Discovery of Novel Macrocyclic MERTK/AXL Dual Inhibitors

MERTK and AXL are members of the TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MERTK) family of receptor tyrosine kinases that are aberrantly expressed and have been implicated as therapeutic targets in a wide variety of human tumors. Dual MERTK and AXL inhibition could provide antitumor action mediated by both direct tumor cell killing and modulation of the innate immune response in some tumors such as nonsmall cell lung cancer. We utilized our knowledge of MERTK inhibitors and a structure-based drug design approach to discover a novel class of macrocyclic dual MERTK/AXL inhibitors. The lead compound 43 had low-nanomolar activity against both MERTK and AXL and good selectivity over TYRO3 and FLT3. Its target engagement and selectivity were also confirmed by NanoBRET and cell-based MERTK and AXL phosphorylation assays. Compound 43 had excellent pharmacokinetic properties (large AUC and long half-life) and mediated antitumor activity against lung cancer cell lines, indicating its potential as a therapeutic agent.

Prospective observational study on biomarkers of response in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Adjuvant chemotherapy benefits patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but the compromised physical state of post-operative patients can hinder compliance. Biomarkers that identify candidates for prompt adjuvant therapy are needed. In this prospective observational study, 1,171 patients with PDAC who underwent pancreatectomy were enrolled and extensively followed-up. Proteomic profiling of 191 patient samples unveiled clinically relevant functional protein modules. A proteomics-level prognostic risk model was established for PDAC, with its utility further validated using a publicly available external cohort. More importantly, through an interaction effect regression analysis leveraging both clinical and proteomic datasets, we discovered two biomarkers (NDUFB8 and CEMIP2), indicative of the overall sensitivity of patients with PDAC to adjuvant chemotherapy. The biomarkers were validated through immunohistochemistry on an internal cohort of 386 patients. Rigorous validation extended to two external multicentic cohorts-a French multicentric cohort (230 patients) and a cohort from two grade-A tertiary hospitals in China (466 patients)-enhancing the robustness and generalizability of our findings. Moreover, experimental validation through functional assays was conducted on PDAC cell lines and patient-derived organoids. In summary, our cohort-scale integration of clinical and proteomic data demonstrates the potential of proteomics-guided prognosis and biomarker-aided adjuvant chemotherapy for PDAC.

EGR1 transcriptionally regulates SVEP1 to promote proliferation and migration in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells

A low-frequency variant of sushi, von Willebrand factor type A, EGF, and pentraxin domain-containing protein 1 (SVEP1) is associated with the risk of coronary artery disease, as determined by a genome-wide association study. SVEP1 induces vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and an inflammatory phenotype to promote atherosclerosis. In the present study, qRT‒PCR demonstrated that the mRNA expression of SVEP1 was significantly increased in atherosclerotic plaques compared to normal tissues. Bioinformatics revealed that EGR1 was a transcription factor for SVEP1. The results of the luciferase reporter assay, siRNA interference or overexpression assay, mutational analysis and ChIP confirmed that EGR1 positively regulated the transcriptional activity of SVEP1 by directly binding to its promoter. EGR1 promoted human coronary artery smooth muscle cell (HCASMC) proliferation and migration via SVEP1 in response to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) treatment. Moreover, the expression level of EGR1 was increased in atherosclerotic plaques and showed a strong linear correlation with the expression of SVEP1. Our findings indicated that EGR1 binding to the promoter region drive SVEP1 transcription to promote HCASMC proliferation and migration.

Self-Assembling Anti-Freezing Lamellar Nanostructures in Subzero Temperatures

The requirement for cryogenic supramolecular self-assembly of amphiphiles in subzero environments is a challenging topic. Here, the self-assembly of lamellar lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) are presented to a subzero temperature of -70 °C. These lamellar nanostructures are assembled from specifically tailored ultra-long-chain surfactant stearyl diethanolamine (SDA) in water/glycerol binary solvent. As the temperature falls below zero, LLCs with a liquid-crystalline Lα phase, a tilted Lβ phase, and a new folded configuration are obtained consecutively. A comprehensive experimental and computational study is performed to uncover the precise microstructure and formation mechanism. Both the ultra-long alkyl chain and head group of SDA play a crucial role in the formation of lamellar nanostructures. SDA head group is prone to forming hydrogen bonds with water, rather than glycerol. Glycerol cannot penetrate the lipid layer, which mixes with water arranging outside of the lipid bilayer, providing an ideal anti-freezing environment for SDA self-assembly. Based on these nanostructures and the ultra-low freezing point of the system, a series of novel cryogenic materials are created with potential applications in extremely cold environments. These findings would contribute to enriching the theory and research methodology of supramolecular self-assembly in extreme conditions and to developing novel anti-freezing materials.

Nanoengineering of Porous 2D Structures with Tunable Fluid Transport Behavior for Exceptional H2O2 Electrosynthesis

Precision nanoengineering of porous two-dimensional structures has emerged as a promising avenue for finely tuning catalytic reactions. However, understanding the pore-structure-dependent catalytic performance remains challenging, given the lack of comprehensive guidelines, appropriate material models, and precise synthesis strategies. Here, we propose the optimization of two-dimensional carbon materials through the utilization of mesopores with 5-10 nm diameter to facilitate fluid acceleration, guided by finite element simulations. As proof of concept, the optimized mesoporous carbon nanosheet sample exhibited exceptional electrocatalytic performance, demonstrating high selectivity (>95%) and a notable diffusion-limiting disk current density of -3.1 mA cm-2 for H2O2 production. Impressively, the electrolysis process in the flow cell achieved a production rate of 14.39 mol gcatalyst-1 h-1 to yield a medical-grade disinfectant-worthy H2O2 solution. Our pore engineering research focuses on modulating oxygen reduction reaction activity and selectivity by affecting local fluid transport behavior, providing insights into the mesoscale catalytic mechanism.

Design of Nickel-Containing Nanocomposites Based on Ordered Mesoporous Silica: Synthesis, Structure, and Methylene Blue Adsorption

Mesoporous materials containing heteroelements have a huge potential for use as catalysts, exchangers, and adsorbents due to their tunable nanometer-sized pores and exceptionally large internal surfaces accessible to bulky organic molecules. In the present work, ordered mesoporous silica containing Ni atoms as active sites was synthesized by a new low-temperature method of condensation of silica precursors on a micellar template from aqueous solutions in the presence of nickel salt. The homogeneity of the resulting product was achieved by introducing ammonia and ammonium salt as a buffer to maintain a constant pH value. The obtained materials were characterized by nitrogen sorption, X-ray and neutron diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. Their morphology consists of polydisperse spherical particles 50-300 nm in size, with a hexagonally ordered channel structure, high specific surface area (ABET = 900-1200 m2/g), large pore volume (Vp = 0.70-0.90 cm3/g), average mesopore diameter of about 3 nm, and narrow pore size distribution. Adsorption tests for methylene blue show sorption capacities reaching 39-42 mg/g at alkaline pH. The advantages of producing nickel silicates by this method, in contrast to precipitation from silicon alkoxides, are the low cost of reagents, fire safety, room-temperature processing, and the absence of specific problems associated with the use of ethanol as a solvent, as well as the absence of the inevitable capture of organic matter in the precipitation process.

