Building a stable and robust anti-interference DNA dissipation system by eliminating the accumulation of systemic specified errors

BACKGROUND

The emergence of DNA nanotechnology has enabled the systematic design of diverse bionic dissipative behaviors under the precise control of nucleic acid nanodevices. Nevertheless, when compared to the dissipation observed in robust living systems, it is highly desirable to enhance the anti-interference for artificial DNA dissipation to withstand perturbations and facilitate repairs within the complex biological environments.

RESULTS

In this study, we introduce strategically designed "trash cans" to facilitate kinetic control over interferences, transforming the stochastic binding of individual components within a homogeneous solution into a competitive binding process. This approach effectively eliminates incorrect binding and the accumulation of systemic interferences while ensuring a consistent pattern of energy fluctuation from response to silence. Remarkably, even in the presence of numerous interferences differing by only one base, we successfully achieve complete system reset through multiple cycles, effectively restoring the energy level to a minimum.

SIGNIFICANCE

The system was able to operate stably without any adverse effect under conditions of irregular interference, high-abundance interference, and even multiplex interferences including DNA and RNA crosstalk. This work not only provides an effective paradigm for constructing robust DNA dissipation systems but also greatly broadens the potential of DNA dissipation for applications in high-precision molecular recognition and complex biological reaction networks.

The 'D-M-C' strategy for conventional ameloblastoma of the mandible: a retrospective study

The purpose of this multicentre study was to evaluate the efficacy of the 'dredging-marsupialization-curettage' (D-M-C) strategy in the treatment of conventional intraosseous ameloblastoma of the mandible. A total of 31 patients from three institutions, who had a pathological diagnosis of conventional ameloblastoma of the mandible, were treated with the D-M-C strategy. The surgical protocol comprised a dredging and marsupialization (D-M) step, with additional D-M steps as required. The patients then underwent curettage (C) once an obvious effect of the D-M step had been achieved during follow-up. Eight patients were followed up for ≥36 months but <60 months, while 23 were followed up for ≥60 months. Nineteen of the 23 patients followed up for ≥60 months were disease-free at the last follow-up, with no evidence of recurrence. The D-M step is effective for reducing the tumour size and preserving vital structures. The D-M-C surgical strategy may be a feasible treatment option for conventional ameloblastoma of the mandible.

DNA-based molecular classifiers for the profiling of gene expression signatures

Although gene expression signatures offer tremendous potential in diseases diagnostic and prognostic, but massive gene expression signatures caused challenges for experimental detection and computational analysis in clinical setting. Here, we introduce a universal DNA-based molecular classifier for profiling gene expression signatures and generating immediate diagnostic outcomes. The molecular classifier begins with feature transformation, a modular and programmable strategy was used to capture relative relationships of low-concentration RNAs and convert them to general coding inputs. Then, competitive inhibition of the DNA catalytic reaction enables strict weight assignment for different inputs according to their importance, followed by summation, annihilation and reporting to accurately implement the mathematical model of the classifier. We validated the entire workflow by utilizing miRNA expression levels for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in clinical samples with an accuracy 85.7%. The results demonstrate the molecular classifier provides a universal solution to explore the correlation between gene expression patterns and disease diagnostics, monitoring, and prognosis, and supports personalized healthcare in primary care.

DEAD-box helicase 1 inhibited CD8+ T cell antitumor activity by inducing PD-L1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) does not respond well to current treatments, even immune checkpoint inhibitors. PD-L1 (programmed cell death ligand 1 or CD274 molecule)-mediated immune escape of tumor cells may be a key factor affecting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. However, the regulatory mechanisms of PD-L1 expression and immune escape require further exploration. Here, we observed that DDX1 (DEAD-box helicase 1) was overexpressed in HCC tissues and associated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC. Additionally, DDX1 expression correlated negatively with CD8+ T cell frequency. DDX1 overexpression significantly increased interferon gamma (IFN-γ)-mediated PD-L1 expression in HCC cell lines. DDX1 overexpression decreased IFN-γ and granzyme B production in CD8+ T cells and inhibited CD8+ T cell cytotoxic function in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, DDX1 plays an essential role in developing the immune escape microenvironment, rendering it a potential predictor of ICI therapy efficacy in HCC.

Large Enhancement of Polarization in a Layered Hybrid Perovskite Ferroelectric Semiconductor via Molecular Engineering

Switchable spontaneous polarization is the vital property of ferroelectrics, which leads to other key physical properties such as piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity, and nonlinear optical effects, etc. Recently, organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites with 2D layered structure have become an emerging branch of ferroelectric materials. However, most of the 2D hybrid ferroelectrics own relatively low polarizations (<15 µC cm-2 ). Here, a strategy to enhance the polarization of these hybrid perovskites by using ortho-, meta-, para-halogen substitution is developed. Based on (benzylammonium)2 PbCl4 (BZACL), the para-chlorine substituted (4-chlorobenzylammonium)2 PbCl4 (4-CBZACL) ferroelectric semiconductor shows a large spontaneous polarization (23.3 µC cm-2 ), which is 79% larger than the polarization of BZACL. This large enhancement of polarization is successfully explained via ab initio calculations. The study provides a convenient and efficient strategy to promote the ferroelectric property in the hybrid perovskite family.

Halogen-Regulated Tc and X-ray Radiation Detection in 2D Hybrid Perovskite Ferroelastic Semiconductor

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) have received particular attention due to their characteristic structural tunability and flexibility. These features make OIHPs behave with excellent modifications on macroscopic properties, such as ferroicity or semiconductor performances, etc. Herein, we report two 2D hybrid stibium-based halide perovskite (C3H7N)3Sb2X9 (X = Br, 1; Cl, 2) ferroelastic semiconductor possessing dual switching properties of dielectric and second harmonic generation (SHG). Notably, these two hybrids exhibit halogen-regulated ferroelasticity and semiconductor properties. There is a significant difference in Curie temperature (Tc) and X-ray radiation detection sensitivity (S), i.e., the ΔTc and ΔS are 38 K and 87 μC Gyair-1 cm-2, respectively. Meanwhile, crystals 1 and 2 do not show dark current drift in cyclic measurements of different radiation doses with stable switching ratios of 30 and 10, separately. Meanwhile, these results were proven by scientific experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our work presents a facile and practical method to regulate macroproperties on the molecular level, providing a new vision to develop hybrid perovskite ferroic-photoelectric materials.

