Qingda Granule Attenuates Hypertension-Induced Cardiac Damage via Regulating Renin-Angiotensin System Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of Qingda Granule (QDG) in ameliorating hypertension-induced cardiac damage and investigate the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: Twenty spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were used to develope a hypertension-induced cardiac damage model. Another 10 Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were used as normotension group. Rats were administrated intragastrically QDG [0.9 g/(kg•d)] or an equivalent volume of pure water for 8 weeks. Blood pressure, histopathological changes, cardiac function, levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory response markers were measured. Furthermore, to gain insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of QDG against hypertension-induced cardiac injury, a network pharmacology study was conducted. Predicted results were validated by Western blot, radioimmunoassay immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: The administration of QDG resulted in a significant decrease in blood pressure levels in SHRs (P<0.01). Histological examinations, including hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson trichrome staining revealed that QDG effectively attenuated hypertension-induced cardiac damage. Furthermore, echocardiography demonstrated that QDG improved hypertension-associated cardiac dysfunction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and colorimetric method indicated that QDG significantly reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory response levels in both myocardial tissue and serum (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Both network pharmacology and experimental investigations confirmed that QDG exerted its beneficial effects in decreasing hypertension-induced cardiac damage by regulating the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)/angiotensin II (Ang II)/Ang II receptor type 1 axis and ACE/Ang II/Ang II receptor type 2 axis.

Management of peripheral neuropathy associated with brentuximab vedotin in the frontline treatment of classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

The ECHELON-1 trial demonstrated the effectiveness of brentuximab vedotin (BV) in combination with doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine as a frontline treatment regimen in classical Hodgkin lymphoma. However, peripheral neuropathy (PN) is common with this regimen, occurring in up to two-thirds of patients. While standard prescribing information recommends BV dose modification at the onset of grade 2 PN, management strategies for PN are not well-defined. Most commonly, clinicians dose reduce or discontinue BV, vinblastine, or both. We review evidence-based and practical approaches for managing peripheral neuropathy, emphasizing early detection and dose modification.

Oral Microbiome and Subsequent Risk of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer.

Importance: The oral microbiota may be involved in development of head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), yet current evidence is largely limited to bacterial 16S amplicon sequencing or small retrospective case-control studies. Objective: To test whether oral bacterial and fungal microbiomes are associated with subsequent risk of HNSCC development. Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective nested case-control study among participants providing oral samples in 3 epidemiological cohorts, the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, and the Southern Community Cohort Study. Two hundred thirty-six patients who prospectively developed HNSCC were identified during a mean (SD) of 5.1 (3.6) years of follow-up. Control participants who remained HNSCC free were selected by 2:1 frequency matching on cohort, age, sex, race and ethnicity, and time since oral sample collection. Data analysis was conducted in 2023. Exposures: Characterization of the oral bacterial microbiome using whole-genome shotgun sequencing and the oral fungal microbiome using internal transcribed spacer sequencing. Association of bacterial and fungal taxa with HNSCC was assessed by analysis of compositions of microbiomes with bias correction. Association with red and orange oral pathogen complexes was tested by logistic regression. A microbial risk score for HNSCC risk was calculated from risk-associated microbiota. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was HNSCC incidence. Results: The study included 236 HNSCC case participants with a mean (SD) age of 60.9 (9.5) years and 24.6% women during a mean of 5.1 (3.6) years of follow-up, and 485 matched control participants. Overall microbiome diversity at baseline was not related to subsequent HNSCC risk; however 13 oral bacterial species were found to be differentially associated with development of HNSCC. The species included the newly identified Prevotella salivae, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Leptotrichia species, as well as several species belonging to beta and gamma Proteobacteria. The red/orange periodontal pathogen complex was moderately associated with HNSCC risk (odds ratio, 1.06 per 1 SD; 95% CI, 1.00-1.12). A 1-SD increase in microbial risk score (created based on 22 bacteria) was associated with a 50% increase in HNSCC risk (multivariate odds ratio, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.21-1.85). No fungal taxa associated with HNSCC risk were identified. Conclusions and Relevance: This case-control study yielded compelling evidence that oral bacteria are a risk factor for HNSCC development. The identified bacteria and bacterial complexes hold promise, along with other risk factors, to identify high-risk individuals for personalized prevention of HNSCC.

