Construction of Z-Scheme Ag2MoO4/ZnWO4 Heterojunctions for Photocatalytically Removing Pollutants.

Facilitation of the photocarrier separation is a crucial strategy for developing highly efficient photocatalysts in eliminating environmental pollutants. Herein we have developed a new kind of Ag2MoO4/ZnWO4 (AMO/ZWO) composite photocatalysts with a Z-scheme mechanism by anchoring AMO nanoparticles onto ZWO nanorods. Multiple characterization methodologies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to study the performances of the AMO/ZWO heterojunctions as well as the underlying photocatalytic mechanism. Simulated-sunlight-driven photodegradation experiments for removing methylene blue (MB) demonstrates that the 8%AMO/ZWO heterojunction can photocatalytically remove 99.8% of MB within 60 min, and the reaction rate constant is obtained as 0.10199 min-1, which is enhanced by 6.8 (or 4.9) times when compared with that of pure ZWO (or AMO). On the base of the experimental results and DFT calculations, the enhanced photocatalytic mechanism of the AMO/ZWO heterojunctions was revealed to be the efficient separation of photocarriers via a Z-scheme transfer process. In addition, photodegradion of various organic pollutants over 8%AMO/ZWO was further compared and aimed at incorporating it into industrial application in pollutant removal.

Lycorine transfersomes modified with cell-penetrating peptides for topical treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Topical anticancer drugs offer a potential therapeutic modality with high compliance for treating cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). However, the existing topical treatments for cSCC are associated with limited penetrating ability to achieve the desired outcome. Therefore, there remains an urgent requirement to develop drugs with efficient anticancer activity suitable for treating cSCC and to overcome the skin physiological barrier to improve the efficiency of drug delivery to the tumor. RESULTS: We introduced lycorine (LR) into the topical treatment for cSCC and developed a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-modified cationic transfersome gel loaded with lycorine-oleic acid ionic complex (LR-OA) (LR@DTFs-CPP Gel) and investigated its topical therapeutic effects on cSCC. The anti-cSCC effects of LR and skin penetration of LR-OA transfersomes were confirmed. Simultaneously, cationic lipids and modification of R5H3 peptide of the transfersomes further enhanced the permeability of the skin and tumor as well as the effective delivery of LR to tumor cells. CONCLUSIONS: Topical treatment of cSCC-xenografted nude mice with LR@DTFs-CPP Gel showed effective anticancer properties with high safety. This novel formulation provides novel insights into the treatment and pathogenesis of cSCC.

Giant Malignant Meningioma Penetrates the Skull.

Meningioma is a primary tumor of the central nervous system, most commonly found in the middle-aged and elderly. Most meningiomas are benign, whereas malignant meningiomas account for only 1% of all meningiomas. Meningiomas usually grow slowly, and patients often have headaches and epilepsy as the first symptoms. According to the location of the tumor, there can also be vision, visual field, olfactory, hearing impairment, and so on. Surgery is the main treatment. A case of giant malignant meningioma penetrating the skull is reported. The patient was a 67-year-old male with a left parietal scalp mass about 1 year ago, which gradually enlarged to the size of 6×6 cm and had no other symptoms. Imaging examination showed that the tumor eroded the skull, and the density was uneven. After surgical resection (Simpson grade I), poorly differentiated meningioma (World Health Organization Grade Ⅲ) was returned pathologically. After operation, the patient recovered well.

Hydrogenotrophic methanogenic granular sludge formation for highly efficient transforming hydrogen to CH4.

This paper presents a potential process that can enhance H2 transformation to CH4 and simultaneously upgrading biogas by using hydrogenotrophic methanogens. For the first time, anaerobic granules were developed in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor feeding H2/CO2 syngas as the sole substrate and the granule characterization was thoroughly investigated. The results from experiment revealed that the H2 consumption rates of UASB reactor increased from 32.2 mmol L-1·d-1 at H2 feeding rate 0.08 g L-1·d-1 to 132.0 mmol L-1·d-1 at 0.37 g L-1·d-1, indicating that the hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis pathway was stimulated by injection of H2. Abundant cavities and cracks were observed on the surface and cross-section of granules, which greatly facilitated internally transferring H2/CO2 synthesis gas and biogas escape. The abundance of hydrogenotrophic Methanobacterium increased, while Methanosaeta, Methanosarcina, and Methanomassiliicoccus decreased with increasing H2 feeding rate. In general, this paper offers a feasible solution in terms of energy transformation and connecting power to fuel.

[Comparative study on differences of resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from different appearance based on HS-GC-MS and chemometrics].

Resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from four different appearances were analyzed by headspace sampling-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-GC-MS) metabolomics technique and hierarchical clustering analysis(HCA) chemometrics method. This study was to analyze differential volatile components in resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from different appearance and metabolic pathways. The results of partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) and HCA analysis indicated that there was little difference in volatile components between fiber-rich sample and hollow cork cambium sample, however, the volatile components in the two samples compared with whole body resin-containing sample and resin-secreting aggregated sample had a large metabolic difference. Twenty differential metabolites were screened by VIP and P values of PLS-DA. The content of these differential metabolites was significantly higher in whole body resin-containing sample and resin-secreting aggregated sample than in fiber-rich sample and hollow cork cambium sample. Sixteen significant metabolic pathways were obtained through enrichment analysis(P<0.05), mainly involved in terpenoids biosynthesis and phenylpropanoid metabolism. This result provided a reference for further study of resin formation mechanism of resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from different appearances. At the same time, it also provided a reference for establishing a multi-index quality evaluation system.

Up-regulated deubiquitinase USP4 plays an oncogenic role in melanoma.

Melanoma is the most malignant skin cancer with increasing incidence worldwide. Although innovative therapies such as BRAF inhibitor and immune checkpoint inhibitor have gained remarkable advances, metastatic melanoma remains an incurable disease for its notorious aggressiveness. Therefore, further clarification of the underlying mechanism of melanoma pathogenesis is critical for the improvement of melanoma therapy. Ubiquitination is an important regulatory event for cancer hallmarks and melanoma development, and the deubiquitinating enzymes including ubiquitin-specific peptidase (USP) families are greatly implicated in modulating cancer biology. Herein, we first found that the expression of the deubiquitinase USP4 was significantly up-regulated in melanoma tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, although USP4 knockdown had little impact on melanoma cell proliferation, it could increase the sensitivity to DNA damage agent cisplatin. We subsequently showed that USP4 regulated cisplatin-induced cell apoptosis via p53 signalling. More importantly, USP4 could accentuate the invasive and migratory capacity of melanoma cells by promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the up-regulated USP4 plays an oncogenic role in melanoma by simultaneously suppressing stress-induced cell apoptosis and facilitating tumour metastasis.

Novel Core-Interlayer-Shell DOX/ZnPc Co-loaded MSNs@ pH-Sensitive CaP@PEGylated Liposome for Enhanced Synergetic Chemo-Photodynamic Therapy.

PURPOSE: This work was intended to develop novel doxorubicin (DOX)/zinc (II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc) co-loaded mesoporous silica (MSNs)@ calcium phosphate (CaP)@PEGylated liposome nanoparticles (NPs) that could efficiently achieve collaborative anticancer therapy by the combination of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and chemotherapy. The interlayer of CaP could be utilized to achieve pH-triggered controllable drug release, promote the cellular uptake, and induce cell apoptosis to further enhance the anticancer effects. METHODS: MSNs were first synthesized as core particles in which the pores were diffusion-filled with DOX, then the cores were coated by CaP followed by the liposome encapsulation with ZnPc to form the final DOX/ZnPc co-loaded MSNs@CaP@PEGylated liposome. RESULTS: A core-interlayer-shell MSNs@CaP@PEGylated liposomes was developed as a multifunctional theranostic nanoplatform. In vitro experiment indicated that CaP could not only achieve pH-triggered controllable drug release, promote the cellular uptake of the NPs, but also generate high osmotic pressure in the endo/lysosomes to induce cell apoptosis. Besides, the chemotherapy using DOX and PDT effect was achieved by the photosensitizer ZnPc. Furthermore, the MSNs@CaP@PEGylated liposomes showed outstanding tumor-targeting ability by enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. CONCLUSIONS: The novel prepared MSNs@CaP@PEGylated liposomes could serve as a promising multifunctional theranostic nanoplatform in anticancer treatment by synergic chemo-PDT and superior tumor-targeting ability.

Immunogenic cell death-based cancer vaccines: promising prospect in cancer therapy.

Tumor immunotherapy is a promising approach for addressing the limitations of conventional tumor treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which often have side effects and fail to prevent recurrence and metastasis. However, the effectiveness and sustainability of immune activation in tumor immunotherapy remain challenging. Tumor immunogenic cell death, characterized by the release of immunogenic substances, damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and tumor associated antigens, from dying tumor cells (DTCs), offers a potential solution. By enhancing the immunogenicity of DTCs through the inclusion of more immunogenic antigens and stimulating factors, immunogenic cell death (ICD) based cancer vaccines can be developed as a powerful tool for immunotherapy. Integrating ICD nanoinducers into conventional treatments like chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, sonodynamic therapy, and radiotherapy presents a novel strategy to enhance treatment efficacy and potentially improve patient outcomes. Preclinical research has identified numerous potential ICD inducers. However, effectively translating these findings into clinically relevant applications remains a critical challenge. This review aims to contribute to this endeavor by providing valuable insights into the in vitro preparation of ICD-based cancer vaccines. We explored established tools for ICD induction, followed by an exploration of personalized ICD induction strategies and vaccine designs. By sharing this knowledge, we hope to stimulate further development and advancement in the field of ICD-based cancer vaccines.

