Flexible solar cells based on foldable silicon wafers with blunted edges.

Flexible solar cells have a lot of market potential for application in photovoltaics integrated into buildings and wearable electronics because they are lightweight, shockproof and self-powered. Silicon solar cells have been successfully used in large power plants. However, despite the efforts made for more than 50 years, there has been no notable progress in the development of flexible silicon solar cells because of their rigidity1-4. Here we provide a strategy for fabricating large-scale, foldable silicon wafers and manufacturing flexible solar cells. A textured crystalline silicon wafer always starts to crack at the sharp channels between surface pyramids in the marginal region of the wafer. This fact enabled us to improve the flexibility of silicon wafers by blunting the pyramidal structure in the marginal regions. This edge-blunting technique enables commercial production of large-scale (>240 cm2), high-efficiency (>24%) silicon solar cells that can be rolled similarly to a sheet of paper. The cells retain 100% of their power conversion efficiency after 1,000 side-to-side bending cycles. After being assembled into large (>10,000 cm2) flexible modules, these cells retain 99.62% of their power after thermal cycling between -70 °C and 85 °C for 120 h. Furthermore, they retain 96.03% of their power after 20 min of exposure to air flow when attached to a soft gasbag, which models wind blowing during a violent storm.

SENP1-Sirt3 Signaling Controls Mitochondrial Protein Acetylation and Metabolism.

Sirt3, as a major mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent deacetylase, is required for mitochondrial metabolic adaption to various stresses. However, how to regulate Sirt3 activity responding to metabolic stress remains largely unknown. Here, we report Sirt3 as a SUMOylated protein in mitochondria. SUMOylation suppresses Sirt3 catalytic activity. SUMOylation-deficient Sirt3 shows elevated deacetylation on mitochondrial proteins and increased fatty acid oxidation. During fasting, SUMO-specific protease SENP1 is accumulated in mitochondria and quickly de-SUMOylates and activates Sirt3. SENP1 deficiency results in hyper-SUMOylation of Sirt3 and hyper-acetylation of mitochondrial proteins, which reduces mitochondrial metabolic adaption responding to fasting. Furthermore, we find that fasting induces SENP1 translocation into mitochondria to activate Sirt3. The studies on mice show that Sirt3 SUMOylation mutation reduces fat mass and antagonizes high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity via increasing oxidative phosphorylation and energy expenditure. Our results reveal that SENP1-Sirt3 signaling modulates Sirt3 activation and mitochondrial metabolism during metabolic stress.

Viable offspring derived from single unfertilized mammalian oocytes.

In mammals, a new life starts with the fusion of an oocyte and asperm cell. Parthenogenesis, a way of generating offspring solelyfrom female gametes, is limited because of problems arising fromgenomic imprinting. Here, we report live mammalian offspringderived from single unfertilized oocytes, which was achieved by tar-geted DNA methylation rewriting of seven imprinting control regions.Oocyte coinjection of catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9)-Dnmt3a ordCpf1-Tet1 messenger RNA (mRNA) with single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs)targeting specific regions induced de novo methylation or demethyla-tion, respectively, of the targeted region. Following parthenogeneticactivation, these edited regions showed maintenance of methylationas naturally established regions during early preimplantation develop-ment. The transfer of modified parthenogenetic embryos into fostermothers resulted in significantly extended development andfinally inthe generation of viable full-term offspring. These data demonstratethat parthenogenesis can be achieved by targeted epigenetic rewrit-ing of multiple critical imprinting control regions.

Dynamic intracellular exchange of nanomaterials' protein corona perturbs proteostasis and remodels cell metabolism.

