Tunable electron-flexural phonon interaction in graphene heterostructures.

Peculiar electron-phonon interaction characteristics underpin the ultrahigh mobility1, electron hydrodynamics2-4, superconductivity5 and superfluidity6,7 observed in graphene heterostructures. The Lorenz ratio between the electronic thermal conductivity and the product of the electrical conductivity and temperature provides insight into electron-phonon interactions that is inaccessible to past graphene measurements. Here we show an unusual Lorenz ratio peak in degenerate graphene near 60 kelvin and decreased peak magnitude with increased mobility. When combined with ab initio calculations of the many-body electron-phonon self-energy and analytical models, this experimental observation reveals that broken reflection symmetry in graphene heterostructures can relax a restrictive selection rule8,9 to allow quasielastic electron coupling with an odd number of flexural phonons, contributing to the increase of the Lorenz ratio towards the Sommerfeld limit at an intermediate temperature sandwiched between the low-temperature hydrodynamic regime and the inelastic electron-phonon scattering regime above 120 kelvin. In contrast to past practices of neglecting the contributions of flexural phonons to transport in two-dimensional materials, this work suggests that tunable electron-flexural phonon couping can provide a handle to control quantum matter at the atomic scale, such as in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene10 where low-energy excitations may mediate Cooper pairing of flat-band electrons11,12.

Ddx5 Targeted Epigenetic Modification of Pericytes in Pulmonary Hypertension After Intrauterine Growth Restriction.

Newborns with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) have a higher likelihood of developing pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in adulthood. Although there is increasing evidence suggesting that pericytes play a role in regulating myofibroblast transdifferentiation and angiogenesis in malignant and cardiovascular diseases, their involvement in the pathogenesis of IUGR-related pulmonary hypertension and the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. To address this issue, a study was conducted using a Sprague-Dawley rat model of IUGR-related pulmonary hypertension. Our investigation revealed increased proliferation and migration of pulmonary microvascular pericytes in IUGR-related pulmonary hypertension, accompanied by weakened endothelial-pericyte interactions. Through whole-transcriptome sequencing, Ddx5 (DEAD-box protein 5) was identified as one of the hub genes in pericytes. DDX5, a member of the RNA helicase family, plays a role in the regulation of ATP-dependent RNA helicase activities and cellular function. MicroRNAs have been implicated in the pathogenesis of PAH, and microRNA-205 (miR-205) regulates cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. The results of dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed the specific binding of miR-205 to Ddx5. Mechanistically, miR-205 negatively regulates Ddx5, leading to the degradation of ß-catenin by inhibiting the phosphorylation of Gsk3ß at serine 9. In vitro experiments showed the addition of miR-205 effectively ameliorated pericyte dysfunction. Furthermore, in vivo experiments demonstrated that miR-205 agomir could ameliorate pulmonary hypertension. Our findings indicated that the downregulation of miR-205 expression mediates pericyte dysfunction through the activation of Ddx5. Therefore, targeting the miR-205/Ddx5/p-Gsk3ß/ß-catenin axis could be a promising therapeutic approach for IUGR-related pulmonary hypertension.

An update of clinical value of circulating tumor DNA in esophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal cancer (EC) is a deadly disease with limited therapeutic options. Although circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) could be a promising tool in this regard, the availiable evidence is limited. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the clinical applicability of the next-generation sequencing (NGS) and droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) technology on the ctDNA detection of the EC and listed the current challenges. METHODS: We systematically searched MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase (via OVID), ISI Web of Science database and Cochrane Library from January, 2000 to April, 2023. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were set as primary outcome endpoints. Pathologic response was evaluated by tumor regression grade (TRG), according to the eighth edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). Major pathologic regression (MPR) was defined as TRG 1 and 2. The MPR was set as secondary endpoint. Hazard rate (HR) and associated 95% CI were used as the effect indicators the association between ctDNA and prognosis of EC. MPR rates were also calculated. Fixed-effect model (Inverse Variance) or random-effect model (Mantel-Haenszel method) was performed depending on the statistically heterogeneity. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies, containing 1144 patients with EC, were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that OS (HR = 3.87; 95% CI, 2.86-5.23) and PFS (HR = 4.28; 95% CI, 3.34-5.48) were shorter in ctDNA-positive patients. In the neoadjuvant therapy, the sensitivity analysis showed the clarified HR of ctDNA-positive was 1.13(95% CI, 1.01-1.28). We also found that TP53, NOTCH1, CCND1 and CNKN2A are the most frequent mutation genes. CONCLUSIONS: Positive ctDNA is associated with poor prognosis, which demonstrated clinical value of ctDNA. Longitudinal ctDNA monitoring showed potential prognostic value in the neoadjuvant therapy. In an era of precision medicine, ctDNA could be a promising tool to individualize treatment planning and to improve outcomes in EC. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023412465.

