Mechanistic insights into xanthomicrol as the active anti-HCC ingredient of Phytolacca acinosa Roxb.: A network pharmacology analysis and transcriptomics integrated experimental verification.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (PAR) is a Traditional Chinese Medicinal (TCM) plant with a broad global distribution encompassing 35 species, four of which are found in the People's Republic of China. It occupies a significant role in both Oriental and American traditional medicine, employed in treating a range of conditions such as edema, inflammation, dermatitis, and rheumatism. PAR is also used as a molluscicide and for addressing tumors and bronchitis. The plant is documented in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and has a longstanding history in TCM, particularly for its diuretic properties and in treating ailments such as edema, swelling, and ulcers. Notably, PAR has demonstrated potent inhibitory effects against the A549 human lung cancer cell line, underscoring its potential in contributing to the development of novel cancer therapeutics. AIM OF THE STUDY: The research aims to elucidate the active components of PAR and their mechanisms in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Employing network pharmacology, this study predicted the principal active compounds and key targets of PAR. A holistic methodology incorporating biological network analysis, transcriptomics sequencing, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations was utilized to forecast the effects of PAR on HCC, with empirical evidence supporting these findings. RESULTS: Network pharmacology identified xanthomicrol as the foremost active compound in PAR. The tumor-suppressive functions of PAR, as indicated by KEGG pathway analysis and transcriptomics sequencing, predominantly occur via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations demonstrated the high affinity of xanthomicrol towards TNF, MMP9, PPARG, KDR, and MMP2. In vivo experiments verified the efficacy of xanthomicrol in curtailing HCC tumor growth, while in vitro assessments revealed its substantial impact on the proliferation and apoptosis of HepG2 and HCCLM3 cells. Moreover, the study indicates that xanthomicrol may modulate the expression of TNF, MMP9, PPARG, KDR, and MMP2 in HCC cells and inhibit the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Xanthomicrol, a principal active component of PAR, has been identified to impede the growth of HCC by targeting the PI3K/Akt/MMP9 pathway. This insight could enhance therapeutic approaches for HCC.

Alumina - Stabilized SEI and CEI in Potassium Metal Batteries.

Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanopowder is spin-coated onto both sides of commercial polypropene separator to create artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) and artificial cathode electrolyte interface (CEI) in potassium metal batteries (KMBs). This significantly enhances the stability, including of KMBs with Prussian Blue (PB) cathodes. For example, symmetric cells are stable after 1,000 cycles at 0.5 mA/cm2-0.5 mAh/cm2 and 3.0 mA/cm2-0.5 mAh/cm2. Alumina modified separators promote electrolyte wetting and increase ionic conductivity (0.59 vs. 0.2 mS/cm) and transference number (0.81 vs. 0.23). Cryo-stage focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) analysis of cycled modified anode demonstrates dense and planar electrodeposits, versus unmodified baseline consisting of metal filaments (dendrites) interspersed with pores and SEI. Alumina-modified CEI also suppresses elemental Fe crossover and reduces cathode cracking. Mesoscale modeling of metal - SEI interactions captures crucial role of intrinsic heterogeneities, illustrating how artificial SEI affects reaction current distribution, conductivity and morphological stability.

The single cell immunogenomic landscape after neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined chemotherapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy represents promising strategy in the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the mechanisms underlying its impact on treatment sensitivity or resistance remain a subject of controversy. In this study, we conducted single-cell RNA and T/B cell receptor (scTCR/scBCR) sequencing of CD45+ immune cells on samples from 10 patients who received neoadjuvant immunotherapy and chemotherapy. We also validated our findings using multiplexed immunofluorescence and analyzed bulk RNA-seq from other cohorts in public database. By integrating analysis of 87357 CD45+ cells, we found GZMK + effector memory T cells (Tem) were relatively enriched and CXCL13+ exhausted T cells (Tex) and regulator T cells (Treg) decreased among responders, indicating a persistent anti-tumor memory process. Additionally, the enhanced presence of BCR expansion and somatic hypermutation process within TNFRSF13B + memory B cells (Bmem) suggested their roles in antigen presentation. This was further corroborated by the evidence of the T-B co-stimulation pattern and CXCL13-CXCR5 axis. The complexity of myeloid cell heterogeneity was also particularly pronounced. The elevated expression of S100A7 in ESCC, as detected by bulk RNA-seq, was associated with an exhausted and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In summary, this study has unveiled a potential regulatory network among immune cells and the clonal dynamics of their functions, and the mechanisms of exhaustion and memory conversion between GZMK + Tem and TNFRSF13B + Bmem from antigen presentation and co-stimulation perspectives during neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade treatment in ESCC.

