CD38^hi subsets decreased significantly. After Peg-IFNα retreatment, the level of HBsAg began to decrease again. At the same time, the percentage of HLA-DR⁺CD38^hi subsets significantly increased, but it was still lower than that at the baseline level.

Conclusions

The spectrum of HLA-DR and CD38 coexpression subsets on T lymphocytes changed during the long-term treatment of IFN. The establishment of the IFN plateau phase was linked to the persistence of a considerable proportion of HLA-DR⁺CD38^hi subsets on T lymphocytes. IFN intermittent treatment could significantly reduce the proportion of HLA-DR⁺CD38^hi subsets, helping regain the antiviral efficacy of IFN during IFN retreatment.

Study on pathological and clinical characteristics of chronic HBV infected patients with HBsAg positive, HBV DNA negative, HBeAg negative

Aims

Study of clinical characteristics of hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV DNA)-negative, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative patients based on liver histopathology.

Methods

We retrospectively enrolled patients with chronic HBV infection diagnosis at Beijing Ditan Hospital from May 2008 to November 2020. To study the differences between patients with significant hepatic histopathology and those without significant hepatic histopathology. And to study the independent factors of significant hepatic histopathology.

Results

85 HBV DNA-negative and HBeAg-negative patients were 37.90 ± 10.30 years old, 23.50% of patients with grade of inflammation (G) >1, 35.30% of patients with liver fibrosis stage (S) >1, 44.70% patients were diagnosed with significant hepatic histopathology. Compared to the no significant hepatic histopathology group, another group had older age (41.70 ± 10.70 vs 34.80 ± 8.87 years, t=-3.28, P=0.002), higher total bilirubin (TBIL) [14.9(10.3, 22.4) vs 11(8.9, 14.4) μmol/L, z=-2.26, P=0.024], lower cholinesterase (CHE) (t=-2.86, P=0.005, 7388.00 ± 2156.00 vs 8988.00 ± 2823.00 U/L) and lower platelet (PLT) (t=2.75, P=0.007, 157.00 ± 61.40 vs 194.00 ± 61.00 10^9/L). Abnormal ALT patients are more likely to have significant hepatic histopathology (z=5.44, P=0.020, 66.70% vs 337.50%). G had significant correlation with CHE (P=0.008, r=-0.23), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (P=0.041, r=0.18), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P=0.001, r=0.29). S had significant correlation with TBIL (P = 0.008, r = 0.23), age (P < 0.001, r = 0.32), international normalized ratio (INR) (P = 0.04, r = 0.23), CHE (P < 0.001, r = -0.30), PLT (P < 0.001, r = -0.40) and prothrombin time activity (PTA) (P = 0.046, r = -0.22). Multivariate logistic analysis indicated only age (95%CI=1.014~1.130, OR=1.069, P=0.013) was an impact factor for significant hepatic histopathology. The cutoff point of age was 34.30 years.

Conclusions

A large proportion of chronic HBV infection patients with HBeAg-negative and HBV DNA-negative still have chronic hepatitis. Age is an independent factor for significant hepatic histopathology.

Postpartum hepatitis and host immunity in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection

In order to develop immune tolerant to the fetal, maternal immune system will have some modification comparing to the time before pregnancy. Immune tolerance starts and develops at the maternal placental interface. In innate immunity, decidual natural killer (dNK) cells, macrophages and dendritic cells play a key role in immue tolerance. In adaptive immunity, a moderate increase of number and immune inhibition function of regulatory T cells (Treg) are essential for immune tolerance. The trophoblast cells and immune cells expressing indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), the trophoblast cells expressing HLA-G, and Th1/Th2 shifting to Th2 dominant and Th17/Treg shifting to Treg domiant are in favor of maternal fetal immune tolerance. Steroids (estrogen and progesterone) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) also participate in immune tolerance by inducing Treg cells or upregulating immunosuppressive cytokines. Most of the patients with chronic HBV infection are in the "HBV immune tolerance period" before pregnancy, and the liver disease is relatively stable during pregnancy. In chronic HBV infection women, after delivery, the relative immunosuppression in vivo is reversed, and Th1 is dominant in Th1/Th2 and Th17 is dominant in Th17/Treg balance. After delivery, the number of Treg decrease and NK cells increase in quantity and cytotoxicity in peripheral blood. Liver NK cells may cause liver inflammation through a non-antigen specific mechanism. After delivery, the number of CD8⁺ T cells will increase and HBV specific T cell response recovers from the disfunction in pregnancy. Under the background of postpartum inflammation, the rapid decrease of cortisol after delivery, and especially the enhancement of HBV specific T cell response induced by HBV DNA and cytokines, are the main reasons for postpartum hepatitis. HBeAg positive, especially HBeAg<700 S/CO, and HBV DNA>3-5Log₁₀IU/ml are risk factors for postpartum hepatitis. Antiviral treatment in late pregnancy can reduce the incidence of mother to child transmission (MTCT) in chronic HBV infection women. Chronic HBV infection women have hepatitis both during pregnancy and more often in 12 weeks postpartum. It is generally agreed that postpartum hepatitis is mild symptoms and self-limited. Delaying drug withdrawal to 48 weeks can increase the seroconversion rate of HBeAg in delivery women with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in pregnancy.

