Positive correlation between lipid accumulation product index and arterial stiffness in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes

Background

Many studies have confirmed that lipid accumulation products (LAP) predict arterial stiffness (AS) in hypertensive patients. But there is little research on the use of LAP in identifying early atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the LAP index and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in Chinese patients with T2DM.

Methods

A total of 1471 Chinese participants with T2DM, ranging in age from 18 to 80, were included in this cross-sectional study. BaPWV measurements were used to calculate the AS. A baPWV greater than the 75th percentile (1700 cm/s) was defined as indicating increased AS. The LAP index was calculated from the combination of waist circumference (WC) and triglycerides (TG).

Results

According to the quartiles of the LAP index, baPWV tended to increase after adjusting for sex and age. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the beta coefficient (β) of baPWV increased by 31.0 cm/s for each unit of lnLAP that was increased, and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was (6.5, 55.5) cm/s. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, after fully adjusting for confounders, the risk of elevated baPWV increased with each unit increase in lnLAP, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.3 (95% CI: 1.0, 1.8). According to the generalized additive model (GAM), we found that lnLAP was positively correlated with baPWV and baPWV elevation. The results were the same for males and females. Subgroup analyses showed that the positive correlation between lnLAP and elevated baPWV did not interact across all subgroups.

Conclusions

In Chinese patients with T2DM, LAP was strongly and positively correlated with baPWV and elevated baPWV.

Scalable Production of Catecholamine-Densified MXene Coatings for Electromagnetic Shielding and Infrared Stealth

Processing transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes) inks into large-area functional coatings expects promising potential for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and infrared stealth. However, the coating performances, especially for scalable fabrication techniques, are greatly constrained by the flake size and stacking manner of MXene. Herein, the large-area production of highly densified and oriented MXene coatings is demonstrated by engineering interfacial interactions of small MXene flakes with catecholamine molecules. The catecholamine molecules can micro-crosslink MXene nanosheets, significantly improving the ink's rheological properties. It favors the shear-induced sheet arrangement and inhibition of structural defects in the blade coating process, making it possible to achieve high orientation and densification of MXene assembly by either large-area coating or patterned printing. Interestingly, the MXene/catecholamine coating exhibits high conductivity of up to 12 247 S cm-1 and ultrahigh specific EMI shielding effectiveness of 2.0 ×10 5  dB cm2 g-1 , obviously superior to most of the reported MXene materials. Furthermore, the regularly assembled structure also endows the MXene coatings with low infrared emissivities for infrared stealth applications. Therefore, MXene/catecholamine coatings with ultraefficient EMI shielding and low infrared emissivity prove the feasibility of applications in aerospace, military, and wearable devices.

Ratoon Rice Cropping Mitigates the Greenhouse Effect by Reducing CH4 Emissions through Reduction of Biomass during the Ratoon Season

The ratoon rice cropping system (RR) is developing rapidly in China due to its comparable annual yield and lower agricultural and labor inputs than the double rice cropping system (DR). Here, to further compare the greenhouse effects of RR and DR, a two-year field experiment was carried out in Hubei Province, central China. The ratoon season showed significantly lower cumulative CH4 emissions than the main season of RR, the early season and late season of DR. RR led to significantly lower annual cumulative CH4 emissions, but no significant difference in cumulative annual N2O emissions compared with DR. In RR, the main and ratoon seasons had significantly higher and lower grain yields than the early and late seasons of DR, respectively, resulting in comparable annual grain yields between the two systems. In addition, the ratoon season had significantly lower global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity-based grain yield (GHGI) than the main and late seasons. The annual GWP and GHGI of RR were significantly lower than those of DR. In general, the differences in annual CH4 emissions, GWP, and GHGI could be primarily attributed to the differences between the ratoon season and the late season. Moreover, GWP and GHGI exhibited significant positive correlations with cumulative emissions of CH4 rather than N2O. The leaf area index (LAI) and biomass accumulation in the ratoon season were significantly lower than those in the main season and late season, and CH4 emissions, GWP, and GHGI showed significant positive correlations with LAI, biomass accumulation and grain yield in the ratoon and late season. Finally, RR had significantly higher net ecosystem economic benefits (NEEB) than DR. Overall, this study indicates that RR is a green cropping system with lower annual CH4 emissions, GWP, and GHGI as well as higher NEEB.

Association Between Chinese Visceral Adipose Index and Albuminuria in Chinese Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose

To explore the correlation between Chinese visceral adipose index (CVAI) and urinary microalbumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) and urinary albumin, and whether there is any difference in correlation between Han and Tujia ethnicity.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Changde, Hunan, China from May 2021 to December 2021. Biochemical indicators including anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, blood glucose, blood lipids, and UACR of the participants were measured. Univariate analysis, multivariate analyses and multinomial logistic regression analysis were carried out to assess the association between CVAI and albuminuria. In addition, curve fitting and threshold effect analysis were used to explore the nonlinear association between CVAI and albuminuria, and to observe whether there were ethnic differences in this association.

Results

A total of 2026 adult residents were enrolled in this study, 500 of whom had albuminuria. Population-standardized prevalence of albuminuria is 19.06%. In the multivariable model adjusted for confounding factors, the odds ratio (OR) of albuminuria for pre-unit increase of CVAI and pre-SD increase of CVAI were 1.007 (1.003-1.010) and 1.298 (1.127-1.496), respectively. Multinomial logistic regression analysis confirmed the robustness and consistency of the results.The generalized additive model showed that CVAI and albuminuria had a nonlinear relationship with inflection point at 97.201 using the threshold effect. Compared with Han ethnic groups, the threshold between CVAI and albuminuria in Tujia people moved backward. The thresholds were 159.785 and 98.527, respectively.

Conclusion

There was a positive nonlinear dose-response relationship between increased CVAI and higher levels of albuminuria. Maintaining appropriate CVAI levels may be important for the prevention of albuminuria.

[Overexpression of miR-431-5p impairs mitochondrial function and induces apoptosis in gastric cancer cells via the Bax/Bcl-2/caspase3 pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of microRNA miR-431-5p in gastric cancer (GC) tissues and its effects on apoptosis and mitochondrial function in GC cells.

METHODS

The expression level of miR-431-5p in 50 clinical samples of GC tissues and paired adjacent tissues was detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and its correlation with the clinicopathological features of the patients was analyzed. A cultured human GC cell line (MKN-45 cells) were transfected with a miR-431-5p mimic or a negative control sequence, and the cell proliferation, apoptosis, mitochondrial number, mitochondrial potential, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content were detected using CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, fluorescent probe label, or ATP detection kit. The changes in the expression levels of the apoptotic proteins in the cells were detected with Western blotting.

