Unveiling hormone-stimulated gene mechanisms in prostate cancer: A prognostic model, immune infiltration analysis, and drug sensitivity study

Hormones promote the progression of prostate cancer (PRCA) through the activation of a complex regulatory network. Inhibition of hormones or modulation of specific network nodes alone is insufficient to suppress the entire oncogenic network. Therefore, it is imperative to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the occurrence and development of PRCA in order to identify reliable diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. To this end, we used publicly available data to analyze the potential mechanisms of hormone-stimulated genes in PRCA, construct a prognostic model, and assess immune infiltration and drug sensitivity. The single-cell RNA-sequencing data of PRCA were subjected to dimensionality reduction clustering and annotation, and the cells were categorized into two groups based on hormone stimulus-related scores. The differentially expressed genes between the two groups were screened and incorporated into the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator machine learning algorithm, and a prognostic model comprising six genes (ZNF862, YIF1A, USP22, TAF7, SRSF3, and SPARC) was constructed. The robustness of the model was validation through multiple methods. Immune infiltration scores in the two risk groups were calculated using three different algorithms. In addition, the relationship between the model genes and immune cell infiltration, and that between risk score and immune cell infiltration were analyzed. Drug sensitivity analysis was performed for the model genes and risk score using public databases to identify potential candidate drugs. Our findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms of hormone-stimulated genes in PRCA progression, prognosis, and drug screening.

Effect of wet-aging on meat quality and exudate metabolome changes in different beef muscles

The aim of this study was to evaluate meat quality and changes in the meat exudate metabolome of different beef muscles (5 d postmortem, longissimus lumborum and psoas major muscles) during wet-aging (additional 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d of aging). Shear force of meat declined significantly (P < 0.001) with aging, meanwhile, increased myofibril fragmentation index, lipid and protein oxidation with aging were observed (P < 0.01). Psoas major (PM) showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) purge loss, centrifugal loss, and cooking loss, as well as higher tenderness and more severe lipid and protein oxidation (P < 0.01) than longissimus lumborum (LL) during aging. Principal component analysis of the metabolomic profiles revealed distinct clusters according to the period of aging and the type of muscle simultaneously. Overabundant amino acids, peptides, oxidized fatty acids, and hydroxy fatty acids were found in long-term aged meat exudates, and forty metabolites were significantly correlated with meat quality characteristics. Fifty-nine metabolites were significantly affected by muscle type. These results demonstrated the potential possibility of evaluating meat quality using meat exudate metabolomics.

Flexible Piezoresistive Sensors Based on PPy Granule-Anchored Multilayer Fibrous Membranes with a Wide Operating Range and High Sensitivity

The employment of flexible piezoresistive sensors has sparked growing interest within the realm of wearable electronic devices, specifically in the fields of health detection and e-skin. Nevertheless, the advancement of piezoresistive sensors has been impeded by their limited sensitivity and restricted operating ranges. Consequently, it is imperative to fabricate sensors with heightened sensitivity and expanded operating ranges through the utilization of the appropriate methodologies. In this paper, piezoresistive sensors were fabricated utilizing electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride/polyacrylonitrile/polyethylene-polypropylene glycol multilayer fibrous membranes anchored with polypyrrole granules as the sensing layer, while electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fibers were employed as the flexible substrate. The sensitivity of the sensor is investigated by varying the fiber diameter of the sensing layer. The experimental findings reveal that a concentration of 14 wt % in the spinning solution exhibits high sensitivity (996.7 kPa-1) within a wide working range (0-10 kPa). This is attributed to the favorable diameter of the fibers prepared at this concentration, which facilitates the uniform in situ growth of pyrrole. The highly deformable TPU flexible fibers and multilayer sensing layer structure enable different linear responses across a broad pressure range (0-1 MPa). Furthermore, the sensor demonstrates good cyclic stability and can detect human movements under different pressures. These results suggest that the piezoresistive sensor with a wide operating range and high sensitivity has significant potential for future health monitoring and artificial intelligence applications.

Perceived HRM and turnover intentions of elderly care workers: perspective from person-job fit and institutional ownership

BACKGROUND

Although the phenomenon of high turnover rate in the elderly care industry has existed for a long time, there are few studies that have constructed frameworks to comprehensively analyze the strength of the effects of various factors on the turnover intention of elderly care workers.. This study analyzed the impact of different types of perceived human resource management practices on elderly care workers' turnover intentions and whether this relationship is moderated by person-job fit and ownership of elderly care institutions.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional and regional survey study. The study included questionnaire survey data from a total of 305 elderly care workers from 42 elderly care institutions in 21 provinces in China during June to September 2021. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression, and heterogeneity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Perceived work environment ( β =-0.5164, p< 0.01), perceived occupational protection ( β =-0.3390, p< 0.01), perceived welfare benefits ( β = -0.2620, p< 0.01) and perceived competency training ( β = -0.1421, p< 0.1) were all significantly and negatively related to turnover intentions, the quality of perceived work environment has the greatest impact on elderly care workers' turnover intentions. Under the moderating effects of person-job fit and ownership of elderly care institutions, there existed heterogeneity between perceived human resource management and turnover intentions among elderly care workers. High level of person-job fit and elderly care institutions' public feature can effectively weaken the negative impact of each type of perceived human resource management on turnover intention among elderly care workers.

CONCLUSIONS

The managers of elderly care institutions should optimize the management mechanism, typically pay attention to elderly care workers' working environment, formulate and improve the professional standards and job requirements for elderly care workers, promote the public welfare value of nursing care services, and strengthen the sense of honor and responsibility of elderly care workers to reduce the turnover rate.

[Effect of LAG3 deficiency on natural killer cell function and hepatic fibrosis in mice infected with Echinococcus multilocularis]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of LAG-3 deficiency (LAG3-/-) on natural killer (NK) cell function and hepatic fibrosis in mice infected with Echinococcus multilocularis.

METHODS

C57BL/6 mice, each weighing (20 ± 2) g, were divided into the LAG3-/- and wild type (WT) groups, and each mouse in both groups was inoculated with 3 000 E. multilocularis protoscoleces via the hepatic portal vein. Mouse liver and spleen specimens were collected 12 weeks post-infection, sectioned and stained with sirius red, and the hepatic lesions and fibrosis were observed. Mouse hepatic and splenic lymphocytes were isolated, and flow cytometry was performed to detect the proportions of hepatic and splenic NK cells, the expression of CD44, CD25 and CD69 molecules on NK cell surface, and the secretion of interferon γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10 and IL-17A.

RESULTS

Sirius red staining showed widening of inflammatory cell bands and hyperplasia of fibrotic connective tissues around mouse hepatic lesions, as well as increased deposition of collagen fibers in the LAG3-/-group relative to the WT group. Flow cytometry revealed lower proportions of mouse hepatic (6.29% ± 1.06% vs. 11.91% ± 1.85%, P < 0.000 1) and splenic NK cells (4.44% ± 1.22% vs. 5.85% ± 1.10%, P > 0.05) in the LAG3-/- group than in the WT group, and the mean fluorescence intensity of CD44 was higher on the surface of mouse hepatic NK cells in the LAG3-/- group than in the WT group (t = -3.234, P < 0.01), while no significant differences were found in the mean fluorescence intensity of CD25 or CD69 on the surface of mouse hepaticNK cells between the LAG3-/- and WT groups (both P values > 0.05). There were significant differences between the LAG3-/- and WT groups in terms of the percentages of IFN-γ (t = -0.723, P > 0.05), TNF-α (t = -0.659, P > 0.05), IL-4 (t = -0.263, P > 0.05), IL-10 (t = -0.455, P > 0.05) or IL-17A secreted by mouse hepatic NK cells (t = 0.091, P > 0.05), and the percentage of IFN-γ secreted by mouse splenic NK cells was higher in the LAG3-/- group than in the WT group (58.40% ± 1.64% vs. 50.40% ± 4.13%; t = -4.042, P < 0.01); however, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the proportions of TNF-α (t = -1.902, P > 0.05), IL-4 (t = -1.333, P > 0.05), IL-10 (t = -1.356, P > 0.05) or IL-17A secreted by mouse splenic NK cells (t = 0.529, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

During the course of E. multilocularis infections, LAG3-/- promotes high-level secretion of IFN-γ by splenic NK cells, which may participate in the reversal the immune function of NK cells, resulting in aggravation of hepatic fibrosis.

