Producing Cellulose Microfibrils at a High Solid Content with and without Mechanical or Enzymatic Pretreatment

This study conducted a detailed evaluation of the feasibility of producing cellulose microfibrils (CMF) from a kraft-bleached hardwood pulp at high solid contents with and without pretreatments. CMFs produced by planetary ball milling at solid contents 17 and 28% were compared with those from 1 to 5% under the same milling conditions. Fiber pretreatments using a commercial endoglucanase and mechanical refining using a laboratory PFI mill were also applied before ball milling at a solid content of 28%. Two mechanisms of fiber fibrillation were identified from the results obtained: (i) ball and fiber/fibril interactions─the primary mechanism and (ii) interfiber/fibril frictional and tensional interactions─the secondary mechanism. The secondary mechanism plays an important role only in early-stage fibrillation and became less important as fibrillation proceeded in the later stage toward nanofibrillation. Improving fiber dispersion at lower solid content facilitated fibrillation. Endoglucanase pretreatment substantially shortened fibers to result in a "pulverized-like" CMF with short fibrils at an extended milling time. Mechanical refining of fibers facilitated fibrillation to result in CMFs with a morphology similar to that from runs without any fiber pretreatment but for a much shorter milling time. Both CMF water retention value (WRV) measurements and CMF suspension sedimentation experiments showed results consistent with imaging observations. The insights gained through this study provide relevant information with commercial significance regarding CMF production at high solids, which is not currently available in the literature.

Mutations causing premature termination codons discriminate and generate cellular and clinical variability in HHT

For monogenic diseases caused by pathogenic loss-of-function DNA variants, attention focuses on dysregulated gene-specific pathways, usually considering molecular subtypes together within causal genes. To better understand phenotypic variability in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), we sub-categorized pathogenic DNA variants in ENG/endoglin, ACVRL1/ALK1, and SMAD4 if they generated premature termination codons (PTCs) subject to nonsense mediated decay. In three pre-phenotyped patient cohorts, a PTC-based classification system explained some previously puzzling hemorrhage variability. In blood outgrowth endothelial cells (BOECs) derived from ACVRL1+/PTC, ENG+/PTC, and SMAD4+/PTC patients, PTC-containing RNA transcripts persisted at low levels (8-23% expected, varying between replicate cultures); genes differentially expressed to Bonferroni p<0.05 in HHT+/PTC BOECs clustered significantly only to generic protein terms ('isopeptide-bond'/'ubiquitin-like conjugation') and pulse chase experiments detected subtle protein maturation differences, but no evidence for PTC-truncated protein. BOECs displaying highest PTC persistence were discriminated in unsupervised hierarchical clustering of 'invariant' housekeeper genes, with patterns compatible with higher cellular stress in BOECs with >11% PTC persistence. To test directionality, we used a HeLa reporter system to detect induction of activating transcription factor (ATF)4 which controls expression of stress-adaptive genes, and showed that ENG Q436X but not ENG R93X directly induced ATF4. AlphaFold accurately modelled relevant ENG domains, with AlphaMissense suggesting that readthrough substitutions would be benign for ENG R93X and other "less rare" ENG nonsense variants, but more damaging for Q436X. We conclude that PTCs should be distinguished from other loss-of-function variants, PTC transcript levels increase in stressed cells, and readthrough proteins and mechanisms provide promising research avenues.

[Establishment of a topographic map assessment system for facial and cervical wounds and scars of burn patients based on the Delphi method]

Objective: To construct a targeted and accurate evaluation system for facial and cervical wounds and scars of burn patients. Methods: The method combining literature analysis and survey research was adopted, and the basic principles of item system construction were followed. From June to August 2020, based on the aesthetic standards of facial and cervical plastic surgery, the topographic map assessment system for facial and cervical wounds and scars of burn patients was preliminarily formed, focusing on the assessment of wounds and scars in the necks and faces of patients after burns. In September 2020, 38 experts in the relevant fields were consulted in advance and the questionnaire was revised according to the experts' opinions. From December 2020 to March 2021, the Delphi method was applied to conduct inquiry by correspondence with 35 experts in relevant fields from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, and other cities, who met the inclusion criteria, and the items were screened and established. The effective recovery rate of inquiry questionnaire was calculated to determine the level of enthusiasm of experts, the average authority coefficient of all items was calculated to determine the level of expert authority, the average importance expert score, the average coefficient of variation, and the average full score rate of all the third-level items were calculated to determine the concentration of expert opinions, the average coefficients of variation and Kendall's harmony coefficients of the importance, sensitivity, and operability expert scores of all the third-level items were calculated to determine the degree of coordination of expert opinions. The Kendall's harmony coefficients for the importance, sensitivity, and operability expert scores of all the third-level items were statistically analyzed with chi-square test. Results: Among the 35 experts consulted by Delphi method, mainly were male, aged (48±10) years, with 8-38 years of working experience, mainly with associate senior titles and above, all with a bachelor's degree or above education background, and of whom 11 were burn experts, 7 were wound repair experts, 4 were plastic surgery experts, and 13 were rehabilitation medicine experts. Finally, a topographic map assessment system for facial and cervical wounds and scars of burn patients was formed, including 4 first-level items, 21 second-level items, 40 third-level items, and 1 mask. The effective recovery rate of inquiry questionnaire was 100% (35/35). The average authority coefficient of all items was 0.89. The average importance expert score was 4.67, the average coefficient of variation of importance expert score was 0.01, and the average full score rate of all the third-level items was 86.3%. The average coefficients of variation of the importance, sensitivity, and operability expert scores of all the third-level items were 0.01, 0.01, and 0.02, respectively. The Kendall's harmony coefficients for the importance, sensitivity, and operability expert scores of all the third-level items were statistically significant (with χ2 values of 1 201.53, 745.67, and 707.07, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusions: The established topographic map assessment system for facial and cervical wounds and scars of burn patients has high scientificity and reliability, which can be used for the evaluation of facial and neck wounds or scars in burn patients.

From bonds to interactions: comprehensive molecular characterization via polarizable bond-dipole approach

Accurately characterizing molecular interactions stands as a pivotal requirement for ensuring the reliability of molecular dynamics simulations. In line with our bond-dipole-based interaction model proposed by Gao et al. [X.-C. Gao, Q. Hao and C.-S. Wang, J. Chem. Theory Comput., 2017, 13, 2730-2741.], we have implemented an efficient and concise approach to compute electrostatic potential. This methodology capitalizes on the polarizable nature of chemical bond dipoles, resulting in a model of remarkable simplicity. In this study, we have revised the polarizable bond-dipole-based force field (PBFF) through the meticulous curation of quantum chemical data sets. These data sets encompass a comprehensive collection of 40 000 conformations, including those of water, methylamine, methanol, and N-methylacetamide. Additionally, we incorporate 520 hydrogen-bonded dimers into our data sets. In pursuit of enhanced accuracy in molecular dynamics simulations and a more faithful representation of potential energy landscapes, we undertook the re-optimization of the nonbonded parameters within the PBFF framework. Concurrently, we intricately fine-tuned the bonded parameters. The results of our comprehensive evaluation denote that this newly optimized force field method adeptly and efficiently computes structural characteristics, harmonic frequencies, and interaction energies. Overall, this study provides further validation for the applicability of PBFF in molecular dynamics simulations.

In Situ Lignin Adhesion for High-Performance Bamboo Composites

Bamboo composite is an attractive candidate for structural materials in applications such as construction, the automotive industry, and logistics. However, its development has been hindered due to the use of harmful petroleum-derived synthetic adhesives or low-bonding biobased adhesives. Herein, we report a novel bioadhesion strategy based on in situ lignin bonding that can process natural bamboo into a scalable and high-performance composite. In this process, lignin bonds the cellulose fibrils into a strong network via a superstrong adhesive interface formed by hydrogen bonding and nanoscale entanglement. The resulting in situ glued-bamboo (glubam) composite exhibits a record-high shear strength of ∼4.4 MPa and a tensile strength of ∼300 MPa. This in situ lignin adhesion strategy is facile, highly scalable, and cost-effective, suggesting a promising route for fabricating strong and sustainable structural bamboo composites that sequester carbon and reduce our dependence on petrochemical-based adhesives.

Characterizing lignin-containing microfibrillated cellulose based on water interactions, fibril properties, and imaging

Morphological characterization of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is critically important to process control in production and product specification for trade and product development yet is extremely difficult. This study evaluated several indirect methods for relative comparison of the morphology of lignin-free and lignin-containing ((L)MFCs). The (L)MFCs studied were produced using a commercial grinder through different passes from a dry lap bleached kraft eucalyptus pulp, a virgin mixed (maple and birch) unbleached kraft hardwood pulp, and two virgin-unbleached kraft softwood (loblolly pine) pulps with one bleachable grade (low lignin content) and one liner grade (high lignin content). The (L)MFCs were indirectly characterized using techniques based on water interactions, i.e., water retention value (WRV) and fibril suspension stability, as well as fibril properties, i.e., cellulose crystallinity and fine content. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were also applied to directly visualize the (L)MFCs to provide some objective measure of the morphology of the (L)MFCs. The results indicate that most measures such as WRV, cellulose crystallinity, fine content cannot be used to compare (L)MFCs from different pulp fibers. Measures based on water interactions such as (L)MFC WRV and suspension stability appeared can provide some degree of indirect assessment. This study provided the utilities and limits of these indirect methods for relative comparison of the morphologies of (L)MFCs.

