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Gang Deng, Yuanyuan Yang, Song Lu, Lin Ma, Guohua Wu College of Biotechnology and Sericultural Research Institute, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212100, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Guohua Wu, Email ghwu@just.edu.cnIntroduction: With the development of technology, personal heat management has become a focus of attention. Phase change fabrics, as intelligent materials, are expected to be widely used in multiple fields, bringing comfortable, intelligent and convenient living experience.Methods: In this study, miniature phase change microcapsules (MPCM) with n-octadecane as core and poly(methyl methacrylate) as shell were successfully prepared. Using the in-situ reduction property of polydopamine, gold nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of the microcapsules, which retained the heat storage function and imparted photothermal and antibacterial properties. The MPCM with photothermal conversion function was modified on the surface of silk fabric using aqueous polyurethane after verified by comprehensive material characterisation techniques.Results: Under the near infrared light of 808 nm wavelength and 0.134 W/cm² irradiation intensity, the MPCM@PDA@Au modified silk fabrics showed excellent photothermal conversion performance, which could be increased from 25°C to 60°C in 50s. After the light source was cut off, the fabrics showed good heat release ability, with melting enthalpy and crystallisation enthalpy reaching 41.58 J/g and 43.3 J/g, respectively, which were not changed after repeated cycles. After the light source is cut off, the fabric has good heat release ability, and the enthalpy of melting and crystallisation reaches 41.58 J/g and 43.3 J/g, respectively, and the photothermal efficiency remains unchanged after many cycles of use, which proves that it has excellent durability and stability. The antimicrobial test shows that the fabric has significant antibacterial effect on Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).Discussion: MPCM@PDA@Au silk fabrics bring new possibilities for the future of personal thermal management and antimicrobial protection in the field of medical health, outdoor sports and other areas of broad application prospects, heralding the birth of a series of innovative applications and solutions.Keywords: photothermal conversion, phase change material, thermal energy storage, functional textile

Jianguo Song,1,* Huanliang Meng,2,* Guoying Deng,1 Haodong Lin1 1Trauma Center, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201620, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Guoying Deng; Haodong Lin, Trauma Center, Shanghai General Hospital, 650 New Songjiang Road, Shanghai, 201620, People’s Republic of China, Email guoying.deng@shgh.cn; haodong.lin@hotmail.comBackground: Inhibiting ROS overproduction is considered a very effective strategy for the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries, and Se has a remarkable antioxidant effect; however, since the difference between the effective concentration of Se and the toxic dose is not large, we synthesized a nanomaterial that can release Se slowly so that it can be used more effectively.Methods: Se@SiO2 NPs were synthesized using a mixture of Cu2-x Se nanocrystals, and the mechanism of action of Se@SiO2 NPs was initially explored by performing sequencing, immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting of cellular experiments. The mechanism of action of Se@SiO2 NPs was further determined by performing behavioral assays after animal experiments and by sampling the material for histological staining, immunofluorescence staining, and ELISA. The effects, mechanisms and biocompatibility of Se@SiO2 NPs for peripheral nerve regeneration were determined.Results: Porous Se@SiO2 was successfully synthesized, had good particle properties, and could release Se slowly. CCK-8 experiments revealed that the optimal experimental doses were 100 μM H2O2 and 200 μg/mL Se@SiO2, and RNA-seq revealed that porous Se@SiO2 was associated with cell proliferation, apoptosis, and the PI3K/AKT pathway. WB showed that porous Se@SiO2 could increase the expression of cell proliferation antigens (PCNA and S100) and antiapoptotic proteins (Bcl-2), decrease the expression of proapoptotic proteins (Bax), and increase the expression of antioxidative stress proteins (Nrf2, HO-1, and SOD2). EdU cell proliferation and ROS fluorescence assays showed that porous Se@SiO2 promoted cell proliferation and reduced ROS levels. The therapeutic effect of LY294002 (a PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitor) was decreased significantly and its effect was lost when it was added simultaneously with porous Se@SiO2. Animal experiments revealed that the regenerated nerve fiber density, myelin thickness, axon area, gastrocnemius muscle wet-to-weight ratio, myofiber area, sciatic nerve function index (SFI), CMAP, apoptotic cell ratio, and levels of antioxidative stress proteins and anti-inflammatory factors were increased following the administration of porous Se@SiO2. The levels of oxidative stress proteins and anti-inflammatory factors were significantly greater in the Se@SiO2 group than in the PNI group, and the effect of LY294002 was decreased significantly and was lost when it was added simultaneously with porous Se@SiO2.Conclusion: Se@SiO2 NPs are promising, economical and effective Se-releasing nanomaterials that can effectively reduce ROS production, inhibit apoptosis and promote cell proliferation after nerve injury via the PI3K/AKT pathway, ultimately accelerating nerve regeneration. These findings could be used to design new, promising drugs for the treatment of peripheral nerve injury. Keywords: Se@SiO2, PI3K/AKT, PNI, antioxidative stress, apoptosis

Min Yang,1– 3,* Wenfei Wang,3,* Peize Zhang,4 Guizhen Liu,5 Hailin Lu,6 Mingjie He,5 Guofang Deng,2,3 Xiaoyou Chen1,7 1Department of Pharmacology, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Second Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis, the Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, the Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 4Fourth Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis, the Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 5The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 6Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 7Infectious Diseases Department, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xiaoyou Chen; Guofang Deng, Email chenxy1998@hotmail.com; jxxk1035@yeah.netObjective: We aimed to investigate dysregulated metabolic pathways and identify diagnostic and therapeutic targets in patients with tuberculosis-diabetes (TB-DM).Methods: In our prospective cohort study, plasma samples were collected from healthy individuals, diabetic (DM) patients, untreated TB-only (TB-0)/TB-DM patients (TB-DM-0), and cured TB (TB-6)/TB-DM patients (TB-DM-6) to measure the levels of amino acids, fatty acids, and other metabolites in plasma using high-throughput targeted quantification methods.Results: Significantly different biological processes and biomarkers were identified in DM, TB-DM-0, and TB-DM-6 patients. Moreover, quinolinic acid (QA) showed excellent predictive accuracy for distinguishing between DM patients and TB-DM-0 patients, with an AUC of 1 (95% CI 1– 1). When differentiating between TB-DM-0 patients and TB-DM-6 patients, the AUC was 0.9297 (95% CI 0.8460– 1). Compared to those in DM patients, the QA levels were significantly elevated in TB-DM-0 patients and decreased significantly after antituberculosis treatment. We simultaneously compared healthy controls and untreated tuberculosis patients and detected an increase in the level of QA in the plasma of tuberculosis patients, which decreased following treatment.Conclusion: These findings improve the current understanding of tuberculosis treatment in patients with diabetes. QA may serve as an ideal diagnostic biomarker for TB-DM patients and contribute to the development of more effective treatments.Keywords: pulmonary tuberculosis, diabetes, metabolomics, quinolinic acid, biomarker

