Zigzag Hopping Site Embedded Covalent Organic Frameworks Coating for Zn Anode

Precise design and tuning of Zn hopping/transfer sites with deeper understanding of the dendrite-formation mechanism is vital in artificial anode protective coating for aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs). Here, we probe into the role of anode-coating interfaces by designing a series of anhydride-based covalent organic frameworks (i.e., PI-DP-COF and PI-DT-COF) with specifically designed zigzag hopping sites and zincophilic anhydride groups that can serve as desired platforms to investigate the related Zn2+ hopping/transfer behaviours as well as the interfacial interaction. Combining theoretical calculations with experiments, the ABC stacking models of these COFs endow the structures with specific zigzag sites along the 1D channel that can accelerate Zn2+ transfer kinetics, lower surface-energy, homogenize ion-distribution or electric-filed. Attributed to these superiorities, thus-obtained optimal PI-DT-COF cells offer excellent cycling lifespan in both symmetric-cell (2000 cycles at 60 mA cm-2) and full-cell (1600 cycles at 2 A g-1), outperforming almost all the reported porous crystalline materials.

Female university students' fertility intentions and their psychosocial factors

BACKGROUND

Raising the birth rate can effectively increase the resulting labour supply and minimise the adverse impact of an ageing population on high-quality economic development since the demographic dividend is rapidly declining. The Chinese government has a "three-child" policy in place, yet the fertility rate is still falling. This study intends to investigate the present fertility intentions of female university students and assess the extent to which feminism has affected their intentions. It will next investigate the degree to which and the mechanisms by which the psychosocial factors have an impact on those intentions.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of female university students was conducted in Nanjing, China, from February to March 2023. To assure the representativeness of the sample, a technique of stratified proportional sampling, PPS sampling, and convenience sampling was utilized. A total of 1124 valid samples were acquired from female university students in 15 comprehensive universities. The data were mined and analysed by SPSS (version 24.0) and AMOS (version 24.0) software.

RESULTS

Overall female university students' fertility intentions are low at this stage, with more than half (53.55%) of them having no clear desire to have children. The level of feminist identity significantly negatively affected the Intensity of desire to have children (-0.32) and child-number desires (-0.7). Psychosocial factors had a greater degree of influence on fertility intentions. The direct effect of the level of feminist identity and the perception of fertility hindrances on childbearing desires was -0.63 and -0.50 respectively, and the direct effect of the perception of fertility supports on childbearing intentions was 0.79.

CONCLUSION

The level of feminist identity is significantly and negatively related to childbearing desires. Psychosocial factors have a greater degree of influence on fertility intentions, with the level of feminist identity, the perception of fertility hindrances and the perception of fertility supports all significantly impacting fertility intentions. The findings of this study emphasise the importance of the government providing a full range of social security and employers providing better employee benefits to promote a fertility-friendly society.

[A sampling survey of intraoperative facial nerve monitoring in China]

Objective: This study aims to investigate the current application and the level of knowledge of intraoperative facial nerve monitoring among medical staff in China. Methods: A comprehensive online questionnaire was conducted among medical professionals across different regions in China from October 2022 to February 2023. The survey exclusively targeted departments specializing in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, neurosurgery, and oral and maxillofacial surgery. The questionnaire covered various aspects including general information, intraoperative facial nerve monitoring practices, training history, indications for monitoring, parameters used during monitoring procedures, as well as factors influencing its implementation. Results: A total of 417 participants from 31 provincial, municipal, and autonomous regions were included. Intraoperative facial nerve monitoring was found to be implemented in 227 (54.4%,227/417) repondents of 53 institutions (24.9%, 53/213). The top three indications for implementing this technique were acoustic neuroma, parotid gland surgery, and modified middle ear surgery (mastoidectomy). Herein 81.1%(184/227) medical staff involved in intraoperative facial nerve monitoring had received relevant training, 57.3%(130/227)-92.1%(209/227) reported a lack of clear description regarding recording thresholds, stimulation currents/frequencies/wave widths. Conclusion: The majority of the institutions surveyed have not yet adopted intraoperative facial nerve monitoring. Furthermore, significant gaps concerning the procedure exist. It is imperative to establish standards or guidelines to promote its better development and application.

Investigation of ash fusion characteristics on co-combustion of coal and biomass (straw, sludge, and herb residue) based on experimental and machine learning method

Co-combustion of coal and biomass has the potential to reduce the cost of power generation in plants. However, because of the high content of the alkali metal of biomass ash, co-combustion of these two fuels leads to unpredictable ash fusion temperature (AFT). This study conducted experiments to measure the AFT of straw, sludge, and herb residue when they were blended with coal at different ratios. Additionally, a machine learning algorithm called tuna swarm optimization (TSO) was employed to optimize the support vector regression (SVR) model to predict the softening temperature (ST) of samples. The results indicate that straw and sludge were found to be suitable for blending in small proportions, while herb residue was suitable for blending in larger proportions. In comparison to the traditional grid search optimization model, the TSO algorithm significantly enhances the prediction accuracy of both training and test sets, and improves the generalization ability of SVR.

Ambient health sensing on passive surfaces using metamaterials

Ambient sensors can continuously and unobtrusively monitor a person's health and well-being in everyday settings. Among various sensing modalities, wireless radio-frequency sensors offer exceptional sensitivity, immunity to lighting conditions, and privacy advantages. However, existing wireless sensors are susceptible to environmental interference and unable to capture detailed information from multiple body sites. Here, we present a technique to transform passive surfaces in the environment into highly sensitive and localized health sensors using metamaterials. Leveraging textiles' ubiquity, we engineer metamaterial textiles that mediate near-field interactions between wireless signals and the body for contactless and interference-free sensing. We demonstrate that passive surfaces functionalized by these metamaterials can provide hours-long cardiopulmonary monitoring with accuracy comparable to gold standards. We also show the potential of distributed sensors and machine learning for continuous blood pressure monitoring. Our approach enables passive environmental surfaces to be harnessed for ambient sensing and digital health applications.

Targeting transcription factors through an IMiD independent zinc finger domain

Immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs) degrade specific C2H2 zinc finger degrons in transcription factors, making them effective against certain cancers. SALL4, a cancer driver, contains seven C2H2 zinc fingers in four clusters, including an IMiD degron in zinc finger cluster two (ZFC2). Surprisingly, IMiDs do not inhibit growth of SALL4 expressing cancer cells. To overcome this limit, we focused on a non-IMiD degron, SALL4 zinc finger cluster four (ZFC4). By combining AlphaFold and the ZFC4-DNA crystal structure, we identified a potential ZFC4 drug pocket. Utilizing an in silico docking algorithm and cell viability assays, we screened chemical libraries and discovered SH6, which selectively targets SALL4-expressing cancer cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that SH6 degrades SALL4 protein through the CUL4A/CRBN pathway, while deletion of ZFC4 abolished this activity. Moreover, SH6 led to significant 62% tumor growth inhibition of SALL4+ xenografts in vivo and demonstrated good bioavailability in pharmacokinetic studies. In summary, these studies represent a new approach for IMiD independent drug discovery targeting C2H2 transcription factors in cancer.

