Platelet Membrane Coated Cu9S8-SNAP for Targeting NIR-II Mild Photothermal Enhanced Chemodynamic/Gas Therapy of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive and uncommon subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis. It is crucial to prioritise the creation of a nanotherapeutic method that is highly selective and actively targeting TNBC. This study explores a new nanosystem, Cu9S8-SNAP@PM (C-S@P), composed of Cu9S8-SNAP coated with a platelet membrane (PM). The purpose of this nanosystem is to cure TNBC using multimodal therapy. The utilisation of PM-coated nanoparticles (NPs) enables active targeting, leading to the efficient accumulation of C-S@P within the tumour. The Cu9S8 component within these NPs serves the potential to exert photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Simultaneously, the S-Nitroso-N-Acetylvanicillamine (SNAP) component enables nitric oxide (NO) gas therapy (GT). Furthermore, when exposed to NIR-II laser light, Cu9S8 not only increases the temperature of the tumour area for PTT, but also boosts CDT and stimulates the release of NO through thermal reactions to improve the effectiveness of GT. Both in vitro and in vivo experimental results validate that C-S@P exhibits minimal side effects and represents a multifunctional nano-drug targeted at tumors for efficient treatment. This approach promises significant potential for TNBC therapy and broader applications in oncology.

Comprehensive characterization of B7 family members in breast cancer: B7-H5 switch reverses breast cancer from "immuno-cold" into "immuno-hot" status.

The members of the classic B7 family regulate the immune microenvironment of several malignant tumors. However, the potential relationship between the B7 family and the breast cancer (BrCa) tumor immune microenvironment has remained elusive. In the present study, we provide a comprehensive explanation of the expression, clinical significance, mutation, and immune cell infiltration of B7 family molecules in BrCa. First, we recruited 10 patients with BrCa surgery from the Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital and performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis to investigate the distribution of B7 family members in multiple immune cell subsets. We focused on B7-2, B7-H3, and B7-H5 molecules of the B7 family and constructed tumor microarrays by self-recruiting patients to perform multiple immunohistochemical (mIHC) analyses and study tumor expression of B7-2, B7-H3, B7-H5 and CD8+ immune cell infiltration. B7-H5 displayed a strong correlation with CD8+ immune cell infiltration. In summary, B7-H5 provides a new perspective for the identification of immunothermal subtypes of BrCa and could function as a switch to reverse BrCa from an "immunologically cold" state to an "immunologically hot" state.

Protective factors for children with autism spectrum disorder during COVID-19-related strict lockdowns: a Shanghai autism early developmental cohort study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 lockdowns increased the risk of mental health problems, especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, despite its importance, little is known about the protective factors for ASD children during the lockdowns. METHODS: Based on the Shanghai Autism Early Developmental Cohort, 188 ASD children with two visits before and after the strict Omicron lockdown were included; 85 children were lockdown-free, while 52 and 51 children were under the longer and the shorter durations of strict lockdown, respectively. We tested the association of the lockdown group with the clinical improvement and also the modulation effects of parent/family-related factors on this association by linear regression/mixed-effect models. Within the social brain structures, we examined the voxel-wise interaction between the grey matter volume and the identified modulation effects. RESULTS: Compared with the lockdown-free group, the ASD children experienced the longer duration of strict lockdown had less clinical improvement (ß = 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.19-0.79], p = 0.001) and this difference was greatest for social cognition (2.62 [0.94-4.30], p = 0.002). We found that this association was modulated by parental agreeableness in a protective way (-0.11 [-0.17 to -0.05], p = 0.002). This protective effect was enhanced in the ASD children with larger grey matter volumes in the brain's mentalizing network, including the temporal pole, the medial superior frontal gyrus, and the superior temporal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal neuroimaging cohort study identified that the parental agreeableness interacting with the ASD children's social brain development reduced the negative impact on clinical symptoms during the strict lockdown.

Barriers and facilitators to implementing a Canadian shared-care ADHD program in pediatric settings in Shanghai: a consolidated framework for implementation research approach.

