Cooperative Photoredox and Cobalt-Catalyzed Acceptorless Dehydrogenative Functionalization of Cyclopropylamides towards Allylic N,O-Acyl-acetal Derivatives.

We disclose herein a novel photoredox and cobalt co-catalyzed ring-opening/acceptorless dehydrogenative functionalization of mono-donor cyclopropanes. This sustainable and atom-economic approach allows the rapid assembly of a wide range of allylic N,O-acyl-acetal derivatives. The starting materials are readily available and the reaction features mild conditions, broad substrate scope, and excellent functional group compatibility. The optimized conditions accommodate assorted cycloalkylamides and primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols, with applications in late-stage functionalization of pharmaceutically relevant compounds, stimulating further utility in medicinal chemistry. Moreover, selective nucleophilic substitutions with various carbon nucleophiles were achieved in a one-pot fashion, offering a reliable avenue to access some cyclic and acyclic derivatives.

The prognostic value and immune landscaps of m6A/m5C-related lncRNAs signature in the low grade glioma.

BACKGROUND: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and 5-methylcytosine (m5C) are the main RNA methylation modifications involved in the oncogenesis of cancer. However, it remains obscure whether m6A/m5C-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) affect the development and progression of low grade gliomas (LGG). METHODS: We summarized 926 LGG tumor samples with RNA-seq data and clinical information from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas. 105 normal brain samples with RNA-seq data from the Genotype Tissue Expression project were collected for control. We obtained a molecular classification cluster from the expression pattern of sreened lncRNAs. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression was employed to construct a m6A/m5C-related lncRNAs prognostic signature of LGG. In vitro experiments were employed to validate the biological functions of lncRNAs in our risk model. RESULTS: The expression pattern of 14 sreened highly correlated lncRNAs could cluster samples into two groups, in which various clinicopathological features and the tumor immune microenvironment were significantly distinct. The survival time of cluster 1 was significantly reduced compared with cluster 2. This prognostic signature is based on 8 m6A/m5C-related lncRNAs (GDNF-AS1, HOXA-AS3, LINC00346, LINC00664, LINC00665, MIR155HG, NEAT1, RHPN1-AS1). Patients in the high-risk group harbored shorter survival times. Immunity microenvironment analysis showed B cells, CD4 + T cells, macrophages, and myeloid-derived DC cells were significantly increased in the high-risk group. Patients in high-risk group had the worse overall survival time regardless of followed TMZ therapy or radiotherapy. All observed results from the TCGA-LGG cohort could be validated in CGGA cohort. Afterwards, LINC00664 was found to promote cell viability, invasion and migration ability of glioma cells in vitro. CONCLUSION: Our study elucidated a prognostic prediction model of LGG by 8 m6A/m5C methylated lncRNAs and a critical lncRNA regulation function involved in LGG progression. High-risk patients have shorter survival times and a pro-tumor immune microenvironment.

LRG1 mediated by ATF3 promotes growth and angiogenesis of gastric cancer by regulating the SRC/STAT3/VEGFA pathway.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence indicates that leucine-rich-alpha-2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) is associated with multiple malignancies, but whether it participates in gastric cancer (GC) angiogenesis remains unclear. METHODS: The expression levels of LRG1 were assessed in GC samples. Endothelial tube formation analysis, HUVEC migration assay, chorioallantoic membrane assay (CAM), and xenograft tumor model were used to investigate the effect of LRG1 on angiogenesis in gastric cancer. The involvement of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) was analyzed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were performed to measure the SRC/STAT3/VEGFA pathway. RESULTS: LRG1 was overexpressed in GC tissues and associated with cancer angiogenesis. In addition, LRG1 markedly promoted GC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, overexpression of LRG1 could stimulate GC angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Then, we identified ATF3 promotes the transcription of LRG1 and is a positive regulator of angiogenesis. Additionally, LRG1 could activate VEGFA expression via the SRC/STAT3/ VEGFA pathway in GC cells, thus contributing to the angiogenesis of GC. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests LRG1 plays a crucial role in the regulation of angiogenesis in GC and could be a potential therapeutic target for GC.

