Search

Summary: The conquest of land by plants was concomitant with, and possibly enabled by, the evolution of three‐dimensional (3D) growth. The moss Physcomitrium patens provides a model system for elucidating molecular mechanisms in the initiation of 3D growth. Here, we investigate whether the phytohormone ethylene, which is believed to have been a signal before land plant emergence, plays a role in 3D growth regulation in P. patens.We report ethylene controls 3D gametophore formation, based on results from exogenously applied ethylene and genetic manipulation of PpEIN2, which is a central component in the ethylene signaling pathway.Overexpression (OE) of PpEIN2 activates ethylene responses and leads to earlier formation of gametophores with fewer gametophores produced thereafter, phenocopying ethylene‐treated wild‐type. Conversely, Ppein2 knockout mutants, which are ethylene insensitive, show initially delayed gametophore formation with more gametophores produced later. Furthermore, pharmacological and biochemical analyses reveal auxin levels are decreased in the OE lines but increased in the knockout mutants.Our results suggest that evolutionarily, ethylene and auxin molecular networks were recruited to build the plant body plan in ancestral land plants. This might have played a role in enabling ancient plants to acclimate to the continental surfaces of the planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis remains a crucial global health issue characterized by high mortality rates and a lack of specific treatments. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying sepsis and to identify potential therapeutic targets and compounds. Methods: High‐throughput sequencing data from the GEO database (GSE26440 as the training set and GSE13904 and GSE32707 as the validation sets), weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA), Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, alongside a combination of PPI and machine learning methods (LASSO and SVM) were utilized. Results: WGCNA identified the black module as positively correlated, and the green module as negatively correlated with sepsis. Further intersections of these module genes with age‐related genes yielded 57 sepsis‐related genes. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, PPI, LASSO, and SVM selected six hub aging‐related genes: BCL6, FOS, ETS1, ETS2, MAPK14, and MYC. A diagnostic model was constructed based on these six core genes, presenting commendable performance in both the training and validation sets. Notably, ETS1 demonstrated significant differential expression between mild and severe sepsis, indicating its potential as a biomarker of severity. Furthermore, immune infiltration analysis of these six core genes revealed their correlation with most immune cells and immune‐related pathways. Additionally, compounds were identified in the traditional Chinese medicine Danshen, which upon further analysis, revealed 354 potential target proteins. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of these targets indicated a primary enrichment in inflammation and immune‐related pathways. A Venn diagram intersects these target proteins, and our aforementioned six core genes yielded three common genes, suggesting the potential efficacy of Danshen in sepsis treatment through these genes. Conclusions: This study highlights the pivotal roles of age‐related genes in the molecular mechanisms of sepsis, offers potential biomarkers, and identifies promising therapeutic compounds, laying a robust foundation for future studies on the treatment of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence supports the observational correlations between human blood metabolites and sepsis. However, whether these associations represent a causal relationship is unknown. In this study, we applied two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to examine causality between genetically proxied 486 blood metabolites and sepsis risk. Methods: We used summary data from genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) on 486 metabolites involving 7824 individuals as exposure and a sepsis GWAS including 11,643 cases and 474,841 controls as the outcome. The inverse‐variance weighted (IVW) was the primary method to estimate the causal relationship between exposure and outcome, with MR‐Egger and weighted median serving as supplements. Sensitivity analyses were implemented with Cochrane's Q test, MR‐Egger intercept, MR‐PRESSO and leave‐one‐out analysis. In addition, we performed replication MR, meta‐analysis, Steiger test, linkage disequilibrium score (LDSC) regression and multivariable MR (MVMR) to thoroughly verify the causation. Results: We identified that genetically determined high levels of 1‐oleoylglycerophosphoethanolamine (odds ratio (OR) =.52, 95% confidence interval (CI):.31–.87, p =.0122), alpha‐glutamyltyrosine (OR =.75, 95% CI:.60–.93, p =.0102), heptanoate (7:0) (OR =.51, 95% CI:.33–.81, p =.0041) and saccharin (OR =.84, 95% CI:.74–.94, p =.0036) were causally associated with a lower risk of sepsis. MVMR analysis demonstrated the independent causal effect of these metabolites on sepsis. Conclusions: These findings indicated that four blood metabolites have a protective impact on sepsis, thus providing novel perspectives into the metabolite‐mediated development mechanism of sepsis by combining genomics and metabolomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platinum‐based therapies have revolutionized the treatment of high‐grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). However, high rates of disease recurrence and progression remain a major clinical concern. Impaired mitochondrial function and dysregulated reactive oxygen species (ROS), hallmarks of cancer, hold potential as therapeutic targets for selectively sensitizing cisplatin treatment. Here, we uncover an oncogenic role of the palmitoyltransferase ZDHHC12 in regulating mitochondrial function and ROS homeostasis in HGSOC cells. