Asymmetric Synthesis of the Functionalized A/E-Ring Fragment of C18-Diterpenoid Alkaloids.

A new asymmetric synthesis of the A/E-ring fragment of C18-diterpenoid alkaloids is described. The crucial contiguous stereogenic centers at C4, C5, and C11 were established through an asymmetric Michael addition/allylation sequence. The unique azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane motif (A/E rings) was assembled by employing ring-closing metathesis and Mitsunobu reaction as key strategies.

Piezo-Activated Atomic-Thin Molybdenum Disulfide/MXene Nanoenzyme for Integrated and Efficient Tumor Therapy via Ultrasound-Triggered Schottky Electric Field.

Monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ) nanoenzymes exhibit a piezoelectric polarization, which generates reactive oxygen species to inactivate tumors under ultrasonic strain. However, its therapeutic efficiency is far away from satisfactory, due to stackable MoS2 , quenching of piezo-generated charges, and monotherapy. Herein, chitosan-exfoliated monolayer MoS2 (Ch-MS) is composited with atomic-thin MXene, Ti3 C2 (TC), to self-assemble a multimodal nanoplatform, Ti3 C2 -Chitosan-MoS2 (TC@Ch-MS), for tumor inactivation. TC@Ch-MS not only inherits piezoelectricity from monolayer MoS2 , but also maintains remarkable stability. Intrinsic metallic MXene combines with MoS2 to construct an interfacial Schottky heterojunction, facilitating the separation of electron-hole pairs and endowing TC@Ch-MS increase-sensitivity magnetic resonance imaging responding. Schottky interface also leads to peroxidase mimetics with excellent catalytic performance toward H2 O2 in the tumor microenvironment under mechanical vibration. TC@Ch-MS possesses the superior photothermal conversion efficiency than pristine TC under near-infrared ray illumination, attributed to its enhanced interlaminar conductivity. Meanwhile, TC@Ch-MS realizes optimized efficiency on tumor apoptosis with immunotherapy. Therefore, TC@Ch-MS achieves an integrated diagnosis and multimodal treatment nanoplatform, whereas the toxicity to normal tissue cells is negligible. This work may shed fresh light on optimizing the piezoelectric materials in biological applications, and also give prominence to the significance of intrinsic metallicity in MXene.

Nomogram prediction for the risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish a nomogram graph model to accurately predict the venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk probability in the general population with lung cancer. METHODS: Based on data from patients with lung cancer in Chongqing University Cancer Hospital of China, the independent risk factors of VTE were identified by the logistic univariable and multivariable analysis and were integrated to construct a nomogram, which was validated internally. The predictive effectiveness of the nomogram was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and calibration curve. RESULTS: A total of 3398 lung cancer patients were included for analysis. The nomogram incorporated eleven independent VTE risk factors including karnofsky performance scale (KPS), stage of cancer, varicosity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), central venous catheter (CVC), albumin, prothrombin time (PT), leukocyte counts, epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), dexamethasone, and bevacizumab. The C-index of the nomogram model was 0.843 and 0.791 in the training and validation cohort, respectively, demonstrating good discriminative power. The calibration plots of the nomogram revealed excellent agreement between the predicted and actual probabilities. CONCLUSIONS: We established and validated a novel nomogram for predicting the risk of VTE in patients with lung cancer. The nomogram model could precisely estimate the VTE risk of individual lung cancer patients and identify high-risk patients who are in need of a specific anticoagulation treatment strategy.

Fast-speed, Highly Sensitive, Flexible Humidity Sensors Based on a Printable Composite of Carbon Nanotubes and Hydrophilic Polymers.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a promising material for humidity sensors and wearable electronics due to their solution capability, good flexibility, and high conductivity. However, the performance of CNT-based humidity sensors is limited by their low sensitivity and slow response. Herein CNTs and hydrophilic polymers were mixed to form a composite. The hydrophilicity of the polymers and the network structure of the CNTs empowered the humidity sensors with a high response of 171% and a fast response/recovery time of 23 s/10 s. Owing to the sticky and flexible polymers, the humidity sensors showed strong adhesion to the PET substrate and exhibited outstanding bending durability. Furthermore, the flexible humidity sensor was applied to monitor human breathing and detect finger movements and handshaking.

Preparation of magnesium potassium phosphate cement using by-product MgO from Qarhan Salt Lake for low-carbon and sustainable cement production.