Unveiling the impact of tertiary lymphoid structures on immunotherapeutic responses of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are organized aggregates of immune cells that form under pathological conditions. However, the predictive value of TLS in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) for immunotherapies remains unclear. We comprehensively assessed the implications for prognosis and immunological responses of the TLS spatial and maturation heterogeneity in 655 ccRCC patients. A higher proportion of early-TLS was found in peritumoral TLS, while intratumoral TLS mainly comprised secondary follicle-like TLS (SFL-TLS), indicating markedly better survival. Notably, presence of TLS, especially intratumoral TLS and SFL-TLS, significantly correlated with better survival and objective reflection rate for ccRCC patients receiving anti-Programmed Cell Death Protein-1 (PD-1)/Programmed Cell Death-Ligand-1 (PD-L1) immunotherapies. In peritumoral TLS cluster, primary follicle-like TLS, the proportion of tumor-associated macrophages, and Treg infiltration in the peritumoral regions increased prominently, suggesting an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Interestingly, spatial transcriptome annotation and multispectral fluorescence showed that an abundance of mature plasma cells within mature TLS has the capacity to produce IgA and IgG, which demonstrate significantly higher objective response rates and a superior prognosis for ccRCC patients subjected to immunotherapy. In conclusion, this study revealed the implications of TLS spatial and maturation heterogeneity on the immunological status and clinical responses, allowing the improvement of precise immunotherapies of ccRCC.

Design and simulation of a cross-regional collaborative recycling system for secondary resources: A case of lead-acid batteries

In emerging economies, a significant amount of secondary resources are recycled by the informal sector, which can seriously harm the environment. However, some previous studies of industry management policy design ignored geographical factors. This paper introduces Geographic Information Systems into an agent-based cross-regional recycling model, and employs lead-acid batteries as an example. The model quantitatively displays the evolution of recycling markets in 31 provinces in Mainland China. Results show that: (1) High subsidies can significantly increase the number of formal enterprises in the short term, but their effectiveness decreases when the proportion of government funds in subsidies is above 80% in the long run; (2) The number of illegal recycling enterprises increases by 294% in eight inland provinces (e.g., Ningxia, Xinjiang) when all funds are invested in supervision, but this number is quite small in subsidy policy scenarios; (3) In four eastern regions, including Beijing and Tianjin, the number of illegal recycling enterprises decreases by 84% if supervision is more favored than subsidy; (4) In the optimal case where spatiotemporal factors are considered in all 31 regions, illegal recycling enterprises and waste lead emissions can be reduced by 95.59% and 45.85% nationwide. Our proposed recycling model offers a detailed simulation of multiple regions and diverse stakeholders, and serves as a useful reference for targeted recovery policies. Governments in inland regions like Ningxia and Xinjiang should implement subsidy policies, while supervision policies should be implemented in developed regions like Beijing and Tianjin.

Construction of cuproptosis signature based on bioinformatics and experimental validation in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Cuproptosis was defined as a novel nonapoptotic cell death pathway and its potential function in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear.

METHODS

We obtained gene expression profiles, somatic mutation and corresponding clinical information of 881 ccRCC samples from 3 cohorts including the cancer genome atlas cohort, GSE29609 cohort and CheckMate 025 cohort. As described in the latest published article, we enrolled 16 genes as cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs). We explored the expression level, variants and copy number variation of the CRGs. Univariate and multi-variate regression were utilized to assess the prognostic significance of the CRGs. Non-negative matrix factorization was used to identify potential subgroup and gene set variation analysis was used to explore the potential biological functions. CIBERSORT, ESTIMATE algorithm and single sample gene set enrichment analysis were used to evaluate the tumor microenvironment. In vitro experiments including CCK-8, transwell and wound healing assays were utilized to explore the potential biological function of DLAT in ccRCC.

RESULTS

We found that except for CDKN2A, the CRGs were positively associated with patients' OS. Cuproptosis cluster, cuproptosis gene cluster and cuproptosis score were established, respectively, and higher cuproptosis score was significantly associated with a worse OS in ccRCC (p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the cuproptosis-related nomogram at 1 year, 3 years, 5 years was 0.858, 0.821 and 0.78, respectively. In addition, we found that the cuproptosis score was positively associated with PDCD1, CTLA4 expression level, thus the cuproptosis score may also reflect the dysfunction of tumor infiltrating immune cells. In vitro experiments indicated that overexpression of DLAT could inhibited the migration and proliferation ability of ccRCC cells.

CONCLUSION

Our findings identify a novel cuproptosis-related signature and the cuproptosis characteristics may influence the anti-tumor immunity though complex regulating networks, and thus cuproptosis may play a role in developing novel therapeutic target of ccRCC.

Heterogeneity in tertiary lymphoid structures predicts distinct prognosis and immune microenvironment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are organized aggregates of immune cells that develop postnatally in non-lymphoid tissues and are associated with pathological conditions. TLS typically comprise B-cell follicles containing and are encompassed by T- cell zones and dendritic cells. The prognostic and predictive value of TLS in the tumor microenvironment (TME) as potential mediators of antitumor immunity have gained interest. However, the precise relationship between localization and maturation of TLS and the clinical outcome of their presence in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is yet to be elucidated.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry and multispectral fluorescence were used to evaluate the TLS heterogeneity along with TME cell-infiltrating characterizations. A thorough investigation of the prognostic implications of the TLS heterogeneity in 395 patients with ccRCC from two independent cohorts was conducted. Associations between TLS heterogeneity and immunologic activity were assessed by quantifying the immune cell infiltration.

RESULTS

Infiltrated TLS were identified in 34.2% of the ccRCC samples (N=395). These TLS were found to be tumor-proximal, tumor-distal, or both in 37.8%, 74.1%, and 11.9% of the TLS-positive cases, respectively. A higher proportion of early TLS was found in tumor-distal TLS (p=0.016), while tumor-proximal TLS primarily comprised secondary follicle-like structures (p=0.004). In the main study cohort (Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, N=290), Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed a significant correlation between the presence of tumor-proximal TLS and improved progression-free survival (PFS, p<0.001) and overall survival (OS, p=0.002). Conversely, the presence of tumor-distal TLS was associated with poor PFS (p=0.02) and OS (p=0.021). These findings were further validated in an external validation set of 105 patients with ccRCC. Notably, the presence of mature TLS (namely secondary follicle-like TLS, with CD23+ germinal center) was significantly associated with better clinical outcomes in patients with ccRCC. Furthermore, novel nomograms incorporating the presence of tumor-proximal TLS demonstrated remarkable predictability for the 8-year outcomes of resected ccRCC (area under the curve >0.80). Additionally, ccRCC samples with tumor-distal TLS enriched with primary follicle-like TLS exhibited higher programmed death-ligand 1 tumor-associated macrophages levels and regulatory T cells infiltration in the tumor-distal region, indicative of a suppressive TME.

CONCLUSION

This study for the first time elucidates the impact of TLS localization and maturation heterogeneities on the divergent clinical outcomes of ccRCC. The findings reveal that most TLS in ccRCC are located in the tumor-distal area and are associated with immature, immunosuppressive characterizations. Furthermore, our findings corroborate previous research demonstrating that tumor-proximal TLS were associated with favorable clinical outcomes.

A novel porous hydroxyapatite scaffold (pHAMG) enhances angiogenesis and osteogenesis around dental implants by regulating the immune microenvironment

OBJECTIVE

The purpose was to evaluate whether a novel porous hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffold with a 25-30-µm groove structure (pHAMG) may improve bone osteogenesis, angiogenesis, and bone integration of titanium dental implants in animal models.

METHODS

The pHAMG was prepared by chemical precipitation method and its elemental composition and crystal structure were evaluated. The ability of the scaffolds to induce ectopic osteogenesis and the ability of scaffolds combined with titanium dental implants to induce orthotopic peri-implant angiogenesis, osteogenesis, and osteointegration were tested after implantation into the femur muscle pocket in rats and the mandibular defects in beagle dogs, respectively. The elemental composition was evaluated by SEM-EDS; the expression of the relevant osteogenic/inflammation marker and the anti-/pro-inflammation markers was evaluated by immunostaining and immunofluorescence, respectively.

