Lymphatic endothelial transcription factor Tbx1 promotes an immunosuppressive microenvironment to facilitate post-myocardial infarction repair.

The heart is an autoimmune-prone organ. It is crucial for the heart to keep injury-induced autoimmunity in check to avoid autoimmune-mediated inflammatory disease. However, little is known about how injury-induced autoimmunity is constrained in hearts. Here, we reveal an unknown intramyocardial immunosuppressive program driven by Tbx1, a DiGeorge syndrome disease gene that encodes a T-box transcription factor (TF). We found induced profound lymphangiogenic and immunomodulatory gene expression changes in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) after myocardial infarction (MI). The activated LECs penetrated the infarcted area and functioned as intramyocardial immune hubs to increase the numbers of tolerogenic dendritic cells (tDCs) and regulatory T (Treg) cells through the chemokine Ccl21 and integrin Icam1, thereby inhibiting the expansion of autoreactive CD8+ T cells and promoting reparative macrophage expansion to facilitate post-MI repair. Mimicking its timing and implementation may be an additional approach to treating autoimmunity-mediated cardiac diseases.

Ralstonia solanacearum effector RipAK suppresses homodimerization of the host transcription factor ERF098 to enhance susceptibility and the sensitivity of pepper plants to dehydration.

Plants have evolved a sophisticated immune system to defend against invasion by pathogens. In response, pathogens deploy copious effectors to evade the immune responses. However, the molecular mechanisms used by pathogen effectors to suppress plant immunity remain unclear. Herein, we report that an effector secreted by Ralstonia solanacearum, RipAK, modulates the transcriptional activity of the ethylene-responsive factor ERF098 to suppress immunity and dehydration tolerance, which causes bacterial wilt in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants. Silencing ERF098 enhances the resistance of pepper plants to R. solanacearum infection not only by inhibiting the host colonization of R. solanacearum but also by increasing the immunity and tolerance of pepper plants to dehydration and including the closure of stomata to reduce the loss of water in an abscisic acid signal-dependent manner. In contrast, the ectopic expression of ERF098 in Nicotiana benthamiana enhances wilt disease. We also show that RipAK targets and inhibits the ERF098 homodimerization to repress the expression of salicylic acid-dependent PR1 and dehydration tolerance-related OSR1 and OSM1 by cis-elements in their promoters. Taken together, our study reveals a regulatory mechanism used by the R. solanacearum effector RipAK to increase virulence by specifically inhibiting the homodimerization of ERF098 and reprogramming the transcription of PR1, OSR1, and OSM1 to boost susceptibility and dehydration sensitivity. Thus, our study sheds light on a previously unidentified strategy by which a pathogen simultaneously suppresses plant immunity and tolerance to dehydration by secreting an effector to interfere with the activity of a transcription factor and manipulate plant transcriptional programs.

Nanoconfinement Enables Photoelectrochemical Selective Oxidation of Glycerol via the Microscale Fluid Effect.

The glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) run with photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) is one of the most promising ways to upgrade biomass because it is thermodynamically favorable, while irreversible overoxidation leads to unsatisfactory product selectivities. Herein, a tunable one-dimensional nanoconfined environment was introduced into the GOR process, which accelerated mass transfer of glycerol via the microscale fluid effect and changed the main oxidation product from formic acid (FA) to glyceraldehyde (GLD), which led to retention of the heavier multicarbon products. The rate of glycerol diffusion in the nanochannels increased by a factor of 4.92 with decreasing inner diameters. The main product from the PEC-selective oxidation of glycerol changed from the C1 product FA to the C3 product GLD with a great selectivity of 60.7%. This work provides a favorable approach for inhibiting further oxidation of multicarbon products and illustrates the importance of microenvironmental regulation in biomass oxidation.

Unique Hierarchically Structured High-Entropy Alloys with Multiple Adsorption Sites for Rechargeable Li-CO2 Batteries with High Capacity.

