Adsorption of triblock copolymers confined between two plates: An analytical approach.

We present an approximate analytical approach to the adsorption problem of ABA triblock copolymers confined between two parallel plates in a θ solvent and give the expression of the propagator q(x, t) as a piece-wise function by solving the modified diffusion equation. In this way, the role of separation between the two plates, adsorption energy and block lengths on segment concentration profile, chain conformations, and interaction potential is then investigated, which agrees well with the numerical results. It is demonstrated that there are parallels between lengthening adsorbing A blocks and increasing surface affinity: strong adsorption and long adsorbing blocks favor the formation of loops and bridges, whereas more tails and free chains exist in the case of weak adsorption and short A blocks at large separations. For moderate and strong adsorptions, the bridging fraction begins to plummet at a separation larger than the end-to-end distance of non-adsorbing B block RB and becomes negligible at above 2RB owing to the entropy effect. The depth of the potential well in the interaction potential profile depends on the adsorption energy and A block length, while the location of the potential minimum corresponds to the onset of the sharp decrease in bridges.

Development and external validation of a nomogram for the early prediction of acute kidney injury in septic patients: a multicenter retrospective clinical study.

Background and purpose: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common serious complication in sepsis patients with a high mortality rate. This study aimed to develop and validate a predictive model for sepsis associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI). Methods: In our study, we retrospectively constructed a development cohort comprising 733 septic patients admitted to eight Grade-A tertiary hospitals in Shanghai from January 2021 to October 2022. Additionally, we established an external validation cohort consisting of 336 septic patients admitted to our hospital from January 2017 to December 2019. Risk predictors were selected by LASSO regression, and a corresponding nomogram was constructed. We evaluated the model's discrimination, precision and clinical benefit through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration plots, decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curves (CIC) in both internal and external validation. Results: AKI incidence was 53.2% in the development cohort and 48.2% in the external validation cohort. The model included five independent indicators: chronic kidney disease stages 1 to 3, blood urea nitrogen, procalcitonin, D-dimer and creatine kinase isoenzyme. The AUC of the model in the development and validation cohorts was 0.914 (95% CI, 0.894-0.934) and 0.923 (95% CI, 0.895-0.952), respectively. The calibration plot, DCA, and CIC demonstrated the model's favorable clinical applicability. Conclusion: We developed and validated a robust nomogram model, which might identify patients at risk of SA-AKI and promising for clinical applications.

A spatiotemporally regulated transcriptional complex underlies heteroblastic development of leaf hairs in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Heteroblasty refers to a phenomenon that a plant produces morphologically or functionally different lateral organs in an age-dependent manner. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the production of trichomes (epidermal leaf hairs) on the abaxial (lower) side of leaves is a heteroblastic mark for the juvenile-to-adult transition. Here, we show that the heteroblastic development of abaxial trichomes is regulated by a spatiotemporally regulated complex comprising the leaf abaxial fate determinant (KAN1) and the developmental timer (miR172-targeted AP2-like proteins). We provide evidence that a short-distance chromatin loop brings the downstream enhancer element into close association with the promoter elements of GL1, which encodes a MYB transcription factor essential for trichome initiation. During juvenile phase, the KAN1-AP2 repressive complex binds to the downstream sequence of GL1 and represses its expression through chromatin looping. As plants age, the gradual reduction in AP2-like protein levels leads to decreased amount of the KAN1-AP2 complex, thereby licensing GL1 expression and the abaxial trichome initiation. Our results thus reveal a novel molecular mechanism by which a heteroblastic trait is governed by integrating age and leaf polarity cue in plants.

Superhydrophobic Pseudosupertetrahedral Sulfido Metalate Clusters for Constructing Liquid Marbles.

One pseudopentasupertetrahedral chalcogenidometalate cluster, [(BuSn)3SnCd4S13(OH)]·6(H+DMP) (PPS-1; H+DMP = protonated 3,5-dimethylpiperidine), has been isolated by use of an organotin precursor. They are arranged to generate two types of tetrahedrally patterned cages, which further interconnect to form a diamond network. Owing to the covalent attachment of abundant alkyl groups, PPS-1 exhibits excellent hydrophobicity and could be used as an assembly substance for building liquid marbles.

Identification of cuticular protein genes and analysis of their roles in phosphine resistance of the rusty grain beetle Cryptolestes ferrugineus.

The rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) is one of the most economically important stored grain pests, and it has evolved the high resistance to phosphine. Cuticular proteins (CPs) are the major structural components of insect cuticle, and previous studies have confirmed that CPs were involved in insecticide resistance. However, the CPs of C. ferrugineus are still poorly characterized, and thus we conducted transcriptome-wide identification of CP genes and analyze their possible relationships with phosphine resistance in this pest. In this study, a total of 122 putative CPs were annotated in the C. ferrugineus transcriptome data by blasting with the known CPs of Tribolium castaneum. The analysis of conserved motifs revealed these CPs of C. ferrugineus belonging to 9 different families, including 87 CPR, 13 CPAP1, 7 CPAP3, 3 Tweedle, 1 CPLCA, 1 CPLCG, 5 CPLCP, 2 CPCFC, and 3 CPFL proteins. The further phylogenetic analysis showed the different evolutionary patterns of CPs. Namely, we found some CPs (CPR family) formed species-specific protein clusters, indicating these CPs might occur independently among insect taxa, and while some other CPs (CPAP1 and CPAP3 family) shared a closer correlation based on the architecture of protein domains. Subsequently, the previous RNA-seq data were applied to establish the expression profiles of CPs in a phosphine susceptible and resistant populations of C. ferrugineus, and a large amount of CP genes were found to be over-expressed in resistant insects. Lastly, an up-regulated CP gene (CPR family) was selected for the further functional analysis, and after this gene was silenced via RNA interference (RNAi), the sensitivity to phosphine was significantly enhanced in C. ferrugineus. In conclusion, the present results provided us an overview of C. ferrugineus CPs, and which suggested that the CPs might play the critical roles in phosphine resistance.

[Risk factors for neonatal asphyxia and establishment of a nomogram model for predicting neonatal asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture: a multicenter study]. / æ¹–åŒ—æ©æ–½åœŸå®¶æ—è‹—æ—è‡ªæ²»å·žæ–°ç”Ÿå„¿çª’æ¯å±é™©å› ç´ åˆ†æžåŠåˆ—çº¿å›¾é¢„æµ‹æ¨¡åž‹çš„æž„å»ºï¼šä¸€é¡¹å¤šä¸­å¿ƒç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk factors for neonatal asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture and establish a nomogram model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted with 613 cases of neonatal asphyxia treated in 20 cooperative hospitals in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture from January to December 2019 as the asphyxia group, and 988 randomly selected non-asphyxia neonates born and admitted to the neonatology department of these hospitals during the same period as the control group. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for neonatal asphyxia. R software (4.2.2) was used to establish a nomogram model. Receiver operator characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis were used to assess the discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia, respectively. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that minority (Tujia), male sex, premature birth, congenital malformations, abnormal fetal position, intrauterine distress, maternal occupation as a farmer, education level below high school, fewer than 9 prenatal check-ups, threatened abortion, abnormal umbilical cord, abnormal amniotic fluid, placenta previa, abruptio placentae, emergency caesarean section, and assisted delivery were independent risk factors for neonatal asphyxia (P<0.05). The area under the curve of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia based on these risk factors was 0.748 (95%CI: 0.723-0.772). The calibration curve indicated high accuracy of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia. The decision curve analysis showed that the model could provide a higher net benefit for neonates at risk of asphyxia. CONCLUSIONS: The risk factors for neonatal asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture are multifactorial, and the nomogram model based on these factors has good value in predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia, which can help clinicians identify neonates at high risk of asphyxia early, and reduce the incidence of neonatal asphyxia.

Energy Band Alignment and Redox-Active Sites in Metalloporphyrin-Spaced Metal-Catechol Frameworks for Enhanced CO2 Photoreduction.

Two new chemically stable metalloporphyrin-bridged metal-catechol frameworks, InTCP-Co and FeTCP-Co, were constructed to achieve artificial photosynthesis without additional sacrificial agents and photosensitizers. The CO2 photoreduction rate over FeTCP-Co considerably exceeds that obtained over InTCP-Co, and the incorporation of uncoordinated hydroxyl groups, associated with catechol, into the network further promotes the photocatalytic activity. The iron-oxo coordination chain assists energy band alignment and provides a redox-active site, and the uncoordinated hydroxyl group contributes to the visible-light absorptance, charge-carrier transfer, and CO2 -scaffold affinity. With a formic acid selectivity of 97.8 %, FeTCP-OH-Co affords CO2 photoconversion with a reaction rate 4.3 and 15.7 times higher than those of FeTCP- Co and InTCP-Co, respectively. These findings are also consistent with the spectroscopic study and DFT calculation.

