Peroxidase-Mimetic Iron Silicate Nanosheets Coordinated with Indocyanine Green for Enhanced Anti-Tumor Therapy.

The versatile element composition and multifunctional properties of biodegradable silicates have attracted significant attention in cancer therapeutics. However, their application as nanozymes is often limited by suboptimal catalytic efficiency and insufficient intratumoral retention. In this study, the hydrothermal synthesis of iron silicate (FeSi) nanosheets are reported exhibiting exceptional peroxidase (POD)-like activity (136.7 U mg-1), outperforming most reported iron-based nanozymes. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the introduction of Si into the catalyst enhances H2O2 adsorption and dissociation of Fe sites, leading to superior POD performance. Furthermore, the FeSi nanosheets are modified with Indocyanine Green (ICG) to facilitate targeted aggregation-potentiated therapy. The integration of ICG improved tumor penetration and retention of the FeSi nanosheets, significantly increasing their reactive oxygen species production and bolstering therapeutic efficacy.

Benidipine Hydrochloride Inhibits NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation by Inhibiting LPS-Induced NF-κB Signaling in THP-1 Macrophages.

Introduction: NLRP3, ASC, and procaspase-1 form the multiprotein complex known as the NLRP3 inflammasome. Following the priming of NLRP3 by TLR4 ligand, the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome causes caspase-1 maturation, which results in the release of IL-1ß. Calcium channel antagonists are commonly employed as antihypertensive medications and have anti-inflammatory properties through the inhibition of cytokine release, specifically IL-1ß. The impact of calcium channel antagonists on NLRP3 inflammasomes, however, has not been well studied. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the calcium channel blocker benidipine hydrochloride on LPS-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in THP-1 macrophages and its possible mechanism. Methods: Firstly, the cytotoxicity of benidipine hydrochloride was determined by MTT. The effect of benidipine hydrochloride on LPS-induced IL-1ß release was determined by ELISA. Then, the effect of benidipine hydrochloride on the expression of IL-1ß, NLRP3, ASC, and Caspase-1 induced by LPS was determined by QPCR, and the expression of IL-1ß, GSDMD, Caspase-1, and their active forms was determined by Western blot, and the activation of NF-κB was determined by Western blot and immunofluorescence. Finally, the production of ROS was determined by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Results: Benidipine hydrochloride was found to drastically lower the expression of NLRP3, ASC, and caspase 1, which in turn decreased the amount of IL-1ß secreted by THP-1 macrophages. Benidipine hydrochloride dramatically reduced the phosphorylation level of NF-κB p65 and its nuclear translocation in THP-1 macrophages. Furthermore, benidipine hydrochloride significantly decreased the generation of ROS. Discussion: Based on these results, we deduced that benidipine hydrochloride prevents ROS formation in THP-1 macrophages and LPS-induced NF-κB signaling, which in turn prevents the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes and the release of IL-1ß.

Genome-wide identification of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. MAPK gene family and expression analysis under salt stress relieved by Bacillus subtilis.

Introduction: Research on Glycyrrhiza uralensis, a nonhalophyte that thrives in saline-alkaline soil and a traditional Chinese medicinal component, is focused on improving its ability to tolerate salt stress to increase its productivity and preserve its "Dao-di" characteristics. Furthermore, the inoculation of bioagents such as Bacillus subtilis to increase plant responses to abiotic stressors is currently a mainstream strategy. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), a highly conserved protein kinase, plays a significant role in plant responses to various abiotic stress pathways. Methods: This investigation involved the identification of 21 members of the GuMAPK family from the genome of G. uralensis, with an analysis of their protein conserved domains, gene structures, evolutionary relationships, and phosphorylation sites using bioinformatics tools. Results: Systematic evolutionary analysis of the 21 GuMAPKs classified them into four distinct subgroups, revealing significant differences in gene structure and exon numbers. Collinearity analysis highlighted the crucial role of segmental duplication in expanding the GuMAPK gene family, which is particularly evident in G. uralensis and shows a close phylogenetic relationship with Arabidopsis thaliana, tomato, and cucumber. Additionally, the identification of phosphorylation sites suggests a strong correlation between GuMAPK and various physiological processes, including hormonal responses, stress resistance, and growth and development. Protein interaction analysis further supported the role of GuMAPK proteins in regulating essential downstream genes. Through examination of transcriptome expression patterns, GuMAPK16-2 emerged as a prospective pivotal regulatory factor in the context of salt stress and B. subtilis inoculation, a finding supported by its subcellular localization within the nucleus. Discussion: These discoveries offer compelling evidence for the involvement of GuMAPK in the salt stress response and for the exploration of the mechanisms underlying B. subtilis' enhancement of salt tolerance in G. uralensis.