The nanomaterial­protein "corona" is a dynamic entity providing a synthetic­natural interface mediating cellular uptake and subcellular distribution of nanomaterials in biological systems. As nanomaterials are central to the safe-by-design of future nanomedicines and the practice of nanosafety, understanding and delineating the biological and toxicological signatures of the ubiquitous nanomaterial­protein corona are precursors to the continued development of nano­bio science and engineering. However, despite well over a decade of extensive research, the dynamics of intracellular release or exchange of the blood protein corona from nanomaterials following their cellular internalization remains unclear, and the biological footprints of the nanoparticle­protein corona traversing cellular compartments are even less well understood. To address this crucial bottleneck, the current work screened evolution of the intracellular protein corona along the endocytotic pathway from blood via lysosomes to cytoplasm in cancer cells. Intercellular proteins, including pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and chaperones, displaced some of the initially adsorbed blood proteins from the nanoparticle surface, which perturbed proteostasis and subsequently incited chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) to disrupt the key cellular metabolism pathway, including glycolysis and lipid metabolism. Since proteostasis is key to the sustainability of cell function, its collapse and the resulting CMA overdrive spell subsequent cell death and aging. Our findings shed light on the consequences of the transport of extracellular proteins by nanoparticles on cell metabolism.

Maternal mRNAs with distinct 3' UTRs define the temporal pattern of Ccnb1 synthesis during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation.

The final stages of female gamete maturation occur in the virtual absence of transcription, with gene expression driven by a program of selective unmasking, translation, and degradation of maternal mRNAs. Here we demonstrate that the timing of Ccnb1 mRNA translation in mouse oocytes is dependent on the presence of transcripts with different 3' untranslated regions (UTRs). This 3' UTR heterogeneity directs distinct temporal patterns of translational activation or repression. Inclusion or exclusion of cis-acting elements is responsible for these divergent regulations. Our findings reveal an additional layer of translation control through alternative polyadenylation usage required to fine-tune the timing of meiosis progression.

NRF2 regulates EGF stability through OTUD4 in lung adenocarcinoma.

NRF2 (NFE2L2) is a transcription factor mainly for regulating cellular antioxidant response and therefore promotes tumor progression. The target genes of NRF2 also play important roles in cellular processes including glucose metabolism, de novo serine synthesis, iron metabolism, etc. Here, by modulating NRF2 expression in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells, we showed that NRF2 regulated EGF expression at protein level. Furthermore, EGF was identified as a ubiquitinated protein. We predicted three deubiquitinases of EGF, and OTUD4 had the highest correlation with NRF2 in LUAD among the three. OTUD4 expression was reduced upon NRF2 knocking-down and recovered upon NRF2 rescuing in A549 cells. Then a potential binding site for NRF2 in OTUD4 promoter was searched out. By binding with OTUD4 promoter, NRF2 transcriptionally activated OTUD4, thus promoted EGF deubiquitination and enhanced its stability. More importantly, OTUD4 and NRF2 expression was found being correlated in LUAD patients. The data collectively revealed a novel mechanism of NRF2 regulating on EGF stability through OTUD4 in LUAD.

TFEB SUMOylation in macrophages accelerates atherosclerosis by promoting the formation of foam cells through inhibiting lysosomal activity.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a serious cardiovascular disease. One of its hallmarks is hyperlipidemia. Inhibiting the formation of macrophage foam cells is critical for alleviating AS. Transcription factor EB (TFEB) can limit the formation of macrophage foam cells by upregulating lysosomal activity. We examined whether TFEB SUMOylation is involved in this progress during AS. In this study, we investigated the role of TFEB SUMOylation in macrophages in AS using TFEB SUMOylation deficiency Ldlr-/- (TFEB-KR: Ldlr-/-) transgenic mice and TFEB-KR bone marrow-derived macrophages. We observed that TFEB-KR: Ldlr-/- atherosclerotic mice had thinner plaques and macrophages with higher lysosomal activity when compared to WT: Ldlr-/- mice. TFEB SUMOylation in macrophages decreased after oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) treatment in vitro. Compared with wild type macrophages, TFEB-KR macrophages exhibited less lipid deposition after OxLDL treatment. Our study demonstrated that in AS, deSUMOylation of TFEB could inhibit the formation of macrophage foam cells through enhancing lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy, further reducing the accumulation of lipids in macrophages, and ultimately alleviating the development of AS. Thus, TFEB SUMOylation can be a switch to modulate macrophage foam cells formation and used as a potential target for AS therapy.

