MicroRNA expression as a prognostic biomarker of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have indicated that microRNA (miRNA) expression in tumour tissues has prognostic significance in Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) patients. This study explored the possible prognostic value of miRNAs for TSCC based on published research. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of multiple databases was conducted according to predefined eligibility criteria. Data were extracted from the included studies by two researchers, and HR results were determined based on Kaplan‒Meier curves according to the Tierney method. The Newcastle‒Ottawa Scale (NOS) and GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) pro-GDT were applied to assess the quality of all studies. Publication bias was estimated by funnel plot, Egger's rank correlation test and sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Eleven studies (891patients) were included, of which 6 reported up-regulated miRNAs and 7 mentioned down-regulated miRNAs. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) from the prognostic indicator overall survival (OS) was 1.34 (1.25-1.44), p < 0.00001, indicating a significant difference in miRNA expression between TSCC patients with better or worse prognosis. CONCLUSION: MiRNAs may have high prognostic value and could be used as prognostic biomarkers of TSCC.

Reticulophagy mediated by the V-ATPase-ATG16L1-LC3C axis.

The lysosomal degradation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), known as "reticulophagy", is important for protein quality control and organelle turnover. Here we present a noncanonical reticulophagy occurring at ER exit sites (ERESs) induced by the misfolded SERPINA1/α1-antitrypsin (AAT) mutant, Z-AAT. The accumulation of Z-AAT arrests ER-to-Golgi transport, and recruits V-ATPase and ATG16L1 to mediate LC3C decoration of ERESs. Consequently, the receptor RETREG1/FAM134B-2 is recruited by lipidated LC3C to initiate reticulophagy. Furthermore, the blockade of ER export acts as a universal signal to activate reticulophagy mediated by the V-ATPase-ATG16L1-LC3C axis. This study sheds light on the mechanism of how ERESs switch from ER export to reticulophagy for quality control.

An aptamerelectrochemical sensor based on functional carbon nanofibers for tetracycline determination.

Fe-Co@CNF was synthesized by electrospinning technology, and AuNPs was loaded onto Fe-Co@CNF by in-situ reduction to obtain Fe-Co@CNF@AuNPs composite material, which was used as the working electrode based on Au-S bond cooperation. The tetracycline electrochemical sensing interface Fe-Co@CNF@AuNPs@Apt was constructed by connecting mercaptoylated tetracycline (TC) aptamers on Fe-Co@CNF@AuNPs surface. The morphology and composition of Fe-Co@CNF@AuNPs composites were characterized by SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD and XPS, and the electrochemical properties of tetracycline were evaluated by CV and DPV. The results showed that the addition of Fe and Co did not destroy the structure of the original carbon nanofibers, and their synergistic effect enhanced the electrocatalytic performance, effective electrode area and electron transfer ability of carbon nanofibers. AuNPs are evenly distributed over the fibers, which effectively improves the electrical conductivity of the material. Under the optimal conditions, the theoretical detection limit of tetracycline was 0.213 nM, and the linear detection range was 5.12-10 mM, which could successfully detect tetracycline in milk.

Efficient removal and transformation of Cr(VI) from alkaline wastewater to form a ferrochromium spinel multiphase via a modified ferrite process.

Chromium-containing wastewater causes serious environmental pollution due to the harmfulness of Cr(VI). The ferrite process is typically used to treat chromium-containing wastewater and recycle the valuable chromium metal. However, the current ferrite process is unable to fully transform Cr(VI) into chromium ferrite under mild reaction conditions. This paper proposes a novel ferrite process to treat chromium-containing wastewater and recover valuable chromium metal. The process combines FeSO4 reduction and hydrothermal treatment to remove Cr(VI) and form chromium ferrite composites. The Cr(VI) concentration in the wastewater was reduced from 1040 mg L-1 to 0.035 mg L-1, and the Cr(VI) leaching toxicity of the precipitate was 0.21 mg L-1 under optimal hydrothermal conditions. The precipitate consisted of micron-sized ferrochromium spinel multiphase with polyhedral structure. The mechanism of Cr(VI) removal involved three steps: 1) partial oxidation of FeSO4 to Fe(III) hydroxide and oxy-hydroxide; 2) reduction of Cr(VI) by FeSO4 to Cr(III) and Fe(III) precipitates; 3) transformation and growth of the precipitates into chromium ferrite composites. This process meets the release standards of industrial wastewater and hazardous waste and can improve the efficiency of the ferrite process for toxic heavy metal removal.

