Balancing interlayer spacing, pore structures and conductivity endows hard carbon with high capacity for rechargeable aluminum batteries.

As a key configuration, hard carbon (HC) is widely regarded as a promising cathode for rechargeable aluminum batteries (RABs), because of its enlarged interlayer spacing and well-developed pore structures. However, the trade-off between the pore structure, interlayer spacing and conductivity easily leads to an unsatisfactory electrochemical performance in terms of capacity and cycling stability. Hence, N-doped hard carbon (P-M) is synthesized at a relatively low temperature (700 °C) and anion intercalation associated with the energy storage process is investigated. The results demonstrate that the introduction of a N-doping agent not only expands the layer spacing and creates rich pore structures, but also boosts the conductivity. Compared with HC without N-doping, the expanded interlayer spacing in P-M can increase ion storage ability, and the rich pore channels contribute to electron transfer. Besides, compared with HC annealed at a higher temperature (900 °C), the enhanced conductivity in P-M is conducive to accelerating ion diffusion. Benefiting from these structure merits, the optimized P-M cathode delivers a high capacity (323 mA h g-1 at 500 mA g-1) and a prolonged cycle lifespan over 1000 cycles at 1 A g-1 retaining 109 mA h g-1. This work can provide a guidance for developing other high-performance hard carbon cathodes.

Thrombectomy in young adults with embolic stroke of undetermined source: Analysis of the Young ESUS study.

OBJECTIVES: Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source (ESUS) is a distinct stroke entity that disproportionately affects young adults. We sought to describe characteristics, workup and outcomes of young adult ESUS patients who underwent thrombectomy, and compare outcomes to those reported in different age groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Young-ESUS is a multicenter longitudinal cohort study that enrolled consecutive patients aged 21-50 years at 41 stroke centers in 13 countries between 2017- 2019. Between-group comparisons were performed using Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables or Fisher's exact test for binary variables. Distribution of functional outcomes after thrombectomy for our young adult cohort versus pediatric and older adult cohorts reported in the literature were described using the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Of 535 patients enrolled in Young-ESUS, 65 (12.1%) were treated with endovascular thrombectomy. Patients who underwent thrombectomy were more likely to undergo in-depth cardiac testing than those who did not, but cardiac abnormalities were not detected more often in this group. Among thrombectomy patients, 35/63 (55.6%) had minimal to no functional disability at follow up. When adjusted for age, stroke severity and IV alteplase, the odds of achieving favorable outcome did not differ between treated versus untreated patients. CONCLUSIONS: Thrombectomy is not rare in young adults with ESUS. Despite extensive workup, cardiac abnormalities were not more prevalent in the thrombectomy group. More research to determine optimal workup, etiologic factors and favorable outcome of stroke across the lifespan is needed.

Analysis of sinusoidal post-buckling deformation of horizontal coiled tubing with initial residual bending.

In the process of horizontal well construction, the working environment in the well is very complicated. It is difficult to determine the actual deformation and force of the coiled tubing in the wellbore from the load change at the wellhead along. In addition, the coiled tubing wrapped around the reel and entering the wellbore through the injection head may cause an initial residual bending. In this paper, the mathematical model of the coiled tubing under axial load during buckling deformation is established, and the analytical solution with the time term is derived by reasonable simplification of the model. The effect of residual bending on the post-sinusoidal buckling of the coiled tubing in the horizontal well was investigated using the separation variable method. The effect of residual bending variations on the well wall contact forces is analyzed. The research shows that the initial parameter Г is the main factor influencing the post-sinusoidal buckling of the coiled tubing with residual bending. The larger the parameter value Г, the greater the effect of the residual bending on the post-sinusoidal buckling deformation of the coiled tubing, and the earlier the critical point of the mixed sinusoidal-helical buckling of the coiled tubing appears. The compression velocity of the coiled tubing has a significant effect on the well wall contact force. The faster the compression, the greater the contact force. By introducing the time term and the separation variable, this paper provides a new method and theoretical basis for further study of the process of entering sinusoidal-helical buckling of the coiled tubing with initial residual bending.