Mesoporous carbon spheres with programmable interiors as efficient nanoreactors for H2O2 electrosynthesis

The nanoreactor holds great promise as it emulates the natural processes of living organisms to facilitate chemical reactions, offering immense potential in catalytic energy conversion owing to its unique structural functionality. Here, we propose the utilization of precisely engineered carbon spheres as building blocks, integrating micromechanics and controllable synthesis to explore their catalytic functionalities in two-electron oxygen reduction reactions. After conducting rigorous experiments and simulations, we present compelling evidence for the enhanced mass transfer and microenvironment modulation effects offered by these mesoporous hollow carbon spheres, particularly when possessing a suitably sized hollow architecture. Impressively, the pivotal achievement lies in the successful screening of a potent, selective, and durable two-electron oxygen reduction reaction catalyst for the direct synthesis of medical-grade hydrogen peroxide disinfectant. Serving as an exemplary demonstration of nanoreactor engineering in catalyst screening, this work highlights the immense potential of various well-designed carbon-based nanoreactors in extensive applications.

Melatonin Modulates Tomato Root Morphology by Regulating Key Genes and Endogenous Hormones

Melatonin plays a vital role in plant growth and development. In this study, we treated hydroponically grown tomato roots with various concentrations of exogenous melatonin (0, 10, 30, and 50 μmol·L-1). We utilized root scanning and microscopy to examine alterations in root morphology and cell differentiation and elucidated the mechanism by which melatonin regulates these changes through the interplay with endogenous hormones and relevant genes. The results showed that for melatonin at concentrations ranging between 10 and 30 μmol·L-1, the development of lateral roots were significantly stimulated, the root hair growth was enhanced, and biomass accumulation and root activity were increased. Furthermore, we elucidated that melatonin acts as a mediator for the expression of genes, such as SlCDKA1, SlCYCA3;1, SlARF2, SlF3H, and SlKT1, which are involved in the regulation of root morphology changes. Additionally, we observed that melatonin influences the levels of endogenous hormones, including ZT, GA3, IAA, ABA, and BR, which subsequently impact the root morphology development of tomato roots. In summary, this study shows that tomato root morphology can be promoted by the optimal concentration of exogenous melatonin (10-30 μmol·L-1).

Efficacy and safety of the orthopaedic manipulation techniques of the Lin School of Lingnan Region in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: protocol of a participant-and-assessor-blinded randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common developmental spine disorder among children. It is characterized by a lateral deviation of the spine that gives rise to the distinctive "S" or "C" shaped bending of the spine. The Lin School of Lingnan Region (LSLR), one of the prominent schools for bare-handed orthopaedic manipulation in southern China, provides preliminary evidences that the orthopaedic manipulation techniques help to correct deviations of the spine. Previous research found that Orthopaedic Manipulation Techniques of LSLR (OMT-LSLR) could reduce the Cobb's angles in patients with AIS. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the effectiveness and safety of the OMT-LSLR in treating teenagers with AIS.

METHODS

In this participant-and-assessor-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial, 50 participants identified AIS without surgical indications will be recruited and randomized into two groups to receive physiotherapy scoliosis-specific exercises training with either orthopaedic manipulation or sham manipulation treatment for 16 weeks, followed by post-treatment visits at week 24. Primary outcome measure is the change of Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire score. Secondary outcome measures include Traditional Chinese version of Spinal Appearance Questionnaire (TC-SAQ) score, Italian Spine Youth Quality of Life (ISYQOL) score, the change of Cobb's angle measured by Xray, and the change of Cobb's angle, spinal rotation and muscle volume measured by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound. The trial will be conducted at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Specialty Clinic cum Clinical Teaching and Research Centre in Hong Kong (CUHK-CMSCTRC).

DISCUSSION

The results of this study will establish comprehensive clinical evidence about the efficacy and safety of the Orthopaedic Manipulation Techniques of the Lin School of Lingnan Region in the Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. One of the characteristics of this trial is that it is a participant-and-assessor-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial with sham manipulation. The study would also apply three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound technology to investigate the relationship between the change of the muscle volume and the spinal curve.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05639023 ) on December 6, 2022.

Application of power battery under thermal conductive silica gel plate in new energy vehicles

This study aims to improve the performance of automotive battery thermal management systems (BTMS) to achieve more efficient heat dissipation and thus reduce hazards during driving. Firstly, the research parameters and properties of composite thermally conductive silicone materials are introduced. Secondly, the heating principle of the power battery, the structure and working principle of the new energy vehicle battery, and the related thermal management scheme are discussed. Finally, the research results are presented from the experimental test and controller design. In addition, to achieve the research goal, the composite thermally conductive silica gel plate (CSGP) material is studied in detail and parametrically analyzed, and the heating mechanism of the power battery is discussed in depth. The temperature characteristics after adding CSGP are experimentally tested, and the controller of the BTMS of the new energy vehicle is designed, including hardware circuits and software modules. The findings show that the temperature characteristics of the battery module have obvious limitations without CSGP. When the battery module operates at a 4C magnification, the temperature exceeds the safety threshold by 38.4%, with particular potential safety risks. Then, the maximum temperature of the battery module with CSGP can be controlled within 50 °C, and the temperature characteristics are prominently improved. Lastly, the controller of the BTMS is tested, and the results reveal that it has remarkable voltage recovery ability. According to the research results, the performance of automotive BTMS can be significantly improved, and better heat dissipation can be effectively achieved by adding CSGP. This helps reduce the hazards of driving. Moreover, the designed controller performs well in voltage recovery, providing solid theoretical support for further developing the CSGP battery management system.

