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Although hypertension (HTN), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and obesity frequently co–occur, the precise role of obesity in this interrelationship is not completely understood. A total of 727 OSA patients were assigned to body mass index (BMI) <25 (27.6%; n = 201), 25≤ BMI <29.99 (53.4%; n = 388), and BMI ≥30 (19%; n = 138). HTN risk factors in each group were evaluated. A total of 244 (33.6%) patients exhibited co–morbid HTN, of whom 20.5% (50/244), 52.9% (129/244), and 26.6% (65/244) were distributed between the BMI <25, 25≤ BMI <29.99, and BMI ≥30 groups, respectively. Multiple logistic regression indicated that age, male gender, triglycerides (TG), low–density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL–C), and apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) scores were HTN risk factors for the BMI<25 group. In the 25≤ BMI <29.99 group, risk factors were age, BMI, diabetes, and AHI. Finally, in the BMI ≥30 group, risk factors were age, diabetes, TG, LDL–C and AHI. These results demonstrate that different risk factor panels were associated with HTN in OSA patients with different BMIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reasonable depletion of energy resource to realize energy affair is critical to ever-lasting advancement of human society, such as passive thermal management strategy and self-powered technologies, promoting emergence of integrated and functionalized energy device. Here, series of multiply-utilization-type composite nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning to apply for personal thermal comfort and tactile triboelectric nanogenerator (T-TENG). Our heating/cooling pattern enables a skin simulator's temperature increase/decrease of 8.7 ℃/2.5 ℃ respectively under sunlight exposure. Thermoelectricity was utilized to transform the heat into electricity with a maximum voltage of 157.6 mV. Besides, with optimization of structure and materials of T-TENG, optimum output performance with open-circuit voltage (V OC) of 215.1 V, short-circuit current (I SC) of 2.54 μA, transfer charge (Q T) of 70.72 nC and superior effective peak power density of 362.58 mW m−2 were acquired. Furthermore, a self-powered game controller with signal acquiring and processing circuits for manipulation of game characters was achieved, and the International Morse Code that relay on motion recognition was first time realized with assistance of machine learning. The flexible and self-powered T-TENG manifests an imperative application value in electronics for HMI and wearable device. The composites of PAN/BT and PAN/CB are fabricated for human thermal comfort and self-powered Human-Machine Interaction, which offers a new idea to achieve all-in-one application scenarios. [Display omitted] • PAN composite nanofibers with multidisciplinary utilization are integrated for all-in-one application scenarios. • Dual-temperature regulated nanofibers of PAN/CB and PAN/BT are synthesized for outdoors human thermal comfort. • A tactile-TENG is fabricated with a highly accurate function of tapping motion recognition. • International Morse Code is first realized by TENG with the assistance of machine learning. • A self-powered game controller based on TENG is proposed to manipulate the movement methods of game figure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar steam generation as a sustainable and environment-friendly technology offers remarkable potential to address global drinking-water shortage and energy crisis. In this work, a highly efficient solar evaporator is achieved by an innovative solar absorber (Bi 2 S 3 /Pd composite) owing excellent photothermal conversion performance. Benefitting from the decreased water evaporation enthalpy in photothermal materials, Bi 2 S 3 /Pd composite solar steamer exhibits an outstanding light absorption of 95%, photothermal conversion efficiency of 97%, and an evaporation rate of 1.61 kg m-2 h-1 under one Sun illumination and further purifying water with metal ions removal rate of ~100%. In addition, a solar thermoelectric generator coated with Bi 2 S 3 /Pd composite shows better performance of 70.75 μW cm-2. Furthermore, benefiting from the as-prepared Bi 2 S 3 /Pd PAAH (polyacrylamide/polyacrylic acid hydrogel) owning excellent shape adaptability, high compressibility, and stable strain-voltage response, it demonstrates sensitive real-time sensing ability to monitor human muscle strength and joint health condition. In this text, the device-level multifunction integrated system is designed with the highlight of converging solar steam conversion, power generation and wearable sensing. It offers new idea and pathway on the intelligent design of integrated-function device in the development of Times of Internet of