[Comparing the impact of left bundle branch area pacing and traditional left ventricular pacing on right heart function following dual-chamber pacemaker implantation]

Objective: To compare the effects of left bundle branch area pacing (LBBaP) versus traditional right ventricular pacing (RVP) on left ventricular function in patients after dual-chamber pacemaker implantation. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients who underwent dual-chamber pacemaker implantation from March 2017 to April 2021 in Beijing Anzhen Hospital. The patients were divided into the LBBaP group and RVP group based on the placement of the ventricular lead. Follow-up was conducted until March 2022, comparing baseline and follow-up echocardiographic parameters, pacing parameters, and the incidence and timing of complications between the two groups. The complications included ventricular electrode perforation, dislocation, pericardial effusion, tricuspid valve perforation, etc. Results: A total of 163 patients aged (68.3±13.5) years were included, including 82 (50.3%) men, with 80 patients in the LBBaP group and 83 in the RVP group. Baseline left ventricular end-diastolic diameter ((50.49±4.95) mm vs. (47.43±8.15) mm, P=0.01) and left atrium (LA) ((33.14±5.94) mm vs. (30.18±3.92) mm, P=0.001) in the LBBaP group were significantly higher than those in the RVP group. Follow-up LA diameter ((37.10±6.70) mm vs. (40.10±8.90) mm, P=0.016) showed a statistically significant difference in the LBBaP group compared to the RVP group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in baseline QRS duration(P=0.490). Postoperative QRS duration in the LBBaP group was significantly lower ((110.69±24.01) ms vs. (139.65±29.85) ms, P<0.010). Intraoperative threshold in the LBBaP group was significantly higher ((0.83±0.32) V/0.48 ms vs. (0.71±0.23) V/0.48 ms, P=0.004), while impedance was lower ((754.53±205.59) Ω vs. (905.41±302.75) Ω, P<0.01). Comparing with the RVP group, postoperative ventricular pacing ratio (VP) ((87.39±20.92) % vs. (79.49±25.76) %, P=0.034), threshold ((0.90±0.38) V/0.48 ms vs. (0.69±0.27) V/0.48 ms, P<0.01) in the LBBaP group were higher, and impedance ((507.45±77.37) Ω vs. (620.52±197.29) Ω, P<0.01) in the LBBaP group was lower. Postoperative follow-up period was 5 to 51 months, with a median follow-up time of 17 months. No statistically significant difference in overall complications between the LBBaP and RVP groups was found (13.8% (11/80) vs. 7.2% (6/83), P>0.05). The median time to occurrence of complications after surgery was significantly earlier in the LBBaP group (29.74 (95%CI 27.21-32.26) months vs. 46.17 (95%CI 42.48-49.86) months, P=0.030). Conclusion: LBBaP demonstrates more stable pacing parameters, substantial improvement in clinical left ventricular function, with a relatively higher threshold compared to traditional RVP, and complications occurs relatively early.

Photo-anammox by vacuum ultraviolet tandem chlorine

Excessive ammonia (NH4+) discharge can lead to algal blooms and disrupt water sustainability, so its control is imperative. Although microbiology-triggered anammox process is promising, its application is limited due to time-consuming cultivation of specific microorganisms and need for skilled operation. To bypass these barriers, this study proposed and verified a photo-induced anammox technology that removes NH4+ and total nitrogen (TN) from water by ultraviolet (UV)/vacuum UV (VUV)/chlorine under anoxic conditions. Under the Cl/N mass ratio of 5:1, the anoxic VUV/UV/chlorine process achieved 66.8% removal of 10 mg-N/L NH4+ within 10 min along with 57.8% reduction in TN. Besides the evidence from TN loss, this study confirmed nitrogen gas (N2) as the primary degradation product at low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of 2.0 mg/L. The selective conversion of NH4+ into N2 was mainly attributed to reactive nitrogen species (RNS, 42.5%) and reactive chlorine species (RCS, 57.5%). The TN removal efficiency was insensitive to certain variations of pH (7.0-9.0), NH4+ concentration (1-30 mg-N/L), chloride (50-125 mg/L), and sulfate (25-100 mg/L), but sensitive to DO and bicarbonate (25-100 mg/L). Given its robustness and high efficiency, the anoxic VUV/UV/chlorine technology may serve as a potentially promising alternative for NH4+ and TN alleviation in wastewater.

Higher Cognitive Reserve Is Beneficial for Cognitive Performance Via Various Locus Coeruleus Functional Pathways in the Pre-Dementia Stage of Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND

Cognitive reserve (CR) shows protective effects on cognitive function in older adult and in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the brain mechanisms underlying the CR effect on the non-dementia AD spectrum (subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)) are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential moderate effect of CR on brain functional networks associated with cognitive performance.

METHODS

We selected 200 participants, including 48 cognitively normal (CN) and 56 SCD, and 96 patients with MCI from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Seed-based locus coeruleus functional connectivity (LC FC) was conducted to detect early brain functional changes in the non-dementia AD spectrum. CR was assessed via years of education and intelligence (IQ). The ANDI composite executive function scores (ADNI-EF) and ADNI composite memory scores (ANDI-MEM) at baseline and 24-month follow-up were used to assess cognitive performance.

RESULTS

Compared to the CN group, the SCD group showed abnormal LC FC with the executive control network (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, DLPFC), salience network, sensorimotor network, reward network, and hippocampus, while these alterations were inverted at the MCI stage. The LC-hippocampus FC was correlated with ADNI-MEM at baseline and follow-up, and these relationships were moderated by education. The LC-DLPFC FC was correlated with ADNI-EF at baseline, and this association was moderated by IQ.

CONCLUSION

Our results manifested that higher levels of CR would confer protective effects on SCD and MCI. Furthermore, IQ and education could moderate the relationship between LC FC and cognition through different pathways.

Unmodificated stepless regulation of CRISPR/Cas12a multi-performance

As CRISPR technology is promoted to more fine-divided molecular biology applications, its inherent performance finds it increasingly difficult to cope with diverse needs in these different fields, and how to more accurately control the performance has become a key issue to develop CRISPR technology to a new stage. Herein, we propose a CRISPR/Cas12a regulation strategy based on the powerful programmability of nucleic acid nanotechnology. Unlike previous difficult and rigid regulation of core components Cas nuclease and crRNA, only a simple switch of different external RNA accessories is required to change the reaction kinetics or thermodynamics, thereby finely and almost steplessly regulating multi-performance of CRISPR/Cas12a including activity, speed, specificity, compatibility, programmability and sensitivity. In particular, the significantly improved specificity is expected to mark advance the accuracy of molecular detection and the safety of gene editing. In addition, this strategy was applied to regulate the delayed activation of Cas12a, overcoming the compatibility problem of the one-pot assay without any physical separation or external stimulation, and demonstrating great potential for fine-grained control of CRISPR. This simple but powerful CRISPR regulation strategy without any component modification has pioneering flexibility and versatility, and will unlock the potential for deeper applications of CRISPR technology in many finely divided fields.