Liang Fu,1,2,* Wenfei Wang,2,3,* Juan Xiong,4,* Peize Zhang,2 Hui Li,2 Xilin Zhang,5 Hancheng Liang,6 Qianting Yang,2 Zhaoqin Wang,2 Xinchun Chen,3 Guofang Deng,2 Yi Cai,3 Shenjie Tang1 1Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumour Research Institute, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Tuberculosis, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 4Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 5Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Department, the Fourth People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 6Division Two of Tuberculosis Diseases Department, the Sixth People’s Hospital of Dongguan, Dongguan, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Shenjie Tang; Yi Cai, Email tangsj1106@hotmail.com; caiyi0113@szu.edu.cnBackground: The rising prevalence and limited efficacy of treatments for pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (pre-XDR-TB) underscore an immediate need for innovative therapeutic options. A combination of host-directed therapy (HDT) and anti-TB treatment presents a viable alternative for pre-XDR-TB management. Sulfasalazine (SASP), by targeting the amino acid transport system xc (xCT), potentially reduces the intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis load and mitigates lung pathology, positioning it as a promising TB HDT agent. This study aims to assess the efficacy of SASP as a supplementary therapy for pre-XDR-TB.Methods: A pilot study examined the safety and effectiveness of two 9-month short-course, all-oral regimens for pre-XDR-TB treatment: Bdq-regimen (consisting of Bdq, linezolid, cycloserine, clofazimine, and pyrazinamide) and SASP-regimen (comprising SASP, linezolid, cycloserine, clofazimine, and pyrazinamide). The primary endpoint was the incidence of unfavorable outcomes 12 months post-treatment.Results: Of the 44 participants enrolled, 43 were assessable 12 months post-treatment. Culture conversion rates stood at 73.2% by Month 2 and escalated to 95.1% by Month 6. Overall, 88.4% (38/43) of the participants exhibited favorable outcomes, 85.2% (19/23) for the Bdq-regimen and 93.8% (14/15) for the SASP-regimen. The SASP-regimen group recorded no deaths or treatment failures.Conclusion: Both 9-month short-course, all-oral regimens manifested commendable primary efficacy in treating pre-XDR-TB patients. The SASP-regimen emerged as effective, safe, well-tolerated, and cost-effective.Plain language summary: This study explored a new way to treat a hard-to-treat type of tuberculosis (TB) using a medicine called Sulfasalazine, alongside usual TB treatments. Over 9 months, two groups of patients were given different sets of medicines, one including Sulfasalazine. The results, checked 12 months after treatment, showed that most patients improved, especially those given Sulfasalazine. No one in the Sulfasalazine group died or had their treatment fail, suggesting that Sulfasalazine could be a promising addition to current treatments for this tough-to-treat TB.Keywords: Sulfasalazine, host-directed therapy, pre-extensive drug-resistant tuberculosis, short-course, treatment

Yuhua Mai,1,2 Liheng Meng,1 Ganlu Deng,2,3 Yingfen Qin1 1Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of GuangXi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China; 2Guangxi Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yingfen Qin, Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of GuangXi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86-13607862619, Email yingfenq@126.com Ganlu Deng, Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86-15676132389, Email dengganlu@gxmu.edu.cnAbstract: With changes in modern lifestyles, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become a global epidemic metabolic disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. T2DM is a complex metabolic disorder and has been considered an independent risk factor for HCC. Growing evidence supports that T2DM-related risk factors facilitate hepatocarcinogenesis via abundant mechanisms. With the wide implementation of microbiomics, transcriptomics, and immunotherapy, the understanding of the complex mechanisms of intestinal flora and immune cell subsets have advanced tremendously in T2DM-related HCC, uncovering new findings in T2DM-related HCC patients. In addition, reports have indicated the different effects of anti-DM drugs on the progression of HCC. In this review, we summarize the effects of major T2DM-related risk factors (including hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin, chronic inflammation, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, gut microbiota and immunomodulation), and anti-DM drugs on the carcinogensis and progression of HCC, as well as their potential molecular mechanisms. In addition, other factors (miRNAs, genes, and lifestyle) related to T2DM-related HCC are discussed. We propose a refined concept by which T2DM-related risk factors and anti-DM drugs contribute to HCC and discuss research directions prompted by such evidence worth pursuing in the coming years. Finally, we put forward novel therapeutic approaches to improve the prognosis of T2DM-related HCC, including exploiting novel diagnostic biomarkers, combination therapy with immunocheckpoint inhibitors, and enhancement of the standardized management of T2DM patients.Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, hepatocellular carcinoma, NAFLD, gut microbiota, inflammatory, immunotherapy

A single crystal of potassium tantalum niobate was chosen to deposit high quality diamond thin films by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) techniques. The surface morphologies and microstructures of the as-deposited diamond films were characterized by XRD, SEM, and Raman spectroscopy. The photocatalytic properties of the samples were studied. A TaC transition layer was identified during the deposition of diamond. Additionally, it was observed that as the deposition time prolonged, the quality of the diamond film improved. All film samples showed good ability to degrade Rhodamine B, with the degradation rate of the film deposited for 12 h being 0.29 times higher, corresponding to a 1.6 times greater degrading speed of Rhodamine B compared to the film deposited for 3 h. This research introduces a novel substrate for depositing polycrystalline diamond and explores its application in photocatalysis.

During the start-stop process of high-precision instruments in service, the critical materials of instruments undergo thermal cycling, resulting in changes in microstructure and dimension. In this paper, the evolution and coupling effects of dislocations and precipitates within 2024 Al alloy during 500 cycles were investigated, and their influence on the dimensional change was quantitatively characterized and decoupling analyzed. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)/aberration-corrected scanning TEM (CS-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Three-Dimensional Atom Probe Tomography (3D-APT) were used for microstructural evolution analysis and quantitative statistics. The dislocation density increased from 3.32 × 1014 m−2 to 5.75 × 1014 m−2 after 500 cycles, which accelerated elemental diffusion and provided nucleation sites of precipitates, contributing to an increase in the number density of the S'/S phase from 1.04 × 1024 m−3 to 1.41 × 1024 m−3. Based on the quantitative statistics of precipitate types and corresponding volume fractions, the dimensional change induced by precipitate evolution was −1.25 × 10−4. The dimensional change caused by the free volume introduced by dislocation density was 3.32 × 10−6. Comparing these values with the experimental value of −1.94 × 10−4, it is clear that the precipitate evolution is the main factor that triggers the dimensional change.