Dissolving Microneedle-Based Cascade-Activation Nanoplatform for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy of Skin Cancer.

Purpose: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been an attractive strategy for skin tumor treatment. However, the hypoxic microenvironment of solid tumors and further O2 consumption during PDT would diminish its therapeutic effect. Herein, we developed a strategy using the combination of PDT and hypoxia-activated bioreductive drug tirapazamine (TPZ). Methods: TPZ was linked to DSPE-PEG-NHS forming DSPE-PEG-TPZ to solve leakage of water-soluble TPZ and serve as an antitumor agent and monomer molecule further forming the micellar. Chlorin e6 (Ce6) was loaded in DSPE-PEG-TPZ forming DSPE-PEG-TPZ@Ce6 (DPTC). To further improve tumor infiltration and accumulation, hyaluronic acid was adopted to make DPTC-containing microneedles (DPTC-MNs). Results: Both in vitro and in vivo studies consistently demonstrated the synergistic antitumor effect of photodynamic therapy and TPZ achieved by DPTC-MNs. With laser irradiation, overexpressions of PDT tolerance factors NQO1 and HIF-1α were inhibited by this PDT process. Conclusion: The synergistic effect of PDT and TPZ significantly improved the performance of DPTC-MNs in the treatment of melanoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and has good biocompatibility.

Risk factors for the rupture of intracranial aneurysms: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: The study aimed to identify potential risk factors for aneurysm rupture by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis. Materials and methods: We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library electronic databases for eligible studies from their inception until June 2023. Results: Eighteen studies involving 17,069 patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) and 2,699 aneurysm ruptures were selected for the meta-analysis. Hyperlipidemia [odds ratio (OR): 0.47; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.39-0.56; p < 0.001] and a family history of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.71-0.91; p = 0.001) were associated with a reduced risk of aneurysm rupture. In contrast, a large-size aneurysm (OR: 4.49; 95% CI: 2.46-8.17; p < 0.001), ACA (OR: 3.34; 95% CI: 1.94-5.76; p < 0.001), MCA (OR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.73-2.69; p < 0.001), and VABA (OR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.24-3.91; p = 0.007) were associated with an increased risk of aneurysm rupture. Furthermore, the risk of aneurysm rupture was not affected by age, sex, current smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, a history of SAH, and multiple aneurysms. Conclusion: This study identified the predictors of aneurysm rupture in patients with UIAs, including hyperlipidemia, a family history of SAH, a large-size aneurysm, ACA, MCA, and VABA; patients at high risk for aneurysm rupture should be carefully monitored. Systematic Review Registration: Our study was registered in the INPLASY platform (INPLASY202360062).

Nanocarrier-Mediated Immunogenic Cell Death for Melanoma Treatment.

Melanoma, a highly aggressive skin tumor, exhibits notable features including heterogeneity, a high mutational load, and innate immune escape. Despite advancements in melanoma treatment, current immunotherapies fail to fully exploit the immune system's maximum potential. Activating immunogenic cell death (ICD) holds promise in enhancing tumor cell immunogenicity, stimulating immune amplification response, improving drug sensitivity, and eliminating tumors. Nanotechnology-enabled ICD has emerged as a compelling therapeutic strategy for augmenting cancer immunotherapy. Nanoparticles possess versatile attributes, such as prolonged blood circulation, stability, and tumor-targeting capabilities, rendering them ideal for drug delivery. In this review, we elucidate the mechanisms underlying ICD induction and associated therapeutic strategies. Additionally, we provide a concise overview of the immune stress response associated with ICD and explore the potential synergistic benefits of combining ICD induction methods with the utilization of nanocarriers.

Disseminated Kaposi Sarcoma.

AIDS-associated Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is the most common HIV-associated neoplasm. Disseminated Kaposi sarcoma became rare with the application of antiretroviral therapy. Oral AIDS-associated KS has prognostic relevance, indicating higher mortality than those with cutaneous lesions only. In this study, we reported a 40-year-old man presented with ulcerated violaceous plaques on his hard palate. Similar lesion can be observed on his left groin and anus, as well as on esophagus and gastric fundus under upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Histological examination accorded with KS. After five cycles of doxorubicin, his oral, skin and esophagus lesions regressed considerably.

Morphological and Spatial Heterogeneity of Microbial Communities in Pilot-Scale Autotrophic Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge System Treating Coal to Ethylene Glycol Wastewater.

