Spin Unlocked Vortex Beam Generation on Nonlinear Chiroptical Metasurfaces.

Optical vortices with spin and orbital angular momentum (SAM and OAM) states offer multiple degrees of freedom for manipulating optical fields and thus enable great potentials in optical information processing. Recently, the optical metasurface has become an important platform for vortex beam generation and steering. However, the strong spin-orbit interaction on such metasurfaces usually leads to spin locked OAM generation, which limits the complete control of the angular momentum state of light. Here, we propose to solve this constraint using geometric phase controlled nonlinear chiroptical metasurfaces. The metasurface consists of two types of plasmonic meta-atoms which have opposite handedness and exhibit a strong spin-dependent circular dichroism effect. By encoding specific phase singularities and phase gradients to different channels, we experimentally demonstrate the spin unlocked second harmonic beam steering. The proposed nonlinear chiroptical metasurfaces may have important applications in developing multifunctional nonlinear optical devices.

Prognostic Value of Systemic Inflammation Response Index in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAD) following open surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: Totally, 410 ATAD patients underwent open surgery from 2019 to 2021 were enrolled in the study. Among the patients, the in-hospital mortality was 14.4%. Cox regression (95%CI 1.033-1.114p < 0.001) and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (AUC = 0.718, p < 0.001) demonstrated the prognostic role of SIRI for in-hospital mortality after surgery. The optimal cut-off value of SIRI for in-hospital mortality was identified as 9.43 by maximally selected Log-Rank statistics. The patients were divided into high SIRI group (SIRI ≥ 9.43) and low SIRI group (SIRI < 9.43)) after the linear inverse relationship between SIRI and hazard ratio for in-hospital mortality was demonstrated by restricted cubic spline analysis (p = 0.0742). The Kaplan-Meier analysis illustrated that in-hospital mortality increased significantly in high SIRI group (p < 0.001). In addition, elevating SIRI was significantly associated with the incidence of coronary sinus tear (95%CI 1.020-4.475p = 0.044). Furthermore, the incidence rate of postoperative complications including renal failure (p < 0.001) and infection (p = 0.019) was higher in high SIRI group. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that preoperative SIRI could provide strong prognostic value for in-hospital mortality in ATAD patients following open surgery. Thus, SIRI was a promising biomarker for risk stratification and management prior to open surgery.

Polyoxometalate-Cyclodextrin-Based Cluster-Organic Supramolecular Framework for Polysulfide Conversion and Guest-Host Recognition in Lithium-sulfur Batteries.

Developing polyoxometalate-cyclodextrin cluster-organic supramolecular framework (POM-CD-COSF) still remains challenging due to an extremely difficult task in rationally interconnecting two dissimilar building blocks. Here we report an unprecedented POM-CD-COSF crystalline structure produced through the self-assembly process of a Krebs-type POM, [Zn2 (WO2 )2 (SbW9 O33 )2 ]10- , and two ß-CD units. The as-prepared POM-CD-COSF-based battery separator can be applied as a lightweight barrier (approximately 0.3 mg cm-2 ) to mitigate the polysulfide shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur batteries. The designed Li-S batteries equipped with the POM-CD-COSF modified separator exhibit remarkable electrochemical performance, attributed to fast Li+ diffusion through the supramolecular channel of ß-CD, efficient polysulfide-capture ability by the dynamic host-guest interaction of ß-CD, and improved sulfur redox kinetics by the bidirectional catalysis of POM cluster. This research provides a broad perspective for the development of multifunctional supramolecular POM frameworks and their applications in Li-S batteries.

KLF4 prevented angiotensin II-induced smooth muscle cell senescence by enhancing autophagic activity.