Early experiences of nusinersen for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy: Results from a large survey of patients and caregivers.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the early experience of nusinersen for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) from the patient and caregiver perspective. METHODS: A 54-item online survey was administered to adult patients and caregivers of pediatric patients diagnosed with SMA. RESULTS: Overall, respondents (56 patients and 45 caregivers) were satisfied with nusinersen. Satisfaction was highest on changes in energy, stamina, and motor function and lowest on treatment administration and overall time commitment. Differences were noted for treatment effect sustained over time as reported by adult patients vs caregivers reporting on behalf of pediatric patients. Respondents reported insurance approval as a key barrier to access, particularly among adult patients. CONCLUSIONS: Despite therapeutic advances, there remain significant unmet needs for SMA. Challenges with administration and barriers to access potentially limit the number of patients treated or delay treatment. Continued efforts are needed to develop more treatment options and to improve access to treatments.

Epidemiology, species distribution, and outcome of nosocomial Candida spp. bloodstream infection in Shanghai: an 11-year retrospective analysis in a tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of Candida bloodstream infections (BSIs), has increased over time. In this study, we aimed to describe the current epidemiology of Candida BSI in a large tertiary care hospital in Shanghai and to determine the risk factors of 28-day mortality and the impact of antifungal therapy on clinical outcomes. METHODS: All consecutive adult inpatients with Candida BSI at Ruijin Hospital between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2018, were enrolled. Underlying diseases, clinical severity, species distribution, antifungal therapy, and their impact on the outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 370 inpatients with 393 consecutive episodes of Candida BSI, the incidence of nosocomial Candida BSI was 0.39 episodes/1000 hospitalized patients. Of the 393 cases, 299 (76.1%) were treated with antifungal therapy (247 and 52 were treated with early appropriate and targeted antifungal therapy, respectively). The overall 28-day mortality rate was 28.5%, which was significantly lower in those who received early appropriate (25.5%) or targeted (23.1%) antifungal therapy than in those who did not (39.4%; P = 0.012 and P = 0.046, respectively). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, age, chronic renal failure, mechanical ventilation, and severe neutropenia were found to be independent risk factors of the 28-day mortality rate. Patients who received antifungal therapy had a lower mortality risk than did those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of Candida BSI has increased steadily in the past 11 years at our tertiary care hospital in Shanghai. Antifungal therapy influenced short-term survival, but no significant difference in mortality was observed between patients who received early appropriate and targeted antifungal therapy.

The effect of ion pairs on coacervate-driven self-assembly of block polyelectrolytes.

The incorporation of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes into a block copolymer system can lead to formation of microphase separated nanostructures driven by the electrostatic complex between two oppositely charged blocks. It is a theoretical challenge to build an appropriate model to handle such coacervate-driven self-assembly, which should capture the strong electrostatic correlations for highly charged polymers. In this paper, we develop the self-consistent field theory considering the ion paring effect to predict the phase behavior of block polyelectrolytes. In our model, two types of ion pairs, the binding between two oppositely charged monomers and the binding between charged monomers and counterions, are included. Their strength of formation is controlled by two parameters Kaa and Kac, respectively. We give a detailed analysis about how the binding strength Kac and Kaa and salt concentration affect the self-assembled nanostructure of diblock polyelectrolyte systems. The results show that the binding between two oppositely charged blocks provides driven force for microphase separation, while the binding between charged monomers and counterions competes with the polyion pairing and thus suppresses the microphase separation. The addition of salt has a shielding effect on the charges of polymers, which is a disadvantage to microphase separation. The phase diagrams as a function of polymer concentration and salt concentration at different situations are constructed, and the influence of Kaa, Kac, and charged block composition fa is analyzed in depth. The obtained phase diagrams are in good agreement with currently existing experimental and theoretical results.

Is the left bundle branch pacing a choice to conquer the right bundle branch block?-A case report.