Mapping progressive damage epicenters in epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures by causal structural covariance network density (CaSCNd)

AIMS

Mapping progressive patterns of structural damage in epilepsies with idiopathic and secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures with causal structural covariance networks and multiple analysis strategies.

METHODS

Patients with idiopathic generalized tonic-clonic seizures (IGTCS) (n = 114) and secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures (SGTCS) (n = 125) were recruited. Morphometric parameter of gray matter volume was analyzed on structural MRI. Structural covariance network based on granger causality analysis (CaSCN) was performed on the cross-sectional morphometric data sorted by disease durations of patients. Seed-based CaSCN analysis was firstly carried out to map the progressive and influential patterns of damage to thalamus-related structures. A novel technique for voxel-based CaSCN density (CaSCNd) analysis was further proposed, enabling for identifying the epicenter of structural brain damage during the disease process.

RESULTS

The thalamus-associated CaSCNs demonstrated different patterns of progressive damage in two types of generalized tonic-clonic seizures. In IGTCS, the structural damage was predominantly driven from the thalamus, and expanded to the cortex, while in SGTCS, the damage was predominantly driven from the cortex, and expanded to the thalamus through the basal ganglia. CaSCNd analysis revealed that the IGTCS had an out-effect epicenter in the thalamus, whereas the SGTCS had equipotent in- and out-effects in the thalamus, cortex, and basal ganglia.

CONCLUSION

CaSCN revealed distinct damage patterns in the two types of GTCS, featuring with measurement of structural brain damage from the accumulating effect over a relatively long time period. Our work provided evidence for understanding network impairment mechanism underlying different GTCSs.

Floating-Point Approximation Enabling Cost-Effective and High-Precision Digital Implementation of FitzHugh-Nagumo Neural Networks

The study of neuron interactions and hardware implementations are crucial research directions in neuroscience, particularly in developing large-scale biological neural networks. The FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) model is a popular neuron model with highly biological plausibility, but its complexity makes it difficult to apply at scale. This paper presents a cost-saving and improved precision approximation algorithm for the digital implementation of the FHN model. By converting the computational data into floating-point numbers, the original multiplication calculations are replaced by adding the floating-point exponent part and fitting the mantissa part with piecewise linear. In the hardware implementation, shifters and adders are used, greatly reducing resource overhead. Implementing FHN neurons by this approximation calculations on FPGA reduces the normalized root mean square error (RMSE) to 3.5% of the state-of-the-art (SOTA) while maintaining a performance overhead ratio improvement of 1.09 times. Compared to implementations based on approximate multipliers, the proposed method achieves a 20% reduction in error at the cost of a 2.8% increase in overhead.This model gained additional biological properties compared to LIF while reducing the deployment scale by only 9%. Furthermore, the hardware implementation of nine coupled circular networks with eight nodes and directional diffusion was carried out to demonstrate the algorithm's effectiveness on neural networks. The error decreased to 60% compared to the single neuron of the SOTA. This hardware-friendly algorithm allows for the low-cost implementation of high-precision hardware simulation, providing a novel perspective for studying large-scale, biologically plausible neural networks.

Changes in menopausal symptoms comparing oral estradiol versus transdermal estradiol

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of oral and transdermal estradiol in alleviating menopausal symptoms.

METHOD

A total of 257 recently menopausal women were randomized into two groups. The t-E2 group received transdermal estradiol (2.5 g per day) (n = 128) and the o-E2V group received oral estradiol valerate (2 mg per day) (n = 129) for 24 weeks; both groups received micronized progesterone (200 mg per day). The primary outcome measure is the change in the modified Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI) after 24 weeks of treatment. Menopausal symptoms were recorded at screening and at 4, 12 and 24 weeks using both the KMI and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS).

RESULTS

Significant amelioration was observed by KMI and MRS scores for both groups after treatment (p < 0.001). The mean KMI scores showed no difference between the two groups. The mean MRS scores were similar between the two groups at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment. The results showed statistical differences after 12 weeks and 24 weeks of treatment (p = 0.005 and p = 0.011). Both the after-treatment scores minus the baseline scores of KMI and MRS and the incidence of adverse effects showed no difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that both transdermal and oral estradiol are effective in relieving menopausal symptoms, with little difference in treatment efficacy and safety.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

ChiCTR2300073146.

Double-edged effect of frequent freeze-thaw on the stability of zero-valent iron after heavy metal remediation

Freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) cause dynamic microscale changes in ions and solvents. During freezing, heavy metals adsorbed on zero-valent iron (M-ZVI) and protons are excluded by ice crystals and concentrated in the liquid-like grain boundary region. The high proton concentration in this region leads to the dissolution of the passivation layer of ZVI. To assess the environmental risks of M-ZVI during FTCs, this study evaluated the stability of M-ZVI in this scenario from both microscale and macroscale perspectives. The results showed that the dissolution of the passivation layer had a dual effect on the stability of M-ZVI, which depends on the by-products of M-ZVI. The dissolution of the passivation layer was accompanied by the leaching of heavy metals, such as Ni-ZVI, but it also enhanced the reactivity of ZVI, causing it to re-react with desorbed heavy metals. The stability of Cr-ZVI and Cd-ZVI was improved due to frequent FTCs. Furthermore, changes in the surrounding environment (water dipole moment, ion concentration, etc.) of ZVI affected the crystallization of Fe oxides, increasing the content of amorphous Fe oxide. As low-crystallinity Fe oxides could facilitate ion doping, Ni2+ was doped into Fe3O4 lattice during FTCs, which reduced the mobility of heavy metals. Contrary to traditional views that freezing temperatures slow chemical reactions, this study provides new insights into the application of iron-based materials in cold environments.

MAC3A and MAC3B mediate degradation of the transcription factor ERF13 and thus promote lateral root emergence

Lateral roots (LRs) increase root surface area and allow plants greater access to soil water and nutrients. LR formation is tightly regulated by the phytohormone auxin. Whereas the transcription factor ETHYLENE-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING FACTOR13 (ERF13) prevents LR emergence in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), auxin activates MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE14 (MPK14), which leads to ERF13 degradation and ultimately promotes LR emergence. In this study, we discovered interactions between ERF13 and the E3 ubiquitin ligases MOS4-ASSOCIATED COMPLEX 3A (MAC3A) and MAC3B. As MAC3A and MAC3B gradually accumulate in the LR primordium, ERF13 levels gradually decrease. We demonstrate that MAC3A and MAC3B ubiquitinate ERF13, leading to its degradation and accelerating the transition of LR primordia from stage IV to stage V. Auxin enhances the MAC3A and MAC3B interaction with ERF13 by facilitating MPK14-mediated ERF13 phosphorylation. In summary, this study reveals the molecular mechanism by which auxin eliminates the inhibitory factor ERF13 through the MPK14-MAC3A and MAC3B signaling module, thus promoting LR emergence.

Sustainable lignocellulose aerogel for air purifier with thermal insulation, flame retardancy, mechanical strength, and its life cycle assessment

High-performance biomass materials with good thermal insulation, flame retardrancy, and mechanical properties are urgently required for thermal management. Herein, a novel lignocellulose aerogel treated using a recyclable deep eutectic solvent (DES) was physically mixed with tourmaline particles (TPs) to enhance its structural stability, flame retardancy, and mechanical properties. The optimized TPs-modified lignocellulose aerogel (TLA-4) had good comprehensive performances due to the synergistic effect of ammonium sulfate and TPs. Compared with TPs-free lignocellulose aerogel (LA), the total heat release (THR) and heat release rate (HRR) of TLA-4 were reduced by 62.0 % and 66.3 %, respectively, and the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of TLA-4 was drastically enhanced by 74.1 %. TLA-4 also exhibited a low thermal conductivity of 29.67 mW/mK, showing favorable thermal insulation performance. When compressed to 5 %, the mechanical strength of TLA-4 increased by 8.3 times. Meanwhile, the presence of TPs and abundant pores in the aerogel contributed to the release of negative oxygen ions (NOIs), aiding air purification. A life cycle assessment (LCA) indicated that this composite had a minimal environmental impact (EI) in 17 categories compared to other similar aerogels. The proposed strategy for preparing an environment-friendly lignocellulose aerogel offers significant potential for applications in home decoration and building materials.