OBJECTIVES: The vast majority of children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) do not have access to proper diagnosis and treatment in China. The goal of this project is to identify the challenges and facilitators in implementing a Canadian ADHD Shared Care Pathways program in pediatric settings in Shanghai region. METHODS: Purposive semi-structured focus groups were conducted on a total of 13 healthcare practitioners from the Shanghai Xinuha, Ninghai and Chongming hospitals. Two independent researchers conducted a thematic analysis of the data with themes emerging based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). RESULTS: Notable barriers identified by participants included: (1) lack of knowledge in the management of ADHD, primarily among general practitioners; (2) lack of resources such as lack of staff, time, and medication for ADHD; (3) challenges in implementing an international multicentre intervention (such as communication difficulties between teams and integration of resources available in different hospitals); and (4) mental health stigma, difficulties in identifying ADHD patients, and logistical problems related to medication procurement rules put in place by provincial governments. Notable facilitators included: (1) the strong motivation of stakeholders and their confidence in their ability to learn and subsequently execute action plans to achieve the implementation goal; (2) the compatibility between the values and goals of the stakeholders and those of the program despite some cultural tension, a positive learning climate, strong tensions for change, and the high interest of organization leaders in engaging in the program (3) the perceived benefits of the program, such as standardization of the diagnostic and treatment process, and engaging primary care providers in ADHD management; and (4) the strong relationship between participating institutions and schools as well as provincial health initiatives available to support collaborative models of care. Mixed factors to implementation were also explored. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate training of health care providers, cultural adaptation of the program, increase public awareness about ADHD to decrease stigma, as well as strong project management and guidelines that clearly describe the role and expectations of each team member appeared essential to successful implementation.

Nomogram Estimating Vessels Encapsulating Tumor Clusters in Hepatocellular Carcinoma From Preoperative Gadoxetate Disodium-Enhanced MRI.

BACKGROUND: Vessels encapsulating tumor clusters (VETC) pattern is a novel microvascular pattern associated with poor outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Preoperative estimation of VETC has potential to improve treatment decisions. PURPOSE: To develop and validate a nomogram based on gadoxetate disodium-enhanced MRI for estimating VETC in HCC and to evaluate whether the estimations are associated with recurrence after hepatic resection. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: A total of 320 patients with HCC and histopathologic VETC pattern assessment from three centers (development cohort:validation cohort = 173:147). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: A3.0  T/turbo spin-echo T2-weighted, spin-echo echo-planar diffusion-weighted, and 3D T1-weighted gradient-echo sequences. ASSESSMENT: A set of previously reported VETC- and/or prognosis-correlated qualitative and quantitative imaging features were assessed. Clinical and imaging variables were compared based on histopathologic VETC status to investigate factors indicating VETC pattern. A regression-based nomogram was then constructed using the significant factors for VETC pattern. The nomogram-estimated VETC stratification was assessed for its association with recurrence. STATISTICAL TESTS: Fisher exact test, t-test or Mann-Whitney test, logistic regression analyses, Harrell's concordance index (C-index), nomogram, Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Pathological VETC pattern presence was identified in 156 patients (development cohort:validation cohort = 83:73). Tumor size, presence of heterogeneous enhancement with septations or with irregular ring-like structures, and necrosis were significant factors for estimating VETC pattern. The nomogram incorporating these indicators showed good discrimination with a C-index of 0.870 (development cohort) and 0.862 (validation cohort). Significant differences in recurrence rates between the nomogram-estimated high-risk VETC group and low-risk VETC group were found (2-year recurrence rates, 50.7% vs. 30.3% and 49.6% vs. 31.8% in the development and validation cohorts, respectively). DATA CONCLUSION: The nomogram integrating gadoxetate disodium-enhanced MRI features was associated with VETC pattern preoperatively and with postoperative recurrence in patients with HCC. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Associations of radiological features of adipose tissues with postoperative complications and overall survival of gastric cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the associations of the radiological features of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) with the postoperative complications and overall survival (OS) of patients undergoing laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. METHODS: One hundred forty-two patients underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer from February 2013 to May 2016. The radiological features of SAT and VAT were studied by preoperative computed tomography, and the relationships between the parameters of adipose tissues and the intraoperative and postoperative conditions and OS rate of patients were evaluated. RESULTS: A positive linear correlation was found between VAT area and operation duration, and a negative linear correlation was found between VAT density and intraoperative blood loss (p < 0.05 in both). VAT area was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications. VAT area and VAT density were independent risk factors for OS in gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS: A high VAT area was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications of gastric cancer, whereas a low VAT area and high VAT density were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in terms of OS in gastric cancer. KEY POINTS: • A large visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area is an unfavourable factor affecting the outcomes of radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. • Low VAT density may be more likely to cause intraoperative bleeding. • VAT area and VAT density were independent risk factors for the OS of patients with gastric cancer.