Identification of potent pan-ephrin receptor kinase inhibitors using DNA-encoded chemistry technology.

EPH receptors (EPHs), the largest family of tyrosine kinases, phosphorylate downstream substrates upon binding of ephrin cell surface-associated ligands. In a large cohort of endometriotic lesions from individuals with endometriosis, we found that EPHA2 and EPHA4 expressions are increased in endometriotic lesions relative to normal eutopic endometrium. Because signaling through EPHs is associated with increased cell migration and invasion, we hypothesized that chemical inhibition of EPHA2/4 could have therapeutic value. We screened DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DECL) to rapidly identify EPHA2/4 kinase inhibitors. Hit compound, CDD-2693, exhibited picomolar/nanomolar kinase activity against EPHA2 (Ki: 4.0 nM) and EPHA4 (Ki: 0.81 nM). Kinome profiling revealed that CDD-2693 bound to most EPH family and SRC family kinases. Using NanoBRET target engagement assays, CDD-2693 had nanomolar activity versus EPHA2 (IC50: 461 nM) and EPHA4 (IC50: 40 nM) but was a micromolar inhibitor of SRC, YES, and FGR. Chemical optimization produced CDD-3167, having picomolar biochemical activity toward EPHA2 (Ki: 0.13 nM) and EPHA4 (Ki: 0.38 nM) with excellent cell-based potency EPHA2 (IC50: 8.0 nM) and EPHA4 (IC50: 2.3 nM). Moreover, CDD-3167 maintained superior off-target cellular selectivity. In 12Z endometriotic epithelial cells, CDD-2693 and CDD-3167 significantly decreased EFNA5 (ligand) induced phosphorylation of EPHA2/4, decreased 12Z cell viability, and decreased IL-1ß-mediated expression of prostaglandin synthase 2 (PTGS2). CDD-2693 and CDD-3167 decreased expansion of primary endometrial epithelial organoids from patients with endometriosis and decreased Ewing's sarcoma viability. Thus, using DECL, we identified potent pan-EPH inhibitors that show specificity and activity in cellular models of endometriosis and cancer.

Effectiveness of a Teach-Back Education Program on Perioperative Pain in Patients With Lung Cancer: An Intervention Study Using Behavior Change Wheel.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of a teach-back educational intervention using Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) framework on perioperative pain among patients with lung cancer. METHODS: A prospective quasi-experimental study was conducted in 88 patients with lung cancer from a tertiary hospital in China. According to the order of admission, they were allocated to either control group or intervention group, with 44 patients in each group. Patients in the control group received routine nursing care, while patients in the intervention group were given a teach-back education program based on BCW framework. The visual analog scale (VAS) was adopted to evaluate patients' pain on the day of surgery (T0), 1 (T1), 2 (T2), and 3 (T3) days after surgery. We also recorded the use of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), the length of hospital stay, and the degree of patients' satisfaction. RESULTS: Rest pain, pain when coughing, and pain during activity that patients in the intervention group experienced were significantly less severe than those in the control group on T0 and T1. The pain when coughing in the intervention group was also significantly milder on T2 and T3. In addition, the number of self-control time, use duration, and total dose of PCA were significantly lower in the intervention group. Moreover, patients' satisfaction of nursing service was significantly higher in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: A teach-back education program based on BCW framework was effective in pain management among the perioperative patients with lung cancer. This study demonstrates the application of teach-back method and the BCW in the development of patient education intervention to mitigate perioperative pain.

A noise robust sparse time-frequency representation method for measuring underwater gas leakage rate.

Passive acoustic monitors analyze sound signals emitted by seafloor gas bubbles to measure leakage rates. In scenarios with low-flux gas leaks, individual bubble sounds are typically non-overlapping. Measurement methods for these bubble streams aim to estimate the frequency peak of each bubble sound, which correlates with the bubble's size. However, the presence of ocean ambient noise poses challenges to accurately estimating these frequency peaks, thereby affecting the measurement of gas leakage rates in shallow sea environments using passive acoustic monitors. To address this issue, we propose a robust measurement method that includes a noise-robust sparse time-frequency representation algorithm and an adaptive thresholding approach for detecting bubble frequencies. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method using experimental data augmented with ocean ambient noise and ship-transit noise recorded from a bay area.