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) ovarian cancer data revealed significantly elevated ZDHHC12 expression, demonstrating the strongest positive association with ROS pathways among all ZDHHC enzymes. Transcriptomic analysis of independent ovarian cancer datasets and the SNU119 cell model corroborated this association, highlighting a strong link between ZDHHC12 expression and signature pathways involving mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and ROS regulation. Knockdown of ZDHHC12 disrupted this association, leading to increased cellular complexity, ATP levels, mitochondrial activity, and both mitochondrial and cellular ROS. This dysregulation, achieved by the siRNA knockdown of ZDHHC12 or treatment with the general palmitoylation inhibitor 2BP or the fatty acid synthase inhibitor C75, significantly enhanced cisplatin cytotoxicity in 2D and 3D spheroid models of HGSOC through ROS‐mediated mechanisms. Markedly, ZDHHC12 inhibition significantly augmented the anti‐tumor activity of cisplatin in an ovarian cancer xenograft tumor model, as well as in an ascites‐derived organoid line of platinum‐resistant ovarian cancer. Our data suggest the potential of ZDHHC12 as a promising target to improve the outcome of HGSOCs in response to platinum‐based chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving circularly polarized organic ultralong room‐temperature phosphorescence (CP‐OURTP) with a high luminescent dissymmetry factor (glum) is crucial for diverse optoelectronic applications. In particular, dynamically controlling the dissymmetry factor of CP‐OURTP can profoundly advance these applications, but it is still unprecedented. This study introduces an effective strategy to achieve photoirradiation‐driven chirality regulation in a bilayered structure film, which consists of a layer of soft helical superstructure incorporated with a light‐driven molecular motor and a layer of room‐temperature phosphorescent (RTP) polymer. The prepared bilayered film exhibits CP‐OURTP with an emission lifetime of 805 ms and a glum value up to 1.38. Remarkably, the glum value of the resulting CP‐OURTP film can be reversibly controlled between 0.6 and 1.38 over 20 cycles by light irradiation, representing the first example of dynamically controlling the glum in CP‐OURTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aromatic metalla‐annulenes are important aromatic compounds, research into which has been mainly concentrated on metal‐benzenes and their lower homologues. Reports on their superior homologs are rare, and this has greatly limited the systematic study of their properties. In this work, a series of osma‐dehydro[11]annulenes with good air and thermal stability were prepared in high yields through a simple [10+1] strategy, by incorporating a metal fragment into conjugated ten‐carbon chains in a one‐pot reaction. They are the first monometallic aromatic metalla‐[n]annulenes with the ring size larger than 6, and their Craig‐Hückel hybrid aromaticity is supported by various physical and computational parameters. Besides, these complexes show versatile reactivities, not only giving further evidence for their aromaticity, but also demonstrating their physical and chemical properties can easily be regulated. This work enriches the metalla‐aromatic chemistry, and provides a new avenue for the synthesis of large metalla‐annulenes with different ring sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context that coal remains the main energy source of China now, the safety of coal mine production is still worth our attention. For the factors influencing the roof accident of coal mine roadway have great complexity and uncertainty, a new risk prediction method of coal mine roof accidents integrating T‐S fuzzy fault tree and Bayesian network (BN) is proposed. The constructed method determines the BN and the conditional probability tables according to the established T‐S fuzzy fault tree. The fault state and fuzzy fault rate of root nodes are described according to the fuzzy number. And the forward inference of Bayesian is used to calculate the probability of the accidents on the roadway roof based on the fault probability of the root nodes and actual fault probability during construction respectively, to realize the risk prediction of roof accidents. Finally, practical data are used to verify the new fusion risk evaluation method by taking two mines as cases. The results show that the influencing factors calculated by the new fusion risk prediction method are completely consistent with the actual situation, confirming the effectiveness and reliability of this method, which providing new ideas for the research about the risk prediction of coal mine roof accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key challenge of industrial water electrolysis is to design catalytic electrodes that can stabilize high current density with low power consumption (i.e., overpotential), while industrial harsh conditions make the balance between electrode activity and stability more difficult. Here, we develop an efficient and durable electrode for water oxidation reaction (WOR), which yields a high current density of 1000 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of only 284 mV in 1 M KOH at 25°C and shows robust stability even in 6 M KOH strong alkali with an elevated temperature up to 80°C. This electrode is fabricated from a cheap nickel foam (NF) substrate through a simple one‐step solution etching method, resulting in the growth of ultrafine phosphorus doped nickel‐iron (oxy)hydroxide [P‐(Ni,Fe)OxHy] nanoparticles embedded into abundant micropores on the surface, featured as a self‐stabilized catalyst–substrate fusion electrode. Such self‐stabilizing effect fastens highly active P‐(Ni,Fe)OxHy species on conductive NF substrates with significant contribution to catalyst fixation and charge transfer, realizing a win–win tactics for WOR activity and durability at high current densities in harsh environments. This work affords a cost‐effective WOR electrode that can well work at large current densities, suggestive of the rational design of catalyst electrodes toward industrial‐scale water electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the variable‐step predictive control problem for networked control system (NCS) with denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks and model uncertainty. An event‐based variable‐step predictive scheme determined by accumulated error is firstly formulated to compensate the impact of DoS attacks. Based on the presence of DoS attacks and predictive control signals, NCS with DoS attacks is divided into three different operation modes and is described by switching system. With the above prediction scheme and system model, sufficient conditions are derived for ensuring the stability of the underlying system. Finally, an example is given to verify the validity of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep insight into electrochemical reconstruction aids in the decoding of electrocatalytic mechanisms and the development of design principles for advanced catalysts. Despite recent achievements, research concerning cathodic reconstruction is still lacking compared to the anodic variety. This work captures the electroreductive reconstruction dynamics over bimetal Ni–Mo sulfide by various in/ex situ techniques, and whereby cathodic reconstruction is steered with ion regulation to achieve a heterogeneous Ni–Mo–Fe ternary metal hydroxysulfide (NMFSOH) as a robust hydrogen‐evolving catalyst that is competent in industrial‐level water electrolysis. The thermodynamically adaptive heterosynergism in the resultant NMFSOH catalyst can coordinate water dissociation and hydrogenation for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction even at high current densities. A flow‐type alkaline water electrolyzer with dual NMFSOH electrodes affords an electricity consumption of 3.99 kW h Nm−3 and an electricity‐to‐hydrogen efficiency of 88.7%, manifesting its competitive cost‐effectiveness toward practical applications. This study showcases ion‐regulatory reconstruction as an effective strategy to construct high‐performance electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study developed a set of competency evaluation indicators for shift work nurses in China. Background: Nurses on night shifts must deal with the treatment, nursing, and management work, which requires excellent competency of night shift nurses in their knowledge, skills, and ability. However, the competency evaluation index system for shift work nurses has not been established yet in China. Methods: This study performed a literature review and semi‐structured interviews to draft the preliminary competency evaluation indicators for nursing shift work. The Delphi technique was adopted to administer two rounds of questionnaires on 21 nursing experts. Results: The positive coefficients of experts in the two rounds were 100% and 90.48%, respectively, whereas the authority coefficients were 0.974 and 0.971, respectively. The coefficients of variation were 0.00–0.26 and 0.00–0.16, respectively. The competency evaluation index system for shift work nurses consisted of 2 first‐level indicators, 16 second‐level indicators, and 67 third‐level indicators. Conclusion: The competency index system of shift work nurses is scientific and applicable. Implications for Nursing Management: The competency evaluation index system of shift work nurses would provide an effective practical framework for shift nursing administration to evaluate, train, and assess the competency of shift work nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel‐iron based hydr(oxy)oxides have been well recognized as one of the best oxygen‐evolving catalysts in alkaline water electrolysis. A crucial problem, however, is that iron leakage during prolonged operation would lead to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) deactivation over time, especially under large current densities. Here, the NiFe‐based Prussian blue analogue (PBA) is designed as a structure‐flexible precursor for navigating an electrochemical self‐reconstruction (ECSR) with Fe cation compensation to fabricate a highly active hydr(oxy)oxide (NiFeOxHy) catalyst stabilized with NiFe synergic active sites. The generated NiFeOxHy catalyst exhibits the low overpotentials of 302 and 313 mV required to afford large current densities of 500 and 1000 mA cm−2, respectively. Moreover, its robust stability over 500 h at 500 mA cm−2 stands out among the NiFe‐based OER catalysts reported previously. Various in/ex situ studies indicate that the Fe fixation by dynamic reconstruction process can reinforce the Fe‐activated effect on the OER amenable to the industrial‐level large current conditions against the Fe leakage. This work opens up a feasible strategy to design highly active and durable catalysts via thermodynamically self‐adaptive reconstruction engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanolobatone A, featuring an unprecedented tricyclo[10.3.0.01,2]pentadecane carbon skeleton, along with four new polyoxygenated and four unusual endoperoxide‐bridged casbane‐type diterpenoids were isolated from the Hainan soft coral Sinularia nanolobata. The structures of the new compounds were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis, X‐ray diffraction analysis, and time‐dependent density functional theory/electronic circular dichroism calculations. A plausible biosynthetic pathway of new isolates was proposed. Bioassays revealed that nanolobatone A showed weak antibacterial activity against the Gram‐positive bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible conductive materials with intrinsic structural characteristics are currently in the spotlight of both fundamental science and advanced technological applications due to their functional preponderances such as the remarkable conductivity, excellent mechanical properties, and tunable physical and chemical properties, and so on. Typically, conductive hydrogel fibers (CHFs) are promising candidates owing to their unique characteristics including light weight, high length‐to‐diameter ratio, high deformability, and so on. Herein, a comprehensive overview of the cutting‐edge