Molecular mechanism of the metal-independent production of hydroxyl radicals by thiourea dioxide and H2O2.

It is well-known that highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (HO•) can be produced by the classic Fenton system and our recently discovered haloquinone/H2O2 system, but rarely from thiol-derivatives. Here, we found, unexpectedly, that HO• can be generated from H2O2 and thiourea dioxide (TUO2), a widely used and environmentally friendly bleaching agent. A carbon-centered radical and sulfite were detected and identified as the transient intermediates, and urea and sulfate as the final products, with the complementary application of electron spin-trapping, oxygen-18 isotope labeling coupled with HPLC/MS analysis. Density functional theory calculations were conducted to further elucidate the detailed pathways for HO• production. Taken together, we proposed that the molecular mechanism for HO• generation by TUO2/H2O2: TUO2 tautomerizes from sulfinic acid into ketone isomer (TUO2-K) through proton transfer, then a nucleophilic addition of H2O2 on the S atom of TUO2-K, forming a S-hydroperoxide intermediate TUO2-OOH, which dissociates homolytically to produce HO•. Our findings represent the first experimental and computational study on an unprecedented new molecular mechanism of HO• production from simple thiol-derived sulfinic acids, which may have broad chemical, environmental, and biomedical significance for future research on the application of the well-known bleaching agent and its analogs.

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the immunoregulatory roles of PegIFN-α in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is caused by HBV infection and affects the lives of millions of people worldwide by causing liver inflammation, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) therapy is a conventional immunotherapy that has been widely used in CHB treatment and achieved promising therapeutic outcomes by activating viral sensors and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) suppressed by HBV. However, the longitudinal landscape of immune cells of CHB patients and the effect of IFN-α on the immune system are not fully understood. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Here, we applied single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to delineate the transcriptomic landscape of peripheral immune cells in CHB patients before and after PegIFN-α therapy. Notably, we identified three CHB-specific cell subsets, pro-inflammatory (Pro-infla) CD14+ monocytes, Pro-infla CD16+ monocytes and IFNG+ CX3CR1- NK cells, which highly expressed proinflammatory genes and positively correlated with HBsAg. Furthermore, PegIFN-α treatment attenuated percentages of hyperactivated monocytes, increased ratios of long-lived naive/memory T cells and enhanced effector T cell cytotoxicity. Finally, PegIFN-α treatment switched the transcriptional profiles of entire immune cells from TNF-driven to IFN-α-driven pattern and enhanced innate antiviral response, including virus sensing and antigen presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our study expands the understanding of the pathological characteristics of CHB and the immunoregulatory roles of PegIFN-α, which provides a new powerful reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of CHB.

The m6A methyltransferase RBM15 affects tumor cell stemness and progression of cervical cancer by regulating the stability of lncRNA HEIH.

Cervical cancer (CC), as a common female malignant tumor in the world, is an important risk factor endangering women's health worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of RBM15 in CC. The TCGA database was used to screen differentially expressed m6A genes in normal and tumor tissues. QRT-PCR was used to quantify HEIH, miR-802, EGFR, cell stemness, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes. The interaction between HEIH and miR-802 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay. The occurrence of tumor cells after different treatments was detected by CCK-8, transwell and EdU staining. BALB/c nude mice were used to examine the effects of different treatments on tumor growth and cell stemness in vivo. RBM15 was upregulated in tumor tissues and cells. M6A was highly enriched in HEIH and enhances its RNA stability. HEIH acts as an oncogenic lncRNA to promote CC cell proliferation, migration and tumor growth. Mechanistically, HEIH regulates tumor cell stemness and promotes the proliferation and migration of CC cells by competitively adsorbing miR-802 and up-regulating the expression of EGFR. In short, our data shown that the m6A methyltransferase RBM15 could affect tumor cell proliferation, metastasis and cell stemness by stabilizing HEIH expression.

Encouraging voluntary government action via a solar-friendly designation program to promote solar energy in the United States.