Urinary Concentrations of Organophosphate Flame-Retardant Metabolites in the US Population.

Importance: Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are an important group of pollutants associated with endocrine disorders, cancer, and nephrotoxicity. However, temporal trends in OPFR metabolite concentrations remain understudied. Objectives: To examine changes in urinary concentrations of OPFR metabolites among US children, youths, and adults from 2011 to 2020, and to evaluate whether sociodemographic factors were associated with variations in temporal trends. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cross-sectional study used data from 4 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles (2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2015-2016, and 2017-2020 [to March 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic]). The study included children and youths (aged 6-19 years) and adults (aged ≥20 years) with valid urinary concentrations of the following OPFR metabolites: bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEtP), bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCPP), diphenyl phosphate (DPhP), and dibutyl phosphate (DBuP). Data analysis was performed between February and May 2024. Exposures: Calendar year and key sociodemographic subgroups (age, race and ethnicity, sex, educational attainment, and poverty-to-income ratio). Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was urinary concentrations of OPFR metabolites among children, youths, and adults. Survey-weighted linear regression models were applied to estimate trends. Results: The study population of 10 549 NHANES participants included 3154 children and youths (mean [SE] age, 12.5 [0.1] years; 51.2% were male) and 7395 adults (mean [SE] age, 47.8 [0.4] years; 52.0% were women). Among children and youths, mean (95% CI) BCEtP concentrations decreased from 0.68 (0.60-0.77) µg/L in 2011-2012 to 0.41 (0.37-0.45) µg/L in 2017-2020 (P for trend < .001). Among adults, mean (95% CI) BCEtP concentrations decreased from 0.43 (0.37-0.50) µg/L in 2011-2012 to 0.29 (0.27-0.33) µg/L in 2017-2020 (P for trend < .001), and mean BCPP concentrations decreased from 0.15 (0.14-0.17) µg/L to 0.13 (0.12-0.14) µg/L (P for trend = .002). Parent level of educational attainment was associated with concentrations of BCPP and BCEtP among children and youths; however, no significant differences among adults were observed. Conclusions and Relevance: This study identified variations in temporal trends in urinary concentrations of OPFR metabolites among the US population from 2011 to 2020. In addition, substantial disparities in exposure levels persisted among children with different levels of parent educational attainment. These findings suggest that policy makers should consider socioeconomic factors to further reduce OPFR exposure and promote equity, ensuring a safe living environment for all individuals.

A simple, robust, cost-effective, and low-input ChIP-seq method for profiling histone modifications and Pol II in plants.

Chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing (vs ChIP-seq) is an essential tool for epigenetic and molecular genetic studies. Although being routinely used, ChIP-seq is expensive, requires grams of plant materials, and is challenging for samples that enrich fatty acids such as seeds. Here, we developed an Ultrasensitive Plant ChIP-seq (UP-ChIP) method based on native ChIP-seq combined with Tn5 tagmentation-based library construction strategy. UP-ChIP is generally applicable for profiling both histone modification and Pol II in a wide range of plant samples, such as a single Arabidopsis seedling, a few Arabidopsis seeds, and sorted nuclei. Compared with conventional ChIP-seq, UP-ChIP is much less labor intensive and only consumes 1 µg of antibody and 10 µl of Protein-A/G conjugated beads for each IP and can work effectively with the amount of starting material down to a few milligrams. By performing UP-ChIP in various conditions and genotypes, we showed that UP-ChIP is highly reliable, sensitive, and quantitative for studying histone modifications. Detailed UP-ChIP protocol is provided. We recommend UP-ChIP as an alternative to traditional ChIP-seq for profiling histone modifications and Pol II, offering the advantages of reduced labor intensity, decreased costs, and low-sample input.

