2D Cobalt Chalcogenide Heteronanostructures Enable Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The development of high-efficiency non-precious metal electrocatalysts for alkaline electrolyte hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) is of great significance in energy conversion to overcome the limited supply of fossil fuels and carbon emission. Here, a highly active electrocatalyst is presented for hydrogen production, consisting of 2D CoSe2 /Co3 S4 heterostructured nanosheets along Co3 O4 nanofibers. The different reaction rate between the ion exchange reaction and redox reaction leads to the heterogeneous volume swelling, promoting the growth of 2D structure. The 2D/1D heteronanostructures enable the improved the electrochemical active area, the number of active sites, and more favorable H binding energy compared to individual cobalt chalcogenides. The roles of the different composition of the heterojunction are investigated, and the electrocatalysts based on the CoSe2 /Co3 S4 @Co3 O4 exhibited an overpotential as low as 165 mV for 10 mA cm-2 and 393 mV for 200 mA cm-2 in 1 m KOH electrolyte. The as-prepared electrocatalysts remained active after 55 h operation without any significant decrease, indicating the excellent long-term operation stability of the electrode. The Faradaic efficiency of hydrogen production is close to 100% at different voltages. This work provides a new design strategy toward Co-based catalysts for efficient alkaline HER.

49AISNP: a study on the ancestry inference of the three ethnic groups in the north of East Asia.

The ancestry inference of unknown samples plays an important role in forensic investigations. An ideal panel is a set of few markers with high ancestry inference accuracy. We collected 428 AISNP (ancestry informative SNP) that can distinguish the three ethnic groups in north of East Asia, including northern Han, Japanese and Korean. The genotypes of 428 AISNP in 307 samples from these three ethnic groups were obtained. Based on the information of Fst value and clustering by allele frequency, the panel was further refined into 49AISNP smart panel. Inference accuracy of the 49AISNP was verified by the leave-one-out method with 307 samples, and the results showed that its accuracy was higher than 99% in the northern Han, Japanese and Korean ethnic groups. This panel can also be helpful to further distinguish the ethnic sub-groups in East Asia.

Syntheses, Crystal Structures and Antimicrobial Activity of Copper(II) Complexes with the Ligand N,N'-Bis(4-bromosalicylidene)propane-1,2-diamine.

Three new copper(II) complexes, [CuClL] (1), [CuBrL]n (2) and [CuL(NCS)]n (3), derived from the Schiff base 2,4-dichloro-6-((2-pyrrolidin-1-ylethylimino)methyl)phenol (HL) have been prepared and characterized by spectroscopy methods, as well as single crystal X-ray determination. The Cu atom in complex 1 is in square planar coordination, and those in complexes 2 and 3 are in square pyramidal coordination. The Schiff base ligand coordinates to the Cu atoms through phenolate oxygen, imino nitrogen and pyrrolidine nitrogen. The antibacterial activities of the Schiff base and the three copper complexes have been assayed on the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and the yeast Candida parapsilosis.

Efficacy of mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab regimen in advanced colorectal cancer after deep hyperthermia: a single-center retrospective study.

Background: This study aimed to explore the clinical efficacy and safety of a modified FOLFOX6 (oxaliplatin + leucovorin + 5-fluorouracil) plus bevacizumab regimen after deep hyperthermia in advanced colorectal cancer. Methods: A total of 80 colorectal cancer patients treated at our hospital were selected as research subjects. According to the random number table method, patients were divided into a control group (mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab) and a combination group (mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab after deep hyperthermia treatment), with 40 patients in each group. After six cycles of treatment, the objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), levels of serum tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), vascular epidermal growth factor (VEGF), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) scores, and the occurrence of adverse events were compared between the two groups. Results: After six cycles of treatment, the ORR in the combination group was higher than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The DCR in the combination group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The serum CEA levels in the control and combination groups after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment, and the serum CEA and VEGF levels in the combination group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.001). The KPS scores in both groups after treatment were higher than those before treatment, and the KPS scores in the combination group after treatment were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.001). The incidence of fatigue and pain in the combination group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab after deep hyperthermia is effective in advanced colorectal cancer patients, which can effectively improve their quality of life, and the adverse events are controllable and tolerable. A randomized or prospective trial will be required to further prove these data and explore its potentiality, especially if compared to conventional treatment.