A novel prognostic N7-methylguanosine-related long non-coding RNA signature in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is regulated by methylation modifications and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). However, knowledge of N7-methylguanosine (m7G)-related lncRNAs that predict ccRCC prognosis remains insufficient. A prognostic multi-lncRNA signature was created using LASSO regression to examine the differential expression of m7G-related lncRNAs in ccRCC. Furthermore, we performed Kaplan-Meier analysis and area under the curve (AUC) analysis for diagnosis. In all, a model based on five lncRNAs was developed. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the risk model precisely separated the patients into different groups. The IC50 value for drug sensitivity divided patients into two risk groups. High-risk group of patients was more susceptible to A.443654, A.770041, ABT.888, AMG.706, and AZ628. Moreover, a lower tumor mutation burden combined with low-risk scores was associated with a better prognosis of ccRCC. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) exhibited that the expression levels of LINC01507, AC093278.2 were very high in all five ccRCC cell lines, AC084876.1 was upregulated in all ccRCC cell lines except 786-O, and the levels of AL118508.1 and DUXAP8 were upregulated in the Caki-1 cell line. This risk model may be promising for the clinical prediction of prognosis and immunotherapeutic responses in patients with ccRCC.

Iodine revisited: If and how inorganic iodine species can be measured reliably and what cause their conversions in water?

This study revisited a list of inorganic iodine species on their detections and conversions under different water conditions. Several surprising results were found, e.g., UV-vis spectrophotometry is the only reliable method for I3- and I2 determinations with coexisting I-/IO3-/IO4-, while alkaline eluent of IC and LC columns can convert them into I- completely; IO4- can be converted into IO3- completely in IC columns and partly in LC columns; a small portion of IO3- was reduced to I- in LC columns. To avoid errors, a method for detecting multiple coexisting iodine species is suggested as follows: firstly, detecting I3- and I2 via UV-vis spectrophotometry; then, analyzing IO4- (> 0.2 mg/L) through LC; and lastly, obtaining I- and IO3- concentrations by deducting I- and IO3- measured by IC from the signals derived from I3-/I2/IO4-. As for stability, I- or IO3- alone is stable, but mixing them up generates I2 or H2OI+ under acidic conditions. Although IO4- is stable within pH 4.0-8.0, it becomes H5IO6/H3IO62- in strongly acidic/alkaline solutions. Increasing pH accelerates the conversions of I3- and I2 into I- under basic conditions, whereas dissolved oxygen and dosage exert little effect. Additionally, spiking ICl into water produces I2 and IO3- rather than HIO.

Crystal Sponge Behavior in a Two-Dimensional Rare-Earth Hybrid Coordinate Polymer

Stimuli-responsive multifunctional materials (SRMMs) have attracted tremendous attention due to their dynamic responses to external stimuli. However, it remains challenging to simultaneously achieve solvent-induced single-crystal to single-crystal (SCSC) transformation and structural phase transition after desolvation. Here, we report a two-dimensional (2D) rare-earth organic-inorganic hybrid coordinate polymer [(CH3)3NCH2Cl]2[Eu·H2O]2[CH2(SO3)2]4·2H2O (1) that exhibits a reversible SCSC transformation by changing to 2 ([(CH3)3NCH2Cl][Eu·H2O][CH2(SO3)2]2). Impressively, the SCSC transformation process couples with large changes in quantum efficiency dropped from 33.68% of 1 to 20.07% that of 2. Furthermore, polymer 2 shows an isomorphic structural phase transition associated with switching dielectric. Notably, the distance of the 2D layers shows reversible change during the two successive transition processes displaying a crystal sponge behavior. This work reveals the potential of rare-earth 2D hybrid coordination polymers in the design of multifunctional responsive materials and opens a new prospect to explore the construction of novel SRMMs.

Universal probe-based SNP genotyping with visual readout: a robust and versatile method

Detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is critical for personalized clinical diagnosis, treatment, and medication. Current clinical detection methods suffer from primer dimerization and require the redesigning of reaction systems for different targets, resulting in a time-consuming and laborious process. Here, we present a robust and versatile method for SNP typing by using tailed primers and universal small molecule probes in combination with a visualized lateral flow assay (LFA). This approach enables not only rapid typing of different targets, but also eliminates the interference of primer dimers and enhances the accuracy and reliability of the results. Our proposed universal assay has been successfully applied to the typing of four SNP loci of clinical samples to verify the accuracy and universality, and the results are consistent with those obtained by Sanger sequencing. Therefore, our study establishes a new universal "typing formula" using nucleic acid tags and small molecule probes that provides a powerful genotyping platform for genetic analysis and molecular diagnostics.

[Association between sedentary behavior and force expiratory volume in 1 second reduction in middle-aged and elderly adults in communities]

Objective: To analyze the relationship between sedentary behavior and the force expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) reduction in middle-aged and elderly people in communities. Methods: The participants aged ≥40 years were randomly selected from a natural population cohort in Songjiang District, Shanghai, for pulmonary function tests and survey by using international physical activity questionnaire, a generalized additive model was used to analyze the association between sedentary behavior and FEV₁ reduction in the study population and different sex-age subgroups. Results: A total of 3 121 study subjects aged ≥40 years were included. The prevalence of FEV₁ reduction was 14.8%, which was higher in men than in women. There were 24.8% participants were completely sedentary. The prevalence of FEV₁ reduction in women aged <60 years in complete sedentary group was 2.04 (95%CI: 1.11-3.72) times higher than that in non-complete sedentary group. In men aged <60 years, the prevalence of FEV₁ reduction increased with daily sedentary time (OR=1.16, 95%CI: 1.04-1.29), and the prevalence of FEV₁ reduction was also higher in those with sedentary time >5 hours/day than those with sedentary time ≤5 hours/day (OR=3.02, 95%CI: 1.28-7.16). The sensitivity analysis also found such associations. Conclusions: FEV₁ reduction rate in age group <60 years was associated with sedentary behavior. Complete sedentary behavior or absence of moderate to vigorous physical activity played important roles in FEV₁ reduction in women, while men were more likely to be affected by increased sedentary time, which had no association with physical activity. Reducing sedentary time to avoid complete sedentary behavior, along with increased physical activity, should be encouraged in middle-aged and elderly adults in communities to improve their pulmonary function.

Few-shot segmentation with duplex network and attention augmented module

Establishing the relationship between a limited number of samples and segmented objects in diverse scenarios is the primary challenge in few-shot segmentation. However, many previous works overlooked the crucial support-query set interaction and the deeper information that needs to be explored. This oversight can lead to model failure when confronted with complex scenarios, such as ambiguous boundaries. To solve this problem, a duplex network that utilizes the suppression and focus concept is proposed to effectively suppress the background and focus on the foreground. Our network includes dynamic convolution to enhance the support-query interaction and a prototype match structure to fully extract information from support and query. The proposed model is called dynamic prototype mixture convolutional networks (DPMC). To minimize the impact of redundant information, we have incorporated a hybrid attentional module called double-layer attention augmented convolutional module (DAAConv) into DPMC. This module enables the network to concentrate more on foreground information. Our experiments on PASCAL-5i and COCO-20i datasets suggested that DPMC and DAAConv outperform traditional prototype-based methods by up to 5-8% on average.