Quantification of soft tissue artifacts using CT registration and subject-specific multibody modeling

The potential use of gait analysis for quantitative preoperative planning in total hip arthroplasty (THA) has previously been demonstrated. However, the joint kinematic data measured through this process tend to be unreliable for surgical planning due to distortions caused by soft tissue artifacts (STAs). In this study, we developed a novel motion capture framework by combining computed tomography (CT)-based postural calibration and subject-specific multibody dynamics modeling to prevent the effect of STAs in measuring hip kinematics. Three subjects with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome were recruited, and CT data for each patient were collected by attaching marker clusters near the hip. A subject-specific multibody hip joint model was developed based on reconstructed CT data. Spring-dashpot network calculations were performed to minimize the distance between the anatomical landmark and its corresponding infrared reflective marker. The STAs of the thigh was described as six degrees of freedom viscoelastic bushing elements, and their parameter values were identified via smooth orthogonal decomposition. Least squares optimization was used to modify the pelvic rotations to compensate for the rigid components of STAs. The results showed that CT-assisted motion tracking enabled the successful identification of STA influences in gait and squat positions. Furthermore, STA effects were found to alter maximal pelvis tilt and hip rotations during a squat. Compared to other techniques, such as dual fluoroscopic imaging, the adopted framework does not require additional medical imaging for patients undergoing robot-assisted THA surgery and is thus a practical way of evaluating hip joint kinematics for preoperative surgical planning.

Cross-sectional network analysis of plasma proteins/metabolites correlated with pathogenesis and therapeutic response in acute promyelocytic leukemia

The treatment of PML/RARA+ acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) with all-trans-retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide (ATRA/ATO) has been recognized as a model for translational medicine research. Though an altered microenvironment is a general cancer hallmark, how APL blasts shape their plasma composition is poorly understood. Here, we reported a cross-sectional correlation network to interpret multilayered datasets on clinical parameters, proteomes, and metabolomes of paired plasma samples from patients with APL before or after ATRA/ATO induction therapy. Our study revealed the two prominent features of the APL plasma, suggesting a possible involvement of APL blasts in modulating plasma composition. One was characterized by altered secretory protein and metabolite profiles correlating with heightened proliferation and energy consumption in APL blasts, and the other featured APL plasma-enriched proteins or enzymes catalyzing plasma-altered metabolites that were potential trans-regulatory targets of PML/RARA. Furthermore, results indicated heightened interferon-gamma signaling characterizing a tumor-suppressing function of the immune system at the first hematological complete remission stage, which likely resulted from therapy-induced cell death or senescence and ensuing supraphysiological levels of intracellular proteins. Overall, our work sheds new light on the pathophysiology and treatment of APL and provides an information-rich reference data cohort for the exploratory and translational study of leukemia microenvironment.

Exogenous application of ALA enhanced sugar, acid and aroma qualities in tomato fruit

The content and proportion of sugars and acids in tomato fruit directly affect its flavor quality. Previous studies have shown that 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) could promote fruit ripening and improve its aroma quality. In order to explore the effect of ALA on sugar and acid quality during tomato fruit development, 0, 100, and 200 mg L-1 ALA solutions were sprayed on the fruit surface 10 days after pollination of the fourth inflorescence, and the regulation of ALA on sugar, acid metabolism and flavor quality of tomato fruit was analyzed. The results showed that ALA treatment could enhance the activities of acid invertase (AI), neutral invertase (NI), and sucrose synthase (SS), reduce the activity of sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), up-regulate the expression of SlAI, SlNI and SlSS, change the composition and content of sugar in tomato fruit at three stages, significantly increase the content of sugars in fruit, and promote the accumulation of sugars into flesh. Secondly, ALA treatments increased the activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPC), malic enzyme (ME), and citrate synthase (CS), up-regulated the expression of SlPPC2, SlME1, and SlCS, and reduced the citric acid content at maturity stage, thereby reducing the total organic acid content. In addition, ALA could also increase the number and mass fraction of volatile components in mature tomato fruits. These results indicated that exogenous application of ALA during tomato fruit development could promote the formation of fruit aroma quality and were also conducive to the formation of fruit sugar and acid quality.

Bentonite colloids mediated Eu(III) migration in homogeneous and heterogeneous media of Beishan granite and fracture-filling materials

Accurate prediction of radionuclide migration directed by colloids in a repository environment is critical for the long-term safety assessment of radioactive waste disposal. Yet, there remains a paucity of research focusing on the migration and release processes of radionuclides combined with colloids associated with the repository, e.g., granite, and especially fracture-filling materials (FFMs). Further, the impact of heterogeneity on radionuclide migration in these media remains unclear. Thus, laboratory-scale column experiments were conducted to explore the migration behaviors of Eu(III) and bentonite colloids (BCs) in both homogeneously and heterogeneously configured columns. It was observed that the migration of BCs can be influenced by the configuration of media and ionic strength of solution. FFMs exhibited a higher retardation capacity for BCs than granite, and the retention ability of the heterogenous media (Granite-FFMs) was intermediate between that of granite and FFMs. The retardation of BCs increased with increasing ionic strength. Despite the "irreversibility" of Eu(III) adsorption on these media with insensitivity on ionic strength, the presence of BCs can grab the immobilized Eu(III) and carry more amount of adsorbed Eu(III) into the mobile phase at higher ionic strength. Even with the rinse of BCs flow, FFMs still revealed a better retardation ability for Eu(III) than granite. These findings are essential for predicting the geological fate and the release risk of radionuclides in the Beishan repository environment.

Corrigendum: Preclinical profiles of SKB264, a novel anti-TROP2 antibody conjugated to topoisomerase inhibitor, demonstrated promising antitumor efficacy compared to IMMU-132

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.951589.].

[Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of human ocular helaziasis in China from 2011 to 2022 based on bibliometrics]

OBJECTIVE

To understand the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of human ocular thelaziasis patients in China.

METHODS

Case reports regarding human ocular thelaziasis cases in China were retrieved in international and national electronic databases, including CNKI, VIP, CBM, Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System, Wanfang Database, PubMed and Web of Science from 2011 to 2022. Patients' gender, age, clinical symptoms, treatment, recurrence, site of infections, time of onset, affected eye, affected sites, number of infected Thelazia callipaeda, sex of T. callipaeda and source of infections were extracted for descriptive analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 85 eligible publications were included, covering 101 cases of human ocular thelaziasis, including 57 males (56.44%) and 44 females (43.56%) and aged from 3 months to 85 years. The main clinical manifestations included foreign body sensation (56 case-times, 22.49%), eye itching (38 case-times, 15.26%), abnormal or increased secretions (36 case-times, 14.46%), tears (28 case-times, 11.24%) and eye redness (28 case-times, 11.24%), and conjunctival congestion (50 case-times, 41.67%) was the most common clinical sign. The most common main treatment (99/101, 98.02%) was removal of parasites from eyes using ophthalmic forceps, followed by administration with ofloxacin and pranoprofen. In publications presenting thelaziasis recurrence, there were 90 cases without recurrence (97.83%) and 2 cases with recurrence (2.17%). Of all cases, 51.96% were reported in four provinces of Hubei, Shandong, Sichuan, Hebei and Henan, and ocular thelaziasis predominantly occurred in summer (42.19%) and autumn (42.19%). In addition, 56.45% (35/62) had a contact with dogs.