Effects of hepatitis B virus infection and strategies for preventing mother-to-child transmission on maternal and fetal T-cell immunity

One of the most common routes of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). Approximately 6.4 million children under the age of five have chronic HBV infections worldwide. HBV DNA high level, HBeAg positivity, placental barrier failure, and immaturity of the fetal immune are the possible causes of chronic HBV infection. The passive-active immune program for children, which consists of the hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immunoglobulin, and antiviral therapy for pregnant women who have a high HBV DNA load (greater than 2 × 10⁵ IU/ml), are currently two of the most important ways to prevent the transmission of HBV from mother to child. Unfortunately, some infants still have chronic HBV infections. Some studies have also found that some supplementation during pregnancy can increase cytokine levels and then affect the level of HBsAb in infants. For example, IL-4 can mediate the beneficial effect on infants' HBsAb levels when maternal folic acid supplementation. In addition, new research has indicated that HBV infection in the mother may also be linked to unfavorable outcomes such as gestational diabetes mellitus, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, and premature rupture of membranes. The changes in the immune environment during pregnancy and the hepatotropic nature of HBV may be the main reasons for the adverse maternal outcomes. It is interesting to note that after delivery, the women who had a chronic HBV infection may spontaneously achieve HBeAg seroconversion and HBsAg seroclearance. The maternal and fetal T-cell immunity in HBV infection is important because adaptive immune responses, especially virus-specific CD8 T-cell responses, are largely responsible for viral clearance and disease pathogenesis during HBV infection. Meanwhile, HBV humoral and T-cell responses are important for the durability of protection after fetal vaccination. This article reviews the literature on immunological characteristics of chronic HBV-infected patients during pregnancy and postpartum, blocking mother-to-child transmissions and related immune mechanisms, hoping to provide new insights for the prevention of HBV MTCT and antiviral intervention during pregnancy and postpartum.

Maternal and neonatal safety of COVID-19 vaccination during the peri-pregnancy period: A prospective study

BACKGROUND

To investigate the safety of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine in Chinese pregnant women and their fetuses when inoculated during the peri-pregnancy period.

METHODS

Eligible pregnant women were prospectively collected and divided into a vaccine group (n = 93) and control group (n = 160) according to whether they had been vaccinated against COVID-19 within 3 months before their last menstruation period (LMP) and after pregnancy. Demographic data of couples, complications during pregnancy and delivery of pregnant women, and data of newborns at birth were collected.

RESULTS

Sixty-six women were vaccinated with a median time of 35.5 (range = 0-91) days before LMP, and 27 women were vaccinated with a median time of 17 (range = 1-72) days after LMP. The incidence of premature rupture of membrane (PROM) in the vaccine group was significantly higher than that in the control group (16.13% vs. 6.88%, p = 0.019). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that maternal peri-pregnancy COVID-19 vaccination was not an independent risk factor for PROM (odds ratio: 2.407, 95% confidence interval: 0.932-6.216, p = 0.069). There was no difference in the incidence of other complications during pregnancy and delivery between the two groups. A total of 253 neonates were delivered, including two cases with congenital abnormalities in each group. The incidence of congenital abnormalities between the two groups was similar (2.15% vs. 1.25%, p = 0.626). There was no difference in neonatal length, weight, head circumference, and Apgar score between the two groups (p > 0.05), but the incidence of neonatal jaundice in the vaccine group was significantly higher than that in the control group (20.43% vs. 7.5%, p = 0.002). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that maternal peri-pregnancy vaccination, postpartum blood loss, cesarean section, 1-min Apgar score, and paternal smoking were independent risk factors for neonatal jaundice.