Comparison between oral dydrogesterone versus micronized vaginal progesterone gel in clinical outcome within the first HRT-FET cycle: a retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical efficacy of oral dydrogesterone and micronized vaginal progesterone (MVP) gel during the first HRT-FET cycle. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study based on a total of 344 women undergoing their first HRT-FET cycles without Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone agonist (GnRH-a) pretreatment was conducted. All the cycles were allocated to two groups in the reproductive medical center at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital. One group (n = 193) received oral dydrogesterone 30 mg/d before embryo transfer, while the other group (n = 151) received MVP gel 180 mg/d. RESULTS: The demographics and baseline characteristics of two groups were comparable. We found no statistically significant difference in live birth rate (24.35% vs. 31.13%, P = 0.16), clinical pregnancy rate (34.72% vs. 36.42%, P = 0.74), embryo implantation rate (25.09% vs. 28.36%, P = 0.43), positive pregnancy rate (42.49% vs 38.41%, P = 0.45), miscarriage rate (9.33% vs 3.97%, P = 0.05), or ectopic pregnancy rate (0.52% vs. 0.66%, P = 0.86) between the oral dydrogesterone group and MVP gel group. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis for covariates, medication used for luteal support was not associated with live birth rate (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.32-1.57, P = 0.45). And the different luteal support medication did not have a significant positive association with the live birth rate in the cycles with day 2 embryo transferred (OR = 1.39, 95% CI:0.66-2.39, P = 0.39) and blastocyst transferred (OR = 1.31 95% CI:0.64-2.69, P = 0.46). CONCLUSION: 30 mg/d oral dydrogesterone and 180 mg/d MVP gel revealed similar reproductive outcomes in HRT-FET cycles in the study.

BSI-MVS: multi-view stereo network with bidirectional semantic information.

The basic principle of multi-view stereo (MVS) is to perform 3D reconstruction by extracting depth information from multiple views. Most current SOTA MVS networks are based on Vision Transformer, which usually means expensive computational complexity. To reduce computational complexity and improve depth map accuracy, we propose a MVS network with Bidirectional Semantic Information (BSI-MVS). Firstly, we design a Multi-Level Spatial Pyramid module to generate multiple layers of feature map for extracting multi-scale information. Then we propose a 2D Bidirectional-LSTM module to capture bidirectional semantic information at different time steps in the horizontal and vertical directions, which contains abundant depth information. Finally, cost volumes are built based on various levels of feature maps to optimize the final depth map. We experiment on the DTU and BlendedMVS datasets. The result shows that our network, in terms of overall metrics, surpasses TransMVSNet, CasMVSNet, CVP-MVSNet, and AACVP-MVSNet respectively by 17.84%, 36.42%, 14.96%, and 4.86%, which also shows a noticeable performance enhancement in objective metrics and visualizations.

TGF-ß1/SMAD3-driven GLI2 isoform expression contributes to aggressive phenotypes of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hedgehog signaling is activated in response to liver injury, and modulates organogenesis. However, the role of non-canonical hedgehog activation via TGF-ß1/SMAD3 in hepatic carcinogenesis is poorly understood. TGF-ß1/SMAD3-mediated non-canonical activation was found in approximately half of GLI2-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and two new GLI2 isoforms with transactivating activity were identified. Phospho-SMAD3 interacted with active GLI2 isoforms to transactivate downstream genes in modulation of stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, chemo-resistance and metastasis in poorly-differentiated hepatoma cells. Non-canonical activation of hedgehog signaling was confirmed in a transgenic HBV-associated HCC mouse model. Inhibition of TGF-ß/SMAD3 signaling reduced lung metastasis in a mouse in situ hepatic xenograft model. In another cohort of 55 HCC patients, subjects with high GLI2 expression had a shorter disease-free survival than those with low expression. Moreover, co-positivity of GLI2 with SMAD3 was observed in 87.5% of relapsed HCC patients with high GLI2 expression, indicating an increased risk of post-resection recurrence of HCC. The findings underscore that suppressing the non-canonical hedgehog signaling pathway may confer a potential strategy in the treatment of HCC.