Microbiota analysis of peri-implant mucositis in patients with periodontitis history.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the bacterial diversity in peri-implant plaques and the effect of periodontitis history on the occurrence of peri-implant mucositis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three groups of subgingival plaques were collected from peri-implant sulci in the first molar area. The three groups included healthy implants in patients without periodontitis (NH implant), healthy implants in patients with periodontitis history (PH implant), and peri-implant mucositis implants in patients with periodontitis history (PM implant). Subgingival plaques in periodontal pockets of contralateral natural first molars were also collected. Bacterial DNA was extracted and the V4 region of the 16S rDNA sequence was amplified and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq platform. The operational taxonomic units obtained from amplicon sequencing were used to analyze the prevalence and identity of bacteria based on public databases and advanced techniques. RESULTS: Analysis of similarities indicated a significant difference in bacterial structures between the NH implant and PM implant groups. Additionally, a significantly higher relative abundance of the genera Actinomyces and Streptococcus was found in the samples of the NH implant group. The genera Fusobacterium and Prevotella could be considered as potential biomarkers for peri-implant mucositis. Moreover, more gram-negative anaerobic bacteria (Porphyromonas and Prevotella) were detected in the samples from patients with periodontitis history. CONCLUSIONS: The increased accumulation of Fusobacterium and Prevotella is associated with a higher risk of peri-implant mucositis. In addition, patients with periodontal history may be more likely to develop peri-implant mucositis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The increase in periodontal pathogens and the decrease in health-associated bacteria in patients with periodontitis history may be more likely to develop peri-implant mucositis. These results provide a bacteriological basis for the prevention and treatment of peri-implant mucositis in patients with periodontitis history.

Highly Selective 1,4-Diacylation/Cycloisomerization of 1,3-Enynes: De Novo Synthetic Strategy to Polysubstituted Furans.

The development of a de novo synthetic strategy for rapid assembly of biologically relevant multisubstituted furans is an appealing but challenging task. Herein, we disclose NHC and organophotocatalysis cocatalyzed three-component radical 1,4-diacylation/cycloisomerization cascade process of readily available 1,3-enynes, which provides an efficient and straightforward entry to a wide range of polysubstituted furans with good yields and excellent regio- and chemoselectivities. The reaction features mild conditions, broad substrate scopes, and good functional group compatibilities.

BIRC5 facilitates cisplatin-chemoresistance in a m6A-dependent manner in ovarian cancer.

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for metastatic ovarian cancer (OC). However, chemoresistance continues to pose significant clinical challenges. Recent research has highlighted the baculoviral inhibitor of the apoptosis protein repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5) as a member of the inhibitor of the apoptosis protein (IAP) family. Notably, BIRC5, which has robust anti-apoptotic capabilities, is overexpressed in numerous cancers. Its dysfunction has been linked to challenges in cancer treatment. Yet, the role of BIRC5 in the chemoresistance of OC remains elusive. In our present study, we observed an upregulation of BIRC5 in cisplatin-resistant cell lines. This upregulation was associated with enhanced chemoresistance, which was diminished when the expression of BIRC5 was silenced. Intriguingly, BIRC5 exhibited a high number of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) binding sites. The modification of m6A was found to enhance the expression of BIRC5 by recognizing and binding to the 3'-UTR of mRNA. Additionally, the insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) was shown to stabilize BIRC5 mRNA, synergizing with METTL3 and intensifying chemoresistance. Supporting these in vitro findings, our in vivo experiments revealed that tumors were significantly smaller in size and volume when BIRC5 was silenced. This reduction was notably counteracted by co-silencing BIRC5 and overexpressing IGF2BP1. Our results underscored the pivotal role of BIRC5 in chemoresistance. The regulation of its expression and the stability of its mRNA were influenced by m6A modifications involving both METTL3 and IGF2BP1. These insights presented BIRC5 as a promising potential therapeutic target for addressing cisplatin resistance in OC.