RESULTS

The expression level of miR-431-5p was significantly lower in GC tissues than in the adjacent tissues (P < 0.001) and was significantly correlated with tumor differentiation (P=0.0227), T stage (P=0.0184), N stage (P=0.0005), TNM stage (P=0.0414) and vascular invasion (P=0.0107). In MKN-45 cells, overexpression of miR-431-5p obviously inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis, causing also mitochondrial function impairment as shown by reduced mitochondrial number, lowered mitochondrial potential, increased mPTP opening, increased ROS production and reduced ATP content. Overexpression of miR-431-5p significantly downregulated the expression of Bcl-2 and increased the expressions of pro-apoptotic proteins p53, Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3 protein.

CONCLUSION

The expression of miR-431-5p is down-regulated in GC, which results in mitochondrial function impairment and promotes cell apoptosis by activating the Bax/Bcl-2/caspase3 signaling pathway, suggesting the potential role of miR-431-5p in targeted therapy for GC.

An electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of Glypican-3 based on enzymatic ferrocene-tyramine deposition reaction

An ultrasensitive electrochemical immunosensor based on signal amplification of the deposition of the electroactive ferrocene-tyramine (Fc-Tyr) molecule, catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP), was constructed for the detection of the liver cancer marker Glypican-3 (GPC3). Functional electroactive molecule Fc-Tyr is reported to exhibit both the enzymatic cascade catalytic activity of tyramine signal amplification (TSA) and the excellent redox properties of ferrocene. In terms of design, the low matrix effects inherent in using the magnetic bead platforms, a quasi-homogeneous system, allowed capturing the target protein GPC3 without sample pretreatment, and loading HRP to trigger the TSA, which induced a large amount of Fc-Tyr deposited on the electrode surface layer by layer as a signal probe for the detection of GPC3. The concept of Fc-Tyr as an electroactive label was validated, GPC3 biosensor exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity to GPC3 in the range of 0.1 ng mL^-1-1 μg mL^-1. Finally, the sensor was used simultaneously with ELISA to assess GPC3 levels in the serum of clinical liver cancer patients, and the results showed consistency, with a recovery of 98.33-105.35% and a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.38-8.18%, providing a theoretical basis for achieving portable, rapid and point of care testing (POCT) of tumor markers.

Association of pectoralis muscle area on computed tomography with airflow limitation severity and respiratory outcomes in COPD: A population-based prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) of severe or very severe airflow limitation have a reduced pectoralis muscle area (PMA), which is associated with mortality. However, whether patients with COPD of mild or moderate airflow limitation also have a reduced PMA remains unclear. Additionally, limited evidence is available regarding the associations between PMA and respiratory symptoms, lung function, computed tomography (CT) imaging, lung function decline, and exacerbations. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate the presence of PMA reduction in COPD and to clarify its associations with the referred variables.

METHODS

This study was based on the subjects enrolled from July 2019 to December 2020 in the Early Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (ECOPD) study. Data including questionnaire, lung function, and CT imaging were collected. The PMA was quantified on full-inspiratory CT at the aortic arch level using predefined -50 and 90 Hounsfield unit attenuation ranges. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to assess the association between the PMA and airflow limitation severity, respiratory symptoms, lung function, emphysema, air trapping, and the annual decline in lung function. Cox proportional hazards analysis and Poisson regression analysis were used to evaluate the PMA and exacerbations after adjustment.

RESULTS

We included 1352 subjects at baseline (667 with normal spirometry, 685 with spirometry-defined COPD). The PMA was monotonically lower with progressive airflow limitation severity of COPD after adjusting for confounders (vs. normal spirometry; Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease [GOLD] 1: β=-1.27, P=0.028; GOLD 2: β=-2.29, P<0.001; GOLD 3: β=-4.88, P<0.001; GOLD 4: β=-6.47, P=0.014). The PMA was negatively associated with the modified British Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (β=-0.005, P=0.026), COPD Assessment Test score (β=-0.06, P=0.001), emphysema (β=-0.07, P<0.001), and air trapping (β=-0.24, P<0.001) after adjustment. The PMA was positively associated with lung function (all P<0.05). Similar associations were discovered for the pectoralis major muscle area and pectoralis minor muscle area. After the 1-year follow-up, the PMA was associated with the annual decline in the post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s percent of predicted value (β=0.022, P=0.002) but not with the annual rate of exacerbations or the time to first exacerbation.

CONCLUSION

Patients with mild or moderate airflow limitation exhibit a reduced PMA. The PMA is associated with airflow limitation severity, respiratory symptoms, lung function, emphysema, and air trapping, suggesting that PMA measurement can assist with COPD assessment.

Nanoparticles for cancer therapy: a review of influencing factors and evaluation methods for biosafety

Nanoparticles are widely used in the biomedical field for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes due to their small size, high carrier capacity, and ease of modification, which enable selective targeting and as contrast agents. Over the past decades, more and more nanoparticles have received regulatory approval to enter the clinic, more nanoparticles have shown potential for clinical translation, and humans have increasing access to them. However, nanoparticles have a high potential to cause unpredictable adverse effects on human organs, tissues, and cells due to their unique physicochemical properties and interactions with DNA, lipids, cells, tissues, proteins, and biological fluids. Currently, issues, such as nanoparticle side effects and toxicity, remain controversial, and these pitfalls must be fully considered prior to their application to body systems. Therefore, it is particularly urgent and important to assess the safety of nanoparticles acting in living organisms. In this paper, we review the important factors influencing the biosafety of nanoparticles in terms of their properties, and introduce common methods to summarize the biosafety evaluation of nanoparticles through in vitro and in body systems.

Abdominal infection combined with pneumoperitoneum after renal transplantation: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Abdominal infection combined with pneumoperitoneum after renal transplantation is rare, clinically confusing, and easily misdiagnosed by physicians as gastrointestinal perforation.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 54-year-old man experienced abdominal pain and distension together with signs of peritoneal irritation after cadaveric renal transplantation. CT and standing abdominal plain film showed a large pneumoperitoneum in the abdominal cavity and the patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy but no gastrointestinal perforation was found.

DIAGNOSIS

No gastrointestinal perforation was found during the operation. In the search for the infectious agent, ascites culture was negative while next-generation sequencing was positive, suggesting the presence of intestinal flora ectopic to abdominal infection with anaerobic respiration fermentation leading to large amounts of gas.

INTERVENTIONS

The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy without gastrointestinal perforation, and then underwent abdominal lavage, placed abdominal drainage tube, and conducted culture and next-generation sequencing examination of ascites.

OUTCOMES

Postoperative symptoms were relieved and intestinal function recovered. After 3 months of outpatient follow-up, the patient had stable transplanted kidney function and was in good spirits and sleeping well, with a good appetite, soft and regular stools, no abdominal pain and distension, and no fever.