SignificanceDue to market and system failures, policies and programs at the local level are needed to accelerate the renewable energy transition. A voluntary environmental program (VEP), such as SolSmart, can encourage local governments to adopt solar-friendly best practices. Unlike previous research, this study uses a national sample, more recent data, and a matched control group for difference-in-differences estimation to quantify the causal impact of a VEP in the public, rather than private, sector. We offer empirical evidence that SolSmart increased installed solar capacity and, with less statistical significance, the number of solar installations. The results inform the design of sustainability-focused VEPs and future research to understand the causal pathways between local governments' voluntary actions and solar market development.

Canalization of Phenotypes-When the Transcriptome is Constantly but Weakly Perturbed.

Recent studies have increasingly pointed to microRNAs (miRNAs) as the agent of gene regulatory network (GRN) stabilization as well as developmental canalization against constant but small environmental perturbations. To analyze mild perturbations, we construct a Dicer-1 knockdown line (dcr-1 KD) in Drosophila that modestly reduces all miRNAs by, on average, ∼20%. The defining characteristic of stabilizers is that, when their capacity is compromised, GRNs do not change their short-term behaviors. Indeed, even with such broad reductions across all miRNAs, the changes in the transcriptome are very modest during development in stable environment. By comparison, broad knockdowns of other regulatory genes (esp. transcription factors) by the same method should lead to drastic changes in the GRNs. The consequence of destabilization may thus be in long-term development as postulated by the theory of canalization. Flies with modest miRNA reductions may gradually deviate from the developmental norm, resulting in late-stage failures such as shortened longevity. In the optimal culture condition, the survival to adulthood is indeed normal in the dcr-1 KD line but, importantly, adult longevity is reduced by ∼90%. When flies are stressed by high temperature, dcr-1 KD induces lethality earlier in late pupation and, as the perturbations are shifted earlier, the affected stages are shifted correspondingly. Hence, in late stages of development with deviations piling up, GRN would be increasingly in need of stabilization. In conclusion, miRNAs appear to be a solution to weak but constant environmental perturbations.

Global risk dynamics of Borrelia miyamotoi in the context of climate change.

The impact of Borrelia miyamotoi on human health, facilitated by the expanding geographical distribution and increasing population of Ixodes ticks, remains obscure in the context of global climate change. We employed multiple models to evaluate the effect of global climate change on the risk of B. miyamotoi worldwide across various scenarios. The habitat suitability index of four primary vector tick species for B. miyamotoi, including Ixodes persulcatus, Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis, was projected using a boosted regression tree model, considering multiple shared socio-economic pathway scenarios over various time periods. The modelling analysis reveals that, apart from I. scapularis, future global warming will result in a northward shift in the other three vector tick species and a gradual reduction in suitable habitats. Random forest models indicate consistent changes in B. miyamotoi and its primary tick species, with potential risk areas shrinking and shifting northward, particularly in the eastern USA, northeastern and northern Europe and northeast Asia. These findings highlight the urgent need for enhanced active surveillance of B. miyamotoi infection in primary vector tick species across projected potential risk areas. The effect of climate change on B. miyamotoi distribution might have significant implications for public health decision-making regarding tick-borne pathogens.

Oxygen-Bonded Amorphous Transition Metal Dichalcogenides with pH-Responsive Reactive Oxygen Biocatalysis for Combined Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Therapies in Diabetic Wound Healing.