Lithium-carbon dioxide (Li-CO2) batteries offer the possibility of synchronous implementation of carbon neutrality and the development of advanced energy storage devices. The exploration of low-cost and efficient cathode catalysts is key to the improvement of Li-CO2 batteries. Herein, high-entropy alloys (HEAs)@C hierarchical nanosheet is synthesized from the simulation of the recycling solution of waste batteries to construct a cathode for the first time. Owing to the excellent electrical conductivity of the carbon material, the unique high-entropy effect of the HEAs, and the large number of catalytically active sites exposed by the hierarchical structure, the FeCoNiMnCuAl@C-based battery exhibits a superior discharge capability of 27664 mAh g-1 and outstanding durability of 134 cycles as well as low overpotential with 1.05 V at a discharge/recharge rate of 100 mA g-1. The adsorption capacity of different sites on the HEAs is deeply understood through density functional theory calculations combined with experiments. This work opens up the application of HEAs in Li-CO2 batteries catalytic cathodes and provides unique insights into the study of adsorption active sites in HEAs.

High-Energy Polynitrogen N10 Stabilized on Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.

The synthesis of stable polynitrogen compounds with high-energy density has long been a major challenge. The cyclo-pentazolate anion (cyclo-N5 -) is successfully converted into aromatic and structurally symmetric bipentazole (N10) via electrochemical synthesis using highly conductive multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the substrate and sodium pentazolate hydrate ([Na(H2O)(N5)]·2H2O) as the raw material. Attenuated total refraction Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and density functional theory calculations confirmed the structure and homogeneous distribution of N10 in the sidewalls of the MWCNTs (named MWCNT-N10-n m). The MWCNT-N10-2.0 m is further used as a catalyst for electrochemical oxygen reduction to synthesize hydrogen peroxide from oxygen with a two-electron selectivity of up to 95%.

Gradient-doped BiVO4 Dual Photoanodes for Highly Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water splitting.

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is regarded as a promising photoanode candidate for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, but is limited by low efficiency of charge carrier transport and short carrier diffusion length. In this work, we report a strategy comprised of the gradient doping of W and back-to-back stacking of transparent photoelectrodes, where the 3-2 wt.% W gradient doping enhances charge carrier transport by optimizing the band bending degree and back-to-back stack configuration shortens carrier diffusion length without much sacrifice of photons. As a result, the photocurrent density of 3-2% W:BiVO4 photoanode reaches 2.20 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs. hydrogen electrode (RHE) with a charge transport efficiency of 76.1% under AM 1.5G illumination, and the back-to-back stacked 3-2% W:BiVO4 photoanodes achieves a photocurrent of 4.63 mA cm-2 after loading Co-Pi catalyst and anti-reflective coating under AM 1.5G illumination, with long-term stability of 10 hours.

A New Polycyclic Naphthoxazine Resin: Facile Synthesis, Characterization, Polymerization, and Thermal Properties of Its Corresponding Thermosets.

A novel polycyclic naphthoxazine resin (NSA-thiq) is synthesized via N, O-acetal forming reaction between o-hydroxyl naphthaldehyde and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline. The chemical structure of the monomer is investigated and confirmed by 1H and 13C NMR, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Besides, the ring-opening polymerization behavior similar to ordinary benzoxazine resins is observed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and in situ FT-IR analyses, leading to the formation of the phenolic cross-linked network. Notably, DSC thermograms indicate that the newly obtained polycyclic naphthoxazine resin exhibits much lower polymerization temperatures compared to many other reported benzoxazine or naphthoxazine resins. Moreover, the corresponding polybenzoxazine (poly(NSA-thiq)) shows comparable thermal stability in comparison with thermosets derived from monobenzoxazine resins. As a consequence of these unique performances, NSA-thiq is applied as a property modifier for a commercialized benzoxazine resin (BA-a). The glass transition temperature of copolymeric thermosets is enhanced without sacrificing too much thermal stability and heat resistance. Here, another series of naphthoxazine thermosetting resin is explored, which can provide more examples for constructing composites based on thermoset polymers.

