Competitive Coordination of Sodium Ions for High-Voltage Sodium Metal Batteries with Fast Reaction Speed

The unstable electrode-electrolyte interface and the narrow electrochemical window of normal electrolytes hinder the potential application of high-voltage sodium metal batteries. These problems are actually related to the solvation structure of the electrolyte, which is determined by the competition between cations coordinated with anions or solvent molecules. Herein, we design an electrolyte incorporating ethyl (2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) carbonate and fluoroethylene carbonate, which facilitates a pronounced level of cation-anion coordination within the solvation sheath by enthalpy changes to reduce the overall coordination of cation-solvents and increase sensitivity to salt concentration. Such an electrolyte regulated by competitive coordination leads to highly reversible sodium plating/stripping with extended cycle life and a high Coulombic efficiency of 98.0%, which is the highest reported so far in Na||Cu cells with ester-based electrolytes. Moreover, 4.5 V high-voltage Na||Na3V2(PO4)2F3 cells exhibit a high rate capability up to 20 C and an impressive cycling stability with an 87.1% capacity retention after 250 cycles with limited Na. The proposed strategy of solvation structure modification by regulating the competitive coordination of the cation provides a new direction to achieve stable sodium metal batteries with high energy density and can be further extended to other battery systems by controlling enthalpy changes of the solvation structure.

Spatially Selective Solvation Structure by Electronegative Micro-Arrays for Stable Lithium-Metal Anode Interface

For electrolytes with conventional lithium salt concentration, it is not easy to generate sufficient anion-derived beneficial inorganic components to stabilize the electrolyte-lithium metal anode interface due to the repulsion of the free state anions by the anode. In this study, we solve the above issues through the strong interaction between electronegative materials and lithium ions (Li+ ). A locally high Li+ concentration strategy is proposed by preparing micro-arrays of electronegative nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) on the Cu foil. It is found that the O atoms in -PO4 functional groups of the nHA can strongly adsorb Li+ to form locally Li+ -rich region, which increases the probability of anions to interact with Li+ . The formation of more Li+ -coordinated anions at the electrolyte-anode interface can reduce the Li+ de-solvation energy barrier, and enable the anions to completely decompose into lithium fluoride (LiF) and lithium nitride (Li3 N) on Li metal anode. The interfacial transfer dynamics is accelerated and the Li dendrites are effectively suppressed. Under high current density, the anode exhibits long lifespan with high Coulombic efficiency and small polarization voltage. The nHA micro-arrays achieve the targeted solvation structure at the electrolyte-anode interface, while ensuring conventional lithium salt concentration in the bulk electrolyte. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Prediction of lithium-ion battery SOC based on the fusion of MHA and ConvolGRU

If the charging state of the lithium-ion battery can be accurately predicted, overcharge and overdischarge of the battery can be avoided, and the service life of the battery can be improved. In order to improve the prediction accuracy of SOC, a prediction method combined with convolutional layer, multi-head attention mechanism and gated cycle unit is proposed to extract data feature information from different dimensions of space and time. Using the data set of the University of Maryland, we simulated the battery in real vehicle operating conditions at different temperatures (0 °C, 25 °C, 45 °C). The test results showed that the mean absolute error, root mean square error and maximum prediction error of the model were 0.53%, 0.67% and 0.4% respectively. The results show that the model can predict SOC accurately. At the same time, the comparison with other prediction models shows that the prediction accuracy of this model is the highest.

Ten-Year Outcomes of Hypofractionated (45 Gy in 9 Fractions) Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

We reported 10-year outcomes of localized prostate cancers treated with hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy of 45 Gy in 9 consecutive fractions.

MATERIALS/METHODS

From October 2011 to April 2017, thirty patients with localized prostate cancer were enrolled in this prospective trial. The median age of the patients was 72.5 years. According to NCCN recurrence risk criteria, eight patients were at low-risk group, 17 at intermediate risk group, 5 at high-risk group. All patients were treated with hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) of 45 Gy in 9 consecutive fractions to their prostate with or without seminal vesicles. Before radiotherapy, three gold fiducials were implanted into the prostate. In order to reduce the rectal high dose irradiation volume, an inflated rectal balloon was placed in the rectum at simulation and every treatment and patients were treated with comfortable full bladder. Static Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIMRT) was applied in 1 patient, Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) in 27 patients, and tomotherapy in 2 patients. Image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) with gold fiducial registration was adopted. Twenty-six patients also received androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The median time of ADT was 6 months. Progression⁃free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. All grade ≥1 genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities were recorded using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event version 5.0 (CTCAE 5.0) and Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) late morbidity criteria, and GU and GI toxicities were cumulatively calculated.

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 102 months (65∼131 months), the 10-year OS was 90.0% (95% confidence interval, 83.3%-96.7%), and the 10-year PFS was 86.5% (95% confidence interval, 79.1%-93.9%). According to CTCAE 5.0, grade 1 acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity developed in 12 patients, grade 2 in 2 patients, grade 3 in 2 patients, and grade 1 acute genitourinary (GU) toxicity developed in 12 patients, grade 2 in 2 patients, and no grade 3 or higher toxicity occurred. According to RTOG late morbidity criteria, late (≥3 months after radiotherapy) grade 1 GI toxicity developed in 4 patients (13.3%), grade 2 in 1 (3.3%), grade 3 in 1 (3.3%), and late grade 1 GU toxicity occurred in 1 patient (3.3%), grade 2 in 1 (3.3%), grade 3 in 1 (3.3%). No grade 4 or higher GI and GU toxicities developed. Only one grade 3 GI and one grade 2 GU toxicities were observed for the maximum toxicity at the last follow-up. The potency was not evaluated.

CONCLUSION

The 10-year oncologic outcomes of this shortened hypofractionated IMRT regimen for mainly low/intermediate risk prostate cancer patients is favorable with acceptable acute and late toxicities.

Multi-conformers caused by conformational change of A-ring in the C18- and C19-N-dealkyl diterpenoid alkaloids

This paper describes a rare phenomenon of multi-conformers caused by conformational change of A-ring in the C18- and C19- N-dealkyl diterpenoid alkaloids. The possible reasons for the generation of multiple conformational isomers are complex, which could be affected by the substituents at C-1, C-3, C-13, C-14, and C-15, pH, solvents, the intramolecular hydrogen bond between 1α-OCH3/1α-OH and N-H groups, acid-base treatment, preparation methods, and work-up procedures.