CONCLUSIONS

The human thelaziasis cases mainly occur in the continental monsoon and subtropical monsoon climate areas such as the Yellow River and the Yangtze River basin, and people of all ages and genders have the disease, with complex clinical symptoms and signs. Personal hygiene is required during the contact with dogs, cats and other animals, and individual protection is required during outdoor activities to prevent thelaziasis.

Colloidally Stable Graphite Oleogels by Pyrene-Functionalized Telechelic Polymers for Friction and Wear Reduction

Although graphite derivatives, such as graphene, graphene oxide, and reduced graphene oxide, have been widely used as lubricating oil additives to reduce friction and wear, their synthesis either proceeds with complicated procedures in low yield, suffering from high cost, or involves the utilization of highly corrosive chemicals, raising safety and environmental concerns. Therefore, the direct use of pristine graphite as a lubricating oil additive is indispensable for practical tribological applications. However, the realization of this idea has been seriously hampered by the incompatibility of graphite with lubricating base oils. In this work, we report a rational strategy to directly disperse graphite in base oils in the form of oleogels assisted by pyrene functionalized telechelic polymers under mild condition. The resulting oleogels exhibit long-time colloidal stability for more than one year, wherein the graphite has been exfoliated to in situ form graphene through π-π interactions with the pyrene-containing telechelics. Moreover, compared with the base oil, the graphite-based oleogels are found to exhibit remarkable reductions in friction and wear by up to 52% and 97%, respectively. Significantly, such tribological performances are comparable to those of exfoliated graphite derivatives. Taken collectively, directly using pristine graphite as a lubricating oil additive with superior tribological properties represents a revolutionary approach to create low-cost, green, and high-performance lubricants just based on pristine layered materials without involving any pre-exfoliations.

The transcriptomic landscape of normal and ineffective erythropoiesis at single-cell resolution

The anemias of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) are generally macrocytic and always reflect ineffective erythropoiesis yet result from diverse genetic mutations. To delineate shared mechanisms that lead to cell death, we studied the fate of single erythroid marrow cells from individuals with DBA or MDS-5q. We defined an unhealthy (vs healthy) differentiation trajectory using transcriptional pseudotime and cell surface proteins. The pseudotime trajectories diverge immediately after cells upregulate transferrin receptor (CD71), import iron, and initiate heme synthesis, although cell death occurs much later. Cells destined to die express high levels of heme-responsive genes, including ribosomal protein and globin genes, whereas surviving cells downregulate heme synthesis and upregulate DNA damage response, hypoxia, and HIF1 pathways. Surprisingly, 24% ± 12% of cells from control subjects follow the unhealthy trajectory, implying that heme might serve as a rheostat directing cells to live or die. When heme synthesis was inhibited with succinylacetone, more DBA cells followed the healthy trajectory and survived. We also noted high numbers of messages with retained introns that increased as erythroid cells matured, confirmed the rapid cycling of colony forming unit-erythroid, and demonstrated that cell cycle timing is an invariant property of differentiation stage. Including unspliced RNA in pseudotime determinations allowed us to reliably align independent data sets and accurately query stage-specific transcriptomic changes. MDS-5q (unlike DBA) results from somatic mutation, so many normal (unmutated) erythroid cells persist. By independently tracking erythroid differentiation of cells with and without chromosome 5q deletions, we gained insight into why 5q+ cells cannot expand to prevent anemia.

Microfracture technique combined with mesenchymal stem cells inducer represses miR-708-5p to target special at-rich sequence-binding protein 2 to drive cartilage repair and regeneration in rabbit knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative joint illness which leads to knee pain and functional limitation. In this study, we combined microfracture surgery with kartogenin (KGN), a small bioactive molecule used to promote the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and explored its impact on cartilage repair and possible latent mechanisms of action. The research offers a brand-new idea for the clinical cure of KOA. The microfracture technique in combination with KNG treatment was performed on a rabbit model of KOA. Animal behaviour was evaluated after the intra-articular injection of miR-708-5p and Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 2 (SATB2) lentiviruses. Later, the expression of the tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin- 1 (IL-1), the pathology of synovial tissue and cartilage tissue, and the positive cartilage type II collagen, MMP-1, MMP-3 and TIMP-1 were detected. Finally, a luciferase assay was conducted to verify the interaction of miR-708-5p and SATB2. Our results showed that miR-708-5p was elevated in the rabbit KOA model; however, the expression of SATB2 was reduced. Meanwhile, the microfracture technology combined with MSCs inducer KGN drove cartilage repair and regeneration in rabbit KOA by repressing the miR-708-5p expression. We also found that miR-708-5p directly targeted the SATB2 mRNA to regulate its expression. Furthermore, our data urged that elevating miR-708-5p or restraining SATB2 may reverse the therapeutic effect of the microfracture technique combined with MSCs inducer on rabbit KOA. Microfracture technique combined with MSCs inducer represses miR-708-5p to target SATB2 to drive cartilage repair and regeneration in rabbit KOA. This indicates that the microfracture technique combined with MSCs inducers is supposed to be an effective latent method for osteoarthritis cure.

Organotypic Models for Functional Drug Testing of Human Cancers

In the era of personalized oncology, there have been accelerated efforts to develop clinically relevant platforms to test drug sensitivities of individual cancers. An ideal assay will serve as a diagnostic companion to inform the oncologist of the various treatments that are sensitive and insensitive, thus improving outcome while minimizing unnecessary toxicities and costs. To date, no such platform exists for clinical use, but promising approaches are on the horizon that take advantage of improved techniques in creating human cancer models that encompass the entire tumor microenvironment, alongside technologies for assessing and analyzing tumor response. This review summarizes a number of current strategies that make use of intact human cancer tissues as organotypic cultures in drug sensitivity testing.

Acylhydrazones as sensitive fluorescent sensors for discriminative detection of thorium (IV) from uranyl and lanthanide ions

Thorium, as a radioactive element, is always associated with rare earth in nature. So it is an exacting challenge to recognize thorium ion (Th⁴⁺) in the presence of lanthanide ions because of their overlapping ionic radii. Here three simple acylhydrazones (AF, AH and ABr, with the functional group fluorine, hydrogen and bromine, respectively) are explored for Th⁴⁺ detection. They all exhibit excellent "turn-on" fluorescence selectivity toward Th⁴⁺ among f-block ions in aqueous medium with outstanding anti-interference abilities, where the coexistence of lanthanide and uranyl ions in addition with other ordinary metal ions have negligible effects during Th⁴⁺ detection. Interestingly, pH variation from 2 to 11 has no significant influence on the detection. Among the three sensors, AF displays the highest sensitivity to Th⁴⁺ and ABr the lowest with the emission wavelengths in the order of λ_AF-Th < λ_AH-Th < λ_ABr-Th. The detection limit of AF to Th⁴⁺ can reach 29 nM (pH = 2) with a binding constant of 6.64 × 10⁹ M^-2. Response mechanism for AF toward Th⁴⁺ is proposed based on the results of HR-MS, ¹H NMR and FT-IR spectroscopies together with DFT calculations. This work provides important implications on the development of related series of ligands in nuclide ions detection and future separation from lanthanide ions.