Visualization Analysis of Artificial Intelligence Literature in Forensic Research.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the literature on artificial intelligence in forensic research from 2012 to 2022 in the Web of Science Core Collection Database, to explore research hotspots and developmental trends. METHODS: A total of 736 articles on artificial intelligence in forensic medicine in the Web of Science Core Collection Database from 2012 to 2022 were visualized and analyzed through the literature measuring tool CiteSpace. The authors, institution, country (region), title, journal, keywords, cited references and other information of relevant literatures were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 736 articles published in 220 journals by 355 authors from 289 institutions in 69 countries (regions) were identified, with the number of articles published showing an increasing trend year by year. Among them, the United States had the highest number of publications and China ranked the second. Academy of Forensic Science had the highest number of publications among the institutions. Forensic Science International, Journal of Forensic Sciences, International Journal of Legal Medicine ranked high in publication and citation frequency. Through the analysis of keywords, it was found that the research hotspots of artificial intelligence in the forensic field mainly focused on the use of artificial intelligence technology for sex and age estimation, cause of death analysis, postmortem interval estimation, individual identification and so on. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to pay attention to international and institutional cooperation and to strengthen the cross-disciplinary research. Exploring the combination of advanced artificial intelligence technologies with forensic research will be a hotspot and direction for future research.

AKT/GSK-3beta/VEGF signaling is involved in P2RY2 activation-induced the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer.

Studies have revealed the contribution of ATP-G-protein-coupled P2Y2 receptor (P2RY2) in tumor progression, but the role of P2RY2 in regulating the progression of gastric cancer (GC) and related molecular mechanisms are relatively lacking. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of P2RY2 on the proliferation and migration of GC through in vivo and in vitro experiments. The results showed that P2RY2 was expressed in GC tissues and GC cell lines. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) increased the calcium influx in AGS and HGC-27 cells, and was dose-dependent with ATP concentration. ATP and UTP increased the intracellular glycogen content, enhanced the actin fiber stress response, and promoted the proliferation and migration of GC cells, while P2RY2 competitive antagonist AR-C118925XX reversed the changes induced by ATP. Knockdown of P2RY2 expression by shRNA inhibited the proliferation of GC cells. Activation of P2RY2 increased the expression of Snail, Vimentin, and ß-catenin in GC cells, and down-regulated the expression of E-cadherin, while AR-C118925XX decreased the expression of these genes induced by ATP. Activation of P2RY2 activated AKT/GSK-3beta/VEGF signal to promote the proliferation of GC cells, and the P13/AKT signaling pathway LY294002 reversed the corresponding phenomenon, but no synergistic pharmacological properties of AR-C118925XX and LY294002 have been found. In vivo experiments showed that ATP-induced tumor growth, while AR-C118925XX inhibited ATP-induced tumor growth. Our conclusion is that P2RY2 activated the AKT/GSK-3beta/VEGF signal to promote the proliferation and migration of GC, suggesting that P2RY2 may be a new potential target for the treatment of GC.

AMIGO2 attenuates innate cisplatin sensitivity by suppression of GSDME-conferred pyroptosis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 85% of lung cancer. Cisplatin is commonly used in the treatment of many malignant tumours including NSCLC. The innate drug sensitivity greatly affects the clinical efficacy of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. As a plasma membrane adhesion molecule, amphoterin-induced gene and ORF-2 (AMIGO2) initially identified as a neurite outgrowth factor has been recently found to play a crucial role in cancer occurrence and progression. However, it is still unclear whether AMIGO2 is involved in innate cisplatin sensitivity. In the present study, we provided the in vitro and in vivo evidences indicating that the alteration of AMIGO2 expression triggered changes of innate cisplatin sensitivity as well as cisplatin-induced pyroptosis in NSCLC. Further results revealed that AMIGO2 might inhibit cisplatin-induced activation of (caspase-8 and caspase-9)/caspase-3 via stimulating PDK1/Akt (T308) signalling axis, resulting in suppression of GSDME cleavage and the subsequent cell pyroptosis, thereby decreasing the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to cisplatin treatment. The results provided a new insight that AMIGO2 regulated the innate cisplatin sensitivity of NSCLC through GSDME-mediated pyroptosis.