STOP1 attenuates the auxin response to maintain root stem cell niche identity

In plant roots, the identity of the stem cell niche (SCN) is maintained by an auxin gradient with its maximum in the quiescent center (QC). Optimal levels of auxin signaling are essential for root SCN identity, but the regulatory mechanisms that control this pathway in root are largely unknown. Here, we find that the zinc finger transcription factor sensitive to proton rhizotoxicity 1 (STOP1) regulates root SCN identity by negative feedback of auxin signaling in root tips. Mutation and overexpression of STOP1 both affect QC cell division and distal stem cell differentiation in the root. We find that auxin treatment stabilizes STOP1 via MPK3/6-dependent phosphorylation. Accumulating STOP1 can compete with AUX/IAAs to interact with, and enhance the repressive activity of, auxin-repressive response factor ARF2. Overall, we show that the MPK3/6-STOP1-ARF2 module prevents excessive auxin signaling in the presence of auxin to maintain root SCN identity.

Aluminum-maltol induced oxidative stress and reduced AMPK activity via BCK-related energy supply failure in C6 cell

Aluminum (Al) exposure significantly interferes with the energy supply in astrocytes, which may be a potential mechanism of Al-induced neurotoxicity. This study was designed to explore the mechanisms of Al-induced energy supply impairment in rat C6 astroglioma cell line. Aluminum-maltolate (Al(mal)3) (0.1 mM, 24 h) exposure significantly decreased brain-type creatine kinase (BCK) co-localization with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and resulted in mitochondrial dysfunctions, accompanied by a decrease in AMPK phosphorylation. The results of molecular docking showed that Al(mal)3 increased BCK's hydrophobicity and hindered the localization movement of BCK between subcells·H2O2 co-administration was found to exacerbate mitochondrial dysfunction, Ca2+ dyshomeostasis, and apoptosis. After treated with Al(mal)3, additional oxidative stress contributed to BCK activity inhibition but did not promote a further decrease in AMPK phosphorylation. The activation of p-AMPK by its agonist can partially restore mitochondrial function, BCK activity, and ER-localized-BCK levels in Al(mal)3-treated astrocytes. In summary, Al exposure resulted in a sustained depletion of the mitochondrial and antioxidant systems, which was associated with reduced p-AMPK activity and decreased ER-localized-BCK levels in astrocytes. This study provides a theoretical basis for exploring the mechanisms of neurotoxicity induced by Al exposure.

[Research and progress in etiology, prevention and treatment strategies of secondary caries]

Secondary caries is one of the main reasons that affect the service life of the restoration. Compared with primary caries, secondary caries have some particularities in etiology, disease progression, clinical manifestation, clinical diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Starting from the above aspects, combined with the latest basic and clinical research on secondary caries, this paper summarizes and analyzes its pathogenesis and prevention strategies, which will lay a certain foundation for in-depth understanding of secondary caries and promoting its clinical prevention and treatment.

A prospective study of drug-drug interaction between antiepileptic drugs and meropenem in patients in a tertiary hospital in China from January 2020 to March 2023

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the minimum interaction between different antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and meropenem (MEPM) for clinical treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The data of 91 patients enrolled in the neurology department from January 2020 to March 2023 for clinical trials were measured and observed. Self-controlled studies were conducted to monitor the trough concentrations of valproic acid (VPA), carbamazepine (CBZ) and levotiracetam (LEV) before and after MEPM usage. Relevant indicators of liver and kidney function were also monitored.

RESULTS

The serum VPA trough concentrations were 36.25±8.22 μg/ml at 24±12 h and 34.99±11.17 μg/ml at 96±12 h after MEPM use; the difference was significant (p<0.05). Decreased CBZ trough concentrations were also identified after MEPM usage (96±12 h), whereas LEV trough concentrations were not affected. An increased liver injury rate (χ2 =8.744, p<0.05) and a decreased kidney injury rate (χ2 =5.393, p<0.05) were found in the VPA group only.

CONCLUSIONS

The interaction between VPA and MEPM decreased serum VPA concentrations, increased liver injury rates, and decreased kidney injury rates. In addition, the co-administration of MEPM and CBZ reduced serum CBZ concentrations. Clinicians should be aware of this potential interaction and closely monitor the relevant biochemical indices and number of seizures.

The response of LncRNAs associated with photosynthesis-and pigment synthesis-related genes to green light in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The quality of light is an important abiotic factor that affects the growth and development of green plants. Ultraviolet, red, blue, and far-red light all have demonstrated roles in regulating green plant growth and development, as well as light morphogenesis. However, the mechanism underlying photosynthetic organism responses to green light throughout the life of them are not clear. In this study, we exposed the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to green light and analyzed the dynamics of transcriptome changes. Based on the whole transcriptome data from C. reinhardtii, a total of 9974 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified under green light. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses indicated that these DEGs were mainly related to "carboxylic acid metabolic process," "enzyme activity," "carbon metabolism," and "photosynthesis and other processes." At the same time, 253 differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DELs) were characterized as green light responsive. We also made a detailed analysis of the responses of photosynthesis- and pigment synthesis-related genes in C. reinhardtii to green light and found that these genes exhibited obvious dynamic expression. Lastly, we constructed a co-expression regulatory network, comprising 49 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and 20 photosynthesis and pigment related genes, of which 9 mRNAs were also the predicted trans/cis-targets of 8 lncRNAs, these results suggested that lncRNAs may affect the expression of mRNAs related to photosynthesis and pigment synthesis. Our findings give a preliminary explanation of the response mechanism of C. reinhardtii to green light at the transcriptional level.

Eco-Friendly Method for Wood Aerogel Preparation with Efficient Catalytic Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol

The advancement of science and technology and the growth of industry have led to an escalating discharge of domestic sewage and industrial wastewater containing dyes. This surge in volume not only incurs higher costs but also exacerbates environmental burdens. However, the benefits of green and reusable catalytic reduction materials within dye processes are still uncertain. Herein, this study utilized the eco-friendly deep eutectic solvent method (DESM) and the chlorite-alkali method (CAM) to prepare a cellulose-composed wood aerogel derived from natural wood for 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction. The life cycle assessment of wood aerogel preparative process showed that the wood aerogel prepared by the one-step DESM method had fewer environmental impacts. The CAM method was used innovatively to make uniform the chemical functional groups of different wood species and various wood maturities. Subsequently, palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) were anchored in the skeleton structure of the wood aerogel with the native chemical groups used as a reducing agent to replace external reducing agents, which reduced secondary pollution and prevented the agglomeration of nanoparticles. Results showed that the catalytic reduction efficiency of 4-NP can reach 99.8%, which shows promises for applications in wastewater treatment containing dyes. Moreover, investigation of the advantages of preparation methods of wood aerogel has important implications for helping researchers and producers choose suitable preparation strategies according to demand.

Achieving High Core Neuron Density in a Neuromorphic Chip Through Trade-off Among Area, Power Consumption, and Data Access Bandwidth

As a crucial component of neuromorphic chips, on-chip memory usually occupies most of the on-chip resources and limits the improvement of neuron density. The alternative of using off-chip memory may result in additional power consumption or even a bottleneck for off-chip data access. This article proposes an on- and off-chip co-design approach and a figure of merit (FOM) to achieve a trade-off between chip area, power consumption, and data access bandwidth. By evaluating the FOM of each design scheme, the scheme with the highest FOM (1.085× better than the baseline) is adopted to design a neuromorphic chip. Deep multiplexing and weight-sharing technologies are used to reduce on-chip resource overhead and data access pressure. A hybrid memory design method is proposed to optimize on- and off-chip memory distribution, which reduces on-chip storage pressure and total power consumption by 92.88% and 27.86%, respectively, while avoiding the explosion of off-chip access bandwidth. The co-designed neuromorphic chip with ten cores fabricated under standard 55 nm CMOS technology has an area of 4.4 mm 2 and a core neuron density of 4.92 K/mm 2, an improvement of 3.39  ∼ 30.56× compared with previous works. After deploying a full-connected and a convolution-based spiking neural network (SNN) for ECG signal recognition, the neuromorphic chip achieves 92% and 95% accuracy, respectively. This work provides a new path for developing high-density and large-scale neuromorphic chips.