Association between the occurrence of buccally displaced canine and palatal and craniofacial morphology in adolescents

The main objective of the present research study is to evaluate the association between the occurrence of buccally displaced canine (BDC) and the palatal as well as the craniofacial morphology in adolescents in accordance at the early permanent dentition. As the experimental group, 100 adolescents of Chinese ethnicity (mean age 13.05 years) with crowding and buccally displaced canine (BDC-c) were selected in comparison with the same number of candidates (mean age 12.59 years) without BDC and crowding as control group. Digital dental casts and cephalograms were collected for three dimensional (3D) and cephalometric measurements. An independent sample T-test was used to compare the cephalometric values between the two groups. Logistic regression as commonly statistical methods used in empirical study including categorical dependent variables was used to identify the joint effects of the dental variables' 3D measurements. When comparing the groups with above analysis, patients with BDC showed a statistically significant narrower and higher palatal vault. For the cephalometric variables, the anterior cranial base length, sagittal position of the maxilla (SNA), sagittal position of the mandible (SNB), and skeletal relationship between maxilla and mandible (ANB) appeared to be smaller, whilst palatal plane angle (SN-PP), Frankfort-mandibular plane angle (FMA), anterior facial height, and lower facial height were larger in BDC-c control group (p < 0.05). A smaller inter-first premolar width was significant in the prediction model (p = 0.002). This study highlights that BDC-c participants in early permanent dentition exhibited a narrower dental arch and higher palatal vault, of which a smaller inter-first premolar width would significantly increase the occurrence of BDC.

Adenophorone, An Unprecedented Sesquiterpene from Eupatorium adenophorum: Structural Elucidation, Bioinspired Total Synthesis and Neuroprotective Activity Evaluation

(-)-Adenophorone (1), a caged polycyclic sesquiterpene featuring an unprecedented tricyclo[4.3.1.05,9 ]decane skeleton, was isolated from Eupatorium adenopharum Spreng. The structure of 1 was unambiguously established by a combination of spectroscopic analysis, X-ray crystallography, and bioinspired total synthesis. Key synthetic features include a sequential Reformatsky/oxidation/regio- and stereoselective hydrogenation, and subsequent merged MBH-Tsuji-Trost cyclization. The concise synthetic sequence efficiently constructs the bicyclic skeleton of cadinene sesquiterpene (+)-euptox A (2) in 8 steps from commercially available monoterpene (-)-carvone (6), with outstanding performance on diastereocontrol. The bioinspired synthesis of 1 was achieved from 2, a plausible biogenetic precursor, via transannular Michael addition. This work provides experimental evidence of our proposed biosynthetic hypothesis of 1. Additionally, compound 1 showed potent neuroprotective activity in H2 O2 -treated SH-SY5Y and PC12 cells.

Assembling phenyl-modified colloidal silica on graphene oxide towards ethanol redispersible graphene oxide powder

Recently, ethanol has shown promising potential in the large-scale reduction of graphene oxide (GO) into graphene. However, dispersion of GO powder in ethanol is a challenge due to its poor affinity, which hinders permeation and intercalation of ethanol between GO molecule layers. In this paper, phenyl-modified colloidal silica nanospheres (PSNS) were synthesized by phenyl-tri-ethoxy-silane (PTES) and tetra-ethyl ortho-silicate (TEOS) using a sol-gel method. PSNS was then assembled onto a GO surface to form a PSNS@GO structure by possible non-covalent π-π stacking interactions between the phenyl groups and GO molecules. The surface morphology, chemical composition, and dispersion stability were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and particle sedimentation test. The results showed that the as-assembled PSNS@GO suspension had excellent dispersion stability with an optimal PSNS concentration of 5 vol% PTES. With the optimized PSNS@GO, ethanol can permeate between the GO layers and intercalate along with PSNS particles via formation of hydrogen bonds between assembled PSNS on GO and ethanol, achieving a stable dispersion of GO in ethanol. The optimized PSNS@GO powder remained redispersible after drying and milling according to this interaction mechanism which is favorable for large scale reduction processes. Higher PTES concentration may result in agglomeration of PSNS and formation of wrapping structures of PSNS@GO after drying and worsen its dispersion capability.

[Clinical features of SF3B1 mutation in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts]

Objective: To exploring the clinical features of SF3B1-mutated myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts (MDS-EB) and analyzing the association between SF3B1 mutation, and efficacy and prognostic significance for patients with MDS-EB. Methods: This was a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 266 patients with MDS-EB diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between April 2016 and November 2021 were analyzed. The observed indicators included blood routine counts, mutated genes, overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and leukemia-free survival (LFS). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to depict the survival curves. The Log-rank test method was equally used to compare survival across groups and performed the Cox proportional hazard regression model for prognostic analysis. Results: In 266 patients with MDS-EB, 166 (62.4%) were men, and the median age was 57 (17-81) years. Moreover, there were included 26 and 240 patients in the SF3B1-mutated and SF3B1 wild-type groups. Patients in the SF3B1-mutated group were older [median age 65 (51, 69) years vs. 56 (46, 66) years, P=0.033], had higher white blood cell (WBC) counts [3.08 (2.35, 4.78) × 10⁹/L vs. 2.13 (1.40, 3.77) × 10⁹/L], platelet (PLT) counts [122.5 (50.5, 215.0) ×10⁹/L vs. 49.0 (24.3, 100.8) × 10⁹/L], absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) [1.83 (1.01, 2.88) × 10⁹/L vs. 0.80 (0.41, 1.99) × 10⁹/L]and occurrence of DNMT3A mutation [23.1% (6/26) vs. 6.7% (16/240)] (all P<0.05). The ORR were similar in both groups after 2 and 4 cycles of therapy (P=0.348, P=1.000). Moreover, the LFS (P=0.218), PFS (P=0.179) and OS (P=0.188) were similar across the groups. Univariate Cox analysis revealed that SF3B1 mutation did not affect the prognosis of patients with MDS-EB (OS: P=0.193; PFS: P=0.184). Conclusions: Patients with SF3B1 mutation were older, with greater WBC, PLT, and ANC, and SF3B1 mutation easily co-occurred with DNMT3A mutation. From this model, there were no significant differences in efficacy and survival of MDS-EB with or without SF3B1 mutation.