RESULTS

In animal experiments with ectopic and peri-implant osteogenesis, pHAMG resulted in significantly larger neovascularization by hematoxylin-eosin staining, as well as deposition of collagen fibers by Masson staining than HA. Meanwhile, microgrooves in pHAMG upregulate more bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 2 and interleukin-4 (IL-4) and -10 (IL-10) and downregulate more IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) than that in HA. The pHAMG showed greater expression of arginase (Arg)-1 and lower expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) than HA.

CONCLUSION

The novel pHAMG can better repair bone defects in ectopic and orthotopic model. It also transfers macrophages to anti-inflammatory phenotypes, promoting angiogenic and osteogenesis in scaffolds, and bone integration in implants.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The novel pHAMG induce greater osteogenesis and angiogenesis which could be utilized in the clinical treatment.

[Bioinformatics analysis of the RNA binding protein DDX39 of Toxoplasma gondii]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the RNA binding protein of Toxoplasma gondii (TgDDX39) using bioinformatics technology, and to evaluate the immunogenicity of TgDDX39, so as to provide insights into development of toxoplasmosis vaccines.

METHODS

The amino acid sequences of TgDDX39 were retrieved from the ToxoDB database, and the physicochemical properties, transmembrane structure domain, signal peptide sites, post-translational modification sites, coils, secondary and tertiary structures, hydrophobicity, and antigenic epitopes of the TgDDX39 protein were predicted using online bioinformatics tools, incluiding ProtParam, TMHMM 2.0, SignalP 5.0, NetPhos 3.1, COILS, SOPMA, Phyre2, ProtScale, ABCpred, SYFPEITHI and DNA-STAR.

RESULTS

TgDDX39 protein was predicted to be an unstable hydrophilic protein with the molecular formula of C2173H3458N598O661S18, which contained 434 amino acids and had an estimated molecular weight of 49.1 kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.55. The protein was predicted to have an extremely low possibility of signal peptides, without transmembrane regions, and contain 27 phosphorylation sites. The β turn and random coils accounted for 39.63% of the secondary structure of the TgDDX39 protein, and a coiled helix tended to produce in one site. In addition, the TgDDX39 protein contained multiple B and T cell antigenic epitopes.

CONCLUSIONS

Bioinformatics analyses predict that TgDDX39 protein has high immunogenicity and contains multiple antigenic epitopes. TgDDX39 protein is a potential candidate antigen for vaccine development.

Detection of early bruises on apples using hyperspectral reflectance imaging coupled with optimal wavelengths selection and improved watershed segmentation algorithm

BACKGROUND

Bruises caused by mechanical collision during the harvesting and storage and transportation period are difficult to detect using traditional machine vision technologies because there is no obvious difference in appearance between bruised and sound tissues. As a result of its fast and non-destructive characteristics, hyperspectral imaging technology is a potential tool for non-destructive detection of fruit surface defects.

RESULTS

In the present study, visible near infrared hyperspectral reflectance images of healthy apples and bruised apples at 6, 12 and 24 h were obtained. To reduce hyperspectral data dimension, optimal wavelength selection algorithms including principal component analysis (PCA) and band ratio methods were utilized to select the effective wavelengths and enhance the contrast between bruised and sound tissues. Then pseudo-color image transformation technology combining with improved watershed segmentation algorithm (IWSA) were employed to recognize the bruise spots. The result obtained showed that band ratio images obtained better detection performance than that of PCA. The G component derived from pseudo-color image ofλ 821 - λ 752 / λ 821 + λ 752 followed by IWSA obtained the best segmentation performance for bruise spots. Finally, a multispectral imaging system for the detection of bruised apple was developed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed two-band ratio algorithm, obtaining recognition rates of 93.3%, 92.2% and 92.5% for healthy, bruised and overall apples, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The bruise detection algorithm proposed in the present study has potential to detect bruised apple in online practical applications and hyperspectral reflectance imaging offers a useful reference for the detection of surficial defects of fruit. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Efficacy and Safety of Local Radiotherapy Combined with Chemotherapy ± Bevacizumab in the Treatment of Patients with Advanced and Recurrent Metastatic Cervical Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To observe the efficacy and safety of local radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy ± bevacizumab in the treatment of patients with advanced or recurrent metastatic cervical cancer.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 53 patients with advanced and recurrent metastatic cervical cancer who had received local radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy ± bevacizumab in Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from July 2018 to October 2021 were collected. The recurrence types included 21 patients of pelvic recurrence, 7 patients of distant metastasis, 14 patients of complex pelvic recurrence and distant metastasis, and 11 patients of advanced stage (initial diagnosis stage IVB). The primary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR). The secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and incidence of adverse reactions.

RESULTS

(1) Complete response (CR) was achieved in 4 patients (7.5%), partial response (PR) in 34 patients (64.2%), stable disease (SD) in 12 patients (22.6%), and disease progression (PD) in 3 patients (5.7%), ORR was 71.7%, DCR was 94.3%. (2) The follow-up time was 5.3 to 45.7 months, the median OS was 29.3 months, the median PFS was 15.7 months, the one-year and two-year OS were 83.0% and 59.2%, and the 1-year and two-year PFS were 62.2% and 34.4%. (3) Recurrence type, tumor size at the time of recurrence, and efficacy after radiotherapy were significant factors for PFS and OS rates in multivariate analysis. (4) The main adverse reactions were myelosuppression, gastrointestinal reaction and urinary reaction. Grade IV leukopenia occurred at 13.2%, grade IV neutropenia at 11.3%, grade IV thrombocytopenia at 15.1%, and grade IV anemia at 5.7%, all of which were tolerable. The gastrointestinal and urinary reactions were mainly grade I-II, and the incidence of vesical or rectovaginal fistulas was about 7.5% (2 patients had rectovaginal fistulas and 2 patients had vesto-vaginal fistulas).

CONCLUSION

Local radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy ± bevacizumab can improve the efficacy and survival of patients with advanced and recurrent metastatic cervical cancer. Adverse reactions are tolerable and may provide survival benefits in these patients.

Effect of Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy on Regulatory T Cells,CD8/Treg Ratio,PD1 and CTLA-4 in Patients with Cervical Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To investigate the significance of chemoradiotherapy on regulatory T (Treg) cells, CD8 / Treg ratio, squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC), PD1, and CTLA-4 in the peripheral blood of cervical cancer (CC)patients.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A retrospective study was performed 56 cervical cancer patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy from September 06, 2019 to April 19, 2021 were selected, in patients who underwent surgery. Flow cytometry was used to determine the levels of regulatory T cells, CD8 / Treg ratio, squamous cell carcinoma antigen, PD1, and CTLA-4 in the peripheral blood of patients before and after concurrent therapy, Differences in relative level values before and after treatment were calculated using statistical protocols such as the paired samples t-test.

RESULTS

The proportion of CD4+CD25+CD127low Treg in CD4+T cells was (15.96±4.29) % in cervical cancer patients and (9.76±4.21) % in healthy controls, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In different age groups, Treg, CD8 levels, CD4/CD8 ratio and CD8/Treg ratio before and after radiotherapy and chemotherapy had no significant relationship with age and pathological types (P > 0.05), but CD8/Treg ratio was higher in patients with adenocarcinoma than in patients with squamous cell carcinoma after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and the difference was statistically significant (Z = -2.076 P = 0.038). For postoperative patients, CD8 levels were lower before and after chemoradiotherapy than after chemoradiotherapy (T = -2.320 P = 0.020). In terms of PD1, regardless of age, pathological type, the level of PD1 after radiotherapy and chemotherapy was higher than that before chemotherapy, and the difference was statistically significant. The level of adenocarcinoma (53.50±10.16) % was significantly higher than that of squamous carcinoma (43.72±11.89) % (T = -2.609 P = 0.011). The PD1 level of patients with cervical cancer radical resection (41.64±13.29) % was lower than that of patients without cervical cancer radical resection (46.84±10.61) %, the difference was statistically significant (T = 2.187 P = 0.031). The PD1 level of patients without pelvic lymph node metastasis (48.84±10.04) was significantly higher than that of patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis (42.96±10.85), and the difference was statistically significant (T = -2.019 P = 0.049), There were no significant differences in vascular positivity, invasion depth, stump positivity, pelvic lymph node positivity and Treg level, CD8 level, CTLA4 level, SCC, CD4/CD8 ratio, CD8/Treg ratio (ALL P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The level of Treg cells in patients with cervical cancer is significantly higher than that in healthy people, and it does not decrease immediately after radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Peripheral blood Treg, PD1, CD8 and CD8/Treg can reflect the immune function of the body, which may provide a certain reference for immunotherapy.

