Heat's Role in Solution Electrospinning: A Novel Approach to Nanofiber Structure Optimization.

In this study, we explored an innovative application of heat-assisted solution electrospinning, a technique that significantly advances the control of phase separation in polystyrene (PS) fibers. Our experimental approach involved the use of direct heating and a convection air sheath applied through a coaxial needle, focusing on solvents with varying vapor pressures. This method enabled a detailed investigation into how solvent evaporation rates affect the morphology of the electrospun fibers. SEM and AFM measurements revealed that the application of direct heating and a heated air sheath offered precise control over the fiber morphology, significantly influencing both the surface and internal structure of the fibers. Additionally, we observed notable changes in fiber diameter, indicating that heat-assisted electrospinning can be effectively utilized to tailor fiber dimensions according to specific application requirements. Moreover, our research demonstrated the critical role of solvent properties, particularly vapor pressure, in determining the final characteristics of the electrospun fibers. By comparing fibers produced with different solvents, we gained insights into the complex interplay between solvent dynamics and heat application in fiber formation. The implications of these findings are far-reaching, offering new possibilities for the fabrication of nanofibers with customized properties. Furthermore, this could have profound impacts on various applications, from biomedical to environmental, where specific fiber characteristics are crucial. This study not only contributes to the understanding of phase separation in electrospinning but also opens avenues for further research on the optimization of fiber properties for diverse industrial and scientific applications.

The volumetric ADC histogram analysis in differentiating stage IA endometrial carcinoma from endometrial polyp.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the value of ADC histogram based on whole lesion volume in distinguishing stage IA endometrial carcinoma from the endometrial polyp. METHODS: MR images of 108 patients with endometrial lesions confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed, including 65 cases of stage IA endometrial carcinoma and 43 cases of endometrial polyp. The volumetric ADC histogram metrics and general imaging features were evaluated and measured simultaneously. All the features were compared between the two groups. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was utilized to evaluate the diagnostic performance. RESULTS: The mean, max, min, and percentiles (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 95th) ADC values of endometrial carcinoma were significantly lower than that of polyp (all P<0.05). The skewness and kurtosis of ADC values in the endometrial carcinoma group were significantly higher than those in the endometrial polyp group, and the variance of ADC values in the endometrial carcinoma group was lower than those in the endometrial polyp group (all P<0.05). Endometrial carcinoma demonstrated more obvious myometrial invasion combined with intra-lesion hemorrhage than polyp (all P<0.05). The 25th percentile of ADC values achieved the largest AUC (0.861) among all the ADC histogram metrics and general imaging features, and the sensitivity and specificity were 83.08% and 76.74%, with the cut-off value of 1.01 × 10-3mm2/s. CONCLUSIONS: The volumetric ADC histogram analysis was an effective method in differentiating endometrial carcinoma from an endometrial polyp. The 25th percentile of ADC values has satisfactory performance for detecting malignancy in the endometrium. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: The ADC histogram metric based on whole lesion is a promising imaging-maker in differentiating endometrial benign and malignant lesions.

Purines enrich root-associated Pseudomonas and improve wild soybean growth under salt stress.

The root-associated microbiota plays an important role in the response to environmental stress. However, the underlying mechanisms controlling the interaction between salt-stressed plants and microbiota are poorly understood. Here, by focusing on a salt-tolerant plant wild soybean (Glycine soja), we demonstrate that highly conserved microbes dominated by Pseudomonas are enriched in the root and rhizosphere microbiota of salt-stressed plant. Two corresponding Pseudomonas isolates are confirmed to enhance the salt tolerance of wild soybean. Shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing reveal that motility-associated genes, mainly chemotaxis and flagellar assembly, are significantly enriched and expressed in salt-treated samples. We further find that roots of salt stressed plants secreted purines, especially xanthine, which induce motility of the Pseudomonas isolates. Moreover, exogenous application for xanthine to non-stressed plants results in Pseudomonas enrichment, reproducing the microbiota shift in salt-stressed root. Finally, Pseudomonas mutant analysis shows that the motility related gene cheW is required for chemotaxis toward xanthine and for enhancing plant salt tolerance. Our study proposes that wild soybean recruits beneficial Pseudomonas species by exudating key metabolites (i.e., purine) against salt stress.

CRISPR-Cas9 screening identifies INTS3 as an anti-apoptotic RNA-binding protein and therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.

