Enhancing Thickness Uniformity of Nb2O5/SiO2 Multilayers Using Shadow Masks for Flexible Color-Filtering Applications.

Using a stainless shadow mask combined with a magnetron-ion-assisted deposition (IAD) sputtering system, we investigate the surface morphologies and optical properties of microfilms. Optimal color-filter (CF) coating microfilms with niobium pent-oxide (Nb2O5)/silicon dioxide (SiO2) multilayers on a hard polycarbonate (HPC) substrate, grown at 85 °C and 50 SCCM oxygen flow, can obtain a fairly uniform thickness (with an average roughness of 0.083 and 0.106 nm respectively for Nb2O5 and SiO2 films) through all positions. On a flexible HPC substrate with the Nb2O5/SiO2 microfilms, meanwhile, the peak transmittances measured in the visible range are 95.70% and 91.47%, respectively, for coatings with and without a shadow mask for this new-tech system. For the optimal CF application with a shadow mask, transmittance on each 100 nm band-pass wavelength is enhanced by 4.04% absolute (blue), 2.96% absolute (green), and 2.12% absolute (red). Moreover, the developed new-tech system not only enhances the quality of the films by achieving smoother and uniform surfaces but also reduces deposition time, thereby improving overall process efficiency. For the with-shadow-mask condition, there is little shift at 50% transmittance (T50%), and high transmittance (~97%) is maintained after high-temperature (200 °C) baking for 12 h. These results are well above the commercial CF standard (larger than 90%) and demonstrate reliability and good durability for flexible optical applications.

Dynamic palmitoylation of STX11 controls injury-induced fatty acid uptake to promote muscle regeneration.

Different types of cells uptake fatty acids in response to different stimuli or physiological conditions; however, little is known about context-specific regulation of fatty acid uptake. Here, we show that muscle injury induces fatty acid uptake in muscle stem cells (MuSCs) to promote their proliferation and muscle regeneration. In humans and mice, fatty acids are mobilized after muscle injury. Through CD36, fatty acids function as both fuels and growth signals to promote MuSC proliferation. Mechanistically, injury triggers the translocation of CD36 in MuSCs, which relies on dynamic palmitoylation of STX11. Palmitoylation facilitates the formation of STX11/SNAP23/VAMP4 SANRE complex, which stimulates the fusion of CD36- and STX11-containing vesicles. Restricting fatty acid supply, blocking fatty acid uptake, or inhibiting STX11 palmitoylation attenuates muscle regeneration in mice. Our studies have identified a critical role of fatty acids in muscle regeneration and shed light on context-specific regulation of fatty acid sensing and uptake.

A topochemical reaction induced the formation of Bi2S3 micro-straws from a Bi-MOF for an ultra-long Zn storage life.

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) are considered as promising energy storage devices in the post-lithium-ion era, due to their high energy density, low cost, high safety, and environmental benignity, however their commercialization is hindered by the sluggish diffusion kinetics of cathode materials due to the large hydrate Zn2+ radius. In this work, we propose a unique structure inheritance strategy for preparing Bi2S3 micro-straws in which a metal-organic framework (MOF) denoted as Bi-PYDC (PYDC2- = 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate) with a string of [Bi2O2]2+ chains is judiciously selected as the structure-directing template to induce the formation of micro-straws based on a topochemical reaction. The distinctive hollow structure significantly enhances the ionic storage kinetics. Impressively, the obtained battery exhibits an ultra-long cycle life of more than 10 000 cycles at a current density of 1 A g-1 while maintaining a capacity of more than 153.4 mA h g-1. In addition, the Zn2+ insertion/extraction mechanism of Bi2S3 micro-straws is also investigated by multiple analytical methods, revealing the involvement of Zn2+ rather than H+ in the electrochemical storage process. This work may lead a new direction for constructing high performance cathodes of Zn-ion batteries through a MOF-based structure-directing template.

ARF6 plays a general role in targeting palmitoylated proteins from the Golgi to the plasma membrane.

Protein palmitoylation is a post-translational lipid modification of proteins. Accumulating evidence reveals that palmitoylation functions as a sorting signal to direct proteins to destinations; however, the sorting mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we show that ARF6 plays a general role in targeting palmitoylated proteins from the Golgi to the plasma membrane (PM). Through shRNA screening, we identified ARF6 as the key small GTPase in targeting CD36, a palmitoylated protein, from the Golgi to the PM. We found that the N-terminal myristoylation of ARF6 is required for its binding with palmitoylated CD36, and the GTP-bound form of ARF6 facilitates the delivery of CD36 to the PM. Analysis of stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture revealed that ARF6 might facilitate the sorting of 359 of the 531 palmitoylated PM proteins, indicating a general role of ARF6. Our study has thus identified a sorting mechanism for targeting palmitoylated proteins from the Golgi to the PM.