Possible role of HE4 level elevation in the pathogenesis of TH2-high asthma.

OBJECTIVES: As a heterogeneous disease, asthma is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, airway inflammation, and airway mucus hypersecretion. According to the pathological changes, symptoms, preventive and treatment methods, asthma can be divided into TH2-high and TH2-low asthma. We show that the expression of the tumor biomarker human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) was significantly increased in TH2-high asthma group, while there was no marked difference in its expression between TH2-low asthma and healthy control groups. HE4 levels were significantly increased in plasma, induced sputum, and alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples and airway epithelial cells from TH2-high asthma group, showing that HE4 has a possible role in the pathogenesis of TH2-high asthma. METHODS: Using RT-qPCR, ELISA, Western blot (WB), and immunohistochemistry, we assessed differences in HE4 expression in plasma, induced sputum, BALF, and airway epithelial cells among patients with the TH2-related asthma subtypes and healthy controls. To explore the role of HE4 in TH2-high asthma, we conducted a correlation analysis between HE4 levels in plasma, induced sputum, BALF, and airway epithelial cells and multiple indicators of airway eosinophilic inflammation, airway mucus secretion, and airway remodeling. CONCLUSION: We found for the first time that HE4 was differentially expressed in the TH2-related asthma subtypes. In TH2-high asthma, HE4 levels were markedly elevated in airway epithelial cells, plasma, induced sputum, and BALF. HE4 may play an important role in various pathogenic mechanisms of asthma, such as airway eosinophilic inflammation, airway mucus secretion, and airway remodeling. HE4 in plasma may be a clinically biomarker for differentiating TH2-related asthma subtypes.

Effect of nutritional status on adverse clinical events in elderly patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of nutritional status on adverse clinical events in elderly patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. METHODS: This retrospective observational cohort study included 196 patients, 75-102-years-old, with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, hospitalized in our hospital. The nutritional status was assessed using Mini-Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF). Patients with MNA-SF scores of 0-11 and 12-14 were included in the malnutrition and nonmalnutrition groups, respectively. RESULTS: The average age of the malnutrition group was higher than that of the nonmalnutrition group, and the levels of body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin (HGB), and albumin (ALB) were significantly lower than those of the nonmalnutrition group, with statistical significance (p < .05). The incidence of all-cause death in the malnutrition group was higher than that in the nonmalnutrition group (p = .007). Kaplan-Meier curve indicated that malnutrition patients have a higher risk of all-cause death (log-rank test, p = .001) and major bleeding events (p = .017). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis corrected for confounders showed that malnutrition was an independent risk factor of all-cause death (HR = 1.780, 95%CI:1.039-3.050, p = .036). The malnutrition group had a significantly high incidence of major bleeding than the nonmalnutrition group (p = .026), and there was no significant difference in the proportion of anticoagulation therapy (p = .082) and the incidence of ischemic stroke/systemic embolism (p = .310) between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition is an independent risk factor of all-cause death in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation. The incidence of major bleeding in malnourished elderly patients with atrial fibrillation is high, and the benefit of anticoagulation therapy is not obvious.

Effect of Ciprofol on Left Ventricular Myocardial Strain and Myocardial Work in Children Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Single-center Double-blind Randomized Noninferiority Study.