Mullerian adenosarcoma of the uterus with MASO: a case report of cervical adenosarcoma in a young female that never had sexual behavior.

BACKGROUND: Cervical mullerian adenosarcoma is a rare uterine sarcoma, especially in young women. Its pathological features are low-grade malignant tumors with bidirectional differentiation, and the degree of malignancy is similar to that of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma. This paper reports the case of a young asexual patient who has been closely followed up after tumor resection and has not had any recurrences. CASE PRESENTATION: A 20-year-old, young asexual woman was diagnosed with cervical mullerian adenosarcoma with sarcomatous overgrowth (MASO). Cervical tumor resection was performed after admission, and the resection margin was negative. After the operation, she refused to undergo secondary surgery due to fertility requirements and did not receive adjuvant treatment. The patient was closely followed up after the operation and has not yet relapsed. CONCLUSION: A young woman with cervical MASO did not receive adjuvant treatment after cervical tumor resection. For women with fertility requirements, close follow-ups should be conducted after the operation to guard against tumor recurrence and radical tumor resection should be performed as early as possible after the patient no longer requires their fertility.

Construction and Biological Evaluation of Biomimetic Coatings on Titanium Surfaces Using Naringin-7-O-Neohesperidoside at Different Concentrations.

Objective: The biomimetic coating on titanium surface affects the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of bone cells on the surface of implants. Naringin-7-O-Neohesperidoside (NRG) positively affects the proliferation and differentiation of bone cells, while inhibiting the formation of osteoclasts, thereby affecting the osteogenic effect. This study aimed to construct biomimetic coatings on pure titanium surfaces using layer by layer (LBL) self-assembly of NRGat different concentrations. The effects of the assembled NRG biomimetic coatings on the proliferation and differentiation of mouse preosteoblast cells (MC3T3-E1) in vitro were investigated. The influence of NRG concentration and culture time on MC3T3-E1 cells was also explored. Methods: LBL is a technology that allows for the creation of thin membranes made of polyelectrolytes through electrostatic attraction between polyanions and polycations, which effectively incorporates charged polyelectrolytes onto solid surfaces while preserving their biological activity. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) plays a crucial role in biomineralization, and its activity is considered as a marker for osteoblast differentiation. Real-time quantitative PCR accurately and quantitatively measures gene expression levels, which reflect the transcriptional activity of genes and thus reflect the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts. The research different concentrations of NRG biomimetic coatings (1×10-4 mol/L, 1×10-5 mol/L, 1×10-6 mol/L, and 1×10-7 mol/L) were constructed on titanium surfaces using the LBL self-assembly technique. The control groups included the blank group and the group without drugs. The effects of the coatings on the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells were evaluated by ALP activity assay. The differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells was evaluated by ALP activity assay. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed to detect the gene expressions of OC mRNA, Runx2 mRNA, and Col1a1 mRNA in MC3T3-E1 cells grown on the titanium samples of different experimental groups. Results: The proliferation indices of all NRG concentration groups were higher than those of the groups without drug and blank groups. The highest ALP value was detected at a concentration of 10-4 mol/L. All NRG concentrations upregulated the expression of Col1al mRNA compared to the group without the drug, and the concentrations of 10-5 mol/L and 10-6 mol/L showed statistically significant differences (P < .01). NRG at a concentration of 10-6 mol/L significantly upregulated the expression of Runx2 mRNA (P < .05), while all NRG concentration groups upregulated the expression of OC mRNA. NRG at a concentration of 10-6 mol/L demonstrated a 4 times increase in Runx2 mRNA expression, indicating a significant impact on osteogenic differentiation. Conclusions: NRG biomimetic coatings on titanium surfaces were successfully constructed using the LBL technique. NRG at different concentrations had stronger effects on the proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells compared to the groups without drug and blank groups, with the concentration of 10-6 mol/L demonstrating the best effect. These findings suggest that NRG-loaded biomimetic coatings may enhance the osseointegration of titanium implants, offering promising prospects for dental and orthopedic applications.