CXCR2 expression during melanoma tumorigenesis controls transcriptional programs that facilitate tumor growth

BACKGROUND

Though the CXCR2 chemokine receptor is known to play a key role in cancer growth and response to therapy, a direct link between expression of CXCR2 in tumor progenitor cells during induction of tumorigenesis has not been established.

METHODS

To characterize the role of CXCR2 during melanoma tumorigenesis, we generated tamoxifen-inducible tyrosinase-promoter driven BrafV600E/Pten-/-/Cxcr2-/- and NRasQ61R/INK4a-/-/Cxcr2-/- melanoma models. In addition, the effects of a CXCR1/CXCR2 antagonist, SX-682, on melanoma tumorigenesis were evaluated in BrafV600E/Pten-/- and NRasQ61R/INK4a-/- mice and in melanoma cell lines. Potential mechanisms by which Cxcr2 affects melanoma tumorigenesis in these murine models were explored using RNAseq, mMCP-counter, ChIPseq, and qRT-PCR; flow cytometry, and reverse phosphoprotein analysis (RPPA).

RESULTS

Genetic loss of Cxcr2 or pharmacological inhibition of CXCR1/CXCR2 during melanoma tumor induction resulted in key changes in gene expression that reduced tumor incidence/growth and increased anti-tumor immunity. Interestingly, after Cxcr2 ablation, Tfcp2l1, a key tumor suppressive transcription factor, was the only gene significantly induced with a log2 fold-change greater than 2 in these three different melanoma models.

CONCLUSIONS

Here, we provide novel mechanistic insight revealing how loss of Cxcr2 expression/activity in melanoma tumor progenitor cells results in reduced tumor burden and creation of an anti-tumor immune microenvironment. This mechanism entails an increase in expression of the tumor suppressive transcription factor, Tfcp2l1, along with alteration in the expression of genes involved in growth regulation, tumor suppression, stemness, differentiation, and immune modulation. These gene expression changes are coincident with reduction in the activation of key growth regulatory pathways, including AKT and mTOR.

Analysis of active components and molecular mechanism of action of Rubia cordifolia L. in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on network pharmacology and experimental verification

The aim of this study is to explore the active components and potential molecular mechanism of action of Rubia cordifolia L. against nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We used network pharmacology, molecular docking, and bioinformatics analysis to identify the active components and their role against NPC. The experimental verification was detected by MTT, AnnexinV-FITC/PI double fluorescence staining and Western blotting method. Network pharmacology identified that mollugin is one of the most effective components inRubia cordifolia L. Important NPC targets included HSP90AA1, CDK1, EGFR, PIK3CA, MAPK14, and CDK2. Molecular docking revealed considerable binding activity of mollugin with either of the 6 important NPC targets. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these 6 important targets were mutated in NPC, and the expression of HSP90AA1, PIK3CA, and CDK2 in cancer tissues was significantly different from that in normal tissues. MTT detection and AnnexinV-FITC/PI double fluorescence staining showed that mollugin inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of NPC cells. Western blotting indicated that the molecular mechanism of mollugin against NPC was related to the regulation of the expression of Survivin and XIAP. This study predicted and partially verified the pharmacological and molecular mechanism of action of Rubia cordifolia L. against NPC. Mollugin was identified as a potential active ingredient against NPC. These results prove the reliability of network pharmacology approaches and provide a basis for further research and application of Rubia cordifolia L. against NPC.

A fast tracking method for magnetic abnormalities using distributed Overhauser magnetometer system based on genetic algorithm

Magnetic anomaly detection technologies have been widely used for tracking moving targets. In this paper, we present a fast-tracking method for magnetic abnormalities using a distributed Overhauser magnetometer system based on the genetic algorithm. Our proposed framework of the Overhauser magnetometer system employs multiple sensors to eliminate background interference, and the genetic algorithm efficiently solves magnetic anomaly data without requiring the derivation of the objective function. Test platforms were built to evaluate the distributed Overhauser magnetometer system and the genetic algorithm. Results from the natural outdoor magnetism laboratories showed that the noise of our presented magnetometers was below 0.134 nT. The optimal factors for solution precision and effectiveness in the genetic algorithm were obtained from the simulation. Moreover, the outdoor tracking experiments indicated that the proposed method could accurately and quickly detect the moving ferromagnetic object within 6.9% maximum positioning error in 0.55 m, and the tracking precision of the object velocity can get 5.88% maximum error in 4.33 km/h.

Comparison of Third-Generation Sequencing Technology and Traditional Microbiological Detection in Pathogen Diagnosis of Lower Respiratory Tract Infection

BACKGROUND

It is common to obtain a low detection rate and unsatisfactory detection results in complex infection or rare pathogen detection. This retrospective study aimed to illustrate the application value and prospect of the third-generation sequencing technology in lower respiratory tract infection disease.

METHODS

This study recruited 70 patients with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). Pathogen detection of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from all patients was performed using nanopore metagenomic sequencing technology and traditional culture. BALF culture combined with quantitiative PCR (qPCR) was used as a reference standard to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of nanopore sequencing technology. The current study also collected the examination results of enrolled samples using technical methods sputum culture, tuberculosis DNA (TB-DNA), and Xpert MTB/RIF and analyzed the detection efficiency of nanopore sequencing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

RESULTS

The positive rates of pathogens in 70 BALF samples detected by conventional culture and nanopore sequencing were 25.71% and 84.29%, respectively. Among the 59 positive BALF cases using nanopore sequencing, a total of 31 pathogens were identified, of which the proportions of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other pathogens were 50%, 17%, 32%, and 1%, respectively. Using the results combined with culture and qPCR detection methods as the standard, the pathogen detection of BALF using nanopore sequencing had a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 91.7%. Additionally, the positive rate of the detection of M. tuberculosis using nanopore sequencing was 33.3% (6/18). The clinical medication plans of 74.3% (52/70) of the patients were referred to the nanopore sequencing results, of which 31 cases changed their treatment strategy, 21 supported the previous treatment plans, and 90% (47/52) of the patients finally had clinical improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

BALF detection using nanopore sequencing technology improves the process of detecting pathogens in patients with LRTI, especially for M. tuberculosis, fungi, and viruses, by reducing the report time from three days to six hours. The clinical application prospect of nanopore sequencing technology is promising in the pathogen diagnosis of LRTI.