Metagenomic analysis of individual mosquito viromes reveals the geographical patterns and drivers of viral diversity.

Mosquito transmitted viruses are responsible for an increasing burden of human disease. Despite this, little is known about the diversity and ecology of viruses within individual mosquito hosts. Here, using a meta-transcriptomic approach, we determined the viromes of 2,438 individual mosquitoes (81 species), spanning ~4,000 km along latitudes and longitudes in China. From these data we identified 393 viral species associated with mosquitoes, including 7 (putative) species of arthropod-borne viruses (that is, arboviruses). We identified potential mosquito species and geographic hotspots of viral diversity and arbovirus occurrence, and demonstrated that the composition of individual mosquito viromes was strongly associated with host phylogeny. Our data revealed a large number of viruses shared among mosquito species or genera, enhancing our understanding of the host specificity of insect-associated viruses. We also detected multiple virus species that were widespread throughout the country, perhaps reflecting long-distance mosquito dispersal. Together, these results greatly expand the known mosquito virome, linked viral diversity at the scale of individual insects to that at a country-wide scale, and offered unique insights into the biogeography and diversity of viruses in insect vectors.

Therapeutic stapled peptides: Efficacy and molecular targets.

Peptide stapling, by employing a stable, preformed alpha-helical conformation, results in the production of peptides with improved membrane permeability and enhanced proteolytic stability, compared to the original peptides, and provides an effective solution to accelerate the rapid development of peptide drugs. Various reviews present peptide stapling chemistries, anchoring residues and one- or two-component cyclization, however, therapeutic stapled peptides have not been systematically summarized, especially focusing on various disease-related targets. This review highlights the latest advances in therapeutic peptide drug development facilitated by the application of stapling technology, including different stapling techniques, synthetic accessibility, applicability to biological targets, potential for solving biological problems, as well as the current status of development. Stapled peptides as therapeutic drug candidates have been classified and analysed mainly by receptor- and ligand-based stapled peptide design against various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation, and diabetes. This review is expected to provide a comprehensive reference for the rational design of stapled peptides for different diseases and targets to facilitate the development of therapeutic peptides with enhanced pharmacokinetic and biological properties.

Predicting Severity in Hypertriglyceridemia-Induced Acute Pancreatitis: The Role of Neutrophils, Calcium, and Apolipoproteins.

BACKGROUND Hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP), representing 10% of all acute pancreatitis cases, is characterized by younger onset age and more severe progression, often leading to higher ICU admission rates. This condition poses a significant challenge due to its rapid progression and the potential for severe complications, including multiple organ failure. HTG-AP is distinct from other forms of pancreatitis, such as those caused by cholelithiasis or alcohol, in terms of clinical presentation and outcomes. It's essential to identify early markers that can predict the severity of HTG-AP to improve patient management and outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study divided 127 HTG-AP patients into mild acute pancreatitis (MAP, n=71) and moderate-to-severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP/SAP, n=56) groups. Blood biological indicators within the first 24 hours of admission were analyzed. Risk factors for HTG-AP progression were determined using binary logistic regression and ROC curves. RESULTS Elevated levels of HCT, NLR, TBI, DBI, AST, Cre, and AMS were noted in the MSAP/SAP group, with lower levels of LYM, Na⁺, Ca²âº, ApoA, and ApoB compared to the MAP group (p<0.05). NEUT%, Ca²âº, ApoA, and ApoB were significantly linked with HTG-AP severity. Their combined ROC analysis yielded an area of 0.81, with a sensitivity of 61.8% and specificity of 90%. CONCLUSIONS NEUT%, Ca²âº, ApoA, and ApoB are significant risk factors for progressing to MSAP/SAP in HTG-AP. Their combined assessment provides a reliable predictive measure for early intervention in patients at risk of severe progression.