Inhalation of ACE2 as a therapeutic target on sex-bias differences in SARS-CoV-2 infection and variant of concern

Despite similar infection rates, COVID-19 has resulted in more deaths in men than women. To understand the underlying mechanisms behind this sex-biased difference in disease severity, we infected K18-human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mice of both sexes with SARS-CoV-2. Our study revealed a unique protein expression profile in the lung microenvironment of female mice. As a result, they were less vulnerable to severe infection, with higher ACE2 expression and a higher estrogen receptor α (ERα)/androgen receptor (AR) ratio that led to increased antiviral factor levels. In male mice, inhaling recombinant ACE2 neutralized the virus and maintained the ERα/AR ratio, thereby protecting the lungs. Our findings suggest that inhaling recombinant ACE2 could serve as a decoy receptor against SARS-CoV-2 and protect male mice by offsetting ERα-associated protective mechanisms. Additionally, our study supports the potential effectiveness of recombinant ACE2 therapy in human lung organoids infected with the Delta variant.

[Effects of enhancing the expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in post-traumatic mice macrophages on the inflammatory cytokine level and bactericidal ability]

Objective: To explore the expression pattern of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in mice peritoneal macrophages (PMs) after major trauma and analyze the effects of enhanced AhR expression on the inflammatory cytokine level and bactericidal ability after trauma. Methods: The experimental study method was used. Forty 6-8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice (the same mouse age, sex, and strain below) were divided into control group, post trauma hour (PTH) 2 group, PTH 6 group, and PTH 12 group according to the random number table (the same grouping method below), with 10 mice in each group. Mice in the latter 3 groups were constructed as severe trauma model with fracture+blood loss, while mice in control group were left untreated. The primary PMs (the same cells below) were extracted from the mice in control group, PTH 2 group, PTH 6 group, and PTH 12 group when uninjured or at PTH 2, 6, and 12, respectively. Then the protein and mRNA expressions of AhR were detected by Western blotting and real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively, and the gene expressions of AhR signaling pathway related molecules were analyzed by transcriptome sequencing. Twenty mice were divided into control group and PTH 6 group, with 10 mice in each group, and the PMs were extracted. The level of ubiquitin of AhR was detected by immunoprecipitation. Twelve mice were divided into dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) alone group, PTH 6+DMSO group, MG-132 alone group, and PTH 6+MG-132 group, with 3 mice in each group. After the corresponding treatment, PMs were extracted, and the protein expression of AhR was detected by Western blotting. Twenty mice were constructed as PTH 6 model. Then, the PMs were extracted and divided into empty negative control adenovirus (Ad-NC) group and AhR overexpression adenovirus (Ad-AhR) group. The protein expression of AhR was detected by Western blotting at 36 h after some PMs were transfected with the corresponding adenovirus. The rest cells in Ad-NC group were divided into Ad-NC alone group and Ad-NC+endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group, and the rest cells in Ad-AhR group were divided into Ad-AhR alone group and Ad-AhR+LPS group. The expressions of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in the cell supernatant were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at 12 h after the corresponding treatment (n=6). Twenty mice were obtained to extract PMs. The cells were divided into control+Ad-NC group, PTH 6+Ad-NC group, control+Ad-AhR group, and PTH 6+Ad-AhR group, and the intracellular bacterial load was detected by plate spread method after the corresponding treatment (n=6). Data were statistically analyzed with one-way analysis of variance, least significant difference test, analysis of variance for factorial design, and independent sample t test. Results: Compared with 1.16±0.28 of control group, the protein expressions of AhR in PMs in PTH 2 group (0.59±0.14), PTH 6 group (0.72±0.16), and PTH 12 group (0.71±0.17) were all significantly decreased (P<0.05). The overall comparison of the difference of AhR mRNA expression in PMs among control group, PTH 2 group, PTH 6 group, and PTH 12 group showed no statistical significance (P>0.05). The AhR signaling pathway related molecules included AhR, AhR inhibitor, cytochrome P450 family member 1b1, cytochrome P450 family member 11a1, heat shock protein 90, aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interaction protein, and heat shock protein 70 interaction protein. The heat shock protein 90 expression of PMs in PTH 2 group was higher than that in control group, while the expressions of other molecules did not change significantly after trauma. Compared with that in control group, the level of ubiquitin of AhR in PMs in PTH 6 group was increased. Compared with that in DMSO alone group, the protein expression of AhR in PMs in PTH 6+DMSO group was decreased, while that in PMs in MG-132 alone group had no significant change. Compared with that in PTH 6+DMSO group, the protein expression of AhR in PMs in PTH 6+MG-132 group was up-regulated. At transfection hour 36, compared with that in Ad-NC group, the protein expression of AhR in PMs in Ad-AhR group was increased. At treatment hour 12, compared with those in Ad-NC+LPS group, the expressions of IL-6 and TNF-α in PM supernatant of Ad-AhR+LPS group were significantly decreased (with t values of 4.80 and 3.82, respectively, P<0.05). The number of intracellular bacteria of 1×106 PMs in control+Ad-NC group, PTH 6+Ad-NC group, control+Ad-AhR group, and PTH 6+Ad-AhR group was (3.0±1.8), (41.8±10.2), (1.8±1.2), and (24.2±6.3) colony forming unit, respectively. Compared with that in PTH 6+Ad-NC group, the number of intracellular bacteria of PMs in PTH 6+Ad-AhR group was significantly decreased (t=3.61, P<0.05). Conclusions: Ubiquitin degradation of AhR in PMs of mice after major trauma results in decreased protein expression of AhR. Increasing the expression of AhR in post-traumatic macrophages can reduce the expressions of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α, and improve the bactericidal ability of macrophages after trauma.

[Evaluation of thermal environment and human thermal comfort in 8 types of public places from 2019 to 2021]

Objective: To evaluate the thermal environment of different types of public places and the thermal comfort of employees, so as to provide scientific basis for the establishment of microclimate standards and health supervision requirements. Methods: From June 2019 to December 2021, 50 public places (178 times) of 8 categories in Wuxi were selected, including hotels, swimming pools (gymnasiums), bathing places, shopping malls (supermarkets), barber shops, beauty shops, waiting rooms (bus station) and gyms. In summer and winter, microclimate indicators such as temperature and wind speed were measured in all kinds of places, combined with the work attire and physical activity of employees in the places. Fanger thermal comfort equation and center for the built environment (CBE) thermal comfort calculation tool were used to evaluate the predicted mean vote (PMV), predicted percent dissatisfied (PPD) and standard effective temperature (SET) according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 55-2020. The modification effects of seasonal and temperature control conditions on thermal comfort were analyzed. The consistency of GB 37488-2019 "Hygienic Indicators and Limits in Public Places" and ASHRAE 55-2020 evaluation results on thermal environment was compared. Results: The thermal sensation of hotel, barber shop staff and the gym front-desk staff were moderate, while the thermal sensation of swimming place lifeguard, bathing place cleaning staff and gym trainer were slightly warm in summer and winter. Waiting room (bus station) cleaning and working staff, shopping mall staff felt slightly warm in summer and moderate in winter. Service staff in bathing places felt slightly warm in winter, while staff in beauty salons felt slightly cool in winter. The thermal comfort compliance of hotel cleaning staff and shopping mall staff in summer was lower than that in winter (χ(2)=7.01, 7.22, P=0.008, 0.007). The thermal comfort compliance of shopping mall staff in the condition of air conditioning off was higher than that in the condition of air conditioning on (χ(2)=7.01, P=0.008). The SET values of front-desk staff in hotels with different health supervision levels were significantly different (F=3.30, P=0.024). The PPD value and SET value of the front-desk staff, and the PPD value of cleaning staff of hotels above three stars were lower than those of hotels below three stars (P<0.05). The thermal comfort compliance of front-desk staff and cleaning staff in hotels above three stars was higher than that in hotels below three stars (χ(2)=8.33, 8.09, P=0.016, 0.018). The consistency of the two criteria was highest among waiting room (bus station) staff (100.0%, 1/1) and lowest among gym front-desk staff (0%, 0/2) and waiting room (bus station) cleaning staff (0%, 0/1) . Conclusion: There are different degrees of thermal discomfort in different seasons, under the condition of air conditioning and health supervision, and the microclimate indicators can not fully reflect the thermal comfort of human body. The health supervision of microclimate should be strengthened, the applicability of health standard limit value should be evaluated in many aspects, and the thermal comfort of occupational group should be improved.

Emerging Engineered Wood for Building Applications

The building sector, including building operations and materials, was responsible for the emission of ∼11.9 gigatons of global energy-related CO₂ in 2020, accounting for 37% of the total CO₂ emissions, the largest share among different sectors. Lowering the carbon footprint of buildings requires the development of carbon-storage materials as well as novel designs that could enable multifunctional components to achieve widespread applications. Wood is one of the most abundant biomaterials on Earth and has been used for construction historically. Recent research breakthroughs on advanced engineered wood products epitomize this material's tremendous yet largely untapped potential for addressing global sustainability challenges. In this review, we explore recent developments in chemically modified wood that will produce a new generation of engineered wood products for building applications. Traditionally, engineered wood products have primarily had a structural purpose, but this review broadens the classification to encompass more aspects of building performance. We begin by providing multiscale design principles of wood products from a computational point of view, followed by discussion of the chemical modifications and structural engineering methods used to modify wood in terms of its mechanical, thermal, optical, and energy-related performance. Additionally, we explore life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis tools for guiding future research toward environmentally friendly and economically feasible directions for engineered wood products. Finally, this review highlights the current challenges and perspectives on future directions in this research field. By leveraging these new wood-based technologies and analysis tools for the fabrication of carbon-storage materials, it is possible to design sustainable and carbon-negative buildings, which could have a significant impact on mitigating climate change.