High-Performance X-Ray Imaging using Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks

Scintillating materials that convert ionizing radiation into low-energy photons hold great potential for radiation detection, nondestructive inspection, medical radiography, and space exploration. However, organic scintillators are characterized by low radioluminescence, while bulky inorganic scintillators are not suitable for the development of flexible detectors. Here, high-resolution X-ray imaging using solution-processable lanthanide-based metal-organic frameworks as microscale scintillators is demonstrated. Mechanistic studies suggest that lanthanide ions absorb X-rays to generate high-density molecular triplet excitons, and excited linkers subsequently sensitize lanthanide ions via nonradiative resonance energy transfer. Furthermore, the crystalline nature offers a delocalized electronic feature rather than isolated subunits, which enables direct trapping of charge carriers by lanthanide emitters. By controlling the concentration ratio between Tb³⁺ and Eu³⁺ ions, efficient and color-tunable radioluminescence of lanthanide ions can be achieved. When coupled with elastic, transparent polymer matrices, these metal-organic framework-based microscintillators allow the fabrication of flexible X-ray detectors. Such detectors feature a detection limit of 23 nGy s^-1 , which is 240 times lower than the typical radiation dose for medical diagnosis. X-ray imaging with resolution higher than 16.6 line pairs per millimeter is further demonstrated. These findings provide insight into the future design of hybrid scintillators for optoelectronics and X-ray sensing and imaging.

DWI-Based Radiomics Predicts the Functional Outcome of Endovascular Treatment in Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Endovascular treatment is a reference treatment for acute basilar artery occlusion (ABAO). However, no established and specific methods are available for the preoperative screening of patients with ABAO suitable for endovascular treatment. This study explores the potential value of DWI-based radiomics in predicting the functional outcomes of endovascular treatment in ABAO.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with ABAO treated with endovascular treatment from the BASILAR registry (91 patients in the training cohort) and the hospitals in the Northwest of China (31 patients for the external testing cohort) were included in this study. The Mann-Whitney U test, random forests algorithm, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were used to reduce the feature dimension. A machine learning model was developed on the basis of the training cohort to predict the prognosis of endovascular treatment. The performance of the model was evaluated on the independent external testing cohort.

RESULTS

A subset of radiomics features (n = 6) was used to predict the functional outcomes in patients with ABAO. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the radiomics model were 0.870 and 0.781 in the training cohort and testing cohort, respectively. The accuracy of the radiomics model was 77.4%, with a sensitivity of 78.9%, specificity of 75%, positive predictive value of 83.3%, and negative predictive value of 69.2% in the testing cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

DWI-based radiomics can predict the prognosis of endovascular treatment in patients with ABAO, hence allowing a potentially better selection of patients who are most likely to benefit from this treatment.

Orthogonal Trichromatic Upconversion with High Color Purity in Core-Shell Nanoparticles for a Full-Color Display

Materials with tunable emission colors has attracted increasing interest in both fundamental research and applications. As a key member of light-emitting materials family, lanthanide doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have been intensively demonstrated to emit light in any color upon near-infrared excitation. However, realizing the trichromatic emission in UCNPs with a fixed composition remains a great challenge. Here, without excitation pulsed modulation and three different near-infrared pumping, we report an experimental design to fine-control emission in the full color gamut from core-shell-structured UCNPs by manipulating the energy migration through dual-channel pump scheme. We also demonstrate their potential application in full-color display. These findings may benefit the future development of convenient and versatile optical methos for multicolor tuning and open up the possibility of constructing full-color volumetric display systems with high spatiotemporal resolution.

A hairpin probe-mediated exponential amplification reaction for highly sensitive and specific detection of microRNAs

In this work, we propose a hairpin probe-mediated exponential amplification reaction (HEAR) strategy that combines DNA strand displacement with a "who triggers, who gets generated" mode, providing excellent single-base discrimination and a reduced background signal. The detection limit is 19 aM, which is reduced by 3 orders of magnitude compared to traditional exponential amplification approaches. This one-pot strategy also exhibits a wide dynamic range, high specificity and short detection time. It is expected to become a powerful tool for clinical diagnosis.

Applications of two-dimensional ion chromatography for analytes determination in environmental matrix: A review

Ion chromatography (IC) has grown in usage rapidly since its first introduction in 1975. However, IC is still sometimes unable to separate target analytes from coexisting components well with identical elution time, due to the limited resolution and column capacity, especially in the presence of high-level salt matrix. These limitations hence drive IC to develop two-dimensional IC (2D-IC). In this review, we capture the 2D-IC applications in environmental samples via the perspective of coupling different IC columns, which aim to summarize where these 2D-IC methods fit in. In sequence, we firstly review the principles of 2D-IC and emphasize one-pump column-switching IC (OPCS IC) because it is a simplified 2D-IC that only uses one set of IC system. We then compare typical 2D-IC and OPCS IC performances in terms of application scope, method detection limit, drawbacks, and expectations. Finally, we propose some challenges of current methods and opportunities for future research. For instance, it is challenging to couple anion exchange column and capillary column in OPCS IC due to the incompatibility between flow path dimensions and suppressor; coupling ion exclusion column and mixed-bed column may be promising to simultaneously determine anions and cations in weak acids or salts. The details of this study may help practitioners to better understand and implement 2D-IC methods and meanwhile motivate researchers to fill in the knowledge gap in the future.

CXCR2 expression during melanoma tumorigenesis controls transcriptional programs that facilitate tumor growth

Background

Though the CXCR2 chemokine receptor is known to play a key role in cancer growth and response to therapy, a direct link between expression of CXCR2 in tumor progenitor cells during induction of tumorigenesis has not been established.

Methods

To characterize the role of CXCR2 during melanoma tumorigenesis, we generated tamoxifen-inducible tyrosinase-promoter driven Braf ^V600E /Pten ^-/- /Cxcr2 ^-/- and NRas ^Q61R /INK4a ^-/- /Cxcr2 ^-/- melanoma models. In addition, the effects of a CXCR1/CXCR2 antagonist, SX-682, on melanoma tumorigenesis were evaluated in Braf ^V600E /Pten ^-/- and NRas ^Q61R /INK4a ^-/- mice and in melanoma cell lines. Potential mechanisms by which Cxcr2 affects melanoma tumorigenesis in these murine models were explored using RNAseq, mMCP-counter, ChIPseq, and qRT-PCR; flow cytometry, and reverse phosphoprotein analysis (RPPA).

Results

Genetic loss of Cxcr2 or pharmacological inhibition of CXCR1/CXCR2 during melanoma tumor induction resulted in key changes in gene expression that reduced tumor incidence/growth and increased anti-tumor immunity. Interestingly, after Cxcr2 ablation, Tfcp2l1 , a key tumor suppressive transcription factor, was the only gene significantly induced with a log ₂ fold-change greater than 2 in these three different melanoma models.

Conclusions

Here, we provide novel mechanistic insight revealing how loss of Cxcr2 expression/activity in melanoma tumor progenitor cells results in reduced tumor burden and creation of an anti-tumor immune microenvironment. This mechanism entails an increase in expression of the tumor suppressive transcription factor, Tfcp2l1, along with alteration in the expression of genes involved in growth regulation, tumor suppression, stemness, differentiation, and immune modulation. These gene expression changes are coincident with reduction in the activation of key growth regulatory pathways, including AKT and mTOR.

