High-Energy-Density All-V2O5 Battery.

Symmetrical batteries hold great promise as cost-effective and safe candidates for future battery technology. However, they realistically suffer low energy density due to the challenge in integrating high specific capacity with high voltage plateau from the limited choice of bipolar electrodes. Herein, a high-voltage all-V2O5 symmetrical battery with clear voltage plateau is conceptualized by decoupling the cathodic/anodic redox reactions based upon the episteme of V2O5 intercalation chemistry. As the proof-of-concept, a hierarchical V2O5-carboncomposite (VO-C) bipolar electrode with boosted electron/ion transport kinetics is fabricated, which shows high performance as both cathode and anode in their precisely clamped working potential windows. Accordingly, the symmetrical full-battery exhibits a high capacity of 174 mAh g-1 along with peak voltage output of above 2.9 V at 0.5C, remarkable capacity retention of 81% from 0.5C to 10C, and good cycling stability of 70% capacity retention after 300 cycles at 5C. Notably, its energy density reaches 429 Wh kg-1 at 0.5C estimated by the cathode mass, which outperforms most of the existing Li/Na/K-based symmetrical batteries. This study leaps forward the performance of symmetrical battery and provides guidance to extend the scope of future battery designs.

Graphene Enables Aluminum Current Collectors of 5 V Class Battery.

The five volt-class battery is one promising candidate of high energy density lithium-ion batteries. However, it suffers from limited electrochemical performance due to many problems, one of which is Al current collector corrosion. The corrosion greatly affects the electrochemical performance of batteries, so uncovering the Al corrosion mechanism and developing its protection strategy in the 5 V-class battery becomes important. Here, we experimentally realize a corrosion-resistant Al current collector via graphene protection. The experimental and theoretical calculation indicate that graphene can work as a physical barrier to inhibit direct contact between LiPF6-based electrolyte and an Al current collector, reducing the side reactions between Al current collector and HF originated from electrolyte. What is more, graphene increases the Al corrosion reaction potential, raising the difficulty of electrochemical corrosion. These effects improve the electrochemical performance of the 5 V-class battery, especially the rate performance and cycling stability. The work is beneficial for the development of a 5 V-class battery.

Serum leptin and adiponectin function as indicators of allergic sensitization in pediatric adenotonsillar hypertrophy.

PURPOSE: Obesity is commonly linked to both adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) and allergic disorders, in which the roles of adipokines are not fully illuminated. This study aims to investigate the levels of leptin and adiponectin and their associations with allergic sensitization in pediatric ATH. METHODS: Serum levels of specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), leptin and adiponectin were quantified in 35 controls and 111 ATH children, in which 54 were non-atopic and 57 were atopic. Spearman's correlation analysis and polynomial linear trend test were conducted. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by binary logistic regression after multivariable adjustment. RESULTS: The serum level of leptin and leptin/adiponectin (L/A) ratio was significantly increased in children with ATH. An increase in leptin level and L/A ratio and a decrease in adiponectin level were observed in atopic children compared with non-atopic children. Among ATH children, the level of adiponectin was negatively while L/A ratio was positively correlated with specific IgE. After multivariable adjustment, leptin was significantly associated with increased risk of atopy to D. pteronyssinus and D. farina, and adiponectin was significantly associated with decreased risk of atopy to willow and mugwort. Leptin was associated with higher odds while adiponectin was associated with lower odds of overall atopy. Besides, significant multiplicative interactions of obesity with leptin and adiponectin on atopy were observed respectively. CONCLUSION: Leptin and adiponectin were both associated with allergic sensitization and function differently in pediatric ATH. Mechanistic studies are needed to elucidate the involvement of adipokines in allergic sensitization of pediatric ATH.