Metal magnetic memory (MMM) method is a novel and potential nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique to assess residual fatigue life of the ferromagnetic structure, such as hydraulic cylinder. In this paper, an evaluation framework was proposed. Firstly, the MMM signals under different fatigue cycles were recorded in the tensile-tensile experiment. A representative signal characteristic Hpp was defined as an evaluation index. The monotonic change trend and abrupt change point was investigated. Statistical results show that Hpp can be used to predict residual fatigue life. Except for a few specimens, almost all specimens produced an abrupt change at the normalized fatigue life coefficient k = 0.91. This can be used to distinguish different stages of fatigue life. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic performance were analyzed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. The statistical results show that when the coefficient k = 0.91, the diagnostic performance is relatively best with an area under the curve (AUC) is about 0.85, and Jorden's index is about 0.75.

Introduction: Surgical training traditionally adheres to the apprenticeship paradigm, potentially exposing trainees to an increased risk of complications stemming from their limited experience. To mitigate this risk, augmented and virtual reality have been considered, though their effectiveness is difficult to assess. Research question: The PASSION study seeks to investigate the improvement of manual dexterity following intensive training with neurosurgical simulators and to discern how surgeons' psychometric characteristics may influence their learning process and surgical performance. Material and methods: Seventy-two residents were randomized into the simulation group (SG) and control group (CG). The course spanned five days, commencing with assessment of technical skills in basic procedures within a wet-lab setting on day 1. Over the subsequent core days, the SG engaged in simulated procedures, while the CG carried out routine activities in an OR. On day 5, all residents' technical competencies were evaluated. Psychometric measures of all participants were subjected to analysis. Results: The SG demonstrated superior performance (p

To comprehensively improve the quality of ideological and political education in colleges and universities, and to ensure the realization of the fundamental goal of cultivating morality and educating people, this paper emphasizes the importance of the “one, two, three, four classrooms” linkage teaching mode, and proposes an intelligent ideological and political education platform based on big data technology. The platform integrates the first, second, third and fourth classrooms to form an efficient linkage education model. To assess the specific impact of this model on education quality, this study constructed a model using multiple linear regression and estimated the parameters using the least squares method. Through the questionnaire survey and data analysis of five colleges and universities in the university city of L city, it was found that the development quality of the “one, two, three, four classrooms” linkage was generally distributed with the mean value lying in the interval of [0.35,0.55]. Under the baseline regression analysis, the four classrooms had a high R2 fit value of 0.8517 to the dependent variable. The quantile regression analysis showed that as the quantile nodes increased from 0.5 to 1, the number of classroom nodes risen from 1 to 2. Showed that as the quantile node increased from 0.1 to 0.9, the R2 fit value improved more than twofold. This result highlights the need to consider the teaching effect of each classroom comprehensively to ensure that the goal of high-quality development can be realized when colleges and universities promote the “one, two, three, four classrooms” linkage teaching mode of Civics.

The combination of Internet technology and education will continue to promote the change of the traditional education model, and will inevitably have a far-reaching impact on the reform of the education field. The wisdom classroom vector model is used to establish a secondary school classroom for ideological and political wisdom in this paper. In the smart classroom, students can recognize facial expressions by using GAN and tripartite consistency loss function. The ANM-CFM action recognition model is formed by the combination of the adaptive normalization module and covariance matrix fusion. For the effectiveness of the intelligent classroom of secondary school ideology and politics proposed in this paper with the related classroom behavior intelligent recognition method, the validation is carried out using example data. The results show that the first 200 frames in the smart classroom are dominated by the teacher’s lecture, and the students’ hand-raising interaction moments are mainly distributed between 200 and 400 frames. At the end of the teaching experiment, the classroom engagement level of the students in the experimental class was 9.037±0.532 points, the thinking level score of the experimental class exceeded 0.5 points compared with that of the control class, and the student’s satisfaction scores for the learning environment of the smart classroom were all over 2.4 points. The adoption of smart classrooms in the background of the Internet can realize the innovative reform of secondary school ideological and political classroom teaching and provide a new guarantee for improving the level of students’ thinking literacy.