OBJECTIVE: The current work was designed to compare the effects of ciprofol and propofol on left ventricular systolic function and myocardial work by noninvasive speckle-tracking echocardiography in children undergoing surgical repair of atrial septal or ventricular septal defects. DESIGN: A single-center double-blind randomized noninferiority study was conducted. SETTING: The research occurred at a tertiary care center affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and twelve children aged 1 month to 16 years undergoing atrial septal or ventricular septal defect surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were included. INTERVENTIONS: One hundred and twelve children were allocated randomly to receive ciprofol (n = 67) or propofol (n = 45) in a 1.5:1 ratio. Ciprofol or propofol were intravenously infused at loading doses of 0.4 mg/kg or 2.0 mg/kg, respectively, over 30 seconds, depending on the physical condition of each patient. When the bispectral index was maintained between 45 and 55 after induction, transthoracic echocardiography, including apical two-chamber, three-chamber, and four-chamber views, were collected bedside. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of the 112 patients enrolled, 104 completed the study. Global longitudinal strain in the ciprofol and propofol groups after anesthesia was -17.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] -18.0% to -16.6%) and -17.8% (95% CI -18.7 to -17.0%) in the full analysis set and -17.5% (95% CI -18.2% to -16.9%) and -17.8% (95% CI -18.7% to -17.0%) in the per-protocol set, respectively. The noninferiority margin was set at 2% and confirmed with a lower limit of two-sided 95% CI for the intergroup difference of 1.58% in the full analysis set and 1.34% in the per-protocol set. There were no significant differences between the groups in left ventricular systolic and diastolic function and myocardial work indices. Postoperative vasoactive-inotropic score, NT-proBNP, duration of mechanical ventilation, and the length of stay in the cardiac intensive care unit and hospital were also comparable between the two groups (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ciprofol did not show different effects on myocardial function and postoperative outcomes from propofol. Further, on the sensitive cardiac systole marker global longitudinal strain, ciprofol demonstrated noninferiority to propofol. Ciprofol might be an alternative solution for cardiac anesthesia in children with congestive heart disease with mild lesion.

Correlation of Transthoracic Echocardiographic Estimates of Right Ventricular Pressure with Right Ventricular Pressure Measurements on Cardiac Catheterization in Children with Pulmonary Hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the correlation of non-invasive echocardiographic estimates of right ventricular systolic pressure with measurements on cardiac catheterization in children with pulmonary hypertension. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Quaternary academic children's hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients younger than 18 years with a diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and confirmatory cardiac catheterization from 2015 to 2018. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We analyzed the correlation between measures of right ventricular systolic pressure using nonparametric Spearman rho (ρ) with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Children (N = 111) with biventricular circulation, strictly defined pulmonary hypertension, and adequate tricuspid regurgitation on echocardiogram to estimate right ventricular systolic pressure using the modified Bernoulli equation. Median age and weight were 4.3 years and 14.4 kg. Median right ventricular systolic pressure estimated by tricuspid regurgitant velocity on echocardiography was 55 mmHg (IQR 45-75 mmHg) plus right atrial pressure. On cardiac catheterization, median right ventricular systolic pressure was 57 mmHg (IQR 46-75 mmHg). Echocardiographic estimates of right ventricular systolic pressure were moderately well correlated with right ventricular systolic pressure directly measured on catheterization (ρ = 0.44, 95% CI 0.27-0.6, p < 0.001) with a median difference of 4 mmHg (IQR -10 to 17). Subgroup analysis revealed that echocardiography and catheterization measurements correlated well in children with suprasystemic right ventricular pressure on cardiac catheterization (ρ = 0.75, 95% CI 0.51-0.99, p < 0.001) although catheterization measurements were a median of 26 mmHg (IQR 12-31) higher than echocardiographic estimates in this subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: In children with pulmonary hypertension, echocardiographic estimates of right ventricular pressure correlated moderately well with gold standard measurements by cardiac catheterization with stronger correlation in children with suprasystemic right ventricular pressures. This is reassuring for clinicians who must rely on echocardiography for risk stratification before anesthetizing children with pulmonary hypertension.

Recent Development of Functional Bio-Based Epoxy Resins.