Single-cell atlas reveals a distinct immune profile fostered by T cell-B cell crosstalk in triple negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Characterizing the unique immune microenvironment of each tumor is of great importance for better predicting prognosis and guiding cancer immunotherapy. However, the unique features of the immune microenvironment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) compared with other subtypes of breast cancer remain elusive. Therefore, we aimed to depict and compare the immune landscape among TNBC, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2⁺ ) breast cancer, and luminal-like breast cancer.

METHODS

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed on CD45⁺ immune cells isolated from human normal breast tissues and primary breast tumors of various subtypes. By analyzing the scRNA-seq data, immune cell clusters were identified and their proportions as well as transcriptome features were compared among TNBC, human HER2⁺ breast cancer, and luminal-like breast cancer. Pseudotime and cell-cell communication analyses were also conducted to characterize the immune microenvironment.

RESULTS

ScRNA-seq data of 117,958 immune cells were obtained and 31 immune clusters were identified. A unique immunosuppressive microenvironment in TNBC was decoded as compared to that in HER2⁺ or luminal-like breast cancer, which was characterized by higher proportions of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and exhausted CD8⁺ T cells and accompanied by more abundant plasma cells. Tregs and exhausted CD8⁺ T cells in TNBC exhibited increased immunosuppression signature and dysfunctional scores. Pseudotime analyses showed that B cells tended to differentiate to plasma cells in TNBC. Cell-cell communication analyses indicated that these unique features are fostered by the diversified T cell-B cell crosstalk in TNBC. Based on the T cell-B cell crosstalk, a prognostic signature was established that could effectively predict the prognosis status for patients with TNBC. Additionally, it was found that TNBC had a higher proportion of cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cells, whereas HER2⁺ or luminal-like breast cancer lost this feature, suggesting that HER2⁺ or luminal-like breast cancer, but not TNBC, may benefit from NK-based immunotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified a distinct immune feature fostered by T cell-B cell crosstalk in TNBC, which provides better prognostic information and effective therapeutic targets for breast cancer.

Clinical Relevance of Plaque Distribution for Basilar Artery Stenosis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There is no clear association between plaque distribution and postoperative complications in patients with basilar artery atherosclerotic stenosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether plaque distribution and postoperative complications after endovascular treatment for basilar artery stenosis are related.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Our study enrolled patients with severe basilar artery stenosis who were scanned with high-resolution MR imaging and followed by DSA before the intervention. According to high-resolution MR imaging, plaques can be classified as ventral, lateral, dorsal, or involved in 2 quadrants. Plaques affecting the proximal, distal, or junctional segments of the basilar artery were classified according to DSA. An experienced independent team assessed ischemic events after the intervention using MR imaging. Further analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between plaque distribution and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

A total of 140 eligible patients were included in the study, with a postoperative complication rate of 11.4%. These patients were an average age of 61.9 (SD, 7.7) years. Dorsal wall plaques accounted for 34.3% of all plaques, and plaques distal to the anterior-inferior cerebellar artery accounted for 60.7%. Postoperative complications of endovascular treatment were associated with plaques located at the lateral wall (OR = 4.00; 95% CI, 1.21-13.23; P = .023), junctional segment (OR = 8.75; 95% CI, 1.16-66.22; P = .036), and plaque burden (OR = 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06; P = .042).

CONCLUSIONS

Plaques with a large burden located at the junctional segment and lateral wall of the basilar artery may increase the likelihood of postoperative complications following endovascular therapy. A larger sample size is needed for future studies.

Controllable self-rotating array beam with an arc-shaped accelerating trajectory

In this study, a modified interfering vortex phase mask (MIVPM) is proposed to generate a new type of self-rotating beam. The MIVPM is based on a conventional and stretched vortex phase for generating a self-rotating beam that rotates continuously with increasing propagation distances. A combined phase mask can produce multi-rotating array beams with controllable sub-region number. The combination method of this phase was analyzed in detail. This study proves that this self-rotating array beam has an effectively enhanced central lobe and reduced side lobe owing to adding a vortex phase mask compared with a conventional self-rotating beam. Furthermore, the propagation dynamics of this beam can be modulated by varying the topological charge and constant a. With an increase in the topological charge, the area crossed by the peak beam intensity along the propagation axis increases. Meanwhile, the novel self-rotating beam is used for optical manipulation under phase gradient force. The proposed self-rotating array beam has potential applications in optical manipulation and spatial localization.

Blockage of PPARγ T166 phosphorylation enhances the inducibility of beige adipocytes and improves metabolic dysfunctions

Beige adipocytes in mammalian white adipose tissue (WAT) can reinforce fat catabolism and energy expenditure. Promoting beige adipocyte biogenesis is a tantalizing tactic for combating obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. Here, we report that a previously unidentified phosphorylation pattern (Thr166) in the DNA-binding domain of PPARγ regulates the inducibility of beige adipocytes. This unique posttranslational modification (PTM) pattern influences allosteric communication between PPARγ and DNA or coactivators, which impedes the PPARγ-mediated transactivation of beige cell-related gene expression in WAT. The genetic mutation mimicking T166 phosphorylation (p-T166) hinders the inducibility of beige adipocytes. In contrast, genetic or chemical intervention in this PTM pattern favors beige cell formation. Moreover, inhibition of p-T166 attenuates metabolic dysfunction in obese mice. Our results uncover a mechanism involved in beige cell fate determination. Moreover, our discoveries provide a promising strategy for guiding the development of novel PPARγ agonists for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders.

Densification of Two Forms of Nanostructured TATB under Uniaxial Die Pressures: A USAXS-SAXS Study

Sequential ultra-small-angle and small-angle and X-ray scattering (USAXS and SAXS) measurements of hierarchical microstructure of a common energetic material, the high explosive 2,4,6-Triamino-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TATB), were performed to follow the microstructure evolution upon applied pressure. The pellets were prepared by two different routes-die pressed from a nanoparticle form and a nano-network form of TATB powder. The derived structural parameters, such as void size, porosity, and the interface area, reflected the response of TATB under compaction. Three populations of voids were observed in the probed q range from 0.007 to 7 nm^-1. The inter-granular voids with size larger than 50 nm were sensitive to low pressures and had a smooth interface with the TATB matrix. The inter-granular voids with size of ~10 nm exhibited a less volume-filling ratio at high pressures (>15 kN) as indicated by a decrease of the volume fractal exponent. The response of these structural parameters to external pressures implied that the main densification mechanisms under die compaction were the flow, fracture, and plastic deformation of the TATB granules. Compared to the nanoparticle TATB, the applied pressure strongly influenced the nano-network TATB due to its more uniform structure. The findings and research methods of this work provide insights into the structural evolution of TATB during densification.