NATO AVT-RTG-349 was dedicated to the validation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods based on the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and statistical turbulence models for non-equilibrium turbulent-boundary-layer flows at high Reynolds numbers. This paper describes and discusses the errors and uncertainties arising in the comparison of RANS simulation results with experimental data from wind-tunnel experiments. These errors and uncertainties are associated with the CFD grid and the discretization, the physical modelling, the measurement accuracy, and the differences in the flow conditions between the experimental facility and the computational set-up. The results show the need for a grid-convergence study using systematically-refined families of CFD grids. The two major sources of errors are the RANS turbulence model and the uncertainty originating from the differences between the computational set-up and the wind-tunnel. Then two possible paths for future research are described: future CFD mesh generation, and future validation experiments at high Reynolds numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of moxibustion as a complementary or alternative treatment for asthma., Methods: Seven databases were searched up to June 23, 2024, to identify RCTs assessing moxibustion for bronchial asthma. The outcomes of interest included response to treatment, asthma control, quality of life, lung function, immunological indicators, and incidence of adverse events (AEs). The treatment effects were measured by proportional odds ratios or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals., Results: Thirty-seven RCTs (n = 2,879) were included. Moderate- to very low-quality evidence showed that compared with anti-asthmatic drugs alone, moxibustion plus anti-asthmatic drugs led to a significantly better response and greater increases in lung function, asthma control, and IgE levels. However, the combination therapy had no effect on children's quality of life. In the active comparisons, moxibustion resulted in a superior response to treatment and a greater improvement in asthma control and had comparable effects on lung function, quality of life, and IgE levels compared with anti-asthmatic drugs. The effects of moxibustion on the proportions of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells and the eosinophil count were inconsistent between the add-on and active comparisons. All reported AEs related to moxibustion were mild., Conclusions: Moxibustion, as an adjunctive treatment or used alone, may improve the response to treatment, lung function, asthma control, and IgE levels in patients with asthma with good safety. Its effects on children's quality of life and immune cell levels remain uncertain., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), triggered by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has seen numerous individuals undergo and recover from it, drawing extensive attention to their health conditions. Extensive studies indicate that even after surpassing the acute phase of infection, patients continue to experience persistent symptoms such as fatigue, pain, depression, weakening, and anosmia. COVID-19 appears not to have concluded but rather to persist long-term in certain individuals, termed as "long COVID." This represents a heterogeneous ailment involving multiple organ systems, with a perceived complex and still elusive pathogenesis. Among patients with long COVID, observations reveal immune dysregulation, coagulation impairments, and microbial dysbiosis, considered potential mechanisms explaining sustained adverse outcomes post COVID-19. Based on the multifactorial nature, varied symptoms, and heterogeneity of long COVID, we have summarized several categories of current therapeutic approaches. Furthermore, the symptoms of long COVID resemble those of other viral illnesses, suggesting that existing knowledge may offer novel insights into long-term COVID implications. Here, we provide an overview of existing literature associated with long COVID and summarize potential mechanisms, treatment modalities, and other analogous conditions. Lastly, we underscore the inadequacies in long COVID treatment approaches and emphasize the significance of conducting further research and clinical trials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Drought poses a significant ecological threat that limits the production of crops worldwide. The objective of this study to examine the impact of soil applied biochar (BC) and peatmoss (PM) on the morpho-biochemical and quality traits of tobacco plants under drought conditions. In the present experiment work, a pot trial was conducted with two levels of drought severity (~ well-watered 75 ± 5% field capacity) and severe drought stress (~ 35 ± 5% field capacity), two levels of peatmoss (PM) @ 5% [PM+ (with peatmoss) and PM- (without peatmoss)] and three levels of rice straw biochar (BC 0  = no biochar; BC 1  = 150 mg kg - 1 ; and BC 2  = 300 mg kg - 1 of soil) in tobacco plants. The results indicate that drought conditions significantly impacted the performance of tobacco plants. However, the combined approach of BC and PM significantly improved the growth, biomass, and total chlorophyll content (27.94%) and carotenoids (32.00%) of tobacco. This study further revealed that the drought conditions decreased the production of lipid peroxidation and proline accumulation. But the synergistic approach of BC and PM application increased soluble sugars (17.63 and 12.20%), soluble protein (31.16 and 15.88%), decreased the proline accumulation (13.92 and 9.03%), and MDA content (16.40 and 8.62%) under control and drought stressed conditions, respectively. Furthermore, the combined approach of BC and PM also improved the leaf potassium content (19.02%) by limiting the chloride ions (33.33%) under drought stressed conditions. Altogether, the balanced application of PM and BC has significant potential as an effective approach and sustainable method to increase the tolerance of tobacco plants subjected to drought conditions. This research uniquely highlights the combined potential of PM and BC as an eco-friendly strategy to enhance plant resilience under drought conditions, offering new insights into sustainable agricultural practices., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The trihelix transcription factor (GT) gene family members play vital roles in plant growth and development, responses to abiotic or biotic stress, and fruit ripening. However, its role in banana fruit ripening remains unclear. Here, 59 MaGT gene members were identified in banana and clustered into five subfamilies, namely GT1, GT2, GTγ, SIP1, and SH4. This classification is completely supported by their gene structures and conserved motif analysis. Transcriptome data analysis indicated that MaGT14, MaGT21, and MaGT27 demonstrated significant differential expression during fruit ripening. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that these three genes were highly induced by ethylene treatment, responded to cold and heat stress, and had a high expression abundance in ripe fruit. Subcellular localization demonstrated that MaGT21 and MaGT27 functioned as nuclear proteins, while MaGT14 functioned as a nuclear and cell membrane protein. Further investigation indicated MaGT21 could positively stimulate the transcription of the key ethylene biosynthesis gene MaACO1 by directly targeting the GT motif in the promoter. MaGT21 transient overexpression in banana fruit upregulated MaACO1 and accelerated fruit ripening. Our findings provide comprehensive and valuable information for further functional studies of MaGT genes in banana, help to understand the roles of MaGTs during banana fruit ripening., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Evolutionary pressures sculpt population genetics, whereas immune adaptation fortifies humans against life-threatening organisms. How the evolution of selective genetic variation in adaptive immune receptors orchestrates the adaptation of human populations to contextual perturbations remains elusive. Here, we show that the G396R coding variant within the human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) heavy chain presents a concentrated prevalence in Southeast Asian populations. We uncovered a 190-kb genomic linkage disequilibrium block peaked in close proximity to this variant, suggestive of potential Darwinian selection. This variant confers heightened immune resilience against various pathogens and viper toxins in mice. Mechanistic studies involving severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and vaccinated individuals reveal that this variant enhances pathogen-specific IgG1 + memory B cell activation and antibody production. This G396R variant may have arisen on a Neanderthal haplotype background. These findings underscore the importance of an IGHG1 variant in reinforcing IgG1 antibody responses against life-threatening organisms, unraveling the intricate interplay between human evolution and immune adaptation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

