A functionalized glass fiber as the adsorbent for efficient analysis of endocrine disruptors in aqueous environments.

Estrogens and bisphenols are typical endocrine disruptors (EDs) that pose a potential hazard to the human body due to their widespread presence in aqueous environments. In this study, a ß-cyclodextrin porous crosslinked polymer (ß-CD-PCP) was prepared in-situ on a glass fiber surface by a nucleophilic substitution reaction. An effective and sensitive solid phase microextraction method using functionalized glass fiber with ß-CD-PCP coating as the adsorbent was established for the detection of 11 EDs in a water environment. The ß-CD-PCP was in-situ prepared on a glass fiber surface by a nucleophilic substitution reaction. The ß-CD-PCP successfully separated five estrogens (ESTs) and six bisphenols (BPs) through hydrophobic and π-π interactions. The conditions affecting extraction were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the ESTs obtained a high enrichment effect (1795-2328), low limits of detection (0.047 µg L-1) and a good linearity range (0.2-15.0 µg L-1). Furthermore, the spiked recoveries of analyte ESTs in aqueous environments were between 82.9-115.7 %. The results indicated that the prepared functionalized glass fibers exhibited good adsorption properties, and the established analytical method was reliable for monitoring trace ESTs and BPs in aqueous environments.

DNA polymerase iota promotes EMT and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by interacting with USP7 to stabilize HIF-1α.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most lethal cancer types, with a low 5-year survival rate of ~20%. Our prior research has suggested that DNA Polymerase iota (Pol ι), a member of Y-family DNA polymerase, plays a crucial role in the invasion and metastasis of ESCC. However, the underlying mechanism is not well understood. In this study, we utilized ChIP-PCR and luciferase reporter assays to investigate the binding of HIF-1α to the promoter of the Pol ι gene. Transwell, wound healing, and mouse models were employed to assess the impact of Pol ι and HIF-1α on the motility of ESCC cells. Co-immunoprecipitation and Western blot were carried out to explore the interaction between Pol ι and HIF-1α, while qRT-PCR and Western blot were conducted to confirm the regulation of Pol ι and HIF-1α on their downstream targets. Our results demonstrate that HIF-1α activates the transcription of the Pol ι gene in ESCC cells under hypoxic conditions. Furthermore, the knockdown of Pol ι impeded HIF-1α-induced invasion and metastasis. Additionally, we found that Pol ι regulates the expression of genes involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and initiates EMT through the stabilization of HIF-1α. Mechanistically, Pol ι maintains the protein stability of HIF-1α by recruiting USP7 to mediate the deubiquitination of HIF-1α, with the residues 446-578 of Pol being crucial for the interaction between Pol ι and USP7. Collectively, our findings unveil a novel feedforward molecular axis of HIF-1α- Pol ι -USP7 in ESCC that contributes to ESCC metastasis. Hence, our results present an attractive target for intervention in ESCC.

Gasless endoscopic transaxillary subcutaneous mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with implants (GETSMIRI) for breast cancer: Lei's five-step method.

Background: Endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy (E-NSM) is a promising procedure in the treatment of breast cancer, but the limitations of endoscopic tools and intrinsic technical complexity of the technique hinder its applicability. Here, we introduce a novel surgery, gasless endoscopic transaxillary subcutaneous mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with implants (GETSMIRI), for breast cancer. and early effects. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 11 female patients, aged 50 (27-78) years, admitted to our hospital from January to December 2022, who underwent gasless endoscopic transaxillary subcutaneous mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with implants (GETSMIRI), was conducted. This study was designed to assess patient satisfaction before and after breast reconstruction, early complications, and breast function. Results: The tumors were all solitary, with a mean maximum diameter of 1.0 (0-2.0) cm and a mean distance of 2.3 (2-4) cm from the nipple, the mean intraoperative bleeding volume was 47.5 mL, and the mean hospital stay was 1.5 d. Postoperatively, 1 patient developed depigmentation of the nipple due to mild ischemia. There were no incisional complications, subcutaneous emphysema, infection, areola necrosis, skin flap necrosis, or removal of the prosthesis and/or patch. No tumor recurrence or metastasis was observed during the follow-up period. The difference between breast satisfaction and psychosocial health scores was not statistically significant (P = 0.680; P = 0.612). Conclusion: GETSMIRI, immediate implantable breast reconstruction, is less invasive than other such procedures, and short-term follow-up results show good postoperative satisfaction, making it an alternative surgical method.