LINC00571 drives tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolism in triple-negative breast cancer through HNRNPK/ILF2/IDH2 axis.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer is a complex breast malignancy subtype characterized by poor prognosis. The pursuit of effective therapeutic approaches for this subtype is considerably challenging. Notably, recent research has illuminated the key role of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in cancer metabolism and the complex landscape of tumor development. Concurrently, an emerging body of evidence underscores the noteworthy role that long non-coding RNAs play in the trajectory of breast cancer development. Despite this growing recognition, the exploration of whether long non-coding RNAs can influence breast cancer progression by modulating the tricarboxylic acid cycle has been limited. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms orchestrating these interactions have not been identified. METHODS: The expression levels of LINC00571 and IDH2 were determined through the analysis of the public TCGA dataset, transcriptome sequencing, qRT‒PCR, and Western blotting. The distribution of LINC00571 was assessed using RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization. Alterations in biological effects were evaluated using CCK-8, colony formation, EdU, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays and a tumor xenograft model. To elucidate the interaction between LINC00571, HNRNPK, and ILF2, RNA pull-down, mass spectrometry, coimmunoprecipitation, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were performed. The impacts of LINC00571 and IDH2 on tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites were investigated through measurements of the oxygen consumption rate and metabolite levels. RESULTS: This study revealed the complex interactions between a novel long non-coding RNA (LINC00571) and tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolism. We validated the tumor-promoting role of LINC00571. Mechanistically, LINC00571 facilitated the interaction between HNRNPK and ILF2, leading to reduced ubiquitination and degradation of ILF2, thereby stabilizing its expression. Furthermore, ILF2 acted as a transcription factor to enhance the expression of its downstream target gene IDH2. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that the LINC00571/HNRNPK/ILF2/IDH2 axis promoted the progression of triple-negative breast cancer by regulating tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites. This discovery provides a novel theoretical foundation and new potential targets for the clinical treatment of triple-negative breast cancer.

Phosphocreatine Promotes Epigenetic Reprogramming to Facilitate Glioblastoma Growth Through Stabilizing BRD2.

Glioblastoma (GBM) exhibits profound metabolic plasticity for survival and therapeutic resistance, while the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that GBM stem cells reprogram the epigenetic landscape by producing substantial amounts of phosphocreatine (PCr). This production is attributed to the elevated transcription of brain-type creatine kinase, mediated by Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1. PCr inhibits the poly-ubiquitination of the chromatin regulator bromodomain containing protein 2 (BRD2) by outcompeting the E3 ubiquitin ligase SPOP for BRD2 binding. Pharmacological disruption of PCr biosynthesis by cyclocreatine (cCr) leads to BRD2 degradation and a decrease in its targets' transcription, which inhibits chromosome segregation and cell proliferation. Notably, cyclocreatine treatment significantly impedes tumor growth and sensitizes tumors to a BRD2 inhibitor in mouse GBM models without detectable side effects. These findings highlight that high production of PCr is a druggable metabolic feature of GBM and a promising therapeutic target for GBM treatment. Significance: Glioblastoma (GBM) exhibits an adaptable metabolism crucial for survival and therapy resistance. We demonstrate that GBM stem cells modify their epigenetics by producing phosphocreatine (PCr), which prevents bromodomain containing protein 2 (BRD2) degradation and promotes accurate chromosome segregation. Disrupting PCr biosynthesis impedes tumor growth and improves the efficacy of BRD2 inhibitors in mouse GBM models.

Anchoring of Amyloid-ß onto Polyunsaturated Phospholipid Membranes.