Herein, to reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption and to promote the recycling of waste resources, two types of boron-containing MgO by-products, which were obtained by lithium extraction from Qarhan Salt Lake, China, were used as substitutes for dead-burned MgO to prepare magnesium phosphate potassium cement (MKPC) as a rapid repair material. First, the phase composition and particle-size distribution of the MgO by-product were investigated. The effects of different MgO sources, molar ratio of MgO to KH2PO4 (M/P), and curing age on the setting time and mechanical properties of MKPC were then studied. Based on the results, the mix proportion of MKPC was optimized. Finally, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), differential thermogravimetric (DTG) analysis, and mercury intrusion porosimetry were used to characterize the phase and microstructure evolution of MKPC prepared with different MgO contents. The results demonstrated that the by-product MgO prolonged the setting time of MKPC to more than 40 min. In addition, in the initial stage of hydration, the compressive strength of the MgO by-product was slightly lower than that of the dead-burned MgO; however, with increasing age, the mechanical properties of MKPC prepared by by-product MgO were excellent (up to 60 MPa). The phase and microstructure results revealed that the main hydration product of MKPC prepared using the three types of MgO was MgKPO4·6H2O. Combined with the physical and chemical properties of the raw materials, it was confirmed that the larger particle size and the coexisting impurities from the salt lake were the main reasons for the longer setting time of the MKPC prepared by the by-product MgO. We believe that this research will be of great significance for the preparation of low-carbon, low-cost, and high-performance MKPC materials.

Highly stable metal-organic framework UiO-66-NH2for high-performance triboelectric nanogenerators.

The high porosity, controllable size, high surface area, and chemical versatility of a metal-organic framework (MOF) enable it a good material for a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), and some MOFs have been incorporated in the fabrication of TENGs. However, the understanding of effects of MOFs on the energy conversion of a TENG is still lacking, which inhibits the improvement of the performance of MOF-based TENGs. Here, UiO-66-NH2MOFs were found to significantly increase the power of a TENG and the mechanism was carefully examined. The electron-withdrawing (EW) ability of Zr-based UiO-66-family MOFs was enhanced by designing the amino functionalized 1,4-terephthalic acid (1,4-BDC) as ligand. The chemically modified UiO-66-NH2was found to increase the surface roughness and surface potential of a composite film with MOFs embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. Thus the total charges due to the contact electrification increased significantly. The composite-based TENG was found to be very durable and its output voltage and current were 4 times and 60 times higher than that of a PDMS-based TENG. This work revealed an effective strategy to design MOFs with excellent EW abilities for high-performance TENGs.

[Comparative Study on Evaluating the Bladder Volume between BladderScan BVI9400 and Ultrasound System iU22].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of the latest BladderScan BVI9400 on measuring bladder volume. METHODS: Two bladder phantoms were selected for investigating the accuracy of BVI9400. 341 patients with the iU22 ultrasound examinations were followed by BVI 9400. The difference and correlation between BVI9400 and iU22 were contrastively analyzed. RESULTS: The relative difference between results from BVI9400 and phantom volume was 2.5% and 1.36%. There was a strong correlation for patients between BVI9400 and iU22 (R = 0.96, P < 0.001). The relative difference between BVI9400 and iU22 decreased with the increasing of bladder volume and had no significant difference with patient's gender (P > 0.1). CONCLUSION: BladderScan BVI9400 had the ability of high accuracy and good stability of measured data. In view of quick and conveniences, BVI9400 could be as auxiliary equipment on pelvic tumor to evaluate whether the bladder volume during fractional radiotherapy was consistency with that during CT positioning.

Characterization of the High-Quality Genome Sequence and Virulence Factors of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum Race 7.

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov) is a common soilborne fungal pathogen that causes Fusarium wilt (FW) disease in cotton. Although considerable progress has been made in cotton disease-resistance breeding against FW in China, and the R gene conferring resistance to Fov race 7 (FOV) in Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) has been identified, knowledge regarding the evolution of fungal pathogenicity and virulence factors in Fov remains limited. In this study, we present a reference-scale genome assembly and annotation for FOV7, created through the integration of single-molecule real-time sequencing (PacBio) and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) techniques. Comparative genomics analysis revealed the presence of six supernumerary scaffolds specific to FOV7. The genes or sequences within this region can potentially serve as reliable diagnostic markers for distinguishing Fov race 7. Furthermore, we conducted an analysis of the xylem sap proteome of FOV7-infected cotton plants, leading to the identification of 19 proteins that are secreted in xylem (FovSIX). Through a pathogenicity test involving knockout mutants, we demonstrated that FovSIX16 is crucial for the full virulence of FOV7. Overall, this study sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of Fov's pathogenicity and provides valuable insights into potential management strategies for controlling FW.