Nurse-led proactive mobile application in symptom management for children with medical complexity: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

AIM: To investigate the effect of a nurse support using a proactive mobile app to enhance parental self-efficacy in symptom management for children with medical complexity. DESIGN: A single-blinded, randomized controlled trial with a two-armed repeated measures design. METHODS: Eligible parents and the children will be recruited from the special schools and non-government offices. They will be randomly assigned either to the intervention or control groups. Subjects in the study group will receive nurse parental support using a symptom management mobile app for 3 months. The control group will receive the usual care that is available in the community. Data will be collected pre-intervention (T1), immediately after the intervention (T2), and three-month after intervention (T3). The primary outcome is parental self-efficacy. The secondary outcomes include child's symptom burden and their health service utilization. Primary outcome will be compared across two groups in T2 and T3 using with control for the pre-test value of parental self-efficacy. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) will be used to address secondary objectives from T1 to T3 with appropriate link function. DISCUSSION: As a result of the successful implementation of this nurse-led symptom management, parental self-efficacy will be enhanced. Both the symptoms reported by the children and their health service utilization will be reduced. Findings of this study will help in service delivery improvements because it maximizes the availability and accessibility of paediatric health service to parents and the children in local communities. IMPACT: The evidence produced in this study will enlarge the knowledge base that supports evidence-based paediatric home nursing service with the use of health technology in symptom management. This evidence will also contribute to the development of other symptom management programs for other paediatric patient groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT05765643 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier). PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Parents of children with medical complexity contributed in mobile application development by giving comments on the usability of mobile application. IMPACT WILL BE GENERATED THROUGH THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS: Improve health service delivery: Home nursing service may not be sustainable in a long run in Hong Kong, as the health care system has been facing a serious nursing workforce shortage in recent years. Besides, these services are affected or even suspended during the community outbreak of infectious disease, like recent coronavirus disease pandemic. Nurse parental support in symptom management for the CMC using a proactive mobile health application will help in service delivery improvements because it maximizes the availability and accessibility of paediatric health service to parents and their CMC in local communities. Improve physical and psychological health of parents and their CMC: The success of program implementation will help to increase parental self-efficacy in symptom management for their CMC, as a result of decrease of children's symptom burden. Improve knowledge base: The evidence produced in this study will (1) enlarge the knowledge base that supports evidence-based paediatric community nursing service related to symptom management for the CMC. This evidence will contribute to the development of other symptom management programs for other paediatric patient groups.

Primary malignant melanoma of the gastroesophageal junction with KIT gene exon 11 mutation.

Mucosal melanoma (MM) represents an uncommon form of melanoma. Primary gastrointestinal tract (GIT) melanoma is even rarer. A 70-year-old male visited the Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, China, due to upper abdominal discomfort for the past two months. His endoscopy revealed a prominent, 6-cm ulcerated neoplasm in the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ). Lesion endoscopic biopsy showed diffusely distributed tumour cells. He underwent subtotal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection (LND). Postoperative histopathology revealed a diffuse distribution of tumour cells with numerous tumourinfiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and pigment granules. Immunohistochemical (IHC) results were positive for both S-100 and HMB-45. Molecular analysis showed KIT gene exon 11 mutations. Although the clinicians emphasised the necessity of systemic chemotherapy and immunotherapy with the patient and his family, the patient did not receive any adjuvant therapy and died 36 months after surgery. Primary malignant melanoma of GEJ should be considered in a differential diagnosis for gastrointestinal malignancies, especially after excluding the source of metastasis through a systemic examination.

Role of pathological tumor regression grade of lymph node metastasis following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced gastric cancer.

AIMS: To confirm whether the pathological response of lymph node metastasis (LNM) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) can predict the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: A total of 979 patients with locally advanced GC were included. χ2 test was used to analyze the relationship between LNM TRG and clinicopathological factors. Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the relationship between LNM TRG, clinicopathological factors, and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: A total of 21,162 lymph nodes were evaluated, with 237 patients (35.4%) in the response group and 433 patients (64.6%) in the non-response group. The non-responsive group was strongly associated with higher ypT, ypN, ypTNM, primary tumor (PT) TRG (all p < 0.001), positive cancer nodules (p = 0.001), and more distant LNM location (p < 0.001). Patients with the same PT TRG but different LNM TRG had different prognosis. There was no difference in OS between the responding and non-responding groups of LNM at location 2, 3, and M. YpN, tumor location, and LNM location were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of LNM TRG and PT TRG could better predict patient prognosis. Lymph node dissection should be routinely performed after NCT to provide the reference of radical resection.

Solid Electrolyte Interphase Recombination on Graphene Nanoribbons for Lithium Anode.

