In-Sb Covalent Bonds over Sb2Se3/In2Se3 Heterojunction for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

Antimony selenide is a promising P-type photocatalyst, but it has a large number of deep energy level defects, leading to severe carrier recombination. The construction of a heterojunction is a common way to resolve this problem. However, the conventional heterojunction system inevitably introduces interface defects. Herein, we employ in situ synthesis to epitaxially grow In2Se3 nanosheets on Sb2Se3 nanorods and form In-Sb covalent interfacial bonds. This petal-shaped heterostructure reduced interface defects and enhanced the efficiency of carrier separation and transport. In this work, the photocurrent density in the proposed Sb2Se3/In2Se3 photocathode is 0.485 mA cm-2 at 0 VRHE, which is 30 times higher than that of pristine Sb2Se3 and it has prominent long-term stability for 24 h without obvious decay. The results reveal that the synergy of the bidirectional built-in electric field constructed between In2Se3 and Sb2Se3 and the solid In-Sb interfacial bonds together build a high-efficiency transport channel for the photogenerated carriers that display enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting performance. This work provides efficient guidance for reducing interface defects via the in situ synthesis and construction of interfacial bonds.

Mechanisms of secondary biogenic coalbed methane formation in bituminous coal seams: a joint experimental and multi-omics study.

Coal seam microbes, as endogenous drivers of secondary biogenic gas production in coal seams, might be related to methane production in coal seams. In this study, we carried out anaerobic indoor culture experiments of microorganisms from three different depths of bituminous coal seams in Huainan mining area, and revealed the secondary biogas generation mechanism of bituminous coal seams by using the combined analysis of macro-genome and metabolism multi-omics. The results showed that the cumulative mass molar concentrations (Molality) of biomethane production increased with the increase of the coal seam depth in two consecutive cycles. At the genus level, there were significant differences in the bacterial and archaeal community structures corresponding to the three coal seams 1#, 6#, and 9#(p < 0.05). The volatile matter of air-dry basis (Vad) of coal was significantly correlated with differences in genus-level composition of bacteria and archaea, with correlations of R bacterial = 0.368 and R archaeal = 0.463, respectively. Functional gene analysis showed that the relative abundance of methanogenesis increased by 42% before and after anaerobic fermentation cultivation. Meanwhile, a total of 11 classes of carbon metabolism homologues closely related to methanogenesis were detected in the liquid metabolites of coal bed microbes after 60 days of incubation. Finally, the fatty acid, amino acid and carbohydrate synergistic methanogenic metabolic pathway was reconstructed based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. The expression level of mcrA gene within the metabolic pathway of the 1# deep coal sample was significantly higher than that of the other two groups (p < 0.05 for significance), and the efficient expression of mcrA gene at the end of the methanogenic pathway promoted the conversion of bituminous coal organic matter to methane. Therefore, coal matrix compositions may be the key factors causing diversity in microbial community and metabolic function, which might be related to the different methane content in different coal seams.

Recent-year variations in O3 pollution with high-temperature suppression over central China.

By analyzing environmental and meteorological monitoring data over recent years of 2015-2022, the Twain-Hu Basin (THB) in central China was identified as a regional O3 pollution center over China with the highest increasing trend at 1.10 %⸱yr-1 in interannual variations of O3 concentrations with deteriorating O3 pollution over recent years. We explored the spatiotemporal variations in O3 pollution in the THB with ozone suppression (OS) under high air temperature over metropolitan, small urban, and mountainous areas. The bipolarized interannual trends in interannual O3 variations in urban and mountainous areas over central China were characterized with the increasing and decreasing 90th percentiles of the daily maximum 8-h (MDA8-90) O3 concentrations respectively in polluted urban areas and clean mountainous areas over recent eight years. The changes of the near-surface O3 concentrations with air temperature exhibited the inflection points of OS from increasing to decreasing O3 at air temperature of 30.5 °C in mountainous areas, 32.5 °C in small urban areas, and 34.5 °C in metropolitan areas, and the intensity of OS was estimated in the ranking with mountainous areas (-2.30 µg⸱m-3⸱°C-1) > small urban areas (-1.96 µg⸱m-3⸱°C-1) > metropolitan areas (-1.54 µg⸱m-3⸱°C-1), indicating that the OS was more significant over the lower-O3 mountainous areas. This study has implications for understanding O3 pollution variations with the meteorological drivers.