A thermosensitive and injectable hydrogel composed of chitosan (CS), chitosan biguanide hydrochloride (CSG) and collagen (CO) could embed umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs), then was applied for the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treatment in vivo. UC-MSCs could adhere well on CS/CSG/CO hydrogel surface and cell division could be clearly observed. Especially, UC-MSCs maintained alive till they grew in CS/CSG/CO hydrogel for 8 days, while the amount of UC-MSCs was limited due to the steric hindrance in hydrogel. To T2DM mice contrastive treatment by intraperitoneal injection for thirteen weeks, UC-MSCs + Hydrogel group could improve the impaired glucose tolerance, maintain glucose homeostasis in vivo, and restore islet morphology for T2DM mice. The immunofluorescence staining and western blot experiments further displayed that both the nuclear antigen Ki67 for cell proliferation and pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (Pdx1) expression in UC-MSCs + Hydrogel group were significantly higher than the expressions in untreated T2DM group and treated UC-MSCs + PBS group, which indicated that UC-MSCs + Hydrogel elevated β cell transcriptional activity. Moreover, the positivity rates of iNOS and CD163 in UC-MSCs + Hydrogel group were generally decreased and increased, respectively, compared to those in untreated T2DM group and treated UC-MSCs + PBS group. It displayed that UC-MSCs + Hydrogel could reduce M1 macrophage expression and increase M2 macrophage polarization in T2DM mice., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Grain Rain Period (GRP), one of the 24 solar terms in China, signifies a crucial phase for the transformation of tea quality, especially for Lu'an Guapian (LAGP) tea. During GRP, LAGP teas showed 3 distinct aroma profiles, each spanning 3-4 days. Specifically, the sensory evaluation result revealed that LAGP tea exhibited stronger flowery and fresh aromas in the early phase, with the soybean-like aroma significantly intensifying as the harvest period progressed during GRP. Furthermore, the key contributors to the aroma profile and its variation during GRP were identified as indole, δ-decalactone, geraniol, linalool, decanal, jasmone, (E)-β-ionone, benzeneacetaldehyde, dihydroactinolide, nonanal, octanal, (E)-isoeugenol, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, 4-ketoisophorone, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, and 1-octen-3-one. Additionally, we proposed a binary blending strategy using sensory evaluation with the methods of triangle test and normal distribution fitting to predict the blending threshold accurately. This study elucidated the dynamics of LAGP tea aroma during GRP and offered insights for tea blending optimization., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Diaphorina citri is the most serious pest of citrus worldwide because it is the natural insect vector of huanglongbing. Cycloxaprid (Cyc) was highly toxic to D. citri. However, the poor solubility and stability had limited its development., Objectives: In order to improve the insecticidal effect and stability to harsh climatic conditions of Cyc., Methods: Cyc was chosen as the representative pesticide, 4,4'-methylenebis (phenyl isocyanate), PEG-600 and n-butanol were used to prepare sustained-release nano-gelation particles (Cyc@NGs)., Results: Cyc@NGs enhance the toxicity of Cyc more than 3 folds. Furthermore, Cyc@NGs showed excellent anti-rain and anti-UV capacity. After being exposed to ultraviolet light for 12 h, Cyc decreased by 100 %, while the insecticide content of Cyc@NGs only decreased by 25 %. Additionally, Cyc@NGs possessed better wettability on citrus leaves, mainly benefitting from its lower contact angle on citrus leaves. Moreover, FITC-labeled nano-gelation particles (FITC-NGs) exhibited high capability to penetrate and enrich in citrus leaf tissue and D. citri midgut. Consequently, NGs promoted the translocation and durability of insecticides, thereby, increasing the insecticidal activity. The results suggested that nano-gelation particle is a promising platform to deliver insecticides and Cyc@NGs would be the suitable candidate for the effective management of D. citri., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Impaired neutrophil migration in sepsis is associated with a poor prognosis. The potential of utilizing neutrophil chemotaxis to assess immune function, disease severity, and patient prognosis in sepsis remains underexplored. This study employed an innovative approach by integrating a multi-tip pipette with a Six-Unit microfluidic chip (SU 6 -chip) to establish gradients in six microchannels, thereby analyzing neutrophil chemotaxis in sepsis patients. We compared chemotactic parameters between healthy controls (N H  = 20) and sepsis patients (N S1  = 25), observing significant differences in gradient perception time (GP), migration distance (MD), peak velocity (V max ), chemotactic index (CI), reverse migration rate (RM), and stop migration number (SM). A novel composite indicator, the Sepsis Neutrophil Migration Evaluation (SNME) index, was developed by integrating these six chemotactic migration parameters. The SNME index and individual chemotaxis parameters showed significant correlations with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score, hypersensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and heparin-binding protein (HBP). Moreover, the SNME index demonstrated potential for monitoring sepsis progression, with ROC analysis confirming its predictive accuracy (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.895, cutoff value = 31.5, specificity = 86.73 %, sensitivity = 86.71 %), outperforming individual neutrophil chemotactic parameters. In conclusion, the SNME index represents a promising new tool for adjunctive diagnosis and prognosis assessment in patients with sepsis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fatty acids (FAs) participate in extensive physiological activities such as energy metabolism, transcriptional control, and cell signaling. In bacteria, FAs are degraded and utilized through various metabolic pathways, including β-oxidation. Over the past ten years, significant progress has been made in studying FA oxidation in bacteria, particularly in E. coli, where the processes and roles of FA β-oxidation have been comprehensively elucidated. Here, we provide an update on the new research achievements in FAs β-oxidation in bacteria. Using Xanthomonas as an example, we introduce the oxidation process and regulation mechanism of the DSF-family quorum sensing signal. Based on current findings, we propose the specific enzymes required for β-oxidation of several specific FAs. Finally, we discuss the future outlook on scientific issues that remain to be addressed. This paper supplies theoretical guidance for further study of the FA β-oxidation pathway with particular emphasis on its connection to the pathogenicity mechanisms of bacteria., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

During remediation of black-odorous sediment, the pathways of phosphorus immobilization require clarification alongside the oxidation of sulfide and ferrous. This study separated the oxidation stages of sulfide and ferrous through controlled sodium nitrate dosing ratios and methods, and analyzed the changes in phosphorus species and immobilization effects throughout these processes. Results showed that iron-bound phosphorus was the primary contributor to the phosphorus immobilization in the oxidation process, with increased 19% in ferrous oxidation stage and affected the transformation between phosphorus sources or sinks in the adsorption experiment. Additionally, the increase in abundance of phosphorus uptake and transport genes, and denitrifying phosphorus accumulation genes in sediment after ferrous oxidation (1 %-18 % and 87 %-164 %, respectively) indicated the potential for biological phosphorus immobilization. These results demonstrated that higher degrees of sediment oxidation correlate with stronger phosphorus immobilization capacities, providing theoretical bases for phosphorus immobilization during the restoration of black-odorous water bodies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: We declare no competing interests. We acknowledge Gao Yuan from Beijing You'An Hospital for his assistance with our manuscript.

Sugarcane is the main source of sugar worldwide, and 80% of the sucrose production comes from sugarcane. However, the genetic differentiation and basis of agronomic traits remain obscure. Here, we sequenced the whole-genome of 219 elite worldwide sugarcane cultivar accessions. A total of approximately 6 million high-quality genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. A genome-wide association study identified a total of 2198 SNPs that were significantly associated with sucrose content, stalk number, plant height, stalk diameter, cane yield, and sugar yield. We observed homozygous tendency of favor alleles of these loci, and over 80% of cultivar accessions carried the favor alleles of the SNPs or haplotypes associated with sucrose content. Gene introgression analysis showed that the number of chromosome segments from Saccharum spontaneum decreased with the breeding time of cultivars, while those from S. officinarum increased in recent cultivars. A series of selection signatures were identified in sugarcane improvement procession, of which 104 were simultaneously associated with agronomic traits and 45 of them were mainly associated with sucrose content. We further proposed that as per sugarcane transgenic experiments, ShN/AINV3.1 plays a positive role in increasing stalk number, plant height, and stalk diameter. These findings provide comprehensive resources for understanding the genetic basis of agronomic traits and will be beneficial to germplasm innovation, screening molecular markers, and future sugarcane cultivar improvement., (© 2024 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