A Survey on Label-Efficient Deep Image Segmentation: Bridging the Gap Between Weak Supervision and Dense Prediction

The rapid development of deep learning has made a great progress in image segmentation, one of the fundamental tasks of computer vision. However, the current segmentation algorithms mostly rely on the availability of pixel-level annotations, which are often expensive, tedious, and laborious. To alleviate this burden, the past years have witnessed an increasing attention in building label-efficient, deep-learning-based image segmentation algorithms. This paper offers a comprehensive review on label-efficient image segmentation methods. To this end, we first develop a taxonomy to organize these methods according to the supervision provided by different types of weak labels (including no supervision, inexact supervision, incomplete supervision and inaccurate supervision) and supplemented by the types of segmentation problems (including semantic segmentation, instance segmentation and panoptic segmentation). Next, we summarize the existing label-efficient image segmentation methods from a unified perspective that discusses an important question: how to bridge the gap between weak supervision and dense prediction - the current methods are mostly based on heuristic priors, such as cross-pixel similarity, cross-label constraint, cross-view consistency, and cross-image relation. Finally, we share our opinions about the future research directions for label-efficient deep image segmentation.

Blockade of interleukin 10 potentiates antitumour immune function in human colorectal cancer liver metastases

OBJECTIVE

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) checkpoint inhibition and adoptive cellular therapy have had limited success in patients with microsatellite stable colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM). We sought to evaluate the effect of interleukin 10 (IL-10) blockade on endogenous T cell and chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell antitumour function in CRLM slice cultures.

DESIGN

We created organotypic slice cultures from human CRLM (n=38 patients' tumours) and tested the antitumour effects of a neutralising antibody against IL-10 (αIL-10) both alone as treatment and in combination with exogenously administered carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-specific CAR-T cells. We evaluated slice cultures with single and multiplex immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridisation, single-cell RNA sequencing, reverse-phase protein arrays and time-lapse fluorescent microscopy.

RESULTS

αIL-10 generated a 1.8-fold increase in T cell-mediated carcinoma cell death in human CRLM slice cultures. αIL-10 significantly increased proportions of CD8⁺ T cells without exhaustion transcription changes, and increased human leukocyte antigen - DR isotype (HLA-DR) expression of macrophages. The antitumour effects of αIL-10 were reversed by major histocompatibility complex class I or II (MHC-I or MHC-II) blockade, confirming the essential role of antigen presenting cells. Interrupting IL-10 signalling also rescued murine CAR-T cell proliferation and cytotoxicity from myeloid cell-mediated immunosuppression. In human CRLM slices, αIL-10 increased CEA-specific CAR-T cell activation and CAR-T cell-mediated cytotoxicity, with nearly 70% carcinoma cell apoptosis across multiple human tumours. Pretreatment with an IL-10 receptor blocking antibody also potentiated CAR-T function.

CONCLUSION

Neutralising the effects of IL-10 in human CRLM has therapeutic potential as a stand-alone treatment and to augment the function of adoptively transferred CAR-T cells.

Optimal Design of Electrode Topology of Dielectric Elastomer Actuators Based on the Parameterized Level Set Method

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are widely used to drive soft machines, and optimal design is required in more advanced designs of soft robots. In this research article, a computational approach is originally proposed and validated for the topology optimization of electrodes of DEAs. The nonlinear finite elements of absolute nodal coordinate formulation are applied to model the dynamic electromechanical behaviors of DEAs. The parameterized level set method is employed to optimize the electrode topology of DEAs. Then, the method of system-wise equivalent static load is employed to convert the optimization problem of dynamic responses into the static one. Based on the sensitivity analysis, the normal velocity field for optimizing the electrode topology is derived. Finally, two case studies are presented to validate the proposed optimization approach. The experimental test is also performed, and the measured results are compared with the numerical ones to further validate the proposed methodology.

A Soft and Bistable Gripper with Adjustable Energy Barrier for Fast Capture in Space

Actuators for fast capture are essential in the tasks of space structure assembly and space debris disposal. To avoid damage and rebound caused by collision, the mechanical devices for capture or docking impose very strict restrictions on the collision speed. The gripper made of soft material can realize compliant grasping, but its actuating speed and driving mode should adapt to the scenarios of grasping moving objects in space. By harnessing the rapid occurrence of structural instability and tuning its triggering conditions, we present a soft and bistable gripper for dynamic capture. The gripper deforms on the collision with other objects, and it absorbs the kinetic energy of the objects to trigger an instability, and then achieve fast grasping as well as cushioning. This process does not need any other input energy, and it greatly simplifies the conventional driving devices so as to realize the miniaturized and light-weight gripping actuation. The proper pre-deformation to the bistable structure of the gripper enables one to dynamically adjust the energy barrier for triggering the onset of instability to achieve the optimal grasping and buffering effect according to the kinetic characteristics of targets. After finishing one grasping task, the bistable gripper can automatically return to its initial state and release the target via a self-designed cable-driven mechanism. The ground-testing experiment demonstrates that the proposed soft gripper is capable to grasp, transfer, and release moving targets, and it thus possesses great potential to fulfill challenging operations in space missions.

Association of residential greenness with the risk of metabolic syndrome in Chinese older adults: a longitudinal cohort study

AIMS

We aimed to investigate the association between residential greenness and MetS in older Chinese adults.

METHODS

Longitudinal data on sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle were collected from the Shenzhen Healthy Ageing Research (SHARE) cohort. Greenness exposure was assessed through satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values in the 250-m, 500-m, and 1250-m radius around the residential address for each participant. MetS was defined by standard guidelines for the Chinese population.

RESULTS

A total of 49,893 older Chinese adults with a mean age of 70.96 (SD = 5.26) years were included in the study. In the fully adjusted models, participants who lived in the highest quartile of NDVI_250-m, NDVI_500-m, and NDVI_1250-m had a 15% (odds ratio, OR = 0.85, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.80-0.90), 12% (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.83-0.93), and 11% (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.85-0.95) lower incidence of MetS, respectively, than those living in the lowest quartile (all p-_trend < 0.01). Interactions and subgroup analyses showed that age, sex, smoking status, and drinking status were significant effect modifiers (p-_interaction for all NDVI < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Residential greenness is associated with a lower risk of MetS in Chinese older adults, especially for young older adults, females, non-smokers, and non-drinkers.