Indirubin-3'-monoxime exhibits potent antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects against human adenoviruses in vitro and in vivo.

Human adenovirus (HAdV) infection is a major cause of respiratory disease, yet no antiviral drugs have been approved for its treatment. Herein, we evaluated the antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects of cyclin-dependent protein kinase (CDK) inhibitor indirubin-3'-monoxime (IM) against HAdV infection in cells and a transgenic mouse model. After evaluating its cytotoxicity, cytopathic effect reduction, antiviral replication kinetics, and viral yield reduction assays were performed to assess the anti-HAdV activity of IM. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), and western blotting were used to assess the effects of IM on HAdV DNA replication, transcription, and protein expression, respectively. IM significantly inhibited HAdV DNA replication as well as E1A and Hexon transcription, in addition to significantly suppressing the phosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain (CTD). IM mitigated body weight loss, reduced viral burden, and lung injury, decreasing cytokine and chemokine secretion to a greater extent than cidofovir. Altogether, IM inhibits HAdV replication by downregulating CTD phosphorylation to suppress viral infection and corresponding innate immune reactions as a promising therapeutic agent.

Rigid CuInS2/ZnS Core/Shell Quantum Dots for High Performance Infrared Light-Emitting Diodes.

CuInS2 (CIS) quantum dots (QDs) represent an important class of colloidal materials with broad application potential, owing to their low toxicity and unique optical properties. Although coating with a ZnS shell has been identified as a crucial method to enhance optical performance, the occurrence of cation exchange has historically resulted in the unintended formation of Cu-In-Zn-S alloyed QDs, causing detrimental blueshifts in both absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectral profiles. In this study, we present a facile one-pot synthetic strategy aimed at impeding the cation exchange process and promoting ZnS shell growth on CIS core QDs. The suppression of both electron-phonon interaction and Auger recombination by the rigid ZnS shell results in CIS/ZnS core/shell QDs that exhibit a wide near-infrared (NIR) emission coverage and a remarkable PL quantum yield of 92.1%. This effect boosts the fabrication of high-performance, QD-based NIR light-emitting diodes with the best stability of such materials so far.

Deep learning-based rapid image reconstruction and motion correction for high-resolution cartesian first-pass myocardial perfusion imaging at 3T.

PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate a deep learning (DL) -based rapid image reconstruction and motion correction technique for high-resolution Cartesian first-pass myocardial perfusion imaging at 3T with whole-heart coverage for both single-slice (SS) and simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) acquisitions. METHODS: 3D physics-driven unrolled network architectures were utilized for the reconstruction of high-resolution Cartesian perfusion imaging. The SS and SMS multiband (MB) = 2 networks were trained from 135 slices from 20 subjects. Structural similarity index (SSIM), peak SNR (PSNR), and normalized RMS error (NRMSE) were assessed, and prospective images were blindly graded by two experienced cardiologists (5, excellent; 1, poor). For respiratory motion correction, a 2D U-Net based motion corrected network was proposed, and the temporal fidelity and second-order derivative were calculated to assess the performance of the motion correction. RESULTS: Excellent performance was demonstrated in the proposed technique with high SSIM and PSNR, and low NRMSE. Image quality scores were (4.3 [4.3, 4.4], 4.5 [4.4, 4.6], 4.3 [4.3, 4.4], and 4.5 [4.3, 4.5]) for SS DL and SS L1-SENSE, MB = 2 DL and MB = 2 SMS-L1-SENSE, respectively, showing no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05 for SS and SMS) between (SMS)-L1-SENSE and the proposed DL technique. The network inference time was around 4 s per dynamic perfusion series with 40 frames while the time of (SMS)-L1-SENSE with GPU acceleration was approximately 30 min. CONCLUSION: The proposed DL-based image reconstruction and motion correction technique enabled rapid and high-quality reconstruction for SS and SMS MB = 2 high-resolution Cartesian first-pass perfusion imaging at 3T.