Purtscher-like retinopathy in systemic lupus erythematosus: clinical features, risk factors and prognosis

BACKGROUND

Purtscher-like retinopathy (PLR) is a rare ocular manifestation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with poor prognosis, but its clear risk factors and treatment consensus are still lacking.

AIM

To investigate the clinical features, risk factors and prognosis of PLR in SLE patients.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on SLE patients with PLR admitted at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2013 to 2022. Clinical data, including demographic characteristics, lupus-related features, laboratory findings and ophthalmologic examinations, were collected and analyzed. The prognosis was evaluated based on best-corrected visual acuity and ophthalmologic outcomes.

RESULTS

Seventeen SLE patients (32 eyes) diagnosed with PLR were included, along with a random selection of 100 SLE patients without retinopathy and 100 with retinal microvasculopathy as controls. Patients with PLR had a significantly younger age, a higher proportion of hemolytic anemia, a shorter duration of SLE, a higher SLE disease activity index-2000 (SLEDAI-2K) score, higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values and lower hemoglobin (HGB) values than the group without retinopathy (P < 0.05). They also had a significantly higher SLEDAI-2K score, higher ESR values and higher white blood cell values (P < 0.05) than the Microvasculopathy group. The majority of eyes (22/26, 84.62%) achieved stabilization at the last follow-up, with different therapeutic strategies, while a few (4/26, 15.38%) experienced complications or progression.

CONCLUSION

This is the largest reported case series of PLR in SLE, which was associated with higher disease activity and poor visual prognosis. It was also associated with younger age, shorter SLE duration, concomitant hemolytic anemia, lower HGB and higher ESR value. Early recognition and prompt treatment are crucial for improving visual outcomes.

The Assessment of Natural Cross Pollination Properties of a Novel Male-Sterile-Female-Fertile Mutation msLC01 in Soybean

The value of a novel soybean male-sterile mutation msLC01 in breeding practice was determined by its outcrossing properties. Then, the effects of different planting arrangements on the pod set characteristics of male-sterile plants were assessed by using orthogonal experiments at two sites. At the same time, the effects of msLC01 male sterility on other traits were assessed in two C2F2 populations. In addition, the nectar secretion and natural outcross of male-sterile plants from four msLC01 lines were compared with one ms1 line and one ms6 line. The results of the orthogonal experiment showed that the pod numbers and pod set rates of male-sterile plants were decisively different between the two experimental sites but not between the two levels of the other factors. Both increasing the ratio of paternal parent to maternal parent and planting the parental seeds in a mixed way, the proportion of seeds pollinated by the target parent pollen could be increased. Except for the pod number per plant trait, there was no significant difference between male-sterile plants and their fertile siblings. The amount of nectar significantly differed among the lines. Compared with ms1 and ms6 male-sterile plants, the four msLC01 lines possessed significantly more or similar numbers of pod sets. The results of this study lay a foundation for the future use of this mutant in soybean breeding.

Deep learning to predict esophageal variceal bleeding based on endoscopic images

OBJECTIVE

Esophageal varix (EV) bleeding is a particularly serious complications of cirrhosis. Prediction of EV bleeding requires extensive endoscopy experience; it remains unreliable and inefficient. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the feasibility of using deep learning (DL) to predict the 12-month risk of EV bleeding based on endoscopic images.

METHODS

Six DL models were trained to perform binary classification of endoscopic images of EV bleeding. The models were subsequently validated using an external test dataset, then compared with classifications performed by two endoscopists.

RESULTS

In the validation dataset, EfficientNet had the highest accuracy (0.910), followed by ConvMixer (0.898) and Xception (0.875). In the test dataset, EfficientNet maintained the highest accuracy (0.893), which was better than the endoscopists (0.800 and 0.763). Notably, one endoscopist displayed higher recall (0.905), compared with EfficientNet (0.870). When their predictions were assisted by artificial intelligence, the accuracies of the two endoscopists increased by 17.3% and 19.0%. Moreover, statistical agreement among the models was dependent on model architecture.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated the feasibility of using DL to predict the 12-month risk of EV bleeding based on endoscopic images. The findings suggest that artificial intelligence-aided diagnosis will be a useful addition to cirrhosis management.

Targeting survivin with Tanshinone IIA inhibits tumor growth and overcomes chemoresistance in colorectal cancer

The inhibitor of apoptosis protein survivin has a critical regulatory role in carcinogenesis and treatment tolerance in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the targeted drugs for survivin protein are extremely limited. In the present research, we discovered that Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) played a dual regulatory role in inhibiting tumorigenesis and reversing 5-Fu tolerance via modulating the expression and phosphorylation of survivin in CRC cells. Mechanistically, Tan IIA suppressed the Akt/WEE1/CDK1 signaling pathway, which led to the downregulation of survivin Thr34 phosphorylation and destruction of the interaction between USP1 and survivin to promote survivin ubiquitination and degradation. Furthermore, Tan IIA significantly facilitated chemoresistant CRC cells to 5-Fu sensitivity. These results revealed that Tan IIA possessed a strong antitumor activity against CRC cells and could act as an up-and-coming agent for treating CRC and overcoming chemotherapy resistance.

Community-based integrated care for patients with diabetes and depression (CIC-PDD): study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Managing the multimorbidity of diabetes and depression remains a clinical challenge for patients and healthcare professionals due to the fragmented healthcare delivery system. To effectively cope with multimorbidity, there is an urgent need for the health system to transform into people-centered integrated care (PCIC) system globally. Therefore, this paper describes the protocol of community-based integrated care for patients with diabetes and depression (CIC-PDD) project, an integrated and shared-care intervention project.

METHODS/DESIGN

CIC-PDD project is conducted in two phases, namely "care model development" and "implementation and evaluation." In the first phase, CIC-PDD model was designed and developed based on the four criteria of collaborative care model (CCM) and was subsequently adjusted to align with the context of China. The second phase entails a pragmatic, two-arm, cluster randomized controlled implementation trial, accompanied by parallel mixed-methods process evaluation and cost-effectiveness analysis.

DISCUSSION

We anticipate CIC-PDD project will facilitate the development and innovation of PCIC model and related theories worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In addition, CIC-PDD project will contribute to the exploration of primary health care (PHC) in addressing the multimorbidity of physical and mental health issues.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov registration ChiCTR2200065608 (China Clinical Trials Registry https://www.chictr.org.cn ). Registered on November 9, 2022.

Childhood-Onset Lupus Nephritis in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry: Short-Term Kidney Status and Variation in Care

OBJECTIVE

The goal was to characterize short-term kidney status and describe variation in early care utilization in a multicenter cohort of patients with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) and nephritis.

METHODS

We analyzed previously collected prospective data from North American patients with cSLE with kidney biopsy-proven nephritis enrolled in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry from March 2017 through December 2019. We determined the proportion of patients with abnormal kidney status at the most recent registry visit and applied generalized linear mixed models to identify associated factors. We also calculated frequency of medication use, both during induction and ever recorded.

RESULTS

We identified 222 patients with kidney biopsy-proven nephritis, with 64% class III/IV nephritis on initial biopsy. At the most recent registry visit at median (interquartile range) of 17 (8-29) months from initial kidney biopsy, 58 of 106 patients (55%) with available data had abnormal kidney status. This finding was associated with male sex (odds ratio [OR] 3.88, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.21-12.46) and age at cSLE diagnosis (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.01-1.49). Patients with class IV nephritis were more likely than class III to receive cyclophosphamide and rituximab during induction. There was substantial variation in mycophenolate, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab ever use patterns across rheumatology centers.