Trisodium citrate as a modulation additive to increase the cycling capability of a Bi2S3 cathode in a zinc-ion battery.

3D Bi2S3 materials were prepared by the trisodium citrate (Na3Cit)-assisted solvothermal method and applied to aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) to explore the effect of the electrode material morphology on the electrochemical performance. As the concentration of Na3Cit increases, the 3D assembly morphology evolves from coral-like to sphere-like to snowflake-like structures. The electrochemical test results show that the electrode materials of various morphologies possess excellent cycle life, but the specific capacity varies greatly depending on the morphology. Impressively, the Bi2S3-1.2 electrode has the best electrochemical performance, with a capacity of 203.5 mA h g-1 after 4000 charge/discharge cycles at 0.5 A g-1. Furthermore, the Bi2S3-1.2 electrode delivers an ultralong lifetime of over 10 000 cycles with a capacity of 150.2 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1. This work demonstrates a feasible route to prepare ultra-long cycle life AZIBs.

Targeting EGFR-dependent tumors by disrupting an ARF6-mediated sorting system.

Aberrant activation of EGFR due to overexpression or mutation is associated with poor prognosis in many types of tumors. Here we show that blocking the sorting system that directs EGFR to plasma membrane is a potent strategy to treat EGFR-dependent tumors. We find that EGFR palmitoylation by DHHC13 is critical for its plasma membrane localization and identify ARF6 as a key factor in this process. N-myristoylated ARF6 recognizes palmitoylated EGFR via lipid-lipid interaction, recruits the exocyst complex to promote EGFR budding from Golgi, and facilitates EGFR transporting to plasma membrane in a GTP-bound form. To evaluate the therapeutic potential of this sorting system, we design a cell-permeable peptide, N-myristoylated GKVL-TAT, and find it effectively disrupts plasma membrane localization of EGFR and significantly inhibits progression of EGFR-dependent tumors. Our findings shed lights on the underlying mechanism of how palmitoylation directs protein sorting and provide an potential strategy to manage EGFR-dependent tumors.

Machine learning models predict lymph node metastasis in patients with stage T1-T2 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: For patients with stage T1-T2 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), accurately predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) remains challenging. We aimed to investigate the performance of machine learning (ML) models for predicting LNM in patients with stage T1-T2 ESCC. Methods: Patients with T1-T2 ESCC at three centers between January 2014 and December 2019 were included in this retrospective study and divided into training and external test sets. All patients underwent esophagectomy and were pathologically examined to determine the LNM status. Thirty-six ML models were developed using six modeling algorithms and six feature selection techniques. The optimal model was determined by the bootstrap method. An external test set was used to further assess the model's generalizability and effectiveness. To evaluate prediction performance, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was applied. Results: Of the 1097 included patients, 294 (26.8%) had LNM. The ML models based on clinical features showed good predictive performance for LNM status, with a median bootstrapped AUC of 0.659 (range: 0.592, 0.715). The optimal model using the naive Bayes algorithm with feature selection by determination coefficient had the highest AUC of 0.715 (95% CI: 0.671, 0.763). In the external test set, the optimal ML model achieved an AUC of 0.752 (95% CI: 0.674, 0.829), which was superior to that of T stage (0.624, 95% CI: 0.547, 0.701). Conclusions: ML models provide good LNM prediction value for stage T1-T2 ESCC patients, and the naive Bayes algorithm with feature selection by determination coefficient performed best.

Mid-term Results of the Treatment of Isolated Dissection of the Celiac Artery: A Comparative Analysis of Endovascular Versus Conservative Therapy.