Marital Experiences and Parental "Highs" and "Lows" When A Child with Autism Starts School

This study describes parents' daily "highs" and "lows" during their child's transition to school for the first time and examines how those experiences relate to turbulence in the parents' relationship. 106 parents (53 couples) rated their relationship qualities at pre-test and post-test and described "high" and "low" points of their day every three days for 42 days. Content analysis revealed experiences contributing to "high" or "low" points that were primarily related to: the child with ASD, the spouse, other children, personal situations, and other. Latent profile analysis identified three profiles that represented the relationship experiences of couples in the study: resilient couples, couples getting by, and asymmetrically engaged couples. Results highlight the variety of daily experiences these parents encounter.

Long-Term Outcome of Rectal Cancer Patients Treated by High-Dose Radiotherapy and Concurrent Chemotherapy

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To explore the therapeutic efficacy and adverse effects of high-dose radiotherapy concurrently with chemotherapy in treating patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients were enrolled if they were diagnosed with stage I-III rectal adenocarcinoma, refused surgery and received high-dose pelvic radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy instead. Their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed for calculating local control and survival rates. Treatment related toxicities was evaluated according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 5.0).

RESULTS

Between April 2006 and February 2021, a total of 93 patients in our medical center were eligible for this study, with a median age of 61 (range, 21-84) years. Of those, 86 (92.5%) patients had tumors located within 5 cm of the anal verge. There were 8 (8.6%), 30 (32.3%) and 55 (59.1%) patients diagnosed with stage I, II and III, respectively. All patients received fluorouracil-based chemotherapy (single-agent fluorouracil or FOLFOX regimen). The irradiation techniques included three-dimensional conformal and intensity-modulated radiation therapy. The median total radiation dose for gross tumor volume (GTV) was 80 (range, 60-90) Gy. The 15 (16.1%) patients refusing surgery before treatment received one course of radiation (60-70 Gy/30-35 Fr). And a 2-course radiation (Course 1, 45-50 Gy/25 Fr; Course 2: 24-40 Gy/12-20 Fr) were given to the 78 (83.9%) patients who failed to achieve clinical complete remission (cCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy but still refused surgery, with a median interval of 79 (range, 35-195) days. The median follow-up duration was 66 (range, 10-161) months. The 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates for all patients were 90.5% and 72.7%, respectively. The clinical complete remission rate at the end of chemoradiotherapy was 69.9%. Colostomy was performed in the 14 patients whose rectal tumor did not attain cCR or progressed. There was no grade 4/5 severe acute toxicity. No patient suffered from intestinal perforation. Only one patient developed anal stenosis. Because of rectal bleeding, blood transfusion was performed in 7 patients, and one patient underwent an enterostomy.

CONCLUSION

High-dose radiotherapy concurrent with chemotherapy brought encouraging survival outcomes, satisfactory organ preservation and acceptable short- and long-term side effects. It might be a safe and non-invasive alternative to abdominoperineal resection in rectal cancer patients refusing or unsuitable for surgery, especially for those with a low-position tumor.

Silva Classification System for HPV-Related EAC of Stage I ∼ IIIc1p Cervical Adenocarcinoma and Its Effect on Prognosis and Survival

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

The proportion of adenocarcinoma in cervical cancer gradually increased and presented a younger trend. The previous pathological classification of cervical adenocarcinoma is difficult to provide reference for clinical treatment. In recent years, Silva classification, a new pathologic system for cervical adenocarcinoma, has been confirmed to be suitable for HPV-associated adenocarcinoma (HPVA), and has shown certain clinical application value in subsequent studies. Therefore, this study will retrospectively analyze the distribution of Silva typing system in patients with HPVA under standard treatment mode and its relationship with prognosis and survival.

MATERIALS/METHODS

From January 2010 to September 2021, 124 cervical adenocarcinoma patients with HPVA were retrospectively included, who underwent radical resection of cervical cancer. The HE staining sections of the patients were divided into SilvaA, SilvaB, and SilvaC types according to the Silva typing system. Kaplan-Meier calculation was used for single-factor analysis, and COX stepwise regression model was used for multi-factor analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 124 patients with HPVA who could be graded according to the Silva system, 16 (12.9%, 16/124) were SilvaA, 27 (21.7%, 27/124) SilvaB, and 81 (65.4%, 81/124) SilvaC. In Silva classification, FIGO staging of Silva A and B was stage I. And FIGO staging of Silva C was more significantly later than the staging of Silva A and B. All lymph node metastases and paruterine infiltrates were found only in Silva C. In addition, the patients with Silva C large mass accounted for a higher proportion (41.7%). SilvaA type cervical adenocarcinoma patients were in a survival state by the end of follow-up. Among Silva B, 3 patients died due to tumor, and the 5-year OS rate were 91.3%. Among SilvaC, 15 patients died due to tumor, and the 5-year OS rate were 76.5%. FIGO stage and lymph node invasion were the influencing factors for survival and prognosis of Silva classification (P <0.05). FIGO stage, tumor size, lymph node invasion, and paralegal invasion were the influencing factors for survival and prognosis of SilvaC patients (P <0.05).

CONCLUSION

Silva model classification system combined with clinicopathological features has certain clinical value for the prognostic guidance of HPVA patients. Among Silva classification, SilvaC had the worst prognosis. Late FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, and paralegal infiltration are the influencing factors for survival and prognosis of SilvaC type.

Plasma proteomic profiling discovers molecular features associated with upper tract urothelial carcinoma

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is often diagnosed late and exhibits poor prognosis. Limited data are available on potential non-invasive biomarkers for disease monitoring. Here, we investigate the proteomic profile of plasma in 362 UTUC patients and 239 healthy controls. We present an integrated tissue-plasma proteomic approach to infer the signature proteins for identifying patients with muscle-invasive UTUC. We discover a protein panel that reflects lymph node metastasis, which is of interest in identifying UTUC patients with high risk and poor prognosis. We also identify a ten-protein classifier and establish a progression clock predicting progression-free survival of UTUC patients. Finally, we further validate the signature proteins by parallel reaction monitoring assay in an independent cohort. Collectively, this study portrays the plasma proteomic landscape of a UTUC cohort and provides a valuable resource for further biological and diagnostic research in UTUC.

Anti-inflammatory effect of dictamnine on allergic rhinitis via suppression of the LYN kinase-mediated molecular signaling pathway during mast cell activation

Mast cells (MCs) are important therapeutic targets for allergic diseases. High-affinity immunoglobulin E (IgE) Fc receptors (FcεRI) trigger abnormal activation of MCs. Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an IgE-mediated antigen inhalation reaction that occurs in the nasal mucosa. MC aggravation and dysfunction were observed during the early stages of AR pathogenesis. Herb-derived dictamnine exhibits anti-inflammatory effects. Here, we investigated the pharmacological effects of herb-derived dictamnine on IgE-induced activation of MCs and an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced murine AR model. The results indicated that dictamnine attenuated OVA-induced local allergic reactions and reduced body temperature in OVA-challenged mice with active systemic anaphylaxis. Additionally, dictamnine decreased the frequency of nasal rubbing and sneezing in an OVA-induced murine AR model. Moreover, dictamnine inhibited FcεRI-activated MC activation in a dose-dependent manner without causing cytotoxicity, reduced the activation of the tyrosine kinase LYN in LAD2 cells, and downregulated the phosphorylation of PLCγ1, IP3R, PKC, Erk1/2, and Akt, which are downstream of LYN. In conclusion, dictamnine suppressed the OVA-stimulated murine model of AR and activated IgE-induced MCs via the LYN kinase-mediated molecular signaling pathway, suggesting that dictamnine may be a promising treatment for AR.