No genetic causal association between iron status and pulmonary artery hypertension: Insights from a two-sample Mendelian randomization.

To explore the genetic causal association between pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and iron status through Mendelian randomization (MR), we conducted MR analysis using publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data. Five indicators related to iron status (serum iron, ferritin, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and transferrin saturation) served as exposures, while PAH was the outcome. The genetic causal association between these iron status indicators and PAH was assessed using the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. Cochran's Q statistic was employed to evaluate heterogeneity. We assessed pleiotropy using MR-Egger regression and MR-Presso test. Additionally, we validated our results using the Weighted median, Simple mode, and Weighted mode methods. Based on the IVW method, we found no causal association between iron status (serum iron, ferritin, TIBC, sTfR, and transferrin saturation) and PAH (p ß > 0.05). The Weighted median, Simple mode, and Weighted mode methods showed no potential genetic causal association (p ß > 0.05 in the three analyses). Additionally, no heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was detected in any of the analyses. Our results show that there are no genetic causal association between iron status and PAH.

Distinct clinical features of transplanted children with Parvovirus B19 infection.

BACKGROUND: The immature and suppressed immune response makes transplanted children a special susceptible group to Parvovirus B19 (PVB19). However, the clinical features of transplanted children with PVB19 infection haven't been comprehensively described. METHODS: We searched the medical records of all the transplant recipients who attended the Children's Hospital of Fudan University from 1 Oct 2020 to 31 May 2023, and reviewed the medical literature for PVB19 infection cases among transplanted children. RESULTS: A total of 10 cases of PVB19 infection were identified in 201 transplanted children at our hospital, and the medical records of each of these cases were shown. Also, we retrieved 40 cases of PVB19 infection among transplanted children from the literature, thus summarizing a total of 50 unique cases of PVB19 infection. The median time to the first positive PVB19 DNA detection was 14 weeks post-transplantation. PVB19 IgM and IgG were detected in merely 26% and 24% of the children, respectively. The incidence of graft loss/dysfunction was as high as 36%. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients showed higher PVB19 load, lower HGB level, greater platelet damage, lower PVB19 IgM/IgG positive rates, and more graft dysfunction than solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients, indicating a more incompetent immune system. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the published data of transplanted adults, transplanted children displayed distinct clinical features upon PVB19 infection, including lower PVB19 IgM/IgG positive rates, more graft dysfunction, and broader damage on hematopoietic cell lines, which was even more prominent in HSCT recipients, thus should be of greater concern.

Disease resistance features of the executor R gene Xa7 reveal novel insights into the interaction between rice and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.

Bacterial blight (BB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is a widespread and destructive disease in rice production. Previously, we cloned an executor R gene, Xa7, which confers durable and broad-spectrum resistance to BB. Here, we further confirmed that the transcription activator-like effector (TALE) AvrXa7 in Xoo strains could directly bind to the effector-binding element (EBE) in the promoter of the Xa7 gene. Other executor R genes (Xa7, Xa10, Xa23, and Xa27) driven by the promoter of the Xa7 gene could be activated by AvrXa7 and trigger the hypersensitive response (HR) in tobacco leaves. When the expression of the Xa23 gene was driven by the Xa7 promoter, the transgenic rice plants displayed a similar resistance spectrum as the Xa7 gene, demonstrating that the disease resistance characteristics of executor R genes are mainly determined by their induction patterns. Xa7 gene is induced locally by Xoo in the infected leaves, and its induction not only inhibited the growth of incompatible strains but also enhanced the resistance of rice plants to compatible strains, which overcame the shortcomings of its race-specific resistance. Transcriptome analysis of the Xa7 gene constitutive expression in rice plants displayed that Xa7-mediated disease resistance was related to the biosynthesis of lignin and thus enhanced resistance to Xoo. Overall, our results provided novel insights and important resources for further clarifying the molecular mechanisms of the executor R genes.