CONCLUSIONS

It is safe for pregnant women and their fetuses to be inoculated the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine during the peri-pregnancy period, but attention should be paid to neonatal jaundice.

Hydrogen sulfide protects against ischemic heart failure by inhibiting RIP1/RIP3/MLKL-mediated necroptosis

The aim of the present study was to explore whether hydrogen sulfide (H2S) protects against ischemic heart failure (HF) by inhibiting the necroptosis pathway. Mice were randomized into Sham, myocardial infarction (MI), MI + propargylglycine (PAG) and MI + sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) group, respectively. The MI model was induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. PAG was intraperitoneally administered at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks, and NaHS at a dose of 4mg/kg/day for the same period. At 4 weeks after MI, the following were observed: A significant decrease in the cardiac function, as evidenced by a decline in ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS); an increase in plasma myocardial injury markers, such as creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I (cTNI); an increase in myocardial collagen content in the heart tissues; and a decrease of H2S level in plasma and heart tissues. Furthermore, the expression levels of necroptosis-related markers such as receptor interacting protein kinase 1 (RIP1), RIP3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) were upregulated after MI. NaHS treatment increased H2S levels in plasma and heart tissues, preserving the cardiac function by increasing EF and FS, decreasing plasma CK-MB and cTNI and reducing collagen content. Additionally, NaHS treatment significantly downregulated the RIP1/RIP3/MLKL pathway. While, PAG treatment aggravated cardiac function by activated the RIP1/RIP3/MLKL pathway. Overall, the present study concluded that H2S protected against ischemic HF by inhibiting RIP1/RIP3/MLKL-mediated necroptosis which could be a potential target treatment for ischemic HF.

[Research progress of persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous with Peters anomaly]

Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous is a rare congenital ocular developmental malformation caused by the failure of regression of the primary vitreous during the embryonic development period. Peters anomaly is a monogenetic disease of congenital anterior segment dysgenesis. Recent studies have shown that these two diseases may occur concomitantly and be associated with a variety of systemic abnormalities. This review demonstrates the basis of ocular embryonic development, research status of molecular genetics, clinical manifestations, surgical objectives and progress of treatment of persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous with Peters anomaly, in order to provide guidance for clinical practice and research as well as to promote further progression of related gene detection.

2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenide with Increased Entropy for Piezoelectric Electronics

Piezoelectricity in 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has attracted considerable interest because of their excellent flexibility and high piezoelectric coefficient compared to conventional piezoelectric bulk materials. However, the ability to regulate the piezoelectric properties is limited because the entropy is constant for certain binary TMDs other than multielement ones. Herein, in order to increase the entropy, a ternary TMDs alloy, Mo_{1- x} W_x S₂ , with different W concentrations, is synthesized. The W concentration in the Mo_{1- x} W_x S₂ alloy can be controlled precisely in the low-supersaturation synthesis and the entropy can be tuned accordingly. The Mo_0.46 W_0.54 S₂ alloy (x = 0.54) has the highest configurational entropy and best piezoelectric properties, such as a piezoelectric coefficient of 4.22 pm V^-1 and a piezoelectric output current of 150 pA at 0.24% strain. More importantly, it can be combined into a larger package to increase the output current to 600 pA to cater to self-powered applications. Combining with excellent mechanical durability, a mechanical sensor based on the Mo_0.46 W_0.54 S₂ alloy is demonstrated for real-time health monitoring.

Sustained viral response and relapse after discontinuation of oral antiviral drugs in HBeAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B infection

Objective

To investigate the sustained virological response and relapse in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive after stopping oral antiviral drugs, and to monitor the disease progression and the incidence of adverse events such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods

This is a prospective observational study. Patients who continued nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) treatment after achieving HBeAg seroconversion for more than 3 years were enrolled. After signing the informed consent form, patients stopped NA treatment and received follow-up. During the follow-up, the antiviral treatment information of the patients was collected, and the follow-up observation was carried out every 3 months since the enrollment. We monitored the virological indexes, liver and kidney function, serology and liver imaging during follow-up. The purpose of this study was to explore the sustained virological response rate, HBV DNA recurrence rate, clinical relapse rate and the related factors after drug withdrawal.