A scheme for rapid evaluation of the intermolecular three-body polarization effect in water clusters

The ability to accurately and rapidly evaluate the intermolecular many-body polarization effect of the water system is very important for computer simulations of biomolecule in aqueous. In this paper, a scheme is proposed based on the polarizable dipole-dipole interaction model and used to rapidly estimate the intermolecular many-body polarization effect in water clusters. We use a bond-dipole-based polarization function to evaluate the polarization energy. We regard two OH bonds of a water molecule as two bond-dipoles and set the permanent OH bond-dipole moment of a water molecule to be 1.51 Debye. We estimate the induced OH bond-dipole moment via a simple formula in which only one correction factor is needed. This scheme is then applied to tens of water clusters to calculate the three- and four-body interaction energies. The three-body interaction energies of 93 water clusters produced by our scheme are compared with those produced by the counterpoise-corrected CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ, MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ, M06-2X/jul-cc-pVTZ methods, by the AMOEBApro13, iAMOEBA, AMOEBA+, AMOEBA+(CF) methods, and by the MB-pol method. The four-body interaction energies of 47 water clusters yielded by our scheme are compared with those yielded by the counterpoise-corrected MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ and M06-2X/ jul-cc-pVTZ methods, by the AMOEBApro13, AMOEBA+, AMOEBA+(CF) methods, and by the MB-pol method. The comparison results show that the scheme proposed in this paper can reproduce the counterpoise-corrected CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ three-body interaction energies and reproduce the counterpoise-corrected MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ four-body interaction energies both accurately and efficiently. We anticipate the scheme proposed here can be useful for computer simulations of liquid water and aqueous solutions.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by minimally invasive esophagectomy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a prospective multicenter randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant therapy is recommended for locally advanced esophageal cancer, but the optimal strategy remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) followed by minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eligible patients staged as cT3-4aN0-1M0 ESCC were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to the nCRT or nCT group stratified by age, cN stage, and centers. The chemotherapy, based on paclitaxel and cisplatin, was administered to both groups, while concurrent radiotherapy was added for the nCRT group; then MIE was carried out. The primary endpoint was 3-year overall survival. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03001596).

RESULTS

A total of 264 patients were eligible for the intention-to-treat analysis. By 30 November 2021, 121 deaths had occurred. The median follow-up was 43.9 months (interquartile range 36.6-49.3 months). The overall survival in the intention-to-treat population was comparable between the nCRT and nCT strategies [hazard ratio (HR) 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58-1.18; P = 0.28], with a 3-year survival rate of 64.1% (95% CI 56.4% to 72.9%) versus 54.9% (95% CI 47.0% to 64.2%), respectively. There were also no differences in progression-free survival (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.59-1.16; P = 0.27) and recurrence-free survival (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.71-1.60; P = 0.75), although the pathological complete response in the nCRT group (31/112, 27.7%) was significantly higher than that in the nCT group (3/104, 2.9%; P < 0.001). Besides, a trend of lower risk of recurrence was observed in the nCRT group (P = 0.063), while the recurrence pattern was similar (P = 0.802).

CONCLUSIONS

NCRT followed by MIE was not associated with significantly better overall survival than nCT among patients with cT3-4aN0-1M0 ESCC. The results underscore the pending issue of the best strategy of neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced bulky ESCC.

The Potential Protective Role of GS-441524, a Metabolite of the Prodrug Remdesivir, in Vaccine Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Infections

Cases of vaccine breakthrough, especially in variants of concern (VOCs) infections, are emerging in coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Due to mutations of structural proteins (SPs) (e.g., Spike proteins), increased transmissibility and risk of escaping from vaccine-induced immunity have been reported amongst the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Remdesivir was the first to be granted emergency use authorization but showed little impact on survival in patients with severe COVID-19. Remdesivir is a prodrug of the nucleoside analogue GS-441524 which is converted into the active nucleotide triphosphate to disrupt viral genome of the conserved non-structural proteins (NSPs) and thus block viral replication. GS-441524 exerts a number of pharmacological advantages over Remdesivir: (1) it needs fewer conversions for bioactivation to nucleotide triphosphate; (2) it requires only nucleoside kinase, while Remdesivir requires several hepato-renal enzymes, for bioactivation; (3) it is a smaller molecule and has a potency for aerosol and oral administration; (4) it is less toxic allowing higher pulmonary concentrations; (5) it is easier to be synthesized. The current article will focus on the discussion of interactions between GS-441524 and NSPs of VOCs to suggest potential application of GS-441524 in breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44231-022-00021-4.

[Culture of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes and organoids]

Liver is one of the most important organs in the human body. Liver diseases are also a major threat to human health and longevity. Hepatic decompensation treatment is quite difficult due to multiple reasons. Extracorporeal liver support devices are unable to solve this problem, and there is a severe shortage of orthotopic liver transplant donors. Study of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes and organoids can determine not only hepatocyte fate, but also liver development, regeneration mechanisms, and pathophysiology. Furthermore, it can be used for drug screening in order to provide a stable source of functional hepatocytes for future transplantation therapy. Culture of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes and organoids has a self-organizing process similar to liver development, i.e., starting with changes in several key factors, and eventually forming functionally complex cells/organs. This paper introduces the main methods and progress of pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes and organoids, with hope to provide clues for future research.

[Effects and mechanisms of allogeneic epidermal stem cells on the survival of allogeneic full-thickness skin grafts in nude mice with full-thickness skin defect wounds]

Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of allogeneic epidermal stem cells (ESCs) on the survival of allogeneic full-thickness skin grafts in nude mice with full-thickness skin defect wounds. Methods: Experimental research methods were applied. Primary ESCs that appeared paving stone-like after being cultured for 7 d were obtained by enzymatic digestion method from one 4-week-old male BALB/c-NU nude mouse (the same strain, age, and sex below). The cells of third passage were identified by flow cytometry to positively express ESC marker CD44 and negatively express CD45, meanwhile, the positive expression of ESC markers of p63 and integrin 6α, and negative expression of CD71 were identified by immunofluorescence method. The ESCs of third passage in the logarithmic growth phase were used for the following experiments. Twenty-six nude mice were equally divided into phosphate buffered saline (PBS) group and ESCs group according to the random number table. A full-thickness skin defect wound was made on the back of each nude mouse, and then the wounds of the two groups were sprayed with equal volumes of PBS and ESCs, respectively. The wounds were transplanted with full-thickness skin grafts cut from the backs of 4 other nude mice. Each ten nude mice from the two groups were selected, the wound healing and skin survival on post surgery day (PSD) 0 (immediately), 3, 7, 14, and 21 were observed, and the survival ratio and shrinkage rate of skin grafts on PSD 3, 7, 14, and 21 were calculated (the number of sample was the number of surviving skin grafts at each time point); the blood perfusion in the skin grafts on PSD 3, 7, and 14 was detected by the laser speckle blood flow imager, and the blood flow ratio of nude mice skin grafts in ESCs group to PBS group at each time point was calculated (the number of sample was the pair number of surviving skin grafts in group pairing at each time point). The skin graft tissue of each 3 nude mice remained in the two groups were collected on PSD 7, and the mRNA expressions and protein expressions of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 8 (IL-8), IL-10, type Ⅰ collagen, type Ⅲ collagen, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in the tissue were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. Data were statistically analyzed with Log-rank test, analysis of variance for repeated measurement, one-way analysis of variance, independent sample t test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: Taking the condition on PSD 0 as a reference, the wounds of nude mice in the two groups healed gradually on PSD 3, 7, 14, and 21, and the shrinkage of skin grafts was gradually obvious. Among them, the shrinkage healing of wound of nude mice in PBS group was more significant than that in ESCs group. On PSD 3, the skin graft of 1 nude mouse failed in ESCs group, while the skin graft of 3 nude mice failed in PBS group. On PSD 7, the skin graft of another nude mouse failed in PBS group. The survival ratio of skin grafts of nude mice in the two groups was similar on PSD 3, 7, 14, and 21 (P>0.05). On PSD 3, 7, 14, and 21, the shrinkage rates of skin grafts of nude mice in ESCs group were (9.2±0.4)%, (19.7±1.2)%, (53.6±3.5)%, and (62.2±5.1)%, respectively, which was significantly lower than (11.0±0.9)%, (47.8±2.8)%, (86.1±7.1)%, and (89.7±9.0)% in PBS group (t=5.719, 26.650, 11.940, 7.617, P<0.01). On PSD 3, 7, and 14, blood perfusion signals were observed in the skin grafts of nude mice in the two groups. The average blood perfusion ratios of the skin grafts of nude mice in ESCs group to PBS group were greater than 1, and there was no statistically significant difference in the overall comparison of 3 time points (P>0.05). On PSD 7, compared with those of PBS group, the mRNA and protein expressions of TNF-α, IL-8, type Ⅰ collagen, and type Ⅲ collagen in the skin graft tissue of nude mice in ESCs group were significantly reduced, while the mRNA and protein expressions of IL-10 and MMP-9 in the skin graft tissue of nude mice in ESCs group were significantly increased (in mRNA comparison, t=2.823, 2.934, 2.845, 2.860, 3.877, 2.916, P<0.05). Conclusions: Allogeneic ESCs can reduce the shrinkage of allogeneic full-thickness skin grafts transplanted on full-thickness skin defect wounds in nude mice, promote the formation of new blood vessels between the skin graft and the wound, reduce inflammation and collagen protein expression, and promote the expression of MMP-9, thus improving the survival quality of skin grafts.