OBJECTIVES: Endovascular treatment (EVT) is an alternative method used to treat isolated dissection of the celiac artery (IDCA). However, only a few mid-term results have been reported. This study aimed to analyze and compare the outcomes of endovascular and non-operative therapies for IDCA. METHODS: Data from a cohort of consecutive IDCA patients enrolled in the study hospital between April 2012 and September 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic information, imaging features, treatment modalities, and follow-up results of celiac artery remodeling and adverse events were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 87 patients were enrolled in the study. Stents were deployed in 68 patients, and non-operative treatment (blood pressure control and pain management) was continued in the remaining 19 patients who did not receive stenting; among these 19 patients, EVT failed in 6. The mean follow-up period was 37.3 (range, 10-85 months) and 44.0 (range, 9-80 months) months in the EVT and non-operative groups, respectively. During follow-up, the overall complete remodeling (absence of residual dissection with no false lumen or no intramural thrombus) rate was significantly higher in the EVT group than in the non-operative group (87.3% vs 7.1%, p<0.001). The incomplete remodeling (improved true lumen with malabsorption or partial thrombosis of the false lumen) rate was not significantly different between the EVT and non-operative groups (6.3% vs 14.3%; p=0.2984). Meanwhile, the adverse event-free survival rates were 89.0%, 67.0%, and 67.0% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively, in the EVT group compared with 39.7% and 29.8% at 1 and 3 years in the non-operative group (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: EVT for IDCA may be considered an effective management option with a favorable clinical success rate, an encouraging complete remodeling rate, and a satisfactory adverse event-free survival rate. However, further evaluation with a long-term follow-up is required. CLINICAL IMPACT: Endovascular intervention for isolated dissection of the celiac artery has attracted inadequate attention. In this retrospective study with comparative analysis of endovascular versus conservative therapy for isolated dissection of the celiac artery patients, a better complete remodeling rate and a higher adverse event-free survival rate were observed in the endovascular treatment (EVT) group during follow-up, indicating that EVT could be an effective management option for isolated dissection of the celiac artery.

Ion sieve membrane: Homogenizing Li+ flux and restricting polysulfides migration enables long life and highly stable Li-S battery.

Limited by the notorious Li dendrites growth and serious polysulfide shuttle effect, the development of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is stagnant. Herein, a multifunctional separator composed of Cu-based metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) and Li-Nafion was proposed to address the above intractable issues. The Cu-MOF with homogeneous porous structure and abundant Lewis acidic sites not only promotes uniform Li+ flux, but also exhibits a strong chemical interaction with polysulfides to inhibit the shuttle effect. Moreover, the narrow pore size distribution in the Cu-MOF and negatively charged gap endowed by the -SO3- groups both act as ion sieve to facilitate the passage of Li+ and restrict the migration of polysulfide anions, synergistically mitigating the dendritic Li growth and polysulfides shuttling. As a result, the symmetric cell with MOF/Nafion separator achieves ultralong cycling stability (1000 h) and ultralow overpotential of 20 mV at a current density of 1.0 mA cm-2. Importantly, in the assembled Li-S full battery, the modified PP separator presents the superior cycle stability with capacity retention of 90% after 300 cycles at 0.5 C. Current outcomes open up a new route to design functional separators with ion permselective for realizing the dendrite-free and high-performance Li-S battery.

A 10-year experience of leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava.

OBJECTIVES: Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is rare. The study reviewed patients with IVC leiomyosarcoma in our hospital in the past ten years. METHODS: Twenty patients diagnosed with IVC leiomyosarcoma between October 2010 and October 2020 were enrolled. Their clinical manifestations, treatments, and follow-up results were analyzed. RESULTS: The sarcoma was located in the lower IVC segment in six patients, with 13 in the middle and one in the upper IVC segment. Eighteen patients underwent R0 resection. After resection, 16 patients (80%) had primary repair of the IVC, while four patients underwent ligation. During a mean follow-up of 37.7 months, seven patients died due to tumor metastasis, four patients were alive with the tumor recurrence and other nine patients were alive without recurrence. CONCLUSION: The management of the IVC after tumor resection depended on the tumor location and size. R0 resection provided a chance for long term survival.

Skeletal muscle metastasis with bone metaplasia from colon cancer: A case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Colon cancer is a common malignant disease of the gastrointestinal tract and usually occurs at the junction of the rectum and sigmoid colon. Lymphatic and hematogenous metastases occur frequently in colon cancer and the most common metastatic sites include the liver, lung, peritoneum, bone, and lymph nodes. As a manifestation of advanced tumor spread and metastasis, soft tissue metastasis, especially skeletal muscle metastasis with bone metaplasia caused by colon cancer, is rare, accounting for less than 1% of metastases. CASE SUMMARY: A 43-year-old male patient developed skeletal muscle metastasis with bone metaplasia of the right proximal thigh 5 mo after colon cancer was diagnosed. The patient was admitted to the hospital because of pain caused by a local mass on his right thigh. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography showed many enlarged lymph nodes around the abdominal aorta but no signs of lung or liver metastases. Color ultrasound revealed a mass located in the skeletal muscle and the results of histological biopsy revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma suspected to be distant metastases from colon cancer. Immunohistochemistry showed small woven bone components that were considered to be ossified. CONCLUSION: This case reminds us that for patients with advanced colorectal tumors, we should be alert to the possibility of unconventional metastasis.

Hsa_circ_0008360 sponges miR-186-5p to target CCND2 to modulate high glucose-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction.

