A novel EZH1/2 dual inhibitor inhibits GCB DLBCL through Cell Cycle Regulation and M2 Tumor-Associated Macrophage Polarization.

The incidence of germinal center B-cell-like type diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (GCB DLBCL) is steadily increasing, with a known hereditary component. Although some molecular mechanisms in GCB DLBCL have been elucidated, understanding remains incomplete, limiting the effectiveness of targeted therapies. In GCB DLBCL patients, abnormally high expression of zeste homologs 2 (EZH2) is noted, and the compensatory effect of EZH1 following EZH2 inhibition contributes to poor prognosis. This highlights the potential of dual targeting of EZH1/2 as a promising strategy. In this study, we developed a novel inhibitor, EZH-1-P2, targeting EZH1/2, and evaluated its anti-tumor effects on DLBCL cells. Mechanistically, inhibition of EZH1/2 affects the epigenetic regulation of gene expression related to p53, impacting cell cycle progression and GCB DLBCL cell growth. Additionally, while EZH1/2 inhibition impacts NOTCH signaling, the precise mechanism by which it affects M2-type tumor-associated macrophage (M2-TAM) polarization and germinal center expansion requires further investigation. Our research introduces EZH-1-P2 as a novel inhibitor with potential as a candidate for GCB DLBCL therapy, although further studies are needed to fully elucidate its mechanisms.

Glutathione-dependent degradation of SMARCA2/4 for targeted lung cancer therapy with improved selectivity.

SMARCA2 and SMARCA4 are the mutually exclusive catalytic subunits of the mammalian Switch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex, and have recently been considered as attractive synthetic lethal targets for PROTAC-based cancer therapy. However, the potential off-tissue toxicity towards normal tissues remains a concern. Here, we optimize a GSH-inducible SMARCA2/4-based PROTAC precursor with selective antitumor activity towards lung cancer cells and negligible cytotoxicity towards normal cells in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The precursor is not bioactive or cytotoxic, but preferentially responds to endogenous GSH in GSH-rich lung cancer cells, releasing active PROTAC to degrade SMARCA2/4 via PROTAC-mediated proteasome pathway. Subsequent xenograft model study reveals that selective SMARCA2/4 degradation in lung tumors triggers DNA damage and apoptosis, which significantly inhibits lung cancer cell proliferation without obvious adverse events towards normal tissues. This study exemplifies the targeted degradation of SMARCA2/4 in lung cancer cells by the GSH-responsive PROTAC precursor, highlighting its potential as an encouraging cancer therapeutic strategy.

JrPPO1/2 play distinct roles in regulating walnut fruit browning by different spatiotemporal expression and enzymatic characteristics.

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity drives walnut fruit browning, but the roles of its only two-family genes, JrPPO1 and JrPPO2, remain unclear. This study explores the spatiotemporal expression and enzymatic characteristics of JrPPO1 and JrPPO2 in walnut. Treatment with the PPO activator CuSO4 and H2O2 accelerated fruit browning and up-regulated JrPPO1/2 expression, whereas treatment with the PPO inhibitor ascorbic acid delayed browning, down-regulating JrPPO1 and up-regulating JrPPO2 expression. Compared to mJrPPO1, mJrPPO2 can exhibited better enzyme activity at higher temperatures (47 °C) and in more acidic environments (pH 4.25). mJrPPO2 exhibited a higher substrate specificity over mJrPPO1, and the preferred substrates are catechol, chlorogenic acid, and epicatechin. Additionally, mJrPPO2 adapted better to low concentration of oxygen (as low as 1.0% O2) and slightly elevated CO2 levels compared to mJrPPO1. Subcellular localization and spatiotemporal expression patterns showed that JrPPO1 is only expressed in green tissues and located in chloroplasts, while JrPPO2 is also located in chloroplasts, partly associated with membranes, and is expressed in both green and non-green tissues. Silencing JrPPO1/2 with virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) reduced fruit browning, maintained higher total phenols, and decreased MDA production. Notably, silencing JrPPO1 had a greater impact on browning than JrPPO2, indicating JrPPO1's greater contribution to PPO activity and fruit browning in walnut fruits. Consequently, JrPPO1 can be effectively regulated both at the molecular level and by manipulating environmental conditions, to achieve the objective of controlling fruit browning.