Lightweight, strong, moldable wood via cell wall engineering as a sustainable structural material

[Figure: see text].

Roles of physical exercise in neurodegeneration: reversal of epigenetic clock

The epigenetic clock is defined by the DNA methylation (DNAm) level and has been extensively applied to distinguish biological age from chronological age. Aging-related neurodegeneration is associated with epigenetic alteration, which determines the status of diseases. In recent years, extensive research has shown that physical exercise (PE) can affect the DNAm level, implying a reversal of the epigenetic clock in neurodegeneration. PE also regulates brain plasticity, neuroinflammation, and molecular signaling cascades associated with epigenetics. This review summarizes the effects of PE on neurodegenerative diseases via both general and disease-specific DNAm mechanisms, and discusses epigenetic modifications that alleviate the pathological symptoms of these diseases. This may lead to probing of the underpinnings of neurodegenerative disorders and provide valuable therapeutic references for cognitive and motor dysfunction.

[Application value of three-dimensional reconstruction in preoperative evaluation of precise hepatectomy for complex primary liver cancer]

Objective: To explore the application value of three-dimensional reconstruction of liver based on computer software in preoperative evaluation of precise hepatectomy for complex primary liver cancer. Methods: The clinical data of patients in Peking University People's Hospital Hepatobiliary surgery with complicated primary liver cancer from September 17, 2019 to December 20, 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Preoperative enhanced CT/MR data of patients were collected, and 3D reconstruction of liver was performed in IQQA􀳏-3D Liver system. The liver volume of patients was calculated, the size and location of tumor were described, and the relationship between tumor and intrahepatic bile duct, portal vein, hepatic artery and inferior vena cava was described. Preoperative decision-making and treatment plan were made to compare the compliance of the actual operation plan with the planned operation plan under the guidance of three-dimensional reconstruction. Results: Among all 10 patients, there were 6 males and 4 females, aged 36 to 75 years. There were 6 cases of Child-Pugh grade A and 4 cases of B liver function. There were 5 cases of portal vein variation and 5 cases of hepatic artery variation. The range and M(Q₁,Q₃)of actual liver volume measured by 3D reconstruction in 10 patients was 895- 2 477 cm³ and [1 444(1 001, 1 854)] cm³;the nodule volume was 7-1 808 [133(50, 566)] cm³;the nodule volume in the liver was 0.8%-73.0% [11.0(3.3,32.7)]% and the number of suspected lesions was 1-7. In the end, 6 patients received surgical treatment;3 received chemotherapy, and 1 received conservative treatment. The preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction of liver anatomy and tumor location of the patients receiving surgical treatment were basically consistent with the intraoperative situation. There was no case of liver failure or death during perioperative period. Conclusion: In the preoperative evaluation of precise hepatectomy for complex primary liver cancer, 3D reconstruction can improve the rationality of treatment and the surgeon's understanding of the anatomical characteristics of the liver, so as to select the best treatment for patients, which has great application value.

[Pre-clinical in vivo evaluation study on a new Chinese-made surgical biopatch for atrial septum]

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a new Chinese-made surgical biopatch for atrial septum under the establishment of atrial septal defect animal model in miniature pigs. Methods: From June 2018 to April 2019, 26 pigs were divided into experimental group (15 pigs) and the control group (11 pigs). Animal models of atrial septal defect were established by traditional surgical methods. The to-be-evaluated and listed surgical biological patches (with a diameter of 10 mm) were implanted in the experimental group and the control group to repair the atrial septal defect. Cardiac ultrasound and blood examination of all animals were performed before and at 7, 30, 90, 180 days after operation, the results were analyzed with repetitive measurement and analysis of variance. At 90 days and 180 days after the operation, tissue samples were taken from animals after euthanasia. Pathological examination of heart and major organs were conducted. The independent sample t test and rank sum test were used to compare the data between the two groups, and the nonparametric was used to compare the patch calcification score between the two groups. Results: In total of 26 animals, 14 animals in the experimental group(6 at 90 days, 8 at 180 days) and 9 animals in the control group(4 at 90 days, 5 at 180 days) reached the end of the experiment. The other 3 animals (1 in the experimental group and 2 in the control group) died of arrhythmia, whole heart failure and right heart failure, the results of pathological examination showed that the causes of death were unrelated to the experimental materials. Cardiac ultrasound showed no patch leakage in all animals. There was no statistically significant difference in cardiac ultrasound and blood examination between the two groups at different time points after operation (all P>0.05). The pathological results showed that all the implants were intact and had good biocompatibility. There was no significant difference in the mean endothelialization rate between the experimental group and the control group at 90 and 180 days after operation ((80.8±29.1)% vs. (82.5±23.6)%, t=0.095, P=0.927; (78.8±36.4)% vs. (82.0±19.2)%, t=0.182, P=0.859) on 90 and 180 days, there was no significant difference in the patch calcification score between the two groups (1.00(1.25) vs. 2.00(0.75), Z=6.500, P=0.214; 0(0.75) vs. 1.00(2.00), Z=12.000, P=0.139). Conclusion: The new Chinese-made surgical biopatch for atrial septum has comparable safety and efficacy to that of the marketable patch in miniature pig atrial septal defect animal model.

Towards sustainable production and utilization of plant-biomass-based nanomaterials: a review and analysis of recent developments

Plant-biomass-based nanomaterials have attracted great interest recently for their potential to replace petroleum-sourced polymeric materials for sustained economic development. However, challenges associated with sustainable production of lignocellulosic nanoscale polymeric materials (NPMs) need to be addressed. Producing materials from lignocellulosic biomass is a value-added proposition compared with fuel-centric approach. This report focuses on recent progress made in understanding NPMs-specifically lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) and cellulosic nanomaterials (CNMs)-and their sustainable production. Special attention is focused on understanding key issues in nano-level deconstruction of cell walls and utilization of key properties of the resultant NPMs to allow flexibility in production to promote sustainability. Specifically, suitable processes for producing LNPs and their potential for scaled-up production, along with the resultant LNP properties and prospective applications, are discussed. In the case of CNMs, terminologies such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) used in the literature are examined. The term cellulose nano-whiskers (CNWs) is used here to describe a class of CNMs that has a morphology similar to CNCs but without specifying its crystallinity, because most applications of CNCs do not need its crystalline characteristic. Additionally, progress in enzymatic processing and drying of NPMs is also summarized. Finally, the report provides some perspective of future research that is likely to result in commercialization of plant-based NPMs.

Developing fibrillated cellulose as a sustainable technological material

Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on Earth, found in trees, waste from agricultural crops and other biomass. The fibres that comprise cellulose can be broken down into building blocks, known as fibrillated cellulose, of varying, controllable dimensions that extend to the nanoscale. Fibrillated cellulose is harvested from renewable resources, so its sustainability potential combined with its other functional properties (mechanical, optical, thermal and fluidic, for example) gives this nanomaterial unique technological appeal. Here we explore the use of fibrillated cellulose in the fabrication of materials ranging from composites and macrofibres, to thin films, porous membranes and gels. We discuss research directions for the practical exploitation of these structures and the remaining challenges to overcome before fibrillated cellulose materials can reach their full potential. Finally, we highlight some key issues towards successful manufacturing scale-up of this family of materials.

Fibrinogen-like protein 2 promotes the accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the hepatocellular carcinoma tumor microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma can be classified into cellular and non-cellular components. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are cellular components of this microenvironment that serve an important role in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Fibrinogen-like protein 2 (FGL2) has been demonstrated to promote tumor progression by regulating cellular components of the tumor microenvironment in various types of malignant tumor. The present study aimed to determine the expression of FGL2 in hepatocellular carcinoma and its effect on the tumor microenvironment in order to determine novel targets for liver cancer treatment. Immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription quantitative PCR were performed to determine the expression level of FGL2 and the correlation with surface markers of human MDSCs in hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, a mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cell line overexpressing FGL2 was established by stable transfection of a lentivirus expressing FGL2. In addition, fresh bone marrow cells extracted from mouse femurs were in vitro cultured using conditioned medium derived from the cell line overexpressing FGL2. An orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model was also established. The results demonstrated that FGL2 expression level in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues was closely associated with tumor size. FGL2 level was positively correlated with the expression level of the MDSC surface markers CD11b and CD33 in hepatocellular carcinoma. The in vitro results demonstrated that FGL2 could maintain the undifferentiated state of bone marrow cells, therefore promoting MDSC accumulation. Furthermore, in the orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model, we observed that overexpression of FGL2 could promote tumor growth and significantly increase the number of MDSCs in the tumors and spleen. Taken together, these findings suggested that FGL2 may promote hepatocellular carcinoma tumor growth by promoting the accumulation of MDSCs in the tumor microenvironment.