Diabetic wound healing is a formidable challenge, often complicated by biofilms, immune dysregulation, and hindered vascularization within the wound environments. The intricate interplay of these microenvironmental factors has been a significant oversight in the evolution of therapeutic strategies. Herein, the design of an efficient and versatile oxygen-bonded amorphous transition metal dichalcogenide biocatalyst (aRuS-Or) with pH-responsive reactive oxygen biocatalysis for combined antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapies in promoting diabetic wound healing is reported. Leveraging the incorporation of Ru─O bonds, aRuS-Or exhibits optimized adsorption/desorption behavior of oxygen intermediates, thereby enhancing both the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation activity in acidic conditions and ROS scavenging performance in neutral environments. Remarkably, aRuS-Or demonstrates exceptional bactericidal potency within infected milieus through biocatalytic ROS generation. Beyond its antimicrobial capability, post-eradication, aRuS-Or serves a dual role in mitigating oxidative stress in inflammatory wounds, providing robust cellular protection and fostering an M2-phenotype polarization of macrophages, which is pivotal for accelerating the wound repair process. The findings underscore the multifaceted efficacy of aRuS-Or, which harmoniously integrates high antibacterial action with anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic properties. This triad of functionalities positions aRuS-Or as a promising candidate for the comprehensive management of complex diabetic ulcers, addressing the unmet needs in the current therapeutics.

Fully automated hybrid approach on conventional MRI for triaging clinically significant liver fibrosis: A multi-center cohort study.

Establishing reliable noninvasive tools to precisely diagnose clinically significant liver fibrosis (SF, ≥F2) remains an unmet need. We aimed to build a combined radiomics-clinic (CoRC) model for triaging SF and explore the additive value of the CoRC model to transient elastography-based liver stiffness measurement (FibroScan, TE-LSM). This retrospective study recruited 595 patients with biopsy-proven liver fibrosis at two centers between January 2015 and December 2021. At Center 1, the patients before December 2018 were randomly split into training (276) and internal test (118) sets, the remaining were time-independent as a temporal test set (96). Another data set (105) from Center 2 was collected for external testing. Radiomics scores were built with selected features from Deep learning-based (ResUNet) automated whole liver segmentations on MRI (T2FS and delayed enhanced-T1WI). The CoRC model incorporated radiomics scores and relevant clinical variables with logistic regression, comparing routine approaches. Diagnostic performance was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The additive value of the CoRC model to TE-LSM was investigated, considering necroinflammation. The CoRC model achieved AUCs of 0.79 (0.70, 0.86), 0.82 (0.73, 0.89), and 0.81 (0.72-0.91), outperformed FIB-4, APRI (all p < 0.05) in the internal, temporal, and external test sets and maintained the discriminatory power in G0-1 subgroups (AUCs range, 0.85-0.86; all p < 0.05). The AUCs of joint CoRC-LSM model were 0.86 (0.79-0.94), and 0.81 (0.72-0.90) in the internal and temporal sets (p = 0.01). The CoRC model was useful for triaging SF, and may add value to TE-LSM.

Hypofractionated radiotherapy for refractory or relapsed aggressive B-cell lymphoma in the rituximab era.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy (RT) is an effective and available local treatment for patients with refractory or relapsed (R/R) aggressive B-cell lymphomas. However, the value of hypofractionated RT in this setting has not been confirmed. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with R/R aggressive B-cell lymphoma who received hypofractionated RT between January 2020 and August 2022 at a single institution. The objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and acute side effects were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were included. The median dose for residual disease was 36 Gy, at a dose per fraction of 2.3-5 Gy. After RT, the ORR and complete response (CR) rates were 90% and 80%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 10 months (range, 2-27 months), 10 patients (33.3%) experienced disease progression and three died. The 1-year OS and PFS rates for all patients were 81.8% and 66.3%, respectively. The majority (8/10) of post-RT progressions involved out-of-field relapses. Patients with relapsed diseases, no response to systemic therapy, multiple lesions at the time of RT, and no response to RT were associated with out-of-field relapses. PFS was associated with response to RT (P = 0.001) and numbers of residual sites (P < 0.001). No serious non-hematological adverse effects (≥ grade 3) associated with RT were reported. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that hypofractionated RT was effective and tolerable for patients with R/R aggressive B-cell lymphoma, especially for those that exhibited localized residual disease.

Reducing the degree of crosslinking of peptidoglycan in Listeria monocytogenes promoted the secretion of membrane vesicles.

Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a Gram-positive (G+) bacterium that secretes nanoscale membrane vesicles (MVs). LM MVs comprise various bacterial components and may have potential as an antigen or drug-delivery vehicle; however, the low yield of the LM MVs limits related research. G+-bacterial MVs germinate from the bacterial plasma membrane and must pass through a thick crosslinked peptidoglycan layer for release. Herein, we aimed to increase the release of MVs by reducing the degree of crosslinking of peptidoglycan. We knocked out two genes related to the longitudinal crosslinking of peptidoglycan, dal and dat, and supplemented the knocked-out dal gene through plasmid expression to obtain a stably inherited recombinant strain LMΔdd::pCW633. The structure, particle size, and main protein components of MVs secreted by this recombinant strain were consistent with those secreted from the wild strain, but the yield of MVs was considerably increased (p < 0.05). Furthermore, Listeria ivanovii (LI) was found to secrete MVs that differed in the composition of the main proteins compared with those of LM MVs. The abovementioned method was also feasible for promoting the secretion of MVs from the attenuated LM strain and LI wild-type and attenuated strains. Our study provides a new method to increase the secretion of MVs derived from Listeria that could be extended to other G+ bacteria.

Silicone Bioadhesive with Shear-Stiffening Effect: Rate-Responsive Adhesion Behavior and Wound Dressing Application.

Stimuli-responsive adhesives with on-demand adhesion capabilities are highly advantageous for facilitating wound healing. However, the triggering conditions of stimuli-responsive adhesives are cumbersome, even though some of them are detrimental to the adhesive and adjacent natural tissues. Herein, a novel stimuli-responsive adhesive called shear-stiffening adhesive (SSA) has been created by constructing a poly(diborosiloxane)-based silicone network for the first time, and SSA exhibits a rate-responsive adhesion behavior. Furthermore, we introduced bactericidal factors (PVP-I) into SSA and applied it as a wound dressing to promote the healing of infected wounds. Impressively, the wound dressing not only has excellent biocompatibility and long-term antibacterial properties but also performs well in accelerating wound healing. Therefore, this study provides a new strategy for the synthesis of intelligent adhesives with force rate response, which simplifies the triggering conditions by the force rate. Thus, SSA has great potential to be applied in wound management as an intelligent bioadhesive with on-demand adhesion performance.

US of thyroid nodules: can AI-assisted diagnostic system compete with fine needle aspiration?

OBJECTIVES: Artificial intelligence (AI) systems can diagnose thyroid nodules with similar or better performance than radiologists. Little is known about how this performance compares with that achieved through fine needle aspiration (FNA). This study aims to compare the diagnostic yields of FNA cytopathology alone and combined with BRAFV600E mutation analysis and an AI diagnostic system. METHODS: The ultrasound images of 637 thyroid nodules were collected in three hospitals. The diagnostic efficacies of an AI diagnostic system, FNA-based cytopathology, and BRAFV600E mutation analysis were evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and the κ coefficient with respect to the gold standard, defined by postsurgical pathology and consistent benign outcomes from two combined FNA and mutation analysis examinations performed with a half-year interval. RESULTS: The malignancy threshold for the AI system was selected according to the Youden index from a retrospective cohort of 346 nodules and then applied to a prospective cohort of 291 nodules. The combination of FNA cytopathology according to the Bethesda criteria and BRAFV600E mutation analysis showed no significant difference from the AI system in terms of accuracy for either cohort in our multicenter study. In addition, for 45 included indeterminate Bethesda category III and IV nodules, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the AI system were 84.44%, 95.45%, and 73.91%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The AI diagnostic system showed similar diagnostic performance to FNA cytopathology combined with BRAFV600E mutation analysis. Given its advantages in terms of operability, time efficiency, non-invasiveness, and the wide availability of ultrasonography, it provides a new alternative for thyroid nodule diagnosis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Thyroid ultrasonic artificial intelligence shows statistically equivalent performance for thyroid nodule diagnosis to FNA cytopathology combined with BRAFV600E mutation analysis. It can be widely applied in hospitals and clinics to assist radiologists in thyroid nodule screening and is expected to reduce the need for relatively invasive FNA biopsies. KEY POINTS: • In a retrospective cohort of 346 nodules, the evaluated artificial intelligence (AI) system did not significantly differ from fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytopathology alone and combined with gene mutation analysis in accuracy. • In a prospective multicenter cohort of 291 nodules, the accuracy of the AI diagnostic system was not significantly different from that of FNA cytopathology either alone or combined with gene mutation analysis. • For 45 indeterminate Bethesda category III and IV nodules, the AI system did not perform significantly differently from BRAFV600E mutation analysis.