5-Aza-2'-Deoxycytidine Ameliorates Choroidal Neovascularization by Inhibiting the Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Purpose: Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) can constitute the final pathology of many ocular diseases and result in severe vision loss. Studies have demonstrated that DNA methylation is critical in retinal development, aging, and disorders. The current work investigated the effects and underlying mechanism of 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC), a suppressor of DNA methylation, in the pathological progression of CNV. Methods: The DNA methylation profiles of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE)/choroidal complexes in normal and laser-induced CNV mice were assessed by Arraystar Mouse RefSeq Promoter Arrays. The CNV area and blood flow density and intensity were observed by optical coherence tomography angiography, and fluorescence leakage was examined by fundus fluorescein angiography in CNV mice with systemic administration of 5-aza-dC. The effects of 5-aza-dC on the biological functions of bEnd.3 cells were estimated by related assays. Notum gene promoter methylation was measured using bisulfite sequencing PCR. Methyltransferases and Wnt signaling-related genes were detected in animal and cell culture experiments by real-time PCR and immunoblot. Results: Methyltransferases were upregulated, but Notum (a secretion inhibitor of Wnt signaling) was downregulated in the RPE/choroidal complexes of mice with experimental CNV. Intraperitoneal injection of 5-aza-dC inactivated the Wnt pathway and ameliorated the lesion area and the intensity and density of blood flow, as well as the degree of leakage in CNV. In vitro, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) stimulation promoted methyltransferases expression and suppressed Notum expression, consequently activating Wnt signaling, whereas exogenous 5-aza-dC reversed VEGFA-induced hyperpermeability, proliferation, migration, and tube formation in bEnd.3 cells via demethylation of Notum promoter. Conclusions: We observed that 5-aza-dC attenuates the growth of CNV by inhibiting the Wnt signaling pathway via promoter demethylation of the Wnt antagonist Notum. These findings provide a theoretical basis for methylation-based treatment with the Notum gene as a potential target for CNV treatment.

Association between Perceived Stress and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome in an Elderly Population: Rugao Longevity and Aging Study.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have indicated a correlation between perceived stress and cognitive decline. However, it remains unknown whether high levels of perceived stress can result in motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome. This study investigated the relationship between perceived stress and MCR in a community-based population. METHODS: The study cohort comprised 852 elderly individuals from the Rugao Longitudinal Aging Cohort. Perceived stress was assessed using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), while MCR was defined as the coexistence of subjective memory complaints (SMCs) and slow gait speed. RESULTS: The average age of the study participants is 79.84 ± 4.34 years. The mean score of PSS-10 among participants is 10.32 (range = 0-33; [SD] = 5.71), with a median score of 10.00 (6.00, 14.00). The prevalence of MCR is 9.3%. In the logistic regression analysis, for each 1-SD (5.71) increase in the global PSS-10 score, the risk of MCR increased by 40% (95% CI 1.09-1.80). Additionally, in the aspect of two components of MCR, with a 1-SD increase (5.71) in the global PSS-10 score, there was a 50% (95% CI 1.29-1.75) increase in the risk of SMCs and a 27% (95% CI 1.04-1.55) increase in the risk of slow gait speed. In terms of specific walking speed, there was a reverse correlation between the global PSS-10 score and walking speed (r = -0.14, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study provided preliminary evidence that high levels of perceived stress were associated with the risk of MCR in a community-dwelling population.

Discovery and bioinspired total syntheses of unprecedented sesquiterpenoid dimers unveiled bifurcating [4 + 2] cycloaddition and target differentiation of enantiomers.