Glutamatergic neurons in lateral hypothalamus play a vital role in acupuncture preconditioning to alleviate MIRI.

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) has high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Increasing evidence has shown that electroacupuncture (EA) plays a critical role in alleviating MIRI. The aim of this study is to investigate whether glutamatergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) have vital effect on MIRI as well as the underlying mechanism during the EA pretreatment. The MIRI model was established by ligating the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 2 h. Chemogenetics, electrocardiogram (ECG) recording, ELISA, multichannel physiology recording, and immunofluorescence staining methods were combined to demonstrate that firing frequencies of neurons in the LH and expression of c-Fos decreased by EA pretreatment. Meanwhile, EA preconditioning significantly reduced the percentage of infarct size and the levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB) were similar to inhibition of glutamatergic neurons in LH, also attenuated morphology of myocardial tissue was induced by MIRI. However, activation of glutamatergic neurons in LH weakened the above effects of EA pretreatment.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study demonstrates that EA preconditioning can attenuate myocardial injury for MIRI, which is similar to inhibition of glutamatergic neurons in LH. However, chemical activation of glutamatergic neurons in LH attenuates the protective effect of EA pretreatment. These findings help better understand the mechanisms of EA to regulate cardiac function.

Clickable Photoreactive ATP-Affinity Probe for Global Profiling of ATP-Binding Proteins.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the major energy carrier in organisms, and there are many cellular proteins that can bind to ATP. Among these proteins, kinases are key regulators in several cell signaling processes, and aberrant kinase signaling contributes to the development of many human diseases, including cancer. Hence, small-molecule kinase inhibitors have been successfully used for the treatment of various diseases. Since the ATP-binding pockets are similar for many kinases, it is very important to evaluate the selectivity of different kinase inhibitors. We report here a clickable ATP photoaffinity probe for the global profiling of ATP-binding proteins. After incubating the protein lysate with the ATP probe followed by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, ATP-binding proteins were labeled with an alkyne handle for subsequent biotin conjugation through click chemistry. Labeled proteins were enriched with streptavidin beads, digested with trypsin, and analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). More than 400 ATP-binding proteins, including approximately 200 kinases, could be identified in a single LC-MS/MS run in the data-dependent acquisition mode. We then applied this method to the analysis of targets of three selected ATP-competitive kinase inhibitors. We were able to successfully identify some of their reported target proteins from label-free quantification results and validated the results using Western blot analyses. Together, we developed a clickable ATP photoaffinity probe for proteome-wide profiling of ATP-binding proteins and demonstrated that this chemoproteomic method is amenable to high-throughput target identification of kinase inhibitors.

Constraining First-Order Phase Transitions with Curvature Perturbations.