Thing. In this work, a highly efficient solar evaporator is achieved by an innovative solar absorber (Bi 2 S 3 /Pd composite) owing excellent photothermal conversion performance. Benefitting from the decreased water evaporation enthalpy in photothermal materials, Bi 2 S 3 /Pd composite solar steamer exhibits an outstanding light absorption of 95%, photothermal conversion efficiency of 97%, and an evaporation rate of 1.61 kg m-2 h-1 under one Sun illumination and further purifying water with metal ions removal rate of ~100%. In addition, a solar thermoelectric generator coated with Bi 2 S 3 /Pd composite shows better performance of 70.75 μW cm-2. Furthermore, benefiting from the as-prepared Bi 2 S 3 /Pd PAAH owning excellent shape adaptability, high compressibility, and stable strain-voltage response, it demonstrates sensitive real-time sensing ability to monitor human muscle strength and joint health condition. [Display omitted] • Bi 2 S 3 /Pd was used as a powerful photothermal conversion material for the first time. • Bi 2 S 3 /Pd showed a solar evaporation rate of 1.61 kg m-2 h-1 with photothermal efficiency of 97% under one Sun illumination. • The solar evaporator system showed remarkable desalination ability and an ion removal rate of ~100% with good stability. • The Bi 2 S 3 /Pd-based solar thermoelectric generator (STEG) device has potential applications in electricity generation. • The flexible and wearable Bi 2 S 3 /Pd PAAH-based sensor was used for real-time health monitoring with high sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• RNA splicing differs in lung squamous cell carcinoma by patient ancestry. • Ancestry-related differentially spliced genes have cancer relevance. • Ancestry-related differentially spliced genes have biological relevance. • Ancestry-related differential splicing events associate with patient survival. Despite disparities in lung cancer incidence and mortality, the molecular landscape of lung cancer in patients of African ancestry remains underexplored, and race-related differences in RNA splicing remain unexplored. We identified differentially spliced genes (DSGs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in biobanked lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) between patients of West African and European ancestry, using ancestral genotyping and Affymetrix Clariom D array. DSGs and DEGs were validated independently using the National Cancer Institute Genomic Data Commons. Associated biological processes, overlapping canonical pathways, enriched gene sets, and cancer relevance were identified using Gene Ontology Consortium, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, and CancerMine, respectively. Association with LUSC survival was conducted using The Cancer Genome Atlas. 4,829 DSGs and 267 DEGs were identified, including novel targets in NSCLC as well as genes identified previously to have relevance to NSCLC. RNA splicing events within 3 DSGs as well as 1 DEG were validated in the independent cohort. 853 DSGs and 29 DEGs have been implicated as potential drivers, oncogenes and/or tumor suppressor genes. Biological processes enriched among DSGs and DEGs included metabolic process, biological regulation, and multicellular organismal process and, among DSGs, ion transport. Overlapping canonical pathways among DSGs included neuronal signaling pathways and, among DEGs, cell metabolism involving biosynthesis. Gene sets enriched among DSGs included KRAS Signaling, UV Response, E2 F Targets, Glycolysis, and Coagulation. 355 RNA splicing events within DSGs and 18 DEGs show potential association with LUSC patient survival. These DSGs and DEGs, which show potential biological and clinical relevance, could have the ability to drive novel biomarker and therapeutic development to mitigate LUSC disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osimertinib, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor - tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), shows great efficacy in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, the resistance is inevitable. Osimertinib induces autophagy in NSCLC cells, but the role of autophagy in osimertinib resistance is not clear. We discovered that enhanced autophagy is associated with osimertinib resistance in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of autophagy enhanced osimertinib cytotoxicity in both osimertinib-resistant and sensitive cells. Moreover, osimertinib-resistant cells exhibited stem cell-like properties, whereas autophagy inhibition decreased the stemness by downregulating the expression of SOX2 and ALDH1A1. Further, we found that knockdown of Beclin-1 inhibited the stem cell-like properties and restored osimertinib cytotoxicity. Osimertinib combined with chloroquine inhibited tumor growth more effectively than