PLEK2 activates the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to drive lung adenocarcinoma progression by upregulating SPC25.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of NSCLC, characterized by poor prognosis and frequently diagnosed at advanced. While previous studies have demonstrated pleckstrin-2 (PLEK2) as aberrantly expressed and implicated in tumorigenesis across various tumor types, including LUAD, the molecular mechanisms underlying PLEK2-mediated LUAD progression remain incompletely understood. In this study, we obtained data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to assess PLEK2 expression in LUAD, a finding further confirmed through analysis of human tissue specimens. PLEK2-silenced LUAD cellular models were subsequently constructed to examine the functional role of PLEK2 both in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed elevated PLEK2 expression in LUAD, correlating with poor patients' prognosis. PLEK2 knockdown led to a significant suppression of LUAD cell proliferation and migration, accompanied by enhanced apoptosis. Moreover, tumor growth in mice injected with PLEK2-silencing LUAD cells was impaired. Gene expression profiling and Co-IP assays suggested direct interaction between PLEK2 and SPC25, with downregulation of SPC25 similarly impairing cell proliferation and migration. Additionally, we revealed phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling activation as requisite for PLEK2-induced malignant phenotypes in LUAD. Collectively, our findings underscore PLEK2's oncogenic potential in LUAD, suggesting its utility as a prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for LUAD management.

Virus-specific editing identification approach reveals the landscape of A-to-I editing and its impacts on SARS-CoV-2 characteristics and evolution.

Upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, viral intermediates specifically activate the IFN response through MDA5-mediated sensing and accordingly induce ADAR1 p150 expression, which might lead to viral A-to-I RNA editing. Here, we developed an RNA virus-specific editing identification pipeline, surveyed 7622 RNA-seq data from diverse types of samples infected with SARS-CoV-2, and constructed an atlas of A-to-I RNA editing sites in SARS-CoV-2. We found that A-to-I editing was dynamically regulated, varied between tissue and cell types, and was correlated with the intensity of innate immune response. On average, 91 editing events were deposited at viral dsRNA intermediates per sample. Moreover, editing hotspots were observed, including recoding sites in the spike gene that affect viral infectivity and antigenicity. Finally, we provided evidence that RNA editing accelerated SARS-CoV-2 evolution in humans during the epidemic. Our study highlights the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to hijack components of the host antiviral machinery to edit its genome and fuel its evolution, and also provides a framework and resource for studying viral RNA editing.

Retrospective analysis of reference intervals for dried blood spot based ms/ms newborn screening programs in Chinese preterm neonates: a nationwide study.