Circ_0050444 represses esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression through sponging miR-486-3p to upregulate C10orf91.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) ranks as the fourth leading cause of tumor-related deaths in China. Circ_0050444 has been revealed to be downregulated in ESCC tissues, however, its function and molecular mechanism underlying ESCC progression is unknown. Therefore, we attempted to clarify the functional role and molecular mechanism of circ_0050444 underlying ESCC progression. RT-qPCR and RNase R digestion assays were used to evaluate circ_0050444 expression and stability characteristics in ESCC cells. Gain-of-function assays were conducted to clarify circ_0050444 role in ESCC cell malignant behaviors. Bioinformatics and mechanism experiments were performed to assess the relationship between circ_0050444 or C10orf91 and miR-486-3p in ESCC cells. Rescue assays were conducted to evaluate the regulatory function of the circ_0050444-miR-486-3p-C10orf91 axis in ESCC cellular processes. Circ_0050444 expression was found to be downregulated both in ESCC patient tissues and cell lines. Functionally, circ_0050444 overexpression repressed ESCC cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive capabilities in cultured cells. Mechanistically, circ_0050444 was found to be competitively bound with miR-486-3p to upregulate C10orf91 in ESCC cells. Moreover, the impact of circ_0050444 elevation on ESCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion was countervailed by C10orf91 silencing. Circ_0050444 presents downregulation and functions as a tumor suppressor in ESCC progression. Circ_0050444 suppresses ESCC proliferation, migration, and invasion through sponging miR-486-3p to upregulate C10orf91, providing a potential new direction for seeking therapeutic plans for ESCC.

Potential of novel iron 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylate loaded on biochar to reduce ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions and its associated biological mechanism during composting.

In this study, a novel iron 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylate loaded on biochar (BC-FeBTC) was developed and applied to kitchen waste composting. The results demonstrated that the emissions of NH3 and N2O were significantly reduced by 57.2% and 37.8%, respectively, compared with those in control group (CK). Microbiological analysis indicated that BC-FeBTC addition altered the diversity and abundance of community structure as well as key functional genes. The nitrification genes of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were enhanced, thereby promoting nitrification and reducing the emission of NH3. The typical denitrifying bacterium, Pseudomonas, and critical functional genes (nirS, nirK, and nosZ) were significantly inhibited, contributing to reduced N2O emissions. Network analysis further revealed the important influence of BC-FeBTC in nitrogen transformation driven by functional microbes. These findings offer crucial scientific foundation and guidance for the application of novel materials aimed at mitigating nitrogen loss and environmental pollution during composting.

Dichapetalin-type triterpenoids from Dichapetalum longipetalum and their anti-inflammatory activity.

A phytochemical research on the twigs of Dichapetalum longipetalum (Turcz.) Engl. Resulted in five undescribed dichapetalin-type triterpenoids 1-5. Their chemical structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis of HR-ESIMS and NMR spectra and the absolute configuration of compound 1 was completely elucidated by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Through preliminary anti-inflammatory activity assessment, compound 1 exhibited inhibitory effect on LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 murine macrophages with an IC50 value of 2.09 µM.

LncRNA LINC00667 gets involved in clear cell renal cell carcinoma development and chemoresistance by regulating the miR-143-3p/ZEB1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is identified as a malignant tumor in the urinary tract. The research was an attempt to probe the biological function and molecular mechanism of lncRNA LINC00667 in ccRCC development. METHODS: qRT-PCR monitored LINC00667, miR-143-3p, and ZEB1 levels. The models of LINC00667, miR-143-3p, and ZEB1 overexpression or knockdown were constructed in ccRCC cells. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of the cells were detected. The levels of apoptosis-associated proteins and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins, and ZEB1 were detected by WB. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay identified the binding association between LINC00667 and miR-143-3p, miR-143-3p and ZEB1. Moreover, a xenograft tumor model in nude mice was used for evaluating tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS: LINC00667 and ZEB1 displayed high expression in ccRCC tissues and cells. miR-143-3p was lowly expressed in ccRCC tissues and cells. LINC00667 targeted and repressed miR-143-3p, which inhibited ZEB1 expression in a targeted manner. Overexpression of LINC00667 facilitated ccRCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT and retarded apoptosis, whereas LINC00667 knockdown or miR-143-3p overexpression exerted reverse effects. The rescue experiments indicated that overexpressing miR-143-3p dampened LINC00667-mediated oncogenic effects. Overexpressing ZEB1 diminished miR-143-3p-mediated tumor-suppressive effects. In-vivo experiments displayed that overexpression of LINC00667 contributed to the tumor growth of ccRCC cells, in contrast to miR-143-3p overexpression, which restrained the tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: LINC00667 is up-regulated in ccRCC and enhances the ZEB1 expression by targeting miR-143-3p, which in turn accelerates ccRCC progression and induces chemoresistance.