Establishment and comparison of different procedures for modeling intrauterine adhesion in rats: A preliminary study.

The establishment of a stable animal model for intrauterine adhesion (IUA) can significantly enhance research on the pathogenesis and pathological changes of this disease, as well as on the development of innovative therapeutic approaches. In this study, three different modeling methods, including phenol mucilage combined mechanical scraping, ethanol combined mechanical scraping and ethanol modeling alone were designed. The morphological characteristics of the models were evaluated. The underlying mechanisms and fertility capacity of the ethanol modeling group were analyzed and compared to those of the sham surgery group. All three methods resulted in severe intrauterine adhesions, with ethanol being identified as a reliable modeling agent and was subsequently subjected to further evaluation. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR results indicated that the ethanol modeling group exhibited an increase in the degree of fibrosis and inflammation, as well as a significant reduction in endometrial thickness, gland number, vascularization, and endometrial receptivity, ultimately resulting in the loss of fertility capacity. The aforementioned findings indicate that the intrauterine perfusion of 95 % ethanol is efficacious in inducing the development of intrauterine adhesions in rats. Given its cost-effectiveness, efficacy, and stability in IUA formation, the use of 95 % ethanol intrauterine perfusion may serve as a novel platform for evaluating innovative anti-adhesion materials and bioengineered therapies.

OsACA9, an Autoinhibited Ca2+-ATPase, Synergically Regulates Disease Resistance and Leaf Senescence in Rice.

Calcium (Ca2+) is a versatile intracellular second messenger that regulates several signaling pathways involved in growth, development, stress tolerance, and immune response in plants. Autoinhibited Ca2+-ATPases (ACAs) play an important role in the regulation of cellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Here, we systematically analyzed the putative OsACA family members in rice, and according to the phylogenetic tree of OsACAs, OsACA9 was clustered into a separated branch in which its homologous gene in Arabidopsis thaliana was reported to be involved in defense response. When the OsACA9 gene was knocked out by CRISPR/Cas9, significant accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected in the mutant lines. Meanwhile, the OsACA9 knock out lines showed enhanced disease resistance to both rice bacterial blight (BB) and bacterial leaf streak (BLS). In addition, compared to the wild-type (WT), the mutant lines displayed an early leaf senescence phenotype, and the agronomy traits of their plant height, panicle length, and grain yield were significantly decreased. Transcriptome analysis by RNA-Seq showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between WT and the Osaca9 mutant were mainly enriched in basal immune pathways and antibacterial metabolite synthesis pathways. Among them, multiple genes related to rice disease resistance, receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs) and cell wall-associated kinases (WAKs) genes were upregulated. Our results suggest that the Ca2+-ATPase OsACA9 may trigger oxidative burst in response to various pathogens and synergically regulate disease resistance and leaf senescence in rice.

Role of exhaled hydrogen sulfide in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is often accompanied by increased excretion of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). This study aimed to explore the value of exhaled H2S in the diagnosis of CRC. METHODS: A total of 80 people with normal colonoscopy results and 57 patients with CRC were enrolled into the present observational cohort study. Exhaled oral and nasal H2S were detected by Nanocoulomb breath analyser. Results were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were analysed and area under the curves (AUCs) were calculated to assess the diagnostic value of exhaled H2S. Meanwhile, the clinicopathological features, including gender, lesion location and tumour staging of patients with CRC, were also collected and analysed. RESULTS: The amount of exhaled H2S from patients with CRC was significantly higher than that of those with normal colonoscopy results. The ROC curve showed an AUC value of 0.73 and 0.71 based on oral and nasal H2S detection, respectively. The exhaled H2S in patients with CRC was correlated with gender, lesion location and tumour progression, including depth of invasion, lymphatic metastasis and TNM (Tumor, Lymph Nodes, Metastasis) staging. CONCLUSION: Exhaled H2S analysis is a convenient and non-invasive detection method for diagnosing CRC, suggesting a potential role in population screening for CRC.

Efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis for reducing capsular contracture in prosthesis-based breast surgery: a systemic review and meta-analysis.

Antibiotics Prophylaxis to prevent capsular contracture in prosthesis-based breast surgery is common in clinical practice. However, there is currently a dearth of high-quality evidence concerning the effectiveness of antibiotic usage in this field. To identify all pertinent studies prior to January 2023, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Medline databases. The extracted data was then subjected to meta-analysis. Fourteen studies were retained in the analysis. According to the results, perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis did not reduce the risk of capsular contracture (RR 1.15, 95% CI 0.82-1.59, p = 0.55) or surgical-site infection (RD 0.01, 95% CI - 0.01 to 0.03, p = 0.59) compared to nonantibiotic prophylaxis. There was no statistically significant difference between extended antibiotic prophylaxis and perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis in terms of preventing capsular contracture, whether calculated by patient numbers (RD 0.01, 95% CI - 0.01 to 0.02, p = 0.87) or by total procedures (RD 0.00, 95% CI - 0.00 to 0.01, p = 0.88), or controlling surgical-site infection (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.77-1.44, p = 0.27). Additionally, topical antibiotic irrigation did not decrease the risk of infection (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.34-1.08, p = 0.29) and capsular contracture, regardless of patient number (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.27-0.63, p = 0.18) or total number of procedures (RR 1.29, 95% CI 0.73-2.28, p < 0.01). Current evidence revealed that both systemic and topical antibiotic prophylaxis may not provide benefits in preventing capsular contracture in prosthesis-based breast surgery. When the occurrence of surgical-site infections is minimized to the greatest extent, the administration of additional antibiotics for reducing capsular contracture should be carefully and judiciously considered.

Retinal and Conjunctival Vessels in the Diagnosis and Assessment of Behcet's Disease: A New Approach.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the alterations of retinal and conjunctival vessels in patients with Behcet's disease (BD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this case-control study, 17 patients (34 eyes) diagnosed with BD and 17 healthy volunteers (34 eyes) matched by age, sex, blood pressure, and intraocular pressure were recruited. Optical coherence tomography angiography examinations were performed to calculate the vessel density of the retina and conjunctiva according to different sizes of vessels and different zones divided by three segmentation methods of the retina: hemispheric segmentation, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study, and central annulus segmentation. RESULTS: The vessel densities of the superficial macrovascular (P = 0.050), superficial microvascular (P < 0.001), superficial total microvascular (P < 0.001), deep total microvascular (P < 0.001), and deep total microvascular (P < 0.001) were significantly lower in the BD group. The conjunctival vessel density was significantly higher in the BD group (P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of vessel density of the superior right (0.993, 95% CI 0.980-1) and right zones (0.996, 95% CI 0.987-1) were the largest in the superficial and deep retina, respectively. Otherwise, the area under the curve of conjunctival vessel density was 0.728 (95% CI 0.607-0.848). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with BD, retinal vessel density decreases, while conjunctival vessel density increases. Optical coherence tomography angiography provides a new noninvasive and quantitative assessment for retinal and conjunctival vessels. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2024;55:13-21.].

Carbon dioxide activation by discandium dioxide cations in the gas phase: a combined investigation of infrared photodissociation spectroscopy and DFT calculations.

We present a combined computational and experimental study of CO2 activation at the Sc2O2+ metal oxide ion center in the gas phase. Density functional theory calculations on the structures of [Sc2O2(CO2)n]+ (n = 1-4) ion-molecule complexes reveal a typical end-on binding motif as well as bidentate and tridentate carbonate-containing configurations. As the number of attached CO2 molecules increases, activated forms tend to dominate the isomeric populations. Distortion energies are unveiled to account for the conversion barriers from molecularly bound isomers to carbonate structures, and show a monotonically decreasing trend with successive CO2 ligand addition. The infrared photodissociation spectra of target ion-molecule complexes were recorded in the 2100-2500 cm-1 frequency region and interpreted by comparison with simulated IR spectra of low-lying isomers representing distinct configurations, demonstrating a high possibility of carbonate structure formation in current experiments.