OBJECTIVES: Although recent discoveries regarding the biomarkers of newborn screening (NBS) programs by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) highlight the critical need to establish reference intervals (RIs) specifically for preterm infants, no such RIs has been formally published yet. This study addressed the gap by offering a comprehensive set of reference intervals (RIs) for preterm neonates, and illustrating the dynamic changes of each biomarker with age. DESIGN AND METHODS: The NBS data of 199,693 preterm newborns (< 37 weeks of gestation) who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria from the NNSCP database were included in study analysis. The birth weight stratified dynamic trend of each biomarker were captured by their concentrations over age. Reference partitions were determined by the method of Harris and Boyd. RIs, corresponding to the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles, as well as the 0.5th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 99.5th percentiles were calculated using a non-parametric rank approach. RESULTS: Increasing birth weight is associated with an elevation in the levels of arginine, citrulline, glycine, leucine and isobarics, methionine, ornithine, phenylalanine, and valine, whereas the levels of alanine, proline and tyrosine decrease. Additionally, two short-chain acylcarnitines (butyrylcarnitine + isobutyrylcarnitine and isovalerylcarnitine + methylbutyrylcarnitine) and a median-chain acylcarnitine (octenoylcarnitine) decrease, while four long-chain acylcarnitines (tetradecanoylcarnitine, palmitoylcarnitine, palmitoleylcarnitine and oleoylcarnitine) increase with increasing birth weight. Age impacts the levels of all MS/MS NBS biomarkers, while sex only affects the level of malonylcarnitine + 3-hydroxybutyrylcarnitine (C3-DC + C4-OH) in very low birth weight preterm neonates. CONCLUSION: The current study developed reference intervals (RIs) specific to birth weight, age, and/or sex for 35 MS/MS biomarkers, which can help in the timely evaluation of the health and disease of preterm neonates.

Comparison of Topical 1% Melatonin Gel and Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy for Stage I and Stage IV Periodontal Disease.

Background: Oral health is crucial for overall well-being, and periodontal disease can lead to serious complications such as intraosseous defects. In recent years, local administration of 1% melatonin gel has been explored as a potential treatment option for intraosseous defects. However, its efficacy compared to traditional non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) is not fully understood. Primary Study Objective: To evaluate and compare the efficacy of 1% melatonin gel local administration with non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) in the treatment of stage I and stage IV periodontal bone defects. Methods/Design: One hundred participants diagnosed with stage I and stage IV periodontal disease were recruited from Hangzhou Younuo Dental Clinic between December 2020 and March 2022. The participants were divided into two groups: a study group and a control group. The study group received local administration of 1% melatonin gel, while the control group received non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). Oral examinations, including X-ray examinations, were conducted to assess the severity of bone defects before treatment initiation. The primary outcome measures included treatment efficacy, periodontal indicators (PD and BI levels), inflammatory response indicators (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α levels), bone defect heights, and alveolar bone densities. Results: The treatment efficacy in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group (95% CI -3.0 to -1.8, P = .011). Post-treatment, the study group had lower PD and BI levels compared to the control group (95% CI -1.0 to -0.8, P < .001; 95% CI -1·2 to -0.7, P < .001). Post-treatment, the study group had lower levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α compared to the control group, (95% CI 0.3 to -0.8, P < .001; 95% CI -4.1 to -2.1, P < .001; 95% CI -3.5 to -1.6, P < .001). Post-treatment, the study group had lower bone defect heights and higher alveolar bone densities compared to the control group (95% CI 0.7 to 1.1, P = .028; 95% CI -2.2 to -1·8, P < .001). Conclusion: Local administration of 1% melatonin gel may be an effective treatment option for improving bone defects, enhancing periodontal indicators, alleviating inflammatory responses, and improving oral health in patients with stage I and stage IV periodontal disease.

The Prognosis and Immunotherapy Prediction Model of Ovarian Serous Cystadenocarcinoma Patient was Constructed Based on Cuproptosis-Related LncRNA.

Cuproptosis can serve as potential prognostic predictors in patients with cancer. However, the role of this relationship in ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OV) remains unclear. 376 OV tumor samples were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) related to cuproptosis were obtained through correlation analysis. The risk assessment model was further constructed by univariate Cox regression analysis and LASSO Cox regression. Bioinformatics was used to analyze the regulatory effect of relevant risk assessment models on tumor mutational burden (TMB) and immune microenvironment. We obtained 5 lncRNAs (AC025287.2, AC092718.4, AC112721.2, LINC00996, and LINC01639) and incorporated them into the Cox proportional hazards model. Kaplan-Meier (KM) curve analysis of the prognosis found that the high-risk group was associated with a poorer prognosis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed stronger predictive power compared to other clinicopathological features. Immune infiltration analysis showed that high-risk scores were inversely correlated with CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, macrophages, NK cells, and B cells. Functional enrichment analysis found that they may act via the extracellular matrix (ECM)-interacting proteins and other pathways. We successfully constructed a reliable cuproptosis-related lncRNA model for the prognosis of OV.

