Search

Background Context: As lumbar degenerative diseases become more prevalent in an aging population, there is an increasing demand for surgical interventions, such as posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). However, cage subsidence (CS), observed in 23.9-54% of cases postoperatively, remains a significant complication. Several factors, including age, bone quality, and endplate damage, contribute to the risk of CS, with bone quality being among the most critical determinants. Although DEXA and QCT are widely employed to assess bone density, their routine use in preoperative evaluations is restricted by cost considerations and radiation exposure. Recent studies suggest that MRI-based vertebral body quality (VBQ) and endplate bone quality (EBQ) score offer a viable, non-invasive alternative for evaluating bone quality; however, there is limited research comparing their predictive value for CS., Methods: In this retrospective study, 165 patients undergoing single-level PLIF surgery were included. MRI-based VBQ and EBQ score were calculated using T1-weighted images, and preoperative QCT was employed as a clinical standard. Cage subsidence was assessed based on postoperative imaging at 12-month follow-up. Statistical analyses, including t-tests, chi-square tests, and ROC curve analyses, were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of VBQ and EBQ for CS., Results: The study's findings demonstrated that both VBQ and EBQ scores were significantly correlated with QCT measurements, thereby validating their utility as indicators of bone quality. ROC analysis revealed that VBQ had superior predictive value for CS (AUC = 0.814) compared to EBQ (AUC = 0.719), with both scores demonstrating significant clinical utility in identifying patients at risk for CS. Notably, VBQ exhibited a stronger correlation with preoperative clinical outcomes compared to EBQ, underscoring its greater reliability as a predictor., Conclusions: This study highlights the effectiveness of MRI-based VBQ and EBQ score as practical, non-invasive tools for assessing bone quality preoperatively, with VBQ demonstrating superior predictive performance for CS risk. The findings underscore the potential of integrating these MRI-based assessments into routine preoperative planning to improve patient outcomes and minimize complications associated with PLIF surgery., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This retrospective study used completely anonymized data from the Yichang Central People’s Hospital. The study protocol was reviewed by the Medical Ethics Committee of Yichang Central People’s Hospital, which determined that formal ethics approval was not required, as the study utilized previously collected data that could not identify individuals. Consent for publication: All authors had reviewed the final manuscript and give consent for submission and publication. Competing interests: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The synthesis of high-quality single-crystal covalent organic frameworks (COFs) presents significant challenges, particularly in achieving precise control over their morphologies. Herein, we present a straightforward strategy to fine-tune the morphology of COF single crystals. Using rigid triptycene derivatives as the core building blocks and varying the amounts of aniline modulators, we successfully synthesized a series of high-quality COF single crystals with different aspect ratios and well-defined facets, JUC-663-X (X = 30 to 135, the equivalent of aniline). Their structures were characterized using PXRD, TEM, and N 2 adsorption analyses to confirm the structural consistency. The study of the growth mechanism and DFT calculations elucidated the crucial role of aniline as a modulator in facilitating anisotropic competitive binding throughout the crystal growth process. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that the aspect ratio of these single crystals significantly influences the adsorption properties of Rh B. This research not only paves new paths in the synthesis and morphological control of COF single-crystal materials but also provides profound insights into the relationship between COF morphology and functional performance.