advances the CHFs involving the architectural features, function characteristics, fabrication strategies, applications, and perspectives in flexible electronics are provided. The fundamental design principles and fabrication strategies are systematically introduced including the discontinuous fabrication (the capillary polymerization and the draw spinning) and the continuous fabrication (the wet spinning, the microfluidic spinning, 3D printing, and the electrospinning). In addition, their potential applications are crucially emphasized such as flexible energy harvesting devices, flexible energy storage devices, flexible smart sensors, and flexible biomedical electronics. This review concludes with a perspective on the challenges and opportunities of such attractive CHFs, allowing for better understanding of the fundamentals and the development of advanced conductive hydrogel materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

l‐Proline hydroxylase is a member of the non‐heme Fe2+/α‐ketoglutarate (AKG)‐dependent hydroxylase family that catalyzes the reaction from l‐proline to hydroxy‐l‐proline, which is widely used in drug synthesis, biochemistry, food supplementation and cosmetic industries. Here, the first crystal structure of l‐proline trans‐hydroxylase and its complexes with substrate and product are reported, which reveal the structural basis of trans–cis proline hydroxylation selectivity. Structure comparison with other AKG‐dependent hydroxylases identifies conserved amino acid residues, which may serve as signatures of in‐line or off‐line AKG binding modes in the AKG‐dependent enzyme family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence supports the observational associations of gut microbiota with the risk of COVID‐19; however, it is unclear whether these associations reflect a causal relationship. This study investigated the association of gut microbiota with COVID‐19 susceptibility and severity. Data were obtained from a large‐scale gut microbiota data set (n = 18 340) and the COVID‐19 Host Genetics Initiative (n = 2 942 817). Causal effects were estimated with inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR‐Egger, and weighted median, and sensitivity analyses were implemented with Cochran's Q test, MR‐Egger intercept test, MR‐PRESSO, leave‐one‐out analysis, and funnel plots. For COVID‐19 susceptibility, IVW estimates suggested that Gammaproteobacteria (odds ratio [OR] = 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89–0.99, p = 0.0295] and Streptococcaceae (OR = 0.95, 95% CI, 0.92–1.00, p = 0.0287) had a reduced risk, while Negativicutes (OR = 1.05, 95% CI, 1.01–1.10, p = 0.0302), Selenomonadales (OR = 1.05, 95% CI, 1.01–1.10, p = 0.0302), Bacteroides (OR = 1.06, 95% CI, 1.01–1.12, p = 0.0283), and Bacteroidaceae (OR = 1.06, 95% CI, 1.01–1.12, p = 0.0283) were associated with an increased risk (all p < 0.05, nominally significant). For COVID‐19 severity, Subdoligranulum (OR = 0.80, 95% CI, 0.69–0.92, p = 0.0018), Cyanobacteria (OR = 0.85, 95% CI, 0.76–0.96, p = 0.0062), Lactobacillales (OR = 0.87, 95% CI, 0.76–0.98, p = 0.0260), Christensenellaceae (OR = 0.87, 95% CI, 0.77–0.99, p = 0.0384), Tyzzerella3 (OR = 0.89, 95% CI, 0.81–0.97, p = 0.0070), and RuminococcaceaeUCG011 (OR = 0.91, 95% CI, 0.83–0.99, p = 0.0247) exhibited negative correlations, while RikenellaceaeRC9 (OR = 1.09, 95% CI, 1.01–1.17, p = 0.0277), LachnospiraceaeUCG008 (OR = 1.12, 95% CI, 1.00–1.26, p = 0.0432), and MollicutesRF9 (OR = 1.14, 95% CI, 1.01–1.29, p = 0.0354) exhibited positive correlations (all p < 0.05, nominally significant). Sensitivity analyses validated the robustness of the above associations. These findings suggest that gut microbiota might influence the susceptibility and severity of COVID‐19 in a causal way, thus providing novel insights into the gut microbiota‐mediated development mechanism of COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine how job resources, demands, and self‐efficacy affect American STEM teachers' job satisfaction by analyzing the US TALIS 2018 data. Multiple regression and commonality analysis were used to analyze factors' significant contributions and their detailed real unique and common contributions to STEM teachers' job satisfaction. The results show that the final model explains 29.6% of the variances of STEM teachers' job satisfaction. The commonality analysis further showed that job resources, job demands, and job self‐efficacy explained 23.5%, 8.6%, and 8.0% of variances of job satisfaction, respectively. However, these factor sets uniquely contributed 15.9%, 2.9%, and 2.1% of the variance, separately. This study confirms the validity of the revised job demands−resources model for STEM teachers' job satisfaction. Furthermore, the commonality analysis reveals the unique and independent contributions of job demands, resources, and self‐efficacy to job satisfaction. Results from the research identified the significance of job resources contributing to the improvement of STEM teachers' job satisfaction. Practitioner Points: Job self‐efficacy is one kind of personal resource in the job demands−resources model.The job demands−resources model for STEM teachers' job satisfaction has been examined and confirmed as an effective model.Job resources is the most significant contributor to STEM teachers' job satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a type of lytic cell death driven by unrestricted lipid peroxidation and subsequent plasma membrane damage, ferroptosis occurs and develops because of sophisticated signals and regulatory mechanisms. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) used to initiate ferroptosis come from a variety of sources, including iron‐mediated Fenton reactions, mitochondrial ROS, and membrane‐associated ROS driven by the NOX protein family. Polyunsaturated fatty acid‐containing phospholipids are the main substrates of lipid peroxidation in ferroptosis, which is positively regulated by enzymes, such as ACSL4, LPCAT3, ALOXs, or POR. Selective activation of autophagic degradation pathways promotes ferroptosis by increasing iron accumulation to cause lipid peroxidation. In contrast, system xc–‐glutathione–GPX4 axis plays a central role in limiting lipid peroxidation, although other antioxidants (such as coenzyme Q10 and tetrahydrobiopterin) can also inhibit ferroptosis. A main nuclear mechanism of cell defense against ferroptosis is the activation of the NFE2L2‐dependent antioxidant response by transcriptionally upregulating the expression of antioxidants or cytoprotective genes. Additionally, the membrane damage caused by ferroptotic stimulus can be repaired by ESCRT‐III‐dependent membrane scission machinery. In this review, we summarize recent progress in understanding the signaling pathways and defense mechanisms of ferroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Chitin is a major component in the extracellular matrix of insects, and its metabolism largely affects insect development and molting. As essential degradative enzymes, chitinases are encoded by multiple genes that differ in size, expression pattern and function in insects. However, our limited knowledge on the functions of different chitinases in Agrotis ipsilon has prevented our application of new technologies to target these genes as new pest management strategies. RESULTS: We revealed 11 full‐length complementary DNA sequences of chitinase genes (AiChts) from A. ipsilon transcriptome. Although the domain architecture of these chitinases varied greatly, they all contained at least one chitinase catalytic domain. Developmental stage‐ and tissue‐dependent expression profiles showed that most AiChts had the highest expression in the pupal stage. Furthermore, AiCht2, AiCht6, AiCht7 and AiCht10 were mainly expressed in the integument, whereas AiCht8 and AiCht‐h had the highest expression in the midgut. The RNA interference (RNAi) experiment revealed that knockdown of AiCht10 or the imaginal disc growth factor gene (AiIDGF) induced high larval mortality. Larvae failed to shed the old cuticle during molting after the injection of double‐stranded RNA targeting AiCht10 (dsAiCht10), whereas the larval bodies shrunk and blackened after the injection of dsRNA targeting AiIDGF (dsAiIDGF). CONCLUSION: Our results revealed for the first time the important functions of AiCht10 and AiIDGF in A. ipsilon. These genes are essential for larval development, and can potentially serve as new targets for RNAi‐based pest management. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myoepithelioma‐like tumors of the vulvar region (MELTVR) is a kind of solid tumor newly recognized in recent years, which is characterized by mesenchymal tumors of adult female vulva. The histopathology is similar to myoepithelioma, but the immunohistochemical phenotype and genetic changes are different from myoepithelioma. It usually has clear boundary and partial capsule, mixed with two forms of cells (epithelioid and spindle), the cells are mild, the nucleoli are clear, mitoses are rare, some cases have myxoid differentiation. In this article, a case of MELTVR diagnosed in our hospital is discussed. The patient was a 43‐year‐old female who finds a neoplasm in the pubic tubercle 4 months ago. Local resection was performed. Pathological examination showed that the boundary of the tumor was clear with partial capsule. The cells were arranged in cords or nests, and partially infiltrated the surrounding adipocytes. The tumor cells had two morphologies, epithelioid or spindle shaped. The spindle type cells were dominant, with bright cytoplasm, obvious nucleoli, rare nuclear mitosis (about 1/10HPF), and no necrosis was observed. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen, estrogen receptor, progestogen receptor, calponin and were partially positive for cathepsin k. INI1/SMARCB1 expression was deficient. There was no recurrence or metastasis during the 8‐month‐long follow‐up. The unique feature of this case was that the site of the disease was not the vulva, but in front of the pubic tubercle, there was no large amount of mucus production, and the cytoplasm of most tumor cells was transparent. Due to our limited knowledge of MELTVR, its pathogenesis and tissue origin are not clear. Clinicians should be aware of such potential patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological properties, which serve as the core of the neural network, and their couplings can reflect different therapeutic effects in tinnitus patients. We hypothesized that tinnitus patients with different outcomes after sound therapy (narrowband noise) would have distinct brain network topological alterations. Diffusion tensor imaging and resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were prospectively performed in 60 patients with idiopathic tinnitus and 57 healthy controls (HCs). Graph‐theoretical network analyses of structural connectivity (SC), functional connectivity (FC), and SC and FC coupling were performed. Associations between clinical performance and graph‐theoretical features were also analyzed. Treatment was effective (effective group; EG) in 28 patients and ineffective (ineffective group; IG) in 32 patients. For FC, the patients in the EG showed higher local efficiency than patients in the IG. For SC, patients in both the EG and IG displayed lower normalized characteristic path length, characteristic path length, and global efficiency than the HCs. More importantly, patients in the IG had higher coupling than the HCs, whereas there was no difference in coupling between patients in the EG and HCs. Additionally, there were significant associations between the SC features and clinical performance in patients in the EG. Our findings demonstrate that tinnitus patients exhibited significant brain network topological alterations, especially in the structural brain network. More importantly, patients who demonstrated different curative effects showed distinct SC‐FC topological coupling properties. SC‐FC coupling could be an indicator that could be used to predict prognoses in patients with idiopathic tinnitus before sound therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A