A 2-bp deletion in intron 1 of TMEM182 is associated with TMEM182 mRNA expression and chicken body weight

1. Searching for molecular markers related to growth and carcase traits plays a critical role in improvement of the production performance of broilers. Previous studies found that transmembrane protein 182 (TMEM182) inhibits skeletal muscle development, growth, and regeneration, implying that the TMEM182 gene plays an important role during the development process of skeletal muscle.2. A novel 2-bp indel in intron 1 of TMEM182 was detected in a yellow chicken population derived from the cross of White Recessive Rock chickens with Xinghua chickens, and three genotypes II (inserted homozygote), ID (inserted and deleted heterozygote) and DD (deleted homozygote) were observed. Association analyses indicated that the indel was significantly associated with the body weight, muscle fibre area, breast muscle weight and wing weight in the F2 population.3. The expression of TMEM182 in leg muscle of chickens with II genotype was higher than that with DD genotype, with the 2-bp indel located in one of the putative PAX4 binding sites. Further research through luciferase assays revealed that the PAX4 could bind to the putative binding site and increase the TMEM182 transcription, with the 2-bp deletion disrupting the binding of PAX4.4. The present study provides evidence for the association of the novel 2-bp indel in intron 1 of TMEM182 with the growth and carcase traits of chickens. This 2-bp indel could be used as a genetic marker in broiler breeding.

Transmutation of MAs and LLFPs with a lead-cooled fast reactor

The management of nuclear wastes has long been a problem that hinders the sustainable and clean utilization of nuclear energy since the advent of nuclear power. These nuclear wastes include minor actinides (MAs: ²³⁷Np, ²⁴¹Am, ²⁴³Am, ²⁴⁴Cm and ²⁴⁵Cm) and long-lived fission products (LLFPs: ⁷⁹Se, ⁹³Zr, ⁹⁹Tc, ¹⁰⁷Pd, ¹²⁹I and ¹³⁵Cs), and yet are hard to be handled. In this work, we propose a scheme that can transmute almost all the MAs and LLFPs with a lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR). In this scheme, the MAs and the LLFPs are loaded to the fuel assembly and the blanket assembly for transmutation, respectively. In order to study the effect of MAs loading on the operation of the core, the neutron flux distribution, spectra, and the k_eff are further compared with and without MAs loading. Then the LLFPs composition is optimized and the support ratio is obtained to be 1.22 for ²³⁷Np, 1.63 for ²⁴¹Am, 1.27 for ²⁴³Am, 1.32 for ⁷⁹Se, 1.53 for ⁹⁹Tc, 1.02 for ¹⁰⁷Pd, and 1.12 for ¹²⁹I, respectively, indicating that a self-sustained transmutation can be achieved. Accordingly, the transmutation rate of these nuclides was 13.07%/y for ²³⁷Np, 15.18%/y for ²⁴¹Am, 13.34%/y for ²⁴³Am, 0.58%/y for ⁷⁹Se, 0.92%/y for ⁹⁹Tc, 1.17%/y for ¹⁰⁷Pd, 0.56%/y for ¹²⁹I. Our results show that a lead-cooled fast reactor can be potentially used to manage nuclear wastes with high levels of long-lived radioactivity.

Hydrogen-induced phase stability and phonon mediated-superconductivity in two-dimensional van der Waals Ti2C MXene monolayer

Herein, we report the phase stability of the hydrogenated Ti₂C MXene monolayer using an evolutionary algorithm based on density functional theory. We predict the existence of hexagonal Ti₂CH, Ti₂CH₂, and Ti₂CH₄. The dynamic and energetic stabilities of the predicted structures are verified through phonon dispersion and formation energy, respectively. The electron-phonon coupling is carefully investigated by employing isotropic Eliashberg theory. The T_c values are 0.2 K, 2.3 K, and 9.0 K for Ti₂CH, Ti₂CH₂, and Ti₂CH₄, respectively. The translation and libration adopted by stretch and bent vibrations contribute to the increasing T_c of Ti₂CH₄. The high-frequency hydrogen modes contribute to the critical temperature increase. Briefly, this work not only highlights the effect of H-content on the increments of T_c for Ti₂CH_x, but also demonstrates the first theoretical evidence of the existence of H-rich MXene in the example of Ti₂CH₄. Therefore, it potentially provides a guideline for developing hydrogenated 2D superconductive applications.

Two-dimensional organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite ferroelastics: (PEA)2[CdCl4], (3-FPEA)2[CdCl4], and (4-FPEA)2[CdCl4]

As a mechanical analog of ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism, ferroelasticity has made outstanding contributions in the fields of energy conversion, information processing, and mechanical switching. However, the research on 2D ferroelasticity...

[Analysis of the current status of needle and syringe exchange programmes for injecting drug users in China]

Objective: To analyze the needle and syringe exchange programme (NSEP) implementation among injecting drug users (IDUs) in China and provide data support and a scientific reference for intervention among IDUs. Methods: All the statistical reports of high-risk behavior interventions during 2007-2021 were collected from the HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Response Information Management System. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the changes in the number of NSEP points, regional distribution of NSEP points, the number of people covered, and the HIV detection rate in China from 2007 to 2021. Excel 2016 software was used to plot the variation trend. SAS 9.4 software was used for the needle recovery and HIV-positive detection rate to do the χ² trend test. Results: There were 578 NSEP sites in 11 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) by the end of 2021, covering 21 215 IDUs. 2014-2021, the number of NSEP sites and the number of IDUs covered decreased year by year. Each injecting drug user participating in NSEP received more than 200 clean needles annually. The needle recovery rate showed an increasing trend(Z=170.26, P<0.001) from 2009 to 2016 but showed a decreasing trend (Z=-91.96, P<0.001) from 2016 to 2021. The rate of HIV-positive in IDUs participating in NSEP showed a downward trend (Z=-66.53, P<0.001), which decreased from 5.8% (2 709/46 591) in 2011 to 0.1% (19/21 215) in 2021, decreasing 98.3%. Conclusions: NSEP is a vital intervention to prevent HIV transmission through injecting drugs. There were still many difficulties. It is necessary to strengthen further communication and coordination with government and public security departments to understand and support for NSEP. Targeted publicity and education are needed to be carried out for local IDUs to encourage them to participate in NSEP and reduce their dropout. Meanwhile, peer educators supervision and management also need to be strengthened.