The interaction between the toxic amyloid-ß and phospholipid membranes in the early stage of Alzheimer's disease is complicated and depends on many factors. It was found that polyunsaturated fatty acids affect the incidence of Alzheimer's disease. The number of double bonds in the phospholipid layer may play an important role in the molecular dynamic behavior of amyloid-ß on cell membranes. In the present paper, the interactions between Aß(25-35) and each of four phospholipids, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (SAPC), 1-stearoyl-2-docosahexaenooyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (SDPC), and 1,2-diarachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DAPC), are investigated by using all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. It is interesting that, as the number of double bonds in the membrane increases, the peptide fragment prefers to stay in the surface region of the membrane rather than penetrates deeply into the membrane. With the increasing number of double bonds, the interaction between Aß(25-35) and the membrane surface becomes stronger, especially for the interaction between the residue 28 (LYS28) in Aß(25-35) and the phospholipids, anchoring Aß(25-35) onto the membrane. The double bonds in phospholipid determine not only the adsorption of the peptide fragment Aß(25-35) but also its conformation, which will influence further aggregation of Aß in later stages.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Pan-cancer analysis of promoter activity quantitative trait loci.

Altered promoter activity has been generally observed in diverse biological processes, including tumorigenesis. Accumulating evidence suggests that employing a quantitative trait locus mapping approach is effective in comprehending the genetic basis of promoter activity. By utilizing genotype data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and calculating corresponding promoter activity values using proActiv, we systematically evaluated the impact of genetic variants on promoter activity and identified >1.0 million promoter activity quantitative trait loci (paQTLs) as both cis- and trans-acting. Additionally, leveraging data from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) catalog, we discovered >1.3 million paQTLs that overlap with known GWAS linkage disequilibrium regions. Remarkably, ∼9324 paQTLs exhibited significant associations with patient prognosis. Moreover, investigating the impact of promoter activity on >1000 imputed antitumor therapy responses among pan-cancer patients revealed >43 000 million significant associations. Furthermore, ∼25 000 significant associations were identified between promoter activity and immune cell abundance. Finally, a user-friendly data portal, Pancan-paQTL (https://www.hbpding.com/PancanPaQTL/), was constructed for users to browse, search and download data of interest. Pancan-paQTL serves as a comprehensive multidimensional database, enabling functional and clinical investigations into genetic variants associated with promoter activity, drug responses and immune infiltration across multiple cancer types.

Pan-cancer landscape of immunology PIWI-interacting RNAs.

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), an emergent type of non-coding RNAs during oncogenesis, play critical roles in regulating tumor microenvironment. Systematic analysis of piRNAs' roles in modulating immune pathways is important for tumor immunotherapy. In this study, in-depth analysis of piRNAs was performed to develop an integrated computational algorithm, the immunology piRNA (ImmPI) pipeline, for uncovering the global expression landscape of piRNAs and identifying their regulatory roles in immune pathways. The immunology piRNAs show a tendency towards overexpression patterns in immune cells, causing perturbations in tumors, being significantly associated with infiltration of immune cells, and having prognostic value. The ImmPI score can contribute to prioritizing tumor-related piRNAs and distinguish two subtypes of SKCM (immune-cold and hot phenotypes), as characterized by different prognoses, immunogenicity and antitumor immunity. Finally, we developed an interactive web resource (ImmPI portal: http://www.hbpding.com/ImmPi) for the biomedical research community, with several useful modules to browse, visualize, and download the results of immunology piRNAs analysis. Overall, our work provides a comprehensive landscape of piRNAs across multiple cancer types and sheds light on their regulatory and functional roles in tumor immunity. These findings pave the way for future research and development of piRNA-based immunotherapies for cancer treatment.

Evaluation and improvement of workplace vertical violence of nursing interns based on the Importance-Performance Analysis method.