alone in xenograft mice. These results reveal that autophagy plays an adverse role in osimertinib cytotoxicity through inducing stem cell-like properties. Combination therapy of EGFR-TKI and autophagy inhibitor could provide a promising strategy to improve osimertinib cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the role of macrophage polarization on the response of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) cells to radiation and whether modulation of macrophage plasticity can alter radiation response.Methods and Materials: The human THP-1 monocyte cell line and primary human monocytes isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells were differentiated into macrophages and polarized to either an "antitumor" (M1) or a "protumor" (M2) phenotype. These polarized macrophages were co-cultured with IBC cells (SUM149, KPL4, MDA-IBC3, or SUM190) without direct contact for 24 hours, then subjected to irradiation (0, 2, 4, or 6 Gy). Interleukin (IL)4/IL13-induced activation of STAT6 signaling was measured by Western blotting of phospho-STAT6 (Tyr641), and expression of M2 polarization gene markers (CD206, fibronectin, and CCL22) was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results: Expression of M2 polarization markers was higher in M2-polarized macrophages after IL4/IL13 treatment than in control (M0) or M1-polarized macrophages. Co-culture of IBC cell lines with M1-polarized THP-1 macrophages mediated radiosensitivity of IBC cells, whereas co-culture with M2-polarized macrophages mediated radioresistance. Phosphopeptide mimetic PM37, targeting the SH2 domain of STAT6, prevented and reversed IL4/IL13-mediated STAT6 phosphorylation (Tyr641) and decreased the expression of M2 polarization markers. Pretreatment of M2-THP1 macrophages with PM37 reduced the radioresistance they induced in IBC cells after co-culture. Targeted proteomics analysis of IBC KPL4 cells using a kinase antibody array revealed induction of protein kinase C zeta (PRKCZ) in these cells only after co-culture with M2-THP1 macrophages, which was prevented by PM37 pretreatment. KPL4 cells with stable short hairpin RNA knockdown of PRKCZ exhibited lower radioresistance after M2-THP1 co-culture.Conclusions: These data suggest that inhibition of M2 polarization of macrophages by PM37 can prevent radioresistance of IBC by down-regulating PRKCZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Polio Endgame strategy includes phased withdrawal of oral poliovirus vaccines (OPV) coordinated with introduction of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) to ensure population immunity. The impact of IPV introduction into a primary OPV series of immunizations in a developing country is uncertain. Methods Between May 2011 and November 2012, we enrolled 700 Bangladeshi infant-mother dyads from Dhaka slums into an open-label randomized controlled trial to test whether substituting an injected IPV dose for the standard Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) fourth tOPV dose at infant age 39 weeks would reduce fecal shedding and enhance systemic immunity. The primary endpoint was mucosal immunity to poliovirus at age one year, measured by fecal excretion of any Sabin virus at five time points up to 25 days post-52 week tOPV challenge, analyzed by the intention to treat principle. Findings We randomized 350 families to the tOPV and IPV vaccination arms. Neither study arm resulted in superior intestinal protection at 52 weeks measured by the prevalence of infants shedding any of three poliovirus serotypes, but the IPV dose induced significantly higher seroprevalence and seroconversion rates. This result was identical for poliovirus detection by cell culture or RT-qPCR. The non-significant estimated culture-based shedding risk difference was −3% favoring IPV, and the two vaccination schedules were inferred to be equivalent within a 95% confidence margin of −10% to +4%. Results for shedding analyses stratified by poliovirus type were similar. Conclusions Neither of the vaccination regimens is superior to the other in enhancing intestinal immunity as measured by poliovirus shedding at 52 weeks of age and the IPV regimen provides similar intestinal immunity to the four tOPV series, although the IPV regimen strongly enhances humoral immunity. The IPV-modified regimen may be considered for vaccination programs without loss of intestinal protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assesses the safety and efficacy of direct intracoronary stenting in acute phase of myocardial infarction (AMI). Process used in the study of patients with AMI; Position of infarct-related artery (IRA) in patients; Observations during the performance of repeat coronary angiography; Factors behind the beneficial effect of intracoronary stenting at infarct-related lesions.