Urological Tumor: A Narrative Review of Tertiary Lymphatic Structures.

BACKGROUND: Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs), as ectopic lymphoid-like tissues, are highly similar to secondary lymphoid organs and are not only involved in chronic inflammation and autoimmune responses but are also closely associated with tumor immunotherapy and prognosis. The complex composition of the urological tumor microenvironment not only varies greatly in response to immunotherapy, but the prognostic value of TLSs in different urological tumors remains controversial. SUMMARY: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and other full-text database systems. TLSs, kidney cancer, uroepithelial cancer, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer as keywords, relevant literature was searched from the time the library was built to 2023. Systematically explore the role and mechanism of TLSs in urological tumors. It includes the characteristics of TLSs, the role and mechanism of TLSs in urological tumors, and the clinical significance of TLSs in urological tumors. KEY MESSAGES: The prognostic role of TLSs in different urological tumors was significantly different. It is not only related to its enrichment in the tumor but also highly correlated with the location of the tumor. In addition, autoimmune toxicity may be a potential barrier to its role in the formation of TLSs through induction. Therefore, studying the mechanisms of TLSs in autoimmune diseases may help in the development of antitumor target drugs.

Walnut green husk extract enhances the effect of chlorine dioxide on kernel quality and antioxidant properties of fresh-eating walnuts during their shelf life.

Fresh-eating walnuts are perishable and become mildewed during shelf life, limiting their sales span. The effects of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) alone and its combination with walnut green husk extract (WGHE) on shelf stored fresh walnuts were investigated to develop a pollution-free preservative for the produce. The initial development of mildew incidence was delayed by both treatments under 25 °C, whereas, WGHE + ClO2 acted more effectively than ClO2 under 5 °C. The WGHE + ClO2 treatment presented superior effects on improving moisture, soluble sugar and total phenol content, alleviating loss of oil and unsaturated fatty acid and delaying peroxide value increase of walnut kernels at both temperatures. Both treatments inhibited the activities of three lipolytic enzymes and two oxidases at 25 °C and 5 °C, WGHE + ClO2 acted more effectively at 5 °C. The results guide the combined application of WGHE with ClO2 on shelf preservation of fresh walnut.

Effects of somatostatin in combination with early hemoperfusion on inflammatory, hemorheological and oxidative parameters during the treatment of acute pancreatitis / Efectos de la somatostatina en combinación con hemoperfusión precoz sobre parámetros inflamatorios, hemorreológicos y oxidativos durante el tratamiento de la pancreatitis aguda

Abstract We aimed to evaluate the effects of somatostatin combined with early hemoperfusion on inflammatory and stress responses during acute pancreatitis (AP) treatment. A total of 159 AP patients treated from September 2016 to January 2020 were randomly divided into three groups A-C (n=53). In addition to routine treatment, groups A-C were additionally given somatostatin, early hemoperfusion, and somatostatin combined with early hemoperfusion, respectively. Their inflammatory factors, stress response, intestinal mucosal barrier, hemorheological indices, recovery time, length of stay, clinical efficacy, and adverse reactions were compared. The levels of serum interleukin-10 (IL - 10), catalase and glutathione peroxidase rose in the three groups after ten days of treatment, compared with values before treatment, being the highest rise in group C. The levels of IL -18, tumor necrosis factor-α, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, procalcitonin, high mobility group protein B1, lipid hydrogen peroxide, advanced oxidation protein products, epinephrine, cortisol, D-lactic acid, diamine oxidase, and endotoxin decreased after ten days of treatment compared with those before treatment, which were lowest in group C (P<0.05). After ten days of treatment, the levels of hemorheological indices were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05). Compared with groups A and B, group C had a shorter recovery time of urine amylase, bowel sound and passing gas, remission time of abdominal pain, length of stay, and a higher total response rate (P<0.05). During AP treatment, somatostatin combined with early hemoperfusion effectively relieved inflammatory and stress responses, protected the intestinal mucosal barrier function and improved the hemorheology, thereby promoting the recovery and benefiting the prognosis of patients.