Improving the Performance of Pd for Formic Acid Dehydrogenation by Introducing Barium Titanate.

Formic acid, a safe and widely available organic compound, produces hydrogen under mild conditions, with the existence of Pd-based catalysts. Efficiently generating hydrogen via formic acid decomposition (FAD) is restricted by the cleavage of the C-H bond in adsorbed HCOO* and strong adsorption of hydrogen on the Pd surface. Herein, tetragonal-phase barium titanate (TBT) was in situ grown on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to support Pd (Pd/TBT/rGO) for FAD. The internal electric field exists around TBT owing to its spontaneous polarization capacity. The physical characterizations illustrate that the introduction of barium titanate affects the catalytic performance of the catalyst by decreasing the particle size of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) and forming electron-rich Pd. The as-synthesized Pd/TBT/rGO exhibited excellent catalytic activity and hydrogen selectivity for FAD with a high initial turnover frequency up to 3019.72 h-1 at 333 K. The reason for this enhancement is not only the small-size Pd NPs but also the internal electric field from TBT, which promotes the desorption of adsorbed hydrogen on the Pd surface. Additionally, the electron-rich Pd is favorable to the cleavage of the C-H bond in HCOO*. This work will improve the understanding of the characterization of barium titanate and provide a new design strategy for the FAD catalyst.

Superlubricity Achieved by a Transparent Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) Composite Hydrogel with Glycerol Ethoxylate in Ocular Conditions.

Efficient and stable ocular lubrication is pivotal in safeguarding eye tissues from wear, especially under repetitive strain due to frequent blinking. Hydrogels have been reported to possess adjustable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, durability, and elevated water content and extensive utilization in medical fields. In this work, a kind of visible photo-cross-linking poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) hydrogel was designed and synthesized using 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA). To optimize the structure and improve the lubrication performance of hydrogels, we prepared and investigated glycerol ethoxylate (GE)-introduced composite hydrogels (GE/PVP). The results show that the addition of 3 wt % GE helped the hydrogel to form a uniform and dense porous matrix and reduce the frictional coefficient (COF) by over 50%, achieving superlubricity (COF ≈ 0.005). However, with the excessive increase of GE (6 wt %), the structure of the hydrogel is destroyed, inducing pore walls to thin and expand. After that, a lubrication mechanism of the GE/PVP composite hydrogel was proposed, in which the addition of GE reduced the surface tension of the hydrogel, enhanced the hydration ability of the hydrogel, and thus decreased the friction between sliding surfaces. Besides, the cytotoxicity tests show that the composite hydrogels possess good biocompatibility. Overall, the as-synthesized hydrogels hold great potential as lubricating medium for use in ocular applications.