The randomness of the quantum tunneling process induces superhorizon curvature perturbations during cosmological first-order phase transitions. We for the first time utilize curvature perturbations to constrain the phase transition parameters, and find that the observations of the cosmic microwave background spectrum distortion and the ultracompact minihalo abundance can give strict constraints on the phase transitions below 100 GeV, especially for the low-scale phase transitions and some electroweak phase transitions. The current constraints on the phase transition parameters are largely extended by the results of this work, therefore provide an novel approach to probe related new physics.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with weekly cisplatin and paclitaxel followed by chemoradiation for locally advanced cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Currently, the standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer is concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT). Forty percent of patients present with disease recurrence. This study aims to investigate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) with weekly cisplatin and paclitaxel (TP) followed by CCRT. METHODS: We are conducting a phase III trial comparing the efficacy and side effects of patients with cervical cancer (FIGO 2018 stage IIB to IVA) who were assigned to four cycles of NACT with cisplatin (40 mg/m2) and paclitaxel (60 mg/m2) weekly followed by CCRT or CCRT alone. In this report, we studied the medium-term effect of 50 patients enrolled in the NACT + CCRT arm. The primary endpoints were the response rate post-NACT and 12 weeks post-CCRT evaluated by MR/CT based on RECIST v 1.1. The secondary endpoints were 3-year OS (overall survival) and PFS (progression-free survival) measured by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Among 50 patients enrolled in the NACT + CCRT arm, the complete and partial response rates were 10.4% and 68.8%, post-NACT. Twelve weeks after treatment completion, the complete response rate was 72.0%, whereas the total response rate (complete and partial response) was 90.0%. After a median follow-up of 28 months, the 3-year OS rate was 83.9%, and the 3-year PFS rate was 73.6%. NACT response was related to superior PFS and OS compared with NACT nonresponse (P < 0.01). Late AEs were exiguous, while early AEs mainly included myelosuppression and gastrointestinal AEs. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a good response rate achieved by dose-dense weekly cisplatin and paclitaxel followed by standard CCRT. The treatment regimen is feasible, as evidenced by the acceptable toxicity of NACT and by the high compliance with radiotherapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Protocol version number and date. Chinese clinical trial registry, ChiCTR1900025327; http://www.chictr.org.cn . Registered 24 August 2019. Retrospectively registered, medresman.org.cn/ChiCTR1900025326. The date recruitment began 01-01-2019.

Modulating the organic photovoltaic properties of non-fullerene acceptors by molecular modification based on Y6: a theoretical study.

Developing non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) by modifying the backbone, side chains and end groups is the most important strategy to improve the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs). Among numerous developed NFAs, Y6 and its derivatives are famous NFAs in the OSC field due to their good performance. Herein, in order to understand the mechanism of tuning the photovoltaic performance by modifying the Y6's center backbone, π-spacer and side-chains, we selected the PM6:Y6 OSC as a reference and systematically studied PM6:AQx-2, PM6:Y6-T, PM6:Y6-2T, PM6:Y6-O, PM6:Y6-1O and PM6:Y6-2O OSC systems based on extensive quantum chemistry calculations. The results indicate that introducing quinoxaline to substitute thiadiazole in the backbone induces a blue-shift of absorption spectra, reduces the charge transfer (CT) distance (Δd) and average electrostatic potential (ESP), and increases the singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔEST), CT excitation energy and the number of CT states in low-lying excitations. Inserting thienyl and dithiophenyl as π spacers generates a red-shift of absorption spectra, enlarges Δd and average ESP, and reduces ΔEST and the number of CT states. Introducing furo[3,2-b]furan for substituting one thieno[3,2-b]thiophene unit in the Y6's backbone causes a red-shift of absorption spectra and increases ΔEST, Δd and average ESP as well as CT excitation energy. Introducing alkoxyl as a side chain results in a blue-shift of absorption spectra, and increases ΔEST, Δd, average ESP, CT excitation energy and the number of CT states. The rate constants calculated using Marcus theory suggest that all the molecular modifications of Y6 reduce the exciton dissociation and charge recombination rates at the heterojunction interface, while introducing furo[3,2-b]furan and alkoxyl enlarges CT rates.