Psychological distress in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: A cross-sectional study based on 683 mother-father dyads.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess psychological distress and its gender difference in parents of children with ASD. Predictive factors for parental psychological distress and interaction effects between parents were also explored. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted for parents of children with ASD and 683 mother-father dyads were included in the analyses. RESULTS: Mothers of children with severe autistic symptoms reported significantly higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression than fathers. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe anxiety and depression for mothers was 13.8% and 13.1%, respectively. The corresponding prevalence for fathers was 9.9% and 8.0%, respectively. A college education or above protected against maternal stress and an only child predicted paternal stress. Child social impairment predicted maternal but not paternal psychological distress. Stress was a significant predictor of anxiety and depression for both parents. Paternal stress and anxiety moderated the relationship between child's social impairment and maternal stress, and paternal anxiety moderated the relationship between child's social impairment and maternal depression. CONCLUSIONS: The gender difference in the parental psychological distress depends on the severity of children's autistic symptoms. Child social impairment exerts significant effects on mothers' psychological distress and parental stress contributes to anxiety and depression for both parents. The psychological distress of fathers moderates the relationship between child social impairment and maternal psychological distress. IMPLICATIONS: Health-care professionals should pay special attention to parents who are susceptible to psychological distress. Social skill interventions for children and stress reduction programs for parents are recommended to promote parental psychological well-being.

Well-design and synthesis of a water- and heat-resistant UiO-67@CNTs composite for Congo red efficient capture.

MOFs (metal-organic frameworks) significantly suffer from water- and heat instable issues, restricting their practical application, such as the capture of hazardous anionic dyes (e.g. Congo red, CR) from water. In the present contribution, a series of novel composites (UiO-67@CNTs) composed of microporous UiO-67 (Zr6O4(OH)4(CO2)12) and mesoporous CNTs (carbon nanotubes) have been innovatively synthesized by an in-situ hydrothermal reaction strategy. This UiO-67@CNT impressively retains structural integrity whether contacted with strong acid, distilled water, and strong alkali conditions even for 20 days. Due to the existence of CNT, its heat stability can reach up to 480 °C, which is superior to that of UiO-67. Open Zr(IV) sites, mesoporous, and high surface area in the structure of UiO-67@CNTs play associative effects for CR capture ability. CR uptakes over (5.0)UiO-67@CNTs can reach 1024 mg/g, exceeding some other previous adsorbents in literature. Importantly, UiO-67@CNTs could retain a remarkable CR capture ability even after the fifth cycle. This work expands views for water-heat resistant MOF-based composite with excellent ability of CR capture.

Anaerobic Dehalogenation by Reduced Aqueous Biochars.

Dehalogenation is one of the most important reactions for eliminating trace organic pollutants in natural and engineering systems. This study investigated the dehalogenation of a model organohalogen compound, triclosan (TCS), by aqueous biochars (a-BCs) (<450 nm). We found that TCS can be anaerobically degraded by reduced a-BCs with a pseudo first-order degradation rate constant of 0.0011-0.011 h-1. The 288 h degradation fraction of TCS correlated significantly with the amount of a-BC-bound electrons (0.055 ± 0.00024 to 0.11 ± 0.0016 mol e-/mol C) available for donation after 24 h of pre-reduction by Shewanella putrefaciens CN32. Within the reduction period, the recovery of chlorine based on residual TCS and generated Cl- ranged from 73.6 to 85.2%, implying that a major fraction of TCS was fully dechlorinated, together with mass spectroscopic analysis of possible degradation byproducts. Least-squares numerical fitting, accounting for the reactions of hydroquinones/semiquinones in a-BCs with TCS and byproducts, can simulate the reaction kinetics well (R2 > 0.76) and suggest the first-step dechlorination as the rate-limiting step among the possible pathways. These results showcased that the reduced a-BCs can reductively degrade organohalogens with potential applications for wastewater treatment and groundwater remediation. While TCS was used as a model compound in this study, a-BC-based degradation can be likely applied to a range of redox-sensitive trace organic compounds.

[Generation of GABAergic interneuron-specific PGC-1α knockout mice].

