Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive cancer treatment that, despite its significant attention, faces limitations in penetration depth, which restrict its effectiveness. Herein, it is found that gold nanobipyramid (AuNBs) coated with TiO2 can form a core-shell heterogeneous structure (AuNBs@TiO2) with strong absorption at second near infrared (NIR-II) region. A substantial quantity of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including singlet oxygen (1O2), superoxide anion radicals, and hydroxyl radicals, can be rapidly generated when subjecting the AuNBs@TiO2 aqueous suspension to 1064 nm laser irradiation. The quantum yield for sensitization of 1O2 by AuNBs@TiO2 is 0.36 at 1064 nm light excitation. In addition, the Au element as high-Z atoms in the nanosystem can improve the ability of computed tomographic (CT) imaging. As compared to commercial iohexol, the AuNBs@TiO2 nanoparticle exhibits significantly better CT imaging effect, which can be used to guide PDT. In addition, the nano-photosensitizer shows a remarkable therapeutic effect against established solid tumors and prevents tumor metastasis and potentiates immune checkpoint blockade therapy. More importantly, here the great potentials of AuNBs@TiO2 are highlighted as a theranostic platform for CT-guided cancer photodynamic immunotherapy.
Crystal phase, a critical structural characteristic beyond the morphology, size, dimension, facet, etc., determines the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials. As a group of layered nanomaterials with polymorphs, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted intensive research attention due to their phase-dependent properties. Therefore, great efforts have been devoted to the phase engineering of TMDs to synthesize TMDs with controlled phases, especially unconventional/metastable phases, for various applications in electronics, optoelectronics, catalysis, biomedicine, energy storage and conversion, and ferroelectrics. Considering the significant progress in the synthesis and applications of TMDs, we believe that a comprehensive review on the phase engineering of TMDs is critical to promote their fundamental studies and practical applications. This Review aims to provide a comprehensive introduction and discussion on the crystal structures, synthetic strategies, and phase-dependent properties and applications of TMDs. Finally, our perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in phase engineering of TMDs will also be discussed.
BACKGROUND: Owing to the lack of visible scars, the transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) offers superior aesthetic outcomes compared to conventional thyroidectomy. Carcinoma showing thymus-like differentiation (CASTLE) represents a rare thyroid gland neoplasm. This study aimed to explore the TOETVA learning curve and present a case report of CASTLE. METHODS: A study with precise 1:1 matching was conducted to assess the procedure safety and cancer control outcomes of TOETVA in comparison to conventional surgery between May 2020 and May 2023. Cumulative sum analysis was employed to optimally fit the learning curve. Subsequently, a case report of CASTLE treated with TOETVA surgery was presented. RESULTS: The mean operative time was longer in the TOETVA group than in the open group. The TOETVA group had a higher incidence of skin numbness and excellent cosmetic outcomes compared to the open group. The learning curves for work area preparation, unilateral thyroid lobectomy, and the entire surgical process were 59, 28, and 50 cases, respectively. There were no differences between the learning and proficient groups, except for operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and drainage volume on the first postoperative day. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive analysis of the TOETVA learning curve utilizing cumulative and analytical methods demonstrated the feasibility of TOETVA with regards to surgical integrity, safety, and oncological safety. This study's findings suggest that a surgeon's cumulative number of TOETVA cases exceeding 50 can reach the mastery stage. Moreover, diagnosing CASTLE is challenging and necessitates immunohistochemical detection of relatively specific markers associated with thymic epithelial tumors.
Surgeons , Thyroid Neoplasms , Humans , Thyroidectomy/methods , Learning Curve , Thyroid Neoplasms/surgery , Endoscopy/methods
Crystal phase is a key factor determining the properties, and hence functions, of two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs)1,2. The TMD materials, explored for diverse applications3-8, commonly serve as templates for constructing nanomaterials3,9 and supported metal catalysts4,6-8. However, how the TMD crystal phase affects the growth of the secondary material is poorly understood, although relevant, particularly for catalyst development. In the case of Pt nanoparticles on two-dimensional MoS2 nanosheets used as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction7, only about two thirds of Pt nanoparticles were epitaxially grown on the MoS2 template composed of the metallic/semimetallic 1T/1T' phase but with thermodynamically stable and poorly conducting 2H phase mixed in. Here we report the production of MoS2 nanosheets with high phase purity and show that the 2H-phase templates facilitate the epitaxial growth of Pt nanoparticles, whereas the 1T' phase supports single-atomically dispersed Pt (s-Pt) atoms with Pt loading up to 10 wt%. We find that the Pt atoms in this s-Pt/1T'-MoS2 system occupy three distinct sites, with density functional theory calculations indicating for Pt atoms located atop of Mo atoms a hydrogen adsorption free energy of close to zero. This probably contributes to efficient electrocatalytic H2 evolution in acidic media, where we measure for s-Pt/1T'-MoS2 a mass activity of 85 ± 23 A [Formula: see text] at the overpotential of -50 mV and a mass-normalized exchange current density of 127 A [Formula: see text] and we see stable performance in an H-type cell and prototype proton exchange membrane electrolyser operated at room temperature. Although phase stability limitations prevent operation at high temperatures, we anticipate that 1T'-TMDs will also be effective supports for other catalysts targeting other important reactions.