On-Demand Portable Paper-Based Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for High-Sensitivity Analysis of Complex Samples.

Paper spray ionization has been demonstrated to be the most promising substrate-based source, but this technique suffers from the low desorption efficiency of target compounds and poor portability. In the current study, we describe a portable paper-based electrospray ionization (PPESI) in which a piece of triangle paper and adsorbent are packed sequentially into a modified disposable micropipette tip. This source not only captures the feature of paper spray and adsorbent for highly efficient suppression of sample matrixes for target compound analysis but also takes advantage of a micropipette tip to prevent spray solvent from rapid evaporation. The performance of developed PPESI depends on the type and amount of packed adsorbent, paper substrate, and spray solvent and applied voltage. Moreover, by contrast to other related sources, the analytical sensitivity and the spray duration of PPESI in tandem with MS have been improved by factors of 2.8-32.3 and 2.0-13.3, respectively. Based on its high accuracy (>96%) and precision (less than 3% relative standard deviation), the PPESI coupled to a mass spectrometer has been used to determine diverse therapeutic drugs and pesticides in complex biological (e.g., whole blood, serum, and urine) and food (e.g., milk and orange juice) matrixes, and the limits of detection and quantification were 2-4 pg mL-1 and 7-13 pg mL-1, respectively. Taking the portability, high sensitivity, and repeatability, the technique may be a promising alternative for complex sample analysis.

Improvement in the performance of focusing plasma desorption ionization by altering its counter electrode.

RATIONALE: Plasma-based ionization sources play a vital role in rapidly analyzing diverse compounds without extensive sample pretreatment. In contrast to other sources, DC voltage-based ionizations are more advantageous due to their high analytical sensitivity and good tandem with commercially available mass spectrometers without extra power supplies. However, their performance is at the risk of high current DC voltage and helium flow rate, which poses significant challenges to practical operation and increased expense. METHODS: In this work, we propose a novel focusing plasma desorption ionization (FPDI) in which a visible plasma beam is favorably generated between a conducting wire in a polymeric tube and a counter electrode composed of metal mesh and filter paper drilled with holes. A systematic investigation has been conducted on the influences of the geometry of drilled holes in filter paper, applied DC voltage, helium flow rate, and filter paper size. The optimized system is used to analyze various pesticides in fluid foodstuffs. RESULTS: Compared to metal mesh and conducting paper as the counter electrode for FPDI-MS, combining metal mesh and filter paper drilled holes improved the analysis sensitivity by a factor of more than five. By applying the developed protocol for determining pesticides in complex matrixes such as orange juice and milk, a limit of detection as low as 1.3-3.0 ng mL-1 could be achieved. CONCLUSIONS: A novel FPDI-MS technique has been developed by combining metal mesh and filter paper drilled with holes as the counter electrode and sample carrier. The corresponding improvement in analysis sensitivity facilitates the future expansion of FPDI-MS applications into different pesticides and other compounds in complex matrixes.

Sequenced treatment alternatives to relieve adolescent depression (STAR-AD): a multicentre open-label randomized controlled trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent mental health problem with low treatment success rates. Whether fluoxetine or fluoxetine combined with cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is the more effective initial treatment for adolescent MDD remains controversial, and few studies have investigated whether treatment switching or augmentation is preferred when the initial treatment is not working well. METHODS: We developed a multicentre open-label Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) design, consisting of two phases lasting 8 weeks each. In phase 1 (at baseline), patients will be recruited and grouped in fluoxetine group or fluoxetine combined with CBT group by patient self-selection. In phase 2 (after 8 weeks of treatment), the nonresponders will be randomly assigned to six groups, in which participants will switch to sertraline, vortioxetine, or duloxetine or added aripiprazole, olanzapine, or lithium carbonate to fluoxetine. After the full 16 weeks of treatment, we will assess the long-term sustainability of the treatment effects by evaluating participants during their subsequent naturalistic treatment. The primary outcome will be the response rate, determined by the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R). Secondary outcomes include the change in scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and the Safe Assessment. DISCUSSION: The results from this study will aid clinicians in making informed treatment selection decisions for adolescents with MDD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with Identifier: NCT05814640.