The effect of nutritional risk management program on the growth and development of infants and toddlers with congenital heart disease after discharge.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of nutritional risk management program on the growth and development of infants and toddlers with congenital heart disease (CHD) after discharge. Methods: Infants and toddlers with CHD discharged from a children's specialized hospital in southeast China were selected as the research subjects. The subjects were divided into the intervention group and the control group. The intervention group underwent a nutritional risk management program combined with traditional follow-up after discharge, whereas the control group received traditional follow-up after discharge. The primary outcome measure were the height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), and weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) at different time point and the percentage of growth and development curves were also recorded and analyzed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in general characteristics between the two groups. However, in the intervention group, the percentages of HAZ < -2, WAZ < -2, and WHZ < -2 were lower than those in the control group at 3rd and 6th months after discharge (P < 0.05). The percentage of growth and development curves (3%-97%) was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The readmission rate within 6 months after discharge in the intervention group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Implementing nutritional risk management program for infants and toddlers with CHD after discharge can help improve postoperative malnutrition, promote growth and development and achieve catch-up growth as soon as possible.

Black Tea Suppresses Invasiveness and Reverses TNF-α-Induced Invasiveness and Cell Stemness in Human Malignant Melanoma Cells.

Invasiveness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are main patterns of metastatic disease, which is the major cause cancer-related mortality in human malignant melanoma cells. Tea and its consumption extract are associated with a lower risk of several types of cancer and have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative biological effects. However, the anti-EMT and anti-cancer stemness effect of black tea ethanol extracts (BTEE) in human melanoma remain poorly understood. In this study, the effects of BTEE-reduced invasiveness, EMT, and cancer stemness were evaluated in human A 375 and A2058 melanoma cells. BTEE inhibited the activity of u-PA, migration, and invasiveness by repressing p-FAK signaling pathway. BTEE affected the EMT by downregulating the expression of ß-catenin, N-cadherin, fibronectin, vimentin, and Twist-1. BTEE also reduced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-induced invasiveness and cancer stemness characteristics in vitro. The growth of melanoma in nude mice xenograft model showed that BTEE suppressed A 375 tumor growth in vivo.

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We studied the population characteristics of Caragana microphylla and related soil factors across diffe-rent stages of shrub encroachment (i.e., light, moderate, and severe) on the Xilingol Grassland of Inner Mongolia. The results showed that the density and height of C. microphylla gradually increased during the process of grassland shrub-encroachment from light to moderate to severe. The density and height were increased by 196.0% and 34.5% from light to moderate stage of shrub encroachment, and were increased by 25.4% and 17.6% from moderate to severe stage. Crown size, basal diameter, tiller number per clump, and aboveground productivity of C. microphylla tented to decrease first and then increase, while the proportion of aboveground biomass allocation to leaves decreased across the stages of shrub encroachment. The competition between C. microphylla and herbaceous species was strongest in the moderate encroachment stage. C. microphylla reduced its lateral growth (such as crown size, basal diameter, and tiller number per clump) and increased density and height to get competitive advantage. Limi-ting soil factors for C. microphylla varied significantly at different stages of shrub encroachment. In the light encroachment stage, soil factors had little effect on the growth of C. microphylla. In the moderate encroachment stage, soil moisture in the deep layer (20-50 cm) and soil pH were the key factors limiting shrub density. In the severe encroachment stage, soil moisture in the deep layer and pH limited the vertical growth of C. microphylla, while soil moisture of shallow layer (0-20 cm) and nutrients were the limiting factors for the lateral expansion of shrubs.

The ultralow viscosity of volatile-rich kimberlite magma: Implications for the water content of primitive kimberlite melts.