The Effect of Psychological Distress on Adolescents' Academic Engagement: The Roles of Social-Emotional Competence and Teachers' Caring Behavior.

Purpose: The relationship between psychological distress (PD) and academic engagement (AE) in adolescents is widely recognized. However, there is a lack of research on the mechanisms behind this correlation, especially in COVID-19 pandemic policy liberalization. This study proposed a moderated mediation model to determine the mediating role of social-emotional competence (SEC) between PD and AE and the moderating role of teachers' caring behavior (TCB). Patients and methods: The moderated mediation model was tested by PROCESS macro developed based on SPSS with Chinese adolescents aged 13-18 years (n = 8625; male 50.5%) as survey respondents. Multiple scales, including the 6-item Kessler PD Scale, SEC Scale, TCB Scale, and AE Scale, were used in this test. Results: Adolescent PD negatively predicted AE. In addition, SEC partially mediated the relationship between adolescent PD and AE. TCB moderated the direct and indirect relationships between PD and AE, which mitigated the negative effect of PD on AE and enhanced the positive effect of SEC on AE. Conclusion: Adolescent SEC and TCB are essential in mediating PD and AE. This study provided instructions for schools and teachers to intervene in adolescents' PD and academic problems, such as improving SEC and engaging in TCB in an adequate and timely manner. In addition, these findings provided vital references for adolescent mental health interventions in future large-scale public health events.

Si3C Monolayer as an Efficient Metal-Free Catalyst for Nitrate Electrochemical Reduction: A Computational Study.

Nitrate electroreduction reaction to ammonia (NO3ER) holds great promise for both nitrogen pollution removal and valuable ammonia synthesis, which are still dependent on transition-metal-based catalysts at present. However, metal-free catalysts with multiple advantages for such processes have been rarely reported. Herein, by means of density functional theory (DFT) computations, in which the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) functional is obtained by considering the possible van der Waals (vdW) interaction using the DFT+D3 method, we explored the potential of several two-dimensional (2D) silicon carbide monolayers as metal-free NO3ER catalysts. Our results revealed that the excellent synergistic effect between the three Si active sites within the Si3C monolayer enables the sufficient activation of NO3- and promotes its further hydrogenation into NO2*, NO*, and NH3, making the Si3C monolayer exhibit high NO3ER activity with a low limiting potential of -0.43 V. In particular, such an electrochemical process is highly dependent on the pH value of the electrolytes, in which acidic conditions are more favorable for NO3ER. Moreover, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations demonstrated the high stability of the Si3C monolayer. In addition, the Si3C monolayer shows a low formation energy, excellent electronic properties, a superior suppression effect on competing reactions, and high stability, offering significant advantages for its experimental synthesis and practical applications in electrocatalysis. Thus, a Si3C monolayer can perform as a promising NO3ER catalyst, which would open a new avenue to further develop novel metal-free catalysts for NO3ER.

Prognostic and Clinical Significance of Human Leukocyte Antigen Class I Expression in Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The value of human leukocyte antigen (HLA; also known as major histocompatibility complex) class I expression for the prediction of breast cancer survival outcomes remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to explore the prognostic significance of this expression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched electronic databases to identify reports on associations of HLA class I protein or mRNA expression with survival outcomes and clinicopathological factors in the breast cancer context. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to conduct a quantitative meta-analysis. RESULTS: The sample comprised eight studies involving 3590 patients. Only the classical HLA class Ia (HLA-ABC) molecules studies were included in this meta-analysis. Elevated HLA class I protein expression was found to be significantly related to better disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.35-0.95, P = 0.03), particularly among patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.18-0.52, P < 0.001), but not to overall survival. It was also associated with estrogen receptor (ER) negativity (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.24-2.35, P = 0.001), progesterone receptor (PR) negativity (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.22-1.81, P < 0.001), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positivity (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.18-1.94, P = 0.001), TNBC (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.15-2.45, P < 0.01), high Ki-67 indices (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.62-2.61, P < 0.001), and high nuclear grades (OR 2.67, 95% CI 2.17-3.29, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrated that enhanced HLA class I protein expression is significantly associated with the better DFS of patients with breast cancer, especially TNBC, as well as with ER and PR negativity, HER2 positivity, TNBC, and high Ki-67 indices and nuclear grades. The immune target HLA class I may serve as a prognostic indicator for breast cancer.