Focusing Plasma Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

A plasma-based source named focusing plasma desorption/ionization (FPDI) is described, which applies a high direct current voltage between a metal wire inside a polymeric hollow truncated cone and a piece of a one-sided coated conducting paper substrate. The conducting paper acts as both the counter electrode and the sample carrier. Upon the generation of a visible plasma beam, it would directly ionize the samples spotted on the conducting paper substrate or located around the plasma beam. The signal intensity of target analytes in mass spectrometric analysis is dependent highly on whether the conducting paper substrate is grounded or not, the type of conducting paper substrate, the inside diameter of the polymeric hollow truncated cone tip, the metal wire tip-to-polymer tip distance, the polymer tip-to-paper substrate distance, the applied voltage, and the helium flow rate. Based on the experimental observation, a plausible mechanism is proposed for the generation of the plasma beam from FPDI. Compared to the available low-temperature plasma, flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow, and helium plasma ionization sources, FPDI has demonstrated higher sensitivity and better compatibility with commercial mass spectrometers without any extra power supplies. As a proof of concept, FPDI coupled with a mass spectrometer has also been applied for the discrimination of different brands of gasoline and determination of solid tablets and pesticides with limits of detection in the range of 2.2 to 30.7 ng mL-1.

A simple method to determine the sampling numbers in decision-making units with unknown variations of soil cadmium.

Sampling number is one critical issue to achieve credible results when surveying soil contamination and making remediation decisions. Traditional methods based on a normal distribution for determining numbers of samples are not always optimal because most distributions of soil heavy metal concentrations followed a log-normal distribution. Moreover, the variation of soil heavy metal concentrations is a prerequisite for previous methods to determine sampling numbers. Unfortunately, the variation is often unknown before soil sampling. Therefore, a simple method under the log-normal distribution without relying on variation to determine quickly the sampling number (QSN) was developed for soil cadmium and compared with other methods based on classical statistics and Chebyshev inequality. Results showed that an equation as a function of sampling areas could be used to determine QSN (QSN = 18.44 × A0.54 + 8.69, A is sampling areas, km2), with acceptable errors ranging from 13 to 33% at the sampling areas of 0.03-10 km2. The developed simple method for QSN was easy to use and cost-effective without prerequisite on the estimation of variation. Moreover, when the sampling cost was enough and the improved accuracy was requested, the increased sampling numbers were recommended as 1.53 times as the number calculated by the simple method. Therefore, the proposed method is believed as a simple and cost-effective method to determine the sampling numbers of soil Cd in decision-making units with unknown variations.

Genome-wide association reveals genetic variation of lint yield components under salty field conditions in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

BACKGROUND: Salinity is one of the most significant environmental factors limiting the productivity of cotton. However, the key genetic components responsible for the reduction in cotton yield in saline-alkali soils are still unclear. RESULTS: Here, we evaluated three main components of lint yield, single boll weight (SBW), lint percentage (LP) and boll number per plant (BNPP), across 316 G. hirsutum accessions under four salt conditions over two years. Phenotypic analysis indicated that LP was unchanged under different salt conditions, however BNPP decreased significantly and SBW increased slightly under high salt conditions. Based on 57,413 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis, a total of 42, 91 and 25 stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified for SBW, LP and BNPP, respectively. Phenotypic and QTL analysis suggested that there was little correlation among the three traits. For LP, 8 stable QTLs were detected simultaneously in four different salt conditions, while fewer repeated QTLs for SBW or BNPP were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that their regulatory mechanisms were also quite different. Via transcriptome profile data, we detected that 10 genes from the 8 stable LP QTLs were predominantly expressed during fiber development. Further, haplotype analyses found that a MYB gene (GhMYB103), with the two SNP variations in cis-regulatory and coding regions, was significantly correlated with lint percentage, implying a crucial role in lint yield. We also identified that 40 candidate genes from BNPP QTLs were salt-inducible. Genes related to carbohydrate metabolism and cell structure maintenance were rich in plants grown in high salt conditions, while genes related to ion transport were active in plants grown in low salt conditions, implying different regulatory mechanisms for BNPP at high and low salt conditions. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a foundation for elucidating cotton salt tolerance mechanisms and contributes gene resources for developing upland cotton varieties with high yields and salt stress tolerance.