The eruption of deeply sourced kimberlite magma offers the fastest route to bring deep-seated volatiles back to the Earth's surface. However, the viscosity of kimberlite magma, a factor governing its migration and eruption dynamics within Earth, remains poorly constrained. We conducted synchrotron in situ falling sphere viscometry experiments to examine kimberlite magma with different volatile contents (0 to 5 wt % H2O and 2 to 8 wt % CO2) under high pressure-temperature conditions. The results reveal that the viscosity of volatile-rich kimberlite magma is ~1 to 2 orders lower than that of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) and comparable to the ultramobile pure carbonate melt. Using the measured viscosity values, we simulated the ascent and eruption process of kimberlite magma. We found that a minimum content of ~0.5 wt % water in the primitive magma is necessary to allow the ultrafast eruption process of kimberlite, thereby enabling the preservation of diamonds and high-pressure mineral inclusions transported by the magma.

Clinical, sonographic and molecular changes in calcific tendinitis of the shoulder following extracorporeal shockwave therapy: a prospective case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is the primary treatment for calcific tendinitis of the shoulders, but what are the effects of clinical, sonographic, and molecular markers following ESWT in treating calcific tendinitis of the shoulder? METHODS: Twenty-eight patients were categorized into radiodense and radiolucent subgroups. In addition, clinical assessments included the visual analogue scale (VAS), Constant-Murley (CM) score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) score, sonographic evaluation, and serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The participants completed a one-year follow-up. All data were collected before and after treatment. RESULTS: After one year of follow-up, all patients showed notable improvement in VAS, CM, and ASES scores, with no significant clinical variations among the subgroups. However, the radiolucent group showed significant complete resorption and size reduction at the final follow-up. Sonographic evaluation revealed improved tissue perfusion and reduced calcification from 3 to 12 months in all patients, including those in the radiolucent group, but complete resorption of calcific deposits did not occur. The percentage of tissue perfusion was improved at 1 and 3 months after ESWT. There were no significant differences in the levels of the molecular markers interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 ß) or IL-33, but the level of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) was notably increased at 1 and 3 months post-ESWT. The BMP7 level was increased at 3 months and was then decreased significantly at 6 and 12 months. CONCLUSION: ESWT improved symptoms, reduced calcification, enhanced tissue perfusion, and promoted angiogenesis and BMP7 activity. In particular, it benefited radiolucent type patients with better calcification resorption. Partial resorption led to improvements in transparency, and a second ESWT session at 3 months was recommended for optimal results.

Comparison of prognosis between oncocytic thyroid carcinoma and follicular thyroid carcinoma: a population-based propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Oncocytic thyroid carcinoma (OTC) is a rare subtype of thyroid cancer known for its distinctive morphology and high likelihood of recurrence, setting it apart from follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). Despite this, there is limited research comparing the clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of OTC and FTC. METHODS: We retrospectively searched through the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) database (2004-2015) for histologically diagnosed OTC and FTC patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis, propensity score matching (PSM), univariate Cox proportional risk regression model, and subgroup analysis were employed to investigate the prognostic effect of clinicopathological features and treatment regimens on survival outcomes of OTC and FTC patients. RESULTS: 2329 OTC patients and 5679 FTC patients were included in the study. OTC patients were prone to older age, white race, lymph node metastasis, distal metastasis, extension and multiple primary tumors compared with FTC patients. After using a 1:1 PSM matching ratio, there were no significant differences in demographic and clinicopathological characteristics between the matched groups. Further Cox regression analysis showed that OTC patients had lower overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in contrast with FTC patients. Subgroup survival analysis suggested that the OTC patients were related to lower OS in subgroups including those over 55 years old, male sex, white ethnicity, extrathyroidal extension, single primary tumor, surgery and without chemotherapy compared with the FTC patients in these subgroups. In addition, the OTC patients were connected with lower CSS in subgroups including male sex, white ethnicity, married status, tumor size is less than 20 mm or more than 40 mm, N0 stage, localized stage, single primary tumor, surgery, radiotherapy, and without chemotherapy compared with the FTC patients in these subgroups. Meanwhile, the OTC patients had lower CSS compared to FTC patients regardless of age and extrathyroidal extension. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that OTC patients have unique clinical features and poorer prognoses compared to FTC patients. Surgical resection and radioactive iodine therapy are recommended for OTC patients and FTC patients. It is worth noting that the prognosis of OTC relies largely on the selection of treatment strategies. Therefore, our results highlighted the clinical significance of the early distinguishment and the correct choice of treatment in OTC patients.