[Threshold effects of body mass index on the bone mineral density of Chinese rural women in fluorosis area]

To explore the threshold effect of body mass index (BMI) on bone mineral density (BMD) in Chinese women living in the fluorosis area, we conducted a cross-sectional study and recruited 722 women in rural areas in Henan Province, China. After detection and analyses, we found that compared with the normal BMI group, the risk of osteoporosis in the overweight and obese groups were reduced by 32% and 69%, respectively. Threshold effect analysis showed that BMD was positively correlated with BMI when BMI was 16.8-31.2 kg/m²; while when BMI was greater than 31.2 kg/m², the correlation reached saturation. The correlation observed between low-to-moderate fluoride exposure and BMD in rural women was not significant.

Comparison of Two Acid Hydrotropes for Sustainable Fractionation of Birch Wood

This study reports on a comparative study of acid hydrotropic fractionation (AHF) of birch wood using maleic acid (MA) and p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TsOH). Under the same level of delignification, lignin dissolved by MA is much less condensed with a higher content of ether aryl β-O-4 linkages. Lignin depolymerization dominated in MA hydrotropic fractionation (MAHF) and resulted in a single lower molecular weight peak, in contrast to the competitive depolymerization and repolymerization in p-TsOH AHF with a bimodal distribution. The less condensed MA-dissolved lignin facilitated catalytic conversion to monophenols. Carboxylation of residual lignin in fractionated cellulosic water-insoluble solids (WISs) enhanced enzymatic saccharification by decreasing nonproductive cellulase binding to lignin. At a low cellulase loading of 10 FPU g^-1 glucan, saccharification of WIS-M_T120 from MAHF at 120 °C was 95 % compared with 48 % for WIS-P_T85 from p-TsOH AHF at 85 °C under the same level of delignification of 63 %. Residual lignin carboxylation also facilitated nanofibrillation of WIS for producing lignin-containing cellulose nanofibrils (LCNFs) through an enhanced lignin lubrication effect, which substantially decreases fibrillation energy. LCNFs from only one pass of microfluidization of WIS-M_T120 have the same morphology as those from WIS-P_T85 after three passes. MA also has a lower solubility and higher minimal hydrotropic concentration, which facilitated acid recovery. MA is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved as an indirect food additive, affording significant advantages compared with p-TsOH for biorefinery applications.

Pilot-Scale Production of Cellulosic Nanowhiskers With Similar Morphology to Cellulose Nanocrystals

This study describes a class of cellulosic nanomaterials, cellulosic nanowhiskers (CNWs), and demonstrates scaled-up production with acid recovery using less expensive equipment made of common stainless steel rather than glass-lined steel. CNWs produced using concentrated maleic acid (MA) hydrolysis followed by mechanical fibrillation have morphology similar to MA-produced cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and sulfuric-acid-produced CNCs (S-CNCs) but differ in crystallinity. Applications of CNWs as a substitute for CNCs for which morphology and surface charge, rather than crystallinity, are the pertinent characteristics are presented. The tested CNW suspensions have a wider viscosity range of 0.001 to 1000 Pa.s over a variety of shear rates of 0.01 to 1000 1/s compared to S-CNCs of 0.001 to 0.1 Pa.s and are better suited for applications such as rheology modification and 3D printing. This study proposes CNWs as a less expensive and sustainable replacement for CNCs in applications that do not require crystalline properties.

[Effect of family with sequence similarity 13 member A gene interference on apoptosis and proliferation of human airway epithelial cells and its relationship with small airway remodeling in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

Objective: To explore the relationship between family with sequence similarity 13 member A (FAM13A) gene and small airway remodeling in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the effect of interference with FAM13A gene expression on the apoptosis and proliferation phenotype of human airway epithelial cells (16HBE). Methods: From January 2018 to January 2020, 74 patients in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University were treated by surgery for lung tumors or pulmonary bullae. According to the lung function and smoking history, the 74 patients were divided into four groups: non-smoking group with normal lung function (normal group, 23 patients), smoking group with normal lung function (smoking group, 24 patients), non-smoking group with COPD (11 patients) and smoking group with COPD (16 patients). The expression of FAM13A in small airway of each group was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between FAM13A and the airflow restriction indexes by pulmonary function was analyzed. The shRNA fragment of FAM13A gene was designed, and the shRNA lentivirus vector of FAM13A gene was constructed and packaged. The expression level of FAM13A gene was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, and the best shRNA sequence was screened. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis rate and the fluorescence intensity of proliferation marker Ki-67 in 16HBE cells. Results: FAM13A was mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of small airway epithelial cells. The levels of FAM13A absorbance (A) of small airway epithelial cells in non-smoking group and smoking group with COPD were higher than those in normal group and smoking group (0.365±0.026, 0.412±0.053 to 0.113±0.018, 0.105±0.009, all P<0.05), and they were negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1s/forced vital capacity (FEV(1)/FVC) and FEV(1)% pre (r=-0.48 and r=-0.40, all P<0.05). The FAM13A shRNA lentiviral vector was successfully constructed, and FAM13A interference was successfully achieved in the 16HBE cell line. After infection of 16HBE cells, the results of qRT-PCR and Western blot showed that the expression of FAM13A in shRNA-target-2 group decreased (all P<0.01). Compared with the negative control group (shRNA-NC), the apoptosis rate of FAM13A shRNA group decreased (P=0.023), and the fluorescence intensity of Ki-67 also decreased (P=0.042). Conclusions: FAM13A gene expression is increased in COPD small airway epithelial cells, and it is related to COPD airflow limitation. FAM13A gene may participate in the process of COPD remodeling by affecting the apoptosis and proliferation of human airway epithelial cells.

Effect of high pressure homogenization treatment on the rheological properties of citrus peel fiber/corn oil emulsion

BACKGROUND

Citrus fiber is a main component in the peel of citrus and contains natural dietary fiber. It is often used as a functional additive to improve the texture or nutritional property of food. It is also widely used to reduce the content of absorbable fat in sausages and other meat products, and to improve food stability as an emulsifier. In this research, the dynamic rheological properties (linear and non-linear) of citrus peel fiber/corn oil (CF/CO) emulsion system under high pressure homogenization (HPH) treatment was investigated.

RESULT

Rheological results illustrated HPH treatment significantly increased the apparent viscosity of the emulsion, reduced the activation energy of the emulsion and distinctly improved the viscoelasticity of the emulsion. Meanwhile, HPH treatment increased the linear viscoelastic region of the sample, and the behavior of the emulsion converted from strain thinning (without HPH treatment) to weak strain overshoot (with HPH treatment). Lissajous curves indicated the viscosity of the sample increased first and then decreased with strain increasing and the third harmonic contributed much more to the first harmonic compared with the fifth harmonic. Chebyshev stress decomposition revealed that, as strain increased, the samples with HPH treatment showed internal-cycle strain hardening behavior first, then turned to internal-cycle softening behavior.

CONCLUSION

HPH treatment can significantly improve the processing performance of CF/CO emulsion as well as the stability against large periodic oscillations in food processing. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Copy Number Aberrations of Multiple Genes Identified as Prognostic Markers for Extrahepatic Metastasis-free Survival of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Extrahepatic metastasis confers unfavorable patient prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, reliable markers allowing prediction of extrahepatic metastasis at the time of initial diagnosis are still lacking. This study was to identify gene-level copy number aberrations (CNAs) related to extrahepatic metastasis-free survival of HCC patients, and further examine the associations between CNAs and gene expression. Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and expression array were used to analyze gene CNAs and expression levels, respectively. The associations between CNAs of a panel of 20 genes and extrahepatic metastasis-free survival were analyzed in 66 patients with follow-up period of 1.6-90.5 months. The gene expression levels between HCCs with and without gene CNA were compared in 109 patients with HCC. We observed that gains at MDM4 and BCL2L1, and losses at APC and FBXW7 were independent prognostic markers for extrahepatic metastasis-free survival of HCC patients. Integration analysis of aCGH and expression data showed that MDM4 and BCL2L1 were significantly upregulated in HCCs with gene gain, while APC and FBXW7 were significantly downregulated in HCCs with gene loss. We concluded that gene gains at MDM4 and BCL2L1, and losses at APC and FBXW7, with concordant expression changes, were associated with extrahepatic metastasis-free survival of HCC patients and have potential to act as novel prognostic markers.

Clear Wood toward High-Performance Building Materials

Developing advanced building materials with both excellent thermal insulating and optical properties to replace common glass (thermal conductivity of ∼1 W m^-1 K^-1) is highly desirable for energy-efficient applications. The recent development of transparent wood suggests a promising building material with many advantages, including high optical transmittance, tunable optical haze, and excellent thermal insulation. However, previous transparent wood materials generally have a high haze (typically greater than 40%), which is a major obstacle for their practical application in the replacement of glass. In this work, we fabricate a clear wood material with an optical transmittance as high as 90% and record-low haze of 10% using a delignification and polymer infiltration method. The significant removal of wood components results in a highly porous microstructure, much thinner wood cell walls, and large voids among the cellulose fibrils, which a polymer can easily enter, leading to the dense structure of the clear wood. The separated cellulose fibrils that result from the removal of the wood components dramatically weaken light scattering in the clear wood, which combined with the highly dense structure produces both high transmittance and extremely low haze. In addition, the clear wood exhibits an excellent thermal insulation property with a low thermal conductivity of 0.35 W m^-1 K^-1 (one-third of ordinary glass); thus, the application of clear wood can greatly improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The developed clear wood, combining excellent thermal insulating and optical properties, represents an attractive alternative to common glass toward energy-efficient buildings.