Initial clinical and molecular investigation of 20q13.33 microdeletion with 17q25.3/14q32.31q32.33 microduplication in Chinese pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Limited research has been conducted regarding the elucidation of genotype-phenotype correlations within the 20q13.33 region. The genotype-phenotype association of 20q13.33 microdeletion remains inadequately understood. In the present study, two novel cases of 20q13.33 microdeletion were introduced, with the objective of enhancing understanding of the genotype-phenotype relationship. METHODS: Two unrelated patients with various abnormal clinical phenotypes from Fujian province Southeast China were enrolled in the present study. Karyotype analysis and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) were performed to investigate chromosomal abnormalities and copy number variants. RESULTS: The results of high-resolution G-banding karyotype analysis elicited a 46,XY,der(20)add(20)(q13.3) in Patient 1. This patient exhibited various clinical manifestations, such as global developmental delay, intellectual disability, seizures, and other congenital diseases. Subsequently, a 1.0-Mb deletion was identified in the 20q13.33 region alongside a 5.2-Mb duplication in the 14q32.31q32.33 region. In Patient 2, CMA results revealed a 1.8-Mb deletion in the 20q13.33 region with a 4.8-Mb duplication of 17q25.3. The patient exhibited additional abnormal clinical features, including micropenis, congenital heart disease, and a distinctive crying pattern characterized by a crooked mouth. CONCLUSION: In the present study, for the first time, an investigation was conducted into two novel cases of 20q13.33 microdeletion with microduplications in the 17q25.3 and 14q32.31q32.33 regions in the Chinese population. The presence of micropenis may be attributed to the 20q13.33 microdeletion, potentially expanding the phenotypic spectrum associated with this deletion.

Abnormal upregulation of NUBP2 contributes to cancer progression in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC), a digestive tract malignancy with high mortality and morbidity, lacks effective biomarkers for clinical prognosis due to its complex molecular pathogenesis. Nucleotide binding protein 2 (NUBP2) plays a vital role in the assembly of cytosolic Fe/S protein and has been implicated in cancer progression. In this study, we found that NUBP2 was highly expressed in CRC by TCGA database analysis. Subsequently, we verified the expression of NUBP2 in CRC tumor tissues and para-carcinoma tissues using IHC staining, and further investigated its association with clinicopathological parameters. In vitro cell experiments were conducted to assess the role of NUBP2 in CRC by evaluating cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis upon NUBP2 dysregulation. Furthermore, we established a subcutaneous CRC model to evaluate the impact of NUBP2 on tumor growth in vivo. Additionally, we performed mechanistic exploration using a Human Phospho-Kinase Array-Membrane. Our results showed higher expression of NUBP2 in CRC tissues, which positively correlated with the pathological stage, indicating its involvement in tumor malignancy. Functional studies demonstrated that NUBP2 knockdown reduced cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and impaired migration ability. Moreover, NUBP2 knockdown inhibited tumor growth in mice. We also observed significant changes in the phosphorylation level of GSK3ß upon NUBP2 knockdown or overexpression. Additionally, treatment with CHIR-99021 HCl, an inhibitor of GSK3ß, reversed the malignant phenotype induced by NUBP2 overexpression. Overall, this study elucidated the functional role of NUBP2 in CRC progression both in vitro and in vivo, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying CRC and potential implications for targeted therapeutic strategies.

Improved Formation of Biomethane by Enriched Microorganisms from Different Rank Coal Seams.

The influence of enrichment of culturable microorganisms in in situ coal seams on biomethane production potential of other coal seams has been rarely studied. In this study, we enriched culturable microorganisms from three in situ coal seams with three coal ranks and conducted indoor anaerobic biomethane production experiments. Microbial community composition, gene functions, and metabolites in different culture units by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-time-of-flight (LC-MS-TOF). The results showed that biomethane production in the bituminous coal group (BC)cc resulted in the highest methane yield of 243.3 µmol/g, which was 12.3 times higher than that in the control group (CK). Meanwhile, Methanosarcina was the dominant archaeal genus in the three experimental groups (37.42 ± 11.16-52.62 ± 2.10%), while its share in the CK was only 2.91 ± 0.48%. Based on the functional annotation, the relative abundance of functional genes in the three experimental groups was mainly related to the metabolism of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds such as purines and pyrimidines. Metabolite analysis showed that enriched microorganisms promoted the degradation of a total of 778 organic substances in bituminous coal, including 55 significantly different metabolites (e.g., purines and pyrimidines). Based on genomic and metabolomic analyses, this paper reconstructed the heterocyclic compounds degradation coupled methane metabolism pathway and thereby preliminarily elucidated that enriched culturable bacteria from different coal-rank seams could promote the degradation of bituminous coal and intensify biogenic methane yields.