BACKGROUND: Vascular aging is an important risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases. Transcription factor krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) could regulate the phenotypic transformation of the vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) in the pathogenesis of aortic diseases. The present study aimed to explore the role and mechanism of KLF4 in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced VSMC senescence. METHODS: The VSMC senescence mouse model was induced by sustained release of Ang II (1.0 µg/kg/min) for 4 weeks. The premature senescent VSMCs were induced by Ang II (0.1 µmol/L) for 72 h. Cellular senescence was measured by senescence-associated ß-galactosidase (SA-ß-gal) activity and p53/p16 expression. The autophagic activity was evaluated by autophagic flux and autophagic marker expression. RESULTS: The expression of KLF4 was extremely increased in abdominal aorta tissues after 1-week Ang II stimulation (p < .01) but began to decrease in later periods. Decreased expression of KLF4 was also detected in premature senescent VSMCs. Overexpression of KLF4 could enhance the antisenescence ability of VSMCs. Significantly decreased amounts of SA-ß-gal-positive cells and lower p53/p16 expression were detected in KLF4-overexpressing VSMCs (p < .01). Next, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) was identified as a direct downstream target of KLF4 in VSMCs. Overexpression of KLF4 in VSMCs prevented the decreased expression of TERT under Ang II stimulation condition, which could in turn, contribute to the enhanced autophagic activity, and ultimately to the improved antisenescence ability of VSMCs. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that overexpression of KLF4 prevented Ang II-induced VSMC senescence by promoting TERT-mediated autophagy. These findings provided novel potential targets for the prevention and therapy of vascular aging.

UBE2O ubiquitinates PTRF/CAVIN1 and inhibits the secretion of exosome-related PTRF/CAVIN1.

BACKGROUND: Exosomes are small vesicles released by cells, which have crucial functions in intercellular communication. Exosomes originated from cell membrane invagination and are released followed by multivesicular bodies (MVBs) fused with the cell membrane. It is known that Polymerase I and Transcript Release Factor (PTRF, also known as Caveolin-associated Protein-1, CAVIN1) plays an important role in caveolae formation and exosome secretion. And PTRF in exosomes has been identified as a potential biomarker in multiple malignancies such as glioma and renal cell carcinoma. However, the mechanisms of how to regulate the secretion of exosome-related PTRF remain unknown. METHODS: We performed exogenous and endogenous immunoprecipitation assays to investigate the interaction between ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2O (UBE2O) and PTRF. We identified UBE2O ubiquitinated PTRF using ubiquitination assays. Then, exosomes were isolated by ultracentrifugation and identified by transmission electronic microscopy, western blot and nanoparticle tracking analysis. The effect of UBE2O on the secretion of exosome-related PTRF was analyzed by western blot, and the effect of UBE2O on exosome secretion was evaluated by exosome markers and the total protein content of exosomes. RESULTS: Here, we showed that UBE2O interacts with PTRF directly and ubiquitinates PTRF. Functionally, we found that UBE2O inhibited the effects of PTRF on exosome secretion via decreasing caveolae formation. Importantly, UBE2O decreased exosome secretion, resulting in downregulating PTRF secretion via exosomes. Our study also identified Serum Deprivation Protein Response (SDPR, also known as Caveolin-associated Protein-2, CAVIN2) interacted with both UBE2O and PTRF. Furthermore, we found that SDPR promotes PTRF expression in exosomes. Interestingly, even in the presence of SDPR, UBE2O still inhibited the secretion of exosome-related PTRF. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that UBE2O downregulated exosome release and controlled the secretion of exosome-related PTRF through ubiquitinating PTRF. Since exosomes play an important role in malignant tumor growth and PTRF included in exosomes is a biomarker for several malignant tumors, increasing UBE2O expression in cells has the potential to be developed as a novel approach for cancer treatment. Video Abstract.