Results

A total of 82 patients were enrolled, including 42 males (51.22%) and 40 females (48.78%), with a median age of 34.00 (31.00, 37.25) years. All enrolled patients were followed up for 1 year. At the end of the follow-up, 36.59% (30/82) of patients had sustained virological response, 63.41% (52/82) of patients had HBV DNA reactivation, 17.07% (14/82) of patients had clinical relapse, and 10.98% (9/82) of patients had HBeAg reversion. During the follow-up, there were no adverse events such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The median level of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in patients with sustained virological response was lower than that in patients with HBV DNA reactivation (2.92 vs.3.18 log₁₀IU/ml, Z=-1.492/P=0.136), and the median level of baseline HBsAg in patients with HBV DNA reactivation was lower than that in patients with clinical relapse (3.01 vs.3.45 log₁₀IU/mL, Z=-1.795/P=0.073), but the difference was not significant. There was no significant statistical difference between patients with sustained virological response and HBV DNA reactivation of the median total treatment time [69.50 (56.25, 86.00) vs.62.50 (44.00, 88.50) months, Z=-0.689/P=0.491], and the consolidation treatment time [41.50 (36.75, 54.75) vs.40.50 (36.00, 53.75) months, Z=-0.419/P=0.675].

Conclusion

The sustained virological response rate of HBeAg positive CHB patients after stopping oral antiviral treatment is lower, and it is more common in patients with lower HBsAg levels. Patients still need to be closely monitored after stopping NA therapy.

Label-Free Optical Spectroscopy for Early Detection of Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is the 16th most common cancer worldwide. It commonly arises from painless white or red plaques within the oral cavity. Clinical outcome is highly related to the stage when diagnosed. However, early diagnosis is complex owing to the impracticality of biopsying every potentially premalignant intraoral lesion. Therefore, there is a need to develop a non-invasive cost-effective diagnostic technique to differentiate non-malignant and early-stage malignant lesions. Optical spectroscopy may provide an appropriate solution to facilitate early detection of these lesions. It has many advantages over traditional approaches including cost, speed, objectivity, sensitivity, painlessness, and ease-of use in clinical setting for real-time diagnosis. This review consists of a comprehensive overview of optical spectroscopy for oral cancer diagnosis, epidemiology, and recent improvements in this field for diagnostic purposes. It summarizes major developments in label-free optical spectroscopy, including Raman, fluorescence, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy during recent years. Among the wide range of optical techniques available, we chose these three for this review because they have the ability to provide biochemical information and show great potential for real-time deep-tissue point-based in vivo analysis. This review also highlights the importance of saliva-based potential biomarkers for non-invasive early-stage diagnosis. It concludes with the discussion on the scope of development and future demands from a clinical point of view.

Study on liver histopathology of chronic HBV infected patients with different normal ALT values

Aims

Comparison of liver histopathological findings to explore the occurrence of liver inflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) under different alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normal values.

Methods

The patients who were diagnosed as chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection by liver histopathology at the Department of Pathology, Beijing Ditan Hospital due to clinical difficulty in defining the degree of liver inflammation or fibrosis were retrospectively enrolled from May 2008 to November 2020. Study of the incidence of significant hepatic histopathology in enrolled patients according to different ALT normal values. Using logistic regression to investigate the relevant factors of significant hepatic histopathology.

Results

A total of 1474 patients were enrolled, 56.20% of the patients were male, and the overall patients' age was 36.80 ± 10.60 years. 39.00% of patients had liver inflammation grade G > 1, 34.70% liver fibrosis stage S > 1, and 48.17% patients had significant hepatic histopathology (G > 1 and/or S > 1). Among patients with normal ALT values, 36.40% and 40.40% had significant hepatic histopathology by American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) criteria and Chinese guideline criteria, respectively, but the difference was not statistically significant (χ^{2 =} 3.38, P =0.066). In contrast, among patients with abnormal ALT values, 58.90% and 62.20% of patients had significant hepatic histopathology by AASLD criteria and Chinese guideline criteria, respectively, with no significant difference (χ^{2 =} 2.28, P =0.131). ALT (P <0.001, OR=1.019), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) (P <0.001, OR=0.665) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status (P <0.001, OR=2.238) were relevant factors in the occurrence of significant hepatic histopathology. ALT was positively corelated with grade of inflammation G (r =0.194, P <0.001) and negatively correlated with liver fibrosis stage S (r =-0.066, P =0.021).

