Vehicle-Assisted UAV Delivery Scheme Considering Energy Consumption for Instant Delivery.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used in instant delivery scenarios. The combined delivery of vehicles and UAVs has many advantages compared to their respective separate delivery, which can greatly improve delivery efficiency. Although a few studies in the literature have explored the issue of vehicle-assisted UAV delivery, we did not find any studies on the scenario of an UAV serving several customers. This study aims to design a new vehicle-assisted UAV delivery solution that allows UAVs to serve multiple customers in a single take-off and takes energy consumption into account. A multi-UAV task allocation model and a vehicle path planning model were established to determine the task allocation of the UAVs as well as the path of UAVs and the vehicle, respectively. The model also considered the impact of changing the payload of the UAV on energy consumption, bringing the results closer to reality. Finally, a hybrid heuristic algorithm based on an improved K-means algorithm and ant colony optimization (ACO) was proposed to solve the problem, and the effectiveness of the scheme was proven by multi-scale experimental instances and comparative experiments.

Research on radiation field and driving based on super-low frequency mechanical antenna array.

Mechanical antennas (MAs) directly use the mechanical motion of electric or magnetic charges to excite electromagnetic waves. The radiation distance of rotating magnetic dipole type mechanical antennas is related to the volume of the radiation source, so the volume of the radiation source is too large for long-distance communication. To solve the above problem, we first establish the magnetic field model and differential equations of motion of the antenna array. Then, we design the prototype of antenna array with operating frequency of 75-125Hz. Finally, we experimentally established the radiation intensity relationship between a single permanent magnet and an array of permanent magnets. The results indicate that our driving model reduces the tolerance of the signal by 47%. Through 2FSK communication experiments, this article verifies the feasibility of extending the communication distance in the form of an array, which provides an important reference for long-distance low-frequency communication.

Antioxidants stimulate BACH1-dependent tumor angiogenesis.

Lung cancer progression relies on angiogenesis, which is a response to hypoxia typically coordinated by hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIFs), but growing evidence indicates that transcriptional programs beyond HIFs control tumor angiogenesis. Here, we show that the redox-sensitive transcription factor BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) controls the transcription of a broad range of angiogenesis genes. BACH1 is stabilized by lowering ROS levels; consequently, angiogenesis gene expression in lung cancer cells, tumor organoids, and xenograft tumors increased substantially following administration of vitamins C and E and N-acetylcysteine in a BACH1-dependent fashion under normoxia. Moreover, angiogenesis gene expression increased in endogenous BACH1-overexpressing cells and decreased in BACH1-knockout cells in the absence of antioxidants. BACH1 levels also increased upon hypoxia and following administration of prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors in both HIF1A-knockout and WT cells. BACH1 was found to be a transcriptional target of HIF1α, but BACH1's ability to stimulate angiogenesis gene expression was HIF1α independent. Antioxidants increased tumor vascularity in vivo in a BACH1-dependent fashion, and overexpressing BACH1 rendered tumors sensitive to antiangiogenesis therapy. BACH1 expression in tumor sections from patients with lung cancer correlated with angiogenesis gene and protein expression. We conclude that BACH1 is an oxygen- and redox-sensitive angiogenesis transcription factor.

Arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 methylates and destabilizes Mxi1 to confer radioresistance in non-small cell lung cancer.

Radioresistance is regarded as the main cause of local recurrence and distant metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms of radioresistance remains incompletely understood. In this study, we find that the arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 interacts with and methylates Mxi1, which promotes the binding of the ß-Trcp ligase to Mxi1, facilitating the ubiquitination and degradation of Mxi1 in lung cancer. Furthermore, genetic blockade of PRMT5 impairs DNA damage repair and enhances lung cancer radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo, and these phenotypes are partially reversed by Mxi1 silencing. More importantly, pharmacological inhibition of PRMT5 with the specific inhibitor EPZ015666 leads to extraordinary radiosensitization in vitro and in vivo in lung cancer. Altogether, our data indicate that PRMT5 methylates and destabilizes Mxi1 to confer radioresistance, suggesting that PRMT5 may be a promising radiosensitization target in non-small cell lung cancer.

Targeting ADRB2 enhances sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer to VEGFR2 tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR2) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have achieved remarkable clinical progress in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer; however, resistance has limited their therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of VEGF-TKI and ICI resistance will help to develop effective treatment strategies for patients with advanced NSCLC. Our results suggested that treatment with VEGFR2-TKIs upregulated ADRB2 expression in NSCLC cells. Propranolol, a common ADRB2 antagonist, significantly enhanced the therapeutic effect of VEGFR2-TKIs by inhibiting the ADRB2 signaling pathway in NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, the treatment-induced ADRB2 upregulation and the enhancement of ADRB2/VEGFR2 interaction caused resistance to VEGFR2-TKIs in NSCLC. And the inhibition of the ADRB2/CREB/PSAT1 signaling pathway sensitized cells to VEGFR2-TKIs. We demonstrated that ADRB2 signaling is crucial in mediating resistance to VEGFR2-TKIs and provided a novel promising combinatory approach to enhance the antitumor effect of VEGFR2-TKIs in NSCLC combining with propranolol.