robust and highly active homogeneous chiral nickel–phosphine complex for the asymmetric hydrogenation of aliphatic γ‐ and δ‐ketoacids has been discovered. The hydrogenation could proceed smoothly in the presence of 0.0133 mol% catalyst loading (S/C=7500). The coordination chemistry and catalytic behavior of Ni(OTf)2 with (S,S)‐Ph‐BPE were explored by 1H NMR and HRMS. The mechanistic studies revealed that a proton promoted the activation of the substrate C=O bond and controlled the stereoselectivity through hydrogen bonds. A series of chiral γ‐ and δ‐alkyl substituted lactones were obtained in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98 % yield and 99 % ee). In addition, this catalytic system also demonstrated that levulinic acid produced from a biomass feedstock was converted into chiral γ‐valerolactone without loss of ee value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric carcinoma (GC) is one of the most deadly diseases due to tumour metastasis and resistance to therapy. Understanding the molecular mechanism of tumour progression and drug resistance will improve therapeutic efficacy and develop novel intervention strategies. Methods: Differentially expressed long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in clinical specimens were identified by LncRNA microarrays and validated in different clinical cohorts by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), in situ hybridisation and bioinformatics analysis. Biological functions of lncRNA were investigated by using cell proliferation assays, migration assays, xenograft tumour models and bioinformatics analysis. Effects of lncSLCO1C1 on GC cell survival were assessed by comet assays and immunofluorescence assays. Underlying molecular mechanisms were further explored by using a number of technologies including RNA pull‐down, mass spectrometry analysis, RNA immunoprecipitation, co‐immunoprecipitation, miRNA sequencing, luciferase reporter assays and molecular modelling. Results: LncSLCO1C1 was highly upregulated in GC tissue samples and associated with GC patients' poor overall survival. Overexpression of lncSLCO1C1 promoted proliferation and migration, whereas decreased lncSLCO1C1 expression produced the opposite effects. lncSLCO1C1 also mediated tumour resistance to chemotherapy with oxaliplatin by reducing DNA damage and increasing cell proliferation. Despite sequence overlapping between lncSLCO1C1 and PDE3A, alternations of PDE3A expression had no effect on the GC cell progression, indicating that lncSLCO1C1, not PDE3A, related with the progression of GC cells. Mechanistically, lncSLCO1C1 serves as a scaffold for the structure‐specific recognition protein 1 (SSRP1)/H2A/H2B complex and regulates the function of SSRP1 in reducing DNA damage. Meanwhile, lncSLCO1C1 functions as a sponge to adsorb miR‐204‐5p and miR‐211‐5p that target SSRP1 mRNA, and thus increases SSRP1 expression. Patients with high expressions of both lncSLCO1C1 and SSRP1 have poor overall survival, highlighting the role of lncSLCO1C1 in GC progression. Conclusions: LncSLCO1C1 promotes GC progression by enhancing cell growth and preventing DNA damage via interacting and scaffolding the SSRP1/H2A/H2b complex and absorbing both miR‐211‐5p and miR‐204‐5p to increase SSRP1 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a strong risk factor for complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). The effect of T2DM medications on COVID‐19 outcomes remains unclear. In a retrospective analysis of a cohort of 131 patients with T2DM hospitalized for COVID‐19 in Wuhan, we have previously found that metformin use prior to hospitalization is associated with reduced mortality. The current study aims to investigate the effects of inpatient use of T2DM medications, including metformin, acarbose, insulin and sulfonylureas, on the mortality of COVID‐19 patients with T2DM during hospitalization. Methods: We continue to carry out a retrospective analysis of a cohort of 131 patients with T2DM hospitalized for COVID‐19 and treated with different combinations of diabetes medications. Results: We found that patients using metformin (p =.02) and acarbose (p =.04), alone or both together (p =.03), after admission were significantly more likely to survive than those who did not use either metformin or acarbose. 37 patients continued to take metformin after admission and 35 (94.6%) survived. Among the 57 patients who used acarbose after admission, 52 survived (91.2%). A total of 20 patients used both metformin and acarbose, while 57 used neither. Of the 20 dual‐use patients, 19 (95.0%) survived. Conclusion: Our analyses suggest that inpatient use of metformin and acarbose together or alone during hospitalization should be studied in randomized trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Krüppel‐like factor 16 (KLF16), a member of the Krüppel‐like factor (KLF) family, has been extensively investigated in multiple cancer types. However, the role of KLF16 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unknown. Thus, we conducted this study to investigate its related mechanism. KLF16 expression in OSCC cell lines was quantified by western blotting. Then, OECM1 and OC3 cells were divided into Blank, siCtrl, siKLF16#1 and siKLF16#2 groups. Subsequently, cell proliferation was detected using 3‐[4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl]‐2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, cell migration and invasion were detected with wound healing and Transwell assays, and cell cycle distribution and cell apoptosis were detected via flow cytometry. KLF16, p21, CDK4, Cyclin D1 and p‐Rb expression was detected by western blotting. Finally, xenograft models were established in nude mice to observe the in vivo effects of KLF16 on OSCC. KLF16 protein expression was upregulated in OSCC cells. Compared to the cells in the Blank group, the OECM1 and OC3 cells in the siKLF16#1 group and siKLF16#2 group exhibited a sharp decrease in proliferation but a remarkable increase in apoptosis. Moreover, the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase notably increased and that in the S phase decreased, with evident decreases in cell invasion and migration. Moreover, KLF16, cyclin‐dependent kinase 4 (CDK4), Cyclin D1 and p‐Rb protein expression was upregulated, but p21 expression was downregulated. The mice in the siKLF16#1 and siKLF16#2 xenograft model groups exhibited slower tumour growth and smaller tumours with evident downregulation of Ki67 expression compared to the mice in the Blank group. KLF16 expression was upregulated in OSCC cells, and interfering with KLF16 led to cell cycle arrest, inhibited OSCC cell growth and promoted cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The salts {[Ln2Ln*(Hhmq)3(OAc)3(hfac)2]+ [Ln*(hfac)3(OAc)(MeOH)]−} (Hhmq=2‐methanolquinolin‐8‐oxide, hfac=hexafluoroacetylacetonate; Ln, Ln*=Er, Gd, Yb) feature a discrete heteronuclear cation consisting of two types of lanthanide atoms. The quinolinoxy O‐atom serves as a μ2‐bridge to two Ln atoms and as a μ3‐bridge to all three atoms, with metal⋅⋅⋅metal distances being around 3.7 Å. For 1 ([Yb2Er]+), near‐infrared downshifted luminescence is switched to competitive upconversion luminescence upon irradiation by a 980 nm laser under an extremely low excitation power (0.288 W cm−2) through introduction of fluoride ions. The stability of 1 after addition of fluoride was confirmed by powder X‐ray diffraction and multistage mass spectrometry, associated with the 1H NMR of 6 ([La2Eu]+). More importantly, the at least 20‐fold enhancement of the quantum yield in non‐deuterated solvents at room temperature under low power densities (2 W cm−2) is the highest among the few molecular examples reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies demonstrated that brain morphological differences and distinct patterns of neural activation exist in tinnitus patients with different prognoses after sound therapy. This study aimed to explore possible differences in intrinsic network‐level functional connectivity (FC) in patients with different outcomes after sound therapy (narrow band noise). We examined intrinsic FC using resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging in 78 idiopathic tinnitus patients (including 35 effectively treated and 43 ineffectively treated) and 52 healthy controls (HCs) via independent component analysis. We also investigated the associations between the differences in FC and clinical variables. Analyses revealed significantly altered intranetwork connectivity in the auditory network (AUN) and some nonauditory‐related networks in the EG/IG patients compared to HCs; compared with EG patients, IG patients showed decreased intranetwork connectivity in the anterior default mode network (aDMN) and AUN. Meanwhile, robust differences were also evident in internetwork connectivity between some nonauditory‐related networks (salience network and executive control network; posterior default mode network and dorsal attention network) in the EG relative to IG patients. We combined intranetwork connectivity in the aDMN and AUN as an imaging indicator to evaluate patient outcomes and screen patients before treatment; this approach reached a sensitivity of 94.3% and a specificity of 76.7%. Our study suggests that tinnitus patients with different outcomes show distinct network‐level functional reorganization patterns. Intranetwork connectivity in the aDMN and AUN may be indicators that can be used to predict prognoses in patients with idiopathic tinnitus and screen patients before sound therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main observation and conclusion: A detailed chemical study on the Hainan soft coral Sinularia crass has resulted in the isolation and characterization of eleven casbane‐type diterpenoids, named sinucrassins A—K (1—11), along with six known related ones (12—17). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses and comparison with the reported data. The absolute configurations of new compounds were determined by the X‐ray diffraction analysis and computer‐assisted structural elucidation including 13C NMR data calculation and time‐dependent density functional theory/electronic circular dichroism calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), a member of the Asteraceae, is a popular crop due to its high linoleic acid (LA) and flavonoid (such as hydroxysafflor yellow A) contents. Here, we report the first high‐quality genome assembly (contig N50 of 21.23 Mb) for the 12 pseudochromosomes of safflower using single‐molecule real‐time sequencing, Hi‐C mapping technologies and a genetic linkage map. Phyloge nomic analysis showed that safflower diverged from artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) and sunflower (Helianthusannuus) approximately 30.7 and 60.5 million years ago, respectively. Comparative genomic analyses revealed that uniquely expanded gene families in safflower were enriched for those predicted to be involved in lipid metabolism and transport and abscisic acid signalling. Notably, the fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2) and chalcone synthase (CHS) families, which function in the LA and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, respectively, were expanded via tandem duplications in safflower. CarFAD2‐12 was specifically expressed in seeds and was vital for high‐LA content in seeds, while tandemly duplicated CarFAD2 genes were up‐regulated in ovaries compared to CarFAD2‐12, which indicates regulatory divergence of FAD2 in seeds and ovaries. CarCHS1, CarCHS4 and tandem‐duplicated CarCHS5˜CarCHS6, which were up‐regulated compared to other CarCHS members at early stages, contribute to the accumulation of major flavonoids in flowers. In addition, our data reveal multiple alternative splicing events in gene families related to fatty acid and flavonoid biosynthesis. Together, these results provide a high‐quality reference genome and evolutionary insights into the molecular basis of fatty acid and flavonoid biosynthesis in safflower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive deposition of extracellular matrix, mainly