Growing evidences indicate that RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play critical roles in regulating the RNA splicing, polyadenylation, stability, localization, translation, and turnover. Abnormal expression of RBPs can promote tumorigenesis. Here, we performed a CRISPR screen using an RBP pooled CRISPR knockout library and identified 27 potential RBPs with role in supporting colorectal cancer (CRC) survival. We found that the deletion/depletion of INTS3 triggered apoptosis in CRC. The in vitro experiments and RNA sequencing revealed that INTS3 destabilized pro-apoptotic gene transcripts and contributed to the survival of CRC cells. INTS3 loss delayed CRC cells growth in vivo. Furthermore, delivery of DOTAP/cholesterol-mshINTS3 nanoparticles inhibited CRC tumor growth. Collectively, our work highlights the role of INTS3 in supporting CRC survival and provides several novel therapeutic targets for treatment.

Injectable, anti-collapse, adhesive, plastic and bioactive bone graft substitute promotes bone regeneration by moderating oxidative stress in osteoporotic bone defect.

The treatment of osteoporotic bone defect remains a big clinical challenge because osteoporosis (OP) is associated with oxidative stress and high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a condition detrimental for bone formation. Anti-oxidative nanomaterials such as selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have positive effect on osteogenesis owing to their pleiotropic pharmacological activity which can exert anti-oxidative stress functions to prevent bone loss and facilitate bone regeneration in OP. In the current study a strategy of one-pot method by introducing Poly (lactic acid-carbonate) (PDT) and ß-Tricalcium Phosphate (ß-TCP) with SeNPs, is developed to prepare an injectable, anti-collapse, shape-adaptive and adhesive bone graft substitute material (PDT-TCP-SE). The PDT-TCP-SE bone graft substitute exhibits sufficient adhesion in biological microenvironments and osteoinductive activity, angiogenic effect and anti-inflammatory as well as anti-oxidative effect in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the PDT-TCP-SE can protect BMSCs from erastin-induced ferroptosis through the Sirt1/Nrf2/GPX4 antioxidant pathway, which, in together, demonstrated the bone graft substitute material as an emerging biomaterial with potential clinical application for the future treatment of osteoporotic bone defect. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Injectable, anti-collapse, adhesive, plastic and bioactive bone graft substitute was successfully synthesized. Incorporation of SeNPs with PDT into ß-TCP regenerated new bone in-situ by moderating oxidative stress in osteoporotic bone defects area. The PDT-TCP-SE bone graft substitute reduced high ROS levels in osteoporotic bone defect microenvironment. The bone graft substitute could also moderate oxidative stress and inhibit ferroptosis via Sirt1/Nrf2/GPX4 pathway in vitro. Moreover, the PDT-TCP-SE bone graft substitute could alleviate the inflammatory environment and promote bone regeneration in osteoporotic bone defect in vivo. This biomaterial has the advantages of simple synthesis, biocompatibility, anti-collapse, injectable, and regulation of oxidative stress level, which has potential application value in bone tissue engineering.

Endothelial dysfunction in vascular complications of diabetes: a comprehensive review of mechanisms and implications.

Diabetic vascular complications are prevalent and severe among diabetic patients, profoundly affecting both their quality of life and long-term prospects. These complications can be classified into macrovascular and microvascular complications. Under the impact of risk factors such as elevated blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol lipids, the vascular endothelium undergoes endothelial dysfunction, characterized by increased inflammation and oxidative stress, decreased NO biosynthesis, endothelial-mesenchymal transition, senescence, and even cell death. These processes will ultimately lead to macrovascular and microvascular diseases, with macrovascular diseases mainly characterized by atherosclerosis (AS) and microvascular diseases mainly characterized by thickening of the basement membrane. It further indicates a primary contributor to the elevated morbidity and mortality observed in individuals with diabetes. In this review, we will delve into the intricate mechanisms that drive endothelial dysfunction during diabetes progression and its associated vascular complications. Furthermore, we will outline various pharmacotherapies targeting diabetic endothelial dysfunction in the hope of accelerating effective therapeutic drug discovery for early control of diabetes and its vascular complications.

Single-cell analysis revealed a potential role of T-cell exhaustion in colorectal cancer with liver metastasis.