The practical application of lithium metal batteries is hindered by the lithium dendrite issue, which is seriously affected by the composition and structure of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Modifying the SEI can regulate lithium dendrite formation and growth. Here, we experimentally realize a Li protective layer of LiTFSI-ether electrolyte induced a natural SEI grafted on graphene nanoribbons (SEI@GNRs) via their in situ reactions. The experimental results and theoretical calculations uncover that the 3D structure of SEI@GNRs can reduce the local current density and Li+ flux. The natural SEI in SEI@GNRs, especially the rich inorganic species of LiF, Li3N, and Li2S, decreases the Li+ nucleation overpotential, makes Li+ ion deposition and nucleation uniform, and isolates electron transport. Their synergetic effect suppresses Li dendrite formation and growth, increasing the electrochemical performance of lithium metal batteries. The design strategy is beneficial for the development of lithium metal batteries.

Association of lipid-modifying therapy with risk of obstructive sleep apnea: A drug-target mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is considered to be an important contributor of dyslipidemia. However, there lacks observational studies focusing on the potential effect of lipid management on OSA risk. Thus, we aimed to investigate the genetic association of lipid-modifying therapy with risk of OSA. METHODS: A drug-target mendelian randomization (MR) study using both cis-variants and cis-expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) of lipid-modifying drug targets was performed. The MR analyses used summary-level data of genome wide association studies (GWAS). Primary MR analysis was conducted using inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) method. Sensitivity analysis was performed using weighted median (WM) and MR-pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) methods. RESULTS: Genetically proxied low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)-lowering effect of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) was associated with reduced risk of OSA (odds ratio [OR] =0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.60-0.94, false discovery rate [FDR] q value = 0.046). A significant MR association with risk of OSA was observed for CETP expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue (OR = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.89-1.00, FDR q value = 0.049), lung (OR = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.89-1.00, FDR q value = 0.049) and small intestine (OR = 0.96, 95%CI: 0.93-1.00, FDR q value = 0.049). No significant effects of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)-raising effect of CETP inhibition, LDL-C-lowering and triglycerides-lowering effect of other drug targets on OSA risk were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The present study presented genetic evidence supporting the association of LDL-C-lowering therapy by CETP inhibition with reduced risk of OSA. These findings provided novel insights into the role of lipid management in patients with OSA and encouraged further clinical validations and mechanistic investigations.

Zincophilic Metal-Organic-Framework Interface Mitigating Dendrite Growth for Highly Reversible Zinc Metal Batteries.

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries are the ideal candidate for large-scale energy storage systems owing to their high safety and low cost. However, the uncontrolled deposition and parasitic reaction of Zn metal anode hinder their commercial application. Here, the 2D metal-organic-framework (MOF) nanoflakes covered on the surface of Zn are proposed to enable dendrite-free for long lifespan Zn metal batteries. The MOF can facilitate the desolvation process to accelerate reaction kinetic due to its special channel structure. The abundant zincopilicity sites of MOF can realize the homogenous Zn2+ deposition. Consequently, their synergetic effect makes the MOF protected Zn anode good electrochemical performance with a long cycle life of 1400 h at 1 mA cm-2 and a high depth of discharge of 30 mAh cm-2 (DOD ≈ 54%) continued for over 700 h. This work provides a novel strategy for high-performance rechargeable Zn-ion batteries.

Quasi-Solid-State All-V2O5 Battery.

Solid-state symmetrical battery represents a promising paradigm for future battery technology. However, its development is hindered by the deficiency of high-performance bipolar electrodes and compatible solid electrolytes. Herein, a quasi-solid-state all-V2O5 battery constructed by a binder-free carbon fabric-V2O5 nanowires@graphene (CVOG) bipolar electrode and a softly cross-linked polyethylene oxide-based solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) is reported. The synergetic effect of nano-structuring of V2O5, hierarchical conductive network, and graphene wrapping endows the CVOG electrode with boosted reaction kinetics and suppressed vanadium dissolution. The cathodic and anodic reactions of CVOG are decoupled by electrochemical analysis, conceiving the feasibility of constructing all-V2O5 full battery. In manifesting the solid-state all-V2O5 battery, the robust and elastic SPE exhibits high ionic conductivity, tight/self-adaptable electrolyte-electrode contact, and a low charge-transfer barrier. The resultant solid-state full battery exhibits a high reversible capacity of 158 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C, good capacity retention of over 61% from 0.1 C to 2 C, and remarkable cycling stability of 77% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 1 C, which surpass other solid-state symmetrical batteries. Hence, this work provides a practice of high-performance solid-state batteries with symmetrical configuration and is constructive for next-generation battery technology.