Immobilization of Zn(â ¡) and Cu(â ¡) in basic magnesium-sulfate-cementitious material system: Properties and mechanism.

To solve the environmental problems caused by heavy metal pollution, a new cementitious material (basic magnesium sulfate cement, BMSC) was developed for the solidification of Cu2+/Zn2+. First, the effects of different amounts of Cu2+/Zn2+ on the properties (compressive strength, setting time, pH, and leaching toxicity) of the BMSC were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) were used to investigate the effects of different amounts of Cu2+/Zn2+ on the phase and microstructure of BMSC. The results showed that Cu2+/Zn2+ inhibited the hydration of BMSC, reduced compressive strength, and prolonged the setting time. The results of the leaching tests showed that the BMSC system exhibited high immobilization efficiency (up to 99%) for Cu2+/Zn2+. Further, the BMSC solidification matrix exhibited excellent acid resistance (compressive strength >40 MPa after 28 days of immersion). The physical phase analysis showed that the main phases of BMSC were the 5Mg(OH)2-MgSO4-7 H2O (5-1-7) phase and Mg(OH)2, and the crystal structure refinement analysis suggested that Cu2+/Zn2+ ions were substituted with Mg2+ in the 5-1-7 phase. It was confirmed that the solidification mechanism of BMSC on Cu2+/Zn2+ is mainly performed by chemical complexation and ionic substitution.

Decreased zinc-fingers and homeoboxes family expression was associated with unfavorable outcomes and immune infiltration in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: The zinc-fingers and homeoboxes (ZHX) family is a group of nuclear homodimeric transcriptional repressors that play an essential role in developing and progressing diverse malignancies. However, the association of ZHX family expression with prognosis and immune infiltration in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is still unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between ZHX family expression and clinical outcomes and immune infiltration in LUAD patients. Methods: ZHXs family expression was determined by using the Oncomine database and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE). The impact of ZHXs family expression on prognosis was analyzed by using the Kaplan-Meier-plotter online database. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database was utilized to construct the interaction network based on the selected differentially expressed genes associated with ZHXs. The Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was used to perform the enrichment of the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The functional state of the ZHXs family in diverse types of malignancies was determined by CancerSEA. The Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database was used to evaluate the association of the ZHXs family with immune cell infiltrates. ZHXs family expression was validated by the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 10 paired tumors and normal tissues. Results: ZHX1-3 expression level significantly decreased in LUAD compared with normal tissues. Attenuated ZHXs expression was significantly associated with unfavorable overall survival in LUAD patients. ZHX family members were positively associated with immune infiltration of monocytes, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), M1 and M2 macrophages in LUAD. ZHX family expression was also significantly related to a variety of immune marker sets in LUAD. GEO analysis and RT-PCR validated the significant decrease of ZHXs expression level in LUAD. Conclusions: The current study revealed that ZHX family expression was significantly correlated with unfavorable outcomes and immune infiltration in LUAD. The findings herein provide a promising basis for further study into the potential biological function of the ZHX family in LUAD and lay a foundation for developing therapeutic targets for LUAD patients.

Pseudo-siamese network combined with dosimetric and clinical factors, radiomics features, CT images and 3D dose distribution for the prediction of radiation pneumonitis: A feasibility study.