The development of epoxy resins is mainly dependent on non-renewable petroleum resources, commonly diglycidyl ether bisphenol A (DGEBA)-type epoxy monomers. Most raw materials of these thermoset resins are toxic to the health of human beings. To alleviate concerns about the environment and health, the design and synthesis of bio-based epoxy resins using biomass as raw materials have been widely studied in recent decades to replace petroleum-based epoxy resins. With the improvement in the requirements for the performance of bio-based epoxy resins, the design of bio-based epoxy resins with unique functions has attracted a lot of attention, and bio-based epoxy resins with flame-retardant, recyclable/degradable/reprocessable, antibacterial, and other functional bio-based epoxy resins have been developed to expand the applications of epoxy resins and improve their competitiveness. This review summarizes the research progress of functional bio-based epoxy resins in recent years. First, bio-based epoxy resins were classified according to their unique function, and synthesis strategies of functional bio-based epoxy resins were discussed, then the relationship between structure and performance was revealed to guide the synthesis of functional bio-based epoxy resins and stimulate the development of more types of functional bio-based epoxy resins. Finally, the challenges and opportunities in the development of functional bio-based epoxy resins are presented.

1D Covalent Organic Frameworks Triggering Highly Efficient Photosynthesis of H2 O2 via Controllable Modular Design.

The topological diversity of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) enables considerable space for exploring their structure-performance relationships. In this study, we report a sequence of novel 1D COFs (EO, ES, and ESe-COF) with typical 4-c sql topology that can be interconnected with VIA group elements (O, S, and Se) via a modular design strategy. It is found that the electronic structures, charge delivery property, light harvesting ability, and hydrophilicity of these 1D COFs can be profoundly influenced by the bridge-linked atom ordinal. Finally, EO-COF, possessing the highest quantity of active sites, the longest lifetime of the active electron, the strongest interaction with O2 , and the lowest energy barrier of O2 reduction, exhibits exceptional photocatalytic O2 -to-H2 O2 activity under visible light, with a production rate of 2675 µmol g-1 h-1 and a high apparent quantum yield of 6.57 % at 450 nm. This is the first systematic report on 1D COFs for H2 O2 photosynthesis, which enriches the topological database in reticular chemistry and promotes the exploration of structure-catalysis correlation.

HClO-Mediated Photoelectrochemical Epoxidation of Alkenes with Near 100 % Conversion Rate and Selectivity by Regulating Lattice Chlorine Cycle.

Directional organic transformation via a green, sustainable catalytic reaction has attracted a lot of attention. Herein, we report a photoelectrochemical approach for highly selective epoxidation of alkenes in a salt solution using Co2 (OH)3 Cl (CoOCl) as a bridge of photo-generated charge, where the lattice Cl- of CoOCl can be oxidized to generate HClO by the photo-generated holes of BiVO4 photoanode and be spontaneously recovered by Cl- of a salt solution, which then oxidizes the alkenes into the corresponding epoxides. As a result, a series of water-soluble alkenes, including 4-vinylbenzenesulfonic acid sodium, 2-methyl-2-propene-1-sulfonic acid sodium, and 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol can be epoxidized with near 100 % conversion rate and selectivity. Through further inserting a MoOx protection layer between BiVO4 and CoOCl, the stability of CoOCl-MoOx /BiVO4 can be maintained for at least 120 hours. This work opens an avenue for solar-driven organic epoxidation with a possibility of on-site reaction around the abundant ocean.

Spaced Double Hydrogen Bonding in an Imidazole Poly Ionic Liquid Composite for Highly Efficient and Selective Photocatalytic Air Reductive H2O2 Synthesis.