Plants in the Crassulaceae family are rich in flavonoids, which may contribute to their high antioxidant activity and strong tolerance to abiotic stresses. Kalanchoe spp. are known to have high antioxidant activity, but the main components responsible for this activity and the mechanisms that control antioxidant accumulation in these plants are unknown. In this study, we identified the dominant flavonoid and investigated the mechanisms of its accumulation in Kalanchoe leaves. A wide metabolomics analysis showed that flavonoids were the most enriched metabolites in the leaves of Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers, Kalanchoe delagoensis (Eckl. et Zeyh.) Druce, and Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi 'Rosy Dawn'. Among these metabolites, levels of quercitrin were significantly higher in K. pinnata (Lam.) Pers than in the other two species. RNA-seq and targeted metabolomics analyses conducted on four different K. pinnata (Lam.) Pers tissues indicated that UDP-glycosyltransferase regulates the synthesis of quercitrin. Using in vitro enzyme assays and overexpression in tobacco we demonstrated that KpUGT74F catalyzes glycosylation of quercetin to produce quercitrin. This study identified the major antioxidant substances and their key regulatory mechanisms in Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers to provide an important theoretical basis for understanding the high stress tolerance of these plants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Manuscript titled “Involvement of UDP-glycosyltransferase of Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers in quercitrin biosynthesis and consequent antioxidant defense” No conflict of interest exists in the submission of this manuscript, and this manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. All the work described was original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Flat bands and nontrivial topological physics are two important topics of condensed matter physics. With a unique stacking configuration analogous to the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model, rhombohedral graphite (RG) is a potential candidate for realizing both flat bands and nontrivial topological physics. Here, we report experimental evidence of topological flat bands (TFBs) on the surface of bulk RG, which are topologically protected by bulk helical Dirac nodal lines via the bulk-boundary correspondence. Moreover, upon in situ electron doping, the surface TFBs show a splitting with exotic doping evolution, with an order-of-magnitude increase in the bandwidth of the lower split band, and pinning of the upper band near the Fermi level. These experimental observations together with Hartree-Fock calculations suggest that correlation effects are important in this system. Our results demonstrate RG as a platform for investigating the rich interplay between nontrivial band topology, correlation effects, and interaction-driven symmetry-broken states., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

The development of photocatalytic systems that enable the simultaneous production of H2O2 and value-added organic chemicals presents a dual advantage: generating valuable products while maximizing the utilization of solar energy. Despite the potential, there are relatively few reports on photocatalysts capable of such dual functions. In this study, we synthesized a series of donor-acceptor covalent organic frameworks (COFs), designated as JUC-675 to JUC-677, to explore their photocatalytic efficiency in the co-production of H2O2 and N-benzylbenzaldimine (BBAD). Among them, JUC-675 exhibited exceptional performance, achieving a H2O2 production rate of 22.8 mmol g-1 h-1 with an apparent quantum yield of 15.7%, and its solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency was calculated to be 1.09%, marking it as the most effective COF-based photocatalyst reported to date. Additionally, JUC-675 demonstrated a high selectivity (99.9%) and yield (96%) for BBAD in the oxidative coupling of benzylamine. The underlying reaction mechanism was thoroughly investigated through validation experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This work represents a significant advancement in the design of COF-based photocatalysts and the development of efficient dual-function photocatalytic platforms, offering new insights and methodologies for enhanced solar energy utilization and the synthesis of value-added products., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Influenza viruses pose a significant and ongoing threat to human health. Many host factors have been identified to be associated with influenza virus infection. However, there is currently a lack of an integrated resource for these host factors. This study integrated human genes and proteins associated with influenza virus infections for 14 subtypes of influenza A viruses, as well as influenza B and C viruses, and built a database named H2Flu to store and organize these genes or proteins. The database includes 28,639 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 1,850 differentially expressed proteins, and 442 proteins with differential posttranslational modifications after influenza virus infection, as well as 3,040 human proteins that interact with influenza virus proteins and 57 human susceptibility genes. Further analysis showed that the dynamic response of human cells to virus infection, cell type and strain specificity contribute significantly to the diversity of DEGs. Additionally, large heterogeneity was also observed in protein-protein interactions between humans and different types or subtypes of influenza viruses. Overall, the study deepens our understanding of the diversity and complexity of interactions between influenza viruses and humans, and provides a valuable resource for further studies on such interactions., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2023 Zhu et al.)