PFKFB4 facilitates palbociclib resistance in oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer by enhancing stemness

BACKGROUND

ER⁺ breast cancer (ER⁺ BC) is the most common subtype of BC. Recently, CDK4/6 inhibitors combined with aromatase inhibitors have been approved by FDA as the first-line therapy for patients with ER⁺ BC, and showed promising therapeutic efficacy in clinical treatment. However, resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors is frequently observed. A better understanding of the drug resistance mechanism is beneficial to improving therapeutic strategies by identifying optimal combinational treatments.

METHODS

Western blotting, qPCR, flow cytometry and a series of cell experiments were performed to evaluate the phenotype of MCF-7/R cells. RNA sequencing, non-targeted metabolomics, shRNA knockdown and tumour cell-bearing mouse models were used to clarify the drug resistance mechanism.

RESULTS

Here, we found that ER⁺ BC cells have shown an adaptive resistance to palbociclib-induced cell cycle arrest by activating an alternative signal pathway, independent of the CDK4/6-RB signal transduction. Continuing treatment of palbociclib evoked cellular senescence of ER⁺ BC cells. Subsequently, the senescence-like phenotype promoted stemness of ER⁺ BC cells, accompanied by increased chemoresistance and tumour-initiating potential. Based on transcriptome analysis, we found that PFKFB4 played an important role in stemness transformation and drug resistance. A close correlation was determined between PFKFB4 expression by ER⁺ BC cells and cell senescence and stemness. Mechanistically, metabolomic profiling revealed that PFKFB4 reprogramed glucose metabolism and promoted cell stemness by enhancing glycolysis. Strikingly, diminishing PFKFB4 levels improved drug sensitivity and overcame chemoresistance during palbociclib treatment in ER⁺ BC.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings not only demonstrated the novel mechanism underlying which ER⁺ BC cells resisted to palbociclib, but also provided a possible therapeutic strategy in the intervention of ER⁺ BC to overcome drug resistance.

Role Discovery-Guided Network Embedding Based on Autoencoder and Attention Mechanism

Recently, network embedding (NE) is an amazing research point in complex networks and devoted to a variety of tasks. Nearly, all the methods and models of NE are based on the local, high-order, or global similarity of the networks, and few studies have focused on the role discovery or structural similarity, which is of great significance in spreading dynamics and network theory. Meanwhile, existing NE models for role discovery suffer from two limitations, that is: 1) they fail to model the varying dependencies between each node and its neighbor nodes and 2) they cannot capture the effective node features which are helpful to role discovery, which makes these methods ineffective when applied to the role discovery task. To solve the above problems of NE for role discovery or structural similarity, we propose a unified deep learning framework, called RDAA, which can effectively represent features of nodes and benefit the Role Discovery-guided NE with a deep autoencoder, while modeling the local links with an Attention mechanism. In addition, we design an elaborately binding technique to combine both parts and optimize the framework in a unified way. We conduct different experiments, including visualization, role classification, role discovery, and running time compared to popular NE methods for both proximity and structural similarity. The RDAA has better performance on all the datasets and achieves good tradeoffs.

Preclinical profiles of SKB264, a novel anti-TROP2 antibody conjugated to topoisomerase inhibitor, demonstrated promising antitumor efficacy compared to IMMU-132

Purpose

The aim of this study was to improve the intratumoral accumulation of an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) and minimize its off-target toxicity, SKB264, a novel anti-trophoblast antigen 2 (TROP2) ADC that was developed using 2-methylsulfonyl pyrimidine as the linker to conjugate its payload (KL610023), a belotecan-derivative topoisomerase I inhibitor. The preclinical pharmacologic profiles of SKB264 were assessed in this study.

Methods

The in vitro and in vivo pharmacologic profiles of SKB264, including efficacy, pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics (PK-PD), safety, and tissue distribution, were investigated using TROP2-positive cell lines, cell-derived xenograft (CDX), patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, and cynomolgus monkeys. Moreover, some profiles were compared with IMMU-132.

Results

In vitro, SKB264 and SKB264 monoclonal antibody (mAb) had similar internalization abilities and binding affinities to TROP2. After cellular internalization, KL610023 was released and inhibited tumor cell survival. In vivo, SKB264 significantly inhibited tumor growth in a dose-dependent manner in both CDX and PDX models. After SKB264 administration, the serum or plasma concentration/exposure of SKB264 (conjugated ADC, number of payload units ≥1), total antibody (Tab, unconjugated and conjugated mAb regardless of the number of the payload units), and KL610023 in cynomolgus monkeys increased proportionally with increasing dosage from 1 to 10 mg/kg. The linker stability of SKB264 was significantly enhanced as shown by prolonged payload half-life in vivo (SKB264 vs. IMMU-132, 56.3 h vs. 15.5 h). At the same dose, SKB264's exposure in tumor tissue was 4.6-fold higher than that of IMMU-132.

Conclusions

Compared with IMMU-132, the longer half-life of SKB264 had a stronger targeting effect and better antitumor activity, suggesting the better therapeutic potential of SKB264 for treating TROP2-positive tumors.

Thrombectomy Using the EmboTrap Clot-Retrieving Device for the Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Glimpse of Clinical Evidence

BACKGROUND

The EmboTrap Recanalization Device is a novel stent retriever for thrombectomy in the setting of acute ischemic stroke due to large-vessel occlusion.

PURPOSE

Our aim was to summarize the safety and efficacy of the EmboTrap Recanalization Device in acute ischemic stroke-large-vessel occlusion through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched up to April 2022.

STUDY SELECTION

Nine observational studies using the EmboTrap Recanalization Device were selected.

DATA ANALYSIS

We adapted effect size with 95% CIs for dichotomous data. P value <.05 was statistically significant.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The estimated rate of successful recanalization (modified TICI 2b-3) was 90% (95% CI, 86%-95%; I ² = 82.4%); 90-day favorable outcome (mRS 0-2), 53% (95% CI, 42%-63%; I ² = 88.6%); modified first-pass effect, 43% (95% CI, 35%-51%; I ² = 63.7%); and first-pass effect, 36% (95% CI, 29%-46%; I ² = 10.7%). The rate of any intracerebral hemorrhage was 19% (95% CI, 16%-22%; I ² = 0.0%); symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, 5% (95% CI, 1%-8%; I ² = 84.6%); and 90-day mortality, 14% (95% CI, 9%-19%; I ² = 79.3%). Subgroup analysis showed higher rates of complete recanalization for EmboTrap II than for the EmboTrap System.

LIMITATIONS

The included studies are single-arm without direct comparison with other stent retrievers. Some of the studies recruited had a small sample size and were limited by the retrospective study design. In addition, the uncertain heterogeneity among studies was high.

CONCLUSIONS

The EmboTrap Recanalization Device is safe and efficient in treating acute ischemic stroke due to large-vessel occlusion.