OBJECTIVE: To generate mice which are specific for peroxisomproliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1(PGC-1α) knockout in the GABAergic interneuron. METHODS: Conditional mice specific for PGC-1αf/+ were introduced from the Jackson Laboratory, USA and initially inbred to obtain homozygote PGC-1α f/f mice. The PGC-1αf/f conditional mice were further crossed with Dlx5/6-Cre-IRES-EGFP transgenic mice to achieve specific knockout of PGC-1α in the GABAergic interneuron. RESULTS: The offspring with specific knockout PGC-1α gene were successful for the generation of GABAergic interneuron, with the resulting genotype being PGC-1α f/f;Dlx5/6-Cre-IRES-EGFP. CONCLUSION: The PGC-1α f/f;Dlx5/6-Cre-IRES-EGFP mice were obtained through a proper crossing strategy, which has provided a suitable platform for studying the function of PGC-1α in neuropsychiatric diseases.

miR-31 Reduces Cell Growth of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma by RNA-Binding Protein HuR.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that microRNAs are widely involved in cancer progression and metastasis. However, the specific role of miR-31 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is still largely unknown. METHODS: The level of miR-31 and HuR was detected in 30 pairedcancerous and noncancerous tissue samples using real time PCR. The impact of miR-31 on PTC cell viability and apoptosis was explored using MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. To explore the effect of miR-31 on HuR expression, luciferase reporter assay was used. RESULTS: In papillary thyroid carcinoma patients, miR-31 was significantly down regulated. Furthermore, down regulation of miR-31 increased the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian carcinoma cells. Vice versa, over expression of miR-31 repressed cell invasion and viability. The luciferase reporter assay revealed that HuR was a target for miR-31. Further analysis defined that knockdown of HuR resulted in enhanced cell viability and decreased cell migration rate. CONCLUSIONS: Down regulation of miR-31 contributed to the malignant progression of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells by targeting HuR.

Platelet membrane-coated bio-nanoparticles of indocyanine green/elamipretide for NIR diagnosis and antioxidant therapy in acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a prevalent condition in critically ill patients that is often associated with significant morbidity and mortality. As the lack of effective early diagnosis methods often delays AKI treatment, there is currently no definitive clinical intervention available. In this study, we aimed to address these challenges by developing a nano-system called Platelet membranes-ICG-SS31-PLGA (PISP), which was designed to selectively target to the kidney site, taking advantage of the natural tendency of platelets to accumulate at sites of vascular injury. This approach allowed for the accumulation of PISP within the kidney as the disease progresses. By incorporating ICG, the in vivo distribution of PISP can be observed for NIR diagnosis of AKI. This non-invasive imaging technique holds great promise for early detection and monitoring of AKI. Furthermore, Elamipretide (SS31) acts as a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant that protects against mitochondrial damage and reduces oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. The combination of diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities within a single nano-system makes the PISP approach a valuable tool for addressing AKI. This intervention helps to prevent the deterioration of AKI and promotes the recovery. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE.

Application of Semi-supervised Fuzzy Clustering Based on Knowledge Weighting and Cluster Center Learning to Mammary Molybdenum Target Image Segmentation.

Breast cancer is commonly diagnosed with mammography. Using image segmentation algorithms to separate lesion areas in mammography can facilitate diagnosis by doctors and reduce their workload, which has important clinical significance. Because large, accurately labeled medical image datasets are difficult to obtain, traditional clustering algorithms are widely used in medical image segmentation as an unsupervised model. Traditional unsupervised clustering algorithms have limited learning knowledge. Moreover, some semi-supervised fuzzy clustering algorithms cannot fully mine the information of labeled samples, which results in insufficient supervision. When faced with complex mammography images, the above algorithms cannot accurately segment lesion areas. To address this, a semi-supervised fuzzy clustering based on knowledge weighting and cluster center learning (WSFCM_V) is presented. According to prior knowledge, three learning modes are proposed: a knowledge weighting method for cluster centers, Euclidean distance weights for unlabeled samples, and learning from the cluster centers of labeled sample sets. These strategies improve the clustering performance. On real breast molybdenum target images, the WSFCM_V algorithm is compared with currently popular semi-supervised and unsupervised clustering algorithms. WSFCM_V has the best evaluation index values. Experimental results demonstrate that compared with the existing clustering algorithms, WSFCM_V has a higher segmentation accuracy than other clustering algorithms, both for larger lesion regions like tumor areas and for smaller lesion areas like calcification point areas.

Naphthalene Diimide-Based Polycyclic Conjugated Molecule Composite CoFe2O4 Nanohybrids for Photoacoustic Imaging-Mediated Photo-/Sonic Therapy.