Purpose: To analyze the key factors related to workplace vertical violence among nursing interns in China and to propose strategies to improve the nursing practice environment. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) method to analyze the key factors and significance of workplace vertical violence for nursing interns. The data were obtained by administering a workplace vertical violence survey, designed specifically for this study, to 120 nursing interns at a tertiary general hospital in Zhejiang Province, China. Results: The results demonstrated that the variables "I was ordered to do something beyond my ability and lacked guidance (C3)," "Errors in work have been repeatedly emphasized, spread, or exaggerated (C8)," "I was unjustly criticized (C9)," "I was withheld or blocked information purposefully (C1)," and "I was belittled at work (C2)" were the most crucial variables for determining the presence of workplace vertical violence of nursing interns. Moreover, they are priority improvement variables. Conclusion: Managers must prioritize the use of relevant resources during internships to minimize false reinforcement and unfair criticism. Efforts should focus on improving information sharing, emphasizing the role of nursing interns in clinical work, providing better guidance when arranging for nursing interns to do work that exceeds their capacity, reducing workplace vertical violence, and improving nursing intern practice environments.

The bridging force between colloidal particles in a polyelectrolyte solution.

The presence of a polyelectrolyte in a colloidal dispersion affects the interaction between colloidal particles through electrostatic and bridging interactions. In this paper, using a self-consistent field approach, a simple theory is developed which allows for the calculation of the bridging force between two plates and two colloidal particles. The present approach differs from the previous ones, since the contribution of the plate-solution interfacial tension to the free energy is taken into account in the calculation. The interfacial tension between solvent and plate depends on the nature of the particles and the concentration of the segments of the polymer at the surface. The surface-segment interaction has a significant effect on the segment concentration profile. When the segment-surface interaction is repulsive, the bridging force is weak because few polyelectrolyte chains are adsorbed onto the surface. When the segment-surface interaction is attractive, various segment concentration profiles could be identified. Depending upon the concentration of polyelectrolyte, the electrostatic plus bridging forces can be attractive or repulsive. The bridging force between two plates which is attractive has a longer range than the van der Waals interaction.

LncRNA SEMA3B-AS1 inhibits breast cancer progression by targeting miR-3940/KLLN axis.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial regulatory roles in the progression of various cancers. However, the functional roles of lncRNAs in breast cancer remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the functional role of a novel long noncoding RNA SEMA3B-AS1 (lncRNA SEAS1) in breast cancer progression and the underlying mechanisms. SEAS1 was downregulated in the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissues compared with the para-carcinoma tissues, which was associated with poor prognosis of TNBC patients. We demonstrated that SEAS1 knockdown significantly increased the proliferation, migration, and invasion of TNBC cell lines, whereas SEAS1 overexpression reversed these effects. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that microRNA (miR)-3940-3p was a potential target of SEAS1. Mechanistically, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and luciferase reporter assays confirmed that lncRNA SEMA3B-AS1 acted as sponge for miR-3940-3p, preventing the degradation of its target gene KLLN, which acts as a tumor-inhibiter in TNBC. Moreover, RNA pulldown, mass spectrometry, ChIP, and luciferase reporter assays confirmed that SMAD3 directly interacted with the promoter of SEAS1 and suppressed its transcription, thereby promoting TNBC progression. The clinical samples of TNBC confirmed SEAS1 was correlated inversely with lymphatic and distant metastasis. In conclusion, our findings reveal a novel pathway for TNBC progression via SMAD3/lncRNA SEAS1/miR-3940-3p/KLLN axis, and suggest that SEAS1 may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for TNBC.