Specific changes and clinical significance of plasma D-dimer during pregnancy and puerperium: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant and puerperal women are high-risk populations for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). Plasma D-dimer (D-D) is of good value in the diagnosis of exclusion of VTE in the nonpregnant population. Since there is no consensus reference range of plasma D-D applicable to pregnant and puerperal women, the application of plasma D-D is limited. To investigate the change characteristics and the reference range of plasma D-D levels during pregnancy and puerperium and to explore the pregnancy- and childbirth-related factors affecting plasma D-D levels and the diagnostic efficacy of plasma D-D for excluding VTE during early puerperium after caesarean section. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted with 514 pregnant and puerperal women (cohort 1), and 29 puerperal women developed VTE 24-48 h after caesarean section (cohort 2). In cohort 1, the effects of the pregnancy- and childbirth-related factors on the plasma D-D levels were analyzed by comparing the differences in plasma D-D levels between different groups and between different subgroups. The 95th percentiles were calculated to establish the unilateral upper limits of the plasma D-D levels. The plasma D-D levels at 24-48 h postpartum were compared between normal singleton pregnant and puerperal women in cohort 2 and women from the cesarean section subgroup in cohort 1, binary logistic analysis was used to analyze the relevance between plasma D-D level and the risk of VTE developing 24-48 h after caesarean section, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the diagnostic efficacy of plasma D-D for excluding VTE during early puerperium after caesarean section. RESULTS: The 95% reference ranges of plasma D-D levels in the normal singleton pregnancy group were ≤ 1.01 mg/L in the first trimester, ≤ 3.17 mg/L in the second trimester, ≤ 5.35 mg/L in the third trimester, ≤ 5.47 mg/L at 24-48 h postpartum, and ≤ 0.66 mg/L at 42 days postpartum. The plasma D-D levels of the normal twin pregnancy group were significantly higher than those of the normal singleton pregnancy group during pregnancy (P < 0.05), the plasma D-D levels of the GDM group in the third trimester were significantly higher than those of the normal singleton pregnancy group (P < 0.05). The plasma D-D levels of the advanced age subgroup at 24-48 h postpartum were significantly higher than those of the nonadvanced age subgroup (P < 0.05), and the plasma D-D levels of the caesarean section subgroup at 24-48 h postpartum were significantly higher than those of the vaginal delivery subgroup (P < 0.05). The plasma D-D level was significantly correlated with the risk of VTE developing at 24-48 h after caesarean section (OR = 2.252, 95% CI: 1.611-3.149). The optimal cut-off value of plasma D-D for the diagnosis of exclusion of VTE during early puerperium after caesarean section was 3.24 mg/L. The negative predictive value for the diagnosis of exclusion of VTE was 96.1%, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.816, P < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: The thresholds of plasma D-D levels in normal singleton pregnancy and parturient women were higher than those of nonpregnant women. Plasma D-D had good value in the diagnosis of exclusion of VTE occurring during early puerperium after caesarean section. Further studies are needed to validate these reference ranges and assess the effects of pregnancy- and childbirth-related factors on plasma D-D levels and the diagnostic efficacy of plasma D-D for excluding VTE during pregnancy and puerperium.

Association between post-stroke smoking and stroke recurrence in first-ever ischemic stroke survivors: based on a 10-year prospective cohort.

BACKGROUND: Whether smoking is a risk factor for ischemic stroke (IS) recurrence in IS survivors is still uncovered, and evidences are sparse. Meanwhile, an add-on effect of clopidogrel was observed in myocardial infarction patients who smoked, but whether the paradox exists in IS patients is still unsolved. The objectives of this study are to explore the association between smoking behavior after index stroke and IS recurrence and to explore whether the paradox exists. METHODS: A prospective cohort of first-ever IS patients was conducted between 2010 and 2019. The prognosis and smoking features of enrolled patients were obtained via telephone follow-up every 3 months. Fine-gray model with interaction terms was applied to measure the relationships between stroke recurrence and smoking behaviors after index stroke and to explore the add-on effect of clopidogrel in smoking patients. RESULTS: There were 171 (24.26%) recurrences and 129 (18.30%) deaths during follow-up in 705 enrolled IS patients. One hundred forty-six (20.71%) patients smoked after index stroke. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of interaction terms between antiplatelet drug and follow-up smoking (smoking status and daily smoking amount) were 1.092 (95% CI: 0.524, 2.276) and 0.985 (95% CI: 0.941, 1.031), respectively. A significantly higher risk of recurrence was observed in patients with a higher daily smoking amount during follow-up (per cigarette), with HR being 1.027 (95% CI: 1.003, 1.052). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking could elevate the risk of IS recurrence, and IS survivor should be advised to quit or smoke less. Add-on effect of clopidogrel may not exist in smoking strokers taking clopidogrel.