Evaluation of deproteinised bovine bone matrix combined with absorbable biofilm for the preservation of extraction sites of mandibular impacted wisdom teeth.

BACKGROUND: Bone defects and deep periodontal pockets often exist distal to the second molar after mandibular third molar extraction, seriously threatening the periodontal health of the second molar. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of socket preservation with bone substitute materials on alveolar bone resorption and prevention of the distal periodontal defect of the adjacent tooth after mandibular impacted third molar extraction compared with natural healing. METHODS: Ninety-nine patients with mandibular impacted teeth, treated in our hospital from January 2018 to December 2020, were randomly divided into the control and experimental groups. The experimental group underwent minimally invasive tooth extraction and socket preservation using the deproteinised bovine bone mineral, Bio-Oss and the bioabsorbable collagen membrane, Bio-Gide. The control group healed naturally after minimally invasive tooth extraction. The alveolar ridge dimension of the extraction sites, the probing depth, tooth mobility and gingival index on the distal aspect of the mandibular second molars were examined and recorded before and six months after the operations. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the experimental group and the control group in the alveolar bone width (P< 0.05) and height (P< 0.05) before and after surgery. The probing depth of the extraction sites in both groups was reduced. CONCLUSION: Using Bio-Oss and Bio-Gide to preserve extraction sites of impacted teeth can promote recovery more effectively than natural healing on the height of the distal alveolar bone and the width of the alveolar crest of the second molar and thus improve the periodontal status of the adjacent second molar.

Marivirga aurantiaca sp. nov., a halophilic nitrite-reducing bacterium, isolated from intertidal surface sediments.

A novel Gram-stain-negative strain, designated S37H4T, was isolated from an intertidal surface sediment sample collected from Zhanjiang City, Guangdong province, south PR China. Cells of the strain were aerobic, non-flagellated, long rod-shaped and motile by gliding. S37H4T could grow at 4-40 °C, pH 7.0-8.5 and in 2.0-15.0 % NaCl, with optimal growth at 25-30 °C, pH 7.5 and 9.0 % NaCl, respectively. S37H4T was capable of nitrite removal under high-salt conditions, and there were three denitrification genes, nirK, norB and nosZ, in its genome. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene and genome sequences indicated that S37H4T represented a member of the genus Marivirga and formed a subclade with Marivirga lumbricoides JLT2000T. S37H4T showed the highest 16S rRNA sequence similarity to M. lumbricoides JLT2000T (98.3 %) and less than 97.0 % similarity with other type strains of species of the genus Marivirga. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between S37H4T and the reference type strains of species of the genus Marivirga were 70.7-74.3 % and 18.2-19.2 %, respectively. The major fatty acids of S37H4T were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1G, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c). The major respiratory quinone of this novel strain was MK-7, and the predominant polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminolipid, an unidentified phospholipid and three unidentified lipids. The results of analyses of phylogenetic, genomic, physiological and biochemical characteristics indicated that S37H4T represented a novel species of the genus Marivirga, for which the name Marivirga aurantiaca sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S37H4T (= GDMCC 1.1866T = KACC 21922T).

Establishment and evaluation of a modified mouse model of renal subcapsular transplantation of microvolume cells.