Directing Highly Ordered and Dense Li Deposition to Achieve Stable Li Metal Batteries

Li metal anode is promising to achieve high-energy-density battery. However, it has rapid capacity fading due to the generation of inactive Li (dead Li), especially at high current density. This study reveals that the random distribution of Li nuclei leads to large uncertainty for the further growth behavior on Cu foil. Here, periodical regulation of Li nucleation sites on Cu foil by ordered lithiophilic micro-grooves is proposed to precisely manipulate the Li deposition morphology. The management of Li deposits in the lithiophilic grooves can induce high pressure on the Li particles, leading to the formation of dense Li structure and smooth surface without dendrite growth. Li deposits comprising tightly packed large Li particles largely reduce the side reaction and the generation of isolated metallic Li at high current density. Less dead Li accumulating on the substrate significantly prolongs the cycling life of full cells with limited Li inventory. The precise manipulation of the Li deposition on Cu is promising for high-energy and stable Li metal batteries.

Structural Elucidation of Ivermectin Binding to α7nAChR and the Induced Channel Desensitization

The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) mediates signaling in the central nervous system and cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathways. Ivermectin is a positive allosteric modulator of a full-length α7nAChR and an agonist of the α7nAChR construct containing transmembrane (TMD) and intracellular (ICD) domains, but structural insights of the binding have not previously been determined. Here, combining nuclear magnetic resonance as a primary experimental tool with Rosetta comparative modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, we have revealed details of ivermectin binding to the α7nAChR TMD + ICD and corresponding structural changes in an ivermectin-induced desensitized state. Ivermectin binding was stabilized predominantly by hydrophobic interactions from interfacial residues between adjacent subunits near the extracellular end of the TMD, where the inter-subunit gap was substantially expanded in comparison to the apo structure. The ion-permeation pathway showed a profile distinctly different from the resting-state profile but similar to profiles of desensitized α7nAChR. The ICD also exhibited structural changes, including reorientation of the MX and h3 helices relative to the channel axis. The resulting structures of the α7nAChR TMD + ICD in complex with ivermectin provide opportunities for discovering new modulators of therapeutic potential and exploring the structural basis of cytoplasmic signaling under different α7nAChR functional states.

Long-term Cardiovascular Risks of Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Agonists and Antagonists: a Population-based Cohort Study

AIMS

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and antagonists, critical medications for prostate cancer (PCa) treatment, may differ in cardiovascular safety. This prospective cohort study aimed to compare the long-term cardiovascular risks between GnRH agonists and antagonists.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with PCa receiving GnRH agonists or antagonists during 2013-2021 in Hong Kong were identified. Patients with <6 months' prescriptions, who were switching between drugs, had missing baseline prostate-specific antigen level or had a prior stroke or myocardial infarction were excluded. Patients were followed up until September 2021. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) as in the PRONOUNCE trial (MACE_PRONOUNCE), i.e. a composite of all-cause mortality, stroke and myocardial infarction. The secondary outcome was MACE_CVM, i.e. a composite of cardiovascular mortality, stroke and myocardial infarction. Inverse probability treatment weighting was used to balance covariates between groups. The Log-rank test was used to compare the cumulative freedom from the primary outcome between groups.

RESULTS

In total, 2479 patients were analysed (162 GnRH antagonist users and 2317 agonist users; median age 75.0 years, interquartile range 68.0-81.6 years). Inverse probability treatment weighting achieved good covariate balance between groups. Over a median follow-up duration of 3.0 years (interquartile range 1.7-5.0 years), 1115 patients (45.0%) had MACE_PRONOUNCE and 344 (13.9%) had MACE_CVM. GnRH agonist users had lower risks of MACE_PRONOUNCE (Log-rank P < 0.001) and MACE_CVM (Log-rank P = 0.027). However, no differences were observed within 1 year of follow-up (MACE_PRONOUNCE: Log-rank P = 0.308; MACE_CVM: Log-rank P = 0.357). Among patients without cardiovascular risk factors at baseline, GnRH agonist users had lower risks of MACE_PRONOUNCE (Log-rank P < 0.001) and MACE_CVM (Log-rank P = 0.001), whereas no differences were observed in those with such risk factor(s) (MACE_PRONOUNCE: Log-rank P = 0.569; MACE_CVM: Log-rank P = 0.615).

CONCLUSIONS

GnRH antagonists may be associated with higher long-term, but not short-term, cardiovascular risks than agonists in Asian patients with PCa, particularly in those without known cardiovascular risk factors.

A Pseudocapacitor Diode Based on Ion-Selective Surface Redox Effect

Supercapacitor diode (CAPode) is a novel device that integrates ion diode functionality into a conventional electrical double-layer capacitor and is expected to have great applications in emerging fields such as signal propagation, microcircuit rectification, logic operations, and neuromorphology. Here, a brand new pseudocapacitor diode is reported that has both high charge storage (50.2 C g^-1 at 20 mV s^-1 ) and high rectification (the rectification ratio of 0.79 at 200 mV s^-1 ) properties, which is realized by the ion-selective surface redox reaction of spinel ZnCo₂ O₄ in aqueous alkaline electrolyte. Furthermore, an application of the integrated device is demonstrated in the logic gate of circuit system to realize the logic operations of "AND" and "OR". This work not only expands the types of CAPodes, but also provides a train of thought for constructing high-performance capacitive ionic diodes.