High levels of YAP1 and ferroptosis activation in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) can inhibit CRPC progression and improve its sensitivity toward chemotherapeutics drugs. However, whether YAP1 regulates ferroptosis in CRPC cells and the underlying mechanisms are unknown. The protein levels of YAP1, SLC1A5, and GLS1 in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer (PCa) that did not progress to CRPC, and CRPC tissue samples were evaluated using western blotting. In PC-3 and DU-145 cells, YAP1 overexpression vector, small-interfering RNA, specific inhibitor verteporfin, ferroptosis-inducer RSL3, SLC1A5-inhibitor V-9302, and GLS1-inhibitor CB-839 were used. Immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, dual-luciferase reporter gene, and related kits were used to investigate the effect of YAP1 on the ferroptosis activity in CRPC cells and its underlying mechanisms. YAP1 promoted extracellular glutamine uptake and subsequent production of glutamate and glutathione (GSH), and increases the GPX4 activity. For the activation of ferroptosis by RSL3, YAP1 decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and lipid peroxidation, and the proportion of dead cells. Mechanistically, YAP1 promoted the expression of SCL1A5 and GLS1 and further increased the GSH levels and GPX4 activity. Thus, inhibiting SLC1A5 or GLS1 activity could alleviate the antagonistic effect of YAP1 on the ferroptosis of RSL3-induced CRPC cells. In CRPC, the YAP1 level is high, which enters the nucleus and promotes the expressions of SLC1A5 and GLS1, thereby promoting cellular glutamine uptake and metabolism to generate glutamate and further synthesizing GSH, increasing GPX4 activity, improving cellular antioxidant capacity, and inhibiting cell death., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Terminal oxygen radicals involving p- and d-block atoms are quite common, but s-block compounds with an oxygen radical character remain rare. Here, we report that alkaline-earth metal beryllium atoms react with OF 2 to form the oxygen beryllium fluorides OBeF and OBeF 2 . These species are characterized by matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy with isotopic substitution and quantum-chemical calculations. The linear molecule OBeF has a 2 Π ground state with an oxyl radical character. The 3 A 2 ( C 2 v ) ground state of OBeF 2 represents the unusual case of a triplet oxygen atom stabilized by a relatively weak interaction by the Lewis acidic BeF 2 . The interaction involves both a donor component from oxygen to empty Be orbitals and a back-bonding contribution from fluorine substituents toward oxygen.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of death worldwide, with a lack of effective treatments for improving the prognosis. The aim of the present study was to identify novel therapeutic targets for functional outcome after ischemic stroke ., Methods and Results: Cis-expression quantitative trait loci data for druggable genes were used as instrumental variables. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale score at 3 months after ischemic stroke, evaluated as a dichotomous variable (3-6 versus 0-2) and also as an ordinal variable. Drug target Mendelian randomization, Steiger filtering analysis, and colocalization analysis were performed. Additionally, phenome-wide Mendelian randomization analysis was performed to identify the safety of the drug target genes at the genetic level. Among >2600 druggable genes, genetically predicted expression of 16 genes ( ABCC2 , ATRAID , BLK , CD93 , CHST13 , NR1H3 , NRBP1 , PI3 , RIPK4 , SEMG1 , SLC22A4 , SLC22A5 , SLCO3A1 , TEK , TLR4 , and WNT10B ) demonstrated the causal associations with ordinal modified Rankin Scale ( P <1.892×10 -5 ) or poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale 3-6 versus 0-2, P <1.893×10 -5 ). Steiger filtering analysis suggested potential directional stability ( P <0.05). Colocalization analysis provided further support for the associations between genetically predicted expression of ABCC2 , NRBP1 , PI3 , and SEMG1 with functional outcome after ischemic stroke. Furthermore, phenome-wide Mendelian randomization revealed additional beneficial indications and few potential safety concerns of therapeutics targeting ABCC2 , NRBP1 , PI3 , and SEMG1 , but the robustness of these results was limited by low power., Conclusions: The present study revealed 4 candidate therapeutic targets for improving functional outcome after ischemic stroke, while the underlying mechanisms need further investigation.

J-aggregation brings intriguing optical and electronic properties to molecular dyes and significantly expands their applicability across diverse domains, yet the challenge for rationally designing J-aggregating dyes persists. Herein, we developed a large number of J-aggregating dyes from scratch by progressively refining structure of a common heptamethine cyanine. J-aggregates with sharp spectral bands (full-width at half-maximum≤38 nm) are attained by introducing a branched structure featuring a benzyl and a trifluoroacetyl group at meso-position of dyes. Fine-tuning the benzyl group enables spectral regulation of J-aggregates. Analysis of single crystal data of nine dyes reveals a correlation between J-aggregation propensity and molecular arrangement within crystals. Some J-aggregates are successfully implemented in multiplexed optoacoustic and fluorescence imaging in animals. Notably, three-color multispectral optoacoustic tomography imaging with high spatiotemporal resolution is achieved, owing to the sharp and distinct absorption bands of the J-aggregates., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The global spread of H5 clade 2.3.4.4 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses threatens poultry and public health. The continuous circulation of these viruses has led to their considerable genetic and antigenic evolution, resulting in the formation of eight subclades (2.3.4.4a-h). Here, we examined the antigenic sites that determine the antigenic differences between two H5 vaccine strains, H5-Re8 (clade 2.3.4.4g) and H5-Re11 (clade 2.3.4.4h). Epitope mapping data revealed that all eight identified antigenic sites were located within two classical antigenic regions, with five sites in region A (positions 115, 120, 124, 126, and 140) and three in region B (positions 151, 156, and 185). Through antigenic cartography analysis of mutants with varying numbers of substitutions, we confirmed that a combination of mutations in these eight sites reverses the antigenicity of H5-Re11 to that of H5-Re8, and vice versa. More importantly, our analyses identified H5-Re11&#95;Q115L/R120S/A156T (H5-Re11 + 3) as a promising candidate for a broad-spectrum vaccine, positioned centrally in the antigenic map, and offering potential universal protection against all variants within the clade 2.3.4.4. H5-Re11 + 3 serum has better cross-reactivity than sera generated with other 2.3.4.4 vaccines, and H5-Re11 + 3 vaccine provided 100% protection of chickens against antigenically drifted H5 viruses from various 2.3.4.4 antigenic groups. Our findings suggest that antigenic regions A and B are immunodominant in H5 viruses, and that antigenic cartography-guided vaccine design is a promising strategy for selecting a broad-spectrum vaccine., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Exploring high-performance anion exchange membranes (AEM) for water electrolyzers (AEMWEs) is significant for green hydrogen production. However, the current AEMWEs are restricted by the poor mechanical strength and low OH- conductivity of AEMs, leading to the low working stability and low current density. Here, we develop a robust AEM with polybiphenylpiperidium network by combining the crosslinking with triazine and the capping with pyridine for advanced AEMWEs. The AEM exhibits an excellent mechanical strength (79.4 MPa), low swelling ratio (19.2 %), persistent alkali stability (» 5,000 hours) and high OH- conductivity (247.2 mS cm-1) which achieves the state-of-the-art AEMs. Importantly, when applied in AEMWEs, the corresponding electrolyzer equipped with commercial nickel iron and nickel molybdenum catalysts obtained a current density of up to 3.0 A cm-2 at 2 V and could be stably operated ~430 h at a high current density of 1.6 A cm-2, which exceeds the most of AEMWEs. Our results suggest that triazine crosslinking and pyridine capping can effectively improve the overall performance of the AEMWEs., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Introduction: Individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) are at an increased risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and progressing from latent tuberculosis (TB) infection to active tuberculosis disease. TB in the DM population is more likely to go undiagnosed due to smear-negative results., Methods: Exhaled breath samples were collected and analyzed using high-pressure photon ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. An eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model was utilized for breathomics analysis and TB detection., Results: XGBoost model achieved a sensitivity of 88.5%, specificity of 100%, accuracy of 90.2%, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 98.8%. The most significant feature across the entire set was m106, which demonstrated a sensitivity of 93%, specificity of 100%, and an AUC of 99.7%., Discussion: The breathomics-based TB detection method utilizing m106 exhibited high sensitivity and specificity potentially beneficial for clinical TB screening and diagnosis in individuals with diabetes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Xu, Zhang, Li, He, Lu, Liu, Yang, Fu, Chen, Deng and Wang.)