In patients with preserved ejection fraction or right bundle branch block (RBBB) pattern requiring a high percentage of ventricular pacing, His-bundle pacing (HBP) might be an alternative to biventricular pacing, although the high threshold occasionally occurs. We provided a case of the intrinsic RBBB correction by capturing intra-Hisian left bundle branch (LBB) or distal His-bundle with different output settings. LBB pacing had the advantage of a much lower threshold while remained most synchrony as HBP. LBB pacing might be a promisingly safe and effective procedure for patients with high-grade atrioventricular (AV) block and RBBB pattern.

Identification and expression analysis of cuticular protein genes in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae).

Structural cuticular proteins (CPs) are major components of the insect cuticle, and they play critical roles in insect development and insecticide resistance. Here, a total of 196 CP genes were successfully annotated in the Plutella xylostella genome. On the basis of motif analysis, these CPs were classified into 10 different families, including 122 CPR, 12 CPAP1, 8 CPAP3, 9 CPLCP, 2 Tweedle, 1 CPF, 1 CPFL, 1 CPCFC, 17 CPG and 2 18 aa proteins, and the remaining 21 unclassified CPs were classed as cuticular proteins hypothetical (CPH). A phylogenetic analysis of CPs from different insects revealed species-specific clades of RR-1 and RR-2 genes, suggesting that CP gene duplication might occur independently among insect taxa, while we also found that some other CPs (such as CPAP1 and CPAP3) had a closer relationship based on their conserved domain architecture. Using available RNAseq libraries, the expression profiles of the CPs were analyzed over the four developmental stages of the insect (i.e., egg, larva, pupa, and adult), revealing stage-specific expression patterns for the CPs. In a chlorpyrifos resistant strain, 18 CP genes were found to be more than two-fold upregulated compared to the susceptible control strain, and qRT-PCR analysis showed that these CP genes were overexpressed after exposure to chlorpyrifos, suggesting a potential role in the molecular mechanism of insecticide resistance in P. xylostella. This study provides the tools and molecular basis to study the role of CPs in the post-embryonal development and the mechanisms of insecticide resistance of P. xylostella.

HNRNPAB-regulated lncRNA-ELF209 inhibits the malignancy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Our previous study demonstrated that heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein AB (HNRNPAB) is a key gene that facilitates metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular mechanisms behind this relationship are not fully understood. In our study, we utilized long-noncoding RNA (lncRNA) microarrays to identify a HNRNPAB-regulated lncRNA named lnc-ELF209. Our findings from chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicate that HNRNPAB represses lnc-ELF209 transcription by directly binding to its promoter region. We also analyzed clinical samples from HCC patients and cell lines with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions, RNA in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, and found that there is a negative relationship between HNRNPAB and lnc-ELF209 expression. Up/downregulation assays and rescue assays indicate that lnc-ELF209 inhibits cell migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition regulated by HNRNPAB. This suggests a new regulatory mechanism for HNRNPAB-promoted HCC progression. RNA pull-down and LC-MS/MS were used to determine triosephosphate isomerase, heat shock protein 90-beta and vimentin may be involved in the tumor-suppressed function of lnc-ELF209. Furthermore, we found lnc-ELF209 could stabilize TPI protein expression. We also found that lnc-ELF209 overexpression in HCCLM3 cell resulted in a lower rate of lung metastatic, which suggested a less aggressive HCC phenotype. Collectively, these findings offer new insights into the regulatory mechanisms that underlie HNRNPAB cancer-promoting activities and demonstrate that lnc-ELF209 is a HNRNPAB-regulated lncRNA that may play an important role in the inhibition of HCC progression.

The size and affinity effect of counterions on self-assembly of charged block copolymers.

The effect of counterions' size and affinity on the microphase separated morphologies of neutral-charged diblock copolymers is investigated systematically using a random phase approximation (RPA) and self-consistent field theory (SCFT). The phase diagrams as a function of χAB and fA at different counterion sizes and different affinities to neutral blocks are constructed, respectively. Stability limits calculated using the RPA are in good agreement with the disorder-body-centered cubic phase boundaries from SCFT calculations. It was found that increasing the size of counterions causes the phase diagram to shift upward and leftward, which is attributed to electrostatic interactions and the intrinsic volume of counterions. The domain size of the ordered phase shows an unexpected tendency that it decreases with increasing counterions' size. The counterions' distributions in H and G phases demonstrate that it is electrostatic interaction, instead of packing frustration, that plays a leading role in such systems. For finite size counterions, with the increase in affinity between counterions and neutral blocks, the phase diagram shifts upward, indicating the improved compatibility between different blocks. Furthermore, the affinity effect between counterions and neutral blocks can be mapped into an effective Flory parameter χAB ' = χAB + 0.27χBC.