A hybrid hydrogel encapsulating human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells enhances diabetic wound healing.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic wound is a severe complication of diabetes. Stem cell is considered as a promising therapy for diabetic skin wounds. Hydrogel can supply niche for cells adhesion and survival to improve the efficacy of stem cell therapy, but the development of hydrogel with suitable properties remains a great challenge. Thus, our study was conducted to combine an optimized hydrogel with stem cell to improve complex diabetic wound treatment. METHODS: This study constructed a hydrogel with low toxicity and adjustable mechanical properties from gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) and chitosan-catechol (Chi-C), and encapsulated human umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells (hUMSCs) to repair full-thickness diabetic wound. RESULTS: We explored the relationship between mechanical stiffness and cell proliferation and differentiation potency, and found 10% GelMA hydrogel with an optimal stiffness improved hUMSCs adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation potency maintenance in vitro. Assistant with optimized hydrogel encapsulating hUMSCs, diabetic wound healing process was greatly accelerated, including accelerated wound closure, inhibited secretion of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1ß, promoted vascular regeneration and collagen deposition after treatment of hUMSCs. CONCLUSIONS: The optimized hydrogel encapsulating hUMSCs improved diabetic wound healing, and has a broad implication for the treatment of diabetic complication. Diabetic wound is a severe complication of diabetes. Stem cell is considered as a promising therapy for diabetic skin wounds. Hydrogel can supply niche for cells adhesion and survival to improve the efficacy of stem cell therapy. This study constructed a hydrogel with low toxicity and adjustable mechanical properties from gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) and chitosan-catechol (Chi-C), and encapsulated human umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells (hUMSCs) to repair full-thickness diabetic wound. Hydrogel of 10% GelMA with an optimal stiffness improved hUMSCs adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation potency maintenance in vitro. Assistant with optimized hydrogel encapsulating hUMSCs, diabetic wound healing process was greatly accelerated, including accelerated wound closure, inhibited secretion of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1ß, promoted vascular regeneration and collagen deposition after treatment of hUMSCs. The study supplies an alternative treatment for diabetic complication. Hydrogel-hUMSCs combined treatment accelerates wound closure in diabetic mice. A. Representative images of wounds during 21-day in vivo experiments. B. Quantification of wound closure rate (%) over 21-day period. C. HE staining of wounds at days 7, 14 and 21. The bar corresponds to 200 µm.

Systemic immune-inflammation index predicted short-term outcomes in ATAD patients undergoing surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is a biomarker that reflect systemic inflammation. We aimed to assess the value of SII in prediction of short-term outcomes in acute type A aortic dissection (ATAD) patients undergoing surgery. METHOD: All patients underwent surgery for ATAD at our institution from 2018 to 2020 (n = 324) were retrospectively reviewed and divided into low SII (<1582.6 × 109 /L) and high SII (≥1582.6 × 109 /L) group according to optimal cut-off values defined by receiver operating characteristic curve. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to illustrate the correlation between SII and postoperative short-outcomes, including 30-day mortality and main complications after surgery. RESULTS: In total, 48 (14.8%) patients died in 30 days after ATAD surgery. And multivariable Cox analysis demonstrated that high preoperative SII was closely related with 30-day mortality (hazard ratio: 3.532, 95% confidence interval: 1.719-7.255, p = .001). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analysis illustrated that the short-term mortality rate increased significantly in high SII group (p < .001). In addition, the incidence of main postoperative complications including major adverse cardiovascular events (p = .001) and multiorgan failure (p = .002) were higher in high SII group. However, the length of intensive unit stay (p = .909) and hospital stay (p = .836) presented no difference in two groups. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that SII was an available biomarker to predict postoperative short-term prognosis, but not length of stay in intensive care unit and hospital in ATAD patients. And SII may be applied to risk stratification and patient selection in ATAD patients before surgery.

An Analysis of Total Arch Re-Replacement After Proximal Aortic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: After proximal aortic surgery, total arch replacement (TAR) may again be needed because of recurrent dissection or aneurysm. This paper analyzed the relevant data of this technology with hopes of improving cognition and treatment. METHODS: There were a total of 60 eligible cases of secondary TAR after proximal aortic surgery in our center from 2010 to 2020. The primary surgical procedures included aortic valve replacement (AVR), ascending aortic replacement, Bentall, hemi-arch replacement, and thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 23.0 for Windows™ and presented as the mean ± standard deviations and direct frequencies, as appropriate. RESULTS: The interval between two operations was 44.8±53.6 months, 24 cases (40%) underwent emergency operation, the recurrence of type A dissection included 51 cases, accounting for 85% of the causes of total arch re-replacement. In the second surgical procedures, the ascending + TAR + stented elephant trunk (SET) implantation accounted for 75.0%. The overall surgical success rate was 98.3%. Postoperative respiratory complications were the most common, including infection, pneumothorax and hemothorax in 21 cases (35.6%). The second most common complication was acute kidney injury (AKI) in six cases (10.2%), and neurological complications took place in three cases (5.1%). The 30-day mortality rate was 15.3% and the 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 96.0%, 84.0%, and 76.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The recurrence of dissection is the main cause of TAR after proximal aortic surgery, followed by aneurysm and the resurgical criteria for aneurysm needs to be unified. In addition to TAR, SET also is widely used. Despite high early mortality, its long-term prognosis is acceptable.