YTHDF1 promotes breast cancer progression by facilitating FOXM1 translation in an m6A-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common post-transcriptional modification at the RNA level. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of m6A epigenetic regulation in breast cancer remain largely unknown and need to be fully elucidated. METHODS:  The integrating bioinformatics analyses were used to screen clinical relevance and dysregulated m6A "reader" protein YTHDF1 in breast cancer from TCGA databases, which was further validated in a cohort of clinical specimens. Furthermore, functional experiments such as the CCK-8 assay, EdU assay, wound healing assay, transwell invasion assay and cell cycle assay were used to determine the biological role of YTHDF1 in breast cancer. RIP, m6A-IP, and CLIP assays were used to find the target of YTHDF1 and further verification by RT-qPCR, western blot, polysome profiling assay. The protein-protein interaction between YTHDF1 and FOXM1 was detected via co-immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: Our study showed that YTHDF1 was overexpressed in breast cancer cells and clinical tissues specimens. At the same time, the high expression level of YTHDF1 was positively correlated with tumor size, lymph node invasion, and distant metastasis in breast cancer patients. YTHDF1 depletion repressed the proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and induced G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We also demonstrated that FOXM1 is a target of YTHDF1. Through recognizing and binding to the m6A-modified mRNA of FOXM1, YTHDF1 accelerated the translation process of FOXM1 and promoted breast cancer metastasis. Whereas overexpression of FOXM1 in breast cancer cells partially counteracted the tumor suppressed effects caused by YTHDF1 silence, which further verified the regulatory relationship between YTHDF1 and FOXM1. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals a novel YTHDF1/FOXM1 regulatory pathway that contributes to metastasis and progression of breast cancer, suggesting that YTHDF1 might be applied as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target. That also advances our understanding of the tumorigenesis for breast cancer from m6A epigenetic regulation.

Suppression of Ribosome Biogenesis by Targeting WD Repeat Domain 12 (WDR12) Inhibits Glioma Stem-Like Cell Growth.

Glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) are a subset of tumor cells that initiate malignant growth and promote the therapeutic resistance of glioblastoma, the most lethal primary brain tumor. Ribosome biogenesis is an essential cellular process to maintain cell growth, but its regulatory mechanism in GSCs remains largely unknown. Here, we show that WD repeat domain 12 (WDR12), a component of the Pes1-Bop1 complex (PeBoW), is required for ribosome biogenesis in GSCs. WDR12 is preferentially expressed in GSCs compared to non-stem tumor cells and normal brain cells. High levels of WDR12 are associated with glioblastoma progression and poor prognosis. Silencing WDR12 results in the degradation of PeBoW complex components and prevents the maturation of 28S rRNA, thereby inhibiting ribosome biogenesis in GSCs. Subsequently, WDR12 depletion compromises GSC proliferation, inhibits GSC-derived orthotopic tumor growth, and extends animal survival. Together, our results suggest that WDR12 is crucial for ribosome biogenesis in GSCs, and is thus a potential target for GSC-directed therapy of glioblastoma.

Suppression of mitochondrial ROS by prohibitin drives glioblastoma progression and therapeutic resistance.

Low levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are crucial for maintaining cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their ability to resist therapy, but the ROS regulatory mechanisms in CSCs remains to be explored. Here, we discover that prohibitin (PHB) specifically regulates mitochondrial ROS production in glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) and facilitates GSC radiotherapeutic resistance. We find that PHB is upregulated in GSCs and is associated with malignant gliomas progression and poor prognosis. PHB binds to peroxiredoxin3 (PRDX3), a mitochondrion-specific peroxidase, and stabilizes PRDX3 protein through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Knockout of PHB dramatically elevates ROS levels, thereby inhibiting GSC self-renewal. Importantly, deletion or pharmacological inhibition of PHB potently slows tumor growth and sensitizes tumors to radiotherapy, thus providing significant survival benefits in GSC-derived orthotopic tumors and glioblastoma patient-derived xenografts. These results reveal a selective role of PHB in mitochondrial ROS regulation in GSCs and suggest that targeting PHB improves radiotherapeutic efficacy in glioblastoma.

Design and Synthesis of Polysiloxane Based Side Chain Liquid Crystal Polymer for Improving the Processability and Toughness of Magnesium Hydrate/Linear Low-Density Polyethylene Composites.

