Search

Photonic crystals (PCs) with unique light manipulation capability have attracted widespread attentions. However, weak photonic bandgaps, poor structural color saturation, and tedious preparation process restrict their further development and practical application. Herein, an ultra‐bright stimuli‐responsive PC film with excellent optical performance is prepared by assembly of cadmium sulfide@polyacrylic acid (CdS@PAA) core–shell nanoparticles into PCs through molecule‐mediated shearing‐induced assembly technique (MSAT), this fabrication process is fast and facile, the solid periodic micro/nano‐structures can be formed within 10 s, and a wide selection range of structural color can be obtained. The high refractive index of CdS guarantees high brightness of the PC films. The prerequisite of using MSAT for preparation of large‐sized ultra‐bright PC film is that the CdS@PAA nanoparticles possess appropriate thickness of PAA shell. Compared with conventional PCs, the ultra‐bright PC films present strong photonic bandgaps and high structural color saturation, the relative reflectance is up to 130% compared with a standard aluminum mirror, which is more than four times reflectivity of PS@PAA microspheres. In addition, the PC paint is prepared by mashing the ultra‐bright PC film and blending it with transparent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix, the PC coating prepared by alkali treated ultra‐bright PC pigments can achieve good water response ability and anticounterfeiting effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) accounts for the most esophageal cancer cases in the US, and is notoriously aggressive. This study examines the role of Sonic Hedgehog (SHh)/Gli signaling in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process tied to invasion and metastasis, in EAC. Gli/EMT protein expression levels were examined by western blot in paired EAC patient tissues (n = 24) and cell lines (OE19, OE33). Functional analyses were performed (siRNA, treatment with Gli-inhibitor, AKT-inhibitor, and N-Shh recombinant proteins) to investigate SHh/Gli signaling and EMT, cell cycle, and prognostic markers in EAC cell lines. MTS, luciferase reporter, qRT-PCR, western blot, wound healing, and transwell assays were executed to analyze pathway activity, cell migration, and invasion. Aberrant Gli1/2 expression was found in EAC patient tissues, and was significantly associated with increased EMT and AKT pathway activity. Stimulation of SHh/Gli resulted in EMT signaling, including expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Vimentin, β-catenin, Snail, and Slug, as well as cell cycle progression at mRNA and protein levels in EAC cell lines. Gli inhibition via small molecule administration and siRNA significantly reduced EMT, decreasing cell mobility and invasion. Both Gli and AKT inhibition rescued E-cadherin expression and suppressed AKT phosphorylation. This study provides evidence for a strong association between aberrant Gli1/2 expression and AKT/EMT markers in EAC; activated SHh/Gli signaling may be a critical component in promoting cell survival, metastases, and resistance to chemotherapy, and represents a promising avenue to target tumor proliferation and mobility.

Background: Analyze the pattern of lymph node metastasis in Siewert II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) and provide a basis for the principles of surgical access. Methods: The clinical data of 112 Siewert type II AEG patients admitted to the Fifth Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from 2020 to 2022 were retrospectively collected. The probability of lymph node metastasis in each site and the clearance rate of lymph nodes in each site by different surgical approaches were analyzed. Results: The lymph node metastasis rates in the middle and upper mediastinum group, the lower mediastinum group, the upper perigastric + supra pancreatic group, and the lower perigastric + hepatoduodenal group were 0.0%, 5.4%, 61.6%, and 17.1%, (P < 0.001). The number of lymph nodes cleared in the middle and upper mediastinum group was 0.00, 0.00, 4.00 in the transabdominal approach (TA), left thoracic approach (LT), and Ivor-Lewis (IL) group, (P < 0.001); The number of lymph nodes cleared in the lower mediastinal group was 0.00, 2.00, 2.00, (P < 0.001); The number of lymph node dissection in the perigastric + hepatoduodenal group was 3.00, 0.00, and 8.00, (P < 0.001). The overall complication rates were 25.7%, 12.5%, and 36.4%, (P = 0.058). Conclusion: Siewert II AEG has the highest rate of lymph node metastasis in the upper perigastric + supra-pancreatic region, followed by the lower perigastric + hepatoduodenal, lower mediastinal, middle, and upper mediastinal regions. Ivor-Lewis can be used for both thoracic and abdominal lymph node dissection and does not increase the incidence of postoperative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world with an insidious onset and poor prognosis. Studies have reported that CD39 is highly expressed on several human tumors and is closely associated with CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment. We aimed to explore the effect of CD39 expression on CD8+ T cells and on the diagnosis and prognosis of ESCC by analyzing 95 ESCC samples in order to better predict the probability of patients' survival by establishing a nomogram model. We observed that CD39 expression was higher on CD8+ T cells in cancer tissues. High CD39-expressing CD8+ T cells were an independent risk factor for the prognosis of ESCC, and its expression was significantly positively correlated with the expression of PDCD1, CTLA4, and HAVCR2. It is further proposed that the restoration of partially exhausted CD8+ T cells by inhibiting CD39 may be a new strategy for treating ESCC. We aimed to explore the effect of CD39 expression on CD8+ T cells and on the diagnosis and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The independent prognostic factors for the surgical specimens of the 95 ESCC patients were screened by multivariate Cox regression analysis. Differential gene expression analysis was performed by the NetworkAnalyst platform based on data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The expression of CD39 on CD8+ T cells in the CK+ region was higher in cancer tissue than in paracancerous tissue (p = 0.011), and high CD39-expressing CD8+ T cells in the CK+ region (HR, 2.587; p = 0.033) and high CD39-expressing CD8+ T cells in the CK− region (HR, 3.090; p = 0.008) were independent risk factors for prognosis in ESCC patients; the expression of ENTPD1 was upregulated in ESCC tissues compared to normal tissues (adjusted p < 0.001; log2 fold change = 1.99), and its expression was significantly positively correlated with the expression of PDCD1, CTLA4, and HAVCR2. High CD39-expressing CD8+ T cells can be used as a new molecular marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of ESCC, and the restoration of partially exhausted CD8+ T cells by inhibiting CD39 may be a new strategy for treating ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]