Pathological complete response and prognosis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with HER2-low breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The development of novel human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) antibody drug conjugates brings encouraging opportunities for the treatment of HER2-low breast cancer. In this study, we investigated the clinical factors and prognosis of HER2-low breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). METHODS: Data from patients diagnosed with HER2-zero or HER2-low breast cancer at a single center between January 2017 and December 2021 who underwent NAC followed by surgery were retrospectively reviewed. HER2 status was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH), and classified as HER2-zero (IHC 0), HER2-low (IHC 1+ or IHC 2+ and FISH-), and HER2-positive (IHC 3+ or IHC 2+ and FISH+). Baseline characteristics were analyzed and compared between the HER2-low and HER2-zero groups. Survival outcomes were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test and Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis. RESULTS: The sample comprised 132 patients with HER2-zero [n = 62 (47.0 %)] and HER2-low [n = 70 (53.0 %)] breast cancer. Relative to the HER2-zero group, the HER2-low group contained larger proportions of patients with hormone receptor (HR) positivity (37.1 % vs. 75.7 %, P < 0.001) and low nuclear grades and Ki-67 indices (both P < 0.05). The pathological complete response (pCR) rate was significantly lower in the HER2-low group than in the HER2-zero group (20.0 % vs. 37.1 %, P = 0.03). At the final follow-up [median 20 (range 4-66) months], patients with HER2-low status had significantly favorable disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes relative to those with HER2-zero status (87.1 % vs. 71.0 %, P = 0.02 and 94.3 % vs. 82.3 %, P = 0.02, respectively). HER2-low status and pCR were independent prognostic factors for DFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.31, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.13-0.75, P = 0.009 and HR = 0.08, 95 % CI 0.01-0.67, P = 0.02, respectively]. CONCLUSION: This analysis revealed that HER2-low status is associated significantly with HR positivity and low nuclear grades, Ki-67 indices, and pCR rate. It is also associated with favorable DFS and OS outcomes after NAC. HER2-low status and pCR are independent prognostic factors for DFS.

Evaluation of the impact of kangaroo mother care on neonatal mortality and hospitalization: A meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The kangaroo mother care (KMC) technique for preterm and low-birthweight (LBW) neonates, which consists of skin-to-skin contact, is thought to have a beneficial impact on clinical outcomes. Hence, the current meta-analysis aims to evaluate the influence of KMC on neonatal mortality and length of hospitalization compared with conventional care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic literature search of studies published between 1988 and 2021 found 24 trials involving 19,980 participants, of which 10,354 received KMC and 9626 were controls under conventional care. To measure the impact of applying KMC in preterm LBW neonates on mortality and the length of hospital stay, statistical analysis using dichotomous and continuous analysis methods was performed employing fixed and random models to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the application of KMC in preterm LBW neonates resulted in significantly lower mortality (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.44-0.97, p = 0.03) in a short term (within 2 months, I2 = 71%) and long term (3-12 months) (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87, p = 0.0007, I2 = 0%), and had no significant impact on the length of hospital stay (OR: -1.43, 95% CI: -2.88-0.02, p = 0.05, I2 = 86%). CONCLUSION: In comparison with the control group, the implementation of KMC in preterm LBW neonates resulted in significantly lower mortality but had no significant impact on the length of hospitalization. More studies are needed to confirm the current findings.

NCAPH promotes proliferation as well as motility of breast cancer cells by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the expression of NCAPH in human breast cancer, and to investigate its effects on breast cancer cells. Methods: Bioinformation analysis was performed to analyze the expression of NCAPH in human breast cancer tissues and normal tissues in TCGA database. qPCR and Immunoblot assays were performed to clarify the expression of NCAPH in breast cancer tissues and cell lines, respectively. CCK-8, colony formation, FCM, transwell, and immunoblot assays were performed to reveal the effects of NCAPH on breast cancer proliferation, cell cycle, motility and EMT of breast cancer cells. Additionally, immunoblot assays were performed to investigate the effects of NCAPH on the PI3K/AKT pathway in breast cancer. Results: We found that NCAPH was highly expressed in human breast cancer cell lines. The depletion of NCAPH suppressed the viability of breast cancer cells. Further, we noticed that its downregulation restrained breast cancer cell migration as well as invasion, and the EMT process. Mechanically, we noticed that NCAPH mediated the PI3K/AKT pathway, and therefore contributed to breast cancer progression. Conclusion: In summary, NCAPH has the potential to serve as a breast cancer target.