Purpose: Radiation pneumonitis (RP)(grade ≥ 2) can have a considerable impact on patient quality-of life. In previous studies, the traditional method commonly used radiomics and clinical factors for RP prediction. This study aims to develop and evaluate a novel pseudo-siamese network (PSN) to assist radiologists predict RP before radiotherapy based on combination of dosimetric and clinical factors, radiomics features, CT (computed tomography) images, and dose distribution (hybrid model). Method: One hundred and ten patients with lung cancer (19 RP ≥ 2) who received radiotherapy between 2016 and 2020 were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Dosimetric factors were calculated from DVH (dose-volume histogram), such as lung mean dose, lung V5, and prescription dose. Clinical characteristics were recorded, such as age, sex, smoking status, TN stage, and overall stage. A total of 1419 radiomics features were extracted. Cluster analysis was used for detecting radiomics features that associated with RP. Patients were randomly split into a training set (90 %, 85 non-RP, and 14 RP) and a validation set (10 %, 6 non-RP, and 5 RP). A PSN architecture was designed for combining 1D (dosimetric and clinical factors, radiomics) and 3D (CT images, 3D dose distribution) features. 5-fold cross-validation procedure for estimating the skill of the model on new data. Results: For cluster analysis, totally of 106 radiomics features with high correlation were selected. The accuracy was 0.727, 0.636, 0.545, and 0.727 for input dosimetric and clinical factors, dose distribution, CT images, and radiomics features, respectively. The accuracy of hybrid model was 0.818. The sensitivity of hybrid model was 0.800 (95 % confidence interval (CI) [0.299, 0.989]), and specificity was 0.833(95 % CI [0.364, 0.991]). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) result in 5-fold cross-validation was 0.77-0.90(mean AUC ± std was 0.85 ± 0.05). Conclusion: This study firstly propose method that the combination of high dimensional and low dimensional features for RP prediction. The results confirm the feasibility of multi-dimensional features predict RP.

Intrinsic piezoelectricity of 2D violet phosphorene.

Violet phosphorene (VP) has an extensive range of potential uses in piezoelectric gadgets due to its excellent electron transport capabilities. Nevertheless, VP materials are devoid of the piezoelectric effect because of the absence of ionic polarity. In this study, the piezoelectric capacity of the VP nano-sheet was investigated. According to the findings, the VP exhibited precise in-plane and out-of-plane piezoelectricity. For both in-plane as well as out-of-plane applications, the monolayer of VP had a characteristic direct piezoelectric reaction, and piezoelectric hysteresis loops were established at an electric field excitation of -18 V to +18 V. According to calculations using the density functional theory, VP has inside inherent dipoles. Outcomes from piezoelectric force microscopy, in particular, for VP with a thickness of 17.6 nm revealed that d33 is up to 12.65 pm V-1 and d31 is up to 1.03 pm V-1. The thickness-relied piezoelectric results demonstrated that VP's piezoelectric capabilities degraded as width increased.

Rational Design of Biological Crystals with Enhanced Physical Properties by Hydrogen Bonding Interactions.

Hydrogen bonds are non-covalent interactions and essential for assembling supermolecules into ordered structures in biological systems, endowing crystals with fascinating physical properties, and inspiring the construction of eco-friendly electromechanical devices. However, the interplay between hydrogen bonding and the physical properties is not fully understood at the molecular level. Herein, we demonstrate that the physical property of biological crystals with double-layer structures could be enhanced by rationally controlling hydrogen bonding interactions between amino and carboxyl groups. Different hydrogen bonding interactions result in various thermal, mechanical, electronic, and piezoelectric properties. In particular, the weak interaction between O and H atoms contributes to low mechanical strength that permits important ion displacement under stress, giving rise to a strong piezoelectric response. This study not only reveals the correlation between the hydrogen bonding and physical properties in double-layer structures of biological crystals but also demonstrates the potential of these crystals as functional biomaterials for high-performance energy-harvesting devices. Theoretical calculations and experimental verifications in this work provide new insights into the rational design of biomaterials with desirable physical properties for bioelectrical devices by modulating intermolecular interactions.

Above-Room-Temperature Strong Ferromagnetism in 2D MnB Nanosheet.

Two-dimensional (2D) room-temperature (RT) ferromagnetic materials have amassed considerable interest in the field of fundamental physics for applications in next-generation spintronic devices owing to their physical properties. However, realizing strong RT ferromagnetism and a high Curie temperature (TC) in these 2D magnetic materials remains challenging. Herein, we develop a 2D MnB nanosheet for known 2D ferromagnets that demonstrates strong RT ferromagnetism and a record-high above-RT TC of ∼585.9 K. Through magnetic force microscopy, clear evidence of ferromagnetic behavior is observed at room temperature. Structural characterization and density functional theory calculations further reveal that (i) after exfoliation of bulk, -OH functional groups were introduced in addition to Mn-B bonds being formed, which increases MnB nanosheet TC to 585.9 K and (ii) the d3↑ spin configuration of Mn mainly contributed to the magnetic moment of MnB, and the hybridization between the dxz (dyz) and dz2 orbitals of the Mn atom provides a large contribution to magnetic anisotropy, which stabilizes the magnetic property of MnB. Our findings establish a strong experimental foundation for 2D MnB nanosheets as ideal materials for the construction of spintronic devices.