CONCLUSION

In this cohort with predominately class III/IV nephritis, male sex and older age at cSLE diagnosis were associated with abnormal short-term kidney status. We also observed substantial variation in contemporary medication use for pediatric lupus nephritis between pediatric rheumatology centers. Additional studies are needed to better understand the impact of this variation on long-term kidney outcomes.

The influence of various microplastics on PBDEs contaminated soil remediation by nZVI and sulfide-nZVI: Impedance, electron-accepting/-donating capacity and aging

The microplastics (MPs) existed in the environment widely has resulted in novel thinking about in-situ remediation techniques, such as nano-zero-valent iron (nZVI) and sulfided nZVI (S-nZVI), which were often compromised by various environmental factors. In this study, three common MPs such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP) in soil were found to inhibit the degradation rate of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209) by nZVI and S-nZVI to different degrees due to MPs inhibiting of electron transfer which is the main way to degrade BDE209. The inhibition strength was related to its impedance (Z) and electron-accepting (EAC)/-donating capacity (EDC). Based on the explanation of the inhibition mechanism, the reason for different aging degrees of nZVI and S-nZVI in different MPs was illustrated, especially in PVC systems. Furthermore, the aging of reacted MPs, functionalization and fragmentation in particular, indicated that they were involved in the degradation process. Moreover, this work provided new insights into the field application of nZVI-based materials for removing persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Internode Length Is Correlated with GA3 Content and Is Crucial to the Harvesting Performance of Tea-Picking Machines

High labor costs and labor shortages are limiting factors affecting the tea industry in Anhui Province. Thus, exploiting the full mechanization of shoot harvesting is an urgent task in the tea industry. Tea quality is greatly influenced by the integrity rate of tea leaves; therefore, it is important to choose tea cultivars suitable for machine picking. In this study, seven tea cultivars were used to investigate the relationship between internode length and blade angle with respect to newly formed tea shoots and machine harvesting in field experiments (Xuanchen City, Kuiling village) conducted throughout the year (in the autumn of 2021, in the early spring of 2022, and in the summer of 2022). Our results showed that the internode length (L2 or L4) had a significant and positive correlation with the integrity rate of tea buds and leaves in seven tea cultivars over three seasons. However, no significant correlation was found between the blade angle and the integrity rate of tea buds and leaves. In addition, a strong and positive correlation was found between the levels of GA₁ (R2 > 0.7), GA₃ (R2 > 0.85), and IAA (R2 > 0.6) regarding the internodes and internode lengths of the seven tea cultivars. Moreover, the relative expression levels of CsGA20ox, CsGA3ox1, and CsGA3ox2 in Echa1 (the longer internode) were significantly higher compared with those in Zhenong113 (the shorter internode). Overall, our results show that the internode length is an important factor for the machine harvesting of tea leaves and that the level of GA3 is strongly associated with internode length.

[Anatomical and histological investigation of the area anterior to the anorectum passing through the levator hiatus]

Objective: To document the anatomical structure of the area anterior to the anorectum passing through the levator hiatus between the levator ani slings bilaterally. Methods: Three male hemipelvises were examined at the Laboratory of Clinical Applied Anatomy, Fujian Medical University. (1) The anatomical assessment was performed in three ways; namely, by abdominal followed by perineal dissection, by examining serial cross-sections, and by examining median sagittal sections. (2) The series was stained with hematoxylin and eosin to enable identification of nerves, vessels, and smooth and striated muscles. Results: (1) It was found that the rectourethralis muscle is closest to the deep transverse perineal muscle where the longitudinal muscle of the rectum extends into the posteroinferior area of the membranous urethra. The communicating branches of the neurovascular bundle (NVB) were identified at the posterior edge of the rectourethralis muscle on both sides. The rectum was found to be fixed to the membranous urethra through the rectourethral muscle, contributing to the anorectal angle of the anterior rectal wall. (2) Serial cross-sections from the anal to the oral side were examined. At the level of the external anal sphincter, the longitudinal muscle of the rectum was found to extend caudally and divide into two muscle bundles on the oral side of the external anal sphincter. One of these muscle bundles angled dorsally and caudally, forming the conjoined longitudinal muscle, which was found to insert into the intersphincteric space (between the internal and external anal sphincters). The other muscle bundle angled ventrally and caudally, filling the gap between the external anal sphincter and the bulbocavernosus muscle, forming the perineal body. At the level of the superficial transverse perineal muscle, this small muscle bundle headed laterally and intertwined with the longitudinal muscle in the region of the perineal body. At the level of the rectourethralis and deep transverse perineal muscle, the external urethral sphincter was found to occupy an almost completely circular space along the membranous part of the urethra. The dorsal part of the external urethral sphincter was found to be thin at the point of attachment of the rectourethralis muscle, the ventral part of the longitudinal muscle of the rectum. We identified a venous plexus from the NVB located close to the oral and ventral side of the deep transverse perineal muscle. Many vascular branches from the NVB were found to be penetrating the longitudinal muscle and the ventral part of rectourethralis muscle at the level of the apex of the prostate. The rectourethral muscle was wrapped ventrally around the membranous urethra and apex of the prostate. The boundary between the longitudinal muscle and prostate gradually became more distinct, being located at the anterior end of the transabdominal dissection plane. (3) Histological examination showed that the dorsal part of the external urethral sphincter (striated muscle) is thin adjacent to the striated muscle fibers from the deep transverse perineal muscle and the NVB dorsally and close by. The rectourethral muscle was found to fill the space created by the internal anal sphincter, deep transverse perineal muscle, and both levator ani muscles. Many tortuous vessels and tiny nerve fibers from the NVB were identified penetrating the muscle fibers of the deep transverse perineal and rectourethral muscles. The structure of the superficial transverse perineal muscle was typical of striated muscle. These findings were reconstructed three-dimensionally. Conclusions: In intersphincteric resection or abdominoperineal resection for very low rectal cancer, the anterior dissection plane behind Denonvilliers' fascia disappears at the level of the apex of the prostate. The prostate and both NVBs should be used as landmarks during transanal dissection of the non-surgical plane. The rectourethralis muscle should be divided near the rectum side unless tumor involvement is suspected. The superficial and deep transverse perineal muscles, as well as their supplied vessels and nerve fibers from the NVB. In addition, the cutting direction should be adjusted according to the anorectal angle to minimize urethral injury.

Transarterial Chemoembolization plus Apatinib with or without Camrelizumab for the Treatment of Advanced HBV-related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

AIMS

To compare the effectiveness and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with apatinib plus camrelizumab (TACE+AC) versus TACE combined with apatinib alone (TACE+A) for patients with advanced HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC).

METHODS

The clinical data of patients with HBV-HCC who received either TACE+AC or TACE+A treatment were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and adverse events (AEs) were compared between the two groups. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model regression analysis was used to identify the independent prognostic factors of OS.

RESULTS

Between March 2019 to January 2022, 76 patients were assigned to the TACE+AC group (n = 37) and the TACE+A group (n=39). The median OS and PFS in the TACE+AC group were significantly longer than those in the TACE+A group (OS, 15.4 vs. 11.3 months; p=0.008; PFS, 7.4 vs. 5.1 months; p=0.001) and the ORR and DCR in the TACE + AC group were significantly greater than those in the TACE+A group (ORR, 43.2% vs. 20.5%; p=0.033; DCR, 67.6% vs. 43.6%; p=0.036). There was no significant difference in the incidence of grade ≥3 AEs between the two groups (p=0.483). Multivariate regression analysis identified the treatment modalities, AFP level, and extrahepatic metastasis as independent prognostic factors (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

TACE+AC significantly improved the clinical outcomes of patients with HBV-HCC and elicited relatively controllable AEs.