[The efficacy of radiotherapy based combined therapy for unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer and its associated factors analysis]

Objective: Retrospective analysis of the efficacy and influencing factors of bladder preservation integrated therapy for unresectable invasive bladder cancer confined to the pelvis was done, also including the bladder function preservation and adverse effects analysis. Methods: Sixty-nine patients with unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer who received radiotherapy-based combination therapy from March 1999 to December 2021 at our hospital were selected. Among them, 42 patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy, 32 underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapyand 43 with transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) prior to radiotherapy. The late adverse effect of radiotherapy, preservation of bladder function, replase and metastasis and survival were followed-up. Cox proportional hazards models were applied for the multifactorial analysis. Results: The median age was 69 years. There were 63 cases (91.3%) of uroepithelial carcinoma, 64 of stage Ⅲ and 4 of stage Ⅳ. The median duration of follow-up was 76 months. There were 7 grade 2 late genito urinary toxicities, 2 grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicities, no grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred. All patients maintained normal bladder function, except for 8 cases who lost bladder function due to uncontrolled tumor in the bladder. Seventeen cases recurred locally. There were 11 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 26.2% (11/42) and 6 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 22.2% (6/27), and the difference in local recurrence rate between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.709). There were 23 cases of distant metastasis (including 2 cases of local recurrence with distant metastasis), including 10 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 23.8% (10/42) and 13 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 48.1% (13/27), and the distant metastasis rate in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group was higher than that in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group (P=0.036). The median 5-year overall survival (OS) time was 59 months and the OS rate was 47.8%. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) time was 20 months and the PFS rate was 34.4%. The 5-year OS rates of concurrent and non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group were 62.9% and 27.6% (P<0.001), and 5-year PFS rates were 45.4% and 20.0%, respectively (P=0.022). The 5-year OS rates of with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were 78.4% and 30.1% (P=0.002), and the 5-year PFS rates were 49.1% and 25.1% (P=0.087), respectively. The 5-year OS rates with or without TURBT before radiotherapy were 45.5% and 51.9% (P=0.233) and the 5-year PFS rates were 30.8% and 39.9% (P=0.198), respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that the clinical stage (HR=0.422, 95% CI: 0.205-0.869) was independent prognostic factor for PFS of invasive bladder cancer. The multivariate analysis showed that clinical stages (HR=0.278, 95% CI: 0.114-0.678), concurrent chemoradiotherapy (HR=0.391, 95% CI: 0.165-0.930), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.188, 95% CI: 0.058-0.611), and recurrences (HR=10.855, 95% CI: 3.655-32.638) were independent prognostic factors for OS of invasive bladder cancer. Conclusion: Unresectable localized invasive bladder cancer can achieve satisfactory long-term outcomes with bladder-preserving combination therapy based on radiotherapy, most patients can retain normal bladder function with acceptable late adverse effects and improved survival particularly evident in patients with early, concurrent chemoradiotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Downregulates Cell Surface α7nAChR through a Helical Motif in the Spike Neck

A deficiency of the functional α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) impairs neuronal and immune systems. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S12) facilitates virus cell entry during COVID-19 infection and can also independently disrupt cellular functions. Here, we found that S12 expression significantly downregulated surface expression of α7nAChR in mammalian cells. A helical segment of S12 (L1145-L1152) in the spike neck was identified to be responsible for the downregulation of α7nAChR, as the mutant S12_AAA (L1145A-F1148A-L1152A) had minimal effects on surface α7nAChR expression. This S12 segment is homologous to the α7nAChR intracellular helical motif known for binding chaperone proteins RIC3 and Bcl-2 to promote α7nAChR surface expression. Competition from S12 for binding these proteins likely underlies suppression of surface α7nAChR. Considering the critical roles of α7nAChR in cellular functions, these findings provide a new perspective for improving mRNA vaccines and developing treatment options for certain symptoms related to long COVID.

[Clinical features and survival analysis of microscopic polyangiitis-associated interstitial lung disease:a retrospective study of 28 patients]

Objective: To explore the clinical features, laboratory examination and imaging features of microscopic polyangiitis (MPA)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD), and to perform survival analysis. Methods: The records of 28 patients with MPA-ILD who were treated at the Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Ningbo University were reviewed retrospectively from August 2014 to November 2021. The patients' clinical features, laboratory parameters, pulmonary function test, echocardiography, chest CT scan findings and therapeutic regimen were analyzed, and the relevant data were statistically analyzed. Results: There were 18 males and 10 females, with an average age of (70.1±9.3) years. Among them, 13 patients had a history of smoking. The main clinical manifestations were cough (14/28), fever (12/28), chest tightness, shortness of breath (12/28) and hemoptysis (3/28). Sixteen patients had renal involvement, and 78.57% (22/28) and 89.28% (25/28) of the patients had elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and ESR respectively. Sixteen (16/28) patients had increased rheumatoid factor (RF), and the positive rate of myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (MPO-ANCA) was 82.12% (23/28). 96.43% (27/28) of ILDs were diagnosed before or at the same time as MPA. The chest radiological pattern was mainly usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) or UIP-like (15/28), followed by nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) (8/28). Compared with non-UIP-like patients, UIP or UIP-like patients were older (P=0.018), and had higher serum LDH level (P=0.041), but serum creatinine level was significantly lower (P=0.041). Univariate and multivariate survival analysis showed that inappropriate treatment (HR=9.81, 95%CI: 1.68-57.29, P=0.011) and elevated serum LDH (HR=4.11, 95%CI: 0.99-17.00, P=0.051) were independent risk factors for shortened survival of MPA-ILD, while elevated RF (HR=0.22, 95%CI: 0.06-0.91, P=0.037) was a protective factor for prolonged survival. Conclusions: MPA-ILD patients had fewer systemic vasculitis symptoms. Most of the ILD patients were diagnosed before or at the same time as MPA. The chest radiological pattern was mainly UIP or UIP-like, followed by NSIP. Early use of glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressant or rituximab could improve the survival rate of MPA-ILD. The elevated serum LDH was an independent risk factor for shortened survival of MPA-ILD, while elevated RF was a protective factor for prolonged survival.

Deep learning-based classification of dermatological lesions given a limited amount of labeled data

BACKGROUND

Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques are promising in early diagnosis of skin diseases. However, a precondition for their success is the access to large-scaled annotated data. Until now, obtaining this data has only been feasible with very high personnel and financial resources.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to overcome the obstacle caused by the scarcity of labeled data.

METHODS

To simulate the scenario of label shortage, we discarded a proportion of labels of the training set. The training set consisted of both labeled and unlabeled images. We then leveraged a self-supervised learning technique to pre-train the AI model on the unlabeled images. Next, we fine-tuned the pre-trained model on the labeled images.