Efficacy of the low dose apatinib plus deep hyperthermia as third-line or later treatment in HER-2 negative advanced gastric cancer.

Aim: To observe the efficacy of the low dose apatinib plus deep hyperthermia as third-line or later treatment for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) negative advanced gastric cancer. Methods: 80 eligible patients with HER-2 negative advanced gastric cancer admitted to Jingjiang People's Hospital Affiliated with Yangzhou University-from March 2021 to March 2022 were selected, and they were divided into the control group (n = 40, apatinib) and experimental group (n = 40, apatinib plus deep hyperthermia) on the basis of random number table method. The levels of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were monitored, and the efficacy of the two groups was analyzed by referring to Karnofsky performance status (KPS), overall survival (OS) and disease control rate (DCR) before and after treatment. Results: The levels of CEA, CA199, and VEGF in both groups were lower after treatment than before (p < 0.05), and lower (CEA: 8.85 ± 1.36 vs. 12.87 ± 1.23, CA199: 34.19 ± 4.68 vs. 50.11 ± 5.73, VEGF: 124.8 ± 18.03 vs. 205.9 ± 19.91) in the experimental group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The DCR and KPS of the patients in the experimental group were significantly higher (DCR: 62.50% vs. 40.00%; KPS: 83.25 ± 1.15 vs. 76.25 ± 1.17) than in the control group (p < 0.05). In survival analysis, patients with control group had shorter OS than the experimental group. (median 5.65 vs. 6.50 months; hazard ratio [HR], 1.63 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-2.60], p = 0.0396). Conclusion: The application of low-dose apatinib plus deep hyperthermia for patients with HER-2 negative gastric cancer who failed second-line treatment should be a promising option.

Ultra-small-sized multi-element metal oxide nanofibers: an efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution.

Compared to noble metals, transition metal oxides (TMOs) have positive development prospects in the field of electrocatalysis, and the synergy between the elements in multi-element TMO-based materials can improve their catalytic activity. However, it is still a challenge to synthesize multi-component TMO-based catalysts and deeply understand the effects of components on the catalytic performance of the catalysts. Here, we demonstrate multi-element ultra-small-sized nanofibers for efficient hydrogen production. The ternary NiFeCoO nanofiber-based electrode reached an overpotential of 82 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm-2 with a Tafel slope of 56 mV dec-1 in 1 M KOH, which are close to those of Pt plate (66 mV at 10 mA cm-2; the Tafel slope is 32 mV dec-1). In addition, the current density maintained 97% of its initial value after 10 h operation. We used the ternary NiFeCoO nanofiber-based electrode as an efficient counter electrode in photoelectrochemical hydrogen production to demonstrate the versatility of these nanofibers.

HMGB1 knockdown increases the radiosensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by regulating the expression of molecules involved in DNA repair.

Radiotherapy is an effective therapeutic strategy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, acquired radioresistance of cancer cells leads to radiotherapy failure. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of the effect of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) on the radiation sensitivity of ESCC. Small interfering RNA (si) transfection was used to generate three groups of TE-1 cells (TE-1, negative control and TE-1+siHMGB1), and the protein expression levels of HMGB1 in TE-1 cells were detected by western blotting. These groups of TE-1 cells were irradiated with different doses (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy) of X-rays after transfection. Subsequently, the viability of TE-1 cells was detected using an MTT assay, and the survival fraction of TE-1 cells was observed using a colony formation assay. The apoptotic rate, reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and levels of phosphorylated (p)-histone H2AX at S139 (p-γH2AX) of the cells were detected by flow cytometry. The alterations in mRNA expression levels of nicotinamide adenine nucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX)1 and NOX5 were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, while the changes in protein levels of caspase-3, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, p-p38, p-ERK1/2 and p-JNK were detected by western blotting. The results revealed that HMGB1 knockdown significantly decreased cell viability, and the apoptosis rate of TE-1 cells transfected with siHMGB1 combined with radiation treatment was increased compared with that in cells with either siHMGB1 transfection or radiation treatment alone. HMGB1 knockdown increased nicotinamide adenine nucleotide phosphate oxidase-mediated ROS production and induced DNA damage via the MAPK signaling pathway, which may promote apoptosis and radiosensitivity after radiation in TE-1 cells. In conclusion, targeting HMGB1 may represent a promising strategy to increase the efficacy of radiation therapy for ESCC.