[Effects of in vivo targeted carboxylesterase 1f gene knockdown on the Kupffer cells polarization activity in mice with acute liver failure]

Objective: To investigate the effect of targeted carboxylesterase 1f (Ces1f) gene knockdown on the polarization activity of Kupffer cells (KC) induced by lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine (LPS/D-GalN) in mice with acute liver failure. Methods: The complex siRNA-EndoPorter formed by combining the small RNA (siRNA) carrying the Ces1f-targeting interference sequence and the polypeptide transport carrier (Endoporter) was wrapped in β-1, 3-D glucan shell to form complex particles (GeRPs). Thirty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a normal control group, a model group (LPS/D-GalN), a pretreatment group (GeRPs), a pretreatment model group (GeRPs+LPS/D-GalN), and an empty vector group (EndoPorter). Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and western blot were used to detect Ces1f mRNA and protein expression levels in the liver tissues of each mouse group. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression levels of KC M1 polarization phenotypic differentiation cluster 86(CD86) mRNA and KC M2 polarization phenotypic differentiation cluster 163 (CD163) mRNA in each group. Immunofluorescence double staining technique was used to detect the expression of Ces1f protein and M1/M2 polarization phenotype CD86/CD163 protein in KC. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological damage to liver tissue. A one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the means among multiple groups, or an independent sample nonparametric rank sum test was used when the variances were uneven. Results: The relative expression levels of Ces1f mRNA/protein in liver tissue of the normal control group, model group, pretreatment group, and pretreatment model group were 1.00 ± 0.00, 0.80 ± 0.03/0.80 ± 0.14, 0.56 ± 0.08/0.52 ± 0.13, and 0.26 ± 0.05/0.29 ± 0.13, respectively, and the differences among the groups were statistically significant (F = 9.171/3.957, 20.740/9.315, 34.530/13.830, P < 0.01). The percentages of Ces1f-positive Kupffer cells in the normal control group, model group, pretreatment group, and pretreatment model group were 91.42%, ± 3.79%, 73.85% ± 7.03%, 48.70% ± 5.30%, and 25.68% ± 4.55%, respectively, and the differences between the groups were statistically significant (F = 6.333, 15.400, 23.700, P < 0.01). The relative expression levels of CD86 mRNA in the normal control group, model group, and pretreatment model group were 1.00 ± 0.00, 2.01 ± 0.04, and 4.17 ± 0.14, respectively, and the differences between the groups were statistically significant (F = 33.800, 106.500, P < 0.01). The relative expression levels of CD163 mRNA in the normal control group, the model group, and the pretreatment model group were 1.00 ± 0.00, 0.85 ± 0.01, and 0.65 ± 0.01, respectively, and the differences between the groups were statistically significant (F = 23.360, 55.350, P < 0.01). The percentages of (F4/80(+)CD86(+)) and (F4/80(+)CD163(+)) in the normal control group and model group and pretreatment model group were 10.67% ± 0.91% and 12.60% ± 1.67%, 20.02% ± 1.29% and 8.04% ± 0.76%, and 43.67% ± 2.71% and 5.43% ± 0.47%, respectively, and the differences among the groups were statistically significant (F = 11.130/8.379, 39.250/13.190, P < 0.01). The liver injury scores of the normal control group, the model group, and the pretreatment model group were 0.22 ± 0.08, 1.32 ± 0.36, and 2.17 ± 0.26, respectively, and the differences among the groups were statistically significant (F = 12.520 and 22.190, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Ces1f may be a hepatic inflammatory inhibitory molecule, and its inhibitory effect production may come from the molecule's maintenance of KC polarization phenotypic homeostasis.

Mild-Temperature Responsive Nanocatalyst for Controlled Drug Release and Enhanced Catalytic Therapy

Owing to the advantages of the in situ production of toxic agents through catalytic reactions, nanocatalytic therapy has arisen as a highly potential strategy for cancer therapeutics in recent years. However, the insufficient amount of endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the tumor microenvironment commonly limits their catalytic efficacy. Here, we employed carbon vesicle nanoparticles (CV NPs) with high near-infrared (NIR, 808 nm) photothermal conversion efficiency as carriers. Ultrafine platinum iron alloy nanoparticles (PtFe NPs) were grown in situ on the CV NPs, where the highly porous nature of the resultant CV@PtFe NPs was employed to encapsulate a drug, β-lapachone (La), and phase-change material (PCM). As a multifunctional nanocatalyst CV@PtFe/(La-PCM) NPs can exhibit a NIR-triggered photothermal effect and activate cellular heat shock response, which upregulates the downstream NQO1 via HSP70/NQO1 axis to facilitate bio-reduction of the concurrently melted and released La. Moreover, sufficient oxygen (O₂) is supplied by CV@PtFe/(La-PCM) NPs catalyzed at the tumor site to reinforce the La cyclic reaction with abundant H₂O₂ generation. This promotes the bimetallic PtFe-based nanocatalysis, which breaks H₂O₂ down into highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH) for catalytic therapy. Our results show that this multifunctional nanocatalyst can be used as a versatile synergistic therapeutic agent with NIR-enhanced nanocatalytic tumor therapy by tumor-specific H₂O₂ amplification and mild-temperature photothermal therapy, which holds promising potential for targeted cancer treatment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We present a multifunctional nanoplatform with mild-temperature responsive nanocatalyst for controlled drug release and enhanced catalytic therapy. This work aimed at not only reduce the damage to normal tissues caused by photothermal therapy, but also improves the efficiency of nanocatalytic therapy by stimulating endogenous H₂O₂ production through photothermal heat. In vitro and in vivo confirmed that CV@PtFe/(La-PCM) NPs exhibited powerful and overall antitumor effects. This formulation may provide an alternative strategy for the development of the mild- photothermal enhanced nanocatalytic therapy effect in solid tumor.

Direct degradation of Bisphenol A from aqueous solution by active red mud in aerobic environment

As industrial waste from aluminum production, red mud (RM) poses a severe threat to the local environment that needs to be appropriately utilized. The activation of iron oxide, which is abundant in RM, improves its effectiveness as a catalytic material for the degradation of organic pollutants. This study developed a novel activation approach by adding dithionite citrate bicarbonate (DCB) for Bisphenol A (BPA) degradation under aeration conditions. Electrochemical experiments and reactive oxygen species (ROSs) trapping experiments showed that DCB treatment enhanced the redox cycle of Fe(II)/Fe(III), which promoted free radical generation. The optimized condition for the RM activation was achieved at 21 mmol/L dithionites, 84 mmol/L citrates, and 34 mmol/L bicarbonate, and the degradation of BPA by activated RM reached 410 µg BPA per gram of RM. This work provided a feasible way to utilize RM resources as an efficient, low-cost catalyst for organic pollutants treatment.

[The diagnostic and evaluation value of plasma interleukin 9 in the mucosal healing in patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with biological agents]

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic and evaluation value of plasma interleukin 9 (IL9) in the mucosal healing (MH) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treated with biological agents. Methods: Cohort study. IBD patients (137 cases) treated in the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital to Nanjing Medical University (Suzhou Municipal Hospital) from September 2019 to January 2022 were prospective selected. Each patient was treated with biological agents [Infliximab (IFX, 56 cases), Adalimumab (ADA, 20 cases), Ustekinumab (UST, 18 cases), Vedolizumab (VDZ, 43 cases)]. According to different therapeutic drugs, the IFX, ADA, UST, and VDZ group were divided. Clinical symptoms, inflammatory indicators and imaging examinations etc. were evaluated every 8 weeks, and the degree of MH was evaluated by endoscopy at the 54th week. The expression of plasma IL9 was detected by ELISA after initial enrollment (W 0) and 8 weeks of biological treatment (W 8). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of IL9 for MH. Select the cut off value for the optimal ROC threshold based on the highest value of the Youden index. Spearman's rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between IL9 and Simple Endoscopic Score for CD (SES-CD) and Mayo Endoscopic Score (MES), so as to evaluate the predictive value of IL9 for MH in IBD patients treated with biologic agents. Results: Among the 137 patients, there were 97 Crohn's disease (CD) patients, 53 males and 44 females, aged (31.6±10.3) years (18-60 years). There were 40 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, 22 males and 18 females, aged (37.5±14.7) years (18-67 years). Among the CD patients, 42 cases (43.3%) achieved MH on endoscopy at the 54th week, and 60 patients (61.9%) achieved clinical remission. Among the UC patients, 22 cases (55.0%) achieved MH and 30 cases (75.0%) achieved clinical remission. At W 0, the relative expression of IL9 in patients in IBD patients who achieved MH after 54 weeks of biological treatment was lower than that in the non-MH patients [x¯±s, (127.42±34.43) vs (146.82±45.64) ng/L, (113.01±44.88) vs (146.12±48.66) ng/L, respectively, both P<0.05]. At W 8, the relative expression of IL9 in the MH group was lower than that in the non-MH patients (both P<0.05). The relative expression of IL9 in the MH patients after IFX treatment was lower than that in the non-MH group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference among the other groups between MH and non-MH patients (all P>0.05). IL9 at W 8 showed high value in predicting MH in IBD [CD patients: area under curve (AUC)=0.716(95%CI: 0.616-0.817, P<0.001), sensitivity and specificity were 80.77%(95%CI:67.64%-88.45%) and 48.89%(95%CI: 35.53%-64.47%), respectively; UC patients: AUC=0.821, sensitivity and specificity were 77.78% and 72.73%, respectively]. At W 8, the cut off values for CD and UC patients were IL9>80.77 ng/L and IL9>77.78 ng/L, respectively. IL9 was positively correlated with endoscopic MH score parameters [M(Q₁,Q₃),SES-CD: 3.0(8.5, 18.5); MES: 2.0(1.0, 3.0)] (r=0.55, 0.72, respectively, both P<0.001) at W8. Conclusion: The plasma IL-9 at the week 8 after biological agents treatment can be used to diagnose and evaluate the MH of patients with IBD.