Background: Breast cancer (BC) ranks first in incidence among women, with approximately 2 million new cases per year. Therefore, it is essential to investigate emerging targets for BC patients' diagnosis and prognosis. Methods: We analyzed gene expression data from 99 normal and 1,081 BC tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using "limma" R package, and relevant modules were chosen through Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis (WGCNA). Intersection genes were obtained by matching DEGs to WGCNA module genes. Functional enrichment studies were performed on these genes using Gene Ontology (GO), Disease Ontology (DO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. Biomarkers were screened via Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks and multiple machine-learning algorithms. The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), The University of ALabama at Birmingham CANcer (UALCAN), and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) databases were employed to examine mRNA and protein expression of eight biomarkers. Kaplan-Meier mapper tool assessed their prognostic capabilities. Key biomarkers were analyzed via single-cell sequencing, and their relationship with immune infiltration was examined using Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database and "xCell" R package. Lastly, drug prediction was conducted based on the identified biomarkers. Results: We identified 1,673 DEGs and 542 important genes through differential analysis and WGCNA, respectively. Intersection analysis revealed 76 genes, which play significant roles in immune-related viral infection and IL-17 signaling pathways. DIX domain containing 1 (DIXDC1), Dual specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6), Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12), Interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7), Integrin subunit alpha 7 (ITGA7), NIMA related kinase 2 (NEK2), and Nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1 (NR3C1) were selected as BC biomarkers using machine-learning algorithms. NEK2 was the most critical gene for diagnosis. Prospective drugs targeting NEK2 include etoposide and lukasunone. Conclusions: Our study identified DIXDC1, DUSP6, PDK4, CXCL12, IRF7, ITGA7, NEK2, and NR3C1 as potential diagnostic biomarkers for BC, with NEK2 having the highest potential to aid in diagnosis and prognosis in clinical settings.
Structural engineering of nanomaterials offers a promising way for developing high-performance catalysts toward catalysis. However, the delicate modulation of thermodynamically unfavorable nanostructures with unconventional phases still remains a challenge. Here, the synthesis of hierarchical AuCu nanostructures is reported with hexagonal close-packed (2H-type)/face-centered cubic (fcc) heterophase, high-index facets, planar defects (e.g., stacking faults, twin boundaries, and grain boundaries), and tunable Cu content. The obtained 2H/fcc Au99 Cu1 hierarchical nanosheets exhibit excellent performance for the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to produce CO, outperforming the 2H/fcc Au91 Cu9 and fcc Au99 Cu1 . The experimental results, especially those obtained by in-situ differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy and attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, suggest that the enhanced catalytic performance of 2H/fcc Au99 Cu1 arises from the unconventional 2H/fcc heterophase, high-index facets, planar defects, and appropriate alloying of Cu. Impressively, the 2H/fcc Au99 Cu1 shows CO Faradaic efficiencies of 96.6% and 92.6% at industrial current densities of 300 and 500 mA cm-2 , respectively, as well as good durability, placing it among the best CO2 reduction electrocatalysts for CO production. The atomically structural regulation based on phase engineering of nanomaterials (PEN) provides an avenue for the rational design and preparation of high-performance electrocatalysts for various catalytic applications.
Phase transition with band gap modulation of materials has gained intensive research attention due to its various applications, including memories, neuromorphic computing, and transistors. As a powerful strategy to tune the crystal phase of transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), the phase transition of TMDs provides opportunities to prepare new phases of TMDs for exploring their phase-dependent property, function, and application. However, the previously reported phase transition of TMDs is mainly irreversible. Here, we report a reversible phase transition in the semimetallic 1T'-WS2 driven by proton intercalation and deintercalation, resulting in a newly discovered semiconducting WS2 with a novel unconventional phase, denoted as the 1T'd phase. Impressively, an on/off ratio of >106 has been achieved during the phase transition of WS2 from the semimetallic 1T' phase to the semiconducting 1T'd phase. Our work not only provides a unique insight into the phase transition of TMDs via proton intercalation but also opens up possibilities to tune their physicochemical properties for various applications.