Targeting KDM4C enhances CD8+ T cell mediated antitumor immunity by activating chemokine CXCL10 transcription in lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has been proven to achieve a persistent therapeutic response in various tumor types, only 20%-40% of patients benefit from this treatment. Radiotherapy (RT) can enhance tumor immunogenicity and improve the ICB response, but the outcome achieved by combining these two modalities remains clinically unsatisfactory. We previously uncovered that lysine-specific demethylase 4C (KDM4C) is a regulator of radiosensitivity in lung cancer. However, the role of KDM4C in antitumor immunity has not yet been investigated. METHODS: Infiltrating immune cells in our mouse tumor model were screened by flow cytometry. An in vivo subcutaneous transplanted tumor model and in vitro conditioned culture model were constructed to detect the quantitative and functional changes in CD8+ T cells. RNA sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR assays were used to explore the downstream regulatory mechanism of KDM4C in antitumor immunity. A C57BL/6 mouse tumor model was developed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a triple therapy (the KDM4C-specific inhibitor SD70 plus RT and an anti-PD-L1 antibody) in lung cancer in vivo. RESULTS: Genetical or pharmacological inhibition of KDM4C specifically increased CD8+ T cell infiltration; promoted the proliferation, migration and activation of CD8+ T cells; and alleviated CD8+ T cell exhaustion in mouse tumor tissues. Mechanistically, KDM4C inhibition increased the binding of H3K36me3 to the CXCL10 promoter region, thus inducing CXCL10 transcription and enhancing the CD8+ T cell mediated antitumor immune response. More importantly, among the tested regimens, the triple therapy achieved the best therapeutic efficacy with tolerable toxicity in lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our data reveal a crucial role for KDM4C in antitumor immunity in lung cancer and indicate that targeting KDM4C in combination with radioimmunotherapy might be a promising synergistic strategy in lung cancer.

REV1 promotes lung tumorigenesis by activating the Rad18/SERTAD2 axis.

REV1 is the central member of the family of TLS polymerases, which participate in various DNA damage repair and tolerance pathways and play a significant role in maintaining genomic stability. However, the role of REV1 in tumors is rarely reported. In this study, we found that the expression of REV1 was significantly upregulated in lung cancer tissues compared with matched adjacent tissues and was associated with poor prognosis. Functional experiments demonstrated that REV1 silencing decreased the growth and proliferation capacity of lung cancer cells. Mechanistically, REV1 upregulated the expression of SERTAD2 in a Rad18-dependent manner, thereby promoting lung carcinogenesis. A novel REV1 inhibitor, JH-RE-06, suppressed lung tumorigenesis in vivo and in vitro and was shown to be safe and well tolerated. Our study confirmed that REV1 is a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for lung cancer and that JH-RE-06 may be a safe and efficient therapeutic agent for NSCLC.

UBE2O targets Mxi1 for ubiquitination and degradation to promote lung cancer progression and radioresistance.

UBE2O, an E2/E3 hybrid ubiquitin-protein ligase, has been implicated in the regulation of adipogenesis, erythroid differentiation, and tumor proliferation. However, its role in cancer radioresistance remains completely unknown. Here, we uncover that UBE2O interacts and targets Mxi1 for ubiquitination and degradation at the K46 residue. Furthermore, we show that genetical or pharmacological blockade of UBE2O impairs tumor progression and radioresistance in lung cancer in vitro and in vivo, and these effects can be restored by Mxi1 inhibition. Moreover, we demonstrate that UBE2O is overexpressed and negatively correlated with Mxi1 protein levels in lung cancer tissues. Collectively, our work reveals that UBE2O facilitates tumorigenesis and radioresistance by promoting Mxi1 ubiquitination and degradation, suggesting that UBE2O is an attractive radiosensitization target for the treatment of lung cancer.

Cyclin K interacts with ß-catenin to induce Cyclin D1 expression and facilitates tumorigenesis and radioresistance in lung cancer.

Rationale: Radioresistance remains the major cause of local relapse and distant metastasis in lung cancer. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly defined. This study aimed to investigate the role and regulatory mechanism of Cyclin K in lung cancer radioresistance. Methods: Expression levels of Cyclin K were measured by immunohistochemistry in human lung cancer tissues and adjacent normal lung tissues. Cell growth and proliferation, neutral comet and foci formation assays, G2/M checkpoint and a xenograft mouse model were used for functional analyses. Gene expression was examined by RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR. Protein-protein interaction was assessed by immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays. Results: We report that Cyclin K is frequently overexpressed and correlates with poor prognosis in lung cancer patients. Functionally, we demonstrate that Cyclin K depletion results in reduced proliferation, defective G2/M checkpoint and enhanced radiosensitivity in lung cancer. Mechanistically, we reveal that Cyclin K interacts with and promotes the stabilization of ß-catenin protein, thereby upregulating the expression of Cyclin D1. More importantly, we show that Cyclin D1 is the major effector that mediates the biological functions of Cyclin K in lung cancer. Conclusions: These findings suggest that Cyclin K positively modulates the ß-catenin/Cyclin D1 axis to promote tumorigenesis and radioresistance in lung cancer, indicating that Cyclin K may represent a novel attractive biomarker for lung cancer radiotherapy.