Micro electrical fields induced MSC-sEVs attenuate neuronal cell apoptosis by activating autophagy via lncRNA MALAT1/miR-22-3p/SIRT1/AMPK axis in spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a traumatic condition of the central nervous system that causes paralysis of the limbs. Micro electric fields (EF) have been implicated in a novel therapeutic approach for nerve injury repair and regeneration, but the effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles that are induced by micro electric fields (EF-sEVs) stimulation on SCI remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether EF-sEVs have therapeutic effects a rat model of SCI. EF-sEVs and normally conditioned human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells-derived small extracellular vesicles (CON-sEVs) were collected and injected intralesionally into SCI model rats to evaluate the therapeutic effects. We detect the expression of candidate long noncoding RNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (lncRNA-MALAT1) in EF-sEVs and CON-sEVs. The targets and downstream effectors of lncRNA-MALAT1 were investigated using luciferase reporter assays. Using both in vivo and in vitro experiments, we demonstrated that EF-sEVs increased autophagy and decreased apoptosis after SCI, which promoted the recovery of motor function. We further confirmed that the neuroprotective effects of EF-sEVs in vitro and in vivo correlated with the presence of encapsulated lncRNA-MALAT1 in sEVs. lncRNA-MALAT1 targeted miR-22-3p via sponging, reducing miR-22-3p's suppressive effects on its target, SIRT1, and this translated into AMPK phosphorylation and increased levels of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. Collectively, the present study identified that the lncRNA-MALAT1 in EF-sEVs plays a neuroprotective role via the miRNA-22-3p/SIRT1/AMPK axis and offers a fresh perspective and a potential therapeutic approach using sEVs to improve SCI.

Breast-conserving surgery is an appropriate procedure for centrally located breast cancer: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The evidence of breast-conserving therapy (BCT) applied in centrally located breast cancer (CLBC) is absent. This study aims to investigate the long-term survival of breast-conserving therapy (BCT) in centrally located breast cancer (CLBC) compared with mastectomy in CLBC and BCT in non-CLBC. METHODS: Two hundred ten thousand four hundred nine women with unilateral T1-2 breast cancer undergoing BCT or mastectomy were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were assessed via log-rank test. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance baseline features, and the multivariable Cox model was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio [HR] and its 95% confidence interval [CI] for breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 91 months, the BCSS and OS rates in patients who received BCT were greater than those patients treated with mastectomy in the entire CLBC set. Multivariable Cox analyses showed that CLBC patients who received BCT had better BCSS (HR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.55-0.80, p < 0.001) and OS (HR = 0.78, 95%CI: 0.68-0.90, p = 0.001) than patients who received a mastectomy, but there were no significant differences of BCSS (HR = 0.65, 95%CI: 0.47-0.90, p = 0.009) and OS (HR = 0.82, 95%CI: 0.65-1.04, p = 0.110) after PSM. In patients treated with BCT, CLBC patients had a similar BCSS (HR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.87-1.12, p = 0.850) but a worse OS (HR = 1.09, 95%CI: 1.01-1.18, p = 0.040) compared to that of the non-CLBC patient, but there was no significant difference both BCSS (HR = 1.05, 95%CI: 0.88-1.24, p = 0.614) and OS (HR = 1.08, 95%CI: 0.97-1.20, p = 0.168) after PSM. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed that BCT should be an acceptable and preferable alternative to mastectomy for well-selected patients with CLBC.

Single-cell RNA-seq analysis reveals that immune cells induce human nucleus pulposus ossification and degeneration.