How Do Qualities of Supportive Conversations Affect Heart Rate Variability During Conversations About the Death of a Parent?

This study examined the impact of person-centered communication on bereaved young adults' physiological stress responses when they talked about the death of their parent. Heart rate variability - indexed by the standard deviation of the normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), the root mean square of successive differences (rMSSD), and the heart rate variability index (HRVi) - was monitored before, during, and after the interaction as an objective measure of stress reactivity and recovery. The final sample included 69 subjects, and they conversed with research confederates who provided varying levels of person-centered support. The results showed that participants who received highly person-centered support experienced faster stress recovery, as indicated by increased HRVi, compared to those who received moderately or low person-centered support. Bereaved adults' SDNN during the interaction was positively associated with subjective evaluations of cognitive reappraisal, emotional improvement, and support quality. The discussion highlights the significance of supportive interactions on physiological, psychological, and emotional well-being.

Non-destructive detection of single-seed viability in maize using hyperspectral imaging technology and multi-scale 3D convolutional neural network

The viability of Zea mays seed plays a critical role in determining the yield of corn. Therefore, developing a fast and non-destructive method is essential for rapid and large-scale seed viability detection and is of great significance for agriculture, breeding, and germplasm preservation. In this study, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology was used to obtain images and spectral information of maize seeds with different aging stages. To reduce data input and improve model detection speed while obtaining more stable prediction results, successive projections algorithm (SPA) was used to extract key wavelengths that characterize seed viability, then key wavelength images of maize seed were divided into small blocks with 5 pixels ×5 pixels and fed into a multi-scale 3D convolutional neural network (3DCNN) for further optimizing the discrimination possibility of single-seed viability. The final discriminant result of single-seed viability was determined by comprehensively evaluating the result of all small blocks belonging to the same seed with the voting algorithm. The results showed that the multi-scale 3DCNN model achieved an accuracy of 90.67% for the discrimination of single-seed viability on the test set. Furthermore, an effort to reduce labor and avoid the misclassification caused by human subjective factors, a YOLOv7 model and a Mask R-CNN model were constructed respectively for germination judgment and bud length detection in this study, the result showed that mean average precision (mAP) of YOLOv7 model could reach 99.7%, and the determination coefficient of Mask R-CNN model was 0.98. Overall, this study provided a feasible solution for detecting maize seed viability using HSI technology and multi-scale 3DCNN, which was crucial for large-scale screening of viable seeds. This study provided theoretical support for improving planting quality and crop yield.

Protein Arginine Methyltransferases Refine the Classification of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma with Distinct Prognosis and Tumor Microenvironment Characteristics

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is an aggressive urological cancer that originates from the proximal tubular epithelium. As one of the most common post-translational modification, protein arginine methylation plays a pivotal role in various cancer-associated biological functions, especially in cancer immunity. Therefore, constructing a protein arginine methylation-related prognostic signature would be beneficial in guiding better personalized clinical management for patients with ccRCC. Methods: Based on the multi-omics profiling of the expression levels of eight protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) in 763 ccRCC samples (from TCGA, CPTAC, EMBL, and ICGC databases), we established a scoring system with machine-learning algorithms to quantify the modification patterns on clinical and immunological characterizations of individual ccRCC patient, which was termed as PRMTScore. Moreover, we utilized two external clinical cohorts receiving immunotherapy (n=302) to validate the reliability of the PRMTScore system. Multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) was performed to characterize the cellular composition of 30 paired ccRCC samples. The proteomic profiling of 232 ccRCC samples obtained from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC) was analyzed to validate the protein expression of PRMT5 in ccRCC. Finally, CCK-8, transwell, and wound healing assays were conducted to elucidate the role of PRMT5 in ccRCC in vitro. Results: A total of 763 ccRCC patients with available multi-omics profiling were stratified into two clusters (PRMTCluster A and B) with distinctive prognosis, genomic alterations, tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristics, and fundamental biological mechanisms. Subsequently, protein arginine methylation-related prognostic signature (PRMTScore) was constructed and consisted of SLC16A12, HRH2, F2RL3, and SAA1. The PRMTScore showed remarkable differences in outcomes, immune and stromal fractions, expressions of immune checkpoints, the abundance of immune cells, and immunotherapy response in ccRCC patients. Additionally, preliminary insights unveiled the tumor-suppressive role of PRMT5 in ccRCC, and the signal of PRMT5low significantly predicted aggressive prognosis and the high abundance of PD1+ CD8+ cells in ccRCC. Conclusion: We constructed a PRMTScore system, which showed the potent ability to assess the prognosis, TME characteristics, and immunotherapy response for patients with ccRCC. Moreover, this is the first study to propose that PRMT5 acts as a cancer suppressor in ccRCC.

Qualitative and quantitative detection of aflatoxins B1 in maize kernels with fluorescence hyperspectral imaging based on the combination method of boosting and stacking

The most widespread, toxic, and harmful toxin is aflatoxins B1 (AFB1). The fluorescence hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system was employed for AFB1 detection in this study. This study developed the under sampling stacking (USS) algorithm for imbalanced data. The results indicated that the USS method combined with ANOVA for featured wavelength achieved the best performance with the accuracy of 0.98 for 20 or 50 μg /kg threshold using endosperm side spectra. As for the quantitative analysis, a specified function was used to compress AFB1 content, and the combination of boosting and stacking was used for regression. The support vector regression (SVR)-Boosting, Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), and extremely randomized trees (Extra-Trees)-Boosting were used as the base learner, while the K nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm was used as the meta learner could obtain the best results, with the correlation coefficient of prediction (R_p) was 0.86. These results provided the basis for developing AFB1 detection and estimation technologies.

[An improved 4-vessel intermittent occlusion method for establishing rat models of global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury]

OBJECTIVE

To improve the classical 4-vessel occlusion (4VO) model established by Pulsinelli and Brierley.

METHODS

Thirty-two male SD rats were randomized into sham operation group, I4VO-Con10 group, I4VO-Int10 group and I4VO-Int15 group. The sham surgery group underwent exposure of the bilateral vertebral arteries and carotid arteries without occlusion to block blood flow. The I4VO-Con10 group experienced continuous ischemia by occluding the bilateral vertebral arteries and carotid arteries for 10 minutes followed by reperfusion for 24 hours. The I4VO-Int10 and I4VO-Int15 groups were subjected to intermittent ischemia. The I4VO- Int10 group underwent 5 minutes of ischemia, followed by 5 minutes of reperfusion and another 5 minutes of ischemia, and then reperfusion for 24 hours. The I4VO-Int15 group experienced 5 minutes of ischemia followed by two cycles of 5 minutes of reperfusion and 5 minutes of ischemia, and then reperfusion for 24 hours. The regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was monitored with laser Doppler scanning, and survival of the rats was observed. HE staining was used to observe hippocampal pathologies to determine the optimal method for modeling. Another 48 rats were randomized into 6 groups, including a sham operation group and 5 model groups established using the optimal method. The 5 I4VO model groups were further divided based on the reperfusion time points (1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days) into I4VO-D1, I4VO-D3, I4VO-D7, I4VO- D14, and I4VO- D28 groups. Body weight changes and survival of the rats were recorded. HE staining was used to observe morphological changes in the hippocampal, retinal and optic tract tissues. The Y-maze test and light/dark box test were used to evaluate cognitive and visual functions of the rats in I4VO-D28 group.