Association of the availability of pharmaceutical facilities provided in secondary and tertiary hospitals with clinical pharmacists' work performance.

BACKGROUND: Clinical pharmacists always work as the pivotal role in the process of facilitating the proper use of drug. Based on the person-environment fit theory, the availability of facilities required in pharmaceutical service may influence pharmacists' performance, but which of them may have positive or negative impact remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analysed the quantitative association of the availability of pharmaceutical facilities provided in Chinese hospitals and clinical pharmacists' work performance to assist hospitals formulating plans of the improving pharmaceutical working conditions to enhance clinical pharmacists' performance. METHOD: Demonstrated by the panel of expert and literature review, the questionnaire for administrators and clinical pharmacists of secondary and tertiary hospitals in China was formed. Then a mixed sampling was adopted to gather data on information of the participants, as well as evaluation indexes of the availability of facilities and clinical pharmacists' work performance. RESULTS: Overall, 625 questionnaires distributed to administrators of hospitals and 1219 ones distributed to clinical pharmacists were retrieved. As for the Pharmaceutical facilities, while the increased availability of Traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy (p = 0.02) has a significantly positive impact on clinical pharmacists' performance, the great availability of the preparation room (p = 0.07) negatively influences their work performance. CONCLUSION: Improving the availability of facilities that significantly influence clinical pharmacists' work performance possibly reduce their workload, enhance their efficiency and further promote progress in pharmaceutical service.

Enhancing Biohybrid CO2 to Multicarbon Reduction via Adapted Whole-Cell Catalysts.

Catalytic CO2 conversion to renewable fuel is of utmost importance to establish a carbon-neutral society. Bioelectrochemical CO2 reduction, in which a solid cathode interfaces with CO2-reducing bacteria, represents a promising approach for renewable and sustainable fuel production. The rational design of biocatalysts in the biohybrid system is imperative to effectively reduce CO2 into valuable chemicals. Here, we introduce methanol adapted Sporomusa ovata (S. ovata) to enhance the slow metabolic activity of wild-type microorganisms to our semiconductive silicon nanowires (Si NWs) array for efficient CO2 reduction. The adapted whole-cell catalysts enable an enhancement of CO2 fixation with a superior faradaic efficiency on the poised Si NWs cathode. The synergy of the high-surface-area cathode and the adapted strain achieves a CO2-reducing current density of 0.88 ± 0.11 mA/cm2, which is 2.4-fold higher than the wild-type strain. This new generation of biohybrids using adapted S. ovata also decreases the charge transfer resistance at the cathodic interface and facilitates the faster charge transfer from the solid electrode to bacteria.

Regulation of Ferroptosis in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common lung cancer, which accounts for about 35-40% of all lung cancer patients. Despite therapeutic advancements in recent years, the overall survival time of LUAD patients still remains poor, especially KRAS mutant LUAD. Therefore, it is necessary to further explore novel targets and drugs to improve the prognos is for LUAD. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent regulated cell death (RCD) caused by lipid peroxidation, has attracted much attention recently as an alternative target for apoptosis in LUAD therapy. Ferroptosis has been found to be closely related to LUAD at every stage, including initiation, proliferation, and progression. In this review, we will provide a comprehensive overview of ferroptosis mechanisms, its regulation in LUAD, and the application of targeting ferroptosis for LUAD therapy.