RESULTS

When the images in the training dataset were fully labeled, the self-supervised pre-trained model achieved 95.7% of accuracy, 91.7% of precision and 90.7% of sensitivity. When only 10% of the data was labeled, the model could still yield 87.7% of accuracy, 81.7% of precision and 68.6% of sensitivity. In addition, we also empirically verified that the AI model and dermatologists are consistent in visually inspecting the skin images.

CONCLUSIONS

The experimental results demonstrate the great potential of the self-supervised learning in alleviating the scarcity of annotated data.

An Interlayer Containing Dissociated LiNO3 with Fast Release Speed for Stable Lithium Metal Batteries with 400 Wh kg-1 Energy Density

Lithium metal is an ideal electrode material for future rechargeable batteries. However, dendrite formation and unstable solid electrolyte interphase film lead to safety concerns and poor Coulombic efficiency (CE). LiNO₃ significantly improves the performance of the lithium metal anode in ester electrolytes but its use is restricted by low solubility. To increase the content of LiNO₃ in the cell, a poly-(vinyl carbonate) organogel interlayer containing dissociated LiNO₃ (LNO-PVC) is placed between the cathode and anode. The dissociated LiNO₃ effectively increases the LiNO₃ -release rate and compensates for the LiNO₃ consumed in ester electrolytes during cycling. Via this interlayer, the performance of the lithium metal anode is significantly improved. The average CE of a Li-Cu cell reaches 98.6% at 0.5 mA cm^-2 -1 h and 98.5% at 1 mA cm^-2 -1 h for 300 cycles. Also, a Li||NCM811 pouch cell with LNO-PVC interlayer can also reach a 400 Wh kg^-1 energy density with a cycling life of 65 cycles. This strategy sheds light on the effect of the state of this salt on its release/dissolution kinetics, which is determined by the interactions between the salt and host material.

Study on a Hydrogel for Adsorption of Chloride Ions in Cementitious Materials

Chloride ions in the seaside environment can corrode the steel reinforcement in concrete, which greatly endangers the safety of seaside structures. As an excellent adsorption material, hydrogel is widely used in the field of water treatment but is rarely used in cementitious materials. In this study, a polyacrylamide–chitosan hydrogel (PAMC) was prepared with N,N-methylenebisacrylamide as the cross-linking agent and acrylamide as the monomer. The prepared PAMC gel could effectively adsorb chloride ions in simulated seawater and simulated sea sand environments, and the maximum adsorption capacity of chloride ions by PAMC-1 (prepared from 2.5 g acrylamide and 1% content of N,N-methylenebisacrylamide relative to acrylamide) gels in simulated seawater was 55.53 mg/g. The adsorption behavior of the PAMC gels in solution fit the Langmuir isotherm model. The composition and morphology of the PAMC gel were characterized, and the responsiveness of the PAMC gel to the environment was studied. The results showed that the PAMC gels adsorbed better in alkaline environments and thus could be used in alkaline cement-based environments. The mortar sample containing the PAMC-1 gel had higher resistance to chloride ion penetration, and the chloride ion content at 7.5–10mm from the surface of the sample cured for 28 days was reduced by 41.4% compared to the samples without the gel.

Asymmetric total synthesis of prostaglandin C2 TBS ether

We disclose an asymmetric total synthesis of prostaglandin C₂ TBS ether, a derivative of an extremely sensitive natural prostaglandin C₂. The key to the synthesis is a SmI₂-mediated ketyl-enoate reaction that leads to the formation of the functionalized cyclopentane ring with high-level stereochemical control. Access to the crucial alkene system is realized late in the synthesis by the implementation of a Grignard addition/dehydration/metathesis sequence.

Stereoselective Total Syntheses of C18-Oxo Eburnamine-Vincamine Alkaloids

Here, we disclose the divergent total syntheses of representative C18-oxo eburnamine-vincamine alkaloids (+)-eburnaminol, (-)-larutenine, and (-)-cuanzine. Key to the approach is a substrate-controlled iridium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation/lactamization cascade that leads to the formation of the common tetracyclic skeleton with essential cis-C20/C21 stereochemistry (93% yield, 98% ee, >20:1 dr, gram scale). Access to the targeted alkaloids is effected late in the synthesis by implementation of a number of diversity-oriented transformations and late-stage modifications.

Apoptotic cells derived micro/nano-sized extracellular vesicles in tissue regeneration

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), products released by cells in multiple biological activities, are currently widely accepted as functional particles and intercellular communicators. From the orthodox perspective, EVs derived from apoptotic cells (apoEVs) are responsible for cell debris clearance, while recent studies have demonstrated that apoEVs participate in tissue regeneration. However, the underlying mechanisms and particular functions in tissue regeneration promotion of apoEVs remain ambiguous. Some molecules, such as caspases, active during apoptosis also function in tissue regeneration triggered by apoptosis,. ApoEVs are generated in the process of apoptosis, carrying cell contents to manifest biological effects, and possessing biomarkers to target phagocytes. The regenerative effect of apoEVs might be due to their abilities to facilitate cell proliferation and regulate inflammation. Such regenerative effect has been observed in various tissues, including skin, bone, cardiovascular system, and kidney. Engineered apoEVs are produced to amplify the biological benefits of apoEVs, rendering them optional for drug delivery. Meanwhile, challenges exist in thorough mechanistic exploration and standardization of production. In this review, we discussed the link between apoptosis and regeneration, current comprehension of the origination and investigation strategies of apoEVs, and mechanisms in tissue regeneration by apoEVs and their applications. Challenges and prospects are also discussed here.