Intermetallic nanomaterials have shown promising potential as high-performance catalysts in various catalytic reactions due to their unconventional crystal phases with ordered atomic arrangements. However, controlled synthesis of intermetallic nanomaterials with tunable crystal phases and unique hollow morphologies remains a challenge. Here, a seeded method is developed to synthesize hollow PdSn intermetallic nanoparticles (NPs) with two different intermetallic phases, that is, orthorhombic Pd2 Sn and monoclinic Pd3 Sn2 . Benefiting from the rational regulation of the crystal phase and morphology, the obtained hollow orthorhombic Pd2 Sn NPs deliver excellent electrocatalytic performance toward glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR), outperforming solid orthorhombic Pd2 Sn NPs, hollow monoclinic Pd3 Sn2 NPs, and commercial Pd/C, which places it among the best reported Pd-based GOR electrocatalysts. The reaction mechanism of GOR using the hollow orthorhombic Pd2 Sn as the catalyst is investigated by operando infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, which reveals that the hollow orthorhombic Pd2 Sn catalyst cleaves the CC bond more easily compared to the commercial Pd/C. This work can pave an appealing route to the controlled synthesis of diverse novel intermetallic nanomaterials with hollow morphology for various promising applications.
Epitaxial growth is one of the most commonly used strategies to precisely tailor heterostructures with well-defined compositions, morphologies, crystal phases, and interfaces for various applications. However, as epitaxial growth requires a small interfacial lattice mismatch between the components, it remains a challenge for the epitaxial synthesis of heterostructures constructed by materials with large lattice mismatch and/or different chemical bonding, especially the noble metal-semiconductor heterostructures. Here, we develop a noble metal-seeded epitaxial growth strategy to prepare highly symmetrical noble metal-semiconductor branched heterostructures with desired spatial configurations, i.e., twenty CdS (or CdSe) nanorods epitaxially grown on twenty exposed (111) facets of Ag icosahedral nanocrystal, albeit a large lattice mismatch (more than 40%). Importantly, a high quantum yield (QY) of plasmon-induced hot-electron transferred from Ag to CdS was observed in epitaxial Ag-CdS icosapods (18.1%). This work demonstrates that epitaxial growth can be achieved in heterostructures composed of materials with large lattice mismatches. The constructed epitaxial noble metal-semiconductor interfaces could be an ideal platform for investigating the role of interfaces in various physicochemical processes.
This study assessed the independent association of dietary selenium and zinc intakes with the risk of hypothyroidism and interaction effect between dietary selenium and zinc intakes with the risk of hypothyroidism in Americans. The data of this cross-sectional study was from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2012. The outcome was defined as new-onset hypothyroidism. Weighted univariate and multivariate logistic regression and the subgroup analyses based on gender and body mass index (BMI) were conducted to evaluate the association between the dietary selenium and zinc intakes and new-onset hypothyroidism. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. A total of 6402 participants were included with 131 (2.05%) developed a hypothyroidism in this study. Compared with participants with high zinc intake, those with low zinc intake had a higher risk of new-onset hypothyroidism (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.05-2.90). Moreover, we also found a significant interaction between dietary selenium level intake and dietary zinc level intake on new-onset hypothyroidism risk (OR = 5.99, 95% CI: 1.77-20.23). There was an interaction between dietary selenium and zinc intakes on the risk of new-onset hypothyroidism, especially the significant effect for adults with women or overweight. The findings indicated that improving the levels of dietary zinc and selenium intake may be beneficial in preventing of new-onset hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism , Selenium , Adult , Humans , Female , United States , Nutrition Surveys , Cross-Sectional Studies , Zinc
Research has indicated that English learning stress contributes significantly to English learning burnout among undergraduate students. However, knowledge of the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship is limited. To bridge this gap, a moderated mediation model was constructed to examine whether English learning self-efficacy mediated the relationship between English learning stress and English learning burnout. Furthermore, this study analyzed whether the mediated relationship was moderated by mindfulness and gender. A total of 1130 Chinese undergraduate students (mean age = 20.84 years, SD = 1.57 years) reported their experiences regarding English learning stress, English learning self-efficacy, English learning burnout, and mindfulness. After controlling for covariates, the results revealed that English learning self-efficacy mediated the positive link between English learning stress and English learning burnout among both men and women. Moreover, the findings demonstrated that the indirect link was moderated by mindfulness among male undergraduate students. However, the moderating effect of mindfulness was not significant among the women in this study. The implications of these findings for future research, and the development of intervention and prevention of English learning burnout are discussed.