Conclusions

Our study found no statistically significant differences in the presence of significant hepatic histopathology under the two ALT criteria. ALT, HBsAg and HBeAg status were related to the occurrence of significant hepatic histopathology.

Functional molecular expression of nature killer cells correlated to HBsAg clearance in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients during PEG-IFN α-2a therapy

Objective

To explore whether the frequencies and functional molecules expression of Natural Killer cells (NK cells) are related to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) disappearance in hepatitis B e envelope antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) throughout peginterferon alpha-2a (PEG-IFN α-2a) treatment.

Methods

In this prospective research, HBeAg-positive patients with CHB received PEG-IFN α-2a treatment, completing 4-year follow-up. After PEG-IFN α-2a treatment, undetectable HBV DNA, HBsAg loss, and HBeAg disappearance were defined as functional cure. Proportions of NK, CD56^dim, CD56^bright, NKp46⁺, NKp46^dim, NKp46^high, and interferon alpha receptor 2 (IFNAR2)⁺ NK cells, and the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of NK cell surface receptors IFNAR2 and NKp46 were detected.

Results

66 patients were enrolled into the study in which 17 patients obtained functional cure. At baseline, hepatitis B virus desoxyribose nucleic acid (HBV DNA) titer in patients with functional cure was remarkably lower than that in Non-functional cure group. Compared with baseline, HBV DNA levels, HBsAg levels, and HBeAg levels significantly declined at week 12 and 24 of therapy in patients with functional cure. At baseline, the negative correlation between CD56^bright NK% and HBV DNA and the negative correlation between CD56^dim NK% and HBV DNA was showed; CD56^bright NK% and IFNAR2 MFI in patients with functional cure were remarkably higher than those in patients without functional cure. After therapy, CD56^bright NK% and NKp46^high NK% in patients with functional cure were higher than those in patients without functional cure. In Functional cure group, after 24 weeks of treatment NK%, CD56^bright NK%, IFNAR2 MFI weakly increased, and NKp46^high NK% and NKp46 MFI significantly increased, meanwhile, CD56^dim NK% and NKp46^dim NK% decreased. Only NKp46 MFI increased after therapy in patients without functional cure.

Conclusion

The lower HBV DNA load and the higher CD56^bright NK% before therapy, and the higher the post-treatment CD56^bright NK%, IFNAR2 MFI, NKp46^high NK%, the easier to achieve functional cure.

Impact of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer on mother-to-infant transmission in women with chronic HBV infection

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

In vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) may increase the risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact and safety of IVF-ET on MTCT in women with chronic HBV infection (CHB).

METHODS

The data of 298 women who got pregnant by IVF-ET and their 375 children were collected retrospectively. Mothers were divided into the CHB group (n = 224) and the control group (HBsAg negative, n = 74). After birth, newborns were routinely vaccinated with the hepatitis B vaccine, and infants in the CHB group were injected with hepatitis B immunoglobulin within 2 h after birth. Demographic information, clinical data and laboratory test results were collected. The primary outcome measures were the MTCT rate of HBV, and the secondary outcome measures were the safety of the mother and infant.

RESULTS

There was no case of HBV MTCT in all 282 newborns born in the CHB group and 93 neonates born in the control group. Of the two groups, the birth weight (3056.74 ± 601.65 vs. 2926.24 ± 704.86, P = .083), length (49.22 ± 1.97 vs. 48.74 ± 3.09, P = .167), 5-min Apgar score (9.97 ± 0.21 vs. 9.90 ± 0.51, P = .212), days of pregnancy (265.70 ± 12.73 vs. 262.02 ± 17.50, P = .064) and neonatal malformation rate (0.71% vs. 0, P = 1.000) were similar. Two cases of neonatal malformation occurred in the CHB group. The incidences of pregnancy and childbirth complications were similar between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

IVF-ET does not increase the risk of MTCT in women with chronic HBV infection, and it is safe for mothers and infants.