Polydopamine-Functionalized Strontium Alginate/Hydroxyapatite Composite Microhydrogel Loaded with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Promotes Bone Formation and Angiogenesis.

Critical-size bone defects are a common and intractable clinical problem that typically requires filling in with surgical implants to facilitate bone regeneration. Considering the limitations of autologous bone and allogeneic bone in clinical applications, such as secondary damage or immunogenicity, injectable microhydrogels with osteogenic and angiogenic effects have received considerable attention. Herein, polydopamine (PDA)-functionalized strontium alginate/nanohydroxyapatite (Sr-Alg/nHA) composite microhydrogels loaded with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were prepared using microfluidic technology. This composite microhydrogel released strontium ions stably for at least 42 days to promote bone formation. The PDA coating can release VEGF in a controlled manner, effectively promote angiogenesis around bone defects, and provide nutritional support for new bone formation. In in vitro experiments, the composite microhydrogels had good biocompatibility. The PDA coating greatly improves cell adhesion on the composite microhydrogel and provides good controlled release of VEGF. Therefore, this composite microhydrogel effectively promotes osteogenic differentiation and vascularization. In in vivo experiments, composite microhydrogels were injected into critical-size bone defects in the skull of rats, and they were shown by microcomputed tomography and tissue sections to be effective in promoting bone regeneration. These findings demonstrated that this novel microhydrogel effectively promotes bone formation and angiogenesis at the site of bone defects.

V-ATPase recruitment to ER exit sites switches COPII-mediated transport to lysosomal degradation.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-phagy is crucial to regulate the function and homeostasis of the ER via lysosomal degradation, but how it is initiated is unclear. Here we discover that Z-AAT, a disease-causing mutant of α1-antitrypsin, induces noncanonical ER-phagy at ER exit sites (ERESs). Accumulation of misfolded Z-AAT at the ERESs impairs coat protein complex II (COPII)-mediated ER-to-Golgi transport and retains V0 subunits that further assemble V-ATPase at the arrested ERESs. V-ATPase subsequently recruits ATG16L1 onto ERESs to mediate in situ lipidation of LC3C. FAM134B-II is then recruited by LC3C via its LIR motif and elicits ER-phagy leading to efficient lysosomal degradation of Z-AAT. Activation of this ER-phagy mediated by the V-ATPase-ATG16L1-LC3C axis (EVAC) is also triggered by blocking ER export. Our findings identify a pathway which switches COPII-mediated transport to lysosomal degradation for ER quality control.

Experimental study on the thermal performance of ultra-thin flat heat pipes with novel multiscale striped composite wick structures.

The rapid development of power-intensive and flexible electronic devices requires thinner heat-dissipation devices with better thermal performance. Ultra-thin flat heat pipe (UTFHP) with striped wick structure is a promising candidate for this application, but its wick structure and thermal performance have not yet been thoroughly studied and optimized for the small concentrated heat source, which is commonly encountered in electronics. In this study, several concentrated striped composite wick (CSCW) structures for 0.6 mm thick UTFHPs are proposed and experimentally investigated. The CSCW consists of copper foam with striped passages converging in the heating zone and double layers of copper screen mesh. The thermal performance of UTFHPs with various composite wick structures is experimentally evaluated. UTFHPs with the proposed structures are also compared with a UTFHP with a more conventional parallel passage composite wick structure. Experimental results show that the CSCW with the hollow structure at the evaporation section is preferred, due to the directed liquid working medium reflux and a large vapor-liquid evaporation interface. Besides, the passage width of the copper foam significantly affects the thermal performance. With the best-performing wick structure, the UTFHP gives the lowest thermal resistance of 0.79 °C/W at a heat load of 23.34 W. Its effective thermal conductivity is approximately 7 times that of copper. The proposed striped wick structure for UTFHPs provides an alternative to handle the hot-spot challenge of electronic devices.