[4 + 2] cycloaddition has led to diverse polycyclic chiral architectures, serving as novel sources for organic synthesis and biological exploration. Here, an unprecedented class of cadinane sesquiterpene [4 + 2] dimers, henryinins A-E (1-5), with a unique 6/6/6/6/6-fused pentacyclic system, were isolated from Schisandra henryi. The divergent total syntheses of compounds 1-5 and their enantiomers (6-10) were concisely accomplished in eight linear steps using a protection-free approach. Mechanistic studies illustrated the origin of selectivity in the key [4 + 2] cycloaddition as well as the inhibition of reaction pathway bifurcation via desymmetrization. The chemical proteomics results showed that a pair of enantiomers shared common targets (PRDX5 C100 and BLMH C73) and had unique targets (USP45 C588 for 4 and COG7 C419 for 9). This work provides experimental evidence for the discovery of unprecedented cadinane dimers from selective Diels-Alder reaction and a powerful strategy to explore the biological properties of natural products.

Temporal variability of air-water gas exchange of carbon dioxide in clam and fish aquaculture ponds.

The growing trend of land-based aquaculture has heightened the significance of comprehensively assessing air-water carbon dioxide (CO2) gas exchange in these inland waters, given their potential impact on carbon neutral strategies. However, temporal variations of partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and CO2 flux in clam and fish aquaculture ponds were barely investigated. We assessed the water surface pCO2 in one to five months intervals by deploying a lab-made buoy in three clam ponds and three fishponds located in tropical and subtropical climates. Measurements were conducted over a 24 h period each time, spanning from April 2021 to June 2022, covering the stocking, middle, and harvesting stages of the culture cycle. Diurnal pCO2 variations were dominantly controlled by biologically driven changes in dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity (~97 %), while temperature and salinity effects were minor (~3 %). Clam ponds acted as a sink of atmospheric CO2 during stocking stages and transitioned to a source during middle to harvesting stages. In contrast, fishponds acted as a source of atmospheric CO2 throughout culture cycles and CO2 flux strengthened when reaching harvesting stages. Overall, clam ponds acted as a weak sink for atmospheric CO2 (-2.8 ± 17.3 mmol m-2 d-1), whereas fishponds acted as a source (16.8 ± 21.7 mmol m-2 d-1). CO2 emission was stronger during daytime coinciding with higher windspeeds compared to nighttime in fishponds. We suggest incorporating high temporal resolution measurements to account for diurnal and culture-stage variations, enabling more accurate estimates of air-water CO2 flux in aquaculture ponds. Moreover, the findings of this study highlight the importance of feeding, aeration, and biological activities (photosynthesis, remineralization, and calcification) in controlling the air-water CO2 flux in aquaculture ponds and such information can be used in implementing better strategies to achieve carbon neutral goals.

Cadmium promotes the binding and centrosomal translocation of CCDC85C and PLK4 via ROS-GCLM pathway to trigger centrosome amplification in colon cancer cells.

Cadmium (Cd) is a prevalent heavy metal contaminant that can cause centrosome amplification (CA) and cancer. Since CA can initiate tumorigenesis, it is plausible that cadmium initiates tumorigenesis via CA. The present study investigated the signaling pathways underlying CA by Cd. Our findings confirmed that sub-toxic concentrations of Cd could induce CA in the HCT116 colon cancer cells, and revealed that reactive oxygen species (ROS), GCLM, CCDC85C and PLK4 were the signaling molecules that formed a pathway of ROS-GCLM-CCDC85C-PLK4. Cd not only increased the protein levels of CCDC85C and PLK4, but also promoted their distribution to the centrosomes. Molecular docking analysis revealed that CCDC85C and PLK4 had the binding potential. Indeed, antibodies against CCDC85C and PLK4 were able to pull down PLK4 and CCDC85C, respectively. Knockdown of CCDC85C decreased the Cd-promoted centrosomal distribution of PLK4. Similarly, knockdown of PLK4 reduced the centrosomal distribution of CCDC85C. Our results suggest that Cd activates ROS-GCLM pathway that triggers the expression of and binding between CCDC85C and PLK4, and promotes the translocation of CCDC85C-PLK4 complex to the centrosomes, which eventually leads to CA.