Psoriasis is a skin disease that is inflammatory and persistent, causing a high rate of recurrence, poor quality of life, and significant socioeconomic burden. Its main pathological manifestations are abnormal activation and infiltration of T cells and excessive proliferation of keratinocytes (KCs). The great majority of patients with psoriasis will relapse after remission. It usually lasts a lifetime and necessitates long-term treatment strategies. During periods of activity and remission, one of the main cell types in psoriasis is memory T cells, which include tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells, central memory T (TCM) cells, and effector memory T (TEM) cells. They work by releasing inflammatory factors, cytotoxic particles, or altering cell subpopulations, leading to increased inflammation or recurrence. This review summarizes the role of memory T cells in the pathology and treatment of psoriasis, with a view to potential novel therapies and therapeutic targets., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: To identify the cooperation of authors, countries, institutions and explore the hot spots regarding research of renal cell carcinoma with venous tumor thrombus. Methods: Relevant articles were obtained from the Web of Science Core database (WoSC) from 1999 to 2024. CiteSpace was used to perform the analysis and visualization of scientific productivity and emerging trends. Network maps were generated to evaluate the collaborations between different authors, countries, institutions, and keywords. Results: A total of 2180 related articles were identified. We observed an increased enthusiasm in related fields during the past two decades. The USA dominated the field in all countries, and the University of Miami was the core institution. Ciancio G might have a significant influence with more publications and co-citations. Current research hotspots in this field mainly included thrombectomy, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, vena cava inferior, and microvascular invasion. Thrombectomy complications, thrombectomy survival outcome, and preoperative neoadjuvant immunotherapy represented the frontiers of research in this field, undergoing an explosive phase. Conclusion: This is the first bibliometric study that comprehensively visualize the research trends and status of RCC with VTT. We hope that this work will provide new ideas for advancing the scientific research and clinical application., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Metastasis is a major contributing factor that affects the prognosis of melanoma patients. Nevertheless, the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in melanoma metastasis are not yet entirely understood. Here, we identified ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22) as a pro-oncogenic protein in melanoma through screening the survival profiles of 52 ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs). USP22 demonstrates a strong association with poor clinical outcomes and is significantly overexpressed in melanoma. Ablation of USP22 expression remarkably attenuates melanoma migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vitro and suppresses melanoma metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, USP22 controls melanoma metastasis through the SIRT1/PTEN/PI3K pathway. In addition, we conducted an United States Food and Drug Administration-approved drug library screening and identified topotecan as a clinically applicable USP22-targeting molecule by promoting proteasomal degradation of USP22. Finally, we found that both pharmacological and genetic silence of USP22 sensitize RSL3-induced ferroptosis through suppressing the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and its downstream SCD, and ferroptosis inhibitor could partly rescued the decreased lung metastasis by topotecan in vivo. Overall, our findings reveal a prometastatic role of USP22 and identify topotecan as a potent USP22-targeting drug to limit melanoma metastasis., Competing Interests: The authors have no relevant financial or nonfinancial interests to disclose., (© 2024 The Author(s). MedComm published by Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association (SCIMEA) and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: Sepsis, a systemic inflammation syndrome initiated by infection, poses significant challenges due to its intricate pathophysiology. T cells play a crucial role in combating infections during sepsis. Despite previous observations indicating T cell dysfunction in sepsis, reliable in-vitro detection methods were lacking, and the factors influencing these impairments remained unclear., Methods: We developed a novel method using the D4-Chip to assess sepsis T cell migration function. This microfluidic platform enabled precise analysis of migration function under controlled conditions. Additionally, We explored the impact of the plasma microenvironment on T cell behavior, along with the redox environment in sepsis, and assessed the potential efficacy of Mitoquinone mesylate (MitoQ), a mitochondrial-targeted drug., Results: Our findings revealed impaired migration function in sepsis T cells compared to healthy controls. Interestingly, sepsis plasma enhanced the migration of healthy T cells, yet incubation with healthy plasma did not fully restore migration impairments in sepsis T cells. Subsequent investigations uncovered a significant increase in NADH/NAD+ levels in sepsis T cells, with healthy T cells exposed to various sepsis plasma conditions also showing elevated NADH/NAD+ levels. Importantly, MitoQ normalized abnormal intracellular NADH/NAD+ levels and enhanced the migration ability of T cells., Conclusions: Short-term incubation with sepsis plasma does not directly inhibit T cell migration but instead affects T cell function by disrupting the intracellular redox environment. Improving the intracellular redox environment of sepsis patients contributes to restoring impaired migration and proliferation, with MitoQ demonstrating therapeutic potential., (Copyright © 2024 by the Shock Society.)

A quaternary metal thioarsenate infrared (IR) nonlinear optical (NLO) compound Na 4 SrAs 2 S 8 was successfully prepared by a high-temperature reaction method from stoichiometric agents. It crystallizes in the tetragonal P 4 n 2 with the unit cell parameters a = 10.0393(3) Å, c = 6.9638(3) Å, and Z = 2, with the basic structural groups of isolated AsS 4 tetrahedra. Compared with benchmark IR NLO crystal AgGaS 2 (AGS), the title compound exhibits balanced optical properties of large band gap (3.05 eV vs. 2.60 eV) and considerable second harmonic generation response (0.95 × AGS). Moreover, the combined powder X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry analyses demonstrate that Na 4 SrAs 2 S 8 is a congruent-melting compound with a low melting point of 668 °C, which is benefical for bulk single crystal growth. Experimental and theoretical calculation results indicate that Na 4 SrAs 2 S 8 is a practically usable IR NLO crystal, also motivating the exploration of thioarsenates as high-performance IR NLO candidates.