A comprehensive prediction model predicts perihematomal edema growth in the acute stage after intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Perihematomal edema (PHE) is regarded as a potential intervention indicator of secondary injury following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). But it still lacks a comprehensive prediction model for early PHE formation. METHODS: The included ICH patients have received an initial Computed Tomography scan within 6 hours of symptom onset. Hematoma volume and PHE volume were computed using semiautomated computer-assisted software. The volume of the hematoma, edema around the hematoma, and surface area of the hematoma were calculated. The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was calculated by dividing the platelet count by the lymphocyte cell count. All analyses were 2-tailed, and the significance level was determined by P <0.05. RESULTS: A total of 226 patients were included in the final analysis. The optimal cut-off values for PHE volume increase to predict poor outcomes were determined as 5.5 mL. For clinical applicability, we identified a value of 5.5 mL as the optimal threshold for early PHE growth. In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, we finally found that baseline hematoma surface area (p < 0.001), expansion-prone hematoma (p < 0.001), and PLR (p = 0.033) could independently predict PHE growth. The comprehensive prediction model demonstrated good performance in predicting PHE growth, with an area under the curve of 0.841, sensitivity of 0.807, and specificity of 0.732. CONCLUSION: In this study, we found that baseline hematoma surface area, expansion-prone hematoma, and PLR were independently associated with PHE growth. Additionally, a risk nomogram model was established to predict the PHE growth in patients with ICH.

Effects of undescribed iridoids in Patrinia punctiflora on insulin resistance in HepG2 cells.

Patrinia punctiflora is a medical and edible Chinese herb with high nutritional and medicinal value. The continuing study of its chemical constituents led to the isolation of six iridoids, which were previously unreported compounds, patriscabioins PU (1-6). Their structures were characterized and confirmed with NMR (1D & 2D), HRMS, IR and UV. Among them, compound 5 was screened to evaluate its insulin resistance activity on an IR-HepG-2 cell model. Compound 5 had no cytotoxicity compared with the control group and could promote glucose uptake in IR-HepG-2 cells. Through further mechanism studies, the undescribed compound 5 could increase the expression levels of PI-3 K, p-AKT, GLUT4 and p-GSK3ß proteins. Moreover, the expression of PEPCK and G6Pase proteins, which are key gluconeogenic enzymes, was also inhibited. Thus, compound 5 promotes the transfer of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane by activating the PI-3 K/AKT signaling pathway, at the same time, promotes glycogen synthesis and inhibits the onset of gluconeogenesis, which in turn ameliorates insulin resistance.

Gastric metastasis of small cell lung carcinoma: Three case reports and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is highly susceptible to metastasis in the early stages of the disease. However, the stomach is an uncommon site of metastasis in SCLC, and only a few cases of this type of metastasis have been reported. Therefore, SCLC gastric metastases have not been systematically characterized and are easily missed and misdiagnosed. CASE SUMMARY: We report three cases of gastric metastasis from SCLC in this article. The first patient presented primarily with cough, hemoptysis, and epigastric fullness. The other two patients presented primarily with abdominal discomfort, epigastric distension, and pain. All patients underwent gastroscopy and imaging examinations. Meanwhile, the immunohistochemical results of the lesions in three patients were suggestive of small cell carcinoma. Finally, the three patients were diagnosed with gastric metastasis of SCLC through a comprehensive analysis. The three patients did not receive appropriate treatment and died within a short time. CONCLUSION: Here, we focused on summarizing the characteristics of gastric metastasis of SCLC to enhance clinicians' understanding of this disease.