Background and aims: Determining the transcriptomes and molecular mechanism underlying human degenerative nucleus pulposus (NP) is of critical importance for treating intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Here, we aimed to elucidate the detailed molecular mechanism of NP ossification and IDD using single-cell RNA sequencing. Methods: Single-cell RNA-seq and bioinformatic analysis were performed to identify NP cell populations with gene signatures, biological processes and pathways, and subpopulation analysis, RNA velocity analysis, and cell-to-cell communication analysis were performed in four IDD patients. We also verified the effects of immune cells on NP ossification using cultured NP cells and a well-established rat IDD model. Results: We identified five cell populations with gene expression profiles in degenerative NP at single-cell resolution. GO database analysis showed that degenerative NP-associated genes were mainly enriched in extracellular matrix organization, immune response, and ossification. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that rheumatoid arthritis signaling, antigen processing and presentation signaling were activated in the blood cell cluster. We revealed that stromal cells, which are progenitor cells, differentiated toward an ossification phenotype and delineated interactions between immune cells (macrophages and T cells) and stromal cells. Immune factors such as TNF-α, CD74 and CCL-3 promoted the differentiation of stromal cells toward an ossification phenotype in vitro. Blocking TNF-α with a specific inhibitor successfully reversed NP ossification and modified NP morphology in vivo. Conclusion: Our study revealed an increase in macrophages and T cells in degenerative NP, which induced stromal cell differentiation toward an ossification phenotype, and contributed to the identification of a novel therapeutic target to delay IDD.

The synthesis of multifunctional cellulose graft alternating copolymers of 3,4-dihydrocoumarin and epoxides in DBU/DMSO/CO2 solvent system.

Cellulose graft copolymers having well-defined structures could incorporate the characteristics of both the cellulose skeleton and side chains, providing a new method for the preparation functionalised cellulose derivatives. Herein, a series of multifunctional cellulose grafted, alternating 3,4-dihydrocoumarin (DHC) and epoxide (EPO) copolymers (cell-g-P(DHC-alt-EPO)) were prepared in a metal-free DBU/DMSO/CO2 solvent system without adding additional catalyst. Four examples of cell-g-P(DHC-alt-EPO) with tunable thermal and optical properties were synthesized by copolymerization of DHC with styrene oxide (SO), propylene oxide (PO), cyclohexene oxide (CHO) or furfuryl glycidyl ether (FGE) onto cellulose. The nonconjugated cell-g-P(DHC-alt-EPO) showed UV absorption properties with the maximum absorption peak at 282 nm and 295 nm and photoluminescence performance. A clustering-triggered emission mechanism was confirmed and consistent with DFT theoretical calculations. In DMSO solution, the copolymer (DHCSO5) with DP of 11.64 showed ACQ behaviour as the concentration increased. In addition, DHCSO5 had good antioxidant capacity with an instantaneous radical scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) up to 65 % at a concentration of 40 mg/ ml and increased to 100 % after 30 min. Thus, the multifunctional cell-g-P(DHC-alt-EPO) materials had a variety of potential applications in the fields of fluorescent printing, bio-imaging, UV- shielding and antioxidants.

Regulating the Polypyrrole Ion-Selective Membrane and Au Solid Contact Layer to Improve the Performance of Nitrate All-Solid Ion-Selective Electrodes.

With polymerization duration and Au3+ concentration of the electrolyte regulated, a desirable nitrate-doped polypyrrole ion-selective membrane (PPy(NO3-)-ISM) and Au solid contact layer of anticipate surface morphology were obtained, and the performance of nitrate all-solid ion-selective electrodes (NS ISEs) was improved. It was found that the roughest PPy(NO3-)-ISM remarkably increases the actual contact surface area of the PPy(NO3-)-ISMs with nitrate solution, which leads to better adsorption of NO3- ions upon the PPy(NO3-)-ISMs, and produces a larger number of electrons. The most hydrophobic Au solid contact layer avoids the formation of the aqueous layer at the interface between the PPy(NO3-)-ISM and Au solid contact layer, and ensures unimpeded transporting of the produced electrons. The PPy-Au-NS ISE for polymerization duration 1800 s and at Au3+ concentration 2.5 mM of the electrolyte displays an optimal nitrate potential response, including a Nernstian slope of 54.0 mV/dec, LOD of 1.1 × 10-4 M, rapid average response time less than 1.9 s, and long-term stability of more than 5 weeks. This indicates that the PPy-Au-NS ISE is an effective working electrode for the electrochemical determination of NO3- concentration.