Correction to: Nitric Oxide Participates in the Brain Ischemic Tolerance Induced by Intermittent Hypobaric Hypoxia in the Hippocampal CA1 Subfield in Rats.

The order of corresponding author was inadvertently published. Hence, the first and the second corresponding authors should be Min Zhang (hebmuzhangmin@163.com) and Jing-Ge Zhang (zhangjg001@163.com).

Nitric Oxide Participates in the Brain Ischemic Tolerance Induced by Intermittent Hypobaric Hypoxia in the Hippocampal CA1 Subfield in Rats.

Previous studies have shown that intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IH) preconditioning protected neurons survival from brain ischemia. However, the mechanism remains to be elucidated. The present study explored the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the process by measuring the expression of NO synthase (NOS) and NO levels. Male Wistar rats (100) were randomly assigned into four groups: sham group, IH + sham group, ischemia group and IH + ischemia group. Rats for IH preconditioning were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia mimicking 5000 m high-altitude (PB = 404 mmHg, PO2 = 84 mmHg) 6 h/day, once daily for 28 days. Global brain ischemia was established by four-vessel occlusion that has been created by Pulsinelli. Rats were sacrificed at 7th day after the ischemia for neuropathological evaluation by thionin stain. In addition, the expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS), and NO content in the hippocampal CA1 subfield were measured at 2nd day and 7th day after the ischemia. Results revealed that global brain ischemia engendered delayed neuronal death (DND), both nNOS and iNOS expression up-regulated, and NO content increased in the hippocampal CA1 subfield. IH preconditioning reduced neuronal injury induced by the ischemia, and prevented the up-regulation of NOS expression and NO production. In addition, L-NAME + ischemia group was designed to detect whether depressing NO production could alleviate the DND. Pre-administration of L-NAME alleviated DND induced by the ischemia. These results suggest that IH preconditioning plays a protective role by inhibiting the over expression of NOS and NO content after brain ischemia.

Emotion beliefs, emotion regulation strategies, and test anxiety of Chinese adolescents in grade 8: Evidence from physiological recordings during an exam.

Controllability beliefs and goodness beliefs about emotion are two fundamental emotion beliefs. The present study considered both controllability beliefs and goodness beliefs to examine whether and how the emotion beliefs of adolescents influence their test anxiety. Besides self-reported test anxiety (sr-TA), the present study measured heart rate (HR) and galvanic skin response (GSR) using custom-designed wristbands during an exam as indicators of state test anxiety. The GSR was further decomposed into the tonic skin conductance level and the transient skin conductance response. The results revealed that, after controlling the goodness beliefs about anxiety, the controllability beliefs about emotion were negatively related to sr-TA. This relationship was mediated by suppression. The controllability beliefs about emotion were directly related to the integration of transient skin conductance responses of 5 min before the exam. They were also indirectly related to the integration of transient skin conductance responses of the exam period, whether including the 5 min before the exam or not, and HR during certain periods through suppression. Therefore, adolescents' controllability beliefs about emotion may have important implications for their test anxiety.