In Situ Fabrication of Silver Peroxide Hybrid Ultrathin Co-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Chemodynamic Antibacterial Therapy

Bacterial-induced infectious diseases have always caused an unavoidable problem and lead to an increasing threat to human health. Hence, there is an urgent need for effective antibacterial strategies to treat infectious diseases. Current methods are often ineffective and require large amounts of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), with harmful effects on normal healthy tissue. Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) provides an ideal infection microenvironment (IME)-activated paradigm to tackle bacterial-related diseases. To take full advantage of the specificity of IME and enhanced CDT for wounds with bacterial infection, we have designed an intelligent antibacterial system that exploits nanocatalytic ZIF-67@Ag₂O₂ nanosheets. In this system, silver peroxide nanoparticles (Ag₂O₂ NPs) were grown on ultrathin zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) nanosheets by in situ oxidation, and then, ZIF-67@Ag₂O₂ nanosheets with the ability to self-generate H₂O₂ were triggered by the mildly acidic environment of IME. Lamellar ZIF-67 nanosheets were shown to rapidly degrade and release Co²⁺, allowing the conversion of less reactive H₂O₂ into the highly toxic reactive oxygen species hydroxyl radicals (^•OH) for enhanced CDT antibacterial properties. In vivo results revealed that the ZIF-67@Ag₂O₂ nanosheet system exhibits excellent antibacterial performance against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The proposed hybrid strategy demonstrates a promising therapeutic strategy to enable antibacterial agents with IME-responsive nanocatalytic activity to circumvent antibiotic resistance against bacterial infections.

Progress in the study of intragastric occupancy device for weight reduction

Obesity is a global public health problem that imposes a heavy economic burden on society. The current main strategies for treating obesity include lifestyle interventions, pharmacological treatments, endoscopic treatments and metabolic surgery. With the development of medical technology, weight reduction by intragastric occupancy devices represented by intragastric balloons and intragastric capsules are gradually emerging. Intragastric balloons are used to reduce weight by occupying the volume of the stomach with balloons filled with different volumes of gas or liquid, among which ReShape, Orbera, Obalon, Elipse and Spatz balloons are gradually used in patients with mild to moderate obesity due to their non-invasive, high safety and reusable advantages. Intragastric capsules are recommended in overweight and obese patients for weight loss through hydrogels with transient superabsorbent swelling properties and completely noninvasive. Both approaches achieve weight loss by limiting gastric volume, increasing satiety and reducing food intake. Despite the presence of adverse gastrointestinal events associated with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal distention, they offer new ideas for the non-invasive clinical treatment of obesity.

hIgD-Fc-Ig fusion protein regulates T cell functions by inhibiting TCR signaling pathway in adjuvant arthritis rats

This study aimed to investigate the effect of hIgD-Fc-Ig on TCR-Lck-Erk activated by IgD in adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats. Wistar rats were divided into the normal, AA model, hIgD-Fc-Ig (1 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg and 9 mg/kg) and Etanercept (3 mg/kg) groups. The overall index of AA rats was measured every 3 days. The pathologic examination of knee joints and the proliferation of the spleen and thymus of AA rats were detected by H&E staining and CCK-8. The blood flow signal of knee joints of experimental rats was examined by US. The articular bone injury was detected by X-ray. The changes in PBMCs and spleen T cell subsets were detected by flow cytometry. The expression of CD3ε, p-Lck, p-Zap70, Ras, and p-Erk in rat spleens was detected by immunofluorescence and WB. Rat spleen T cells or Jurkat cells treated by IgD to observe the effect of hIgD-Fc-Ig on TCR and its downstream protein expression. The results showed that hIgD-Fc-Ig had a therapeutic effect on AA rats by reducing the secondary inflammation, improving pathological changes. hIgD-Fc-Ig can reduce the ratio of Th cells of PBMCs of AA rats, the ratio of Th, Th1, Th17 cells and increase the ratio of Th2, Treg cells of AA rat spleens. hIgD-Fc-Ig could down-regulate the expression of CD3ε, p-Lck, p-Zap70, Ras, p-Erk in vivo or in vitro. In conclusion, hIgD-Fc-Ig could alleviate the symptoms of AA rats and regulate T cells through TCR-Lck-Erk signaling pathway and maybe a new promising biological agent for RA.

Braille recognition by E-skin system based on binary memristive neural network

Braille system is widely used worldwide for communication by visually impaired people. However, there are still some visually impaired people who are unable to learn Braille system due to various factors, such as the age (too young or too old), brain damage, etc. A wearable and low-cost Braille recognition system may substantially help these people recognize Braille or assist them in Braille learning. In this work, we fabricated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based flexible pressure sensors to construct an electronic skin (E-skin) for the application of Braille recognition. The E-skin mimics human touch sensing function for collecting Braille information. Braille recognition is realized with a neural network based on memristors. We utilize a binary neural network algorithm with only two bias layers and three fully connected layers. Such neural network design remarkably reduces the calculation burden and, thus, the system cost. Experiments show that the system can achieve a recognition accuracy of up to 91.25%. This work demonstrates the possibility of realizing a wearable and low-cost Braille recognition system and a Braille learning-assistance system.

Regulatory network of GSK3-like kinases and their role in plant stress response

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) family members are evolutionally conserved Ser/Thr protein kinases in mammals and plants. In plants, the GSK3s function as signaling hubs to integrate the perception and transduction of diverse signals required for plant development. Despite their role in the regulation of plant growth and development, emerging research has shed light on their multilayer function in plant stress responses. Here we review recent advances in the regulatory network of GSK3s and the involvement of GSK3s in plant adaptation to various abiotic and biotic stresses. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying how plants cope with environmental stresses through GSK3s-hormones crosstalk, a pivotal biochemical pathway in plant stress responses. We believe that our overview of the versatile physiological functions of GSK3s and underlined molecular mechanism of GSK3s in plant stress response will not only opens further research on this important topic but also provide opportunities for developing stress-resilient crops through the use of genetic engineering technology.

Biotechnological and food synthetic biology potential of platform strain: Bacillus licheniformis

Bacillus licheniformis is one of the most characteristic Gram-positive bacteria. Its unique genetic background and safety characteristics make it have important biologic applications in the food industry, including, the biosynthesis of high value-added bioproducts, probiotic functions, biological treatment of wastes derived from food production, etc. In this review, these recent advances are summarized and presented systematically for the first time. In addition, we highlight synthetic biology strategies as a potential driver of developing this strain for wider and more efficient application in the food industry. Finally, we present the current challenges faced and provide our unique perspective on relevant future research directions. In summary, this review will provide an illuminating and comprehensive perspective that will allow an in-depth understanding of B. licheniformis and promote its more effective development in the food industry.