Prognostic Value of Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-3alpha (MIP3-Alpha) and Severity Scores in Elderly Patients with Sepsis.

Objective: This study examines the effectiveness of MIP-3alpha and severity scores in determining the prognosis of elderly sepsis patients. Methods: From October 2020 to April 2021, a total of 171 elderly sepsis patients were admitted to the Emergency Department of the Shijingshan Branch of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University. According to the 28-day mortality rate, they were divided into two groups: survivors (48 cases) and deaths (123 cases). At admission, severity scores which are the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) were calculated. The logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors associated with 28-day mortality in elderly sepsis patients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the value of MIP-3alpha, SOFA, and APACHE II in the evaluation of 28-day mortality in elderly sepsis patients. Results: MIP-3alpha, SOFA and APACHE II of the death group were significantly higher than those of the survival group (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that MIP-3alpha, SOFA, APACHE II, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were independent risk factors for 28-day mortality of senile sepsis (P < 0.05). Analysis of the ROC curve revealed that MIP-3alpha, SOFA, APACHE II had predictive value for the 28-day prognosis of senile sepsis (all P < 0.01). Combing with MIP-3alpha and SOFA showed better predictive ability (Z1 = 3.733, Z2 = 2.996, both P < 0.01), compared to detecting MIP-3alpha and SOFA alone. Conclusion: In senile sepsis, MIP-3alpha, SOFA, APACHE II and SBP are independent risk factors for 28-day mortality. The combination of MIP-3alpha and SOFA can further enhance the predictive value of 28-day mortality in patients with senile sepsis and provide some reference value for the evaluation and treatment of senile sepsis.

Predictive value of soluble CD40L combined with APACHE II score in elderly patients with sepsis in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic performance of soluble CD40L (sCD40L) for illness severity in infectious diseases is rarely reported. We investigated the ability of sCD40L combined with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score to evaluate mortality in septic patients in the emergency department(ED). METHODS: We enrolled 222 septic patients in the ED of Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital from October 2020 to April 2021. Their serum sCD40L, PCT, lactate (Lac), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score were used to predict the prognosis of septic patients in terms of 28-day mortality. Serum sCD40L was detected by Human XL Cytokine Luminex. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the prognostic value of the variables. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-five patients met the inclusion criteria, divided into survival group (55 cases) and non-survival group (140 cases). sCD40L, PCT, Lac, SOFA and APACHE II score were found to independently predict 28-day mortality (P < 0.05). The AUC values of sCD40L, PCT, Lac, SOFA and APACHE II score were 0.662,0.727,0.704, 0.719 and 0.716, respectively. There was no difference in the diagnostic value of sCD40L compared with the PCT, Lac, SOFA score or APACHE II score (Z1 = 1.19, P = 0.234; Z2 = 0.77, P = 0.441; Z3 = 1.05, P = 0.294; Z4 = 0.97, P = 0.332). However, the combined evaluation of sCD40L + APACHE II (AUC:0.772, Z = 2.10, P = 0.036) was much better than sCD40L alone in predicting 28-day mortality. CONCLUSION: The predictive value of sCD40L + APACHE II is better than sCD40L alone for 28-day mortality. sCD40L combined with APACHE II score is valuable for predicting 28-day mortality in elderly patients with sepsis.