Burnout, Professional , Mindfulness , Male , Humans , Female , Young Adult , Adult , Self Efficacy , Mindfulness/methods , Burnout, Professional/prevention & control , Students
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.927223.].
Background: Sodium is a critically important component of bones, and hyponatremia has firmly been established as a risk factor associated with the incidence of fragility fractures. However, researches have also revealed that lower serum sodium are linked to reductions in muscle mass and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease even when these levels are within the normal range. Accordingly, this study was developed to examine the relationships between normal serum sodium concentrations and bone turnover in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: Patients with T2D were enrolled in the present study from January 2021 to April 2022. All patients underwent analyses of serum sodium levels, oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT), bone turnover markers (BTMs), and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning. BTMs included bone formation markers osteocalcin (OC) and N-terminal propeptide of type-I procollagen (PINP), and bone resorption marker C-terminal telopeptide (CTx). Patients were stratified into three subgroups based on the tertiles of their serum sodium concentrations. Results: In total, 372 patients with T2D and sodium levels in the normal range were enrolled in this study. Serum OC and PINP levels were increased from subgroup with the low sodium tertile to that with the high sodium tertile (p for trend < 0.05), whereas CTx level was comparable among the subgroups. A positive correlation was detected between serum sodium levels and both lnOC (r = 0.210, p < 0.001) and lnPINP (r = 0.196, p < 0.001), with these relationships remaining significant even following adjustment for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and HbA1c. Only after adjusting for these four factors a positive correlation was detected between serum sodium levels and CTx levels (r = 0.108, p < 0.05). Linear regression analyses revealed that following adjustment for potential covariates, serum sodium level was and positively significantly associated with lnOC level (ß = 0.134, t = 2.281, p < 0.05) and PINP level (ß = 0.179, t = 3.023, p < 0.01). Conclusion: These results highlight a significant association between low-normal serum sodium levels and low bone turnover.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 , Humans , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications , Bone Density/physiology , Bone Remodeling/physiology , Osteocalcin , Sodium
Despite the importance of innate immunity in invertebrates, the diversity and function of innate immune cells in invertebrates are largely unknown. Using single-cell RNA-seq, we identified prohemocytes, monocytic hemocytes, and granulocytes as the three major cell-types in the white shrimp hemolymph. Our results identified a novel macrophage-like subset called monocytic hemocytes 2 (MH2) defined by the expression of certain marker genes, including Nlrp3 and Casp1. This subtype of shrimp hemocytes is phagocytic and expresses markers that indicate some conservation with mammalian macrophages. Combined, our work resolves the heterogenicity of hemocytes in a very economically important aquatic species and identifies a novel innate immune cell subset that is likely a critical player in the immune responses of shrimp to threatening infectious diseases affecting this industry.
Arthropod Proteins , Penaeidae , Animals , Arthropod Proteins/genetics , NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism , Penaeidae/genetics , Hemocytes , Immunity, Innate/genetics , Phagocytes/metabolism , Macrophages/metabolism , Sequence Analysis, RNA , Mammals/genetics
Penaeus vannamei is one of the most popular aquaculture species in the world. This species is featured with its fast-growing and delicious taste, which drives people develop various strains. During this process identification of trait-associated markers could effectively increase breeding efficiency. Driven by this, we tried to screen fast-growing key regulators via a FACS-based high throughput method, in which 2-NBDG was applied as a fluorescent indicator for direct glucose uptake measurement. Totally six candidate genes were screened out followed by in vitro validation in 293T cells. After that, the correlation between these genes and shrimp growing was further verified in a hybrid lineage. The expression level of two genes including ATP synthase subunit e and inhibitor of apoptosis protein showed some correlation with shrimp growth speed. Furthermore, we tested these two candidate markers in various lineages and confirmed that ATP synthase subunit e could be a shrimp growth-associated breeding marker.
Penaeidae , Adenosine Triphosphate , Animals , Biomarkers , Breeding , Humans , Penaeidae/genetics , Phenotype
Two-dimensional (2D) metal nanomaterials have gained ever-growing research interest owing to their fascinating physicochemical properties and promising application, especially in the field of electrocatalysis. In this review, we briefly introduce the recent advances in wet-chemical synthesis of 2D metal nanomaterials. Subsequently, the catalytic performances of 2D metal nanomaterials in a variety of electrochemical reactions are illustrated. Finally, we summarize current challenges and highlight our perspectives on preparing high-performance 2D metal electrocatalysts.