The renal subcapsular space provides an easily accessible, nutrition-rich pocket that supports engraftment, and as such, is often used as a site for stem and cancer cell transplantation. Renal capsule transplantation requires high technical requirements, the recipient mice have greater surgical damage, the mouse kidney is small and the kidney capsule is fragile, and the operation is easy to fail. The conventional method is not suitable for microvolume cell transplantation to this site in animals with a small kidney, such as mice, due to high risks of cell loss or dislocation or injury to the capsule. In this study, we developed and validated a modified approach for the mouse model of renal subcapsular transplantation of microvolume mouse skeletal stem cells (SSCs). We used a pipette with a refined tip to separate the capsule from the parenchyma. Moreover, we used cells suspended in Matrigel rather than a liquid carrier for transplantation. Using the modified method, we were able to transplant microvolume mouse SSCs as low as 0.2 µL beneath the mouse renal capsule with excellent reproducibility. After 4 weeks of in vivo culture, the implanted mouse SSCs formed grafts on the surface of the parenchyma at the target site of transplantation. Histological staining of the grafts indicated osteogenic, fibrogenic, and lipogenic differentiation. Micro-CT imaging of the grafts revealed bone formation. This modified model could be used to effectively transplant different types of microvolume cells to the renal subcapsular space when the donor cells are difficult to acquire or the recipient mice have a very small size kidney.

Multifunctional CuFe2O4@HA as a GSH-depleting nanoplatform for targeted photothermal/enhanced-chemodynamic synergistic therapy.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT), which converts overexpressed hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in tumor cells to hydroxyl radicals (•OH) by Fenton reactions, is considered a prospective strategy in anticancer therapy. However, the high level of glutathione (GSH) and poor Fenton catalytic efficiency contribute to the suboptimal efficiency of CDT. Herein, we present a multifunctional nanoplatform (CuFe2O4@HA) that can induce GSH depletion and combine with photothermal therapy (PTT) to enhance antitumor efficacy. CuFe2O4@HA nanoparticles could release Cu2+ and Fe3+ after entering tumor cells by targeting hyaluronic acid (HA). Subsequently, Cu2+ and Fe3+ were reduced to Cu+ and Fe2+ by GSH, where Cu+/Fe2+ significantly catalyzed H2O2 to produce a higher level of •OH, and the depletion of GSH disrupted the antioxidant capacity of the tumor. Therefore, depleting GSH substantially enhances the level of •OH in tumor cells. In addition, CuFe2O4@HA nanoparticles have considerable absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region, which can stimulate excellent PTT effects. More importantly, the heat generated by PTT can further enhance the Fenton catalysis efficiency. In vitro and in vivo experiments have demonstrated the excellent tumor-killing effect of CuFe2O4@HA nanoparticles. This strategy overcomes the problem of insufficient CDT efficacy caused by GSH overexpression and poor catalytic efficiency. Moreover, this versatile nanoplatform provides a reference for self-enhanced CDT and PTT/CDT synergistic targeted therapy.

Noninvasive evaluation of neutrophil extracellular traps signature predicts clinical outcomes and immunotherapy response in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been shown to play a pivotal role in promoting metastasis and immune escape in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, noninvasive tests to detect the formation of NETs in tumors can have significant implications for the treatment and prognoses of patients. Here, we sought to develop and validate a computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics model to predict the gene expression profiles that regulate the formation of NETs in HCC. Methods: This study included 1133 HCC patients from five retrospective cohorts. Based on the mRNA expression levels of 69 biomarkers correlated with NET formation, a 6-gene score (NETs score, NETS) was constructed in cohort 1 from TCIA database (n=52) and validated in cohort 2 (n=232) from ICGC database and cohort 3 (n=365) from TCGA database. And then based on the radiomics features of CT images, a radiomics signature (RNETS) was developed in cohort 1 to predict NETS status (high- or low-NETS). We further employed two cohorts from Nanfang Hospital (Guangzhou, China) to evaluate the predictive power of RNETS in predicting prognosis in cohort 4 (n=347) and the responses to PD-1 inhibitor of HCC patients in cohort 5 (n=137). Results: For NETS, in cohort 1, the area under the curve (AUC) values predicting 1, 2, and 3-year overall survival (OS) were 0.836, 0.879, and 0.902, respectively. The low-NETS was associated with better survival and higher levels of immune cell infiltration. The RNETS yielded an AUC value of 0.853 in distinguishing between high-NETS or low-NETS and patients with low-RNETS were associated with significantly longer survival time in cohort 1 (P<0.001). Notably, the RNETS was competent in predicting disease-free survival (DFS) and OS in cohort 4 (P<0.001). In cohort 5, the RNETS was found to be an independent risk factor for progression-free survival (PFS) (P<0.001). In addition, the objective response rate of HCC patients treated with PD-1 inhibitor was significantly higher in the low-RNETS group (27.8%) than in the high-RNETS group (10.8%). Conclusions: This study revealed that RNETS as a radiomics biomarker could effectively predict prognosis and immunotherapy response in HCC patients.