The understanding of microbial compositions in different dimensions is essential to achieve the successful design and operation of the partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) process. This study investigated the microbial communities of different sludge morphologies and spatial distribution in the one-stage PN/A process of treating real coal to ethylene glycol (CtEG) wastewater at a pilot-scale integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) reactor. The results showed that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was mainly distributed in flocs (13.56 ± 3.16%), whereas anammox bacteria (AnAOB) was dominated in the biofilms (17.88 ± 8.05%). Furthermore, the dominant AnAOB genus in biofilms among the first three chambers was Candidatus Brocadia (6.46 ± 2.14% to 11.82 ± 6.33%), whereas it was unexpectedly transformed to Candidatus Kuenenia (9.47 ± 1.70%) and Candidatus Anammoxoglobus (8.56 ± 4.69%) in the last chamber. This demonstrated that the niche differentiation resulting from morphological (dissolved oxygen) and spatial heterogeneity (gradient distribution of nutrients and toxins) was the main reason for dominant bacterial distribution. Overall, this study presents more comprehensive information on the heterogeneous distribution and transformation of communities in PN/A processes, providing a theoretical basis for targeted culture and selection of microbial communities in practical engineering.

Performance and microbial community evaluation of full-scale two-phase anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge.

"Temperature Staging and Biological Phasing" (TSBP) is an improved two-phase anaerobic digestion (AD) technology. This technology hydrolyzes waste activated sludge (WAS) at 45 °C and converts methane at mesophilic temperature (35-38 °C), with hydraulic retention times of 3-5 d and 14-17 d, respectively. In this study, the performance and microbial community dynamics of full-scale TSBP-based sludge anaerobic digestion system were studied, and the technology was evaluated by energy balance and ecological benefit analysis. The stable operation for 390 d showed that the cumulative biogas yield was about 349,041 m3, the maximum biogas yield rate was 563.68 L/kg VS, and the VS degradation rate of organic matters in the sludge was 47.19%. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were found to be the dominant bacteria in both thermophilic and mesophilic reactors. Methanobacterium and Methanosarcina were the two most abundant methanogenic genera in the AD samples. The aceticlastic methanogenesis was likely the predominant production pathway of methane in AD processes based on metagenomics. The TSBP system operated stably, and the recovered energy could achieve energy self-sufficiency, which provided technical reference for the anaerobic treatment of sludge.

Evaluation of pH regulation in carbohydrate-type municipal waste anaerobic co-fermentation: Roles of pH at acidic, neutral and alkaline conditions.

This study investigated and evaluated the roles of acidic (pH 4.0), neutral (pH 7.0) and alkaline (pH 10.0) in anaerobic co-fermentation of sewage sludge and carbohydrate-type municipal waste. CO2, CH4 and H2 are produced in acidic, neutral and alkaline fermentation, respectively. The neutral co-fermentation contained the vast number of aqueous metabolites as total of 22.12 g/L, with the advantage of over 50 % biodegradable components in extracellular polymeric substance and over 80 % hydrolysis rate. Acidic and alkaline pH facilitated ammonia release, with the max concentration of 0.46 g/L and 0.44 g/L, respectively. Microbial analysis indicated that pH is the key parameter to impact microbial activity and drive microbial community transition. The high abundance of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Clostridium was associated with harvest of ethanol, lactic acid and acetate in acidic, neutral and alkaline fermentation. Meanwhile, the floc feature showed better dewaterability (zeta potential -8.48 mV) and poor nutrient convey (distribution spread index 1.03) in acidic fermentation. In summary, acidic and alkaline fermentation were prioritised for targeted spectrum. Neutral fermentation was prioritised for high production. This study presented an upgraded understanding of the pH role in fermentation performance, microbial structure and sludge behaviour, which benefits the development of fermentation processing unit.

Target and Enhance Ethanol and Butyrate Production from Anaerobic Fermentation via the pH and Organic Loading Rate Combined Strategy.

The large capacity production and low utilization rate increase the difficulty of fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW) treatment. Efficient and targeted recovery strategies can solve these problems. This study investigated and proposed combined strategies via pH and organic loading rate (OLR) to target and enhance ethanol- and butyrate-dominant acidogenic production in the FVW mixed culture fermentation. Under pH 4.0, OLR 18 gCOD/(L∙d), and mesophilic (35 °C), ethanol-dominant fermentation was formed. The long-term operation (168 days) showed that the highest ethanol yield was 0.33 g/gCOD which was greater than that in other studies. Also, the hydrolysis rate of ethanol-type fermentation reached 74.5%. Besides, butyrate-type fermentation was stable at yield 0.39 g/gCOD following conditions: pH 6.0, OLR 28 gCOD/(L∙d), and 35 °C, of which hydrolysis and acidogenic rate were 78.0% and 62.0%, respectively. The high relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Olsenella, and Bifidobacterium played positive role in achieving ethanol, butyrate, and lactate production among various metabolic pathways. The results revealed the pH value together with OLR was the valid parameter to affect product formation and composition during FVW fermentation.