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This experiment was designed to explore the effect and mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) for hyperlipidemia and hepatic cholesterol synthesis in rats. Liver and adipose tissues were assessed histologically, and body and liver weight, serum and liver lipid levels, expression of mTOR/ubiquitin-specific peptidase 20 (USP20)/recombinant 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), and phosphorylation of mTOR and USP20 were measured. In vitro deubiquitination assays with liver cytosol were conducted. EA at Fenglong point ameliorated hyperlipidemia and hepatocyte steatosis, and decreased p-USP20, p-mTOR and HMGCR expression in the liver by reducing deubiquitination. Furthermore, EA decreased feeding-induced lipid biosynthesis in the liver. Concomitantly, EA prevented the induction of phosphorylated USP20 and mTOR, and HMGCR expression; and reduced the deubiquitination of HMGCR after re-feeding. This experiment demonstrated that EA can effectively improve hyperlipidemia and reduce hepatic cholesterol synthesis by counteracting the deubiquitination activity of HMGCR in hyperlipidemic rats.

The extensive consumption of fossil fuels increases CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, resulting in serious global warming problems. Meanwhile, the problem of water contamination by organic substances is another significant global challenge. We have successfully synthesized ZnGa1.01Te2.13/g-C3N4 (ZGT/GCN) composites for the first time as effective photocatalysts for both pollutant degradation and CO2 reduction. ZGT/GCN composites were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM-EDS, DRS, BET, PL, and XPS. The ZGT/GCN heterojunction exhibited considerably enhanced photocatalytic activity in the degradation of crystal violet (CV) as well as in the photoreduction of CO2 when compared to pure ZGT and GCN semiconductors. The optimal rate constant for CV degradation was obtained with the ZGT-80%GCN composite (0.0442 h−1), which is higher than the constants obtained with individual ZGT and GCN by 7.75 and 1.63 times, respectively. Moreover, the CO2 reduction yields into CH4 by ZGT-80%GCN was 1.013 μmol/g in 72 h, which is 1.21 and 1.08 times larger than the yields obtained with ZGT and GCN. Scavenger and ESR tests were used to propose the photocatalytic mechanism of the ZGT/GCN composite as well as the active species in the CV degradation.

The generation of entanglement and information distribution among macroscopic systems which are spatially separated are of paramount importance in the realm of quantum networks and quantum communication. In this paper, we propose a scheme that enables the preparation of long-distance entanglement between two magnons and controllable information transfer from a giant atom to either magnon, where the two magnons can be positioned symmetrically or asymmetrically in relation to a giant atom, and all of the magnons and the atom are coupled to a microwave cavity-array waveguide. By considering significant frequency detuning, we can virtually excite photons and establish an indirect interaction between the giant atom and the two magnons. Through the modulation of atom–waveguide coupling rates, we can not only evenly transfer atomic excitation to both magnons, thereby generating maximally entangled states, but also selectively transmit the atomic state to a single magnon. It is our hope that our proposed scheme will prove valuable in the field of quantum communications.

Background: Most patients with resected bile tract cancers (BTCs) survive for less than 5 years; however, some achieve better prognosis. The tumor microbiome can improve survival by regulating the tumor immune microenvironment. However, whether the tumor microbiome promotes immune cell infiltration in BTCs is unknown. This study aimed to determine the association between CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration and the tumor microbiome in patients with resected BTCs. Methods: Archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor specimens were collected from patients with resected BTCs and analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify that prognosis-related and significantly differentially enriched taxa. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of the differentially enriched taxa was used to assess how CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration is affected by the tumor microbiome of BTCs. Results: We enrolled 32 patients with resected BTCs. The high CD8+ lymphocyte-infiltration (CD8hi) group had four significantly enriched taxa, and in the low CD8+ lymphocyte-infiltration (CD8low) group comprised one significantly enriched taxon. Patients with higher Clostridia abundance (enriched in the CD8hi group) experienced longer overall survival than those with lower abundance. The enrichment of Clostridia in the CD8hi group corresponded with lower CCL2 expression and downregulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity, which might decrease myeloid-derived suppressor cell recruitment to the tumor milieu, thus increasing CD8+ lymphocyte infiltration in BTCs. Conclusions: The tumor microbiome is related to CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration in patients with resected BTCs. The relationship between tumor Clostridia and high infiltration of CD8+ T lymphocytes might reflect decreased recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells via the PI3K-CCL2-CCR2 axis.

In order to investigate the performance of titanium oxide ceramic layer prepared by a single electrolyte system, a titanium oxide ceramic film was prepared on the surface of titanium using NaOH as electrolyte. The effects of current density and NaOH concentration on phase composition, micromorphology, oxide film thickness, hardness and wear resistance were investigated. Results showed that the phase composition, micromorphology, oxide film thickness, hardness and wear resistance were greatly affected by current density and NaOH concentration. With the increase of current density, the content of rutile titanium oxide in the film increased, the surface morphology became rougher, the porosity increased, the film became thicker, and the hardness increased obviously. With the increase of NaOH concentration, the content of rutile in the micro-arc oxidation film increased, the surface morphology became rougher, the porosity and thickness increased, the hardness increased significantly, and the wear resistance changed without obvious regularity.