CONCLUSION

Patients after kidney transplantation should be wary of abdominal infection being misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal perforation.

NIR-II Responsive Upconversion Nanoprobe with Simultaneously Enhanced Single-Band Red Luminescence and Phase/Size Control for Bioimaging and Photodynamic Therapy

Lanthanide based upconversion (UC) nanoprobes have emerged as promising agents for biological applications. Extending the excitation light to the second near-infrared (NIR-II), instead of the traditional 980/808 nm light, and realizing NIR-II responsive single-band red UC emission is highly demanded for bioimaging application, which has not yet been explored. Here, a new type of NIR-II (1532 nm) light responsive UC nanoparticles (UCNPs) with enhanced single-band red UC emission and controllable phase and size is designed by introducing Er³⁺ as sensitizer and utilizing Mn²⁺ as energy manipulator. Through tuning the content of Mn²⁺ in NaLnF₄ :Er/Mn, the crystal phase, size, and emitting color are readily controlled, and the red-to-green (R/G) ratio is significantly increased from ≈20 to ≈300, leading to NIR-II responsive single band red emission via efficient energy transfer between Er³⁺ and Mn²⁺ . In addition, the single band red emitting intensity can be further improved by coating shell to avoid the surface quenching effect. More importantly, NIR-II light activated red UC bioimaging and photodynamic therapy through loading photosensitizer of zinc phthalocyanine are successfully achieved for the first time. These findings provide a new strategy of designing NIR-II light responsive single-band red emissive UCNPs for biomedical applications.

Two-Dimensional Janus MXene Inks for Versatile Functional Coatings on Arbitrary Substrates

Solution processing of two-dimensional nanomaterial inks guarantees efficient, straightforward fabrication of functional films, coatings, flexible devices, etc. Despite the excellent solution processibility and viscoelasticity of MXene aqueous inks, formulation of nonaqueous MXene inks with great affinity to both hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates has proven quite challenging, limiting the practical applications of MXenes in printing/coatings on various substrates. Here, MXene surface chemistry is manipulated by asymmetrically grafting polystyrene and further concentrating the flakes into additive-free Janus MXene organic inks. The modified MXene nanosheets exhibit hydrophilicity on one side and hydrophobicity on the other. As a result, Janus MXene nanosheets ensure broad dispersibility in polar and nonpolar solvents, which in turn greatly extends the ink shelf life by slowing down the oxidation kinetics. Janus MXene sheets dispersed in toluene at room temperature remain at 90% of the initial solids after 1 month of storage. Janus surface engineering on MXene flakes guarantees the straightforward formation of uniform yet firm, large-area coatings on hydrophilic or hydrophobic substrates. These coatings demonstrate improved photothermal properties and chemical stability as well as good electromagnetic interference shielding performance. This strategy provides a simple and cost-effective way to promote the performance of MXene electronics in a variety of applications.

3D Printing of Ultralow-Concentration 2D Nanomaterial Inks for Multifunctional Architectures

The direct 3D printing of ultralight architectures with ultralow-concentration 2D nanomaterial inks is necessary yet challenging. Here, we describe an emulsion-based ink for direct printing using 2D nanomaterials, i.e., MXene and graphene oxide (GO). The electrostatic interactions between the ligands in the oil phase and the 2D nanomaterials in the aqueous phase help form sheet-like surfactants at the interface. The interactions between the anchored ligands among different droplets dictate the rheological characteristics of inks, enabling a gel-like behavior ideally suitable for 3D printing at ultralow concentrations of 2D nanomaterials. The 3D printed foams possess lightweight structures with densities of 2.8 mg cm^-3 (GO-based) and 4.1 mg cm^-3 (MXene-based), and the latter integrates outstanding electrical conductivity, electromagnetic shielding performance, and thermal insulation comparable to air. This work describes a general approach for direct-printing ultralight porous structures that take advantage of the inherent properties of 2D building blocks.

Optimal Anthropometric Indicators and Cut Points for Predicting Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Gender

PURPOSE

The best predictors and cut points for metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) were determined by comparing six anthropometric measures: body mass index (BMI), triglyceride-glucose (TyG), the product of TyG and waist-to-hip ratio (TyG-WHpR), the product of TyG and waist-to-height ratio (TyG-WHtR), the product of TyG and waist circumference (TyG-WC), and the product of TyG and body mass index (TyG-BMI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Sixteen hundred and sixty-five adult patients with T2DM were collected, and the ability and cut points of each index to predict MetS were compared by plotting the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calculating the area under the curve (AUC) values. Then, logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for confounders, including adjustment for menopause in women, to obtain the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

MetS was present in 71.60% of T2DM patients, 75.00% of men, and 67.02% of women. BMI was the best predictor of MetS in men with T2DM (AUC = 0.8646, 95% CI: 0.8379-0.8912), with a cut point of 24.5500 kg/m² (specificity: 0.7714; sensitivity: 0.7533), and TyG-WC was the best predictor of MetS in women with T2DM (AUC = 0.8362, 95% CI: 0.8034-0.8690), with a cut point of 154.1548 (specificity: 0.7455; sensitivity: 0.8076).

CONCLUSION

The best predictor of MetS in adults with T2DM is BMI with a cut point of 24.5500 kg/m² for men and TyG-WC with a cut point of 154.1548 for women.

Constraints on Sub-GeV Dark Matter-Electron Scattering from the CDEX-10 Experiment

We present improved germanium-based constraints on sub-GeV dark matter via dark matter-electron (χ-e) scattering using the 205.4  kg·day dataset from the CDEX-10 experiment. Using a novel calculation technique, we attain predicted χ-e scattering spectra observable in high-purity germanium detectors. In the heavy mediator scenario, our results achieve 3 orders of magnitude of improvement for m_{χ} larger than 80  MeV/c^{2} compared to previous germanium-based χ-e results. We also present the most stringent χ-e cross-section limit to date among experiments using solid-state detectors for m_{χ} larger than 90  MeV/c^{2} with heavy mediators and m_{χ} larger than 100  MeV/c^{2} with electric dipole coupling. The result proves the feasibility and demonstrates the vast potential of a new χ-e detection method with high-purity germanium detectors in ultralow radioactive background.