Curcumin protects BV2 cells against lipopolysaccharide-induced injury via adjusting the miR-362-3p/TLR4 axis.

Curcumin was demonstrated to be an active ingredient with anti-inflammatory effects. This research was to investigate the effects of curcumin. We found that curcumin promoted cell viability and suppressed cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, curcumin decreased the level of cleaved caspase-3 and the release of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, but increased IL-10 release in LPS-treated BV2 cells. miR-362-3p expression was upregulated by curcumin, while TLR4 expression was downregulated. Besides, we observed that the cytoprotective effects of curcumin were lost when miR-362-3p was silenced. TLR4 was a direct target gene of miR-362-3p. Moreover, miR-362-3p deletion attenuated the cytoprotective effects of curcumin by regulating TLR4 expression in LPS-induced BV2 cells. Furthermore, curcumin suppressed p-p65 expression via regulating miR-362-3p/TLR4 axis. We discovered that curcumin exhibited protective effects against LPS-triggered cell injury via modulating miR-362-3p/TLR4 axis through NF-κB pathway.

Serum exosomal miR-378 upregulation is associated with poor prognosis in non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Deregulated circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are potential biomarkers for the early detection and prognosis prediction of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression pattern of serum exosomal miR-378 in NSCLC and its correlation with clinical variables. METHODS: Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect serum exosomal miR-378 levels in 103 patients with NSCLC and 60 control subjects. RESULTS: Our results showed that serum exosomal miR-378 was significantly overexpressed in NSCLC patients, and serum exosomal miR-378 upregulation was clearly associated with positive lymph node metastasis and advanced TNM stage. In addition, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that combination of serum exosomal miR-378 expression and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) had a high discriminating power to differentiate NSCLC subjects from controls. Moreover, serum exosomal miR-378 levels in 73 NSCLC cases were significantly decreased after radiotherapy and could be used as an indicator of radiotherapeutic response in NSCLC. Furthermore, survival analyses revealed that patients with higher serum exosomal miR-378 expression had poor overall survival. Multivariate analysis showed that serum exosomal miR-378 expression was independently associated with overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, serum exosomal miR-378 has strong potential as a promising non-invasive biomarker for screening and monitoring NSCLC.

Impact of a Higher Body Mass Index on Prolonged Intubation in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Acute Thoracic Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, obese patients presenting with acute thoracic aortic dissection have not been uncommon and there are often pulmonary complications among them. Whether a higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with more pulmonary complications or even a higher mortality rate has yet to be determined. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of higher BMI on pulmonary complications and other surgical outcomes. METHODS: A total of 404 patients who underwent acute thoracic aortic dissection surgery were retrospectively studied. They were divided into three groups based on their BMI: normal weight (BMI 18.5 to <25 kg/m2, n=173), overweight (BMI 25 to <30 kg/m2, n=145) and obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2, n=86). Clinical data were collected and analysed among groups. RESULTS: No statistical significance was detected among the groups for postoperative complications, in-hospital mortality and hospital or ICU stay, except for prolonged intubation, the proportion of which was highest in the obese group followed by the overweight and normal groups (40.7% vs 29% vs 11%, respectively; p<0.001). Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed that postoperative renal failure (OR=16.984) and cardiopulmonary bypass time (OR=1.013) were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality, while higher BMI (OR=7.148 for BMI ≥25 and 18.967 for BMI ≥30), transfused red blood cells (OR=1.004), and postoperative renal failure (OR=7.386) were independent risk factors for prolonged ventilation (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Body mass index had no effect on in-hospital mortality but may be closely correlated with prolonged intubation for patients undergoing aortic dissection surgery. This finding suggests that these patients should receive more aggressive pulmonary management.