[Correlation between professional quality of life and social support of Chinese nurses: a meta-analysis]

Objective: To systematically evaluate the correlation between professional quality of life and social support of Chinese nurses based on Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. Methods: In databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Medline, CBM, CNKI、Wanfang, and other databases were searched by computer for the literatures on correlation between Chinese nurses' professional quality of life and social support from January 2005 to July 2020. The Chinese and English search terms are "nurse" "professional quality of life" "empathy satisfaction" "empathy fatigue" "professional quality of life" "ProQOL" "comparison satisfaction" "comparison fatigue" "social support" "competent social support" "SSRS" "PSSS", etc. Literatures were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After evaluating quality and extracting data, meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. Results: A total of 12 studies were included. The meta analysis showed that nurses' compassion satisfaction, burnout, secondary traumatic stress were related to social support, summary r were 0.35, -0.26 and -0.23 respectively. The correlation between compassion satisfaction and social support were increased with sample, the south was higher than the north, and comprehensive departments were higher than other departments (P<0.05) . The correlation between burnout and social support were increased with time and sample, and the south was higher than the north, oncology was higher than others, non-random sampling was higher than random sampling, using ProQOL and Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) was higher than Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) and Social Support Racting Scale (SSRS) (P<0.05) . The correlation coefficient between secondary traumatic stress and social support in oncology was higher than others, random sampling was higher than non-random sampling, using ProQOL and PSSS was higher than ProQOL and SSRS (P<0.05) . Conclusion: There is a positive and weak correlation between compassion satisfaction and social support, and a negative and weak correlation between burnout and secondary traumatic stress and social support. There are differences in different time, research design, region and department.

Structures of highly flexible intracellular domain of human α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

The intracellular domain (ICD) of Cys-loop receptors mediates diverse functions. To date, no structure of a full-length ICD is available due to challenges stemming from its dynamic nature. Here, combining nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron spin resonance experiments with Rosetta computations, we determine full-length ICD structures of the human α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in a resting state. We show that ~57% of the ICD residues are in highly flexible regions, primarily in a large loop (loop L) with the most mobile segment spanning ~50 Å from the central channel axis. Loop L is anchored onto the MA helix and virtually forms two smaller loops, thereby increasing its stability. Previously known motifs for cytoplasmic binding, regulation, and signaling are found in both the helices and disordered flexible regions, supporting the essential role of the ICD conformational plasticity in orchestrating a broad range of biological processes.

The intracellular domain (ICD) of Cys-loop receptors mediates many of their functions, but no complete structure of a Cys-loop receptor ICD is available to date. Here, the authors combine NMR and ESR spectroscopy to determine the full-length ICD structures of the human α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR).

[The effectiveness of psychological intervention on nursing staff' compassion fatigue: a meta-analysis]

Objective: To systematically evaluate the impact of psychological intervention on nursing staff' compassion fatigue. Methods: From March to May 2020, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang and other databases were electronically searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the influence of psychological intervention on nursing staff' compassion fatigue with the main search terms including compassion fatigue, nurs*, psychological intervention, mental intervention, RCT and so on from inception to March 31, 2020. Screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. The Stata 16.0 software was used to calculate the pooled effectiveness of psychological intervention on nursing staff' compassion fatigue. Results: All 13 RCTs were enrolled, including 940 nursing staff. Meta-analysis results demonstrated that the psychological intervention group was superior to the control group in the improvement of the compassion fatigue score (SMD=-0.96, 95%CI: -1.17-0.74, P=0.001) , compassion satisfaction score (SMD=0.61, 95%CI: 0.45-0.77, P=0.002) , burnout score (SMD=-0.46, 95%CI: -0.62-0.29, P=0.006) , secondary trauma score (SMD=-0.40, 95%CI: -0.68-0.12, P=0.020) , and the difference was statistically significant. Subgroup analysis found that the psychological intervention group was more effective than the control group in improving compassion satisfaction score, reducing burnout score and secondary trauma score, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05) in different intervention time (<8 weeks and ≥8 weeks) and intervention methods. Conclusion: The psychological intervention can improve the level of compassion satisfaction, and reduce the compassion fatigue among nursing staff, and have a certain preventive effect on compassion fatigue.

[Familial interstitial lung disease associated with surfactant protein C gene mutation in adults: report of two cases and literature review]

Objective: To improve the understanding of clinical manifestations, imaging findings, diagnosis and treatment of surfactant protein C gene (SFTPC) mutation associated with familial interstitial lung disease in adults. Methods: Two cases of adult SFTPC gene mutation associated with familial interstitial lung disease diagnosed in the Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Ningbo University were analyzed retrospectively, and the literature was reviewed. The literatures were retrieved with "family interstitial lung disease" "SFTPC gene" "surface protein C gene" "SFTPC gene mutation associated with familial international lung disease" and "surface protein C gene mutation associated with familial international lung disease" in PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Wanfang database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Results: There were two patients with familial interstitial lung diseases(one male and one female) with an average age of 27.5 years. Ⅱ-2 patient had symptoms of dry cough and shortness of breath, and Ⅱ-1 patient had no symptoms. There were multiple cysts and fine reticular shadows in both cases. Ⅱ-2 patient had multiple ground glass opacities in both lower lungs. TheⅡ-2 patient was diagnosed with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) by transbronchial lung cryobiopsy. A total of 35 patients were included in this literature review, including 20 males, with an average age of 33.5 years. Of all the patients, the clinical symptoms were described in 30 patients. The main manifestations were shortness of breath (22/30), dry cough (18/30), clubbing finger (12/30), and 30% (9/30) of them were found by chest computerized tomography (CT) without symptoms. There were 17 cases with detailed description of chest CT imaging. The most common chest CT findings were multiple intralobular reticular opacities (17/17), multiple cysts (12/17) and ground glass opacities (7/17). The main histopathological pattern was UIP (24/26). Conclusions: The main clinical manifestations of SFTPC gene mutation associated with familial interstitial lung disease in adults are shortness of breath, dry cough and clubbing fingers. The main manifestations are multiple cysts and intralobular reticular opacities in combination with multiple ground glass opacities. There is no specific drug in the treatment at present and early treatment with hydroxychloroquine may have better curative effect. When the imaging findings show multiple cysts and intralobular reticular opacities in combination with multiple ground glass opacities, especially the age of onset is less than 50 years old, this disease should be considered.

The total synthesis of -strempeliopine via palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative asymmetric allylic alkylation

In the work reported herein, the concise and enantioselective total synthesis of the Schizozygine alkaloid (-)-strempeliopine was developed. This synthetic strategy featured the palladium-catalyzed decarboxylative asymmetric allylic alkylation of N-benzoyl lactam to set up the absolute configuration at the C20 position, a highly diastereoselective one-pot Bischler-Napieralski/lactamization and iminium reduction sequence for the construction of the pentacyclic core structure, and the late-stage dearomative addition of indole, leading to the otherwise difficult-to-achieve hexacyclic indoline framework with complete control of four neighbouring stereocenters.