Background: Psoriasis (PSO) poses a global health threat. The current research challenge in PSO is relapse. Liquiritin (LIQ), a major active compound from Glycyrrhiza inflata Batalin, has multiple pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative. Nonetheless, the precise mechanisms underlying LIQ's therapeutic actions in PSO and prevention abilities remain elusive., Purpose: The present study aimed to delve into the potential to treat and prevent PSO and the mechanism of LIQ., Methods: The anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects of LIQ were studied in vitro with the HaCaT cell line. Then, Transcriptional analysis and bioinformatic analysis were used to determine the internal associations of the target set. Subsequently, functional experiment, luciferase report assay, ChIP-PCR, and immunohistochemical validation of clinical samples were performed to investigate the mechanism of LIQ. Finally, the anti-psoriatic effects and prevention abilities of LIQ were verified in vivo with imiquimod (IMQ)-induced PSO-like mouse models., Results: Here, we identified differentially expressed genes in LIQ-stimulated HaCaT cells and Retinol-Binding Protein 3 (RBP3) as the core target, whereas YY1 was a predicted upstream transcription factor of RBP3. The YY1/RBP3 axis was obviously altered after administering LIQ at optimal doses of 20 μM in vitro and 100 µg/ml in vivo. LIQ can significantly inhibit the progression of PSO in vivo. Notably, LIQ also prevented the relapse of psoriatic lesions induced by the second round of low-dose IMQ. Mechanistically, we observed that LIQ could increase the promotion of YY1 for RBP3 by enhancing the binding affinity between them., Conclusion: These findings revealed that the YY1/RBP3 axis is a potential psoriatic target, and LIQ is a promising and innovative therapeutic candidate for the treatment and prevention of PSO., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

This review explores the evolving landscape of blood biomarkers in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), focusing on biomarkers derived both from the pathogen and the host. These biomarkers provide critical insights that can improve diagnostic accuracy and timeliness, essential for effective TB management. The document highlights recent advancements in molecular techniques that have enhanced the detection and characterization of specific biomarkers. It also discusses the integration of these biomarkers into clinical practice, emphasizing their potential to revolutionize TB diagnostics by enabling more precise detection and monitoring of the disease progression. Challenges such as variability in biomarker expression and the need for standardized validation processes are addressed to ensure reliability across different populations and settings. The review calls for further research to refine these biomarkers and fully harness their potential in the fight against TB, suggesting a multidisciplinary approach to overcome existing barriers and optimize diagnostic strategies. This comprehensive analysis underscores the significance of blood biomarkers as invaluable tools in the global effort to control and eliminate TB., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Hu, Wang, Zou, Yang, Gao, Feng, Chen, Shi, Cai, Deng and Chen.)

Introduction: Moxibustion is clinically used for treating various chronic diseases; however, the reporting quality of current published RCTs of moxibustion is unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the reporting quality of RCTs focusing on moxibustion as a treatment for chronic diseases., Methods: Seven databases were searched to identify relevant RCTs. Criteria for evaluating the reporting quality of standard RCT elements and moxibustion intervention-related information were developed based on the CONSORT statement and its STRICTOM extension, respectively. Multivariate regression models were used to investigate factors impacting reporting quality., Results: A total of 310 RCTs were included, with 41 (7.6%) published in English journals and 269 (92.4%) in Chinese journals. The median CONSORT and STRICTOM scores of these RCTs, with a maximum score of 100, were 41.2 and 62.9, respectively. RCTs with a later publication year and protocol registration or ethical approval exhibited significantly higher CONSORT and STRICTOM scores. Higher CONSORT scores were also significantly associated with English language publication, funding support, and inclusion of a safety evaluation, while higher STRICTOM scores were additionally associated with an active control design., Conclusion: The reporting quality of RCTs focusing on moxibustion treatment for chronic diseases is subpar, with gradual but limited improvement over the last 25 years. To enhance the reporting quality of moxibustion RCTs, researchers should develop a comprehensive study protocol and standardize result reporting based on CONSORT and STRICTOM statements. Registration platforms, ethical approval organizations, funders, and journals can also contribute to this improvement by bolstering structured information reporting in the review process., (© 2024 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: To explore the causal relationship between asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and chronic sinusitis (CRS), using two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, thereby providing foundational evidences for the pathogenesis and treatment of CRS. Methods: The genetic variations in AR and asthma were used as instrumental variables, with genetic data from the Integrated Epidemiology Unit (IEU) Open database. A total of 14 283 asthma and 18 934 AR cases were included, with 98 300 and 64 595 corresponding normal control cases, respectively. For CRS, there were 3 236 CRSwNP and 8 524 CRSsNP, respectively, with 167 849 and 167 849 corresponding normal control cases, respectively. The genetic data were analyzed using the inverse variance weighting method (IVW), MR Egger method, weighted median method, and Cochran's Q-test. Results: The IVW analysis showed that asthma increased the risk of both CRSwNP ( OR =482.8, 95% CI : 57.18-4 077.78, P <0.001) and CRSsNP ( OR =25.73, 95% CI : 9.79-67.56, P <0.001); AR significantly increased the risk of CRSsNP ( OR =5.40, 95% CI : 1.68-17.26, P =0.004), but not CRSwNP ( OR =7.38, 95% CI : 0.80-67.73, P =0.077). Conversely, neither CRSwNP nor CRSsNP increased the risk of asthma or AR. Conclusion: According to Mendelian genetic laws, asthma is a risk factor for CRSwNP and CRSsNP, while AR is a risk factor for CRSsNP.

Abstract: Regulated cell death (RCD) is a critical physiological process essential in maintaining skin homeostasis. Among the various forms of RCD, ferroptosis stands out due to its distinct features of iron accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and involvement of various inhibitory antioxidant systems. In recent years, an expanding body of research has solidly linked ferroptosis to the emergence of skin disorders. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying ferroptosis in skin diseases is crucial for advancing therapy and prevention strategies. This review commences with a succinct elucidation of the mechanisms that underpin ferroptosis, embarks on a thorough exploration of ferroptosis's role across a spectrum of skin conditions, encompassing melanoma, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), vitiligo, and dermatological ailments precipitated by ultraviolet (UV) exposure, and scrutinizes the potential therapeutic benefits of pharmacological interventions aimed at modulating ferroptosis for the amelioration of skin diseases., (Copyright © 2024 The Chinese Medical Association, produced by Wolters Kluwer, Inc. under the CC-BY-NC-ND license.)