Realization of Robust and Ambient-Stable Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Wide Bandgap Semiconductor 2D Carbon Nitride Sheets.

Due to their weak intrinsic spin-orbit coupling and a distinct bandgap of 3.06 eV, 2D carbon nitride (CN) flakes are promising materials for next-generation spintronic devices. However, achieving strong room-temperature (RT) and ambient-stable ferromagnetism (FM) remains a huge challenge. Here, we demonstrate that the strong RT FM with a high Curie temperature (TC) up to ∼400 K and saturation magnetization (Ms) of 2.91 emu/g can be achieved. Besides, the RT FM exhibits excellent air stability, with Ms remaining stable for over 6 months. Through the magneto-optic Kerr effect, Hall device, X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, and magnetic force microscopy measurements, we acquired clear evidence of magnetic behavior and magnetic domain evolutions at room temperature. Electrical and optical measurements confirm that the Co-doped CN retains its semiconductor properties. Detailed structural characterizations confirm that the single-atom Co coordination and nitrogen defects as well as C-C covalent bonds are simultaneously introduced into CN. Density functional theory calculations reveal that introducing C-C bonds causes carrier spin polarization, and spin-polarized carrier-mediated magnetic exchange between adjacent Co atoms leads to long-range magnetic ordering in CN. We believe that our findings provide a strong experimental foundation for the enormous potential of 2D wide bandgap semiconductor spintronic devices.

Comparative proteomic and radiobiological analyses in human lung adenocarcinoma cells.

In clinic, many non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receive radiation therapy after chemotherapy failure. However, whether the multidrug resistance (MDR) can elevate the radioresistance (RDR) remains unclear. To evaluate the MDR's effect on the RDR, screen MDR- and RDR-related proteins in human lung adenocarcinoma (HLA) cells and tissues A549, and A549/DDP cells after irradiation were analyzed by colony-forming assay and flow cytometry. Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) were utilized to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between them. The value of D0, Dq, and SF2 increased, the mean percentage in G2 phase and apoptosis rate significantly decreased in A549/DDP cells compared with A549 cells. 40 DEP points were found, and among them 27 were identified through proteomics. Four up-regulated proteins (HSPB1, Vimentin, Cofilin-1, and Annexin A4) in MDR cells compared with non-MDR cells, were confirmed by Western blot. Immuno-histochemistry showed that they were also over-expressed in MDR tissues compared with non-MDR counterparts of HLA. These results proved that the MDR in HLA cells and tissues increased the RDR. HSPB1, Vimentin, Cofilin-1, and Annexin A4 are potential biomarkers for predicting HLA response to MDR and RDR, and novel treatment targets of HLA.

Polyphenols in Ilex latifolia Thunb. inhibit human lung cancer cell line A549 by regulation of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: The leaves of the plant Ilex latifolia Thunb. can be made into Kuding tea, which is a drink rich in polyphenols. This study aimed to observe the effect of Ilex latifolia Thunb. polyphenols (ILTPs) on human lung cancer cell line A549 (A549 cells) by regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway. METHODS: In vitro cultured cells were treated with ILTPs; the proliferation of A549 cells and BEAS-2B human normal lung epithelial cells (Beas-2B cells) was observed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and the survival status of A549 cells was observed by fluorescence staining. The expression of A549 cells was observed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay and Western blot analysis, while the compound composition of ILTPs was detected using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: The experimental results showed that the proliferation of Beas-2B cells was unaffected by treatment with 0-500 µg/mL of ILTPs, whereas the decreased proliferation of A549 cells was observed with the increasing concentrations of ILTPs. Additionally, ILTPs elevated the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and promoted apoptosis in A549 cells. The results of qPCR experiments showed that ILTPs upregulated caspase-9 mRNA expression and downregulated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in A549 cells. The Western blot analysis results also showed that ILTPs could reduce the protein expression of PI3K and Akt. The HPLC results showed that the main compounds present in the ILTPs were rutin, kaempferol, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid B, and isochlorogenic acid C. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, this study indicated that the polyphenols of I. latifolia act as a class of natural functional food materials that potently suppress cancer by exerting their inhibitory effects on A549 cell proliferation through five key polyphenolic compounds.