Catalytic asymmetric total synthesis of diazabicyclooctane β-lactamase inhibitors avibactam and relebactam

Catalytic asymmetric total synthesis of avibactam and relebactam, two marketed diazabicyclooctane (DBO) β-lactamase inhibitors (BLIs), has been accomplished. An important feature of this study is the creation of a stereogenic...

Stereoselective total synthesis of (±)-vindeburnol and (±)-16-epi-vindeburnol

A concise stereoselective total synthesis of (±)-vindeburnol and its epimer (±)-16-epi-vindeburnol is presented. This synthetic work features the utilization of Baeyer-Villiger oxidation to install different types of lactone substrate, and a sequence of aminolysis, aldimine condensation and acyl-Pictet-Spengler to deliver the crucial trans-fused indoloquinolizidine scaffold with high-level diastereocontrol.

Chondrocyte-laden GelMA hydrogel combined with 3D printed PLA scaffolds for auricle regeneration

The current gold standard for auricular reconstruction after microtia or ear trauma is the autologous cartilage graft with an autologous skin flap overlay. Harvesting autologous cartilage requires an additional surgery that may result in donor area complications. In addition, autologous cartilage is limited and the auricular reconstruction requires complex sculpting, which requires excellent clinical skill and is very time consuming. This work explores the use of 3D printing technology to fabricate bioactive artificial auricular cartilage using chondrocyte-laden gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) and polylactic acid (PLA) for auricle reconstruction. In this study, chondrocytes were loaded within GelMA hydrogel and combined with the 3D-printed PLA scaffolds to biomimetic the biological mechanical properties and personalized shape. The printing accuracy personalized scaffolds, biomechanics and chondrocyte viability and biofunction of artificial auricle have been studied. It was found that chondrocytes were fixed in the PLA auricle scaffolds via GelMA hydrogels and exhibited good proliferative properties and cellular activity. In addition, new chondrocytes and chondrogenic matrix, as well as type II collagen were observed after 8 weeks of implantation. At the same time, the transplanted auricle complex kept full and delicate auricle shape. This study demonstrates the potential of using 3D printing technology to construct in vitro living auricle tissue. It shows a great prospect in the clinical application of auricle regeneration.

The effects of cortical bone thickness and miniscrew implant root proximity on the success rate of miniscrew implant: A retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of cortical bone thickness (CBT), miniscrew implant root proximity (MRP) and other related factors on the success rate of miniscrew implant (MSI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four hundred and five MSIs placed in 171 patients were analysed in this retrospective study. The primary predictor variables were CBT and MRP at MSI insertion sites. The predictor variables also included patient, location, MSI design and procedure related factors. The outcome variable was the survival of MSI. The differences in measurement data between success group and failed group were evaluated by the analysis of variance and independent samples t tests. Patient, location, MSI design and procedure related factors associated with the MSI prognosis were analysed by survival analysis with Cox proportional hazard regression model. The P value was set at .05. And the survival curves of independent factors were plotted.

RESULTS

The overall success rate of MSI was 82.7%. The age of MSI host, CBT, interdental root distance (IRD) and MRP at MSI sites showed no significant differences between failed group and success group. CBT and insertion jaws were independent prognosis factors screened out by Cox proportional hazard regression model. Failure risk (hazard ratio) of MSI with CBT <1 mm was 4.72. The failure risk in the mandible was 3.80 times as high as that in the maxilla.

CONCLUSION

Inadequate CBT (<1 mm) contributed to the failure of MSI. MSI placed in the maxilla showed better prognosis compared to the mandible. MRP had no significant effect on the prognosis.

A unified strategy to prostaglandins: chemoenzymatic total synthesis of cloprostenol, bimatoprost, PGF2α, fluprostenol, and travoprost guided by biocatalytic retrosynthesis

Development of efficient and stereoselective synthesis of prostaglandins (PGs) is of utmost importance, owing to their valuable medicinal applications and unique chemical structures. We report here a unified synthesis of PGs cloprostenol, bimatoprost, PGF_2α, fluprostenol, and travoprost from the readily available dichloro-containing bicyclic ketone 6a guided by biocatalytic retrosynthesis, in 11-12 steps with 3.8-8.4% overall yields. An unprecedented Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase (BVMO)-catalyzed stereoselective oxidation of 6a (99% ee), and a ketoreductase (KRED)-catalyzed diastereoselective reduction of enones 12 (87 : 13 to 99 : 1 dr) were utilized in combination for the first time to set the critical stereochemical configurations under mild conditions. Another key transformation was the copper(ii)-catalyzed regioselective p-phenylbenzoylation of the secondary alcohol of diol 10 (9.3 : 1 rr). This study not only provides an alternative route to the highly stereoselective synthesis of PGs, but also showcases the usefulness and great potential of biocatalysis in construction of complex molecules.

Total Synthesis of (-)-Canadine, (-)-Rotundine, (-)-Sinactine, and (-)-Xylopinine Using a Last-Step Enantioselective Ir-Catalyzed Hydrogenation

A concise asymmetric total synthesis of a group of tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids, (-)-canadine, (-)-rotundine, (-)-sinactine, and (-)-xylopinine, has been accomplished in three steps from the commercially available corresponding disubstituted phenylethylamine and disubstituted benzaldehyde. Our synthesis toward these four alkaloids took advantage of the following strategy: in the first step, we achieved an efficient and sustainable synthesis of secondary amine hydrochlorides via a fully continuous flow; in the second step, we developed a Pictet-Spengler reaction/Friedel-Crafts hydroxyalkylation/dehydration cascade for the construction of the dihydroprotoberberine core structure (ABCD-ring); and in the last step, Ir-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation was employed for the introduction of the desired stereochemistry at the C-14 position in the tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids. This work significantly expedites the asymmetric synthesis of the entire tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloid family as well as a more diverse set of structurally related non-natural analogues.