Electrokinetic remediation of cadmium-contaminated soil using polarity reversal method: Optimization analysis and mechanism exploration.

Electrokinetic remediation (EKR) has been applied for in-situ removal of Cd from contaminated soil, and the EKR enhanced with polarity reversal has achieved a higher Cd removal efficiency. However, the migration and accumulation mechanisms of Cd in the EKR process have not been investigated. In this paper, the cross-impacts of the voltage gradient, citric acid concentration in the electrolyte, and polarity reversal frequency on the removal efficiency by EKR of Cd and the optimization conditions were investigated. The migration and accumulation mechanisms of Cd were explored by analyzing the changes in electrokinetic process parameters, experimental phenomena, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The results showed that the maximum removal efficiency of Cd reached 82.26%. The optimal conditions were determined by fitting the RSM model using the BBD design. In the EKR experiment with polarity reversal, Cd accumulated mainly in the middle part of the soil, attributed to the formation of chemical precipitation focusing area caused by soil pH transition, ion-induced potential gradient well trapping effect (IIPGWTE), or soil compaction induced by water loss. In conclusion, the various parameters have cross-impacts on the EKR of Cd-contaminated soil, and efficient in-situ removal of Cd from the contaminated soil can be achieved by adjusting the parameter conditions.

Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Uniformly Loaded with Large Interlayer Spacing MoS2 Nanoflowers for Enhanced Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries offer a high theoretical energy density but suffer from poor cycling stability and polysulfide shuttling, which limits their practical application. To address these challenges, we developed a PANI-modified MoS2-NG composite, where MoS2 nanoflowers were uniformly grown on graphene oxide (GO) through PANI modification, resulting in an increased interlayer spacing of MoS2. This expanded spacing exposed more active sites, enhancing polysulfide adsorption and catalytic conversion. The composite was used to prepare MoS2-NG/PP separators for Li-S batteries, which achieved a high specific capacity of 714 mAh g-1 at a 3 C rate and maintained a low capacity decay rate of 0.085% per cycle after 500 cycles at 0.5 C. The larger MoS2 interlayer spacing was key to improving redox reaction kinetics and suppressing the shuttle effect, making the MoS2-NG composite a promising material for enhancing the performance and stability of Li-S batteries.

Factors affecting the compliance of hepatocellular carcinoma screening among high-risk populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer mortality. HCC has high morbidity, high mortality, and low survival rates. Screening is one of the most significant methods of lowering incidence and death while also increasing survival. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify the facilitators and barriers to participation in HCC screening among high-risk populations. METHODS: A comprehensive and systematic search was undertaken in PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBACE, EBSCOhost and the Cochrane Library. A combination of synonyms of the keywords including HCC, screening, factors and adherence were used for searching. Studies addressing the facilitators and barriers to HCC screening compliance in at-risk individuals were included. Data were synthesized using Review Manager version 5.4. A random/fixed effects model meta-analysis was performed to estimate the pooled data and expressed with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: A total of seven articles met the inclusion criteria. Qualitative (n = 1) and quantitative (n = 6) studies using various types of surgery were conducted. The most commonly mentioned barriers were insufficient knowledge and awareness of HCC screening, unawareness of the necessity for early detection of HCC and lack of physician recommendation. A meta-analysis of seven studies showed that individuals with a family history of HCC increased screening uptake by nearly three times (OR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.93, 3.75). Other most frequently reported facilitators include age, education level, and perceived risk et al. CONCLUSIONS: Many barriers to HCC screening were found. Meanwhile, this review points out that improving the awareness of high-risk populations toward HCC screening is expected to enhance compliance, thereby promoting early diagnosis of liver cancer, reducing mortality, and alleviating the burden of HCC.