Construction of carbon-based flame retardant composite with reinforced and toughened property and its application in polylactic acid

To simultaneously improve the flame retardancy, strength and toughness of polylactic acid (PLA) fibers, a composite flame retardant CNTs-H-C was prepared with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the core, hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene as linker, and chitosan grafted on the surface. The prepared CNTs-H-C was introduced into a PLA matrix to obtain CNTs-H-C/PLA composites and fibers via a melt-blending method. The morphology, structure, flame retardant properties and mechanical properties were thoroughly characterized, and the flame retardant mechanism was studied. Results showed that the prepared CNTs-H-C displayed a nanotube-like morphology with good compatibility and dispersion in the PLA matrix. After blending with PLA, CNTs-H-C/PLA composites exhibited outstanding flame retardancy with limiting oxygen index (LOI) increasing from 20.0% to 27.3%, UL94 rating reaching V-0. More importantly, the introduction of CNTs-H-C did not affect the spinnability of PLA. Compared with pure PLA fibers, the LOI of CNTs-H-C/PLA fibers with a CNTs-H-C content of 1.0 wt% increased by 32.5%, and meanwhile the breaking strength and elongation increased by 28.2% and 30.4%, respectively. Mechanism study revealed that CNTs-H-C/PLA possessed a typical condensed phase flame retardancy mechanism. In short, we have developed a CNT-based composite flame retardant with reinforced and toughened properties for the PLA matrix. The prepared CNTs-H-C showed great potential in polymer flame retardancy and mechanical enhancement.

A CNT-based flame retardant was synthesized and introduced into PLA to simultaneously improve the flame retardancy, strength and toughness of PLA.

Tuina combined with Adjuvant therapy for lumbar disc herniation: A network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To directly or indirectly compare the effectiveness and pain relief of TN combined with different treatments for lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

METHODS

The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang data, Chinese Biomedical Literature database (CBM), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, and Web of Science were searched from inception to July 2020. Only full texts of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that make comparisons between Tuina and Tuina combined with other methods were included. We extracted trial data and assessed the risk of bias by two reviewers independently. We pooled continuous data in standard mean differences (SMDs) and binary data in risk ratios (RRs), and provided 95% confidence intervals. The primary outcomes were the effectiveness rate. The secondary outcome was pain measurements including visual analog scale (VAS) scores.

RESULTS

Forty-four trials which included 4741 participants and 16 kinds of interventions were selected in our study. Tuina combined with Acupuncture was the most frequently investigated intervention. Five (31%) kindnesces (SMDs) and binary data in risk ratios (RRs), and provided 95% confidence intervals. The primary outcomes were the effectiveness rate. The secondary outcome was pain measurements including visual analog scale (VAS) scores.

RESULTS

Forty-four trials of treatments among 15 increased the healing rate more significantly compared with Tuina(TN), including Tuian combined with Traction and formula(TN + TRA + FM), Tuina combined with formula(TN + FM), Tuina combined with Traction and Acupuncture(ACU + TN + TRA), Tuian combined with Traction(TN + TRA), Tuina combined with Electroacupuncture(EA + TN), Tuina combined with the warm needle(TN + WN), Tuina combined with Acupuncture(ACU + TN). Seven treatments including Tuina combined with Electroacupuncture(EA + TN), Tuian combined with Traction and formula(TN + TRA + FM), Tuina combined with Acupuncture(ACU + TN), Tuina combined with formula(TN + FM), Acupuncture(ACU), Tuian combined with Traction(TN + TRA), Tuina combined with the warm needle(TN + WN) had better effects in reducing pain intensity compared with Tuina, range from 0.01 (95%Crl 0-0.08) for EA + TN to 0.30 (95%Crl 0.20-0.45) for TN + WN.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the comprehensive review, Tuina combined with Traction and formula(TN + TRA + FM) seemed to be the most recommendable treatment which is more affordable and effective. However, all the available evidence was of low quality, so more high-quality studies are expected to confirm the effectiveness.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO CRD42020193068.

Relationship of resting heart rate and blood pressure with all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate associations of resting heart rate (RHR) and blood pressure (BP) with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

A total of 67,028 Chinese participants aged ≥60 years were included in the analysis. RHR, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were evaluated according to quartiles ([41-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-127 beats/min], [80-119, 120-129, 130-139, 140-238 mm Hg], and [40-70, 71-79, 80-84, 85-133 mm Hg]). Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all-cause and CVD mortality with RHR, SBP, and DBP. Restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate the dose-response association.

RESULTS

During the 361,975 person-year follow-up, 9326 deaths were recorded, of which 5039 deaths were due to CVD. The risk of all-cause mortality was increased by 25% with the quartiles four vs quartile one of RHR (HR [95% CI]:1.25 [1.17-1.33]), and CVD mortality was increased by 32% (HR [95% CI]: 1.32 [1.22-1.44]). Similar results were observed when comparing the quartiles four vs quartile one of SBP with the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality (HRs [95% CIs]: 1.14 [1.07, 1.22] and 1.23 [1.12. 1.34]) and DBP with the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality (HRs [95% CIs]: 1.17 [1.11. 1.24] and 1.36 [1.26. 1.47]). We found linear associations of RHR, SBP, and DBP with all-cause and CVD mortality (P_{non-linearity} >0.05), except for the approximately J-shaped association between DBP and all-cause mortality (P_{non-linearity} = 0.008). There was a significant interaction of RHR and SBP with all-cause and CVD mortality (P_interaction <0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

RHR and BP increased the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality, especially fast RHR combined with high SBP.

miR-103 Derived from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell (BMSC) Retards the Chemo-Resistance Through Targeted-Regulation of TP53 Regulated Inhibitor of Apoptosis 1 (TRIAP1) in Breast Cancer

The chemo-resistance was one of the major reasons for the treatment failure for breast cancer. Our study aimed to discuss the action of miR-103 derived from BMSC on retarding the chemo-resistance through targeted-regulating TRIAP1 in breast cancer. The cisplatin-resistant breast cancer cells were cultivated and transfected with si-RNA targeting miR-103 followed by analysis of cell invasion, migration and apoptosis by Transwell. MiR-103 target gene was analyzed with bioinformatics method and dual-luciferase reporter assay. TRIAP1 expression was measured by Western Blot. The cell apoptosis was reduced when miR-103 expression was restrained along with enhanced cell proliferation. The co-cultivation with BMSC in vitro could upregulate TRIAP1 expression in breast cancer cells. In cells transfected with si-miR-103, the expression of TRIAP1 was reduced, cell apoptosis was increased and invasion was decreased. In conclusion, the chemo-resistance is induced and the malignant invasion of breast cancer cells is retarded by co-cultivation with mikR-103 derived from BMSC which might be through regulating the expression of TRIAP.