Antibacterial activity of Artemisia asiatica essential oil against some common respiratory infection causing bacterial strains and its mechanism of action in Haemophilus influenzae.

The main objective of the current study was to investigate the chemical composition of the essential oil of Artemisia asiatica together with investigating the antibacterial effects it exerts on several common respiratory infection causing bacteria including Haemophilus influenzae. Its mechanism of action was studied using various state-of-the-art assays like scanning electron microscopy, DNA, RNA and protein leakage assays, growth curve assays etc. The essential oil was extracted from the leaves of A. asiatica by supercritical CO2 fluid extraction technology. Chemical composition of essential oils was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass-spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activity was evaluated against 6 bacteria by the paper disc diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericide concentration (MBC) values of the essential oil were estimated by agar dilution method. The antibacterial mechanism was evaluated by growth curve, the integrity of cell membrane and scanning electronmicroscope (SEM). Gas chromatographic analysis of the A. asiatica essential oil led to the identification of 16 chemical constituents accounting for 97.2% of the total oil composition. The major components were found to be Piperitone, (z)-davanone, p-cymene and 1, 8-cineole. The essential oil showed maximum growth inhibition against Haemophilus influenzae with a zone of inhibition of 24.5 mm and MIC/MBC values of 1.9/4.5 mg/mL respectively. Bacteria treated with the essential oil led to a rapid decrease in the number of viable cells. On adding the essential oil of A. asiatica to the bacterial culture, the constituents of the bacterial cell got released into the medium and this cell constituent release increased with increasing doses of the essential oil. SEM showed that the bacterial cells treated with the essential oil showed damaged cell wall, deformed cell morphology and shrunken cells.

Hyperbranched Poly(ether amine)@Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Hybrid Membrane with Oriented Nanostructures for Fast Molecular Filtration.

Porous membranes with uniform nanostructures and selective adsorption can realize molecular filtration with high flux and have gained great attention because of their wide application in water treatment and industrial separation. Herein, a novel hyperbranched poly(ether amine)@poly(vinylidene fluoride) (hPEA@PVDF) porous membrane with oriented nanostructures and selective adsorption of guest molecules was fabricated by applying the combined crystallization and diffusion method for the functionalization of the PVDF membrane. The resulting hPEA@PVDF porous membranes were fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectra. The results indicated that the hPEA@PVDF membrane exhibited oriented open channel structure and high water flux up to 2116 L m-2 h-1, in which the PVDF skeleton was covered by the amphiphilic hPEA layer. The adsorption behavior of hPEA@PVDF porous membranes to 12 hydrophilic dyes including batch adsorption and molecular filtration was systematically investigated. The results revealed that the hPEA@PVDF membrane possessed high adsorption capacity toward erythrosin B (577 µmol g-1) and eosin B (511 µmol g-1), while low adsorption capacity toward calcein (76 µmol g-1) and methylene blue (hardly adsorbed), indicating the selective adsorption behavior toward dyes in aqueous solution. On the basis of this selective property, the hPEA@PVDF could be used to separate the dye mixtures very efficiently through molecular filtration. In addition, the separation efficiency remained 100% after five adsorption-desorption cycles, indicating that it had great potential in practical applications.

Ultralarge Nanosheets Fabricated by the Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Porphyrin-Ended Hyperbranched Poly (ether amine) (TPP-hPEA).