Exotic Dark Matter Search with the CDEX-10 Experiment at China's Jinping Underground Laboratory

A search for exotic dark matter (DM) in the sub-GeV mass range has been conducted using 205 kg day data taken from a p-type point contact germanium detector of the CDEX-10 experiment at China's Jinping underground laboratory. New low-mass dark matter searching channels, neutral current fermionic DM absorption (χ+A→ν+A) and DM-nucleus 3→2 scattering (χ+χ+A→ϕ+A), have been analyzed with an energy threshold of 160 eVee. No significant signal was found; thus new limits on the DM-nucleon interaction cross section are set for both models at the sub-GeV DM mass region. A cross section limit for the fermionic DM absorption is set to be 2.5×10^{-46}  cm^{2} (90% C.L.) at DM mass of 10  MeV/c^{2}. For the DM-nucleus 3→2 scattering scenario, limits are extended to DM mass of 5 and 14  MeV/c^{2} for the massless dark photon and bound DM final state, respectively.

Recyclable Endogenous H2 S Activation of Self-Assembled Nanoprobe with Controllable Biodegradation for Synergistically Enhanced Colon Cancer-Specific Therapy

Excessive production of hydrogen sulfide (H₂ S) plays a crucial role in the progress of colon cancer. Construction of tumor-specific H₂ S-activated smart nanoplatform with controllable biodegradation is of great significance for precise and sustainable treatment of colon cancer. Herein, an endogenous H₂ S triggered Co-doped polyoxometalate (POM-Co) cluster with self-adjustable size, controlled biodegradation, and sustainable cyclic depletion of H₂ S/glutathione (GSH) is designed for synergistic enhanced tumor-specific photothermal and chemodynamic therapy. The designed POM-Co nanocluster holds H₂ S responsive "turn-on" photothermal property in colon cancer via self-assembling to form large-sized POM-CoS, enhancing the accumulation at tumor sites. Furthermore, the formed POM-CoS can gradually biodegrade, resulting in release of Co²⁺ and Mo⁶⁺ for Co(II)-catalyzed •OH production and Russell mechanism-enabled ¹ O₂ generation with GSH consumption, respectively. More importantly, the degraded POM-CoS is reactivated by endogenous H₂ S for recyclable and sustainable consumption of H₂ S and GSH, resulting in tumor-specific photothermal/chemodynamic continuous therapy. Therefore, this study provides an opportunity of designing tumor microenvironment-driven nanoprobes with controllable biodegradation for precise and sustainable anti-tumor therapy.

Controllable Surface-Grafted MXene Inks for Electromagnetic Wave Modulation and Infrared Anti-Counterfeiting Applications

Two-dimensional transition metal carbide/nitride (MXene) conductive inks are promising for scalable production of printable electronics, electromagnetic devices, and multifunctional coatings. However, the susceptible oxidation and poor rheological property seriously impede the printability of MXene inks and the exploration of functional devices. Here, we proposed a controllable surface grafting strategy for MXene flakes (p-MXene) with prepolymerized polydopamine macromolecules to protect against water and oxygen, enrich surface chemistry, and significantly optimize the rheological properties of the inks. The obtained p-MXene inks can adapt to screen-printing and other high-viscosity processing techniques, facilitating the development of patterned electromagnetic films and coatings. Interestingly, the printed MXene polarizer can freely switch and quantitatively control microwave transmission, giving an inspiring means for smart microwave modulation beyond the commonly reported shielding function. Moreover, the introduction of polydopamine nanoshell enables the infrared emissivity of MXene coating to be adjusted to a large extent, which can produce infrared anti-counterfeiting patterns in a thermal imager. Therefore, multifunctional antioxidant p-MXene inks will greatly extend the potential applications for the next-generation printable electronics and devices.

In Situ Silver-Based Electrochemical Oncolytic Bioreactor

In this study, it is shown for the first time that a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) carrier has a 20-fold higher catalysis rate than graphene oxide in Ag⁺ reduction. Based on this, a tumor microenvironment-enabled in situ silver-based electrochemical oncolytic bioreactor (SEOB) which switched Ag⁺ prodrugs into in situ therapeutic silver nanoparticles with and above 95% transition rate is constructed to inhibit the growths of various tumors. In this SEOB-enabled intratumoral nanosynthetic medicine, intratumoral H₂ O₂ and rGO act as the reductant and the catalyst, respectively. Chelation of aptamers to the SEOB-unlocked prodrugs increases the production of silver nanoparticles in tumor cells, especially in the presence of Vitamin C, which is broken down in tumor cells to supply massive amounts of H₂ O₂ . Consequently, apoptosis and pyroptosis are induced to cooperatively contribute to the considerably-elevated anti-tumor effects on subcutaneous HepG2 and A549 tumors and orthotopic implanted HepG2 tumors in livers of nude mice. The specific aptamer targeting and intratumoral silver nanoparticle production guarantee excellent biosafety since it fails to elicit tissue damages in monkeys, which greatly increases the clinical translation potential of the SEOB system.

Seroprevalence of antibodies to classical swine fever virus and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in healthy pigs in Hunan Province, China

Classical swine fever (CSF) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) are responsible for major economic losses and represent a threat to the swine industry worldwide. Routine surveillance serology for CSF and PRRS viruses is critical to maintaining the health status of sow farms in Hunan Province, which is one of the top pig production provinces in China. The aim of our study was to investigate the serological statistics of CSF virus (CSFV) and PRRS virus (PRRSV) in Hunan Province. The cohort serum samples were collected from vaccinated and unvaccinated pigs. Our findings showed that the average rates of CSFV and PRRSV antibody seropositivity were 82.2% (95% CI: 80.1-84.3) and 84.8% (95% CI: 82.5-87.1), respectively, in the immunized group and that these rates were higher than those in the unvaccinated group (58.6% for CSFV and 47.8% for PRRSV). Additionally, the level of CSFV antibody in piglet serum declined gradually with age, whereas PRRSV-specific antibody level increased initially (1 to 2 weeks old) and then declined with age (2 to 4 weeks old). In summary, we investigated the difference in CSFV/PRRSV antibody levels among piglets at various weeks old (1 to 4 weeks) to further establish the duration of maternal immunity in piglets. In addition, routine monitoring of CSFV/PRRSV antibodies in immunized pigs was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of vaccination.

POS0244 ASSOCIATION OF PROTEINASE 3 GENE (PRTN3) Val119Ile POLYMORPHISM (SNP rs351111) WITH RISK OF RELAPSE AMONG HOMOZYGOUS PATIENTS WITH PR3 ANCA-ASSOCIATED VASCULITIS

Background

The frequency of the proteinase 3 gene (PRTN3) polymorphisms in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is not well characterized. We hypothesize that PRTN3 gene polymorphisms induce allosteric changes in PR3 conformation which may alter its interaction with ligands and PR3-ANCA during inflammation with potential implications for disease presentation and clinical outcomes.