Controlling the architectures and crystal phases of metal@semiconductor heterostructures is very important for modulating their physicochemical properties and enhancing their application performances. Here, a facile one-pot wet-chemical method to synthesize three types of amorphous SnO2 -encapsulated crystalline Cu heterostructures, i.e., hemicapsule, yolk-shell, and core-shell nanostructures, in which unconventional crystal phases (e.g., 2H, 4H, and 6H) and defects (e.g., stacking faults and twin boundaries) are observed in the crystalline Cu cores, is reported. The hemicapsule Cu@SnO2 heterostructures, with voids that not only expose the Cu core with unconventional phases but also retain the interface between Cu and SnO2 , show an excellent electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) selectivity toward the production of CO and formate with high Faradaic efficiency (FE) above 90% in a wide potential window from -1.05 to -1.55 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)), and the highest FE of CO2 RR (95.3%) is obtained at -1.45 V (vs RHE). This work opens up a new way for the synthesis of new heterostructured nanomaterials with promising catalytic application.
Increasing evidence has shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) participate in the process of cardiac remodeling. CircRNA circ_0036176 originating from the back-splicing of exon 2 to exon4 of myosin IXA (Myo9a) gene was shown to be increased in the myocardium of patients with heart failure (HF) and riched in exosomes from human AC16 cardiomyocytes with overexpression of circ_0036176. Proliferation activity was inhibited in mCFs subjected to exosomal circ_0036176 treatment and in mCFs with overexpression of circ_0036176. Interestingly, circ_0036176 contains an IRES element and an ORF of 627 nt encoding a 208-amino acid protein (termed as Myo9a-208). Myo9a-208 was shown to mediate the inhibitory effect of circ_0036176 on CFs proliferation, and miR-218-5p could inhibit Myo9a-208 expression by binding to circ_0036176, resulting in abolishing the effect of circ_0036176 on inactivating cyclin/Rb signal and suppressing CFs proliferation. Our findings suggest that circ_0036176 inhibits mCFs proliferation by translating Myo9a-208 protein to suppress cyclin/Rb pathway.
Fibroblasts , MicroRNAs , Myocardium , RNA, Circular , Cell Proliferation , Cyclins , Fibroblasts/metabolism , Humans , MicroRNAs/genetics , Myocardium/cytology , RNA, Circular/genetics
OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy, incidence of postoperative complications, and the quality of life in patients with severe craniocerebral injury undergoing standard large trauma craniotomy. METHODS: Seventy-eight patients with severe craniocerebral injury who had been admitted to Hubei Hanchuan People's Hospital were selected retrospectively and assigned into an observation group and control group according to the treatment received, with 39 patients in each group. Patients in the control group were treated with conventional decompressive craniotomy and those in the observation group with standard large trauma craniotomy. The prognosis (GOS score), intracranial pressure before and after surgery, neurological functions (NIHSS score), cerebral hemodynamics (Vm, Vs, PI), quality of life (SF-36 score) and postoperative complications were compared. RESULTS: The number of patients whose GOS scores were graded 5 was markedly higher in the observation group than that in the control group (P<0.05). The postoperative intracranial pressure and NIHSS scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.001). The postoperative Vm, Vs and PI were lower in the observation group than those in the control group, respectively (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of complications in the two groups (P>0.05). The SF-36 scores in the observation group were higher than those of the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Standard large trauma craniotomy is effective in treating patients with severe frontotemporal craniocerebral injury. It decreases intracranial pressure, improves neurological function and quality of life and results in a good prognosis.
The crystal phase of nanomaterials is one of the key parameters determining their physicochemical properties and performance in various applications. However, it still remains a great challenge to synthesize nanomaterials with different crystal phases while maintaining the same composition, size, and morphology. Here, a facile, one-pot, wet-chemical method is reported to synthesize Pd3 Sn nanorods with comparable size and morphology but different crystal phases, that is, an ordered intermetallic and a disordered alloy with L12 and face-centered cubic (fcc) phases, respectively. The crystal phase of the as-synthesized Pd3 Sn nanorods is easily tuned by altering the types of tin precursors and solvents. Moreover, the approach can also be used to synthesize ternary PdCuSn nanorods with the L12 crystal phase. When used as electrocatalysts, the L12 Pd3 Sn nanorods exhibit superior electrocatalytic performance toward the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) compared to their fcc counterpart. Impressively, compared to the L12 Pd3 Sn nanorods, the ternary L12 PdCuSn nanorods exhibit more enhanced electrocatalytic performance toward the EOR, yielding a high mass current density up to 6.22 A mgPd -1 , which is superior to the commercial Pd/C catalyst and among the best reported Pd-based EOR electrocatalysts.