RESULTS

Occlusion for 5 min for 3 times at the interval of 5 min was the optimal method for 4VO modeling. In the latter 48 rats, the body weight was significantly lower than that of the sham-operated rats at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after modeling without significant difference in survival rate among the groups. The rats with intermittent vessel occlusion exhibited progressive deterioration of hippocampal neuronal injury and neuronal loss. Cognitive impairment was observed in the rats in I4VO-D28 group, but no obvious ischemic injury of the retina or the optic tract was detected.

CONCLUSION

The improved 4VO model can successfully mimic the main pathological processes of global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury without causing visual impairment in rats.

Implant-to-implant wireless networking with metamaterial textiles

Implanted bioelectronic devices can form distributed networks capable of sensing health conditions and delivering therapy throughout the body. Current clinically-used approaches for wireless communication, however, do not support direct networking between implants because of signal losses from absorption and reflection by the body. As a result, existing examples of such networks rely on an external relay device that needs to be periodically recharged and constitutes a single point of failure. Here, we demonstrate direct implant-to-implant wireless networking at the scale of the human body using metamaterial textiles. The textiles facilitate non-radiative propagation of radio-frequency signals along the surface of the body, passively amplifying the received signal strength by more than three orders of magnitude (>30 dB) compared to without the textile. Using a porcine model, we demonstrate closed-loop control of the heart rate by wirelessly networking a loop recorder and a vagus nerve stimulator at more than 40 cm distance. Our work establishes a wireless technology to directly network body-integrated devices for precise and adaptive bioelectronic therapies.

Proteogenomics of clear cell renal cell carcinoma response to tyrosine kinase inhibitor

The tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Sunitinib is one the therapies approved for advanced renal cell carcinoma. Here, we undertake proteogenomic profiling of 115 tumors from patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) undergoing Sunitinib treatment and reveal the molecular basis of differential clinical outcomes with TKI therapy. We find that chromosome 7q gain-induced mTOR signaling activation is associated with poor therapeutic outcomes with Sunitinib treatment, whereas the aristolochic acid signature and VHL mutation synergistically caused enhanced glycolysis is correlated with better prognosis. The proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis further highlights the responsibility of mTOR signaling for non-response to Sunitinib. Immune landscape characterization reveals diverse tumor microenvironment subsets in ccRCC. Finally, we construct a multi-omics classifier that can detect responder and non-responder patients (receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve, 0.98). Our study highlights associations between ccRCC molecular characteristics and the response to TKI, which can facilitate future improvement of therapeutic responses.

Ambient Cardiovascular Monitoring with Metamaterial Textile Sensors

Contactless sensors embedded in the ambient environment have broad applications in unobtrusive, long-term health monitoring for preventative and personalized healthcare. Microwave radar sensors are an attractive candidate for ambient sensing due to their high sensitivity to physiological motions, ability to penetrate through obstacles and privacy-preserving properties, but practical applications in complex real-world environments have been limited because of challenges associated with background clutter and interference. In this work, we propose a thin and soft textile sensor based on microwave metamaterials that can be easily integrated into ordinary furniture for contactless ambient monitoring of multiple cardiovascular signals in a localized manner. Evaluations of our sensor's performance in human subjects show high accuracy of heartbeat and arterial pulse detection, with ≥ 96.5% sensitivity and < 5% mean absolute relative error (MARE) across all subjects. We demonstrate our sensor's utility for cuffless blood pressure monitoring on a human subject over a continuous 10-minute period. Our results highlight the potential of metamaterial textile sensors in ambient health and wellness monitoring applications.Clinical relevance-The contactless metamaterial textile sensors demonstrated in this paper provide unobtrusive, convenient and long-term monitoring of multiple cardiovascular health metrics, including heart rate, pulse rate and cuffless blood pressure, which can facilitate preventative and personalized healthcare.

Monitoring the major taste components during black tea fermentation using multielement fusion information in decision level

Hitherto, the intelligent detection of black tea fermentation quality is still a thought-provoking problem because of one-side sample information and poor model performance. This study proposed a novel method for the prediction of major chemical components including total catechins, soluble sugar and caffeine using hyperspectral imaging technology and electrical properties. The multielement fusion information were used to establish quantitative prediction models. The performance of model using multielement fusion information was better than that of model using single information. Subsequently, the stacking combination model using fusion data combined with feature selection algorithms for evaluating the fermentation quality of black tea. Our proposed strategy achieved better performance than classical linear and nonlinear algorithms, with the correlation coefficient of the prediction set (R_p) for total catechins, soluble sugar and caffeine being 0.9978, 0.9973 and 0.9560, respectively. The results demonstrated that our proposed strategy could effectively evaluate the fermentation quality of black tea.

Stochastic Exceptional Points for Noise-Assisted Sensing

Noise is a fundamental challenge for sensors deployed in daily environments for ambient sensing, health monitoring, and wireless networking. Current strategies for noise mitigation rely primarily on reducing or removing noise. Here, we introduce stochastic exceptional points and show the utility to reverse the detrimental effect of noise. The stochastic process theory illustrates that the stochastic exceptional points manifest as fluctuating sensory thresholds that give rise to stochastic resonance, a counterintuitive phenomenon in which the added noise increases the system's ability to detect weak signals. Demonstrations using a wearable wireless sensor show that the stochastic exceptional points lead to more accurate tracking of a person's vital signs during exercise. Our results may lead to a distinct class of sensors that overcome and are enhanced by ambient noise for applications ranging from healthcare to the internet of things.

Persuasive Messages, Social Norms, and Reactance: A Study of Masking Behavior during a COVID-19 Campus Health Campaign

Efforts by universities to reduce the spread of COVID-19 include health campaigns intended to encourage students to wear masks. While well-intended, these efforts may produce counter-persuasion (e.g., decrease masking) if they are seen as threatening individuals' freedom to choose. In a rolling cross-sectional study of one university campaign (n = 681), we found that the presence of the campaign did instigate a form of resistance known as reactance and that reactance was negatively associated with masking behavior. Masking was also diminished by the frequency with which respondents observed others not wearing a mask (anti-masking descriptive norm) and the frequency with which respondents observed others expressing disdain for masking (anti-masking injunctive norm). Most of these findings were magnified among students who identified as politically conservative. There was no evidence that the frequency of seeing others speak in favor of masks (pro-masking injunctive norm) produced an increase in masking. The results provide valuable theoretical insights into the causes of reactance and empirical evidence of the risks associated with student-oriented COVID safety campaigns.

[Identification and verification of α-11 giardin-interacting protein]

OBJECTIVE

To identify and verify the interacting protein of α-11 giardin, so as provide the experimental evidence for studies on the α-11 giardin function.

METHODS

The yeast two-hybrid cDNA library of the Giardia lambia C2 strain and the bait plasmid of α-11 giardin were constructed. All proteins interacting with α-11 giardin were screened using the yeast two-hybrid system. α-11 giardin and all screened potential interacting protein genes were constructed into pBiFc-Vc-155 and pBiFc-Vn-173 plasmids, and co-transfected into the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. The interactions between α-11 giardin and interacting proteins were verified using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC).