Objectives

To analyze the association of PRTN3 Val119Ile polymorphism (SNP rs351111) with risk of relapse risk among homozygous patients with PR3 ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Methods

DNA variant calling for SNP rs351111 (chr.19:844020, c.355G>A) in PRTN3 gene assessed the allelic frequency in patients with PR3-AAV included in the Rituximab versus Cyclophosphamide (RAVE) trial. This was followed by RNA-seq variant calling to characterize the mRNA expression. We compared clinical presentation and outcomes between patients homozygous for PR3-Ile119 or PR3-Val119.

Results

Serum samples for DNA calling were available in 188 of the 197 patients with AAV in the RAVE cohort. 75 PR3-AAV patients had the allelic variant: 13 patients were homozygous for PR3-Ile119 and 62 patients were heterozygous PR3-Val119Ile with an allele frequency threshold of 29.3 – 55.1% of reads (Figure 1A and 1B). RNA-seq was available for 89 patients and the mRNA corresponding to the allelic variant was found in 35 PR3-AAV patients: 13 patients were homozygous for PR3-Ile119 and 22 patients were heterozygous PR3-Val119Ile with an allele frequency threshold of 11.1 – 62.8% of reads (Figure 1A and 1C). The agreement between the DNA calling results and the mRNA expression of the 86 patients that overlapped was 100%. We found an additional homozygous patient for PR3-Val119 in which blood was not available for DNA calling. We compared the clinical presentation and outcomes of 74 patients with PR3-AAV: 13 homozygous for PR3-Ile119 and 51 homozygous for PR3-Val119 (Table 1). The frequency of severe flares at 18 months in homozygous PR3-Ile119 was ≥ 2x higher when compared with homozygous PR3-Val119 (46.2% vs. 19.6%, p=0.048). We found no differences in clinical presentation.

Figure 1.

RAVE trial population distribution according to the zygosity status for PRTN3 gene (PR3 and MPO-ANCA patients) and DNA or RNA variant calling (panel A). Allelic frequency for rs351111, chr.19:844020 (c.355G>A) in PRTN3 among patients with AAV (PR3 and MPO-ANCA) in the DNA (panel B) and RNA (panel C) variant calling.

Table 1.

Outcomes of patients with PR3-ANCA according with PRTN3 zygosity.

PR3-ANCA (n=64)Homozygous PR3-Val119(n=51)HomozygousPR3-Ile119(n=13)p-value Remission, n (%)45 (88.2)13 (100)0.194 Complete remission, n (%)36 (70.6)10 (76.9)0.650 Any flare 18 months, n (%)30 (58.8)7 (53.8)0.746 Severe Relapse* 18 months, n (%)10 (19.6)6 (46.2)0.048

* Relapse was considered “Severe” if Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score for Wegener’s Granulomatosis (BVAS/WG) > 3 or one major item as per the RAVE trial definition.

Abbreviations: ANCA - anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody; Ile – isoleucine; n- number; PR3 - proteinase 3; Val - valine.

Conclusion

In patients with PR3-AAV the presence of PRTN3 Val119Ile polymorphism was associated with higher frequency of severe relapse. Further studies are necessary to understand the association of this observation with the risk of severe relapse.

References

[1]Stone JH et al N Engl J Med 2010; 363:221-232

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Structural visualization of transient interactions between the cis-acting acyltransferase and acyl carrier protein of the salinomycin modular polyketide synthase

Transient protein–protein interactions between cis-acting acyltransferase (AT) and acyl carrier protein (ACP) domains are critical for the catalysis and processivity of modular polyketide synthases (mPKSs), but are challenging for structural characterization due to the intrinsically weak binding affinity. Here, a stable complex of cis-acting AT and ACP domains from the ninth module of the salinomycin mPKS was obtained using a maleimide cross-linker and the structure of the complex was determined at 2.6 Å resolution. The crystal structure shows that the AT in combination with the ketosynthase (KS)-to-AT linker forms a C-shaped architecture to embrace the ACP. The large hydrolase subdomain of the AT serves as a major binding platform for the ACP, while the small ferredoxin-like subdomain of the AT and the KS-to-AT linker cooperate with each other to constrain binding of the ACP. The importance of interface residues in cis-acting AT–ACP interactions was confirmed by mutagenesis assays. The interaction mode observed in the cis-acting AT–ACP complex is completely different from those observed in trans-acting AT–ACP complexes, where the ACP primarily contacts the small domain of the AT. The complex structure provides detailed mechanistic insights into AT–ACP recognition in cis-AT mPKSs.

In Vivo High-Resolution Bioimaging of Bone Marrow and Fracture Diagnosis Using Lanthanide Nanoprobes with 1525 nm Emission

Bones play vital roles in human health. Noninvasive visualization of the full extent of bones is highly demanded to evaluate many bone-related diseases. Herein, we report poly (acrylic acid) (PAA)-modified NaLuF₄:Yb/Er/Gd/Ce@NaYF₄ nanoparticles (PAA-Er) with second near-infrared emission beyond 1500 nm (also referred as NIR-IIb) for high-resolution bone/bone marrow imaging and bone fracture diagnosis. The NIR-IIb optical-guided bone marrow imaging presents a high signal to noise ratio, which is superior to that for imaging in the NIR-II window (1000-1400 nm, NIR-IIa). Importantly, we also investigated the size-dependent accumulation of the nanoparticles and the possible accumulation mechanism of the designed PAA-Er nanoprobes in bone marrow. Due to the high affinity capability of the PAA-Er nanoprobes, a highly sensitive NIR-IIb optical-guided bone fracture diagnosis was successfully achieved. This novel technology paves the way to design lanthanide nanoprobes for NIR-IIb optical-guided high-resolution bone marrow imaging and bone-related disease diagnosis.

Probing the seismic cycle timing with coseismic twisting of subduction margins

Assessing the timing of great megathrust earthquakes is together crucial for seismic hazard analysis and deemed impossible. Geodetic instrumentation of subduction zones has revealed unexpected deformation patterns at subduction segments adjacent to those that hosted recent mega-earthquakes: coastal sites move landward with faster velocities than before the earthquake. Here, we show observations from the largest and best-monitored megathrust earthquakes, and from a scaled analog model, to reveal that these events create coseismic and postseismic deformation patterns typical of a complete gear-like rotation about a vertical axis, hereafter called twisting. We find that such twisting alters the interseismic velocity field of adjacent subduction segments depending on the time since the last earthquake. Early interactions accelerate while late interactions decelerate local kinematics. This finding opens the possibility of using megathrust earthquakes, the characteristics of the twisting pattern, and the ensuing geodetic velocity changes, as a proxy for estimating the timing of the seismic cycle at unruptured segments along the margin.

Satellite geodesy and downscaled laboratory experiments reveal that great subduction earthquakes trigger step changes in kinematics of neighboring segments. This signal is potentially informative of the timing of the seismic cycle.