The role and regulatory mechanism of HIF-1α in myocardial injury in rats undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) is a transcription factor implicated in physiological and pathological responses to hypoxia. The present study aims to investigate the effect and mechanism of HIF-1α on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)-related myocardial injury, thereby conferring a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of myocardial injury in CPB. METHODS: An experimental model of CPB was established in rats by surgery. Adenovirus-packaged overexpression vectors and antiagomiRNA were used to overexpress HIF-1α and NR4A1 or inhibit miR-124-3p expression in rat myocardial tissues, respectively. qRT-PCR and Western blot detected HIF-1α, miR-124-3p, and NR4A1 expression in myocardial tissues. The rat cardiac function was monitored through an echocardiogram. The rat plasma at different stages of CPB was collected, followed by the detection of IL-6, cTnT, CK-MB, and IL-1ß. TUNEL staining measured apoptosis in myocardial tissues. ChIP assay analysed the enrichment of HIF-1α on the miR-124-3p promoter. The binding relationships between HIF-1α and miR-124-3p promoter sequence and between miR-124-3p and NR4A1 3'UTR sequence were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: HIF-1α expression had no significant change after CPB modelling. Overexpression of HIF-1α improved the cardiac function of CPB rats, decreased plasma IL-6, cTnT, CK-MB, and IL-1ß levels, and reduced TUNEL-positive myocardial cells. HIF-1α was enriched on the miR-124-3p promoter and promoted miR-124-3p expression. miR-124-3p bound to NR4A1 3'UTR sequence and targeted NR4A1 expression. Inhibition of miR-124-3p or overexpression of NR4A1 partially reversed the ameliorative effect of HIF-1α overexpression on myocardial injury in CPB rats. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of HIF-1α can improve myocardial injury in CPB rats via the miR-124-3p/NR4A1 axis.

The analysis of cathepsin L that mediates cellular SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to COVID-19 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The vulnerability of the oral cavity to SARS-CoV-2 infection is well-known, and cancer patients are at a higher risk of COVID-19, emphasizing the need to prioritize this patient population. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignant cancers associated with early metastasis and poor prognosis. It has been established that cancerous tissues express Cathepsin L (CTSL), a proteinase that regulates cancer progression and SARS-CoV-2 entry. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the correlation between disease outcomes and CTSL expression in cancer tissues and predict the susceptibility of cancer patients to SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we used transcriptomic and genomic data to profile CTSL expression in HNSCC and developed a CTSL signature that could reflect the response of HNSCC patients to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between CTSL expression and immune cell infiltration and established CTSL as a potential carcinogenic factor for HNSCC patients. These findings could aid in understanding the mechanisms underlying the increased susceptibility of HNSCC patients to SARS-CoV-2 and contribute to the development of therapy for both HNSCC and COVID-19.

TIGAR Protects Against Adenine-Induced Ferroptosis in Human Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cells by Activating the mTOR/S6KP70 Axis.

TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) acts as a switch for nephropathy, but its underlying mechanism is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential biological significance and underlying mechanism of TIGAR in modulating adenine-induced ferroptosis in human proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells. HK-2 cells under- or overexpressing TIGAR were challenged with adenine to induce ferroptosis. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), iron, malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) were assayed. Expression of ferroptosis-associated solute carrier family seven-member 11 (SLC7A11) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) at the level of mRNA and protein were measured by quantitative real-time-PCR and western blotting. The phosphorylation levels of proteins in the mTOR/S6KP70 pathway were determined by western blotting. Adenine overload triggered ferroptosis in HK-2 cells, as evidenced by reduced levels of GSH, SLC7A11, and GPX4, and increased levels of iron, MDA, and ROS. TIGAR overexpression repressed adenine-induced ferroptosis and induced mTOR/S6KP70 signaling. Inhibitors of mTOR and S6KP70 weakened the ability of TIGAR to inhibit adenine-induced ferroptosis. TIGAR inhibits adenine-induced ferroptosis in human proximal tubular epithelial cells by activating the mTOR/S6KP70 signaling pathway. Therefore, activating the TIGAR/mTOR/S6KP70 axis may be a treatment for crystal nephropathies.