Identification of Potential Biomarkers and Immune Features of Sepsis Using Bioinformatics Analysis.

Sepsis remains a major global concern and is associated with high mortality and morbidity despite improvements in its management. Markers currently in use have shortcomings such as a lack of specificity and failures in the early detection of sepsis. In this study, we aimed to identify key genes involved in the molecular mechanisms of sepsis and search for potential new biomarkers and treatment targets for sepsis using bioinformatics analyses. Three datasets (GSE95233, GSE57065, and GSE28750) associated with sepsis were downloaded from the public functional genomics data repository Gene Expression Omnibus. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using R packages (Affy and limma). Functional enrichment of the DEGs was analyzed with the DAVID database. Protein-protein interaction networks were derived using the STRING database and visualized using Cytoscape software. Potential biomarker genes were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves in the R package (pROC). The three datasets included 156 whole blood RNA samples from 89 sepsis patients and 67 healthy controls. Between the two groups, 568 DEGs were identified, among which 315 were upregulated and 253 were downregulated in the septic group. These genes were enriched for pathways mainly involved in the innate immune response, T-cell biology, antigen presentation, and natural killer cell function. ROC analyses identified nine genes-LRG1, ELANE, TP53, LCK, TBX21, ZAP70, CD247, ITK, and FYN-as potential new biomarkers for sepsis. Real-time PCR confirmed that the expression of seven of these genes was in accordance with the microarray results. This study revealed imbalanced immune responses at the transcriptomic level during early sepsis and identified nine genes as potential biomarkers for sepsis.

Biological Characteristics and Molecular Mechanism of Fludioxonil Resistance in Botrytis cinerea From Henan Province of China.

The gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea has a significant impact on tomato production throughout the world. Although the synthetic fungicide fludioxonil can effectively control B. cinerea, there have been several reports of resistance to this fungicide. This study indicated that all of the fludioxonil-resistant strains tested, including one field-resistant isolate and four laboratory strains, had reduced fitness relative to sensitive isolates. In addition to having reduced growth, sporulation, and pathogenicity, the resistant strains were more sensitive to osmotic stress and had significantly (P < 0.05) higher peroxidase activity. BOs1, a kinase in the high-osmolarity glycerol stress response signal transduction pathway, is believed to harbor mutations related to fludioxonil resistance. Sequence analysis of their BOs1 sequences indicated that the fludioxonil-resistant field isolate, XXtom1806, had four point mutations resulting in four amino acid changes (I365S, S531G, T565N, and T1267A) and three amino acids (I365S, S531G, and T565N) in the histidine kinases, adenylyl cyclases, methyl-accepting chemotaxis receptors, and phosphatases domain, which associated with fludioxonil binding. Similarly, two of the laboratory strains, XXtom-Lab1 and XXtom-Lab4, had three (Q846S, I1126S, and G415D) and two (P1051S and V1241M) point mutations, respectively. A third strain, XXtom-lab3, had a 52-bp insertion that included a stop codon at amino acid 256. Interestingly, the BOs1 sequence of the fourth laboratory strain, XXtom-lab5, was identical to those of the sensitive isolates, indicating that an alternative resistance mechanism exists. The study also found evidence of positive cross-resistance between fludioxonil and the dicarboximide fungicides procymidone and iprodione, but no cross-resistance was detected with any other fungicides tested, including boscalid, carbendazim, tebuconazole, and fluazinam.

Assessment of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) Diets on Adult Fecundity and Larval Development: Insights Into Employing the Sterile Insect Technique.