An ultralarge sheet with remarkable lateral dimensions of 10 µm × 10 µm-20 µm × 20 µm is fabricated by the hierarchical self-assembly of porphyrin-ended hyperbranched poly(ether amine) (tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP)-hPEA) in solution. The obtained TPP-hPEA amphiphiles can self-assemble from ultrathin single-layered nanosheets with a thickness of 4 nm to ultralarge multilayered nanosheets with thicknesses from 30 to 70 nm. The lateral dimensions increase from 2 × 2 µm to 5 × 5 µm, and eventually to 10 × 10 µm. In-situ dynamic light scattering and UV-vis spectroscopy studies suggest a hierarchical growth self-assembly mechanism with a self-assembly process that relies on π-π stacking. This 2D self-assembly method provides a significant potential guide for the preparation of ultralarge nanosheets in solution.

Selective Adsorption and Separation through Molecular Filtration by Hyperbranched Poly(ether amine)/Carbon Nanotube Ultrathin Membranes.

In response to the increasing public awareness of serious dye-contained wastewater contamination, we herein fabricated a novel anthracene-containing hyperbranched poly(ether amine) (hPEA-AN)/carbon nanotube (CNT) ultrathin membrane (UTM), which combined both the merits of the conventional dye adsorption strategy and membrane filtration process, to implement efficient selective adsorption of dye molecules and also the separation of dye mixtures by molecular filtration. Taking advantage of the π-π stacking interactions between anthracene and CNT sidewalls and hydrophobic interactions, CNTs were coated tightly with hPEA-AN to form the hPEA-AN@CNT complex, which can be well-dispersed very stably in water. The formation of the hPEA-AN@CNT complex was confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectra, fluorescence spectra, and thermogravimetric analysis. Meanwhile, a simple filtration process was applied to prepare hPEA-AN@CNT UTMs with a thickness of 1.5 µm, which can be further cross-linked through photodimerization of anthracene moieties. The UTMs represented selective adsorption behaviors toward hydrophilic dyes even with similar backbones and the same charge states, namely, they showed high adsorption capacities (Qeq) toward eosin B, erythrosin B (ETB), 4',5'-dibromofluorescein, and Evans blue (EVB) dyes up to 300 µmol/g while showing low adsorption capacities toward calcein (Cal), methyl red, and Ponceau S dyes. On the basis of this unique selective adsorption, molecular filtration was then realized toward mixed ETB/Cal and EVB/Cal dyes, with a separation efficiency of up to 100% and regeneration without an obvious efficiency decrease.

Revisiting the mechanism of redox-polymerization to build the hydrogel with excellent properties using a novel initiator.

In this paper, polyetheramine, a kind of linear epoxy polymer, has been used as both an initiator and a cross-linker for the synthesis of polyacrylamide hydrogel by means of a one pot method, which is a simple, time saving, facile and easily controlled process and the obtained hydrogel showed super stretchable and highly elastic properties. More impressively, only very low content of polyetheramine (0.1 wt%) could exhibit greatly enhanced mechanical properties toward polyacrylamide and the properties of hydrogel could be easily tailored by the weight ratio of polyetheramine to acrylamide. These hydrogels could be stretched up to 2000% with a maximal fracture energy up to 3.2 MJ m(-3). These types of hydrogels could be recovered immediately with low residual strains upon unloading even after 1000% strain. The presence of polyetheramine could create a more homogeneous distribution of crosslinking points and can dissipate the energy effectively, which can be responsible for the improved mechanical properties.

Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Anthracene-Functionalized ß-Cyclodextrin (CD-AN) through Multi-Micelle Aggregation.

Multi-micelle aggregation (MMA) mechanism is widely acknowledged to explicate large spherical micelles self-assembly, but the process of MMA during self-assembly is hard to observe. Herein, a novel kind of strong, regular microspheres fabricated from self-assembly of amphiphilic anthracene-functionalized ß-cyclodextrin (CD-AN) via Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne click reactions is reported. The obtained CD-AN amphiphiles can self-assemble in water from primary core-shell micelles to secondary aggregates with the diameter changing from several tens nm to around 600-700 nm via MMA process according to the images of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy as well as the dynamic light scattering measurements, followed by further crosslinking through photo-dimerization of anthracene. What merits special attention is that such photo-crosslinked self-assemblies are able to disaggregate reversibly into primary nanoparticles when changing the solution conditions, which is benefited from the designed regular structure of CD-AN and the rigid ranging of anthracene during assembly, thus confirming the process of MMA.