[Epithelial-mesenchymal transition of small airway epithelium in patients receiving lung tumor surgery with normal lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

Objective: To investigate the phenomenon of small airway epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in patients with normal pulmonary function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who received surgical treatment for lung tumors. Methods: In this study, 52 patients undergoing surgical treatment for lung tumors admitted to the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University were included from January 2018 to January 2019. According to the preoperative pulmonary function and smoking history, patients were divided into group A (non-smoking with normal pulmonary function group, 15 patients), group B (smoking with normal pulmonary function group, 21 patients), group C (COPD stable phase group, 16 patients). HE staining was performed to observe the pathological changes in small airway and lung tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the localization and expression of E-cadherin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and Vimentin in small airway. Western blot was used to detect the levels of E-cadherin, α-SMA and Vimentin. Results: (1) There were no significant differences in age, gender, and the ratio of disease composition among the three groups (P>0.05), but forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) as percentage of predicted value (FEV(1)%pred) and FEV(1)/forced vital capacity (FEV(1)/FVC) in group C were lower than those in groups A and B (all P<0.01), while there was no significant difference between group A and group B (P>0.05); (2) the bronchial wall thickness in group B and group C were higher than that of group A [(32.4±2.4) and (54.6±4.9) vs (22.4±2.2) μm], and group C was significantly higher than group B (P=0.003); (3) the expression levels of E-cadherin in the epithelial cells of small airway in group B and group C were lower than those in group A (0.021±0.008 and 0.018±0.007 vs 0.062±0.010) (all P<0.05), while the levels of mesenchymal cell markers such as α-SMA and Vimentin in group B and group C were higher than group A, and group C was higher than group B (α-SMA: 0.641±0.113, 0.780±0.133 vs 0.404±0.123; Vimentin: 0.064±0.033, 0.083±0.022 vs 0.030±0.021) (P=0.002 and P=0.003). Conclusion: In patients undergoing surgical treatment of lung tumors, there is EMT in the small airways of patients with COPD, and EMT has occurred in the small airways of smokers with normal pulmonary function.

[The effect of surgical methods and postoperative eye position on the quality of life in patients with intermittent exotropia]

Objective: To evaluate the effects of different surgical methods and postoperative eye positions on the quality of life of children with intermittent exotropia (IXT) and their parents 3 months following strabismus surgery. Methods: Clinical observation. One-hundred and eighty children aged 2 to 17 years with IXT who received surgical treatment were recruited. One parent of each child was investigated by using 2 kinds of the Chinese version of the Intermittent Exotropia Questionnaires (CIXTQ) within 1 weeks before and at 3 months after surgery: the parent proxy scale (for parents to assess children's health related quality of life (HRQoL)) and the parent scale (containing functional, psychosocial and surgery subscales; for parents to assess their HRQoL). One hundred and eighty children were divided into different groups according to the surgical. Methods Monocular surgery group, binocular surgery group and eye position after 3 months: undercorrection group, successful group, overcorrection group, to explore: (1) the change of scores before and after surgery. (2) the difference of score changes after surgery between monocular and binocular surgery groups. (3) the difference of score changes after surgery between different postoperative eye position groups. Results: Significant improvement in median scores was seen from pre-operation to 3months post-operatively for all the proxy scale (t=-9.585, P<0.001), the functional (t=-11.361, P<0.001), psychosocial (t=-10.856, P<0.001) and surgery subscale (t=-11.622, P< 0.001) of parent scale. The change values from pre-operation to 3months post-operatively were not significantly different between monocular and binocular surgery groups for all the proxy scale (t=0.242, P=0.330), the functional (t=0.462, P=0.050), psychosocial (t=0.781, P=0.582) and surgery subscale (t=0.009, P=0.355) of parent scale, but significantly different between undercorrection, successful and overcorrection groups for the proxy scale (F=21.527, P<0.001), the functional (F=54.236, P<0.001), psychosocial (F=41.784, P<0.001) and surgery subscale (F=31.943, P<0.001). The scores of proxy scale and 3 parent subscales were all significantly improved (t=-13.639 to -6.059, P<0.05) after operation in both the undercorrection and successful groups, while significantly decreased in the overcorrection group (t=1.350-4.391, P<0.05). Conclusions: HRQoL can be improved significantly in both the undercorrection and successful groups, while decreased in the overcorrection group. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 924-930).

[Safety and efficacy of DCV-based DAAs therapy for chronic HCV infection in China]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of DCV-based DAAs therapy for chronic HCV infected Chinese patients. Methods: An open-label, non-randomized, prospective study was designed. Fifty-two patients with chronic HCV infection were enrolled. Among them, there was one patient after liver transplantation, 2 patients after kidney transplantation, 3 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and 4 patients with HBV infection. Thirteen cases with chronic hepatitis C (one compensated cirrhosis) who were negative for resistance-related variants [NS5A RAS (-)] of gene 1b and NS5A were treated with daclatasvir (DCV) + asunaprevir (ASV) for 24 weeks. Twenty-five cases of CHC (six compensated cirrhosis) with GT 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, 6a were treated with DCV + SOF ± RBV for 24 weeks. 8 cases with decompensated cirrhosis of gene 1b and NS5A RAS(-) were given DCV + SOF + RBV regimen for 12 weeks. Six cases with decompensated cirrhosis, of gene 2a, 1b, 2a, 3a, 3b, were given DCV + SOF + RBV regimen for 24 weeks. HCV RNA, blood routine test, liver and kidney function, and upper abdominal ultrasound/MRI were measured at baseline, 4 weeks of treatment, end of treatment, and 12 weeks of follow-up. The incidence of adverse events and laboratory abnormalities during treatment were recorded. A t-test was used to compare the measurement data between two groups, and analysis of variance was used to compare the measurement data between multiple groups. Results: Sixteen patients (100%) achieved SVR12 after treatment, with 0% recurrence rate. Rapid virological response (RVR) of the four treatment regimens were 76.92%, 54.17%, 87.50%, and 83.33%, respectively, and 32 patients achieved 100% virological response after the completion of treatment. The incidence of adverse events of chronic hepatitis C with cirrhosis and decompensated cirrhosis was 62.5% and 64.29%, respectively. The most common adverse event was fatigue in CHC (25.00%), and elevated indirect bilirubin in decompensated cirrhosis (42.86%). No serious adverse drug events, deaths or adverse reactions occurred. Conclusion: DCV-based DAAs regimen is promising option for the treatment of HCV genotypes, compensated cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and HCV infection after liver/kidney transplantation in china. Above all, it has high SVR12 with good tolerability and safety profile.

[A multicenter, retrospective study of pathogenic bacteria distribution and drug resistance in febrile neutropenic patients with hematological diseases in Shanghai]

目的

了解上海地区中性粒细胞缺乏（粒缺）伴发热血液病患者致病细菌的分布及耐药情况。

方法

回顾性分析2012年1月至2014年12月上海市12家医院血液科粒缺伴发热住院患者的临床分离菌株，用纸片扩散法进行药敏试验，WHONET 5.6软件分析病原菌分布及药敏数据。

结果

从上海地区粒缺伴发热患者中共分离出1 260株细菌，其中革兰阳性菌420株（33.3%），革兰阴性菌840株（66.7%）。排在前七位的分别是肺炎克雷伯菌158株（12.5%）、嗜麦芽窄食单胞菌120株（9.5%）、大肠埃希菌115株（9.1%）、铜绿假单胞菌109株（8.7%）、鲍曼不动杆菌83株（6.6%）、金黄色葡萄球菌70株（5.6%）和屎肠球菌63株（5.0%）。呼吸道分泌物标本中，非发酵菌占56.2%（350/623）。其中嗜麦芽窄食单胞菌占15.3%（95/623）。血液标本中，肠杆菌科细菌占42.3%（104/246），凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌占34.6%（85/246）。脓液标本中肠杆菌科细菌占39.4%（76/193），肠球菌属细菌占28.5%（55/193）。耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌葡萄球菌（MRSA）和耐甲氧西林凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌（MRCNS）的检出率分别为54.3%和82.5%，未发现耐利奈唑胺、万古霉素、替考拉宁葡萄球菌属菌株，耐万古霉素屎肠球菌的检出率为8.9%，肠球菌属未检出耐利奈唑胺的菌株。肠杆菌科细菌对碳青霉烯类药物高度敏感。铜绿假单胞菌对亚胺培南和美罗培南的耐药率已分别达34.1%和15.8%。嗜麦芽窄食单胞菌对米诺环素、左氧氟沙星、复方磺胺甲恶唑等药物敏感。鲍曼不动杆菌仅对头孢哌酮/舒巴坦的耐药率低于10.0%。肺炎克雷伯菌、嗜麦芽窄食单胞菌、铜绿假单胞菌、鲍曼不动杆菌等革兰阴性菌对大多常用抗菌药物的耐药率低于CHINET监测的数据。

结论

粒缺伴感染患者常见感染部位致病菌株分布有其特点，细菌耐药率整体低于CHINET全国医院大样本监测。

Effect of temperature on the microflora community composition in the digestive tract of the veined rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) revealed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing

The veined rapa whelk, Rapana venosa, a poikilotherm that is susceptible to temperature, is an important and valuable fishery resource in China but a major invader around the world. We studied the effects of abnormal temperature on the digestive tract microflora of R. venosa to investigate how temperature impacts its digestion and ingestion. We characterized the microflora in nine samples by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. To assess the species diversity within the samples, effective tags were clustered at 97% similarity by default. Mycoplasma was the most abundant genus among the three groups, and the Proteobacteria phylum had the highest diversity. However, the microflora structure in the digestive tract was significantly different at different temperatures. The top five most abundant genera in the samples housed at 16 °C were Mycoplasma, Phyllobacterium, Aliivibrio, Psychromonas, and Delftia, whereas those in the samples housed under 22 °C were Mycoplasma, Phyllobacterium, Delftia, Spirochaeta_2, and Sphingomonas, and those in the samples housed at 28 °C were Mycoplasma, Phyllobacterium, Vibrio, Delftia, and Aliivibrio. The family Flavobacteriaceae was more abundant in R. venosa housed at 22 °C and 28 °C, whereas a significant decrease in Flavobacteriaceae abundance and a substantial increase in Mycoplasmataceae abundance were observed in R. venosa housed at 16 °C. The alteration in the digestive tract microflora might further affect the function of the R. venosa digestive tract. The results presented herein might provide further insight into investigations on the effects of temperature on the digestion and ingestion of gastropods.