Liver metastasis (LM) is an important factor leading to colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality. However, the effect of T-cell exhaustion on LM in CRC is unclear. Single-cell sequencing data derived from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Data were normalized using the Seurat package and subsequently clustered and annotated into different cell clusters. The differentiation trajectories of epithelial cells and T cells were characterized based on pseudo-time analysis. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to calculate enrichment scores for different cell clusters and to identify enriched biological pathways. Finally, cell communication analysis was performed. Nine cell subpopulations were identified from CRC samples with LM. The proportion of T cells increased in LM. T cells can be subdivided into NK/T cells, regulatory T cells (Treg) and exhausted T cells (Tex). In LM, cell adhesion and proliferation activity of Tex were promoted. Epithelial cells can be categorized into six subpopulations. The transformation of primary CRC into LM involved two evolutionary branches of Tex cells. Epithelial cells two were at the beginning of the trajectory in CRC but at the end of the trajectory in CRC with LM. The receptor ligands CEACAM5 and ADGRE5-CD55 played critical roles in the interactions between Tex and Treg cell-epithelial cell, which may promote the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process in CRC. Tex cells are able to promote the process of LM in CRC, which in turn promotes tumour development. This provides a new perspective on the treatment and diagnosis of CRC.

Association between diabetes mellitus and primary restenosis following endovascular treatment: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

IMPORTANCE: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is thought to be closely related to arterial stenotic or occlusive disease caused by atherosclerosis. However, there is still no definitive clinical evidence to confirm that patients with diabetes have a higher risk of restenosis. OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect of DM on restenosis among patients undergoing endovascular treatment, such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) or stenting. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: The PubMed/Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched from 01/1990 to 12/2022, without language restrictions. Trials were included if they satisfied the following eligibility criteria: (1) RCTs of patients with or without DM; (2) lesions confined to the coronary arteries or femoral popliteal artery; (3) endovascular treatment via PTA or stenting; and (4) an outcome of restenosis at the target lesion site. The exclusion criteria included the following: (1) greater than 20% of patients lost to follow-up and (2) a secondary restenosis operation. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two researchers independently screened the titles and abstracts for relevance, obtained full texts of potentially eligible studies, and assessed suitability based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.. Disagreements were resolved through consultation with a third researcher. Treatment effects were measured by relative ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using random effects models. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The main observation endpoint was restenosis, including > 50% stenosis at angiography, or TLR of the primary operation lesion during the follow-up period. RESULTS: A total of 31,066 patients from 20 RCTs were included. Patients with DM had a higher risk of primary restenosis after endovascular treatment (RR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.25-1.62; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This meta-analysis of all currently available RCTs showed that patients with DM are more prone to primary restenosis after endovascular treatment.

Toxic mechanism in Daphnia magna due to phthalic acid esters and CuO nanoparticles co-exposure: The insight of physiological, microbiomic and metabolomic profiles.

Various phthalic acid esters (PAEs) such as dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) co-exist with nanopollutants in aquatic environment. In this study, Daphnia magna was exposed to nano-CuO and DBP or BBP at environmental relevant concentrations for 21-days to investigate these combined toxic effects. Acute EC50 values (48 h) of nano-CuO, DBP, and BBP were 12.572 mg/L, 8.978 mg/L, and 4.785 mg/L, respectively. Results showed that co-exposure with nano-CuO (500 µg/L) for 21 days significantly enhanced the toxicity of DBP (100 µg/L) and BBP (100 µg/L) to Daphnia magna by 18.37% and 18.11%, respectively. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase were enhanced by 10.95% and 14.07%, 25.63% and 25.91%, and 39.93% and 35.01% in nano-CuO+DBP and nano-CuO+BBP treatments as compared to the individual exposure groups, verifying that antioxidative defense responses were activated. Furthermore, the co-exposure of nano-CuO and PAEs decreased the population richness and diversity microbiota, and changed the microbial community composition in Daphnia magna. Metabolomic analysis elucidated that nano-CuO + PAEs exposure induced stronger disturbance on metabolic network and molecular function, including amino acid, nucleotides, and lipid metabolism-related metabolic pathways, as comparison to PAEs single exposure treatments. In summary, the integration of physiological, microflora, and untargeted metabolomics analysis offers a fresh perspective into the potential ecological risk associated with nanopollutants and phthalate pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

Gate-Tunable Quantum Acoustoelectric Transport in Graphene.