Nasal Delivery of AntagomiR-741 Protects Against the Radiation-Induced Brain Injury in Mice

Radiation-induced brain injury (RBI) is a serious complication in patients who have received radiotherapy for head and neck tumors. Currently, there is a scarcity of information on early diagnostic and preventive methods of RBI. Accumulating evidence suggests that microRNAs are involved in the regulation of radiation injury, but the molecular biological mechanism of miRNAs in RBI is largely unknown. Therefore, in our study, microRNA sequencing was used to discover differential miRNAs in the hippocampus of RBI-modeled mice, which suggested that miR-741-3p was most significantly upregulated. To clarify the underlying mechanism of miR-741-3p in RBI-modeled mice, an inhibitor of miR-741-3p (antagomiR-741) was delivered into the brain via the nasal passage before irradiation. The delivery of antagomiR-741 significantly reduced miR-741-3p levels in the hippocampus of RBI-modeled mice, and the cognitive dysfunction and neuronal apoptosis induced by radiation were also alleviated at 6 weeks postirradiation. Downregulation of miR-741-3p was found to improve the protrusion and branching status of microglia after irradiation and reduced the number of GFAP-positive astrocytes. Additionally, antagomiR-741 suppressed the radiation-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α in the hippocampus and S100B in the serum. Furthermore, Ddr2, PKCα and St8sia1 were revealed as target genes of miR-741-3p and as potential regulatory targets for RBI. Overall, our study provides identification and functional evaluation of miRNA in RBI and lays the foundation for improving the prevention strategy for RBI based on the delivery of miRNA via the nose-brain pathway.

Accurate diagnosis of colorectal cancer based on histopathology images using artificial intelligence

BACKGROUND

Accurate and robust pathological image analysis for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis is time-consuming and knowledge-intensive, but is essential for CRC patients' treatment. The current heavy workload of pathologists in clinics/hospitals may easily lead to unconscious misdiagnosis of CRC based on daily image analyses.

METHODS

Based on a state-of-the-art transfer-learned deep convolutional neural network in artificial intelligence (AI), we proposed a novel patch aggregation strategy for clinic CRC diagnosis using weakly labeled pathological whole-slide image (WSI) patches. This approach was trained and validated using an unprecedented and enormously large number of 170,099 patches, > 14,680 WSIs, from > 9631 subjects that covered diverse and representative clinical cases from multi-independent-sources across China, the USA, and Germany.

RESULTS

Our innovative AI tool consistently and nearly perfectly agreed with (average Kappa statistic 0.896) and even often better than most of the experienced expert pathologists when tested in diagnosing CRC WSIs from multicenters. The average area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of AI was greater than that of the pathologists (0.988 vs 0.970) and achieved the best performance among the application of other AI methods to CRC diagnosis. Our AI-generated heatmap highlights the image regions of cancer tissue/cells.

CONCLUSIONS

This first-ever generalizable AI system can handle large amounts of WSIs consistently and robustly without potential bias due to fatigue commonly experienced by clinical pathologists. It will drastically alleviate the heavy clinical burden of daily pathology diagnosis and improve the treatment for CRC patients. This tool is generalizable to other cancer diagnosis based on image recognition.

DGCR8 promotes the metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer by epigenetically regulating TGF-β

OBJECTIVE

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most ordinary fatal cancers. Recent studies have identified the vital role of genes in the development and progression of Tri-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this research, DGCR8 was studied to identify how it functioned in the metastasis of TNBC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

DGCR8 expression of tissues was detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) in 50 TNBC patients. Wound healing assay and transwell assay were used to observe the changes in the biological behaviors of TNBC cells through knockdown or overexpression of DGCR8. In addition, qRT-PCR and Western blot assay were performed to discover the potential target protein of DGCR8 in TNBC.

RESULTS

DGCR8 expression level in TNBC samples was higher than that of adjacent ones. Besides, the migration ability and invasion ability of TNBC cells were inhibited after DGCR8 was silenced, while they were promoted after DGCR8 was overexpressed. In addition, TGF-β was downregulated after silencing of DGCR8 in TNBC cells, while TGF-β was upregulated after overexpression of DGCR8 in TNBC cells. Furthermore, TGF-β was upregulated in TNBC tissues, which was positively associated with DGCR8.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study uncovers a new oncogene in TNBC and suggests that DGCR8 can enhance TNBC cell migration and invasion via targeting TGF-β, which provides a novel therapeutic target for TNBC patients.

Presence of the apolipoprotein E-ε4 allele is associated with an increased risk of sepsis progression

Growing evidence indicated that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene are related to increase the risk of many inflammatory-related diseases. However, few genetic studies have associated the APOE gene polymorphism with sepsis. This study was to investigate the clinical relevance of the APOE gene polymorphism in the onset and progression of sepsis. A multicenter case–control association study with a large sample size (601 septic patients and 699 healthy individuals) was conducted. Clinical data showed that the APOEε4 allele was overrepresented among all patients with septic shock (p = 0.031) compared with sepsis subtype, suggesting that APOEε4 allele may associated with increased susceptibility to the progression of sepsis. Moreover, the APOE mRNA levels decreased after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in cells in culture. Then 21 healthy individuals to extract PBMC for genotype grouping (APOE4+ group 8; APOE4− group 13) was selected to evaluate the effect on APOE level, and results showed that the expression level of APOE in APOE4+ group and APOE4− group did not differ in mRNA levels after an LPS challenge, but the protein levels in APOE4+ group decreased slower than that in APOE4− group, and this process was accompanied by the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines. These results provide evidence that the APOEε4 allele might be associated with the development of sepsis and a potential risk factor that can be used in the prognosis of sepsis.

Review of Plastic Surgery Biomaterials and Current Progress in Their 3D Manufacturing Technology

Plastic surgery is a broad field, including maxillofacial surgery, skin flaps and grafts, liposuction and body contouring, breast surgery, and facial cosmetic procedures. Due to the requirements of plastic surgery for the biological safety of materials, biomaterials are widely used because of its superior biocompatibility and biodegradability. Currently, there are many kinds of biomaterials clinically used in plastic surgery and their applications are diverse. Moreover, with the rise of three-dimensional printing technology in recent years, the macroscopically more precise and personalized bio-scaffolding materials with microporous structure have made good progress, which is thought to bring new development to biomaterials. Therefore, in this paper, we reviewed the plastic surgery biomaterials and current progress in their 3D manufacturing technology.