collagen protein, is the hallmark of organ fibrosis. The molecular mechanisms regulating fibrotic protein biosynthesis are unclear. Here, we find that chemoattractant receptor homologous molecule expressed on TH2 cells (CRTH2), a plasma membrane receptor for prostaglandin D2, is trafficked to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane in fibroblasts in a caveolin‐1‐dependent manner. ER‐anchored CRTH2 binds the collagen mRNA recognition motif of La ribonucleoprotein domain family member 6 (LARP6) and promotes the degradation of collagen mRNA in these cells. In line, CRTH2 deficiency increases collagen biosynthesis in fibroblasts and exacerbates injury‐induced organ fibrosis in mice, which can be rescued by LARP6 depletion. Administration of CRTH2 N‐terminal peptide reduces collagen production by binding to LARP6. Similar to CRTH2, bumetanide binds the LARP6 mRNA recognition motif, suppresses collagen biosynthesis, and alleviates bleomycin‐triggered pulmonary fibrosis in vivo. These findings reveal a novel anti‐fibrotic function of CRTH2 in the ER membrane via the interaction with LARP6, which may represent a therapeutic target for fibrotic diseases. Synopsis: The molecular mechanisms underlying excessive collagen biosynthesis and tissue fibrosis remain unclear. This study reports a role for ER‐localized prostaglandin D2 receptor CRTH2 in promoting collagen degradation and suppressing tissue fibrosis via blocking the ribonucleoprotein LARP6. Caveolin‐1 mediates plasma membrane‐to‐ER trafficking of CRTH2 in fibroblasts.ER‐anchored CRTH2 binds the collagen mRNA recognition motif of LARP6, decreasing collagen biogenesis.CRTH2 depletion enhances injury‐induced lung fibrosis in mice in a LARP6‐dependent manner.A small molecule screen identifies Bumetanide as anti‐fibrotic agent, mimicking CRTH2 binding to LARP6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac fibrosis is the final event of heart failure and is associated with almost all forms of cardiovascular disease. Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), a major cell type in the heart, are responsible for regulating normal myocardial function and maintaining extracellular matrix homeostasis in adverse myocardial remodeling. In this study, we found that C188‐9, a small‐molecule inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), exhibited an antifibrotic function, both in vitro and in vivo. C188‐9 decreased transforming growth factor‐β1‐induced CF activation and fibrotic gene expression. Moreover, C188‐9 treatment alleviated heart injury and cardiac fibrosis in an isoproterenol‐induced mouse model by suppressing STAT3 phosphorylation and activation. These findings may help us better understand the role of C188‐9 in cardiac fibrosis and facilitate the development of new treatments for cardiac fibrosis and other cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Back cover image: Xu et al. propose a new concept of “catalyst‐substrate fusion electrode” based on targeted etching metal substrates to enable strong self‐stabilizing effect on mechanical adhesion and charge/mass transfer competent for industrial water electrolysis (cey2.327). The etching method to transform nickel foam into robust water oxidating electrode is ultrafast and facile, showing practical advantages in respect to time‐energy input, cost‐effectiveness and scale‐up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In laser illumination, there is considerable interest in phosphor‐converted laser diodes that boast high efficiency and exceptional thermal stability. Phosphor‐in‐glass (PiG) and phosphor‐in‐glass film (PiF) are highly favored for their efficiency, cost‐effectiveness, and ease of fabrication. To tackle the issue of low thermal conductivity of glass, a novel lithium–aluminum–silicate glass is innovatively developed. This glass induces the precipitation of spodumene crystalline phase, enhancing material stability. Utilizing solid‐state sintering techniques, Y3Al3.5Ga1.5O12:Ce3+ (YAGG:Ce) PiG is fabricated, which exhibited a luminous flux (LF) of 866.76 lm under 450 nm blue light with 3.88 W input power. Benefiting from the high thermal conductivity of sapphire substrate and the high‐intensity glass system, YAGG:Ce PiF demonstrated a saturation threshold of 10.20 W, yielding an impressive LF of 2178.1 lm, which is 2.5 times that of PiG samples. Notably, the thermal conductivity increased significantly from 2.2 W m−1K−1 (PiG) to 7.0 W m−1K−1 (PiF), surpassing traditional organic resin materials. To validate the practicality of the two‐color converters, it integrates them into both starlight lamp and laser flashlight modules for encapsulation, thereby generating attractive green light in various environments. This design holds the potential to become the ideal choice for the next generation of high‐power, high‐brightness laser illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientational ordered soft matter possessing diverse microstructures has become a focal point of scientific research and technological exploration, thanks to its advancements in serving as an indispensable optical platform enabling propagation of light with multidimensional and manipulatable states. Herein, a facile way is developed to manipulate the in‐plane light beam transition dynamics by harnessing a time‐variable nematic liquid crystal (NLC) film through the electrical‐field‐induced topological defects. The results show that the dynamic change of optical branched flow is associated with the growth in the correlation length of optical potential and the reduction in the density of topological defects. The optical branching can continuously transform to deterministic and tunable beam steering at the low‐defect‐density regime through annihilation kinetics of defects. The explored soft matter system provides an excellent planar platform for the fundamental physics of light interacting with topological defects and may offer new perspectives for novel optics elements toward the applications of soft matter photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]