Frequency of pathogenic germline variants in pediatric medulloblastoma survivors.

Background: Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. Most cases are sporadic, but well characterized germline alterations in APC, ELP1, GPR161, PTCH1, SUFU, and TP53 predispose to medulloblastoma. However, knowledge about pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants that predispose to medulloblastoma vary based on genes evaluated, patient demographics, and pathogenicity definitions. Methods: Germline exome sequencing was conducted on 160 childhood survivors of medulloblastoma. Analyses focused on rare variants in 239 known cancer susceptibility genes (CSGs). P/LP variants were identified using ClinVar and InterVar. Variants of unknown significance in known medulloblastoma predisposing genes (APC, ELP1, GPR161, PTCH1, SUFU, TP53) were further classified for loss of function variants. We compared the frequency of P/LP variants in cases to that in 1,259 cancer-free adult controls. Results: Twenty cases (12.5%) had a P/LP variant in an autosomal dominant CSG versus 5% in controls (p=1.0 x10-3), and 10 (6.3%) of these were P/LP variants in a known medulloblastoma gene, significantly greater than 0.2% observed in controls (p=1.4x10-8). The CSGs with the most P/LP variants in cases, and significantly higher than controls, were ELP1 (p=3.0x10-4) and SUFU (p=1.4x10-3). Conclusion: Approximately one in eight pediatric medulloblastoma survivors had an autosomal dominant P/LP CSG variant. We confirm several known associated genes and identify novel genes that may be important in medulloblastoma.

Bioassay-guided isolation of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory components from Atractylodes lancea.

A bioassay-guided isolation from Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. obtained 22 compounds, including eight previously undescribed sesquiterpenoids and polyacetylenes (1, 3 and 12-17), as well as fourteen known analogues, and their structures were confirmed by extensive spectroscopic methods. This study evaluated their antibacterial activity against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for the first time, as well as anti-inflammatory activity. Most of them, including new compounds, showed varying degrees of antibacterial activity against S. aureus and MRSA. Notably, compound 21 exhibited significant antibacterial activity against four different bacteria (MIC 6.25-20.00 µg/mL). This suggested that 21 may have the potential to be developed into a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent. Moreover, except for 9 and 11, most compounds exhibited great anti-inflammatory activity (IC50 1.92-37.91 µM), and iNOS might be a potential target of these compounds according to the molecular docking analysis.

USP11 promotes renal tubular cell pyroptosis and fibrosis in UUO mice via inhibiting KLF4 ubiquitin degradation.

The pyroptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells leads to tubular loss and inflammation and then promotes renal fibrosis. The transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) can bidirectionally regulate the transcription of target genes. Our previous study revealed that sustained elevation of KLF4 is responsible for the transition of acute kidney injury (AKI) into chronic kidney disease (CKD) and renal fibrosis. In this study, we explored the upstream mechanisms of renal tubular epithelial cell pyroptosis from the perspective of posttranslational regulation and focused on the transcription factor KLF4. Mice were subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) surgery and euthanized on D7 or D14 for renal tissue harvesting. We showed that the pyroptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells mediated by both the Caspase-1/GSDMD and Caspase-3/GSDME pathways was time-dependently increased in UUO mouse kidneys. Furthermore, we found that the expression of the transcription factor KLF4 was also upregulated in a time-dependent manner in UUO mouse kidneys. Tubular epithelial cell-specific Klf4 knockout alleviated UUO-induced pyroptosis and renal fibrosis. In Ang II-treated mouse renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (MTECs), we demonstrated that KLF4 bound to the promoter regions of Caspase-3 and Caspase-1 and directly increased their transcription. In addition, we found that ubiquitin-specific protease 11 (USP11) was increased in UUO mouse kidneys. USP11 deubiquitinated KLF4. Knockout of Usp11 or pretreatment with the USP11 inhibitor mitoxantrone (3 mg/kg, i.p., twice a week for two weeks before UUO surgery) significantly alleviated the increases in KLF4 expression, pyroptosis and renal fibrosis. These results demonstrated that the increased expression of USP11 in renal tubular cells prevents the ubiquitin degradation of KLF4 and that elevated KLF4 promotes inflammation and renal fibrosis by initiating tubular cell pyroptosis.