Exploring the immune landscape and drug prediction of an M2 tumor-associated macrophage-related gene signature in EGFR-negative lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Improving immunotherapy efficacy for EGFR-negative lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients remains a critical challenge, and the therapeutic effect of immunotherapy is largely determined by the tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the top-ranked immune infiltrating cells in the TME, and M2-TAMs exert potent roles in tumor promotion and chemotherapy resistance. An M2-TAM-based prognostic signature was constructed by integrative analysis of single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) and bulk RNA-seq data to reveal the immune landscape and select drugs in EGFR-negative LUAD. METHODS: M2-TAM-based biomarkers were obtained from the intersection of bulk RNA-seq data and scRNA-seq data. After consensus clustering of EGFR-negative LUAD into different clusters based on M2-TAM-based genes, we compared the prognosis, clinical features, estimate scores, immune infiltration, and checkpoint genes among the clusters. Next, we combined univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses to establish an M2-TAM-based prognostic signature. RESULTS: CCL20, HLA-DMA, HLA-DRB5, KLF4, and TMSB4X were verified as prognostic M2-like TAM-related genes by univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses. IPS and TMB analyses revealed that the high-risk group responded better to common immunotherapy. CONCLUSION: The study shows the potential of the M2-like TAM-related gene signature in EGFR-negative LUAD, explores the immune landscape based on M2-like TAM-related genes, and predict immunotherapy response of patients with EGFR-negative LUAD, providing a new insight for individualized treatment.

All-inorganic lead halide perovskites for photocatalysis: a review.

Nowadays, environmental pollution and the energy crisis are two significant concerns in the world, and photocatalysis is seen as a key solution to these issues. All-inorganic lead halide perovskites have been extensively utilized in photocatalysis and have become one of the most promising materials in recent years. The superior performance of all-inorganic lead halide perovskites distinguish them from other photocatalysts. Since pure lead halide perovskites typically have shortcomings, such as low stability, poor active sites, and ineffective carrier extraction, that restrict their use in photocatalytic reactions, it is crucial to enhance their photocatalytic activity and stability. Huge progress has been made to deal with these critical issues to enhance the effects of all-inorganic lead halide perovskites as efficient photocatalysts in a wide range of applications. In this manuscript, the synthesis methods of all-inorganic lead halide perovskites are discussed, and promising strategies are proposed for superior photocatalytic performance. Moreover, the research progress of photocatalysis applications are summarized; finally, the issues of all-inorganic lead halide perovskite photocatalytic materials at the current state and future research directions are also analyzed and discussed. We hope that this manuscript will provide novel insights to researchers to further promote the research on photocatalysis based on all-inorganic lead halide perovskites.

Influence of ZnO morphology on the capability of portable paper-based electrospray ionization mass spectrometry to determine therapeutic drugs in complex matrices.

Adsorbents play a significant role in enhancing the analytical sensitivity of target analytes in complex samples by mitigating matrix effects. In our recent report, ZnO stood out among various adsorbents to determine target therapeutic drugs in complex biological matrices when applied for portable paper-based electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PPESI-MS). However, the influence of the morphology of ZnO on the performance of PPESI-MS is elusive. Herein, different morphologies of ZnO particles were prepared via co-precipitation or ultrasonic methods, and their capability to determine different therapeutic drugs in serum were systemically investigated. The results demonstrated that flower-shaped ZnO gave a superior capacity, and its analysis sensitivity was 2.9-12.8-fold higher than those achieved with other ZnO morphologies. Further characterization revealed that the unique performance of flower-shaped ZnO was closely associated with its favorable desorption behavior to drugs, small spray plume, and few spray emitters at the tip of coated paper substrate. To illustrate the potential of flower-shaped ZnO, its coated paper was used as a substrate for the determination of various drugs in complex matrices such as serum, and a limit of detection as low as 2 pg mL-1 was achieved. The corresponding recoveries ranged from 93.2% to 107.2%. The developed protocol is promising in high-sensitivity analysis of target drugs in complex sample matrices.

Surface charge-induced electrospray for high-throughput analysis of complex samples and electrochemical reaction intermediates using mass spectrometry.

Electrospray-related ion sources are promising for direct mass spectrometric analysis of complex samples, but current protocols suffer from complicated components and low analytical sensitivity. Here, we propose a surface charge-induced electrospray ionization (SCIESI) inspired by flashover on an insulator surface under high voltage. This protocol not only effectively avoids contact between the sample solution and metal electrode, but also allows completion of the entire analytical process in less than 40 seconds and limits of detection in the pictogram per milliliter range. SCIESI coupled to mass spectrometry can also be used to monitor electro-chemical processes, and a number of oxidation and reduction reactions have been studied, demonstrating that it is a powerful tool for understanding electrochemical reaction mechanisms.