Vascular endothelial dysfunction is associated with the progress of many diseases. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) take part in the dysfunction of vascular endothelium. CircRNA hsa_circ_0008360 (circ_0008360) is dysregulated in high glucose-treated vascular endothelium, while the role and mechanism of circ_0008360 in high glucose-induced dysfunction remain unknown. Human umbilical vascular endothelium cells (HUVEC) were stimulated via high glucose. The abundances of circ_0008360, miR-186-5p and cyclin D2 (CCND2) were examined via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or western blot. Vascular endothelial dysfunction was assessed via cell viability, apoptosis, migration and tube formation. The target relationship between miR-186-5p and circ_0008360 or CCND2 was analyzed via dual-luciferase reporter, RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation analyses. Circ_0008360 expression was enhanced in high-glucose-treated HUVEC. Circ_0008360 silence mitigated high glucose-induced suppression of viability, migration, tube formation, and increase in apoptosis in HUVEC. MiR-186-5p was sponged by circ_0008360, and miR-186-5p inhibition reversed the effect of circ_0008360 silence on high glucose-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction. MiR-186-5p alleviated high glucose-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction via targeting CCND2. CCND2 interference abolished the aggravated effect of circ_0008360 on high glucose-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction. Circ_0008360 knockdown attenuated high glucose-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction via regulating miR-186-5p and CCND2, indicating circ_0008360 might act as a target for the treatment of vascular endothelial dysfunction.Abbreviations: circRNAs, circular RNAs; HUVEC, human umbilical vascular endothelium cells; CCND2, cyclin D2; XPNPEP3, X-prolyl aminopeptidase 3; ceRNAs, competing endogenous RNAs; miRNAs, microRNAs; qRT-PCR, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; RIP, RNA immunoprecipitation; HIF-1α, hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha; TLR3, toll-like receptor 3; AKAP12, A-Kinase Anchoring Protein 12; ox-LDL, oxidized low-density lipoprotein; HG, high glucose; NG, normal glucose.

LncRNA SNHG15 relieves hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction via increased ubiquitination of thioredoxin-interacting protein.

Numerous studies have revealed that hyperglycemia is a pivotal driver of diabetic vascular complications. However, the mechanisms of hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction in diabetes remain incompletely understood. This study aims to expound on the underlying mechanism of the endothelial dysfunction induced by hyperglycemia from the perspective of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA). In this study, a downregulation of SNHG15 was observed in the ischemic hind limb of diabetic mice and high glucose (HG)-treated HUVECs. Functionally, the overexpression of SNHG15 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation, and suppressed cell apoptosis in HG-treated HUVECs. Mechanistically, SNHG15 reduced thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) expression by enhancing ITCH-mediated ubiquitination of TXNIP. TXNIP overexpression abrogated the protective effect of lncRNA SNHG15 overexpression on HG-induced endothelial dysfunction. The following experiment further confirmed that SNHG15 overexpression promoted angiogenesis of the ischemic hind limb in diabetic mice. In conclusion, SNHG15 is a novel protector for hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction via decreasing TXNIP expression.

Diabetic neuropathic pain induced by streptozotocin alters the expression profile of non-coding RNAs in the spinal cord of mice as determined by sequencing analysis.

Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. Patients with DNP always exhibit spontaneous and stimulus-evoked pain. However, the pathogenesis of DNP remains to be fully elucidated. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) serve important roles in several cellular processes and dysregulated expression may result in the development of several diseases, including DNP. Although ncRNAs have been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of DNP, their precise roles remain to be determined. In the present study, sequencing analysis was used to investigate the expression patterns of coding genes, microRNAs (miRNAs), long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the spinal cord of mice with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DNP. A total of 30 mRNAs, 148 miRNAs, 9 lncRNAs and 135 circRNAs exhibited significantly dysregulated expression 42 days after STZ injection. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that protein digestion and absorption pathways were the most significantly affected pathways of the differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs. The Rap1 signaling pathway, human T-lymphotropic virus-I infection and the MAPK signaling pathway were the three most significant pathways of the DE miRNAs. A total of 2,118 distinct circRNAs were identified and the length of the majority of the circRNAs was <1,000 nucleotides (nt) (1,552 circRNAs were >1,000 nt) with a median length of 620 nt. In the present study, the expression characteristics of coding genes, miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs in DNP mice were determined; it paves the road for further studies on the mechanisms associated with DNP and potentially facilitates the discovery of novel ncRNAs for therapeutic targeting in the management of DNP.