In this study, a polysiloxane grafted by thermotropic liquid crystal polymer (PSCTLCP) is designed and synthesized to effectively improve the processability and toughness of magnesium hydroxide (MH)/linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) composites. The obtained PSCTLCP is a nematic liquid crystal polymer; the liquid crystal phase exists in a temperature range of 170 to 275 °C, and its initial thermal decomposition temperature is as high as 279.6 °C, which matches the processing temperature of MH/LLDPE composites. With the increase of PSCTLCP loading, the balance melt torque of MH/LLDPE/PSCTLCP composites is gradually decreased by 42% at 5 wt % PSCTLCP loading. Moreover, the power law index of MH/LLDPE/PSCTLCP composite melt is smaller than 1, but gradually increased with PSCTLCP, the flowing activation energy of PSCTLCP-1.0 is lower than that of MH/LLDPE at the same shear rate, indicating that the sensitivity of apparent melt viscosity of the composites to shear rate and to temperature is decreased with the increase of PSCTLCP, and the processing window is broadened by the addition of PSCTLCP. Besides, the elongation at break of MH/LLDPE/PSCTLCP composites increases from 6.85% of the baseline MH/LLDPE to 17.66% at 3 wt % PSCTLCP loading. All the results indicate that PSCTLCP can significantly improve the processability and toughness of MH/LLDPE composites.

Glioma stem-like cells evade interferon suppression through MBD3/NuRD complex-mediated STAT1 downregulation.

Type I interferons (IFNs) are known to mediate antineoplastic effects during tumor progression. Type I IFNs can be produced by multiple cell types in the tumor microenvironment; however, the molecular mechanisms by which tumor cells evade the inhibition of immune microenvironment remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) evade type I IFN suppression through downregulation of STAT1 to initiate tumor growth under inhospitable conditions. The downregulation of STAT1 is mediated by MBD3, an epigenetic regulator. MBD3 is preferentially expressed in GSCs and recruits NuRD complex to STAT1 promoter to suppress STAT1 expression by histone deacetylation. Importantly, STAT1 overexpression or MBD3 depletion induces p21 transcription, resensitizes GSCs to IFN suppression, attenuates GSC tumor growth, and prolongs animal survival. Our findings demonstrate that inactivation of STAT1 signaling by MBD3/NuRD provides GSCs with a survival advantage to escape type I IFN suppression, suggesting that targeting MBD3 may represent a promising therapeutic opportunity to compromise GSC tumorigenic potential.

Satisfaction analysis of patients with single implant treatments based on a questionnaire survey.

Background: The factors influencing satisfaction of the patients with implant treatments are still unclear. This study aims to evaluate the patients' satisfaction and to identify influencing factors, which will improve the medical quality of oral implantology. Materials and methods: Patients who lost single teeth and received implant treatments were enrolled in Nanjing Stomatological Hospital between February 2016 and March 2018. A questionnaire survey was performed to assess patient satisfaction and data were collected at four time points. Information included gender, age, educational level, application of bone augmentation, type of prosthetic restoration, period of teeth loss, dentist qualification, and tooth position. Meanwhile, the satisfaction of the patients was evaluated by visual analog scale. Results: A total of 373 patients completed the questionnaires. The mean of overall satisfaction score was 69.05±7.10. Lower overall satisfaction score was found in patients who received bone augmentation (P<0.001) and those with a longer period of teeth loss (P<0.05). In the bone augmentation group, the elements of pain and complication were significantly associated with a decrease in the median satisfaction score (P<0.001), and a similar result was obtained form the duration of operative time and healing response (P<0.001). On the other hand, the satisfaction scores for elements including the duration of operative time and healing response (P<0.05), aesthetics and psychology (P<0.05), and chewing function (P<0.05) decreased with an extended period of teeth loss. Meanwhile, over half of respondents were more concerned about the survival time (40.70%) and success rate (20.49%) of implants. Conclusion: Bone augmentation and the period of teeth loss are negative factors affecting patient satisfaction, and the success rate and survival time of implants are considerable aspects for patients. It is essential to raise general awareness of oral hygiene and optimize the dental implant therapeutic process.