LncRNA ABHD11-AS1 promotes tumor progression in papillary thyroid carcinoma by regulating EPS15L1/EGFR signaling pathway

OBJECTIVES

lncRNA ABHD11 antisense RNA 1 (ABHD11-AS1) acts as an oncogene involved in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) occurrence and progression. ABHD11-AS1 exerts biologic functions by some miRNAs and proteins to regulate multiple targets. Identification of novel mechanism of ABHD11-AS1 could be helpful in therapeutic targeting for PTC treatment.

METHODS

Differentially expressed lncRNAs were selected from TCGA database. qRT-PCR analysis was applied to examine the expression of ABHD11-AS1 in PTC cell lines and tissues. The relationship of ABHD11-AS1 expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Two PTC cell lines (TPC-1 and KTC-1) were transfected with pcDNA 3.1, pcDNA3.1-ABHD11-AS1, si-NC and si-ABHD11-AS1, respectively, to verify the ABHD11-AS1 oncogene-regulating capacity to promote tumor progression. The cell metastasis and proliferation had been evaluated both in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

High expression of ABHD11-AS1 was found in PTC tissues (P < 0.01), which was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). ABHD11-AS1 overexpression noticeably promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion capabilities, which were obviously decreased upon ABHD11-AS1 knockdown. ABHD11-AS1 positively regulated EGFR/EPS15L1 pathway, as EGFR, EPS15L1, STAT3, and p-STAT3 were activated.

CONCLUSION

ABHD11-AS1 promotes tumor progression in PTC by regulating EPS15L1/EGFR pathway.

Analysis of risk factors for impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation

To analyse risk factors for impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation to guide clinical decision-making. A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who received kidney transplantation from January 1, 2019, to May 1, 2021, at Kidney Transplantation Center in Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. A case-control study was used to identify a cohort of patients with similar baseline characteristics according to 1:4 ratio. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether there was impaired wound healing after surgery. The basic data and clinical examinations between the two groups were compared, and the risk factors for impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation were analysed using univariate and multivariate analyses. According to the data type, independent samples t-test or Chi-squared test was used for comparison between groups. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyse different risk factors and calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of each factor. A total of 18 patients showed impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation. And we conducted 72 statically matched controls. Age, diabetes, transplant types, body mass index (BMI), albumin, haemoglobin, and wound infection were statistically different between the two groups. The factors with statistically significant differences in univariate analysis were included in multivariate logistic regression analysis. The results showed that BMI > 25, fasting blood glucose level, albumin level, and prealbumin level were independent risk factors for impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation. Risk factors for impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation can be detected after surgery. Strengthening postoperative monitoring and early intervention of recipients with such factors may effectively prevent impaired wound healing after kidney transplantation.

Electro-optic high-speed optical beam shifting based on a lithium niobate tapered waveguide

We propose an electro-optic on-chip beam shifting device based on gradient microstructured electrodes and an optical tapered waveguide fabricated using lithium niobate (LN). The distribution of refractive index variations of the optical waveguide can be electro-optically defined and tailored by the designed gradient microstructured electrodes, which directs the beam propagation and shifting. The length of the beam shifting device is 18 mm and the width of the waveguide is gradually increased from 8 μm to 80 μm. The functionality of the beam shifting device is experimentally demonstrated, and it is observed that it has an electro-optic tunability of 0.41 μm/V, and a high-speed response time of 19 ns (λ=1310 nm). This study can provide potential applications in optical switching and modulation, beam scanning and ranging, optical spatial communications, etc.

[Clinicopathological characteristics and differential diagnosis of 6 cases of congenital granular cell tumor]

To provide references for the diagnosis and treatment of congenital granular cell tumor (CGCT), by comprehensive analysis of the clinical data, histopathological and immunohistochemical results. Patients with CGCT were involede, from March 2015 to November 2020, at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. A total of 6 children, aged 3-16 days, 1 male and 5 female, 5 maxillary and 1 mandibular, with maximum tumor diameter of 6-70 mm, were included. The lesions of CGCT were single and connected to the alveolar ridge by a pedicle. The surface of the tumor was covered with a vascular network, and two cases had ulcers on the surface of the tumor. All 6 cases had the tumor removed surgically and there was no recurrence or metastasis in the follow-up visit. Although CGCT is rare, it is a benign tumor and generally does not recur or metastasize after surgery, and has a good prognosis. The prenatal imaging, clinical manifestations after delivery, pathological characteristics and immunohistochemical analyses may provide reference for early diagnosis and treatment of CGCT.