ADCK1 activates the ß-catenin/TCF signaling pathway to promote the growth and migration of colon cancer cells.

As a result of mutations in the upstream components of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, this cascade is abnormally activated in colon cancer. Hence, identifying the activation mechanism of this pathway is an urgent need for the treatment of colon cancer. Here, we found an increase in ADCK1 (AarF domain-containing kinase 1) expression in clinical specimens of colon cancer and animal models. Upregulation of ADCK1 expression promoted the colony formation and infiltration of cancer cells. Downregulation of ADCK1 expression inhibited the colony formation and infiltration of cancer cells, in vivo tumorigenesis, migration, and organoid formation. Molecular mechanistic studies demonstrated that ADCK1 interacted with TCF4 (T-cell factor 4) to activate the ß-catenin/TCF signaling pathway. In conclusion, our research revealed the functions of ADCK1 in the development of colon cancer and provided potential therapeutic targets.

CARD9 mediates T cell inflammatory response in Coxsackievirus B3-induced acute myocarditis.

Cardiac inflammation in Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis is a consequence of viral-related cardiac injury and immune response. Caspase-associated recruitment domain 9 (CARD9) is a critical adaptor protein involved in transduction of signals from various innate pattern recognition receptors. In this study, the role of CARD9 in acute viral myocarditis was evaluated. CARD9-/- and C57BL/6 mice were infected with CVB3. On day 7 postinfection, myocardial tissue and blood samples were collected and examined. After CARD9 knockout, mRNA and protein levels of transforming growth factor-ß(TGF-ß), interleukin-17A(IL-17A), and CARD domain of B-cell CLL/lymphoma 10(BCL-10) in the myocardium were markedly lower in CARD9-/- mice than in C57BL/6 mice with CVB3-induced viral myocarditis. This trend was similar for the pathological scores for inflammation and serum levels of cytokines interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-10(IL-10), interferon -γ(IFN-γ), TGF-ß, and IL-17A. These results suggest that the CARD9-mediated secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines plays an important role in the immune response to acute viral myocarditis.

[Analysis the causes and treatment of postnasal drip syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To analysis the causes and treatment for postnasal drip syndrome. METHOD: One hundred patients were tested by routine examination of otolaryngology, nasal endoscopy, fiberoptic laryngoscopy and nasal sinuses CT. Choice allergen test and nasopharynx X-ray were taken based on the symptoms and signs. Patients were treated accordingly for different causes, such as flushing the nasal cavity by herbal liquid, using glucocorticoid locally, taking medicine of improving the sticky film cilium function, immunotherapeutic or operation. RESULT: The causes included chronic rhinitis 22 cases (22%), chronic sinusitis or nasal polyp 31 cases (31%), allergic rhinitis 28 cases (28%), adenoid vegetation 16 cases (16%), chronic nasopharyngitis 3 cases (3%). All patients were treated accordingly and total cure rate was 82% after 6 months follow up. CONCLUSION: The causes of postnasal drip syndrome are complicated. It is critical to check the cause and chose adaptable therapy for good result.

[The measuring of ECP and IgE in middle ear effusion of patients with otitis media of effusion].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between otitis media of effusion (OME) and allergy by investigating eosinophil cationic protein in middle ear effusion ( MECP), middle ear effusion IgE (MIgE) and serum eosinophil cationic protein (SECP). METHOD: The specimens drawn from 31 patients of OME were tested with Uni-CAP-100 allergic antigen testing system for the MECP, IgE and SECP. The results then were analyzed by statistical methods. RESULT: MECP were found in all the effusion specimens of 31 patients, the average concentration of which was 56.88 microg/L. The MECP concentration level in nine specimens (28.1%) was significantly elevated. The average concentration of MIgE was 27.2 ku/L. The MIgE concentration level in three specimens (9.7%) was remarkably increased. There was a positive correlation between the MECP level and the MIgE level( P <0.05). The average concentration of SECP was 5.6 microg/L. CONCLUSION: ECP exists in the middle ear effusion of OME. OME is an allergic inflammatory process more localized in middle ear itself in some patients. There may be a complicated allergic mechanism in OME.