Topology Optimization of Turbulent Flow Cooling Structures Based on the k-ε Model.

Topology optimization (TO) is an effective approach to designing novel and efficient heat transfer devices. However, the TO of conjugate heat transfer has been essentially limited to laminar flow conditions only. The present study proposes a framework for TO involving turbulent conjugate heat transfer based on the variable density method. Different from the commonly used and oversimplified Darcy model, this approach is based on the more accurate and widely accepted k-ε model to optimize turbulent flow channels. We add penalty terms to the Navier-Stokes equation, turbulent kinetic energy equation, and turbulent energy dissipation equation, and use interpolation models for the thermal properties of materials. A multi-objective optimization function, aiming to minimize the pressure drop and the average temperature, is set up to balance the thermal and hydraulic performance. A case study is conducted to compare various optimization methods in the turbulent regime, and the results show that the present method has substantially higher optimization effectiveness while remaining computationally inexpensive.

Off-axis three-mirror freeform systems design based on improved W-W differential equations.

Design of an off-axis system using the Wassermann-Wolf (W-W) differential equations can effectively eliminate the spherical aberration and coma problem; however, it is complicated and time consuming to calculate the discrete point coordinates on the freeform mirror surfaces due to multiple numbers of reference system transformation in the design process. This paper presents an improved W-W-differential-equations-based design method for off-axis three-mirror freeform systems. First, to reduce the number of coordinate transformations, a geometric relationship between different optical rays in an off-axis system is established using the distance between the central points of adjacent mirrors. Second, a three-dimensional rotation matrix is used to associate the optical paths passing through adjacent mirrors in different reference coordinate systems, and new simplified W-W differential equations based on the ray vectors are constructed. The experimental results show that our method can easily and effectively design off-axis three-mirror freeform systems with different parameters and structures, and the designed systems have good imaging quality.

Abnormal attentional bias in individuals with suicidal ideation during an emotional Stroop task: an event-related potential study.

Introduction: There is increasing evidence that suicidal individuals exhibit an attentional bias toward negative or suicide-related stimuli, but the underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the neural mechanism of attentional bias toward emotional stimuli using a modified emotional Stroop task (EST) and to further explore the influencing factor of abnormal attention processing by identifying whether mental disorders or suicidal ideation contributes to attention processing disruptions. Methods: Fourteen students with suicidal ideation and mental disorders (SIMDs), sixteen students with suicidal ideation but no mental disorders (SINMDs), and fourteen sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Moreover, 64-channel electroencephalography (EEG) data and behavioral responses were recorded simultaneously during the EST. Participants were instructed to respond to the ink color for various types of words (positive, neutral, negative, and suicide) while ignoring their meanings. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were analyzed to evaluate attention to the stimuli. Spearman correlations between clinical psychological assessment scales and ERP signatures were analyzed to determine the risk factors for suicide. Results: The results showed that the SIMD group exhibited longer early posterior negativity (EPN) latency compared to the SINMD and HC groups, indicating that early attention processing was affected during the EST, and the automatic and rapid processing of emotional information decreased. Furthermore, P300 latency for positive words was positively correlated with current suicidal ideation in the SINMD group, suggesting that delayed responses or additional processing to positive information may lead individuals with suicidal ideation to an incorrect interpretation of external events. Conclusions: Generally, our findings suggest that the neural characteristics of the SIMD group differed from those of the SINMD and HC groups. EPN latency and P300 latency during the EST may be suicide-related neurophysiological indicators. These results provide neurophysiological signatures of suicidal behavior.