Micropatterning is an established technique in the cell biology community used to study connections between the morphology and function of cellular compartments while circumventing complications arising from natural cell-to-cell variations. To standardize cell shape, cells are either confined in 3D molds or controlled for adhesive geometry through adhesive islands. However, traditional micropatterning techniques based on photolithography and deep UV etching heavily depend on clean rooms or specialized equipment. Here we present an infrared laser assisted micropatterning technique (microphotopatterning) modified from Doyle et al. that can be conveniently set up with commercially available imaging systems. In this protocol, we use a Nikon A1R MP+ imaging system to generate micropatterns with micron precision through an infrared (IR) laser that ablates preset regions on poly-vinyl alcohol coated coverslips. We employ a custom script to enable automated pattern fabrication with high efficiency and accuracy in systems not equipped with a hardware autofocus. We show that this IR laser assisted micropatterning (microphotopatterning) protocol results in defined patterns to which cells attach exclusively and take on the desired shape. Furthermore, data from a large number of cells can be averaged due to the standardization of cell shape. Patterns generated with this protocol, combined with high resolution imaging and quantitative analysis, can be used for relatively high throughput screens to identify molecular players mediating the link between form and function.

Objective: To establish three orthotopically transplanted model of human primary malignant spleen lymphoma in the nude mice., Methods: Orthotopic transplantation of histologically intact human primary malignant splenic lymphoma tissue obtained from patients was introduced into the splenic parenchyma of nude mice. Tumorigenicity, invasion, metastasis and morphological characteristics of the transplanted tumor were studied by light microscopy, electron microscopy and immunohistochemical methods., Results: The first kind, a strain of human primary malignant spleen lymphoma (non-Hodgkin's, cleaved B cell, BFNHL-HMN-1) screened from 11 patients which had been passaged in vivo for 41 generations, a second kind, a liver metastasis model of human primary malignant spleen lymphoma (non-Hodgkin's, cleaved B cell, LM-BFNHL-HMN-2) which had been passaged for 47 generations and a third kind of human primary malignant spleen lymphoma (non-Hodgkin's, T-immunoblastic cell, TINHL-HMN-3) having passaged for 37 generations were all successfully transplanted in 611 nude mice. Models of BFNHL-HMN-1 and TINHL-HMN-3 tumor gave nodular growth and lymph node metastasis in the spleen hilum but without any metastasis in the abdominal lymph nodes or organs. In the LM-BFNHL-HMN-2 model, not only did the tumor cells grow in the spleen, but in spleen hilum, lymph nodes and liver also. The orthotopically transplanted tumor cells were similar to the original human tumor in light histopathology, ultrastructure features, DNA content and chromosomal karyotype., Conclusion: These three models are able to serve as useful tools for the study of biologic characteristics and experimental treatment of human primary malignant lymphoma.

Objectives: To establish a liver metastasis models of human colorectal carcinomas in nude mice., Methods: Orthotopic transplantation of histologically intact colo-rectal cancer tissues from patients into colo-rectal mucosa of nude mice. Tumorgenicity, invasion, metastasis and morphological characteristics of the transplanted tumors were studied by light microscopy, electron microscopy and immunuhistochemistry., Results: Liver metastasis models of human colon carcinoma (HCA-HMN-1) and human rectal carcinoma (HRA-HMN-2) were established after screening from 34 colorectal carcinomas. They had been passaged in vivo for 18 and 21 gererations respectively. There were lymphatic, hematogenous, and implanting metastases. CEA secretion was maintained after transplantation. The primary and liver metastatic tumors were similar to the original human carcinoma in histopathological and ultrastructural features, DNA content and chromosomal karyotype., Conclusion: The liver metastasis models provide useful tools for the study of mechanism of metastasis and its treatment of human colo-rectal cancer.

In the present paper, the authors applied Sanjie pellet in the anti-cancer study on the animals. The results indicated that in the extracorporeal experiment, stomach perfusion with Sanjie pellet 12.5g/kg daily for 10 successive days, the inhibitory rate for the substantive liver cancer was 84%. For ascites liver carcinoma, it could raise the average rate of prolonging life span to 76%. Lethal dose (LD50) was 25 g/kg. The pathological observations indicated that Sanjie pellet acted directly on the cell membrane and organelle of the liver cancer cells and causing lysis of the cell membrane, dilation of rough surface endoplasmic reticulum, the swelling of mitochondria and disintegration of the liver cancer cells body. The authors concluded that these were the main pharmacological efficacies of Sanjie pellet.