Resumen Nuestro objetivo fue evaluar los efectos de la somatostatina combinada con hemoperfusión temprana sobre las respuestas inflamatorias y de estrés durante el tratamiento de la pancreatitis aguda (PA). Un total de 159 pacientes con PA tratados entre septiembre de 2016 y enero de 2020 se dividieron aleatoriamente en tres grupos A-C (n=53). Con base en el tratamiento de rutina, los grupos A-C recibieron además somatostatina, hemoperfusión temprana y somatostatina combinada con hemoperfusión temprana, respectivamente. Se compararon sus factores inflamatorios, respuesta al estrés, barrera de la mucosa intestinal, índices hemorreológicos, tiempo de recuperación, tiempo de estancia, eficacia clínica y reacciones adversas. Los niveles séricos de interleucina-10 (IL -10), catalasa y glutatión peroxidasa aumentaron en los tres grupos después de 10 días de tratamiento, comparados con los valores antes del tratamiento, siendo más elevados en el grupo C. Los niveles de IL - 18, factor de necrosis tumoral α, molécula de adhesión intercelular 1 soluble, procalcitonina, proteína B1 del grupo de alta movilidad, peróxido de hidrógeno lipídico, los productos proteicos de oxidación avanzada, epinefrina, cortisol, ácido D-láctico, diaminooxidasa y endotoxina disminuyeron después de 10 días de tratamiento en comparación con los previos al tratamiento, que fueron más bajos en el grupo C (P<0,05). Después de 10 días de tratamiento, los índices hemorreológicos fueron significativamente menores que los previos al tratamiento (P<0,05). En comparación con los grupos A y B, el grupo C tuvo un tiempo de recuperación más corto de amilasa en orina, sonido y escape intestinal, tiempo de remisión del dolor abdominal y tiempo de estancia, y una tasa de respuesta total más alta (P<0,05). Durante el tratamiento de la AP, la somatostatina combinada con hemoperfusión precoz alivia eficazmente las respuestas inflamatorias y de estrés, protege la función de la barrera de la mucosa intestinal y mejora la hemorología, favoreciendo la recuperación y beneficiando el pronóstico de los pacientes.

Prognostic significance of expression of myogenin and OCT4 in glioma.

BACKGROUND: Glioma is the most common extracranial solid tumor of children. The malignant (cancer) cells form in neural crest cell of the adrenal gland. In this study we investigate the expressions of myogenin and OCT4 in Glioma which might be used as prognostic makers for this deteriorated disease. METHODS: We used Quantitative Fluorescence PCR (QF-PCR), Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western-blotting to measure the expression level of myogenin and OCT4 in surgical removed glioma from 41 patients in our hospital. RESULTS: Compared to the healthy children the expression of myogenin and OCT4 was significantly increased in both mRNA and protein level in Glioma tumor cells. In addition, these expressions increased as glioma deterioration. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggesting the expression of myogenin and Oct4 may be useful indicators for predicting the prognosis of children with glioma.

Tiny Drosophila intestinal stem cells, big power.

The signaling pathways are highly conserved between Drosophila and mammals concerning intestinal development, regeneration, and disease. The powerful genetic tools of Drosophila make it a valuable and convenient alternative to answer basic biological questions that can not be addressed using mammalian models. In this review, we discuss recent advances in how we use fly midgut to answer the following key questions: (1) How intestine stem cell niches are established; (2) which factors control asymmetric division of stem cells; (3) how intestinal cells interact with environmental factors, such as tissue damage, microbiota, and diet; (4) how to screen aging/cancer-related factors or drugs by fly intestine stem cells.