Facile synthesis of mesoporous ZSM-5 aided by sonication and its application for VOCs capture.

Application of ultrasound power to the mother liquor is popular pretreatment for zeolite synthesis which offers a simple way of accelerating crystallization process and finetuning the properties of nanocrystalline zeolites. In this work, sonication-aided synthesis of mesoporous ZSM-5 at low temperature and ambient pressure was systematically studied, in an attempt to reach efficient and benign synthesis of zeolites with hierarchical pore structure, which has wide applications as catalysts and sorbents. The effects of sonication duration, power density, sonication temperature and seeding on the crystallization of ZSM-5 were investigated. The obtained samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, BET and VOCs capture. High quality mesoporous ZSM-5 can be obtained by a facile 5 d synthesis at 363 K, much faster than conventional hydrothermal synthesis. The reduced synthesis time was mainly attributed to the enhanced crystallization kinetics caused by the fragmentation of seeds and nuclei, while sonication radiation had little impact on the nucleation process. Compared with control sample, mesoporous ZSM-5 prepared by sonochemical method had higher surface area and mesoporosity which demonstrated improved adsorption performance for the capture of isopropanol.

Visual imagination and cognitive mapping of a virtual building.

We investigated the contribution of visual imagination to the cognitive mapping of a building when initial exploration was simulated either visually by using a passive video walk-through, or mentally by using verbal guidance. Building layout had repeating elements with either rotational or mirror symmetry. Cognitive mapping of the virtual building, determined using questionnaires and map drawings, was present following verbal guidance but inferior to that following video guidance. Mapping was not affected by the building's structural symmetry. However, notably, it correlated with small-scale mental rotation scores for both video and verbal guidance conditions. There was no difference between males and females. A common factor that may have influenced cognitive mapping was the availability of visual information about the relationships of the building elements, either directly perceived (during the video walk-through) or imagined (during the verbal walk-through and/or during recall). Differences in visual imagination, particularly mental rotation, may thus account for some of the individual variance in cognitive mapping of complex built environments, which is relevant to how designers provide navigation-relevant information.

[Analysis of the effect of expanded non-invasive prenatal testing in prenatal screening population during pregnancy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effect of expanded non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT-plus) for prenatal screening. METHODS: The screening result, prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy outcome of 3700 pregnant women who volunteered NIPT-plus screening at our center from September 2018 to December 2019 were reviewed. RESULTS: Among the 3700 pregnant women, 74(2.0%) were scored positive for clinically significant fetal chromosomal abnormalities and underwent NIPT-plus screening. Sixty three women with a high risk underwent invasive prenatal diagnosis, among whom 19 were diagnosed, which yielded a positive predictive value (PPVs) of 30.2% (19/63). Statistical analysis showed that NIPT-plus has higher PPVs for common aneuploidies and low-to-medium PPVs for sex chromosome aneuploidies and microdeletion/microduplication syndromes. CONCLUSION: As a screening technique, NIPT-plus has broader applications compared with conventional techniques, and has reference value for clinicians and pregnant women during pregnancy.

[Is it necessary to choose NIPT-plus for pregnant women who opt for non-invasive prenatal testing? A study of 50 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether it is necessary to choose NIPT-plus for the prenatal screening of pregnant women. METHODS: The results of NIPT and NIPT-plus sequencing data, fetal DNA concentration, prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy outcome of 50 pregnant women were compared. RESULTS: Compared with NIPT, NIPT-plus attained similar fetal DNA concentration and a 4.4-fold increase in sequencing data. NIPT was able to detect 4 cases of 21-trisomy, 2 cases of 18-trisomy, and 9 cases of sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) signaled by NIPT-plus, but missed one 18-trisomy, and failed to detect rare chromosome aneuploidies (RCAs) and microdeletion/microduplication syndromes (MMS). The PPVs of NIPT-plus for 21-trisomy, 18-trisomy, SCAs, MMS and RCAs were 100%, 100%, 44.4%, 30.4% and 0%, respectively. And those of NIPT for 21-trisomy, 18-trisomy, and SCAs were 100%, 100%, and 44.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: It is necessary for pregnant women to select NIPT-plus to improve the detection rate of common trisomies, SCAs and disease-specific MMS, therefore reduce the occurrene of birth defect.