Photocatalytic oxygen reductive H2O2 production is a promising approach to alternative industrial anthraquinone processes while suffering from the requirement of pure O2 feedstock for practical application. Herein, we report a spaced double hydrogen bond (IC-H-bond) through multi-component Radziszewski reaction in an imidazole poly-ionic-liquid composite (SI-PIL-TiO2) and levofloxacin hydrochloride (LEV) electron donor for highly efficient and selective photocatalytic air reductive H2O2 production. It is found that the IC-H-bond formed by spaced imino (-NH-) group of SI-PIL-TiO2 and carbonyl (-C=O) group of LEV can switch the imidazole active sites characteristic from a covered state to a fully exposed one to shield the strong adsorption of electron donor and N2 in the air, and propel an intenser positive potential and more efficient orbitals binding patterns of SI-PIL-TiO2 surface to establish competitive active sites for selectivity O2 chemisorption. Moreover, the high electron enrichment of imidazole as an active site for the 2e- oxygen reduction ensures the rapid reduction of O2. Therefore, the IC-H-bond enables a total O2 utilization and conversion efficiency of 94.8 % from direct photocatalytic air reduction, achieving a H2O2 production rate of 1518 µmol/g/h that is 16 and 23 times compared to poly-ionic-liquid composite without spaced imino groups (PIL-TiO2) and TiO2, respectively.

HSPB8 facilitates prostate cancer progression via activating the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Prostate cancer (PC) is a clinically and biologically heterogeneous disease that lacks effective treatment. Heat shock protein B8 (HSPB8) is an important factor in the progression of various types of cancer. However, the clinical significance and biological role of HSPB8 in PC are still unclear. In this study, we determined HSPB8 expression in PC tissues by immunohistochemical staining and explored the in vitro functions of HSPB8 using HSPB8 knockdown DU145 and LNcap PC cell lines. The in vivo effect of HSPB8 was explored by a subcutaneous xenograft mice model. The human phospho-kinase array and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 activator were utilized to explore the potential mechanism of HSPB8-induced PC progression. As a result, we found that HSPB8 was abundantly expressed in PC tissues and cell lines. HSPB8 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and migration, promoted apoptosis and cycle repression, as well as weakened tumorigenesis ability. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that HSPB8 facilitates the malignant phenotypes of PC by activating the Janus kinase/STAT3 signaling pathway. These results proposed that HSPB8 seems to be an attractive therapeutic target for PC patients.

Tailoring the Nanoporosity and Photoactivity of Metal-Organic Frameworks With Rigid Dye Modulators for Toluene Purification.

Facile synthesis of hierarchically porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with adjustable porosity and high crystallinity attracts great attention yet remains challenging. Herein, a micromolar amount of dye-based modulator (Rhodamine B (RhB)) is employed to easily and controllably tailor the pore size of a Ti-based metal-organic framework (MIL-125-NH2 ). The RhB used in this method is easily removed by washing or photodegradation, avoiding secondary posttreatment. It is demonstrated that the carboxyl functional group and the steric effects of RhB are indispensable for enlarging the pore size of the MIL-125-NH2 . The resulting hierarchically porous MIL-125-NH2 (RH-MIL-125-NH2 ) exhibits optimized adsorption and photocatalytic activity because the newly formed mesopore with defects concurrently facilitates mass transport of guest molecules (toluene) and photogenerated charge separation. This work offers a meaningful basis for the construction of hierarchically porous MOFs and demonstrates the superiority of the hierarchical pore structure for adsorption and heterogeneous catalysis.