Transport probes the motion of quasi-particles in response to external excitations. Apart from the well-known electric and thermoelectric transport, acoustoelectric transport induced by traveling acoustic waves has rarely been explored. Here, by adopting hybrid nanodevices integrated with piezoelectric substrates, we establish a simple design of acoustoelectric transport with gate tunability. We fabricate dual-gated acoustoelectric devices based on hBN-encapsulated graphene on LiNbO3. Longitudinal and transverse acoustoelectric voltages are generated by launching a pulsed surface acoustic wave. The gate dependence of zero-field longitudinal acoustoelectric signal presents strikingly similar profiles to that of Hall resistivity, providing a valid approach for extracting carrier density without magnetic field. In magnetic fields, acoustoelectric quantum oscillations appear due to Landau quantization, which are more robust and pronounced than Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. Our work demonstrates a feasible acoustoelectric setup with gate tunability, which can be extended to the broad scope of various van der Waals materials.

Endothelial Mitochondria-Associated Membranes (MAMs) Isolation by Percoll Step Gradients.

Mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs) are regions where the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) interacts with mitochondria and regulate lipid trafficking, calcium signaling, ER stress, and inflammation activation. Isolation of MAMs from endothelial cells is vital for studying insight into the immune regulation of many inflammatory diseases. Endothelial cells (ECs) are critical innate immune cells due to their paracrine function of secreting interleukins, chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors, as well as expressing levels of pattern recognition receptors including toll-like receptors (TLRs). Furthermore, ECs regulate and recruit monocytes by expressing adhesion molecules including vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), P-selectin, and E-selectin, to facilitate monocyte diapedesis in areas of damage and inflammation. This protocol consists of step-by-step instructions on isolating pure MAMs and other subcellular fractions from endothelial cells, which is critical to understanding ER and mitochondria crosstalks in endothelial functions in health and disease.

Von Hippel Lindau tumor suppressor controls m6A-dependent gene expression in renal tumorigenesis.

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant posttranscriptional modification, and its contribution to cancer evolution has recently been appreciated. Renal cancer is the most common adult genitourinary cancer, approximately 85% of which is accounted for by the clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) subtype characterized by VHL loss. However, it is unclear whether VHL loss in ccRCC affects m6A patterns. In this study, we demonstrate that VHL binds and promotes METTL3/METTL14 complex formation while VHL depletion suppresses m6A modification, which is distinctive from its canonical E3 ligase role. m6A RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-Seq) coupled with RNA-Seq allows us to identify a selection of genes whose expression may be regulated by VHL-m6A signaling. Specifically, PIK3R3 is identified to be a critical gene whose mRNA stability is regulated by VHL in a m6A-dependent but HIF-independent manner. Functionally, PIK3R3 depletion promotes renal cancer cell growth and orthotopic tumor growth while its overexpression leads to decreased tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, the VHL-m6A-regulated PIK3R3 suppresses tumor growth by restraining PI3K/AKT activity. Taken together, we propose a mechanism by which VHL regulates m6A through modulation of METTL3/METTL14 complex formation, thereby promoting PIK3R3 mRNA stability and protein levels that are critical for regulating ccRCC tumorigenesis.

Electrochemical Formation of Ionic Porous Organic Polymers Based on Viologen for Electrochromic Applications.

The systematic study of two ionic porous organic polymers (iPOPs) based on viologens and their first applications in the electrochromic field are reported. The viologen-based iPOPs are synthesized by electrochemical polymerization with cyano groups, providing a simple and controllable method for iPOPs that solves the film preparation problems common to viologens. After the characterization of these iPOPs, a detailed study of their electrochromic properties is conducted. The iPOP films based on viologens structure exhibit excellent electrochromic properties. In addition, the resulting iPOP films show high sensitivity to electrolyte ions of different sizes in the redox process. Electrochemical and electrochromic data of the iPOPs explain this phenomenon in detail. These results demonstrate that iPOPs of this type are ideal candidates as electrochromic materials due to their inherent porous structures and ion-rich properties.

Electroosmotic flow in soft clay and measures to promote movement under direct current electric field.

Electroosmosis has been proposed as a technique to reduce moisture and thus increase the stability of soft clay. However, its high energy consumption and uneven reinforcement effect has limited its popularization and application in practical engineering. This paper presents the results of some electrokinetic tests performed on clayey specimens with different electrification time and anode boundary conditions. The results indicate that the timing of the formation of electroosmotic flow (EF) by the water originally contained in different soil cross sections, from the anode to the cathode, varies. The measuring soil cross section nearest the anode first reached the limiting water content of 22%±3% and electroosmosis had to be stopped. Water injection into the anode during electroosmosis enhanced further drainage of other four measuring soil cross sections until the second soil cross section from the anode reached the limiting water content of 30%±2%. Electroosmosis with water injection into the anode technique provides more uniform reinforcement, increasing EF, and environmental protection. The experimental results highlighted the relevant and expected contribution of water injection into the anode on the effectiveness of the electroosmotic treatment as a soft clay improvement technique.