Intelligent Nanotransducer for Deep-Tumor Hypoxia Modulation and Enhanced Dual-Photosensitizer Photodynamic Therapy

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) emerged as promising near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered nanotransducers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, the traditionally used 980 nm excitation source could cause an overheating effect on biological tissues, and the single photosensitizer (PS) loading could not efficiently utilize multiradiation UC luminescence, resulting in a limited efficiency of PDT in tumor tissues with hypoxia characteristics. Herein, 808 nm light-responsive Nd-sensitized UCNPs@mSiO₂@MnO₂ core-shell NPs were designed as light nanotransducers with efficient UC emission at 550 and 650 nm for PDT and downshifting luminescence at 1525 nm for second NIR (NIR-II) imaging. UC emission was fully utilized by loading dual PSs, rose bengal (RB), and zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc), thus significantly improving the reactive oxide species (ROS) generation efficiency. Moreover, a manganese dioxide (MnO₂) shell with ultrasensitive biodegradability in an acidic tumor microenvironment (TME) can generate an amount of oxygen molecules, alleviating the symptoms of hypoxia and then improving the efficacy of PDT. Meanwhile, the biodegraded Mn²⁺ ions can further strengthen T₁-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This work presented a new multifunctional theranostic agent for combining NIR-II/MRI imaging and 808 nm light-triggered PDT to combat the limitations of cancer therapy.

[Progress in the pathogenesis of post-infectious persistent cough]

Respiratory viral infection is a common cause of acute cough. After the cause has been cleared and the symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion and runny nose have been relieved, some patients still have persistent cough. These phenomena indicate that respiratory viruses may mediate cough hypersensitivity and lead to the occurrence of sub-acute or chronic cough. Cough response to viral infection is a protective strategy to prevent the spread of the viruses from the upper respiratory tract to other sites, but excessive coughing becomes a disease. In this review, we introduced the research progress in the pathophysiological mechanism of post-viral persistent cough or chronic cough.

Rotary table wobble error analysis and correction of a rotating accelerometer gravity gradiometer

In a rotating accelerometer gravity gradiometer (RAGG), rotary table wobble refers to the shift in the direction of the spin axis during operation. This motion causes errors in the output of the RAGG, but the mechanism is not clear. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between rotary table wobble and RAGG errors and to propose a method for rejecting these errors. We consider the influence of attitude changes, angular velocity, and angular acceleration caused by the wobble on the specific force, and we describe the error transmission process based on the accelerometer configuration and its measurement principle. Furthermore, we show through a simulated experiment that when the angular velocity noise caused by the wobble is 1 μrad/s, this will produce errors of tens of E. We propose a post-error correction method that is based on the higher-precision RAGG model and motion measurement. The errors in the two channels of the RAGG are reduced to 3.69 E and 1.85 E after error correction. The error analysis of the effects of wobble on a RAGG and the proposed error correction method are of great significance for the development of high-precision gradiometers.

A 2-year locomotive exploration and scientific investigation of the lunar farside by the Yutu-2 rover

The lunar nearside has been investigated by many uncrewed and crewed missions, but the farside of the Moon remains poorly known. Lunar farside exploration is challenging because maneuvering rovers with efficient locomotion in harsh extraterrestrial environment is necessary to explore geological characteristics of scientific interest. Chang'E-4 mission successfully targeted the Moon's farside and deployed a teleoperated rover (Yutu-2) to explore inside the Von Kármán crater, conveying rich information regarding regolith, craters, and rocks. Here, we report mobile exploration on the lunar farside with Yutu-2 over the initial 2 years. During its journey, Yutu-2 has experienced varying degrees of mild slip and skid, indicating that the terrain is relatively flat at large scales but scattered with local gentle slopes. Cloddy soil sticking on its wheels implies a greater cohesion of the lunar soil than encountered at other lunar landing sites. Further identification results indicate that the regolith resembles dry sand and sandy loam on Earth in bearing properties, demonstrating greater bearing strength than that identified during the Apollo missions. In sharp contrast to the sparsity of rocks along the traverse route, small fresh craters with unilateral moldable ejecta are abundant, and some of them contain high-reflectance materials at the bottom, suggestive of secondary impact events. These findings hint at notable differences in the surface geology between the lunar farside and nearside. Experience gained with Yutu-2 improves the understanding of the farside of the Moon, which, in return, may lead to locomotion with improved efficiency and larger range.

Comparisons between main and ratoon crops in resource use efficiencies, environmental impacts, and economic profits of rice ratooning system in central China

Rice production in China is constrained by excessive water consumption, labor shortage, large environmental footprint, and low economic profit. Rice ratooning is a promising practice to increase famers' profit with higher resource use efficiency and less environmental impact compared with other rice cropping systems. However, there is limited information on the differences in energy use efficiency, water and labor productivity, environmental footprint, and economic return between main crop (MC) and ratoon crop (RC) in this cropping system. This study was conducted to compare the system performance between the two crops of ratoon rice using on-farm survey data. Average grain yield was 8.40 and 4.55 t ha^-1 for MC and RC, respectively. Although RC produced 45.9% lower grain yield, it had 57.3% less total energy input and 71.0% lower total production cost than MC, which resulted in a significantly higher energy use efficiency, net energy ratio, net economic return and benefit-to-cost ratio. Lower total energy input and production cost of RC was mainly attributed to the reduction in fertilizer application and labor input, respectively compared with MC. In addition, both labor and water productivity of RC was significantly higher than those of MC. Furthermore, the global warming potential (GWP) and yield-scaled GWP of RC was 59.3% and 23.4% lower than those of MC, respectively, due to lower agronomic inputs and GHGs emissions. Overall, our results suggested that RC had higher resource use efficiency, better economic performance, and less environment impact compared with MC.

Soft X-Ray Stimulated Lanthanide@MOF Nanoprobe for Amplifying Deep Tissue Synergistic Photodynamic and Antitumor Immunotherapy

Combining photodynamic therapy (PDT) and immunotherapy has shown profound impact for synergistic treatment of malignant tumors. However, the shallow penetration depth of the traditional visible light activated PDT, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), and poor immunogenicity of deep-seated solid tumors have significantly impeded the therapeutic efficiency. Herein, a soft X-ray activated nanoprobe is rationally engineered via integrating porphyrin Zr-based metal-organic framework with lanthanide NaYF₄ :Gd,Tb@NaYF₄ scintillator nanoparticles (SNPs) by a new in situ growth strategy for synergistic PDT and immunotherapy of tumor. The nanoprobe possesses remarkably enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation triggered by soft X-ray via further covalently grafting rose bengal on the nanoprobe, even at tissue depths of 3 cm. Moreover, the soft X-ray induced ROS can act as potential immunogenic cell death (ICD) trigger, subsequently leading to the activation of the adaptive antitumor immune-response. Significantly, the boosted ROS generation can further modulate the immunosuppressive TME. This work provides new strategy of designing antitumor nanoprobes for soft X-ray triggered deep-tissue PDT and immune response, breaking the depth barriers suffered by the traditional photoactivated PDT or ICD using visible and near infrared light.