Abstract Tumor growth, metastasis and therapeutic response are believed to be regulated by the tumor and its microenvironment (TME) in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the mechanisms underlying genomic, transcriptomic and epigenetic alternations in RCC progression have not been completely defined. In this study, single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data were obtained from eight tissue samples of RCC patients, including two matched pairs of primary and metastatic sites (lymph nodes), along with Hi-C, transposable accessible chromatin by high-throughput (ATAC-seq) and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) between RCC (Caki-1) and human renal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2). The identified target was verified in clinical tissue samples (microarray of 407 RCC patients, TMA-30 and TMA-2020), whose function was further validated by in vitro and in vivo experiments through knockdown or overexpression. We profiled transcriptomes of 30514 malignant cells, and 14762 non-malignant cells. Comprehensive multi-omics analysis revealed that malignant cells and TME played a key role in RCC. The expression programs of stromal cells and immune cells were consistent among the samples, whereas malignant cells expressed distinct programs associated with hypoxia, cell cycle, epithelial differentiation, and two different metastasis patterns. Comparison of the hierarchical structure showed that SERPINE2 was related to these NNMF expression programs, and at the same time targeted the switched compartment. SERPINE2 was highly expressed in RCC tissues and lowly expressed in para-tumor tissues or HK-2 cell line. SERPINE2 knockdown markedly suppressed RCC cell growth and invasion, while SERPINE2 overexpression dramatically promoted RCC cell metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, SERPINE2 could activate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway. The above findings demonstrated that the role of distinct expression patterns of malignant cells and TME played a distinct role in RCC progression. SERPINE2 was identified as a potential therapeutic target for inhibiting metastasis in advanced RCC.

Abstract Decellularized xenogeneic vascular grafts can be used in revascularization surgeries. We have developed decellularization methods using high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), which preserves the extracellular structure. Here, we attempted ex vivo endothelialization of HHP-decellularized xenogeneic tissues using human endothelial cells (ECs) to prevent clot formation against human blood. Slices of porcine aortic endothelium were decellularized using HHP and coated with gelatin. Human umbilical vein ECs were directly seeded and cultured under dynamic flow or static conditions for 14 days. Dynamic flow cultures tend to demonstrate higher cell coverage. We then coated the tissues with the E8 fragment of human laminin-411 (hL411), which has high affinity for ECs, and found that Dynamic/hL411showed high area coverage, almost reaching 100% (Dynamic/Gelatin vs Dynamic/hL411; 58.7 ± 11.4 vs 97.5 ± 1.9%, P = 0.0017). Immunostaining revealed sufficient endothelial cell coverage as a single cell layer in Dynamic/hL411. A clot formation assay using human whole blood showed low clot formation in Dynamic/hL411, almost similar to that in the negative control, polytetrafluoroethylene. Surface modification of HHP-decellularized xenogeneic endothelial tissues combined with dynamic culture achieved sufficient ex vivo endothelialization along with prevention of clot formation, indicating their potential for clinical use as vascular grafts in the future.

Abstract Background Emergent endotracheal intubation (ETI) is a serious complication after Oesophagectomy. It is still unclear that perioperative risk factors and prognosis of these patients with ETI. Methods Between January 2015 and December 2018, 21 patients who received ETI after esophagectomy were enrolled (ETI group) at the department of thoracic surgery, Fujian Union hospital, China. Each study subject matched one patient who underwent the same surgery in the current era were included (control group). Patient characteristics and perioperative factors were collected. Results Patients with ETI were older than those without ETI (p = 0.022). The patients with history of smoking in ETI group were significantly more than those in control group (p = 0.013). The stay-time of postanesthesia care unit (PACU) in ETI group was significantly longer than that in control group (p = 0.001). The incidence of anastomotic leak or electrolyte disorder in ETI group was also higher than that in control group (p = 0.014; p = 0.002). Logistic regression analysis indicated history of smoke (HR 6.43, 95%CI 1.39–29.76, p = 0.017) and longer stay time of PACU (HR 1.04, 95%CI 1.01–1.83, p = 0.020) both were independently associated with higher risks of ETI. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 47.6% in patients with ETI and 85.7% in patients without ETI (HR 4.72, 95%CI 1.31-17.00, p = 0.018). COX regression analysis indicated ETI was an independent risk factor affecting the OS. Conclusion The study indicated that history of smoking and longer stay-time in PACU both were independently associated with higher risks of ETI; and ETI was an independent risk factor affecting the OS of patients after esophagectomy. Trial registration This trial was retrospectively registered with the registration number of ChiCTR2000038549.