6-Shogaol protects against isoproterenol-induced cardiac injury in rats through attenutating oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis and activating nuclear respiratory factor-2/heme oxygenase-1 signaling pathway

The current study investigated the preventive effect of 6-Shogaol on isoproterenol hydrochloride (ISO)-induced myocardial cardiac injury. 6-Shogaol (50 mg/kg b.w.) was administered for 14 days at pretreatment and ISO-induction (85 mg/kg b.w.) for the last two days (13th and 14th days) by subcutaneous injection. Cardiac markers in serum like creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cardiac troponins T (cTn T) and I (cTn I) increased in ISO-induced rats. Moreover, lipid peroxidative markers like thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) were raised, and the activities/level of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were diminished in ISO-treated heart tissue. In addition, inflammatory and nuclear respiratory factor (Nrf)-2 signalling molecules were upregulated in ISO-induced ischemic rats. 6-Shogaol pretreatment decreased the activities of cardiac and lipid peroxidative markers and enhanced the antioxidant status in ISO-induced cardiac injury rats. Further, 6-Shogaol pretreatment inhibited serum inflammatory markers: tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), Nrf-2 molecule and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 in ISO-induced cardial damage rats. We noticed the effect of 6-Shogaol inhibited pro-apoptotic genes like B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein (Bax), Fas, caspase-3, -8, -9, cytochrome C, and inflammatory genes and increased Bcl-2 expression in ISO-treated rats. The cardioprotective activity of 6-Shogaol in rats with ISO-induced myocardial damage may be due to its ability to reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, perhaps via the Nrf-2/HO-1 signalling pathway.

A PAM-free CRISPR/Cas12a ultra-specific activation mode based on toehold-mediated strand displacement and branch migration

CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technology has achieved great breakthroughs in terms of convenience and sensitivity; it is becoming the most promising molecular tool. However, only two CRISPR activation modes (single and double stranded) are available, and they have specificity and universality bottlenecks that limit the application of CRISPR technology in high-precision molecular recognition. Herein, we proposed a novel CRISPR/Cas12a unrestricted activation mode to greatly improve its performance. The new mode totally eliminates the need for a protospacer adjacent motif and accurately activates Cas12a through toehold-mediated strand displacement and branch migration, which is highly universal and ultra-specific. With this mode, we discriminated all mismatch types and detected the EGFR T790M and L858R mutations in very low abundance. Taken together, our activation mode is deeply incorporated with DNA nanotechnology and extensively broadens the application boundaries of CRISPR technology in biomedical and molecular reaction networks.

Hyperthermia combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in the treatment of primary and metastatic tumors

According to the difference in temperature, thermotherapy can be divided into thermal ablation and mild hyperthermia. The main advantage of thermal ablation is that it can efficiently target tumors in situ, while mild hyperthermia has a good inhibitory effect on distant metastasis. There are some similarities and differences between the two therapies with respect to inducing anti-tumor immune responses, but neither of them results in sustained systemic immunity. Malignant tumors (such as breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and brain cancer) are recurrent, highly metastatic, and highly invasive even after treatment, hence a single therapy rarely resolves the clinical issues. A more effective and comprehensive treatment strategy using a combination of hyperthermia and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies has gained attention. This paper summarizes the relevant preclinical and clinical studies on hyperthermia combined with ICI therapies and compares the efficacy of two types of hyperthermia combined with ICIs, in order to provide a better treatment for the recurrence and metastasis of clinically malignant tumors.

Metabolic strategy of macrophages under homeostasis or immune stress in Drosophila

Macrophages are well known for their phagocytic functions in innate immunity across species. In mammals, they rapidly consume a large amount of energy by shifting their metabolism from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation toward aerobic glycolysis, to perform the effective bactericidal function upon infection. Meanwhile, they strive for sufficient energy resources by restricting systemic metabolism. In contrast, under nutrient deprivation, the macrophage population is down-regulated to save energy for survival. Drosophila melanogaster possesses a highly conserved and comparatively simple innate immune system. Intriguingly, recent studies have shown that Drosophila plasmatocytes, the macrophage-like blood cells, adopt comparable metabolic remodeling and signaling pathways to achieve energy reassignment when challenged by pathogens, indicating the conservation of such metabolic strategies between insects and mammals. Here, focusing on Drosophila macrophages (plasmatocytes), we review recent advances regarding their comprehensive roles in local or systemic metabolism under homeostasis or stress, emphasizing macrophages as critical players in the crosstalk between the immune system and organic metabolism from a Drosophila perspective.

P371 1 YEAR OUTCOME OF BICARBON AORTIC MECHANICAL VALVE IN LOW–INR REGIMEN: RESULTS FROM SURE–AVR REGISTRY

Background

The drawback of using mechanical valve is lifelong anticoagulation use, and close monitoring is required to prevent postoperative complications, including thromboembolism and anticoagulation–related bleeding. Moderate anticoagulation after mechanical heart valve replacement has been proposed to reduce these risks. The present study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of reduced oral anticoagulation after Bicarbon aortic mechanical valve replacement.

Methods

SURE–AVR is a propsective, multinational registry of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement. Between July 2018 and October 2020, among subjects undergoing AVR with Bicarbon valve in the SURE–AVR registry, 108 were assigned at discharge to low–INr regimen (international normalized ratio 1.5–2.5). Mean INr at discharge was 1.8+/–0.5 and 2.2+/–0.4 at 1 year. in–hospital and post–discharge outcomes up to 1 years were collected. The mean age was 55.5 +/–10.6 years old (range 25–82). Concomitant procedures included coronary artery bypass grafting (14.6%), mitral valve procedure (3.7%) and myectomy (1.9%). The follow–up duration averaged 1 year (361.8 +/– 258 days).

Results

No bleeding events were reported in the late follow up. The low–INR regimen did not affect the thromboembolism rates, since no stroke or transient ischemic attack were reported post–operatively at each time point. No in–hospital or late deaths were reported among the 108 subjects analyzed. In the early period (&lt;30 days), three reinterventions occurred: two because of postoperative bleeding requiring thoracotomy and one due to pericardial effusion. In the late postoperative period two reinterventions with device explant occurred (one for non–structural valve dysfunction and one for endocarditis (1.2%).

Conclusion

The results of the SURE–AVr Registry demonstrated that the proposed Lower–INR Target is safe and feasible after Bicarbon aortic mechanical valve replacement. The low–intensity anticoagulation strategy is associated with a low risk of hemorrhagic events without any increase of thromboembolic complications.

Analysis of the Molecular Mechanism of Evodia rutaecarpa Fruit in the Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Using Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a neoplasm of the head and neck, has high incidence and mortality rates in East and Southeast Asia. Evodia rutaecarpa is a tree native to Korea and China, and its fruit (hereafter referred to as Evodia) exhibits remarkable antitumour properties. However, little is known about its mechanism of action in NPC. In this study, we employed network pharmacology to identify targets of active Evodia compounds in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and generate an interaction network.