Preparation of an Inorganic All-Solid-State Electrochromic Device with Excellent Open-Circuit Memory.

Due to the spontaneous transport of small-sized cations and redox reactions under open circuit conditions, the currently reported coloring electrochromic devices (ECDs) may self-bleach easily. The resulting ECDs exhibit poor open-circuit memory, which limits their applications in static display advertisement. By constructing energy barriers to effectively control small-sized cation transport, the redox reaction could be suppressed, thereby inhibiting the self-bleaching of ECDs. In this study, phosphate glass is used as an electrolyte to construct high-energy barriers. Sodium ions in phosphate glass absorb external heat to cross energy barriers and become conductive charge carriers. In this case, the electrochromism of ECDs is allowed. On the contrary, after the absorbed heat energy is released, sodium ions are immediately trapped by oxygen ions in the PO4 unit, becoming frozen ions. At this point, the electrochromization of ECDs is prohibited. Based on the ionic conductive feature of phosphate glass, ECDs absorb heat and are colored by applying an electric field first. Then, ECDs release the thermal energy and the sodium ions transport in the electrolyte is blocked to cut off the self-bleaching pathway. The prepared inorganic all-solid-state ECDs maintained the colored state for several months using the method mentioned above, which solved the problem of the poor open-circuit memory of ECDs.

Pulsed Ho:YLF laser intra-cavity pumped by a diode-pumped Q-switched Tm:YAP laser.

We reported an intra-cavity pumped Q-switched laser with dual-wavelength synchronous output at 2066.7 nm and 1940nm. Ho:YLF crystal was pumped by a self-Q-switched Tm:YAP laser, which was served as both a gain medium and a saturable absorber simultaneously. For Ho:YLF laser, under 11.4-W incident pump power, a stable pulse laser was achieved at 2066.7 nm with the highest peak power of 69.65 W and the pulse repetition rate of 42.14 kHz. Under the same incident pump power, the highest peak power and pulse repetition rate of Tm:YAP laser were 17.85 W and 50.82 kHz, corresponding to the central wavelength of 1940nm. These results suggested that Q-switching without additional absorber element were effective way to obtain high-efficiency and compact 2.1 µm pulsed laser.

Phosphocreatine promotes epigenetic reprogramming to facilitate glioblastoma growth through stabilizing BRD2.

Glioblastoma (GBM) exhibits profound metabolic plasticity for survival and therapeutic resistance, while the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that GBM stem cells (GSCs) reprogram the epigenetic landscape by producing substantial amounts of phosphocreatine (PCr). This production is attributed to the elevated transcription of brain-type creatine kinase (CKB), mediated by Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1). PCr inhibits the poly-ubiquitination of the chromatin regulator bromodomain containing protein 2 (BRD2) by outcompeting the E3 ubiquitin ligase SPOP for BRD2 binding. Pharmacological disruption of PCr biosynthesis by cyclocreatine leads to BRD2 degradation and a decrease in its targets' transcription, which inhibits chromosome segregation and cell proliferation. Notably, cyclocreatine treatment significantly impedes tumor growth and sensitizes tumors to a BRD2 inhibitor in mouse GBM models without detectable side effects. These findings highlight that high production of PCr is a druggable metabolic feature of GBM and a promising therapeutic target for GBM treatment.

[Spatial transcriptomics techniques and its applications in plant research].

The heterogeneity of gene expression in plant cells plays a crucial role in determining the functional differences among tissues. Recent advancements in spatial transcriptome (ST) technology have significantly contributed to the study of specific biological questions in plants. This technology has been successfully applied to examine cell development, identification, and stress resistance. This review aims to explore the application of ST technology in plants by reviewing three aspects: the development of ST technology, its current application in plants, and future research directions. The review provides a systematic description of the development process of ST technology, with a focus on analyzing its progress in studying plant cell growth and differentiation, plant cell identification, and stress resistance. In addition, the challenges faced by ST technology in plant applications are summarized, along with proposed future directions for plant research, including the advantages of combining other omics technologies with ST technology to tackle scientific challenges in the field of plants.