CCR7 Has Potential to Be a Prognosis Marker for Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma and an Index for Tumor Microenvironment Change.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) has an essential role in the development of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC); however, the dynamic role of the stromal and immune cells is still unclear in TME. We downloaded data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and applied ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms to measure the quantity of stromal and immune cells and the composition of tumor-infiltrating immune cell (TIC) in 253 CSCC cases. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Cox regression analysis presented the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Then, C-C chemokine receptor type 7 (CCR7) was screened out as a prognostic marker by the univariate Cox and intersection analysis of PPI. Further analysis showed a positive correlation between the expression of CCR7 and the survival of CSCC patients. The result of the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) of genes in the high CCR7 expression group displayed a predominant enrichment in immune-related pathways. An enrichment in metabolic activities was observed in the low CCR7 expression group. CIBERSORT analysis showed a positive correlation between Plasma cells, CD8+ T cells, and regulatory T cells and the CCR7 expression, suggesting that CCR7 might play a crucial role in maintaining the immunological dominance status for TME. Therefore, the expression level of CCR7 might help predict the survival of CSCC cases and be an index that the status of TME transitioned from immunological dominance to metabolic activation, which presented a new insight into the treatment of CSCC.

LncRNA SNHG15 relieves hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction via increasing ubiquitination of thioredoxin-interacting protein.

OBJECTIVE: Numerous evidence indicates that hyperglycemia is a pivotal driver of the vascular complications of diabetes. However, the mechanisms of hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction in diabetes remain incompletely understood. This study aims to expound on the underlying mechanism of the endothelial dysfunction induced by hyperglycemia from the perspective of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and tube formation were measured by cell counting kit-8 assay, transwell assay, flow cytometry, and tube formation assay, respectively. RNA pull-down and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation were used to detect the interaction between lncRNA SNHG15 and thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). Co-immunoprecipitation was used to detect the ubiquitination level of TXNIP and the interaction between TXNIP and E3 ubiquitin ligase ITCH. RESULTS: A downregulation of SNHG15 was observed in the ischemic hind limb of diabetic mice and high glucose (HG)-treated HUVECs. Functionally, the overexpression of SNHG15 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation, and suppressed cell apoptosis in HG-treated HUVECs. Mechanically, SNHG15 reduced TXNIP expression by enhancing ITCH-mediated ubiquitination of TXNIP. TXNIP overexpression abrogated the protective effect of LncRNA SNHG15 overexpression on HG-induced endothelial dysfunction. The following experiment further confirmed that SNHG15 overexpression promoted angiogenesis of the ischemic hind limb in diabetic mice. CONCLUSION: SNHG15 is a novel protector for hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction via decreasing TXNIP expression.

Experimental Analysis of the Quality of Needle-Assisted Fenestration in Aortic Stent-Grafts and the Differences Between Gradual and Rapid Balloon Dilation.

Purpose: To report the findings of an in vitro experiment to evaluate the quality of needle fenestrations dilated by different size balloons in various stent-grafts and to investigate the differences between gradual and rapid dilation. Materials and Methods: Fenestrations were made using an 18-G needle in 5 different polyester or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) stent-grafts: Relay, Valiant, Hercules, TAG, and Ankura. Each stent-graft received 2 groups of fenestrations: one was followed by gradual sequential dilation (4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-mm balloons) and the other by rapid dilation (4- and 10-mm balloons). The pressure was increased to 10 atmospheres or until the balloon was fully inflated with no waist. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations, including fenestration diameter, area, shape, and margins were conducted using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Results: Relay had the strongest resistance to dilation and Ankura the slightest. The maximum length and area of holes expanded as the balloon diameter increased. The fenestrations in polyester devices were mostly elliptical or slit-like, with limited tears but extensive fibers visible in the margin, while ePTFE stent-grafts showed larger fenestration areas with clearer margins. Ankura showed the best quality of fenestrations, which were always circular or square without fabric tears, while the holes in the TAG were square or elliptical but sometimes had a slit after large balloon dilation (≥6 mm). The Relay, Valiant, Hercules, and Ankura devices showed no difference in maximum diameter, fenestration area, or scores of shape and margin (p>0.05). Rapid dilation in the TAG increased the rate of uncontrolled fabric tear, resulting in a larger final diameter (12.90 vs 10.82 mm, p=0.047), smaller area (30.46 vs 41.09 mm2, p=0.028), worse shape (0.75 vs 1.20, p=0.268), and worse margin (0.40 vs 1.00, p=0.174). Though the decreased fenestration shape and margin scores did not reach statistical significance, the trend for decline was more obvious than with the other devices. Conclusion: Materials and structures of the stent-grafts determine the quality of fenestrations dilated by different size balloons. The use of sequential vs rapid balloon dilation is also crucial for fashioning high-quality fenestrations and should be selected judiciously.