Comprehensive expression, prognostic and validation analysis of necroptosis-related lncRNAs in esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that necroptosis-related long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) risk models can be used to predict prognosis and immune infiltration in patients with esophageal cancer. However, further analysis of the regulatory mechanisms of necroptosis-related lncRNAs used in risk models remains to be conducted. The purpose of the present study was to identify valuable necroptosis-related lncRNAs in esophageal cancer and to verify their molecular and cellular functions. METHODS: Esophageal cancer data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The expression of eight genes (LINC00299, AC090912.2, AC244197.2, AL158166.1, AC079684.1, AP003696.1, AC079684.1 and AP003696.1) in the necroptosis-related lncRNA risk model, their relationships with clinicopathological stage, and their diagnostic receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were analyzed. The prognostic value of these lncRNAs for overall survival (OS) and disease specific survival (DSS) was analyzed, and time-dependent ROC curves were generated. The AP003696.1 target gene (lncRNA ENSG00000253385.1) was further investigated through immune infiltration analysis, Gene Ontology/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (GO/KEGG) enrichment analyses, and gene coexpression analysis. Finally, in vitro functional assays based on lncRNA ENSG00000253385.1 were conducted to explore its regulatory role in esophageal cancer. RESULTS: A bioinformatics approach was used to study the eight genes in the necroptosis-related lncRNA risk model. AP003696.1 (lncRNA ENSG00000253385.1) was highly expressed in esophageal cancer tissues, and its high expression was correlated with poor OS and DFdS. Both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that lncRNA ENSG00000253385.1 is an independent prognostic factor. The lncRNA ENSG00000253385.1 gene was demonstrated to play a definite role in the invasion of esophageal cancer immune cells and in signaling pathways in these cells. In vitro cell functional assays revealed that lncRNA ENSG00000253385.1 expression was elevated in the KYSE150 and KYSE410 esophageal cancer cell lines. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated silencing of lncRNA ENSG00000253385.1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of KYSE150 and KYSE410 cells, as well as promoted their apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: The ENSG00000253385.1 gene may be a key gene in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of esophageal cancer. These findings provide new ideas and references for the screening of therapeutic targets, as well as the development of targeted drugs, for esophageal cancer treatment.

Early postnatal moderate catch­up growth in rats with nutritional intrauterine growth restriction preserves pulmonary vascular and cognitive function in adulthood.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) with rapid postnatal catch-up growth is strongly associated with pulmonary vascular dysfunction in adulthood, whereas IUGR with delayed growth in early postnatal life results in long-term brain deficits. In the present study, it was hypothesized that IUGR with early moderate catch-up growth may alleviate pulmonary vascular remodeling in adulthood without affecting memory function. An IUGR model was established by restricting maternal nutrition during pregnancy. Different growth patterns were achieved by adjusting the litter size in each group during lactation. Rats meeting the weight requirement at weaning were selected for subsequent studies at three time points (3, 9 and 13 weeks). Cognitive function was evaluated using a Y-maze. Invasive hemodynamic measurements were conducted to measure the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP). In addition, primary pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and pulmonary vascular endothelial cells (PVECs) were cultured to investigate their role in the increase in mPAP following rapid catch-up growth. The results showed that memory function deficits in the rats in the delayed growth group were associated with reduced proliferation of neural stem cells in the subgranular zone of the hippocampus. Furthermore, moderate catch-up growth at the three time points improved memory function while maintaining a normal mPAP. In adult IUGR rats experiencing rapid catch-up growth, although memory function improved, elevated mPAP and medial thickening of pulmonary arterioles were observed. Additionally, PASMCs exhibited excessive proliferation, migration and anti-apoptotic activity in the rapid catch-up group, and PVECs also displayed excessive proliferation. These results suggested that moderate catch-up growth after IUGR is a better strategy for optimal cognition and cardiovascular health in adulthood compared with rapid catch-up growth or delayed growth.