Inhibition of CSF1R and KIT With Pexidartinib Reduces Inflammatory Signaling and Cell Viability in Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a common and debilitating disease, affecting ∼170 million women worldwide. Affected patients have limited therapeutic options such as hormonal suppression or surgical excision of the lesions, though therapies are often not completely curative. Targeting receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) could provide a nonhormonal treatment option for endometriosis. We determined that 2 RTKs, macrophage-colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) and mast/stem cell growth factor receptor KIT (KIT), are overexpressed in endometriotic lesions and could be novel nonhormonal therapeutic targets for endometriosis. The kinase activity of CSF1R and KIT is suppressed by pexidartinib, a small molecule inhibitor that was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Using immunohistochemistry, we detected CSF1R and KIT in endometriotic tissues obtained from peritoneal lesions, colorectal lesions, and endometriomas. Specifically, we show that KIT is localized to the epithelium of the lesions, while CSF1R is expressed in the stroma and macrophages of the endometriotic lesions. Given the high epithelial expression of CSF1R and KIT, 12Z endometriotic epithelial cells were used to evaluate the efficacy of dual CSF1R and KIT inhibition with pexidartinib. We found that pexidartinib suppressed activation in 12Z cells of JNK, STAT3, and AKT signaling pathways, which control key proinflammatory and survival networks within the cell. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we determined that pexidartinib suppressed interleukin 8 (IL8) and cyclin D1 (CCND1) expression. Lastly, we demonstrated that pexidartinib decreased cell growth and viability. Overall, these results indicate that pexidartinib-mediated CSF1R and KIT inhibition reduces proinflammatory signaling and cell viability in endometriosis.

EBV-Associated Smooth Muscle Tumors With Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia and Hepatitis B Infection: Report of a Previously Undescribed Neoplasm With Review.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated smooth muscle tumor (EBV-SMT) is rare in adults. The presence of intratumoral T lymphocytes and primitive rounded cells characterized this neoplasm. We report a 24-year-old Chinese man who developed EBV-SMT in the right adrenal gland with hepatitis B infection and autoimmune hemolytic anemia without a history of HIV infection, primary immune deficiency, organ transplantation, or malignant tumor. This patient had an unknown immunodeficient state. EBV-SMTs are commonly located in the liver, lung, and gastrointestinal tract but rarely in the adrenal gland. We reviewed 10 reported literature on EBV-SMT in the adrenal gland. It is imperative to distinguish EBV-SMT from conventional somatic smooth muscle tumors. The discovery of EBV-SMT forces the clinician to conduct a thorough evaluation of immune function and immune status surveillance, and these patients are vulnerable to subsequent malignant tumors.

Halide-mediated endogenous ZnO domain-confined etching strategy: Realizing superior potassium storage in carbon anode.

Coupling sites of nitrogen-dopants and intrinsic carbon defects (N/DC) are highly attractive to improve potassium-storage capacity and cycling stability, yet it is hard to effectively construct them. Herein, a novel strategy is proposed to establish abundant N/DC sites in N-doped carbon (ZIF8/NaBr-1-900) by pyrolyzing the mixture of metal-organic framework (ZIF8)/sodium bromide (NaBr). Systematic investigations disclose that the introduced NaBr can promote the full conversion of Zn-N4 moieties into zinc oxide (ZnO) via a "bait and switch" mechanism. Such formed endogenous ZnO can etch the carbon matrix of the confined domains around the N dopants during pyrolysis process, and meanwhile the released N-atoms from Zn-N4 moieties can largely form edge-N. As such, these N/DC coupling sites enable the resultant carbon to have a more significant capacitive behavior related to fast K-ion migration and high structural stability, leading to 255.3 mAh/g at 2 A/g with a prolonged cycle lifespan over 2000 cycles. Moreover, the assembled K-full battery presents a high energy density of 171.2 Wh kg-1 and excellent cyclability over 5000 cycles. This NaBr-mediated endogenous ZnO domain-confined etching strategy provides a new insight into the exploration of advanced carbon anode.