[Results of non-invasive prenatal testing for 2473 women with twin pregnancy].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for the detection of fetal chromosomal aneuploidies in women with twin pregnancy. METHODS: A total of 2473 women with twin pregnancy underwent the NIPT test to assess the risk for fetal chromosomal aneuploidies from January 2016 to September 2019. Those with a high risk by NIPT were confirmed by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. All cases were followed up to evaluate the positive prediction value of NIPT for twin pregnancies. RESULTS: Among the 2473 women, the NIPT test has identified 31 cases (1.25%) with a high risk for fetal chromosomal aneuploidies, which included 5 cases of trisomy 21, 1 case of chromosome 21 deletion, 4 cases of trisomy 18, 7 cases of sex chromosome abnormality and 14 cases of microdeletion and microduplication. By invasive prenatal diagnosis or chromosomal karyotyping analysis of neonates, 5 cases of trisomy 21, 3 cases of trisomy 18, 1 case of sex chromosome abnormality, and 2 cases of microdeletion and microduplication were confirmed, which yielded a positive predictive value of 100%, 75%, 25% and 25%, respectively. CONCLUSION: NIPT can be used for the screening of fetal chromosomal aneuploidies in women with twin pregnancy with high accuracy. The method is non-invasive, safe and effective for the screening of fetal chromosomal aneuploidies, in particular trisomy 21.

Prognostic and clinical significance of focal adhesion kinase expression in breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic significance of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in breast cancer remains controversial. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the prognostic value of FAK expression in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Possible prognostic significance of protein or mRNA expression of FAK in breast cancer was investigated with searches of electronic databases for relevant publications. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted from eligible studies. RESULTS: A total of eight eligible studies which included 2604 participants were analyzed in this meta-analysis. Increased expression of FAK protein was found to significantly correlate with shorter overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.12-1.83; P = 0.004), and not with disease-free survival (HR = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.92-1.85; P = 0.14). Elevated FAK protein expression was also associated with negative estrogen receptor (ER) expression (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06-1.68; P = 0.01), negative progesterone receptor (PR) expression (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.22-1.93; P < 0.001), positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.28-2.09; P < 0.001), triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.14-2.17; P = 0.006), high nuclear grade (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.05-2.78; P = 0.03), high Ki-67 expression level (OR, 2.87; 95% CI, 1.94-4.24; P < 0.001), and positive p53 status (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.58-3.29; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis identifies an association between increased FAK protein expression and worse OS among breast cancer patients. Moreover, enhanced FAK expression is associated with negative ER expression, negative PR expression, positive HER2 expression, TNBC, high nuclear grade, high Ki-67 expression level, and positive p53 status in breast carcinoma.

Enhancing photoluminescence of carbon quantum dots doped PVA films with randomly dispersed silica microspheres.

As a kind of excellent photoluminescent material, carbon quantum dots have been extensively studied in many fields, including biomedical applications and optoelectronic devices. They have been dispersed in polymer matrices to form luminescent films which can be used in LEDs, displays, sensors, etc. Owing to the total internal reflection at the flat polymer/air interfaces, a significant portion of the emitted light are trapped and dissipated. In this paper, we fabricate free standing flexible PVA films with photoluminescent carbon quantum dots embedded in them. We disperse silica microspheres at the film surfaces to couple out the total internal reflection. The effects of sphere densities and diameters on the enhancement of photoluminescence are experimentally investigated with a homemade microscope. The enhancement of fluorescence intensity is as high as 1.83 when the film is fully covered by spheres of 0.86 [Formula: see text]m diameter. It is worth noting that the light extraction originates from rather the scattering of individual spheres than the diffraction of ordered arrays. The mechanism of scattering is confirmed by numerical simulations. The simulated results show that the evanescent wave at the flat PVA/air interface can be effectively scattered out of the film.

Protective Effects of Lixisenatide against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation Response in MAC-T Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells: A Therapeutic Implication in Mastitis.

Mastitis is acute inflammation caused by microbial infections in the mammary glands. This disease is extremely harmful to lactating mothers. The preferred clinical strategy is antibiotic treatment, but this method results in resistance and side effects. Lixisenatide, a kind of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, is typically used for the treatment of type II diabetes. It is unknown whether lixisenatide possesses a beneficial role in mastitis. In the current study, we assessed the protective effects of lixisenatide against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in MAC-T bovine mammary epithelial cells (MECs). Our findings show that lixisenatide attenuated LPS-induced oxidative stress by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases-1 (NOX-1) expression in MAC-T MECs. Additionally, lixisenatide inhibited LPS-induced expression and secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß). We also found that lixisenatide suppressed LPS-induced expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), and reduced the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) (a typical receptor of LPS), its downstream molecule myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and the phosphorylation of TGF ß-activated kinase 1 (TAK1). Notably, lixisenatide decreased the nuclear levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and its transcriptional activity. These findings suggest that lixisenatide might become a possible therapeutic agent for the treatment of mastitis by weakening oxidative stress and the inflammatory response in MECs.

Prognostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio for breast cancer patients: An updated meta-analysis of 17079 individuals.

AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic effect of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for patients with breast cancer (BC). METHODS: A literature search was performed by searching medical databases. Basic characteristics and prognostic data were extracted from included studies. Primary outcomes, such as overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), were synthesized and compared. Subgroup analyses were performed according to pathology, geographical region, cut-off value, and tumor progression. RESULTS: A total of 39 studies comprising 17079 BC patients were included in this meta-analysis. Among them, 28 studies with 142 64 BC patients investigated predicting role of NLR for OS, showing elevated NLR were associated poor prognosis (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49-2.13, P < 0.001). Twenty-seven studies containing 115 04 patients explored the role of NLR in predicting DFS, showing elevated NLR was associated with poor DFS with HR of 1.60 (95% CI: 1.42-1.96, P < 0.001). Twelve studies explored the role of PLR in predicting OS, showing patients with higher PLR were associated with a significantly worse prognosis with a pooled HR of 1.32 (95% CI: 1.11-1.57, P = 0.002). Eleven studies with 5013 patients shown patients with elevated PLR were associated shorter DFS (HR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.09-1.86, P = 0.009). Subgroup analyses shown a greater magnitude of association between NLR and OS in triple-negative BC patients than in HER2-positive ones. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that elevated NLR and PLR were associated with poor OS as well as high risk of recurrence for BC patients. Subgroup analyses confirmed the prognostic effect of NLR and PLR in HER2-positive BC patients. As easily accessible parameters, NLR and PLR should be identified as useful biomarkers in the management of BC.

Prognostic value of the Glasgow prognostic score in colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of 9,839 patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the value of the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) or modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: A comprehensive medical literature search was performed using the online databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. After extracting basic characteristics and prognostic data from the included studies, overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were pooled as primary outcomes. Subgroup analyses were performed according to therapeutic strategies, models, cutoff values, regions, tumor, node, metastasis stages, sample size, and ages. RESULTS: Forty-three independent cohorts from 41 studies with 9,839 CRC patients were included in the present study. Correlation between GPS or mGPS and OS was analyzed in 32 cohorts of 7,714 patients, and 23 independent cohorts of 5,375 patients focused on the correlation between GPS or mGPS and CSS. The overall outcomes showed that patients with elevated GPS or mGPS were associated with poor OS (HR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.88-2.57, P<0.001). Elevated GPS or mGPS also resulted in worse CSS (HR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.59-2.17, P<0.001). The results of the subgroup analyses confirmed the overall outcomes. CONCLUSION: GPS or mGPS is an accurate prognostic predictor in patients with CRC. Patients with elevated pretreatment GPS or mGPS have a poor prognosis. Subgroup analyses confirmed the overall outcomes. Pretreatment GPS is a useful biomarker in the management of CRC.

A water-stable EuIII-based MOF as a dual-emission luminescent sensor for discriminative detection of nitroaromatic pollutants.

A water-stable EuIII-based metal-organic framework (MOF) with dual-emission luminescence behavior, namely {[Eu4(INO)5(µ3-OH)2Cl4(H2O)]·(NO3)·(H2O)5}n (Eu-MOF; HINO = isonicotinic acid N-oxide), was successfully constructed by the solvothermal reaction of Eu3+ ions with the organic ligand HINO. The cationic 3D framework contains microporous channels with accessible Lewis-base sites and NO3- ions as balanced anions, which all contribute to the selective detection of multifarious analytes. This MOF shows ratiometric detection of acetone, Cr2O72- ions, and nitroaromatic compounds (NACs). In particular, it shows great recognition of four NACs in water, representing the first LnIII-MOF which can display distinguishing fluorescence phenomena on NACs rather than relying on the quenching effect. Furthermore, this is also the first example of a MOF-sensor for detecting these explosives discriminatively by ratiometric methods. Additionally, the mechanisms for luminescent responses towards different analytes have been discussed in detail.