Roles of increased NUCKS1 expression in endometriosis.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is still a difficult problem for women. The Nuclear Ubiquitous Casein and cyclin-dependent Kinase Substrate 1 (NUCKS1) gene is located on human chromosome 1q32.1. It encodes the NUCKS1 protein, a 27 kDa nuclear DNA binding protein that plays an important role in cell growth and proliferation. NUCKS1 plays an important role in the development of many diseases. However, its role in endometriosis is unclear. METHODS: Ectopic endometrial tissues and normal tissue specimens were collected, and the expression of NUCKS1, NF-κB and PI3K was detected by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Inhibition of NUCKS1 in hEM15A cells, study the changes in cell viability, apoptosis, migration and protein expression by CCK8 assay, flow cytometry, wound-healing assay, western blot and ELISA techniques. The comparison of differences between the two groups was implemented using unpaired sample t test or Mann-whitney U test. One-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-wallis test was used for comparisons among the three groups. RESULTS: (1) NUCKS1 is highly expressed in endometriosis tissues. (2) Inhibition of NUCKS1 decreases cell viability and capability of migration, and increases apoptosis in endometriosis cells. (3) Expressions of NF-κB and PI3K are increased in endometriosis tissues, and inhibition of NUCKS1 decreases the expression levels of PI3K and NF-κB in endometriosis cells. (4) Inhibition of NUCKS1 decreases the expression of VEGF. CONCLUSION: (1) NUCKS1 is overexpressed in endometriosis, and inhibition of NUCKS1 inhibits cell viability and capability of migration, and increases apoptosis. (2) NUCKS1 promotes the progress of endometriosis through activating PI3K and NF-κB pathways, and VEFG is also involved in this process.

Prevalence and outcomes of rapidly progressive dementia: a retrospective cohort study in a neurologic unit in China.

BACKGROUND: Rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) is a syndrome originating from various diseases. Recent advances have allowed a better understanding of its categories and spectrum; however, it remains challenging to make an accurate differential diagnosis and prognosis prediction. METHODS: This study was a retrospective evaluation of all participants admitted to the neurology department of a single center in China from January 2015 to December 2019. The screened patients met the RPD criteria and their characteristics were collected to explore a diagnostic pattern of RPD. In addition, outcomes of RPD were evaluated with the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), activities of daily living scale (ADL), and simplified Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and different prognostic analysis methods were performed to determine the prognostic factors of RPD. RESULTS: A total of 149 RPD patients among 15,731 inpatients were identified with an average MMSE value of 13.0 ± 4.6 at baseline. Etiological epidemiology revealed infectious, neurodegenerative and toxic/metabolic diseases as the three largest groups, accounting for 26.2%, 20.8% and 16.8% of all cases, respectively. In particular, prevalence rates of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (13.4%), Alzheimer's disease (11.4%), carbon monoxide poisoning (8.1%), neurosyphilis (5.4%) and dementia with Lewy bodies (5.4%) were highest in this series. A recommended diagnostic framework for RPD etiology was thus established. Follow-up evaluations showed a negative correlation between age and GOS scores (r=-0.421, P < 0.001), as well as age and simplified MMSE scores (rs =- 0.393, P < 0.001), and a positive correlation between age and ADL scores (rs =0.503, P < 0.001), and significantly different GOS, ADL and simplified MMSE scores across various etiologies (P = 0.003; F = 9.463, P < 0.001; F = 6.117, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Infectious, neurodegenerative and toxic-metabolic entities were the most common RPD categories, and establishing a practical approach to RPD etiology would allow better disease management.

Synthesis of Daidzein and Thiophene Containing Benzoxazine Resin and Its Thermoset and Carbon Material.

In this work, a novel bio-based high-performance bisbenzoxazine resin was synthesized from daidzein, 2-thiophenemethylamine and paraformaldehyde. The chemical structure was confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The polymerization process was systematically studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and in situ FT-IR spectra. It can be polymerized through multiple polymerization behaviors under the synergistic reaction of thiophene rings with benzopyrone rather than a single polymerization mechanism of traditional benzoxazines, as reported. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and a microscale combustion calorimeter (MCC) were used to study the thermal stability and flame retardancy of the resulting polybenzoxazine. The thermosetting material showed a high carbon residue rate of 62.8% and a low heat release capacity (HRC) value of 33 J/gK without adding any flame retardants. Based on its outstanding capability of carbon formation, this newly obtained benzoxazine resin was carbonized and activated to obtain a porous carbon material doped with both sulfur and nitrogen. The CO2 absorption of the carbon material at 0 °C and 25 °C at 1 bar was 3.64 mmol/g and 3.26 mmol/g, respectively. The above excellent comprehensive properties prove its potential applications in many advanced fields.