[The transformation of microcystin-LR during tap water treatment process and analysis of its degradation products]

Objective: To establish a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for the determination of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) in drinking water, investigate its removal efficiency during tap water advanced treatment process and analyze its degradation products in the tap water. Methods: Two parallel water samples were collected from each point of tap water advanced treatment process in September 2015, November 2015 and January 2016, respectively, and treated by mixing, filtration, concentration, elution, nitrogen blow and re-dissolvement. The samples were analyzed by LC/MS/MS to determine the MC-LR concentration and its removal efficiency during treatment process. The combination of actual water enrichment (including source water enrichment of 50 times and 1 500 times concentrated, finished water enrichment of 50 times and 2 500 times concentrated) and laboratory simulated water (including the mixture of MC-LR and liquid chlorine in the mass ratio of 1∶10, 1∶20, 1∶100 and 1∶1 000, respectively) were used to qualitative analyze the MC-LR degradation products by Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Results: The linearity of MC-LR ranged from 2 to 200 μg/L with the detection limit of 0.007 9 μg/L and the limit of quantification of 0.026 3 μg/L. The recovery rate of MC-LR from different contration in drinking water were from 94.88%-101.47%. The intra-day precision was 2.51%-7.93% and the intra-day precision was 3.24%-8.41%. The average concentration of MC-LR in source water was (0.631±0.262) μg/L, 94.0% of which can be removed by ozone exposure while the concentrate was (0.038±0.016) μg/L, biological pre-treatment and chlorination. The remaining can hardly be removed by sand filtration, ozone exposure, activated carbon, ultrafiltration and other processes. The MC-LR average concentration in the finished water maintained at about (0.036±0.016) μg/L. Degradation products including hydroxy-microcystin, methyl-hydroxy-microcystin, methyl-microcystin were identified in the laboratory simulated water of the mixture of MC-LR and liquid chlorine in the mass ratio of 1∶10. Conclusion: The established MC-LR detection method can be well applied to the monitoring of MC-LR in drinking water due to its simple pre-treatment process and good methodological validation parameters. The degradation products of treatment processes was different.

A Panel of Genes Identified as Targets for 8q24.13-24.3 Gain Contributing to Unfavorable Overall Survival in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Copy number aberrations (CNAs) in chromosome arm 8q have been associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes of several cancers and progressive tumor characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study was to identify correlation of CNAs in 8q with clinical outcomes of HCC patients, and further screen for differentially expressed genes in outcome-related CNAs. Array comparative genomic hybridization and expression arrays were performed to detect CNAs and expression levels, respectively. The correlations between CNAs in 8q and outcomes were analyzed in 66 patients, with a median follow-up time of 45.0 months (range, 2.6-108.6 months). One hundred and nine cases were further evaluated to identify differentially expressed genes in the potential outcome-related CNAs. Copy number gain in 8q was observed in 22 (33.3%) of the 66 HCC cases. The most recurrent gains (with frequencies >20%) were 8q13.3-21.3,8q21.3-23.3,8q23.3-24.13,8q24.13-24.3, and 8q24.3. Survival analysis showed that 8q24.13-24.3 gain was significantly associated with reduced overall survival (jP=0.010). Multivariate Cox analysis identified 8q24.13-24.3 gain as an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival (HR=2.47; 95% CI=1.16-5.26; Р=0.019). Apanel of 17 genes within the 8q24.13-24.3 region, including ATAD2,SQLE,PVT1,ASAP1, and NDRG1 were significantly upregulated in HCCs with 8q24.13-24.3 gain compared to those without. These results suggest that copy number gain at 8q24.13-24.3 is an unfavorable prognostic marker for HCC patients, and the potential oncogenes ATAD2,SQLE, PVT1, ASAP1,and NDRG1 within the regional gain, may contribute coordinately to the 8q24.13-24.3 gain-related poor prognosis.

[Analysis of risk factors of tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients]

Objective: To explore the characteristics of tumor recurrence after liver transplantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with hepatitis B and to analyze the risk factors that influence the recurrence and prognosis. Methods: The clinicopathological and survival data of 162 patients with hepatitis B -associated liver cancer who underwent liver transplantation in Peking University People's Hospital from January 2002 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The postoperative survival rate (OS) and tumor free survival rate (DFS) was statistically analyzed by using the log-rank test. Univariate analysis was performed for various clinicopathological indicators, and the Cox proportional risk regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: Univariate analysis showed that the age of the recipients (P(OS) = 0.047, P(DFS) = 0.045), the maximum tumor size (P < 0.001, P(DFS) < 0.001), preoperative AFP levels (P(OS) < 0.001, P(DFS) < 0.001), preoperative HBV-DNA levels (P(OS) = 0.035, P(DFS) = 0.029), vein tumor thrombosis (P(OS) < 0.001, P(DFS) < 0.001), and tumor differentiation degree (P(OS) <0.001, P(DFS) < 0.001) were associated with overall prognosis and tumor recurrence. Multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative AFP levels (P(OS) = 0.014, P(DFS) = 0.013), the maximum tumor size (P(OS) < 0.001, P(DFS) = 0.001), vein tumor thrombosis (P(OS) = 0.012, P(DFS) < 0.004), and tumor differentiation degree (P(OS) = 0.004, P(DFS) = 0.009) were independent risk factors affecting overall prognosis and tumor recurrence. Conclusion: The major prognostic factors linked to tumor biological characteristics after liver transplantation in HBV-related HCC patients are preoperative AFP levels, the largest tumor size, and vein tumor thrombosis and tumor differentiation degree.

Post-targeting strategy for ready-to-use targeted nanodelivery post cargo loading

Based on boronate formation, this study reports a post-targeting methodology capable of readily installing versatile targeting modules onto a cargo-loaded nanoplatform in aqueous mediums. This permits the targeted nanodelivery of broad-spectrum therapeutics (drug/gene) in a ready-to-use manner while overcoming the PEGylation-dilemma that frequently occurs in conventional targeting approaches.

Thermally Stable Cellulose Nanocrystals toward High-Performance 2D and 3D Nanostructures

Cellulose nanomaterials have attracted much attention in a broad range of fields such as flexible electronics, tissue engineering, and 3D printing for their excellent mechanical strength and intriguing optical properties. Economic, sustainable, and eco-friendly production of cellulose nanomaterials with high thermal stability, however, remains a tremendous challenge. Here versatile cellulose nanocrystals (DM-OA-CNCs) are prepared through fully recyclable oxalic acid (OA) hydrolysis along with disk-milling (DM) pretreatment of bleached kraft eucalyptus pulp. Compared with the commonly used cellulose nanocrystals from sulfuric acid hydrolysis, DM-OA-CNCs show several advantages including large aspect ratio, carboxylated surface, and excellent thermal stability along with high yield. We also successfully demonstrate the fabrication of high-performance films and 3D-printed patterns using DM-OA-CNCs. The high-performance films with high transparency, ultralow haze, and excellent thermal stability have the great potential for applications in flexible electronic devices. The 3D-printed patterns with porous structures can be potentially applied in the field of tissue engineering as scaffolds.

Highly Flexible and Efficient Solar Steam Generation Device

Solar steam generation with subsequent steam recondensation has been regarded as one of the most promising techniques to utilize the abundant solar energy and sea water or other unpurified water through water purification, desalination, and distillation. Although tremendous efforts have been dedicated to developing high-efficiency solar steam generation devices, challenges remain in terms of the relatively low efficiency, complicated fabrications, high cost, and inability to scale up. Here, inspired by the water transpiration behavior of trees, the use of carbon nanotube (CNT)-modified flexible wood membrane (F-Wood/CNTs) is demonstrated as a flexible, portable, recyclable, and efficient solar steam generation device for low-cost and scalable solar steam generation applications. Benefitting from the unique structural merits of the F-Wood/CNTs membrane-a black CNT-coated hair-like surface with excellent light absorbability, wood matrix with low thermal conductivity, hierarchical micro- and nanochannels for water pumping and escaping, solar steam generation device based on the F-Wood/CNTs membrane demonstrates a high efficiency of 81% at 10 kW cm^-2 , representing one of the highest values ever-reported. The nature-inspired design concept in this study is straightforward and easily scalable, representing one of the most promising solutions for renewable and portable solar energy generation and other related phase-change applications.