Ab initio study of the topological itinerant transport properties observed between excited edge states in a 2D compound with the Mn15B16Ni composition.

We theoretically demonstrate how the competition between band inversion and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) results in the nontrivial topology of band evolution, using two-dimensional (2D) Mn16B16 as a matrix. This study utilizes the ab initio method with the generalized gradient approximation (GGA+U scheme) and Wannier functions to investigate the topological and transport properties of the Ni-doped structure. The Ni atom induces dynamical antilocalization, which appears due to the phase accumulation between time-reversed fermion loops. A key observation is that when band inversion dominates over SOC, "twin" Weyl cones appear in the band structure, in which the Weyl cones caused by the large Berry curvature coupling with the net magnetization lead to the significantly enhanced anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC). Interestingly, the nested small polaron and energy band inversion coexist with SOC. An analysis of the projected energy band shows that the doped Ni atom induces a strong spin wave for both spin up and spin down.

Uniting Young's modulus and the flexibility of solid-state electrolytes for high-performance Li-batteries at room temperature.

The use of solid-state composite electrolytes is a promising strategy to advance all-solid-state batteries. Great efforts have been devoted to improving the ionic conductivity of electrolytes, while little attention has been paid to studying the effect of their mechanical properties on electrochemical performance. The Young's modulus and flexibility are two important and contrary mechanical properties co-existing in electrolytes. Their effect on the electrochemical performance of all-solid-state batteries is important. Here, we study the effect of Young's modulus and flexibility based on a designed sandwich-structured solid-state composite electrolyte (SSCE) with high ionic conductivity (4.57 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 25 °C). In the SSCE, the middle layer with 9 : 1 : 0.5 mass ratio of Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium is sandwiched by two outer layers with a 0.1 : 1 : 0.5 mass ratio among them, which can effectively suppress lithium dendrites and have intimate contact with the electrodes, leading to Li|SSCE|LiFePO4 with promising rate performance (155.5 mA h g-1 at 0.05 C and 124.4 mA h g-1 at 1 C) and excellent cycling stability with 98.8% capacity retention after 450 cycles at 25 °C. This work demonstrates that all-solid-state batteries have greatly enhanced electrochemical performance by uniting Young's modulus and flexibility via SSCEs, and provides a feasible strategy for the development of all-solid-state batteries.

Evolution of local edge state braiding and spin topological transport characterization of Te-doped monolayer 1T'-MoS2.

We conducted first-principles calculations to investigate the dynamic braiding of local edge states and the spin topological transport mechanism in a strong topological MoS1.75Te0.25 matrix. The presence of type-II Van Hove singularity in the middle of the X-S path indicates a strong cohesive interaction and a paring condensation mechanism within the matrix. The surface state data of MoS1.75Te0.25 clearly demonstrate the characteristic features of strong regular loop braiding in spin transport. The spin Hall conductivity of the matrix was determined from the anisotropic characteristics of the spin Berry curvature. The phase transition of the spin Hall conductivity was evidenced by the positive sign of local spin polarization strength, primarily contributed by the dz2 orbital of Mo atoms, and the negative sign of spin polarization strength, mainly contributed by the p-px orbitals of S atoms. Moreover, the inclusion of Te selectively tuned the spin transport efficiency of the dz2 and px orbitals. Comprehensive braiding and readout of edge states can be achieved using an artificially designed MoS1.75Te0.25 spintronic device. This 2D fractional braiding holds significant potential for applications in topological quantum computation.

Self-Assembly of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes on a Silicone Rubber Foam Skeleton for Durable Piezoresistive Sensors.