Er: YAG laser assisted photodynamic therapy for the management of severe oral epithelial dysplasia with innate and adaptive immune responses.

Oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) increases the risk of malignant transformation. However, the management of OED is not well defined. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a hypotoxic, highly selective and minimally-invasive operation which reduces morbidity and disfigurement greatly. Additionally, laser ablation guaranteed a better penetration for topical application of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA)-PDT. Herein, we present a case of a large lesion of oral leukoplakia (OLK) in left tongue dorsum and lateral margin, pathologically manifested as severe epithelial dysplasia (SED). We firstly discussed the feasibility of Er: YAG laser assisted PDT for the treatment of SED in OPMDs. The patient achieved complete remission at 1 year follow-up. Downregulated number of p53 and Ki67 positive cells were observed in the tissues after Er: YAG laser assisted PDT. In addition, increased CD8+ positive cells infiltrated around the tissues and increased natural killer (NK) cells level were detected in the peripheral blood. In summary, Erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser assisted PDT is an effective and promising treatment for the management of SED in OPMDs with innate and adaptive immune responses.

Differential disease diagnoses of epistaxis based on dynamic uncertain causality graph.

PURPOSE: Epistaxis is a common symptom and can be caused by various diseases, including nasal diseases, systemic diseases, etc. Many misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis of epistaxis are caused by lack of clinical knowledge and experience, especially some interns and the clinicans in primary hospitals. To help inexperienced clinicans improve their diagnostic accuracies of epistaxis, a computer-aided diagnostic system based on Dynamic Uncertain Causality Graph (DUCG) was designed in this study. METHODS: We build a visual epistaxis knowledge base based on medical experts' knowledge and experience. The knowledge base intuitively expresses the causal relationship among diseases, risk factors, symptoms, signs, laboratory checks, and image examinations. The DUCG inference algorithm well addresses the patients' clinical information with the knowledge base to deduce the currently suspected diseases and calculate the probability of each suspected disease. RESULT: The model can differentially diagnose 24 diseases with epistaxis as the chief complaint. A third-party verification was performed, and the total diagnostic precision was 97.81%. In addition, the DUCG-based diagnostic model was applied in Jiaozhou city and Zhongxian county, China, covering hundreds of primary hospitals and clinics. So far, the clinicians using the model have all agreed with the diagnostic results. The 432 real-world application cases show that this model is good for the differential diagnoses of epistaxis. CONCLUSION: The results show that the DUCG-based epistaxis diagnosis model has high diagnostic accuracy. It can assist primary clinicians in completing the differential diagnosis of epistaxis and can be accepted by clinicians.

Metabolomic Analysis Reveals the Effect of Insecticide Chlorpyrifos on Rice Plant Metabolism.

Pesticides as important agricultural inputs play a vital role in protecting crop plants from diseases and pests; however, the effect of pesticides on crop plant physiology and metabolism is still undefined. In this study, the effect of insecticide chlorpyrifos at three doses on rice plant physiology and metabolism was investigated. Our results revealed that chlorpyrifos cause oxidative stress in rice plants and even inhibit plant growth and the synthesis of protein and chlorophyll at high doses. The metabolomic results suggested that chlorpyrifos could affect the metabolic profiling of rice tissues and a total of 119 metabolites with significant changes were found, mainly including organic acids, amino acids, lipids, polyphenols, and flavonoids. Compared to the control, the content of glutamate family amino acids were significantly disturbed by chlorpyrifos, where defense-related proline and glutathione were significantly increased; however, glutamic acid, N-acetyl-glutamic acid and N-methyl-glutamic acid were significantly decreased. Many unsaturated fatty acids, such as linolenic acid and linoleic acid, and their derivatives lysophospholipids and phospholipids, were significantly accumulated in chlorpyrifos groups, which could act as osmolality substances to help rice cells relieve chlorpyrifos stress. Three organic acids, aminobenzoic acid, quinic acid, and phosphoenolpyruvic acid, involved in plant defenses, were significantly accumulated with the fold change ranging from 1.32 to 2.19. In addition, chlorpyrifos at middle- and high-doses caused the downregulation of most flavonoids. Our results not only revealed the effect of insecticide chlorpyrifos on rice metabolism, but also demonstrated the value of metabolomics in elucidating the mechanisms of plant responses to stresses.