A H2S-Triggered Dual-Modal Second Near-Infrared/Photoacoustic Intelligent Nanoprobe for Highly Specific Imaging of Colorectal Cancer

An endogenous H₂S-triggered intelligent optical nanoprobe combining second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescence with photoacoustic (PA) imaging can provide more comprehensive information to further improve the sensitivity and reliability of diagnosis for colorectal tumor, which is rarely explored. Herein, an endogenous H₂S-triggered SiO₂@Ag nanoprobe was designed for in situ dual-modal NIR-II/PA imaging of colorectal cancer. The designed dual-modal nanoprobe can be converted to SiO₂@Ag₂S after in situ biosynthesis via a sulfuration reaction with the over-expressed endogenous H₂S in the colorectal tumor. More importantly, the designed SiO₂@Ag nanoprobe exhibits high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing colorectal cancer in vivo via dual-modal NIR-II/PA imaging. These results provide a new NIR-II/PA dual-modal imaging strategy for noninvasive intelligent detection of colorectal cancer.

Nanoparticle-delivered Therapeutic Agents Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment for Antitumor Therapy

In recent years, nanotechnology has been widely used in the field of tumor treatment. Some nanomedicine applications have been approved for tumor treatment, but nanomedicine has not so far demonstrated the anticipated therapeutic effect. In this process, the tumor microenvironment plays a major role. The tumor microenvironment is an internal environment that supports tumor occurrence, development, and metastasis. It is composed of tumor cells and related cells, intercellular substances, capillaries, and biomolecules that pervade both the tumor mass itself and its surrounding area. The tumor microenvironment can be a potential target for tumor treatment. Therefore, nano-antitumor therapy targeting the tumor microenvironment has received widespread attention. This therapy is based on the physiological characteristics of tumors that differ from those of normal tissues. The tumor microenvironment is used as a therapeutic target, and drugs are delivered to the tumor site through nanoparticles-enabled targeting to achieve fast, controllable, and efficient tumor killing. This article reviews basic research such as design principles and applications of nano-antitumor therapeutic strategies targeting the tumor microenvironment, providing a theoretical basis and new research ideas for tumor treatment.

[An optimized protocol of meniscus cell extraction for single-cell RNA sequencing]

OBJECTIVE

To optimize the protocol of meniscus cell extraction to enhance the efficiency of cell suspension preparation and maintain a high cell viability for single-cell RNA sequencing.

METHODS

We compared the efficiency of the routine cell extraction methods (short-time digestion and long-time digestion) and the optimized protocol for obtaining meniscus cell suspensions by evaluating the cell number obtained and the cell viability. Single-cell RNA sequencing datasets were analyzed to evaluate the stability of the cell suspension prepared using the optimized protocol. The reliability of the optimized protocol was assessed by comparing the single-cell RNA sequencing dataset obtained by the optimized protocol with published single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of the meniscus.

RESULTS

The optimized protocol harvested a greater number of cells (over 1×10⁵) than the routine protocols. The cell suspension prepared with the optimized protocol showed a cell viability higher than 80%, the highest among the 3 methods. Analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing datasets showed that the ratio of the mitochondrial genes was below 20% in over 80% of the cells. CD34⁺ cells, MCAM⁺ cells and COL1A1⁺ cells were identified in the datasets. Comparison with the publish datasets showed that the optimized protocol was capable of harvesting COL3A1⁺, COL1A1⁺, MYLK⁺, BMP2⁺, CD93⁺ and CDK1⁺ cells.

CONCLUSION

Single-cell suspension prepared from the meniscus can be stably obtained using the optimized protocol for single-cell RNA sequencing using the 10× Genomics platform.

Regularly fluctuating somatic cell count pattern in dairy herds

Online somatic cell count (SCC) measurement is widely used in dairy herds milked with automatic milking systems (AMS) and gives the opportunity to closely monitor individual cow udder health. Using automated SCC data, we observed cows displaying a remarkably regularly fluctuating SCC (rfSCC) pattern, which is described in this study. We aimed to (1) estimate the prevalence of rfSCC in cows milked by AMS, (2) characterize the rfSCC pattern, and (3) identify factors potentially associated with the rfSCC pattern. We analyzed 30-d episodes of composite SCC recordings of 1,000 cows from 55 dairy herds from 6 countries using an AMS with automated SCC measurement, and we identified the rfSCC pattern in 4.7% (95% CI: 3.5-6.2%) of these episodes. The rfSCC episodes had a median SCC of 701 × 1,000 cells/mL (2.5-97.5% quantile: 539-1,162), a median amplitude of 552 × 1,000 cells/mL (2.5-97.5% quantile: 409-886), and a median cycle length of 4.1 d (2.5-97.5% quantile: 3.7-4.9). Bacteriological culture data from quarter-milk samples collected every 2 wk in 1 Dutch AMS herd were analyzed, yielding no clear association between pathogen species and the rfSCC pattern found in that herd. Altogether, we described an intriguing phenomenon, present in almost 5% of the cows during a 1-mo study period. Further work is needed to quantify its importance in terms of udder health, but also to elucidate the mechanism behind this remarkable SCC pattern.

Direct Ink Writing of Highly Conductive MXene Frames for Tunable Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Electromagnetic Wave-Induced Thermochromism

3D printing of MXene frames with tunable electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency is demonstrated. Highly conductive MXene frames are reinforced by cross-linking with aluminum ions. Electromagnetic wave is visualized by electromagnetic-thermochromic MXene patterns. The highly integrated and miniaturized next-generation electronic products call for high-performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials to assure the normal operation of their closely assembled components. However, the most current techniques are not adequate for the fabrication of shielding materials with programmable structure and controllable shielding efficiency. Herein, we demonstrate the direct ink writing of robust and highly conductive Ti₃C₂T_x MXene frames with customizable structures by using MXene/AlOOH inks for tunable EMI shielding and electromagnetic wave-induced thermochromism applications. The as-printed frames are reinforced by immersing in AlCl₃/HCl solution to remove the electrically insulating AlOOH nanoparticles, as well as cross-link the MXene sheets and fuse the filament interfaces with aluminum ions. After freeze-drying, the resultant robust and porous MXene frames exhibit tunable EMI shielding efficiencies in the range of 25-80 dB with the highest electrical conductivity of 5323 S m^-1. Furthermore, an electromagnetic wave-induced thermochromic MXene pattern is assembled by coating and curing with thermochromic polydimethylsiloxane on a printed MXene pattern, and its color can be changed from blue to red under the high-intensity electromagnetic irradiation. This work demonstrates a direct ink printing of customizable EMI frames and patterns for tuning EMI shielding efficiency and visualizing electromagnetic waves.