Conductive nanomaterial/flexible polymer composite foams are of great interest in the field of flexible and wearable piezoresistive pressure sensors. However, the existing composite foam sensors are faced with stability issues from conductive nanomaterials, which tends to decrease their long-term durability. Herein, we developed a solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly strategy, which could significantly improve the stability of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on a silicone rubber foam skeleton. The process for self-assembly of MWCNTs was straightforward. Aqueous MWCNT dispersion droplets were first hierarchically enclosed in silicone rubber via water-in-oil (W/O) Pickering high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). Then, the high pressure generated by fast evaporation of the solvent from the droplets could break the thinnest pore walls to form interconnected pores. As a result, very dense and firm MWCNT layers were self-assembled on the pore wall surface. Due to the excellent stability of MWCNTs and tetramodal interconnected porosity, our MWCNTs/silicone rubber composite foam showed the following "super" properties: low density of 0.26 g/mL, high porosity of 76%, and excellent mechanical strength (the maximum stress loss of 8.3% at 80% strain after 100 compression cycles). In addition, excellent piezoresistive performance, including superior discernibility for different amplitudes of compressive strain (up to 80%), rapid response time (150 ms), and high sensitivity (gauge factor of 1.44), was demonstrated for such foams, together with prominent durability (39,000 compression cycles at 60% strain in air) and excellent stability of resistance response in water and organic solvents (5000 compression cycles at 30% strain in water and ethanol). Regarding its application, a wearable piezoresistive sensor, which was assembled from the as-prepared conductive silicone rubber composite foam, could capture various movements from tiptoeing and finger bending to small deformations resulting from human pulse.

Potential mechanisms of cancer-associated fibroblasts in therapeutic resistance.

Despite continuous improvements in research and new cancer therapeutics, the goal of eradicating cancer remains elusive because of drug resistance. For a long time, drug resistance research has been focused on tumor cells themselves; however, recent studies have found that the tumor microenvironment also plays an important role in inducing drug resistance. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a main component of the tumor microenvironment. They cross-talk with cancer cells to support their survival in the presence of anticancer drugs. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the role of CAFs in tumor drug resistance. An in-depth understanding of the mechanisms underlying the cross-talk between CAFs and cancer cells and insight into the importance of CAFs in drug resistance can guide the development of new anticancer strategies.

FAP, CD10, and GPR77-labeled CAFs cause neoadjuvant chemotherapy resistance by inducing EMT and CSC in gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: A significant proportion of patients can not benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) due to drug resistance. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) influence many biological behaviours of tumors, including chemo-resistance. This study aims to explore whether CAFs expressing FAP, CD10, and GPR77 affect the efficacy of NCT and the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer, and its mechanism. METHODS: One hundred seventy-one patients with locally progressive gastric adenocarcinoma who had undergone NCT and radical surgery were collected. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of FAP, CD10, and GPR77 in CAFs; the EMT markers (N-cadherin, Snail1, and Twist1) and the CSC markers (ALDH1, CD44, and LGR5) in gastric cancer cells. The χ2 test was used to analyze the relationship between the expression of CAF, EMT, and CSC markers and the clinicopathological factors, as well as the relationship between CAF markers and EMT, and CSC markers. Logistic regression and Cox risk regression were used to analyze the relationship between the expression of CAF, EMT, and CSC markers and TRG grading and OS; Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for survival analysis and plotting the curves. RESULTS: The expression of CAF markers FAP, CD10, and GPR77 was closely associated with that of EMT markers; FAP and CD10 were closely related to CSC markers. In the univariate analysis of pathological response, CAF markers (FAP, CD10, GPR77), EMT markers (N-cadherin, Snail1, Twist1), and CSC markers (ALDH1, LGR5, CD44), were all closely associated with pathological response (all p < 0.05). Only Twist1 was an independent factor affecting pathological response in multifactorial analysis (p = 0.001). In a univariate analysis of OS, expression of FAP and CD10 in CAF, as well as expression of EMT biomarkers (N-cadherin, Snail1), were significant factors influencing patient prognosis (all p < 0.05). Multifactorial analysis revealed N-cadherin (p = 0.032) and Snail1 (p = 0.028), as independent prognostic factors affecting OS. CONCLUSION: FAP, CD10, and GPR77 labeled CAF subgroup may lead to NCT resistance and poor prognosis by inducing EMT and CSC of gastric cancer cells in locally advanced gastric cancer patients.