Metal Exposure, Smoking, and the Risk of COPD: A Nested Case-Control Study in a Chinese Occupational Population.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the third leading cause of death worldwide in 2019, with a significant disease burden. We conducted a nested case-control study using data from the China Metal-Exposed Workers Cohort Study (Jinchang Cohort) and assessed the associations of exposure to metals and tobacco smoking with the risk of COPD. We used the logistic regression model and the interaction multiplication model to assess the independent and combined effects of heavy metal and smoke exposure on COPD. The cumulative incidence of COPD was 1.04% in 21,560 participants during a median of two years of follow-up. The risk of COPD was significantly elevated with an increase in the amount of tobacco smoked daily (p < 0.05), the number of years of smoking (ptrend < 0.05), and the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per year (ptrend < 0.01). Compared with the low metal exposure group, the adjusted OR was 1.22 (95% CI: 0.85-1.76) in the medium exposure group (mining/production workers) and 1.50 (95% CI: 1.03-2.18) in the high exposure group; smoking and metal exposure had a combined effect on the incidence of COPD (pinteraction < 0.01), with an OR of 4.60 for those with >40 pack-years of smoking who also had the highest metal exposures. Both exposures to metals and smoking were associated with the risk of COPD, and there was an interaction between the two exposures for the risk of COPD.

iRGD-modified exosomes-delivered BCL6 siRNA inhibit the progression of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Clinical applications of siRNA therapeutics have been limited by the immunogenicity of the siRNA and low efficiency of siRNA delivery to target cells. Recently, evidence have shown that exosomes, endogenous nano-vesicles, can deliver siRNA to the tumor tissues in mice. Here, to reduce immunogenicity, we selected immature dendritic cells (DCs) to produce exosomes. In addition, tumor targeting was achieved by engineering the DCs to express exosomal membrane protein (Lamp2b), fused to av integrin-specific iRGD peptide (CRGDKGPDC). Next, iRGD targeted exosomes (iRGD-Exo) were isolated from the transfected DCs, and then the isolated exosomes were loaded with BCL6 siRNA by electroporation. Our results found that integrin (αvß3) receptors were highly expressed on OCI-Ly8 cells. In addition, iRGD-Exo showed high targeting ability with avß3 integrins positive OCI-Ly8 cells. Significantly, iRGD-Exo loaded with BCL6 siRNA suppressed DLBCL cell proliferation in vitro. Furthermore, intravenously injected iRGD-Exo delivered BCL6 siRNA to tumor tissues, resulting in inhibition of tumor growth in DLBCL. Meanwhile, exosomes mediated BCL6 siRNA delivery did not exhibit appreciable toxicity in mice. Collectively, our study demonstrates a therapeutic potential of exosomes as a promising vehicle for RNAi delivery to treat DLBCL.

Highly sensitive detection of H2S gas at low temperature based on ZnCo2O4 microtube sensors.

It is extremely necessary to detect Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) due to the hazardous nature. Thus, it is required to design a material which can detect H2S gas at low temperature. In this work, ZnCo2O4 microtubes are prepared by using absorbent cotton as template, combining immersion method in metal salt solution (Zn:Co=1:2) with calcination treatment in air. The influence of calcination temperature on the particle size and sensing property was also discussed. The diameter of particles on the ZnCo2O4 microtubes increases with increasing calcination temperature. The hollow microtubes of ZnCo2O4 materials calcined at 600 °C (ZCO-600) exhibit superb sensing performance to H2S at 90 °C with the lowest detection limit of 50 ppb. The optimum operating temperature (90 °C) was lower than the other reported ZnCo2O4 sensors. ZCO-600 sensor also shows excellent selectivity, repeatability, stability, humidity resistance and the good linear relationship in ppb and ppm level H2S. In addition, the feasible sensing mechanism of ZCO-600 to H2S is explored on the basis of XPS analysis. Thus, ZnCo2O4 as a sensing material possesses widespread application prospects for the detection of trace H2S gas.