The complex and harsh tumor microenvironment imped the efficacy of single-modality tumor therapy. With the advantages of biosafety, organic/inorganic nanohybrids have attracted more and more interest of researchers, and it is critical to investigate the development of highly efficient nanohybrids for multimodality combination therapy of cancers. Herein, a naphthalene diimide-based polycyclic conjugated molecule (NDI-S) is designed and synthesized, which has broader light absorption in the near infrared (NIR) region, outstanding photothermal conversion ability, and excellent photostability. Inorganic CoFe2O4 is synthesized via a solvothermal technique, which can produce much more reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a sonosensitizer when activated by ultrasonic (US). NDI-S and CoFe2O4 are then nanoprecipitated to create the organic/inorganic nanohybrids, NDI-S@CoFe2O4. According to the results of in vitro and in vivo experiments, NDI-S@CoFe2O4 can serve as a multifunctional nanoplatform for multimodal treatment of tumors in combination with photothermal/photodynamic/sonodynamic- therapy under the guidance of photoacoustic imaging, which provides a new vision of the development of organic/inorganic nanohybrids for cancer theranostics.

The crosstalk between cell death and pregnancy related diseases: A narrative review.

Programmed cell death is intricately linked to various physiological phenomena such as growth, development, and metabolism, as well as the proper function of the pancreatic ß cell and the migration and invasion of trophoblast cells in the placenta during pregnancy. Traditional and recently identified programmed cell death include apoptosis, autophagy, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis. In addition to cancer and degenerative diseases, abnormal activation of cell death has also been implicated in pregnancy related diseases like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, fetal growth restriction, and recurrent miscarriage. Excessive or insufficient cell death and pregnancy related diseases may be mutually determined, ultimately resulting in adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this review, we systematically describe the characteristics and mechanisms underlying several types of cell death and their roles in pregnancy related diseases. Moreover, we discuss potential therapeutic strategies that target cell death signaling pathways for pregnancy related diseases, hoping that more meaningful treatments will be applied in clinical practice in the future.

An empirical study on the effect of outdoor illumination and exercise intervention on Children's vision.

Objective: To explore the relationship between outdoor lighting and sports and the development of myopia, and to analyze the effects of outdoor lighting and exercise on the diopter of children with normal vision and myopia, so as to provide guidance for the prevention and treatment of myopia in children and adolescents in the future. Methods: A total of 201 children were divided into two groups according to myopia or not. Each group was randomly divided into 4 groups: outdoor exercise group, outdoor control group, indoor exercise group and indoor control group. Among them, the outdoor exercise group and indoor exercise group received moderate and high intensity aerobic exercise 3 times a week for 60 min each time for 12 months, while the outdoor control group and indoor control group had normal study and life during the corresponding period of time. No additional exercise intervention. At the end of the experiment, the diopter of each group was compared. Results: The diopter of all groups with normal vision and myopia decreased significantly after the experiment (p < 0.01). There were significant differences in diopter between outdoor exercise group and indoor control group (p < 0.01), between outdoor exercise group and indoor control group (p < 0.05), and between indoor exercise group and indoor control group (p < 0.01). There were significant differences in diopter between indoor exercise group and indoor control group (p < 0.01). The differences among myopic children after the experiment showed that there was significant difference in diopter between outdoor exercise group and indoor exercise group (p < 0.05), between outdoor exercise group and indoor control group (p < 0.01), and between outdoor control group and indoor control group (p < 0.05). There were significant differences in the changes of diopter between the outdoor control group and the indoor exercise group with normal vision and myopia before and after the experiment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Outdoor light and exercise intervention can have a beneficial effect on children's vision, but because of whether children are myopic or not, the effect is different, outdoor light and exercise have a better effect on reducing the diopter of children with normal vision.

Naples score: a novel prognostic biomarker for breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Naples Score (NPS) is a novel prognostic indicator that has been used in various cancers, but its potential in breast malignant tumor patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has not been discovered. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between NPS and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in breast cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 217 breast cancer patients undergoing NAC were incorporated into this retrospectively research. K-M survival curves and log-rank tests are used to determine OS and DFS. Cox regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between NPS and OS and DFS. Nomogram was developed based on the results of multivariate Cox regression analysis. Prognostic models were internally validated using bootstrapping and the consistency index (C-index). RESULTS: Age group was correlated with NPS (p < 0.05). Low and moderate Naples risk patients had higher 5-year OS and DFS rates than high risk Naples patients (93.8% vs. 75.4% vs. 60.0%; X2 = 9.2, P = 0.01; 82.4% vs 64.5% vs 43.7%; X2 = 7.4, P = 0.024; respectively). The nomogram based on demonstrated good performance in predicting OS and DFS (AUC = 0.728, 0.630; respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In breast cancer patients who have undergone NAC, NPS is a novel prognostic indicator. NPS combined with clinicopathological features showed good predictive ability, and its performance was better than that of traditional pathological TNM staging.