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) is a notorious insect pest that attacks diverse vegetables and fruits worldwide. The sterile insect technique has been developed as an environmentally friendly and effective control method that depends on the mass production of target flies. Because dietary yeast (protein) and sucrose (carbohydrate) are important in adult diets, yeast:sucrose (Y:S) mixtures are crucial for the mass-rearing of B. dorsalis. In this study, we found adult diets with different ratios of yeast to sucrose-influenced fecundity, and an extremely high or low Y:S ratios significantly decreased egg production of B. dorsalis. Additionally, the maximum oviposition efficiency was realized at dietary yeast to sucrose ratios of 1:1 and 1:3, suggesting their potential use to produce more eggs for the mass production of B. dorsalis. Here, new gel diets having different yeast concentrations (g/L water) were also assessed for rearing B. dorsalis larvae. Gel diets containing 20 g/L yeast led to a higher pupation, pupal weight and adult eclosion rate, and a shorter developmental time than other yeast concentrations. Moreover, the present gel diet also resulted in greater pupal production and adult emergence rates than previously used liquid and solid artificial diets, revealing that it is suitable for rearing B. dorsalis larvae. This research provides a useful reference on artificial diets mixtures for mass rearing B. dorsalis, which is critical for employing the sterile insect technique.

Photochemical In Situ Exfoliation of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven CO2 Reduction.

Two novel two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks (2D MOFs), 2D-M2 TCPE (M=Co or Ni, TCPE=1,1,2,2-tetra(4-carboxylphenyl)ethylene), which are composed of staggered (4,4)-grid layers based on paddlewheel-shaped dimers, serve as heterogeneous photocatalysts for efficient reduction of CO2 to CO. During the visible-light-driven catalysis, these structures undergo in situ exfoliation to form nanosheets, which exhibit excellent stability and improved catalytic activity. The exfoliated 2D-M2 TCPE nanosheets display a high CO evolution rate of 4174 µmol g-1 h-1 and high selectivity of 97.3 % for M=Co and Ni, and thus are superior to most reported MOFs. The performance differences and photocatalytic mechanisms have been studied with theoretical calculations and photoelectric experiments. This study provides new insight for the controllable synthesis of effective crystalline photocatalysts based on structural and morphological coregulation.

Development and validation of a new tumor-based gene signature predicting prognosis of HBV/HCV-included resected hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Due to the phenotypic and molecular diversity of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), it is still a challenge to determine patients' prognosis. We aim to identify new prognostic markers for resected HCC patients. METHODS: 274 patients were retrospectively identified and samples collected from Zhongshan hospital, Fudan University. We analyzed the gene expression patterns of tumors and compared expression patterns with patient survival times. We identified a "9-gene signature" associated with survival by using the coefficient and regression formula of multivariate Cox model. This molecular signature was then validated in three patients cohorts from internal cohort (n = 69), TCGA (n = 369) and GEO dataset (n = 80). RESULTS: We identified 9-gene signature consisting of ZC2HC1A, MARCKSL1, PTGS1, CDKN2B, CLEC10A, PRDX3, PRKCH, MPEG1 and LMO2. The 9-gene signature was used, combined with clinical parameters, to fit a multivariable Cox model to the training cohort (concordance index, ci = 0.85), which was successfully validated (ci = 0.86 for internal cohort; ci = 0.78 for in silico cohort). The signature showed improved performance compared with clinical parameters alone (ci = 0.70). Furthermore, the signature predicted patient prognosis than previous gene signatures more accurately. It was also used to stratify early-stage, HBV or HCV-infected patients into low and high-risk groups, leading to significant differences in survival in training and validation (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The 9-gene signature, in which four were upregulated (ZC2HC1A, MARCKSL1, PTGS1, CDKN2B) and five (CLEC10A, PRDX3, PRKCH, MPEG1, LMO2) were downregulated in HCC with poor prognosis, stratified HCC patients into low and high risk group significantly in different clinical settings, including receiving adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization and especially in early stage disease. This new signature should be validated in prospective studies to stratify patients in clinical decisions.

Robust Porphyrin-Spaced Zirconium Pyrogallate Frameworks with High Proton Conduction.

An isoreticular family of zirconium polyphenolate networks (ZrPP- n, n = 1 and 2), bridged by porphyrinic macrocycles in an eclipsed arrangement, have excellent stability toward water, especially strong basic media of saturated NaOH aqueous solution. Endowed with spatial alignment of protic sites, viz., partially protonated phenols of acidity enhanced by coordination to Zr4+, along with guest dimethylamine cations, the newly synthesized ZrPP- n reveal exceptional conductivity (8.0 × 10-3 and 4.2 × 10-3 S cm-1, for n = 1 and 2, respectively, pelleted sample, under 98% relative humidity at 25 °C).