Association Between Plasma Levels of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) and 28-Day Mortality in Elderly Patients with Sepsis: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have identified an association between plasma levels of the inflammatory cytokine, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and outcomes for patients with sepsis. This retrospective single-center study assessed the association between plasma levels of MCP-1 and 28-day mortality in 136 patients ≥65 years diagnosed with sepsis between October 2020 and October 2021. MATERIAL AND METHODS The objective was to compare and analyze the parameters in the survival group (n=35) and the 28-day mortality group (n=101), including Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), plasma MCP-1, and laboratory test results. Plasma MCP-1 was quantified by cytokine test kit (LKTM014B, R&D). Statistical analysis was carried out in SPSS 26.0 and MedCalc 92.1.0 software. RESULTS The 28-day mortality group exhibited higher levels of SOFA, APACHEII, and plasma MCP-1 (all P<0.001), as well as lower levels of albumin, compared to the survival group (P<0.05). The logistic regression analysis findings indicated that SOFA, APACHEII, plasma MCP-1, and SBP are all independent risk factors for 28-day mortality. The area under the curve for SOFA, APACHEII, MCP-1, MCP-1+ SOFA, and MCP-1+APACHEII were 0.845, 0.744, 0.712, 0.879, and 0.822, respectively. MCP-1+SOFA exhibited higher sensitivity than SOFA alone. Furthermore, the assessment values of plasma MCP-1 combined with SOFA were superior to those of APACHE II or plasma MCP-1 (Z1=2.661, Z2=3.272, both P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS The findings from this study from a single center support those of previous studies that increased plasma levels of MCP-1 are significantly associated with 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis.

Lanthanide Doping into All-Inorganic Heterometallic Halide Layered Double Perovskite Nanocrystals for Multimodal Visible and Near-Infrared Emission.

The introduction of lanthanide ions (Ln3+) into all-inorganic lead-free halide perovskites has captured significant attention in optoelectronic applications. However, doping Ln3+ ions into heterometallic halide layered double perovskite (LDP) nanocrystals (NCs) and their associated doping mechanisms remain unexplored. Herein, we report the first colloidal synthesis of Ln3+ (Yb3+, Er3+)-doped LDP NCs utilizing a modified hot-injection method. The resulting NCs exhibit efficient near-infrared (NIR) photoluminescence in both NIR-I and NIR-II regions, achieved through energy transfer down-conversion mechanisms. Density functional theory calculations reveal that Ln3+ dopants preferentially occupy the Sb3+ cation positions, resulting in a disruption of local site symmetry of the LDP lattices. By leveraging sensitizations of intermediate energy levels, we delved into a series of Ln3+-doped Cs4M(II)Sb2Cl12 (M(II): Cd2+ or Mn2+) LDP NCs via co-doping strategies. Remarkably, we observe a brightening effect of the predark states of Er3+ dopant in the Er3+-doped Cs4M(II)Sb2Cl12 LDP NCs owing to the Mn component acting as an intermediate energy bridge. This study not only advances our understanding of energy transfer mechanisms in doped NCs but also propels all-inorganic LDP NCs for a wider range of optoelectronic applications.

Extracellular vesicles derived from liver sinusoidal endothelial cells inhibit the activation of hepatic stellate cells and Kupffer cells in vitro.

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) play a crucial role in maintaining liver microcirculation and exchange of nutrients in the liver and are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and Kupffer cells (KCs) has been considered to be responsible for the onset of liver fibrosis and the aggravation of liver injury. However, the paracrine regulatory effects of LSECs in the development of MASLD, in particular the role of LSEC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of LSEC-derived EVs on HSCs and KCs. Primary rat LSECs, HSCs and KCs were isolated from male Wistar rats. LSEC-derived EVs were isolated from conditioned medium by ultracentrifugation and analyzed by nanoparticle tracking analysis, and expression of specific markers. LSEC-derived EVs reduced the expression of activation markers in activated HSCs but did not affect quiescent HSCs. Also, LSEC-derived EVs suppressed proliferation of activated HSCs activation, as assessed by Xcelligence and BrdU assay. LSEC-derived EVs also increased the expression of inflammatory genes in HSCs that normally are lowly expression during their activation. In contrast, EVs decreased the expression of inflammatory genes in activated KCs. In summary, our results suggest that LSEC-derived EVs may attenuate the fibrogenic phenotype of activated HSCs and the inflammatory phenotype of KCs. Our results show promise for LSEC-derived EVs as therapeutic moieties to treat MASLD. In addition, these EVs might prove of diagnostic value.