Identification and Validation of Genes Related to RNA Methylation Modification in Diabetic Retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To identify and validate the differentially expressed genes related to RNA methylation modification in diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: The data sets GSE12610 and GSE111465 related to diabetic retinopathy in the Gene Expression Omnibus were selected. The R software package was used to identify differentially expressed genes related to RNA methylation modification in diabetic retinopathy. Protein-protein interaction network was constructed to explore the interactions between proteins and predict proteins. Then, Gene Ontology annotation analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis were used to analyze the potential enrichment pathways and clarify the biological functions of these genes. In addition, the correlation between them and immune cells was visualized, and receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn to evaluate the diagnostic performance of each one of them for diabetic retinopathy. To verify the differentially expressed genes, the mRNA expression of rat retinal vascular endothelial cells cultured in low and high glucose medium separately were detected by RT-qPCR. RESULTS: The expression of Lrpprc, Nsun4, Nsun6 and Trdmt1 were significantly up-regulated in diabetic retinopathy samples, while the expression of Cbll1, Hnrnpc, Mettl3 and Wtap were significantly down-regulated. Differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the RNA-methylation-medication pathways and biological function. The results of immune infiltration analysis proved that eosinophils aggregated more in diabetic group, while T cells follicular helper aggregated more in normal samples. These genes of Cbll1 (AUC = 0.986), Hnrnpc (AUC = 0.819), Lrpprc (AUC = 0.806), Mettl3 (AUC = 0.917), Nsun4 (AUC = 0.819), Nsun6 (AUC = 0.819), Trdmt1 (AUC = 0.972) and Wtap (AUC = 0.972) were respectively used as the diagnostic basis of diabetic retinopathy. According to the RT-qPCR results, the expression of Mettl3 was significantly down-regulated (p < 0.0005) in cells cultured in high glucose, while Trdmt1 (p < 0.05), Nsun4 (p < 0.05) and Nsun6 (p < 0.05) were significantly up-regulated. CONCLUSION: Differentially expressed genes such as Mettl3, Nsun4, Nsun6, and Trdmt1 should be conducted to explore, and the role of RNA methylation in the process of diabetic retinopathy would be revealed in-depth.

Heterogeneous compositions of oxygen-containing functional groups on biochars and their different roles in rhodamine B degradation.

The reactivity of pyrogenic carbon has attracted a great deal of research attentions recently. The oxygen-containing structures are rich on the surface of biochars, and involved in accepting and donating electrons during the interactions between biochar and organic contaminants. In this work, the species and content of oxygen-containing functional groups on biochar surface were regulated through chemical modification, and batch sorption/degradation experiments were carried out for rhodamine B (RhB). Based on the comparison of surface functional groups, biochars produced below 200 °C mediated RhB degradation through phenol hydroxyl group, while semiquinone and carboxylic acid groups were the main reaction active sites for biochars produced at higher than 500 °C. Considering that various biochar properties play roles in mediating organics degradation, the strategies in manipulating biochar properties should be carefully considered.

From child social impairment to parenting stress in mothers of children with ASD: The role of parental self-efficacy and social support.

Objectives: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can exhibit persistent deficits in social communication, causing their mothers to experience elevated parenting stress during the childrearing process. Some internal and external psychosocial resources may mediate or moderate the mother-child relationship, though the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the predictors of parenting stress in mothers of children with ASD and elucidate the mechanisms underlying the relationship between child social impairment and parenting stress. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2020 and March 2022 in Shanghai, China. Mothers of children with ASD completed a survey investigating child social impairment, parenting stress, parental self-efficacy, and social support. Results: A total of 185 mothers of children with ASD were included in the final analysis. 70.27 percent of mothers experienced a clinically significant level of parenting stress. Child social impairment (r = 0.46, P < 0.001), parental self-efficacy (r = -0.58, P < 0.001), and social support (r = -0.35, P < 0.001) were significantly correlated with parenting stress. Parental self-efficacy completely mediated the relationship between child social impairment and parenting stress (B = 0.51, P < 0.001), after controlling for socioeconomic status (SES) correlated with parenting stress. There was no significant moderating effect of social support between child social impairment and parenting stress (B = 0.01, P = 0.09). Conclusion: Future early intervention programs that focused on child's social communication skills and empowered mothers with related strategies through group-based parent training programs may help reduce parenting stress.