Associations between doses of fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) and falls of hospitalized patients.

Falls are a serious public health problem in the aging population because of the associated clinical and socioeconomic impact. Although previous studies have investigated fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs), few studies have focused on dosage among adult inpatients. This study aimed to evaluate associations between fall risk and dosage of different FRIDs classes in hospital inpatients. Inpatients who experienced falls at medical or surgical wards of Changhua Christian Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 were identified and matched by age, sex, and hospital ward to randomly selected controls (four per case). Anonymous patient data were extracted from the hospital medical data repository, including demographic characteristics, comorbidities, fall-risk scores, and drug prescriptions. Medication dosages were computed using the anatomical therapeutic chemical classification and the defined daily dose system of the World Health Organization. A total of 852 cases and 3408 controls were identified as eligible. Reducing the use of CNS-active medications, administering lower doses of sedative-hypnotics, prescribing sufficient dopaminergic anti-Parkinson agents, and using NSAIDs instead of opioids are imperative in preventing falls among hospitalized patients according to the findings in the study.

Near-infrared speckle wavemeter based on nonlinear frequency conversion.

The wavemeter is an important instrument for spectrum analysis, widely used in spectral calibration, remote sensing, atomic physics, and high-precision metrology. However, near-infrared (NIR) wavemeters require infrared-sensitive detectors that are expensive and less sensitive compared to silicon-based visible light detectors. To circumvent these limitations, we propose an NIR speckle wavemeter based on nonlinear frequency conversion. We combine a scattering medium and the deep learning technique to invert the nonlinear mapping of the NIR wavelength and speckles in the visible wave band. With the outstanding performance of deep learning, a high-precision wavelength resolution of 1 pm is achievable in our experiment. We further demonstrate the robustness of our system and show that the recognition of power parameters and multi-spectral lines is also feasible. The proposed method offers a convenient and flexible way to measure NIR light, and it offers the possibility of cost reduction in miniaturized wavemeter systems.

Optimisation of GraPhage13 macro-dispersibility via understanding the pH-dependent ionisation during self-assembly: towards the manufacture of graphene-based nanodevices.

GraPhage13 aerogels (GPAs) are micro-porous structures generated through the self-assembly of graphene oxide (GO) and M13 bacteriophage. As GPA fabrication involves the aggregation of GO and M13 in aqueous solution, we aim to understand its dispersibility across a wide pH range. Herein, a novel technique has been developed to relate the ionisation of functional groups to the surface charge, offering insights into the conditions required for GPA fabrication and the mechanism behind its self-assembly. The aggregation of GO and M13 was observed between pH 2-6 and exhibited dependence on the surface charge of the resulting aggregate with the M13 bacteriophage identified as the primary factor contributing to this, whilst originating from the ionisation of its functional groups. In contrast, GO exhibited a lesser impact on the surface charge due to the deprotonation of its carboxylic, enolic and phenolic functional groups at pH 6 and above, which falls outside the required pH range for aggregation. These results enhance our understanding of the GPA self-assembly mechanism, the conditions required for their fabrication and the optimal processability, laying the foundation towards its broad range of applications and the subsequent manufacture of graphene-based nanodevices.

Antibody-assisted MIL-53(Fe)/Pt-based electrochemical biosensor for the detection of the nicotine metabolite cotinine.

Antibody-assisted MIL-53(Fe)/Pt was used as an electrochemical biosensor, and a rapid detection method for analysing cotinine content in smokers' saliva was developed based on this sensor. In this sensor, Pt-modified MIL-53(Fe) was modified as an electrode material onto the surface of the working electrode. The amino group was activated with glutaraldehyde and antibodies to cotinine were modified onto the surface and closed with 1% BSA. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to study the electrode assembly and cotinine detection. The DPV results showed an ideal linear relationship between the current value and the logarithm of the concentration. The detection limit was 0.0092 ng/mL. It has good selectivity and cycling stability. The proposed Abs-MIL-53(Fe)/Pt can effectively and sensitively detect cotinine in saliva and has promisingapplications.