Infrared photodissociation spectroscopy of mass-selected [TaO3(CO2)n]+ (n = 2-5) complexes in the gas phase.

We report a joint experimental and theoretical study on the structures of gas-phase [TaO3(CO2)n]+ (n = 2-5) ion-molecule complexes. Infrared photodissociation spectra of mass-selected [TaO3(CO2)n]+ complexes were recorded in the frequency region from 2200 to 2450 cm-1 and assigned through comparing with the simulated infrared spectra of energetically low-lying structures derived from quantum chemical calculations. With the increasing number of attached CO2 molecules, the larger clusters show significantly enhanced fragmentation efficiency and a strong band appears at around 2350 cm-1 near the free CO2 antisymmetric stretching vibration band, indicating only a small perturbation of CO2 molecules on the secondary solvation sphere while higher frequency bands corresponding to the core structure remain largely unaffected. A core structure [TaO3(CO2)3]+ is identified to which subsequent CO2 ligands are weakly attached and the most favorable cluster growth path is verified to proceed on the triplet potential energy surface higher in energy than that of ground states. Theoretical exploration reveals a two-state reactivity (TSR) scenario in which the energetically favored triplet transition state crosses over the singlet ground state to form a TaO3+ core ion, providing new information on the cluster formation correlated with the reactivity of tantalum metal oxides towards CO2.

Identified optimal candidates for pulmonary resection in octogenarians with non-small cell lung cancer: a web-based predictive model.

Background: A survival benefit from pulmonary resection was observed in octogenarians with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Meanwhile, the identification of patients who can indeed benefit can be difficult. Therefore, we aimed to establish a web-based predictive model to identify optimal candidates for pulmonary resection. Methods: Octogenarians with NSCLC in Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database were enrolled and split into the surgery and non-surgery groups based on whether they received pulmonary resection. Propensity-score matching (PSM) was utilized to eliminate the imbalance. Independent prognostic factors were identified. Patients in the surgery group who lived longer than the median cancer-specific survival (CSS) time of the non-surgery group were assumed to benefit from the surgery. The surgery group was further divided into the beneficial group and the non-beneficial group based on the median CSS time of the non-surgery group. Among the surgery group, a nomogram was established through a logistic regression model. Results: A total of 14,264 eligible patients were extracted, with 4,475 (31.37%) patients receiving pulmonary resection. Surgery was an independent favorable factor of prognosis after PSM (median CSS time: 58 vs. 14 months, P<0.001). A total of 750 (70.4%) patients lived longer than 14 months (beneficial group) in the surgery group. Factors including age, gender, race, histologic type, differentiation grade, and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage were used to formulate the web-based nomogram. The precise discrimination and predictive capability of the model were validated through receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration plots, and decision curve analyses. Conclusions: A web-based predicted model was constructed to distinguish specific patients who can indeed benefit from pulmonary resection among octogenarians with NSCLC.

Single-Atom Gadolinium Nano-Contrast Agents with High Stability for Tumor T1 Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Gadolinium chelates for tumor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) face challenges such as inadequate sensitivity, lack of selectivity, and risk of Gd leakage. This study presents a single-atom Gd nano-contrast agent (Gd-SA) that enhances tumor MRI. Isolated Gd atoms coordinated by six N atoms and two O atoms are atomically dispersed on a hollow carbon nanosphere, allowing the maximum utilization of Gd atoms with reduced risk of toxic Gd ion leakage. Owning to the large surface area and fast exchange of relaxed water molecules, Gd-SA shows excellent T1-weighted magnetic resonance enhancement with a r1 value of 11.05 mM-1 s-1 at 7 T, which is 3.6 times that of the commercial gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA). In vivo MRI results show that the Gd-SA has a higher spatial resolution and a wider imaging time window for tumors than Gd-DTPA, with low hematological, hepatic, and nephric toxicities. These advantages demonstrate the great potential of single-atom Gd-based nanomaterials as safe, efficient, and long-term MRI contrast agents for cancer diagnosis.