Sex-related differences in outcome of thoracic aortic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Sex-related dissimilarities' influence on outcomes following thoracic aortic surgery is poorly understood. Our aim is to examine sex-related disparities in patients undergoing thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA). METHODS: A total of 455 cases undergoing thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) surgery were consecutively enrolled between December 2009 and December 2015 in a Chinese hospital. Primary outcomes, including overall mortality and related risk factors, were evaluated. Cox regression is utilized to recognize the independent risk factor of these consequences. RESULTS: Females, compared to males, had greater indexed aortic diameters and higher aortic transvalvular pressure differences. For the location of aortic aneurysms, females had a higher rate of aortic arch involvement, while males had a higher rate of root involvement. Females underwent less frequent complex proximal aortic operations compared with males (29.5% versus 46.9%; p < 0.001). Women and men both had a lower rate of aortic transvalvular pressure difference and LV volume index 7 days after thoracic aortic surgery. The overall mortality for the women's groups (11%) was suggestively greater compared to 4.9% for the men's groups (p = 0.026). Renal failure and aortic arch involvement were the main risk factors associated with males' survival, while maximum indexed aortic diameter and cross-clamp time were the risk factors associated with females' survival. CONCLUSIONS: The outcome after TAA surgery was less favorable in women with significantly increased overall mortality. It highlights the need to focus on implementing personalized surgery strategies and gender-specific guidelines in treating female patients following TAA surgery.

Improving Interfacial and Compressive Properties of Polyimide Fiber by Constructing Inorganic Layers on Fiber Surface.

The compressive performance of organic fiber has always been a key problem, limiting its development. In this paper, silicon oxide, alumina, and titanium oxide particles were separately deposited on the surface of high-strength and high-modulus polyimide (PI) fibers to form a structural supporting shell by using a magnetron sputtering method. The theoretical thickness was calculated by thermogravimetric analysis in good agreement with the actual thickness determined from scanning electron microscopy. The mechanics, surface, and interface properties of the measured fibers were analyzed mainly from the aspects of surface energy, interfacial shear strength (IFSS), and compression strength. The results showed that after magnetron sputtering, the inorganic shells were uniformly deposited on the surface of PI fiber, resulting in an increase in the content of inorganic elements as well as the roughness. As a result, the surface energy and IFSS of silica-coated fiber was increased by 174 and 85.6%, respectively, and compression strength was increased by 45.7%. This study provides a new approach for improving the interface property and compression strength of high-strength and high-modulus PI-fiber-reinforced composites.

Integrated bioinformatics and validation reveal PTGS2 and its related molecules to alleviate TNF-α-induced endothelial senescence.

Accumulative evidences have indicated the interaction between cellular senescence and ferroptosis. This study intends to investigate the ferroptosis-related molecular markers in TNF-α-induced endothelial senescence. The microarray expression dataset (GSE195517) was used to identify the differently expressed ferroptosis-related genes (DEFRGs) through weighted gene co-expressed network analysis (WGCNA). GO and KEGG were performed to explore the biological function. Furthermore, hub genes were identified after protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis and validated through real-time qPCR (RT-qPCR). Then, a drug-gene network was established to predict potential drugs for the hub genes. Seven DEFRGs were recognized in the TNF-α-induced HUVEC senescence. Moreover, four hub genes (PTGS2, TNFAIP3, CXCL2, and IL6 are upregulated) were identified by PPI analysis and validated by RT-qPCR. Further analysis exhibited that PTGS2 was subcellularly located in the plasma membrane. Furthermore, after aminosalicylic acid (ASA) was identified as ferroptosis inhibitor for targeting PTGS2 in senescent HUVECs, 5-ASA and 4-ASA were verified to alleviate TNF-α-induced HUVEC senescence through ferroptosis. PTGS2 might play a role in TNF-α-induced HUVEC senescence and ASA may be the potential drug for alleviating TNF-α-induced HUVEC senescence through ferroptosis.