Influence of Different pH Values on Gels Produced from Tea Polyphenols and Low Acyl Gellan Gum.

To explore the influence of pH values on the properties of a compound system containing tea polyphenols (TPs) and low acyl gellan gum (LGG), the color, texture characteristics, rheological properties, water holding capacity (WHC), and microstructure of the compound system were measured. The results showed that the pH value noticeably affects the color and WHC of compound gels. Gels from pH 3 to 5 were yellow, gels from pH 6 to 7 were light brown, and gels from pH 8 to 9 were dark brown. The hardness decreased and the springiness increased with an increase in pH. The steady shear results showed that the viscosity of the compound gel solutions with different pH values decreased with increasing shear rates, indicating that all of the compound gel solutions were pseudoplastic fluids. The dynamic frequency results showed that the G' and G″ of the compound gel solutions gradually decreased with increasing pH and that G' was higher than G″. No phase transition occurred in the gel state under heating or cooling conditions at pH 3, indicating that the pH 3 compound gel solution was elastic. The WHC of the pH 3 compound gel was only 79.97% but the WHC of compound gels pH 6 and pH 7 was almost 100%. The network structure of the gels was dense and stable under acidic conditions. The electrostatic repulsion between the carboxyl groups was shielded by H+ with increasing acidity. The three-dimensional network structure was easily formed by an increase in the interactions of the hydrogen bonds.

A novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique: "Temporally interfering electrical stimulation".

For decades, neuromodulation technology has demonstrated tremendous potential in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, challenges such as being less intrusive, more concentrated, using less energy, and better public acceptance, must be considered. Several novel and optimized methods are thus urgently desiderated to overcome these barriers. In specific, temporally interfering (TI) electrical stimulation was pioneered in 2017, which used a low-frequency envelope waveform, generated by the superposition of two high-frequency sinusoidal currents of slightly different frequency, to stimulate specific targets inside the brain. TI electrical stimulation holds the advantages of both spatial targeting and non-invasive character. The ability to activate deep pathogenic targets without surgery is intriguing, and it is expected to be employed to treat some neurological or psychiatric disorders. Recently, efforts have been undertaken to investigate the stimulation qualities and translation application of TI electrical stimulation via computational modeling and animal experiments. This review detailed the most recent scientific developments in the field of TI electrical stimulation, with the goal of serving as a reference for future research.

High-throughput microbial culturomics using automation and machine learning.

Pure bacterial cultures remain essential for detailed experimental and mechanistic studies in microbiome research, and traditional methods to isolate individual bacteria from complex microbial ecosystems are labor-intensive, difficult-to-scale and lack phenotype-genotype integration. Here we describe an open-source high-throughput robotic strain isolation platform for the rapid generation of isolates on demand. We develop a machine learning approach that leverages colony morphology and genomic data to maximize the diversity of microbes isolated and enable targeted picking of specific genera. Application of this platform on fecal samples from 20 humans yields personalized gut microbiome biobanks totaling 26,997 isolates that represented >80% of all abundant taxa. Spatial analysis on >100,000 visually captured colonies reveals cogrowth patterns between Ruminococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Coriobacteriaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae families that suggest important microbial interactions. Comparative analysis of 1,197 high-quality genomes from these biobanks shows interesting intra- and interpersonal strain evolution, selection and horizontal gene transfer. This culturomics framework should empower new research efforts to systematize the collection and quantitative analysis of imaging-based phenotypes with high-resolution genomics data for many emerging microbiome studies.

Neural responses to social decision-making in suicide attempters with mental disorders.