Decreased GPX3 mRNA level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is associated with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies with increasing mortality. In this study, we aim to determine the alteration and diagnostic value of GXP3 expression for HBV-related HCC. METHODS: We recruited 243 subjects, including 132 HBV-related HCC patients, 78 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 33 healthy controls (HCs). The mRNA level of GPX3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR. The GPX3 plasma level was detected by ELISA. RESULTS: The GPX3 mRNA level was significantly decreased in HBV-related HCC patients compared with in CHB patients and HCs (p<0.05). The plasma GPX3 level was significantly lower in patients with HBV-related HCC than in CHB patients and HCs (p<0.05). In the HCC subgroup, the GPX3 mRNA level was significantly lower in patients with positive HBeAg, ascites, advanced stage and poor differentiation compared with in the other groups (p<0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to estimate the diagnostic value of the GPX3 mRNA level for HBV-related HCC. The GPX3 mRNA level showed a significantly better diagnostic ability compared with alpha fetoprotein (AFP) (area under the curve 0.769 vs 0.658, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A decreased GPX3 mRNA level might be a potential non-invasive biomarker for HBV-related HCC. It showed better diagnostic ability than AFP.

What is new in cancer-associated fibroblast biomarkers?

The tumor microenvironment is one of the important drivers of tumor development. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major component of the tumor stroma and actively participate in tumor development, invasion, metastasis, drug resistance, and other biological behaviors. CAFs are a highly heterogeneous group of cells, a reflection of the diversity of their origin, biomarkers, and functions. The diversity of CAF origin determines the complexity of CAF biomarkers, and CAF subpopulations expressing different biomarkers may play contrasting roles in tumor progression. In this review, we provide an overview of these emerging CAF biomarkers and the biological functions that they suggest, which may give a better understanding of the relationship between CAFs and tumor cells and be of great significance for breakthroughs in precision targeted therapy for tumors. Video Abstract.

Sex disparity of cerebral white matter hyperintensity in the hypertensive elderly: The Shanghai Changfeng study.

White matter hyperintensity (WMH) is associated with vascular hemodynamic alterations and reflects white matter injury. To date, the sex difference of tract-specific WMH and the relationship between high blood pressure (BP) and tract-specific WMH remain unclear. We recruited 515 subjects from the Shanghai Changfeng study (range 53-89 years, mean age 67.33 years). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were collected and used to calculate pulse pressure (PP). Magnetic resonance T1 and T2 FLAIR images were acquired to measure WMH and calculate WMH index. The ANCOVA test was performed to test the difference between sexes, and the linear regression model was used to examine the associations between BP and WMH index. Men showed higher WMH index than women in all white matter tracts (p < .001, respectively) except for the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and its left temporal part (tSLF). High SBP and PP was associated with a lower WMH index on the left corticospinal tract (CST), SLF, tSLF and right cingulum in hippocampus (p ≤ .001, respectively) in women, while high DBP was associated with a higher WMH index on the bilateral CST (left p < .001; right p = .001), left inferior longitudinal fasciculus (p < .001) and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (p = .002) in men. Men tend to have more WMH compared to women. A high SBP/PP relates to a lower WMH burden in women. This suggests that women could benefit from higher blood pressure in older age.

USP6-associated neoplasm as a tentative subset of postoperative spindle cell nodule.

AIM: Postoperative spindle cell nodule (PSCN) is a pseudosarcomatous proliferative lesion of unclear molecular genetic origins. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined seven patients with PSCN, using routine haematoxylin-eosin (H&E) slide preparations and a series of immunostains. The latter targeted keratin, vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK [D5F3]), and other proteins. Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 6 (USP6) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangements were also analysed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). There were histories of prior surgical intervention (n = 6) or trauma (n = 1) in all seven patients. All lesions were highly cellular and mitotically active spindle cell proliferations, with no cytologic atypia, nuclear pleomorphism, or aberrant mitoses. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining disclosed focal, weak keratin positivity in two lesions, whereas vimentin (diffuse, strongly positive) and SMA (tram-track pattern) were present in each instance, and ALK (D5F3) was entirely negative. FISH analysis confirmed USP6 gene rearrangements in all seven cases, showing no ALK gene rearrangements. RNA sequencing results showed an MYH9::USP6 gene fusion in only one lesion (No. 6). CONCLUSION: A subset of PSCN is marked by USP6 gene rearrangements, a genetic feature of nodular fasciitis (NF). Given its similarity to NF, a designation as USP6-associated neoplasm (UAN) seems reasonable, signifying a transient clonal neoplastic lesion.