Abstract Ferroptosis, a newly discovered irondependent form of regulated cell death caused by excessive accumulation of lipid peroxides, is linked to the development and treatment response of various types of cancer, including gastric cancer (GC). Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), as key regulators in cancer, have both oncogenic and tumor suppressive roles. However, studies on ferroptosis-related ncRNA networks in GC are still lacking. Here, we first identified 61 differentially expressed genes associated with ferroptosis in GC by computing and analyzing gene expression profile of tumor and normal tissues for GC. Then, upstream lncRNAs and miRNAs interacting with them were found through miRNet and miRBase databases, and hub lncRNAs and miRNAs were obtained through topological analysis. Finally, the ceRNA regulatory network linked to ferroptosis in GC was established, which includes two ferroptosis marker genes (TXNIP and TSC22D3), one driver gene (GABARAPL1), and one suppressor gene (CAV1). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that changes in the expression of these genes were associated with the survival of GC patients. Furthermore, our study revealed that this ceRNA network may influence the progression of GC by regulating ferroptosis process. These results will help experimental researchers to design an experiment study to further explore the roles of this regulatory network in GC ferroptosis.

Retinal ischemia plays a vital role in vision-threatening retinal ischemic disorders, such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, etc. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of S-allyl L-cysteine (SAC) and its associated therapeutic mechanism. Oxidative stress was induced by administration of 500 μM H2O2 for 24 h; SAC demonstrated a dose-dependent neuroprotective effect with significant cell viability effects at 100 μM, and it concurrently downregulated angiogenesis factor PKM2 and inflammatory biomarker MCP-1. In a Wistar rat model of high intraocular pressure (HIOP)-induced retinal ischemia and reperfusion (I/R), post-administration of 100 μM SAC counteracted the ischemic-associated reduction of ERG b-wave amplitude and fluorogold-labeled RGC reduction. This study supports that SAC could protect against retinal ischemia through its anti-oxidative, anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties.

Consumers always delay their choices, which can cause companies to suffer tremendous losses. One reason for such delay is a lack of confidence. Confidence in consumer decision-making can stem from many sources, including social power. In this research, we find that selection power with regard to choosing a romantic mate increases consumers’ decision confidence and, in turn, decreases choice deferral. We define the concept of intersexual selection power (ISP), and propose certain factors that can induce individuals’ asymmetric ISP. We conducted four studies to explore four factors that could influence consumers’ ISP perceptions (sex, mating cues, sex ratio, and mate value) and the effects of such power perception on choice deferral. The results showed that individuals with high ISP perception have more decision confidence and a lower choice deferral rate than individuals with low ISP perception regardless of the way in which choice deferral is measured.

Abstract The effectiveness of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is confirmed in clinical trials; however, the patients suitable for receiving this therapy remain unspecified. Previous studies have demonstrated that the tumor microenvironment (TME) dominates immunotherapy; therefore, an effective TME classification strategy is required. In this study, five crucial immunophenotype‐related molecules (WARS, UBE2L6, GZMB, BATF2, and LAG‐3) in the TME are determined in five public gastric cancer (GC) datasets (n = 1426) and an in‐house sequencing dataset (n = 79). Based on this, a GC immunophenotypic score (IPS) is constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox, and randomSurvivalForest. IPSLow is characterized as immune‐activated, and IPSHigh is immune‐silenced. Data from seven centers (n = 1144) indicate that the IPS is a robust and independent biomarker for GC and superior to the AJCC stage. Furthermore, patients with an IPSLow and a combined positive score of ≥5 are likely to benefit from neoadjuvant anti‐PD‐1 therapy. In summary, the IPS can be a useful quantitative tool for immunophenotyping to improve clinical outcomes and provide a practical reference for implementing neoadjuvant ICI therapy for patients with GC.

The interaction between adjacent active sites is crucial to balance the efficiency and utilization of functional atoms in single-atom catalysts. Herein, the catalytic activity of hydrogen evolution reaction at different site (nitrogen coordinated transition metal centers embedded in graphene) distances was comprehensively investigated by density functional theory calculations. The results show that a proximity effect of reactivity and site spacing can be identified in the Co-series single-atom catalysts. Although the proximity effect is more linearly responded with the site spacing along x direction, an optimal distance of ∼0.8 and ∼2.8 nm are found for Co and Rh, Ir atoms, respectively. An in-depth analysis of the electronic property reveals that the proximity effect is caused by the distinct net charge of the active site, which is affected by the d z 2 position relative to EF. Subsequently, an excess electron nodal channel in x direction was found to serve as a communication pathway between the active sites. Through the finding in this work, an optimal Fe-N2C2 structure was deliberately designed and has shown prominent proximity effect as Co-series do. The results reported in this work provide a simple and effective tuning method for the reactivity of a single-atom catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]