Metal Coordination Complex Derived Fe7S8 Particles Embedded in N-doped Carbon Framework with Regulated Porous Structure Enabling High-Rate and Durable Sodium Storage.

Iron sulfides with high theoretical capacity confront the challenges of low rate capability and severe capacity fading for sodium storage, which are mainly caused by poor electron/ion transport kinetics and drastic volume fluctuations during cycling. Herein, to mitigate these obstacles, a multi-step synthetic tactic involving solvothermal, carbonization, and subsequent sulfurization is put forward for the construction of wire-like structure by confining Fe7S8 particles in porous N-doped carbon framework (denoted as Fe7S8/PNC) using zinc iron nitrilotriacetate as template. By partially substituting Fe3+ with Zn2+ in the metal coordination complex, the porous structure of coordination complex derived carbon framework can be regulated through pore structure engineering of Zn nanodroplets. The desired porous and robust core/shell structure can not only afford favorable electron/Na+ transport paths and additional active sites for Na+ storage, but also provide reinforced structural integrity of interior Fe7S8 particles by retarding the pulverization and buffering the mechanical stress against volume fluctuations. As anode for sodium-ion batteries, the optimal Fe7S8/PNC delivers a high reversible capacity (743 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1), superior rate capability (553 mAh g-1 at 10 A g-1), and long-term cycling stability (602 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1 with 98.5% retention after 1000 cycles).

Traditional Chinese-version reliability test of the Pieper-Zulkowski pressure ulcer knowledge: Psychometric and assessment.

This study was to translate the Pieper-Zulkowski pressure ulcer knowledge test (PZ-PUKT) into Traditional Chinese and evaluate its psychometric properties as well as identify the predictors of knowledge on pressure injury. The PZ-PUKT was translated into Traditional Chinese (TC-PZ-PUKT), and its content validity was evaluated. A total of 296 nurses participated in this study and completed the 72-item TC-PZ-PUKT online. The reliability of the TC-PZ-PUKT was analysed by evaluating its internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Hierarchical regression was used to determine factors associated with TC-PZ-PUKT scores. Content validity was achieved with a score of 0.986. Internal consistency was observed to be reliable, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.858. The mean knowledge score on the TC-PZ-PUKT was 72.5%, with a 1-week test-retest reliability of r = 0.849. Education level, certification as a wound specialist and self-learning through reading articles, books or guidelines on pressure injury were significantly associated with TC-PZ-PUKT scores. The TC-PZ-PUKT is a valid and reliable tool. Education level, certification as a wound specialist and self-learning regarding pressure injury are related to knowledge of pressure injury.

Terahertz spoof plasmonic neural network for diffractive information recognition and processing.

All-optical diffractive neural networks, as analog artificial intelligence accelerators, leverage parallelism and analog computation for complex data processing. However, their low space transmission efficiency or large spatial dimensions hinder miniaturization and broader application. Here, we propose a terahertz spoof plasmonic neural network on a planar diffractive platform for direct multi-target recognition. Our approach employs a spoof surface plasmon polariton coupler array to construct a diffractive network layer, resulting in a compact, efficient, and easily integrable architecture. We designed three schemes: basis vector classification, multi-user recognition, and MNIST handwritten digit classification. Experimental results reveal that the terahertz spoof plasmonic neural network successfully classifies basis vectors, recognizes multi-user orientation information, and directly processes handwritten digits using a designed input framework comprising a metal grating array, transmitters, and receivers. This work broadens the application of terahertz plasmonic metamaterials, paving the way for terahertz on-chip integration, intelligent communication, and advanced computing systems.