The association of tumor diameter with lymph node metastasis and recurrence in patients with endometrial cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Tumor diameter (TD)/original lesion area has been reported to have a certain predictive effect on lymph node metastasis (LNM) and recurrence of endometrial cancer (EC) patients, but there is still controversy about their relationship. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to provide reference for clinical management and follow-up studies of patients with EC. Methods: The databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP, and Wanfang were searched, from inception to 27 October 2022, for studies regarding the association of TD with LNM risk and recurrence rate in EC. The search strategy was developed using a combination of free terms and medical subject headings (MeSH). Stata 15.0 was used to conduct the statistical analysis. Odds ratio (OR) with the 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to evaluate the association of TD and the risk of LNM and recurrence in EC patients. The OR value obtained from the multivariate analysis is first extracted; the results of univariate analysis were extracted for articles without the results of multivariate analysis. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) assessed the quality of the included articles, publication bias was evaluated by Egger's test with funnel plots. Results: There was a total of 69 studies 123,383 EC patients included. Meta-analysis showed higher LNM risk in EC patients with the TD >2 cm, which was 2.88 times higher than that in those with ≤2 cm, and the difference was statistically significant (OR =2.88; 95% CI: 2.12-3.89; P<0.001), publication bias had no effect on the results. The risk of recurrence in EC patients with a TD >2 cm was 2.45 times higher than that in those with ≤2 cm (OR =2.45; 95% CI: 1.73-3.48; P<0.001), publication bias exerted influence over the results. Conclusions: TD is associated with LNM and recurrence in patients with EC. Therefore, TD should be considered in the scope of surgery and adjuvant therapy.

Tunable Ammonia Adsorption within Metal-Organic Frameworks with Different Unsaturated Metal Sites.

Ammonia (NH3) emissions during agricultural production can cause serious consequences on animal and human health, and it is quite vital to develop high-efficiency adsorbents for NH3 removal from emission sources or air. Porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as the most promising candidates for the capture of NH3, offer a unique solid adsorbent design platform. In this work, a series of MOFs with different metal centers, ZnBTC, FeBTC and CuBTC, were proposed for NH3 adsorption. The metal centers of the three MOFs are coordinated in a different manner and can be attacked by NH3 with different strengths, resulting in different adsorption capacities of 11.33, 9.5, and 23.88 mmol/g, respectively. In addition, theoretical calculations, powder XRD patterns, FTIR, and BET for the three materials before and after absorption of ammonia were investigated to elucidate their distinctively different ammonia absorption mechanisms. Overall, the study will absolutely provide an important step in designing promising MOFs with appropriate central metals for the capture of NH3.

A Combined Experimental and Computational Study on the Adsorption Sites of Zinc-Based MOFs for Efficient Ammonia Capture.

Ammonia (NH3) is a common pollutant mostly derived from pig manure composting under humid conditions, and it is absolutely necessary to develop materials for ammonia removal with high stability and efficiency. To this end, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have received special attention because of their high selectivity of harmful gases in the air, resulting from their large surface area and high density of active sites, which can be tailored by appropriate modifications. Herein, two synthetic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), 2-methylimidazole zinc salt (ZIF-8) and zinc-trimesic acid (ZnBTC), were selected for ammonia removal under humid conditions during composting. The two MOFs, with different organic linkers, exhibit fairly distinctive ammonia absorption behaviors under the same conditions. For the ZnBTC framework, the ammonia intake is 11.37 mmol/g at 298 K, nine times higher than that of the ZIF-8 framework (1.26 mmol/g). In combination with theoretical calculations, powder XRD patterns, FTIR, and BET surface area tests were conducted to reveal the absorption mechanisms of ammonia for the two materials. The adsorption of ammonia on the ZnBTC framework can be attributed to both physical and chemical adsorption. A strong coordination interaction exists between the nitrogen atom from the ammonia molecule and the zinc atom in the ZnBTC framework. In contrast, the absorption of ammonia in the ZIF-8 framework is mainly physical. The weak interaction between the ammonia molecule and the ZIF-8 framework mainly results from the inherent severely steric hindrance, which is related to the coordination mode of the imidazole ligands and the zinc atom of this framework. Therefore, this study provides a method for designing promising MOFs with appropriate organic linkers for the selective capture of ammonia during manure composting.