Methods

The active ingredients of Evodia and targets in NPC were obtained from multiple databases, and an interaction network was constructed via the Cytoscape and STRING databases. The key biological processes and signalling pathways were predicted using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses. Molecular docking technology was used to identify the affinity and activity of target genes, and The Cancer Genome Atlas and Human Protein Atlas databases were used to analyse differential expression. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)/propidium iodide (PI) dual-fluorescence staining were used for experimental verification.

Results

Active Evodia compounds included quercetin, isorhamnetin, and evodiamine, and important NPC targets included MAPK14, AKT1, RELA, MAPK1, JUN, and p53, which were enriched in lipid and atherosclerosis signalling pathways. Additionally, we verified the high affinity and activity of the active compounds through molecular docking, and the target proteins were verified using immunohistochemistry and differential expression analyses. Furthermore, CCK-8 assays and Annexin V-FITC/PI dual-fluorescence staining showed that isorhamnetin inhibited the proliferation of NPC cells and induced apoptosis.

Conclusion

Our results identified the molecular mechanisms of Evodia and demonstrated its ability to alter the proliferation and apoptosis of NPC cells through multiple targets and pathways, thereby providing evidence for the clinical application of Evodia.

Memantine ameliorates oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity via mitochondrial protection

Oxaliplatin is an effective chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of malignant tumors. However, severe oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity has been well documented. Memantine is a drug for the management of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) due to its promising neuroprotective properties. We hypothesize that Memantine possesses a beneficial role against chemotherapy-induced neuronal damages. In this study, we established an oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity assay model in human SHSY-5Y neuronal cells and investigated the protective effect of Memantine. We showed that Memantine treatment ameliorated oxaliplatin-elevated intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid product malondialdehyde (MDA), and NOX-2 expression. Memantine alleviated impairment of the mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production by oxaliplatin. As a result, Memantine showed a protective role against oxaliplatin-induced cytotoxicity. Moreover, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl Transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) apoptosis assay revealed that Memantine protected oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis through mitigating the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 cleavage. We concluded Memantine ameliorated the neurotoxicity of oxaliplatin in a mitochondrial-dependent pathway.

A new digital single-axis fluxgate magnetometer according to the cobalt-based amorphous effects

Fluxgate sensors are currently widely used for weak magnetic field measurement because of their relatively great performance, such as resolution, power consumption, and measurement of vector magnetic fields directly. Since the analog fluxgate sensor has some drawbacks, e.g., it would be influenced by the noise of the analog circuit. Hence, in recent years, the analog circuit is gradually inclined to be realized by digital processing in which the software parameter adjustment is employed to replace the analog components, which can greatly improve the flexibility of the design. This paper proposes a digital single-axis fluxgate sensor according to the cobalt-based amorphous effect. To be specific, the analog signal output by the fluxgate is sampled directly by an analog-to-digital converter to obtain the signal waveform in digital form after amplification. The demodulation, filtering, and integration of the signal are all solved by mathematical algorithms. Based on the working principle of the fluxgate sensor, the selection of the magnetic core material and coil winding method of the fluxgate sensor probe is introduced in detail. The design and function of the excitation circuit and preamplifier circuit, as well as the specific realization of digital signal processing, are described. Finally, the performance test of the digital fluxgate sensor was performed under laboratory conditions, and the magnetic anomaly detection comparison experiment was performed outdoors with commercial fluxgate sensors. To sum up, the linearity of the digital single-axis fluxgate sensor is better than 1 × 10^-5, and the root mean square noise value is below 0.1 nT. At the same time, it has good magnetic field tracking performance and is extremely sensitive to the magnetic field of the measurement area.

Cooperative Branch Migration: A Mechanism for Flexible Control of DNA Strand Displacement

DNA strand displacement plays an essential role in the field of dynamic DNA nanotechnology. However, flexible regulation of strand displacement remains a significant challenge. Most previous regulatory tools focused on controllable activation of toehold and thus limited the design flexibility. Here, we introduce a regulatory tool termed cooperative branch migration (CBM), through which DNA strand displacement can be controlled by regulating the complementarity of branch migration domains. CBM shows perfect compatibility with the majority of existing regulatory tools, and when combined with forked toehold, it permits continuous fine-tuning of the strand displacement rate spanning 5 orders of magnitude. CBM manifests multifunctional regulation ability, including rate fine-tuning, continuous dynamic regulation, reaction resetting, and selective activation. To exemplify the powerful function, we also constructed a nested if-function signal processing system on the basis of cascading CBM reactions. We believe that the proposed regulatory strategy would effectively enrich the DNA strand displacement toolbox and ultimately promote the construction of DNA machines of higher complexity in nucleic acid research and biomedical applications.

Transmutation of long-lived fission products in an advanced nuclear energy system

Disposal of long-lived fission products (LLFPs) produced in reactors has been paid a lot attention for sustainable and clean nuclear energy. Although a few transmutation means have been proposed to address this issue, there are still scientific and/or engineering challenges to achieve efficient transmutation of LLFPs. In this study, we propose a novel concept of advanced nuclear energy system (ANES) for transmuting LLFPs efficiently without isotopic separation. The ANES comprises intense photoneutron source (PNS) and subcritical reactor, which consist of lead–bismuth (Pb-Bi) layer, beryllium (Be) layer, and fuel, LLFPs and shield assemblies. The PNS is produced by bombarding radioactive cesium and iodine target with a laser-Compton scattering (LCS) γ-ray beam. We investigate the effect of the ANES system layout on transmutation efficiency by Monte Carlo simulations. It is found that a proper combination of the Pb-Bi layer and the Be layer can increase the utilization efficiency of the PNS by a factor of ~ 10, which helps to decrease by almost the same factor the LCS γ-beam intensity required for driving the ANES. Supposing that the ANES operates over 20 years at a normal thermal power of 500 MWt, five LLFPs including ⁹⁹Tc, ¹²⁹I, ¹⁰⁷Pd, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁷⁹Se could be transmuted by more than 30%. Their effective half-lives thus decrease drastically from ~ 10⁶ to less than 10² years. It is suggested that this successful implementation of the ANES paves the avenue towards practical transmutation of LLFPs without isotopic separation.

[Chronic cough in China: progress and perspectives]

Great progress has been made in regard of mechanism, etiological diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough since the beginning of the 20th century, and Chinese guidelines of diagnosis, management of cough was developed. Moreover, Chinese experts also participated in the formulation of international cough guidelines. Through the promotion of the guidelines, the level of diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough has been significantly improved in China. In the future, we should strengthen the studies on the epidemiology of chronic cough, the central regulation of chronic cough, and the treatment of refractory chronic cough, and promote the cough guidelines in primary community hospitals.

A new crown-ether clathrate [15-crown-5][Y(NO3)2(H2O)5][NO3] with switchable dielectric constant behaviour

A crown-ether clathrate employing a rare-earth ion as the central metal ion was developed, and shown to display switchable dielectric behaviours around a temperature of about 230 K.