Real-world weight change among patients treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor and sulfonylureas for type 2 diabetes and the influence of medication adherence

Aims

The study aims to examine real‐world weight change and the role of medication adherence among patients with type 2 diabetes who initiated one of three drug classes: glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist (GLP‐1RA), dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor (DPP4) and sulfonylureas (SUs).

Materials and methods

A cohort of patients initiating one of the three drug classes was selected from a large US database of integrated electronic medical record and administrative claims. Adherence was defined as per cent of days covered ≥80% during the year following drug initiation. Weight change was calculated from drug initiation (−180, +30 d) to 1 year (±90 d) later. Multivariate regression controlled for baseline differences between adherent and poorly adherent patients and the addition of another drug class during follow‐up.

Results

The study included 833 GLP‐1RA, 2,272 DPP4 and 2,713 SU patients who contributed 2,279, 6,602 and 7,429 observations respectively. Patients initiating a GLP‐1RA achieved the largest weight change (−2.46 kg of GLP‐1RA, −1.26 kg of DPP4 and 0.18 kg of SU, P < 0.01). Adherent GLP‐1 patients lost 1.73 kg more than poorly adherent patients, and adherent SU patients gained 1.11 kg more than poorly adherent patients (all P < 0.01). Adherent and poorly adherent DPP4 patients experienced approximately the same amount of weight loss.

Conclusions

Medication adherence can mediate observed weight loss in patients treated with a GLP1‐RA or weight gain in those treated with an SU. Medication adherence was low in a real‐world population, particularly for GLP‐1RA, which displayed the strongest weight loss benefit. Because recent American Diabetes Association guidelines recommend selecting drug therapies that have a weight loss or weight neutral effect for the management of type 2 diabetes patients, patients should be encouraged to enhance their adherence to benefit the most from therapies that have weight loss properties.

Superflexible Wood

Flexible porous membranes have attracted increasing scientific interest due to their wide applications in flexible electronics, energy storage devices, sensors, and bioscaffolds. Here, inspired by nature, we develop a facile and scalable top-down approach for fabricating a superflexible, biocompatible, biodegradable three-dimensional (3D) porous membrane directly from natural wood (coded as flexible wood membrane) via a one-step chemical treatment. The superflexibility is attributed to both physical and chemical changes of the natural wood, particularly formation of the wavy structure formed by simple delignification induced by partial removal of lignin/hemicellulose. The flexible wood membrane, which inherits its unique 3D porous structure with aligned cellulose nanofibers, biodegradability, and biocompatibility from natural wood, combined with the superflexibility imparted by a simple chemical treatment, holds great potential for a range of applications. As an example, we demonstrate the application of the flexible, breathable wood membrane as a 3D bioscaffold for cell growth.

Phosphomolybdic acid and ferric iron as efficient electron mediators for coupling biomass pretreatment to produce bioethanol and electricity generation from wheat straw

Phosphomolybdic acid (PMo₁₂) was used as an electron mediator and proton carrier to mediate biomass pretreatment for ethanol production and electricity generation from wheat straw. In the pretreatment, lignin was oxidized anaerobically by PMo₁₂ with solubilization of a fraction of hemicelluloses, and the PMo₁₂ was simultaneously reduced. In an external liquid flow cell, the reduced PMo₁₂ was re-oxidized with generation of electricity. The effects of several factors on pretreatment were investigated for optimizing the conditions. Enzymatic conversion of cellulose and xylan were about 80% and 45%, respectively, after pretreatment of wheat straw with 0.25M PMo₁₂, at 95°C for 45min. FeCl₃ was found to be an effective liquid mediator to transfer electrons to air, the terminal electron acceptor. By investigating the effects of various operation parameters and cell structural factors, the highest output power density of about 11mW/cm² was obtained for discharging of the reduced PMo₁₂.

[Advances in basic and clinical research on hepatocellular carcinoma in 2016]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still one of common malignant cancers worldwide, with increasing incidence and mortality rates. Early diagnosis and effective treatment for HCC remain to be explored. This article introduces the research advances in the early specific diagnosis and effective therapies for HCC in 2016, such as molecular markers in the specific diagnosis and targeted therapy for HCC, main therapeutic regimens, robot-assisted liver resection, and no-touch radiofrequency ablation.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition of ovarian cancer cells is sustained by Rac1 through simultaneous activation of MEK1/2 and Src signaling pathways

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is regarded as a crucial contributing factor to cancer progression. Diverse factors have been identified as potent EMT inducers in ovarian cancer. However, molecular mechanism sustaining EMT of ovarian cancer cells remains elusive. Here, we show that the presence of SOS1/EPS8/ABI1 complex is critical for sustained EMT traits of ovarian cancer cells. Consistent with the role of SOS1/EPS8/ABI1 complex as a Rac1-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor, depleting Rac1 results in the loss of most of mesenchymal traits in mesenchymal-like ovarian cancer cells while expressing constitutively active Rac1 leads to EMT in epithelial-like ovarian cancer cells. With the aid of clinically tested inhibitors targeting various EMT-associated signaling pathways, we show that only combined treatment of MEK1/2 and Src inhibitors can abolish constitutively active Rac1-led EMT and mesenchymal traits displayed by mesenchymal-like ovarian cancer cells. Further experiments also reveal that EMT can be induced in epithelial-like ovarian cancer cells by co-expressing constitutively active MEK1 and Src rather than either alone. As the activities of Erk and Src are higher in ovarian cancer cells with constitutively active Rac1, we conclude that Rac1 sustains ovarian cancer cell EMT through simultaneous activation of MEK1/2 and Src signaling pathways. Importantly, we demonstrate that combined use of MEK1/2 and Src inhibitors effectively suppresses development of intraperitoneal xenografts and prolongs the survival of ovarian cancer-bearing mice. This study suggests that cocktail of MEK1/2 and Src inhibitors represents an effective therapeutic strategy against ovarian cancer progression.

Highly transparent, low-haze, hybrid cellulose nanopaper as electrodes for flexible electronics

Paper is an excellent candidate to replace plastics as a substrate for flexible electronics due to its low cost, renewability and flexibility. Cellulose nanopaper (CNP), a new type of paper made of nanosized cellulose fibers, is a promising substrate material for transparent and flexible electrodes due to its potentially high transparency and high mechanical strength. Although CNP substrates can achieve high transparency, they are still characterized by high diffuse transmittance and small direct transmittance, resulting in high optical haze of the substrates. In this study, we proposed a simple methodology for large-scale production of high-transparency, low-haze CNP comprising both long cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and short cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). By varying the CNC/CNF ratio in the hybrid CNP, we could tailor its total transmittance, direct transmittance and diffuse transmittance. By increasing the CNC content, the optical haze of the hybrid CNP could be decreased and its transparency could be increased. The direct transmittance and optical haze of the CNP were 75.1% and 10.0%, respectively, greatly improved from the values of previously reported CNP (31.1% and 62.0%, respectively). Transparent, flexible electrodes were fabricated by coating the hybrid CNP with silver nanowires (AgNWs). The electrodes showed a low sheet resistance (minimum 1.2 Ω sq(-1)) and a high total transmittance (maximum of 82.5%). The electrodes were used to make a light emitting diode (LED) assembly to demonstrate their potential use in flexible displays.

Tetradecyl 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury in adult rats

Tetradecyl 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate (ABG001) is a small molecule separated from gentian extract that has a similar effect to nerve growth factor. It is not clear whether it can promote functional recovery in animals suffering from a central nervous system injury. In order to explore the role of ABG001 in restoration of tissue structure and motor function of rats with spinal cord injury (SCI), ABG001 (0.4 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally. Subsequently, behavioral assessments and morphological studies were performed to detect recovery of hind limb motor function and neuroregeneration. The results showed that compared with DMSO group, the rats in the ABG treatment group had better performance in BBB score and grip strength test (P < 0.05), the area of necrosis was smaller (P < 0.05), GFAP expression was significantly reduced (P < 0.01), and Map-2 expression was significantly increased (P < 0.01). Additionally, after ABG treatment, the number of fluorogold positive cells transported reversely to red nucleus increased (P < 0.05). The results suggest that ABG001 can promote recovery of hind limb motor function in rats with SCI, which may be related to its functions of inhibiting glial cell proliferation and promoting neuroregeneration.

Biomass-Based Mechanically Strong and Electrically Conductive Polymer Aerogels and Their Application for Supercapacitors

A novel biomass-based mechanically strong and electrically conductive polymer aerogel was fabricated from aniline and biodegradable pectin. The strong hydrogen bonding interactions between polyaniline (PANI) and pectin resulted in a defined structure and enhanced properties of the aerogel. All the resultant aerogels exhibited self-surppoted 3D nanoporous network structures with high surface areas (207-331m(2)/g) and hierarchical pores. The results from electrical conductivity measurements and compressive tests revealed that these aerogels also had favorable conductivities (0.002-0.1 S/m) and good compressive modulus (1.2-1.4 MPa). The aerogel further used as electrode for supercapacitors showed enhanced capacitive performance (184 F/g at 0.5 A/g). Over 74% of the initial capacitance was maintained after repeating 1000 cycles of the cylic voltammetry test, while the capacitance retention of PANI was only 57%. The improved electrochemical performance may be attributed to the combinative properties of good electrical conductivity, BET surface areas, and stable nanoporous structure of the aerogel. Thus, this aerogel shows great potential as electrode materials for supercapacitors.