RESULTS

The yeast two-hybrid G. lambia cDNA library which was quantified at 2.715 × 10⁷ colony-forming units (CFU) and the bait plasmid containing α-11 giardin gene without an autoactivation activity were constructed. Following two-round positive screening with the yeast two-hybrid system, two potential proteins interacting with α-11 giardin were screened, including eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (EIF5A), calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CAMKL) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-specific glutamate dehydrogenase (NADP-GDH), hypothetical protein 1 (GL50803_95880), hypothetical protein 2 (GL50803_87261) and a protein from Giardia canis virus. The α-11 giardin and EIF5A genes were transfected into the pBiFc-Vc-155 and pBiFc-Vn-173 plasmids using BiFC, and the recombinant plasmids pBiFc-Vc-155-α-11 and pBiFc-Vn-173-EIF5A were co-tranfected into MDA-MB-231 cells, which displayed green fluorescence under a microscope, indicating the interaction between α-11 giardin and EIF5A protein in cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The yeast two-hybrid cDNA library of the G. lambia C2 strain has been successfully constructed, and six potential protein interacting with α-11 giardin have been identified, including EIF5A that interacts with α-11 giardin in cells.

Green illusions in self-reporting? Reassessing the intention-behavior gap in waste recycling behaviors

Improving residents' waste recycling behavior is crucial for enhancing resource efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. Previous questionnaire-based studies have reported that individuals exhibit a high willingness to recycle, yet often fail to convert this intention into action. Analyzing 180,417 Internet of Things (IoT) behavior data points, we discovered that the intention-behavior gap might be larger than anticipated. Our findings indicate that: 1) Intentions to recycle alone can predict self-reported recycling behavior (p < 0.01, t = 2.841), but not actual recycling behavior in the absence of other possible moderators (p > 0.1, t = 0.777); 2) Self-reported behavior predicts real behavior, but with limited explanatory power; and 3) The intention-behavior gap primarily results from forgetting or habituation (p < 0.01, t = 2.653), while social desirability plays an insignificant role (p > 0.1, t = 0.246). This study contributes to our understanding of the intention-behavior gap and provides direction for future pro-environmental behavior research.

Investigation of pharmacodynamic material basis of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and its processed products based on plant metabolomics and molecular docking technology

RATIONALE

Anemarrhenae Rhizoma (AR) has been an often used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for a long time. Its salt-processed form is one of the most common application forms. Modern pharmacological research has shown that the salt-processed product has various significantly enhanced pharmacological activities. However, the pharmacodynamic material basis of this change is not yet known. The aim of this study was to develop a strategy to screen pharmacodynamic substances in AR and salt-processed AR (SAR).

METHODS

An integrated strategy combining plant metabolomics with molecular docking technology was established to screen pharmacodynamic substances. The plant metabolomics analysis was performed to select the chemical markers between AR and SAR. Then, molecular docking technology was applied to explore the relationship between chemical markers and diabetes targets (α-glucosidase). Finally, potential quality control markers were screened.

RESULTS

There were significant differences in the quantification of nine steroidal saponins between AR and SAR. The results of plant metabolomics analysis showed a quite clear discrimination including 29 chemical markers between AR and SAR. Taking the hypoglycemic activity into consideration, 16 steroidal saponins were selected as potential quality markers.

CONCLUSIONS

The developed method not only supplied an optional solution to search for pharmacophores in AR and SAR, but also provided a foundation for the study of the differential components and pharmacodynamics in various processed products of TCMs.

Study on mechanism of hepatoprotective effect of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. based on metabolomics with network analysis and network pharmacology

Hangju (HJ), the dried flower heads of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat., has a significant hepatoprotective effect. However, its underlying protection mechanism against acute liver injury (ALI) has been unclear. An integrated strategy based on metabolomics with network analysis and network pharmacology was developed to explore the potential molecular mechanism of HJ on ALI protection. Firstly, differential endogenous metabolites were screened and identified by metabolomics approach and metabolic pathway analysis was performed by MetaboAnalyst. Secondly, marker metabolites were used to construct metabolite-response-enzyme-gene networks and discover hub metabolites and potential gene targets in network analysis. Thirdly, hub genes through the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were acquired by the aid of network pharmacology. Finally, the gene targets were taken to intersect with the relevant active ingredients for validation by molecular docking. In total, 48 flavonoids were identified in HJ, which were associated with 8 potential therapeutic targets in network pharmacological analysis. Biochemistry and histopathology analysis demonstrated that HJ exerted hepatoprotective effects. 28 biomarkers were successfully identified as possible biomarkers for the prevention of ALI. The sphingolipid metabolic pathway and the glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway was considered a crucial signaling pathway by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. In addition, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin were considered as hub metabolites. Twelve enzymes and 38 genes were considered as potential targets in the network analysis. Based on the combined analysis above, HJ was shown to modulate 2 key upstream targets, including PLA2G2A and PLA2G4A. Molecular docking showed that active compounds of HJ had high binding affinity with these key targets. In conclusion, the flavonoid components of HJ can inhibit PLA2 and regulate glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism pathway to delay the pathological process of ALI, which may be a potential mechanism of HJ against ALI.

The function and mechanisms of action of circular RNAs in Urologic Cancer

Kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer are the three major tumor types of the urologic system that seriously threaten human health. Circular RNAs (CircRNAs), special non-coding RNAs with a stabile structure and a unique back-splicing loop-forming ability, have received recent scientific attention. CircRNAs are widely distributed within the body, with important biologic functions such as sponges for microRNAs, as RNA binding proteins, and as templates for regulation of transcription and protein translation. The abnormal expression of circRNAs in vivo is significantly associated with the development of urologic tumors. CircRNAs have now emerged as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of urologic tumors, as well as targets for the development of new therapies. Although we have gained a better understanding of circRNA, there are still many questions to be answered. In this review, we summarize the properties of circRNAs and detail their function, focusing on the effects of circRNA on proliferation, metastasis, apoptosis, metabolism, and drug resistance in kidney, bladder, and prostate cancers.

Identification of prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers in type 2 papillary renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) can be divided into type 1 (PRCC1) and type 2 (PRCC2) and PRCC2 share a more invasive phenotype and worse prognosis. This study aims to identify potential prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers in PRCC2.

METHODS

A cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas and two datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus were examined. Common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened and potential biomarkers were explored by using Kaplan-Meier method and cox regression analysis. Functional enrichment analysis was utilized to evaluate the potential biological functions. Tumor infiltrating immune cells were estimated by CIBERSORT algorithm. Ninety-two PRCC2 samples from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were obtained, and immunostaining was performed to validate prognostic and therapeutic significance of the potential biomarker.

RESULTS

PRCC2 has worse overall survival and shares distinct molecular characteristics from PRCC1. There was significant higher expression level of Targeting protein for Xklp2 (TPX2) in PRCC2 compared with normal tissues. Higher expression level of TPX2 was significantly associated with worse overall survival in PRCC2 and kinesin family genes expression were found significantly elevated in high risk PRCC2. Abundance of tumor infiltrating M1 macrophage was significantly higher in PRCC2 and it was also associated with worse overall survival. In the FUSCC cohort, higher TPX2 expression was significantly correlated with worse overall and progression-free survival. Retrospective analysis indicated that mTOR inhibitor (everolimus) had greater efficacy in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group (overall response rate: 28.6% vs. 16.7%) and that everolimus had greater efficacy than sunitinib in the high-risk group (overall response rate: 28.6% vs. 20%).

CONCLUSIONS

TPX2 was a prognostic and therapeutic biomarker in PRCC2. Higher abundance of tumor infiltrating M1 macrophage was significantly associated with worse overall survival in PRCC2. mTOR inhibitors may have good efficacy in patients with high-risk PRCC2.