Identification of Angiogenesis-Related Prognostic Biomarkers Associated With Immune Cell Infiltration in Breast Cancer.

Background: This study aimed to explore the prognostic value of angiogenesis-related genes (ARGs) and their association with immune cell infiltration (ICI) in breast cancer (BC). Methods: Transcriptome data of BC were obtained from the TCGA and GEO databases. Differentially expressed ARGs were identified by the limma package. The identification of key genes and construction of the risk score model were performed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression algorithms. The prognostic value of the risk score was assessed by ROC curves and nomogram. GO, KEGG pathway, and GSEA were used to investigate the biological functions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and CIBERSORT, ssGSEA, and xCell algorithms were performed to estimate the ICI in high-risk and low-risk groups. The correlations between prognostic biomarkers and differentially distributed immune cells were assessed. Moreover, a ceRNA regulatory network based on prognostic biomarkers was constructed and visualized by Cytoscape software. Results: A total of 18 differentially expressed ARGs were identified between tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples. TNFSF12, SCG2, COL4A3, and TNNI3 were identified as key prognostic genes by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The risk score model was further constructed based on the four-gene signature and validated in GSE7390 and GSE88770 datasets. ROC curves and nomogram indicated that the risk score had good accuracy for determining BC patient survival. Biological function analysis showed that DEGs in high- and low-risk groups had a high enrichment in immune-related biological processes and signaling pathways. Moreover, significantly different ICIs were found between high- and low-risk groups, such as memory B cells, CD8+ T cells, resting memory CD4+ T cells, follicular helper T cells, regulatory T cells, monocytes, M2 macrophages, and neutrophils, and each prognostic biomarker was significantly correlated with one or more immune cell types. Conclusion: The current study identified novel prognostic ARGs and developed a prognostic model for predicting survival in patients with BC. Furthermore, this study indicated that ICI may act as a bond between angiogenesis and BC. These findings enhance our understanding of angiogenesis in BC and provide novel guidance on developing therapeutic targets for BC patients.

Constructing Heterogeneous Photocatalysts Based on Carbon Nitride Nanosheets and Graphene Quantum Dots for Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation.

Although graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (CNs) with atomic thickness are considered as promising materials for hydrogen production, the wide band gap (3.06 eV) and rapid recombination of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs impede their applications. To address the above challenges, we synergized atomically thin CNs and graphene quantum dots (GQDs), which were fabricated as 2D/0D Van der Waals heterojunctions, for H2 generation in this study. The experimental characterizations indicated that the addition of GQDs to the π-conjugated system of CNs can expand the visible light absorption band. Additionally, the surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPV) confirmed that introducing GQDs into CNs can facilitate the transport of photoinduced carriers in the melon chain, thus suppressing the recombination of charge carriers in body. As a result, the H2 production activity of the Van der Waals heterojunctions was 9.62 times higher than CNs. This study provides an effective strategy for designing metal-free Van der Waals hetero-structured photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity.

[Efficacy of Yanshu injection (a compound Chinese traditional medicine) combined with concurrent radiochemotherapy in patients with stage III nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of Yanshu injection (a compound Chinese traditional medicine from Sophora flauescens Ait) combined with concomitant radiochemotherapy in patients with stage III nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: Sixty patients with stage III nasopharyngeal carcinoma were randomized into Yanshu group and control group (n = 30, each). Patients in the Yanshu group received Yanshu injection in addition to intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and concomitant chemotherapy, and those in the control group were treated with IMRT and concurrent chemotherapy. RESULTS: The 1-year, 2-year, 3-year and 4-year overall survival rates were 100%, 93.3%, 86.7%, 80.0% for Yanshu group, and 96.7%, 90.0%, 83.3%, 76.7% for the control group, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.565). The 1-year, 2-year, 3-year and 4-year progression-free survival rates were 96.7%, 90.0%, 83.3%, 70.0% for Yanshu group, and 90.0%, 86.7%, 76.7%, 66.7% for control group, respectively, with no significant difference (P = 0.554). However, the reaction of mucosa of oral cavity, myelosuppression and thrombocytopenia in the Yanshu group were significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The quality of life of the patients in the Yanshu group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Yanshu injection combined with radiochemotherapy in patients with stage III nasopharyngeal carcinoma show a good efficacy and can reduce the side effects of radiochemotherapy of nasopharygeal carcinoma, and improve the quality of life of the patients.