Low Dose Soft X-Ray Remotely Triggered Lanthanide Nanovaccine for Deep Tissue CO Gas Release and Activation of Systemic Anti-Tumor Immunoresponse

Gas-based therapy has emerged as a new green therapy strategy for anti-tumor treatment. However, the therapeutic efficacy is still restricted by the deep tissue controlled release, poor lymphocytic infiltration, and inherent immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, a new type of nanovaccine is designed by integrating low dose soft X-ray-triggered CO releasing lanthanide scintillator nanoparticles (ScNPs: NaLuF4 :Gd,Tb@NaLuF4 ) with photo-responsive CO releasing moiety (PhotoCORM) for synergistic CO gas/immuno-therapy of tumors. The designed nanovaccine presents significantly boosted radioluminescence and enables deep tissue CO generation at unprecedented tissue depths of 5 cm under soft X-ray irradiation. Intriguingly, CO as a superior immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducer further reverses the deep tissue immunosuppressive TME and concurrently activates adaptive anti-tumor immunity through efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. More importantly, the designed nanovaccine presents efficient growth inhibition of both local and distant tumors via a soft X-ray activated systemic anti-tumor immunoresponse. This work provides a new strategy of designing anti-tumor nanovaccines for synergistic deep tissue gas-therapy and remote soft X-ray photoactivation of the immune response.

Superelastic, Ultralight, and Conductive Ti3C2Tx MXene/Acidified Carbon Nanotube Anisotropic Aerogels for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Although hydrophilic and electrically conductive transition-metal carbon/nitride (MXenes) nanosheets hold great promise for electrically conductive and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding applications, the weak interaction among MXene nanosheets makes them difficult to form compressible three-dimensional architectures with high conductivity. Herein, inspired by the plant "Parthenocissus tricuspidata", an efficient approach is demonstrated to fabricate conductive and lightweight Ti₃C₂T_x MXene/acidified carbon nanotube anisotropic aerogels (MCAs) with superelasticity and high thermal insulation. The MXene nanosheets construct the anisotropic and porous skeleton, while the acidified carbon nanotubes reinforce the pore walls of MXene nanosheets, making the MCAs superelastic and compressible. The superelastic MCA with only 5 wt % of the acidified carbon nanotubes is structurally stable during cyclic compressions at both high and ultralow temperatures. Its high conductivity (447.2 S m^-1) and ultralow density (9.1 mg cm^-3) endow its paraffin composite with a high EMI shielding efficiency of ∼51 dB at an ultralow filler content of 0.3 vol %. When the density of MCA increases to 18.2 mg cm^-3, its EMI shielding effectiveness reaches 90 dB. Additionally, the porous and ultralight MCAs exhibit better thermal insulation performances as compared to commercial melamine and polystyrene foams. Therefore, the superelastic, electrically conductive, lightweight, and thermally insulating MCAs would be promising for EMI shielding applications in space equipment and portable wearable devices.

TGIF2 promotes cervical cancer metastasis by negatively regulating FCMR

OBJECTIVE

We aimed at studying the correlation between TGIF2 expression and clinicopathological features of cervical cancer (CCa). The relationship between TGIF2 and FCMR and its influence on the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells were investigated using molecular biology techniques, so as to reveal the pathogenesis of CCa and provide a new target for clinical treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

TGIF2 expression in 60 pairs of cervical tumors and paracancerous tissues samples collected from CCa patients of our hospital was studied by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis, and the association between TGIF2 expression and the clinical indicators or prognosis of CCa patients were analyzed. CCa cells with TGIF2 knockdown were constructed using transfection technology. Changes in the biological phenotypes (proliferation, migration, invasion) of CCa cells C33-A and HeLa after TGIF2 knockdown were determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assays. In addition, the effects of TGIF2/FCMR axis on CCa metastasis were further explored in nude mice in vivo.

RESULTS

Our data revealed a significant increase in TGIF2 mRNA expression in CCa tissue specimens compared to adjacent ones, and the increasing degree was positively correlated with the incidence of lymph node or distant metastasis of CCa patients. The results of CCK-8 and transwell suggested that knocking down TGIF2 effectively attenuated the proliferative ability and invasiveness of CCa cells. Luciferase assay confirmed that TGIF2 can directly bind to the DNA promoter of its target gene FCMR. Simultaneous transfection of sh-TGIF2 and sh-FCMR partially reversed the inhibitory effect of single transfection of TGIF2 knockdown on the malignant progression of CCa. Experiments in nude mice also suggested that TGIF2 could promote CCa tumorigenesis through the modulation of FCMR expression.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, TGIF2 can promote the migration and proliferation ability of cervical cancer cells via down-regulating FCMR. Our study provides a new therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of cervical cancer.

Human endoglin-CD3 bispecific T cell engager antibody induces anti-tumor effect in vivo

Rationale: Endoglin, also known as CD105, is a homo-dimeric membrane glycoprotein required for angiogenesis and serves as a marker for cancer vasculature. In this study, we constructed a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) antibody that targets human endoglin and CD3 (hEND-CD3/BiTE). We examined BiTE binding to endoglin-expressing cells and its effects on the cytolytic activity of T cells and cancer development.

Methods: The in vitro effects of hEND-CD3/BiTE, including binding to target cells, T-cell activation, proliferation, and cytotoxicity, were examined in endoglin-expressing 293T cells, human umbilical vascular endothelial cells, tumor-derived endothelial cells, and CD3⁺ T cells. An in vivo xenograft tumor model was established using A549 human lung cancer cells. The therapeutic efficacy of hEND-CD3/BiTE was assessed by monitoring tumor growth, angiogenesis, and mouse survival.

Results: hEND-CD3/BiTE specifically bound to endoglin-expressing cells and CD3⁺ T cells in vitro and stimulated T-cell activation, proliferation, and Th1 cytokine secretion, and promoted T-cell-mediated cytolysis of endoglin-expressing cells. The hEND-CD3/BiTE in vivo caused minimal toxicity to major organs, reduced tumor neoangiogenesis, inhibited tumor growth, and significantly improved mouse survival.

Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the therapeutic potential of hEND-CD3/BiTE and provided a novel approach to clinical cancer treatment.

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

BACKGROUND

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

METHODS

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

RESULTS

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

CONCLUSIONS

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