[A case of cervical lymph node metastasis after carotid body tumor surgery].

Malignant carotid body tumor is rare, reported this case who had experienced the totally resection of carotid body tumor 16 years ago and presented with cervical tumor now. The patient was a 68 year old male who presented with a low growing left-sided painless neck mass for half a year. Carotid body tumor resection and left carotid artery artificial vascular reconstruction were performed 16 years ago. Physical examination showed that multiple hard and painless masses can be touched behind the left sternocleidomastoid muscle of the neck. Blood routine and biochemical tests were normal. MRI enhancement of the neck showed multiple circular abnormal signals behind the left sternocleidomastoid muscle, with obvious enhancement. The cervical masses of this case were experienced totally resected again, and the postoperative pathology confirmed that it was carotid body tumor and cervical lymph node metastasis. The clinical diagnosis was malignant carotid body tumor with cervical lymph node metastasis. Postoperative PET-CT examination showed multiple lymphadenopathy and abnormal metabolism in hilar, mediastinum and abdominal aorta. Multiple systemic metastasis of malignant carotid body tumor was considered. It was suggested that preoperative whole-body PET-CT examination can be used to evaluate whether the tumor has systemic metastasis.

Decoding Expression Dynamics of Protein and Transcriptome at the Single-Cell Level in Paired Picoliter Chambers.

Simultaneous analysis of mRNAs and proteins at the single-cell level provides information about the dynamics and correlations of gene and protein expressions in individual cells, enabling a comprehensive study of cellular heterogeneity and expression patterns. Here, we present a platform for about 1000 cellular indexing of mRNAs and membrane proteins, named multi-Paired-seq, with high cell utilization, accurate molecular measurement, and low cost. Based on hydrodynamic differential flow resistance, multi-Paired-seq largely improves cell utilization in the percentage of cells measured in population (>95%). Combined with the pump/valve structure, cell-free antibodies and mRNAs can be removed completely for highly accurate detection (R = 0.96) of protein copies. The picoliter reaction chambers allow high detection sensitivity for both mRNA transcripts and protein copies and low sequencing cost. Using multi-Paired-seq, three clusters of known breast cancer cell types are identified according to multimodal measurements, and the expression correlations between mRNAs and proteins under altered conditions are quantified. Multi-Paired-seq provides multimodal measurements at the single-cell level, which offers a new tool for cell biology, developmental biology, drug discovery, and precision medicine.

Shewanella jiangmenensis sp. nov., isolated from aquaculture water.

A Gram-stain-negative and facultatively anaerobic bacterial strain designated as JM162201T was isolated from aquaculture water for farming Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The genome size of strain JM162201T was 4,436,316 bp, and the genomic DNA G + C content was 55.0%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and genomes showed that strain JM162201T belonged to the genus Shewanella and was closely related to Shewanella litorisediminis SMK1-12T (97.1%), Shewanella khirikhana TH2012T (97.0%), and Shewanella amazonensis SB2BT (96.0%). The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain JM162201T and three reference type strains were below the recognized thresholds of 95.0-96.0% (for ANI) and 70.0% (for dDDH) for species delineation. Growth occurred at 10-40 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 4.0-10.0 (optimum, 7.0-8.0), and in 0-6.0% NaCl (w/v, optimum, 0-0.1%). The major cellular fatty acids of strain JM162201T were summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c), C17:1 ω8c, iso-C15:0, C16:0, and C15:0. The predominant quinones were MK7, Q-7, and Q-8. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). Based on the polyphasic taxonomical analyses, strain JM162201T represents a novel species of the genus Shewanella, for which the name Shewanella jiangmenensis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain JM162201T (= GDMCC 1.2006T = KCTC 82340T).