[Saliva microbiota and metabolite in individuals with caries or periodontitis]

Objective: To detect and analyze the characteristics of oral microbiota in species composition, function and metabolism among caries, periodontitis and oral healthy individuals, hunting for the microbiome-derived biomarkers with specificity and sensitivity to estimate the occurrence of these two diseases. Methods: Saliva samples were collected from 10 patients with high caries risk [decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT)≥6, HC group] in Department of Endodontics, 10 patients with periodontitis of grade Ⅱ A-Ⅲ C (PG group) in Department of Periodontology and 10 oral healthy individuals (HH group) from School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University during from March 2022 to June 2022. A baseline examination was conducted on all participants, including their oral conditions of caries and periodontal health. Metagenomic sequencing (Illumina PE150 platform) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to detect microorganisms and their metabolites in the samples respectively. The sequencing data were analyzed to obtain the information of microbial taxonomic composition, functional genes and metabolites in each group of samples. The basic oral conditions and saliva samples of subjects in each group were evaluated and collected by the same professional endodontist. Results: There were no significant difference in baseline characteristics such as age and sex among the subjects in each group (P>0.05). DMFT in HC group (9.0±1.7) was significantly higher than that in HH group (0) and PG group (0) (F=243.00, P<0.001). Sequencing data analysis showed that the taxonomic compositions of salivary microbiota in each group were mainly Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Fusobacteria at the phylum level, and Streptococcus, Neisseria, Rothia, Prevotella at the genus level. Differential analysis showed that, compared with the HH group, HC group and PG group had significant differences in taxonomic composition (P<0.05), and the most significant among them was Prevotella. At the species level, Prevotella pallens was the most significant change in HC group, and Porphyromonas gingivalis in PG group. Metabolite analysis showed that there were significant differences in metabolites between HC group and PG group. The results showed that, compared with the HH group, the most significant metabolite change was 3-hydroxy-1, 5-diphenylpentan-1-one in HC group (P=0.001) and N1 acetylspermine in PG group (P=0.002) respectively. Compared with the PG group, the metabolite of HC group with the most significant difference is D-glucosamine 6-phosphate (P=0.006). The metabolism gene function analysis showed that, the enrichment of carbohydrate metabolism related genes was highest in HC group, followed with HH group, and it was lowest in PG group. In addition, compared with the HH group, the abundance of functional genes related to glucose metabolism, such as ABC transporter and phosphotransferase system, were significantly decreased in PG group (P<0.05), but significantly increased in HC group (P<0.05). Conclusions: There is a significant correlation between the alternation of carbohydrate metabolism of salivary microbiota with the occurrence of caries and periodontitis. In the future, Prevotella pallens and 3-hydroxy-1, 5-diphenylpentan-1-one may be the potential biomarkers of caries; while Porphyromonas gingivalis and N1 acetylspermine work in the predictions of periodontitis.

Investigation of changes in proteomes of beef exudate and meat quality attributes during wet-aging

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of wet-aging (3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d at 2 °C) on beef (longissimus lumborum muscles) exudate proteome and meat quality changes. The pH, purge loss, and tenderness of beef increased with aging (P < 0.05), while color and lipid oxidative stabilities decreased, especially when long-term (14 and 21 d) aged meat were repackaged and displayed under retail condition (P < 0.05). Nineteen proteins changed significantly with aging (FDR < 0.05), in which most of them progressively accumulated in exudates over aging periods. Combined with partial least squares discriminant analysis, 16 proteins (including 9 structural proteins, 3 metabolic enzymes, 1 heat shock protein, 2 binding proteins, and KBTBD10 protein) were screened as characteristic proteins that could be used for potential meat quality indication. These findings offered novel insight into the utilization of exudates for meat quality assessment.

An Area- and Energy-Efficient Spiking Neural Network With Spike-Time-Dependent Plasticity Realized With SRAM Processing-in-Memory Macro and On-Chip Unsupervised Learning

In this article, we present a spiking neural network (SNN) based on both SRAM processing-in-memory (PIM) macro and on-chip unsupervised learning with Spike-Time-Dependent Plasticity (STDP). Co-design of algorithm and hardware for hardware-friendly SNN and efficient STDP-based learning methodology is used to improve area and energy efficiency. The proposed macro utilizes charge sharing of capacitors to perform fully parallel Reconfigurable Multi-bit PIM Multiply-Accumulate (RMPMA) operations. A thermometer-coded Programmable High-precision PIM Threshold Generator (PHPTG) is designed to achieve low differential non-linearity (DNL) and high linearity. In the macro, each column of PIM cells and a comparator act as a neuron to accumulate membrane potential and fire spikes. A simplified Winner Takes All (WTA) mechanism is used in the proposed hardware-friendly architecture. By combining the hardware-friendly STDP algorithm as well as the parallel Word Lines (WLs) and Processing Bit Lines (PBLs), we realize unsupervised learning and recognize the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST) dataset. The chip for the hardware implementation was fabricated with a 55 nm CMOS process. The measurement shows that the chip achieves a learning efficiency of 0.47 nJ/pixel, with a learning energy efficiency of 70.38 TOPS/W. This work paves a pathway for the on-chip learning algorithm in PIM with lower power consumption and fewer hardware resources.

New insight of Mn(III) in δ-MnO2 for peroxymonosulfate activation reaction: Via direct electron transfer or via free radical reactions

Due to the increasing of industrial plastic waste and its refractory characteristics, it is extremely urgent to develop new degradation technology and environmentally friendly catalyst for industrial plastic waste. Manganese oxides are one of the most promising candidates for the catalytic degradation of plastic wastes. However, an improved understanding of the structural properties affecting their catalytic activity is required for high-efficient wastewater treatment. We herein report the surface reactivity effects of δ-MnO₂ structural defects with regards to Bisphenol A (BPA) degradation/probe in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). Four δ-MnO_x samples with different Mn(III) contents (different Mn(III)-deficient sample) were prepared and their structural properties as well as surface reactivity were characterized by batch test, ESR and XAFS analysis. For the Mn(III)-deficient sample, BPA removal was principally affected by direct electron transfer, with the adsorbed BPA degraded following hydroxylation. In contrast, a small fraction of Mn(III) substitution in δ-MnO₂ could significantly encouraged the activation of PMS to produce SO₄^-☐and ☐OH, and a BPA degradation via beta scission. Moreover, the Mn(III)-rich δ-MnO₂ demonstrate a high BPA removal rate even with a low sample load, which performed well following a reuse of five times. Our results provide a new way for the improvement of δ-MnO₂ activity for the use of industrial plastic wastes treatment.

Comparative study of aluminum speciation on brain-type creatine kinase: Enzyme kinetic, molecular docking, cellular experiment, and mouse model study

Brain-type Creatine kinase (CK-BB), which has a high affinity for Aluminum (Al), and its abnormality is closely related to neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, the comparative effect of Al speciation on the bioactivity of CK-BB has been studied by the inhibition kinetics method, molecular docking, cellular experiment, and mouse model study. Results showed that the half-inhibitory concentration of AlCl₃ was 0.67 mM, while Al(mal)₃ was 3.81 mM. Fluorescence spectra showed that Al(mal)₃ had a more substantial effect on the endogenous fluorescence of CK-BB than AlCl₃. Molecular docking showed that AlCl₃ was closer to the active site of CK-BB. C6 cells were used to explore the enzyme activity and intracellular distribution of CK-BB by AlCl₃ or Al(mal)₃. AlCl₃ treatment may directly affect CK-BB activity and cause insufficient local ATP supply in cells which affected the formation of F-actin and cell morphology. The change in the hydrophobicity of CK-BB induced by Al(mal)₃ affected the movement of CK-BB, which subsequently activated thecytochrome C (Cyt C)/Caspase 9/Caspase 3 pathway. Similar results have been found in vivo experiments. This study demonstrated that interaction between Al and CK-BB might be related to the process of Al-induced energy metabolism disorders, in which the Al speciation revealed differentiated toxicity mechanisms.