Research progress on occurrence characteristics and source analysis of microfibers in the marine environment.

Synthetic microfiber pollution is a growing concern in the marine environment. However, critical issues associated with microfiber origins in marine environments have not been resolved. Herein, the potential sources of marine microfibers are systematically reviewed. The obtained results indicate that surface runoffs are primary contributors that transport land-based microfibers to oceans, and the breakdown of larger fiber plastic waste due to weathering processes is also a notable secondary source of marine microfibers. Additionally, there are three main approaches for marine microplastic source apportionment, namely, anthropogenic source classification, statistical analysis, and numerical simulations based on the Lagrangian particle tracking method. These methods establish the connections between characteristics, transport pathways and sources of microplastics, which provides new insights to further conduct microfiber source apportionment. This study helps to better understand sources analysis and transport pathways of microfibers into oceans and presents a scientific basis to further control microfiber pollution in marine environments.

EZH2-regulated PARP-1 Expression is a Likely Mechanism for the Chemoresistance of Gliomas to Temozolomide.

BACKGROUND: Chemoresistance in gliomas accounts for the major cause of tumor progress and recurrence during comprehensive treatment with alkylating agents including temozolomide (TMZ). The oncogenic role of Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been identified in many solid malignancies including gliomas, though the accurate effect of EZH2 on chemotherapy resistance of gliomas has been elusive. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the role of EHZ2 on TMZ resistance of gliomas and the molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q) PCR, and western blot assay were performed for expressional analysis. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was applied to determine the TMZ sensitivity. EZH2-silencing lentivirus was generated for mechanic study. RESULTS: EZH2 was overexpressed in gliomas both at the transcriptional and protein levels. EZH2 level in glioma cell lines was positively correlated with resistance to TMZ, represented by the 50% inhibition rate (IC50). Moreover, there was increased TMZ sensitivity in EZH2-inhibited glioma cells than in the control cells. Furthermore, we determined that PARP1 was a common molecule among the downregulated DNA repair proteins in both U251 and U87 glioma cell lines after EZH2 inhibition. Specifically, we observed a spontaneous increase of PARP1 expression with TMZ treatment and interestingly, the increase of PARP1 could be also reduced by EZH2 inhibition in the glioma cells. Finally, combined treatment with lentivirus-induced EZH2 inhibition and a PARP1 inhibitor dramatically enhanced TMZ cytotoxicity compared with either one alone. CONCLUSION: EZH2-PARP-1 signaling axis is possibly responsible for the chemoresistance of gliomas to TMZ. Simultaneously inhibiting these two genes may improve the outcome of TMZ chemotherapy.

Comparative efficacy of physical activity types on executive functions in children and adolescents: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the impact of various physical activity (PA) types on executive functions (EFs) in children and adolescents. DESIGN: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. METHODS: We searched databases such as PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science up to April 2023, including randomized controlled trials involving 6 distinct PA types for healthy children and adolescents. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias, and a random-effects model in STATA 17.0 was used to calculate standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Ball Games emerged as the most effective modality for improving updating accuracy, securing a SUCRA score of 94.4 %, and for reducing inhibition reaction time, with a SUCRA score of 94.8 %. Cognitively Engaging Physical Activity led in improving inhibition accuracy with a SUCRA score of 71.7 %. Dance excelled in improving update accuracy and reducing shifting reaction time, with SUCRA scores of 86.6 % and 99.5 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PA has a significant benefit in EFs in children and adolescents, however the size of the effect varies by type of PA. Ball Games emerged as the most efficacious modality for enhancing updating accuracy and for expediting inhibition reaction time. Cognitively Engaging Physical Activity proved to be the preeminent strategy for improving inhibition accuracy. Dance was distinguished as the optimal approach for improving updating accuracy and reducing shifting reaction time.