Reducing COVID-19 diagnostic errors with dNTPαSe supplementation

Timely and accurate diagnosis of COVID-19 is critical for controlling the pandemic. As the standard method to diagnose SARS-CoV-2, the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has good convenience. However, RT-qPCR still has a relatively high false-negative rate, particularly in the case of detecting low viral loads. In this study, using selenium-modified nucleoside triphosphates (dNTPαSe) in the RT-PCR reactions, we successfully increased the detection sensitivity and reduced the false-negative rate in COVID-19 diagnosis. By detecting positive controls, pseudovirus, and clinical samples with the commercial kits, we found that the dNTPαSe supplementation to these kits could generally offer smaller Ct values, permit the viral detection even in single-digit copies, and increase the detection specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy, thereby reducing the false-negative rate. Our experimental results demonstrated that dNTPαSe supplementation can make the commercial kits more specific, sensitive, and accurate, and this method is a convenient and efficient strategy for the disease detection and diagnosis.

Suppression of Cancer Cell Stemness and Drug Resistance via MYC Destabilization by Deubiquitinase USP45 Inhibition with a Natural Small Molecule

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play significant roles in cancer development, drug resistance and cancer recurrence. In cancer treatments based on the CSC characteristics and inducing factors, MYC is a promising target for therapeutic molecules. Although it has been regarded as an undrugable target, its stability tightly regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system offers a new direction for molecule targeting and cancer treatment. Herein we report our discoveries in this research area, and we have found that deubiquitinase USP45 can directly bind with MYC, resulting in its deubiquitination and stabilization. Further, USP45 overexpressing can upregulate MYC, and this overexpressing can significantly enhance cancer development, cancer cell stemness and drug resistance. Interestingly, without enhancing cancer development, MYC silencing with shRNA can only suppress USP45-induced stemness and drug resistance. Moreover, we have identified that USP45 can be specifically bound and inhibited by a natural small molecule (α-mangostin), in turn significantly suppressing USP45-induced stemness and drug resistance. Since USP45 is significantly expressed in cervical tumors, we have discovered that the combination of α-mangostin and doxorubicin can significantly inhibit USP45-induced cervical tumorigenesis in an animal model. In general, on the basis of our USP45 discoveries on its MYC deubiquitination and α-mangostin inhibition, suppressing USP45 has opened a new window for suppressing cancer development, stemness and drug resistance.

Characterization of Fritillariae cirrhosae bulbus from multiple sources by potential Q-marker based on metabolomics and network pharmacology

RATIONALE

Fritillaria cirrhosae bulbus (BFC), a typical traditional Chinese medicine with multiple botanical sources, has been used for relieving cough and reducing sputum. Studies have shown that there were obvious differences in the chemical compositions and clinical efficacy of different sources of BFC. How to characterise BFC from botanical sources accurately and quickly is vital for drug quality evaluation and clinical applications.

METHODS

In the present study, an integrated strategy of plant metabolomics combined with the target network pharmacology was developed to characterise BFC. Plant metabolomics analysis was performed to screen out the chemical markers of six species of BFC. Then, target network pharmacology was applied to explore the relationship between chemical markers and related diseases. Finally, potential Q-markers for species characterization were selected by combined analysis of plant metabolomics and the target network pharmacology.

RESULTS

A total of 67 Fritillaria alkaloid compounds were identified. Six species showed clear characterization by multivariate statistical analysis, resulting in 12 chemical markers. Meanwhile, a total of nine components related to asthma were screened out based on the target network pharmacology. Taking content difference and pharmacological activity into consideration, nine constituents were selected as potential Q-markers.

CONCLUSION

The method developed provided not only a standard protocol for characterising different species of BFC directly, but also an effective approach for multisource medicines discrimination.

Special issue "The advance of solid tumor research in China": Multi-omics analysis based on 1311 clear cell renal cell carcinoma samples identifies a glycolysis signature associated with prognosis and treatment response

In clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), glycolysis is enhanced mainly because of the increased expression of key enzymes in glycolysis. Hence, the discovery of new molecular biomarkers for glycolysis may help guide and establish a precise system of diagnosis and treatment for ccRCC. Expression profiles of 1079 tumor samples of ccRCC patients (including 311 patients treated with everolimus or nivolumab) were downloaded from public databases. Proteomic profiles of 232 ccRCC samples were obtained from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC). Biological changes, tumor microenvironment and prognostic differences were explored between samples with various glycolysis characteristics. There were significant differences in CD8⁺ effector T cells, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and pan-fibroblast TGFb between the Low and High glyScore groups. The tumor mutation burden of the Low glyScore group was lower than that of the High glyScore group. And higher glyScore was significantly associated with worse overall survival (OS) in 768 ccRCC patients (P < .0001). External validation in FUSCC cohort also indicated that glyScore was of strong ability for predicting OS (P < .05). GlyScore may serve as a biomarker for predicting everolimus response in ccRCC patients due to its significant associations with progression-free survival (PFS). And glyScore may also predict overall survival in patients treated with nivolumab. We calculated the glyScore in ccRCC and the defined glyScore was of strong ability for predicting OS. In addition, glyScore may also serve as a biomarker for predicting PFS in patients treated with everolimus and could predict OS in patients treated with nivolumab.

A quasi-two-dimensional fluid experimental apparatus based on tank-in-tank configuration

The fluid tank is an essential facility for experimental research on fluid mechanics. However, owing to the hydrostatic fluid pressure, a fine uniformity of the narrow channel is difficult to be maintained in a tall narrow-channel tank. To address this issue, we proposed a quasi-two-dimensional fluid experimental apparatus based on a "tank-in-tank" configuration and built with an outer tank and an inner tank. The outer tank was cuboid-shaped and used to load the fluid medium, while the inner tank, consisting of two parallel glass plates, was embedded into the outer tank and served as the experimental channel. The hydrostatic pressure acting on the channel was balanced so that a high level of uniformity was maintained over the whole channel. The available height and width of the channel were 2800 and 1500 mm, respectively, while its gap distance could be adaptive from 0 to 120 mm. Experimental research on motion characteristics of circular disks falling in the quasi-2D channel was implemented to investigate the effects of the falling environment and disk geometry. Four distinct falling types were observed, and the wake flow fields of the falling disks were visualized. The Reynolds numbers of falling disks ranged from 400 to 63 000 presently. Chaotic motion and regular motion were demarcated at Re ≈ 30 000. An analytical model was established to predict the final average falling velocity and Reynolds number. Finally, potential directions for future research and improvements to the apparatus were suggested.

Genetic polymorphisms in MIR1208 and MIR5708 are associated with susceptibility to COPD in the Chinese population

BACKGROUND

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex disease characterized by limited airflow and is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gene polymorphisms in MIR5708 and MIR1208 on COPD risk.

METHODS

Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MIR5708 (rs6473227 and rs16907751) and MIR1208 (rs2608029 and rs13280095) were selected and genotyped among 315 COPD patients and 314 healthy controls using the Agena MassARRAY platform. SPSS 18.0 was used for statistical analysis and data processing. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the association between genetic variants of MIR1208 and MIR5708 and COPD risk.

RESULTS

The results suggested that rs16907751 variants in MIR5708 contributed to an increased susceptibility to COPD in the allelic (P = 0.001), co-dominant (homozygous) (P = 0.001), dominant (P = 0.017), recessive (P = 0.002), and additive (P = 0.002) models. The effects of MIR5708 and MIR1208 gene polymorphisms on the risk of COPD were age-, sex-, smoking status-, and BMI-related. Furthermore, the C-A and G-A haplotypes of rs2608029 and rs13280095 in MIR1208 were identified as risk factors for COPD in the population over 70 years (P = 0.029) and in women (P = 0.049), respectively. Finally, significant associations between rs16907751genotypes with pulse rate and forced expiratory volume in 1 s were found among COPD patients.

CONCLUSION

Genetic polymorphisms in MIR5708 and MIR1208 are associated with increased risk of COPD in China.