Elevated Expression of SATB1 Predicts Unfavorable Clinical Outcomes in Colon Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUNDS: Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 (SATB1) belongs to the chromatin-remodeling protein which regulates different genes expression. High expression of SATB1 was found to be associated with the development of certain carcinomas. However, the functions of SATB1 in colon adenocarcinoma (CAC) remains unclear yet. Our study aims to investigate the potential role of SATB1 in CAC and whether it is associated with the unfavorable symptoms of CAC patients. METHODS: The expression pattern of SATB1 was measured in CAC samples and adjacent noncancerous samples through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry staining. We performed univariate and multivariate analyses to evaluate the clinical role of SATB1 in enrolled patients. The Kaplan-Meier analyses and log-rank tests were carried out to assess the clinicopathologic characteristics. The effect of SATB1 in human colon cancer cells was examined through cellular experiments. RESULTS: The expression level of SATB1 in CAC tissues was significantly elevated compared with adjacent control tissues. High expression of SATB1 in tumor tissue was found to be associated with lymph node metastasis and advanced TNM stage. Higher SATB1 level in CAC patients indicated a worse 5-year survival time. Moreover, high SATB1 was defined as an independent poor prognostic factor. Cellular experiments showed that inhibition of the SATB1 protein level in human colon cells could suppress the migration and invasion capabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed that high expression of SATB1 was significantly correlated with the poor clinical features and prognosis of CAC patients. It indicated that SATB1 might serve as a potential prognostic predictor and novel drug target for CAC treatment.

Recent Progress and Future Prospects on All-Organic Polymer Dielectrics for Energy Storage Capacitors.

With the development of advanced electronic devices and electric power systems, polymer-based dielectric film capacitors with high energy storage capability have become particularly important. Compared with polymer nanocomposites with widespread attention, all-organic polymers are fundamental and have been proven to be more effective choices in the process of scalable, continuous, and large-scale industrial production, leading to many dielectric and energy storage applications. In the past decade, efforts have intensified in this field with great progress in newly discovered dielectric polymers, fundamental production technologies, and extension toward emerging computational strategies. This review summarizes the recent progress in the field of energy storage based on conventional as well as heat-resistant all-organic polymer materials with the focus on strategies to enhance the dielectric properties and energy storage performances. The key parameters of all-organic polymers, such as dielectric constant, dielectric loss, breakdown strength, energy density, and charge-discharge efficiency, have been thoroughly studied. In addition, the applications of computer-aided calculation including density functional theory, machine learning, and materials genome in rational design and performance prediction of polymer dielectrics are reviewed in detail. Based on a comprehensive understanding of recent developments, guidelines and prospects for the future development of all-organic polymer materials with dielectric and energy storage applications are proposed.

Flexible and Stretchable Capacitive Sensors with Different Microstructures.

Recently, sensors that can imitate human skin have received extensive attention. Capacitive sensors have a simple structure, low loss, no temperature drift, and other excellent properties, and can be applied in the fields of robotics, human-machine interactions, medical care, and health monitoring. Polymer matrices are commonly employed in flexible capacitive sensors because of their high flexibility. However, their volume is almost unchanged when pressure is applied, and they are inherently viscoelastic. These shortcomings severely lead to high hysteresis and limit the improvement in sensitivity. Therefore, considerable efforts have been applied to improve the sensing performance by designing different microstructures of materials. Herein, two types of sensors based on the applied forces are discussed, including pressure sensors and strain sensors. Currently, five types of microstructures are commonly used in pressure sensors, while four are used in strain sensors. The advantages, disadvantages, and practical values of the different structures are systematically elaborated. Finally, future perspectives of microstructures for capacitive sensors are discussed, with the aim of providing a guide for designing advanced flexible and stretchable capacitive sensors via ingenious human-made microstructures.

Relationship between Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha and Neuropeptide Y Expression and Neurological Function Score in Epileptic Children.

BACKGROUND: To observe the relationship between Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression and neurological function score in epileptic children. METHODS: Fifty-four epileptic children diagnosed and treated in Xuzhou Children's Hospital, China from Feb 2017 to Mar 2018 were collected and included in a research group (RG), while 30 healthy children who underwent physical examination at the same time were included in the control group (CG). ELISA was used to detect the expression of TNF-α and NPY in the serum of children in the two groups, and those before treatment were compared. The National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) and Hamilton Anxiety (HAMA) scores before and after treatment were observed, and Pearson correlation was used to analyze the relationship between the expression levels of TNF-α and NPY in the serum as well as NIHSS and HAMA scores. RESULTS: The expression levels of TNF-α and NPY in the serum of children in the RG were significantly higher than those in the CG (P<0.001). The expression level of TNF-α was positively correlated with the NIHSS and HAMA scores (r=0.748, P<0.001) (r=0.772, P<0.001). The expression level of NPY was positively correlated with the NIHSS and HAMA scores (r=0.768, P<0.001) (r=0.643, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: TNF-α and NPY are highly expressed in epileptic children and are positively correlated with neurological function score.