BACKGROUND: Decision-making deficits have been reported in suicide attempters and may be a neuropsychological trait of vulnerability to suicidal behavior. However, little is known about how neural activity is altered in decision-making. This study aimed to investigate the neural responses in suicide attempters with mental disorders during social decision-making. Electroencephalography (EEG) were recorded from 52 patients with mental disorders with past suicide attempts (SAs = 26) and without past suicide attempts (NSAs = 26), as well as from 22 age- and sex- matched healthy controls (HCs) during the Ultimatum Game (UG), which is a typical paradigm to investigate the responses to fair and unfair decision-making. METHODS: MINI 5.0 interview and self report questionnaire were used to make mental diagnosis and suicide behavior assessment for individuals. Event-related potential (ERP) and phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) were extracted to quantify the neural activity. Furthermore, Spearman correlation and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the risk factors of suicidal behavior. RESULTS: ERP analysis demonstrated that SA patients had decreased P2 amplitude and prolonged P2 latency when receiving unfair offers. Moreover, SA patients exhibited greater negative-going feedback-related negativity (FRN) to unfair offers compared to fair ones, whereas such a phenomenon was absent in NSA and HC groups. These results revealed that SA patients had a stronger fairness principle and a disregard toward the cost of punishment in social decision-making. Furthermore, theta-gamma and beta-gamma PAC were involved in decision-making, with compromised neural coordination in the frontal, central, and temporal regions in SA patients, suggesting cognitive dysfunction during social interaction. Statistically significant variables were used in logistic regression analysis. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve in the logistic regression model was 0.91 for SA/HC and 0.84 for SA/NSA. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings emphasize that suicide attempts in patients with mental disorders are associated with abnormal decision-making. P2, theta-gamma PAC, and beta-gamma PAC may be neuro-electrophysiological biomarkers associated with decision-making. These results provide neurophysiological signatures of suicidal behavior.

Two New Compounds Isolated from the Leaves of Ohwia caudata and Their Neuroprotective Effect against LPS-Induced BV2 Cells.

From the dried leaves of Ohwia caudata, two new compounds, namely (4E)-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-butenoic acid butyl ester (1), and 4-benzyl-1,3-phenylenedicarbamic acid methyl ester (2), together with five known compounds, were isolated and identified. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were established using 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR and HR-ESI-MS spectral analysis. Previous studies on O. caudata had been reported to protect against Alzheimer's disease, two new compounds were evaluated for their neuroprotective effect against lipopolysaccharide-induced BV2 microglia cells. The result indicated two compounds showed well anti-neuroinflammatory activity at 12.5 µM.

Poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate alleviated diarrhea and colitis via Lactobacillus johnsonii biofilm-mediated maturation of sulfomucin.

Maintainance of sulfomucin is a key end point in the treatment of diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the mechanisms underlying the microbial sense to sulfomucin are poorly understood, and to date, there are no therapies targeting the secretion and maturation of sulfomucin in IBD. Herein, we biosynthesized poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and found that PHB could alleviate inflammation caused by diarrhea and colitis by enhancing the differentiation of sulfomucin. Microbiota transplantation and clearance together demonstrate that PHB promoting sulfomucin is mediated by Lactobacillus johnsonii (L. johnsonii). Further studies revealed that PHB provides a favorable niche for L. johnsonii biofilm formation to resist disturbance and support its growth. L. johnsonii-biofilm alleviates colitis by regulating fucose residues to promote goblet cell differentiation and subsequent sulfomucin maturation. Importantly, PHB alleviates colitis by enhancing sulfomucin secretion and maturation in a L. johnsonii-dependent manner. PHB represents a class of guardians, acting as a safe probiotic-biofilm delivery system that significantly promotes probiotic proliferation. Altogether, this study adds weight to the possible role of probiotics and functional materials in the treatment of intestinal inflammation. The application of PHB and biofilm self-coating L. johnsonii carries high translational potential and may be of clinical relevance.