Heparin is an effective treatment for preventing liver failure after hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is one of the most important causes of death following liver resection. Heparin, an established anticoagulant, can protect liver function through a number of mechanisms, and thus, prevent liver failure. AIM: To look at the safety and efficacy of heparin in preventing hepatic dysfunction after hepatectomy. METHODS: The data was extracted from Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) v1. 4 pinpointed patients who had undergone hepatectomy for liver cancer, subdividing them into two cohorts: Those who were injected with heparin and those who were not. The statistical evaluations used were unpaired t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, chi-square tests, and Fisher's exact tests to assess the effect of heparin administration on PHLF, duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, need for mechanical ventilation, use of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), incidence of hypoxemia, development of acute kidney injury, and ICU mortality. Logistic regression was utilized to analyze the factors related to PHLF, with propensity score matching (PSM) aiming to balance the preoperative disparities between the two groups. RESULTS: In this study, 1388 patients who underwent liver cancer hepatectomy were analyzed. PSM yielded 213 matched pairs from the heparin-treated and control groups. Initial univariate analyses indicated that heparin potentially reduces the risk of PHLF in both matched and unmatched samples. Further analysis in the matched cohorts confirmed a significant association, with heparin reducing the risk of PHLF (odds ratio: 0.518; 95% confidence interval: 0.295-0.910; P = 0.022). Additionally, heparin treatment correlated with improved short-term postoperative outcomes such as reduced ICU stay durations, diminished requirements for respiratory support and CRRT, and lower incidences of hypoxemia and ICU mortality. CONCLUSION: Liver failure is an important hazard following hepatic surgery. During ICU care heparin administration has been proved to decrease the occurrence of hepatectomy induced liver failure. This indicates that heparin may provide a hopeful option for controlling PHLF.

Real-Time Direct Monitoring of Chirality Fixation and Recognition at the Single-Molecule Level.

Chirality, a fundamental attribute of nature, significantly influences a wide range of phenomena related to physical properties, chemical reactions, biological pharmacology, and so on. As a pivotal aspect of chirality research, chirality recognition contributes to the synthesis of complex chiral products from simple chiral compounds and exhibits intricate interplay between chiral materials. However, macroscopic detection technologies cannot unveil the dynamic process and intrinsic mechanisms of single-molecule chirality recognition. Herein, we present a single-molecule detection platform based on graphene-molecule-graphene single-molecule junctions to measure the chirality recognition involving interactions between amines and chiral alcohols. This approach leads to the realization of in situ and real-time direct observation of chirality recognition at the single-molecule level, demonstrating that chiral alcohols exhibit compelling potential to induce the formation of the corresponding chiral configuration of molecules. The amalgamation of theoretical analyses with experimental findings reveals a synergistic action between electrostatic interactions and steric hindrance effects in the chirality recognition process, thus substantiating the microscopic mechanism governing the chiral structure-activity relationship. These studies open up a pathway for exploring novel chiral phenomena from the fundamental limits of chemistry, such as chiral origin and chiral amplification, and offer important insights into the precise synthesis of chiral materials.

Predicted body fat percentage, fat mass and lean body mass in relation to risk of prostate cancer: Results from the NHANES 1999 to 2010.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between fat mass (FM), body fat percentage (BF%), lean body mass (LM), and prostate cancer (PCa), and evaluate their potential impact on the risk of PCa. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of the United States were utilized. Adult male participants from 6 survey cycles between 1999 and 2010 were selected as the study sample. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the association between BF%, LM, and PCa, while controlling for potential confounding variables. Among the 8440 participants, 359 cases of PCa were diagnosed. The relationship between BF%, LM, and PCa was nonlinear. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, there was an independent association between BF% and PCa risk (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.06), suggesting that higher BF% levels are associated with an increased risk of PCa. Conversely, higher LM levels were associated with a decreased risk of PCa (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.95-0.98). The findings of this study demonstrate a correlation between BF% and LM with PCa, but do not provide direct evidence of a causal relationship. Higher BF% levels are associated with an increased risk of PCa, while higher LM levels are associated with a decreased risk. These results provide valuable insights for understanding and potentially preventing PCa, although further research is needed to fully comprehend the underlying mechanisms.

A Functional InDel in the WRKY10 Promoter Controls the Degree of Flesh Red Pigmentation in Apple.

MYB transcription factors have been linked to anthocyanin synthesis and various color phenotypes in plants. In apple, MYB10 confers a red-flesh phenotype due to a minisatellite insertion in its R6 promoter, but R6:MYB10 genotypes exhibit various degrees of red pigmentation in the flesh, suggesting the involvement of other genetic factors. Here, it is shown that MdWRKY10, a transcription factor identified via DNA pull-down trapping, binds to the promoter of MdMYB10 and activates its transcription. MdWRKY10 specifically interacts with the WDR protein MdTTG1 to join the apple MYB-bHLH-WDR (MBW) complex, which significantly enhances its transcriptional activation activity. A 163-bp InDel detected in the promoter region of the alleles of MdWRKY10 in a hybrid population of identical heterozygous genotypes regarding R6 by structural variation analysis, contains a typical W-box element that MdWRKY10 binds to for transactivation. This leads to increased transcript levels of MdWRKY10 and MdMYB10 and enhanced anthocyanin synthesis in the flesh, largely accounting for the various degrees of flesh red pigmentation in the R6 background. These findings reveal a novel regulatory role of the WRKY-containing protein complex in the formation of red flesh apple phenotypes and provide broader insights into the molecular mechanism governing anthocyanin synthesis in plants.

Uptake, subcellular distribution, and fate of tetracycline in two wetland plants supplemented with microbial agents: Effect and mechanism.

The use of wetland plants in the context of phytoremediation is effective in the removal of antibiotics from contaminated water. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of many of these plants in the removal of antibiotics remain undetermined. In this study, the effectiveness of two plants-Phragmites australis and Iris pseudacorus-in the removal of tetracycline (TC) in hydroponic systems was investigated. The uptake of TC at the roots of I. pseudacorus and P. australis occurred at concentrations of 588.78 and 106.70 µg/g, respectively, after 7-day exposure. The higher uptake of TC in the root of I. pseudacorus may be attributed to its higher secretion of root exudates, which facilitate conditions conducive to the reproduction of microorganisms. These rhizosphere-linked microorganisms then drove the TC uptake, which was higher than that in the roots of P. australis. By elucidating the mechanisms underlying these uptake-linked outcomes, we found that the uptake of TC for both plants was significantly suppressed by metabolic and aquaporin inhibition, suggesting uptake and transport of TC were active (energy-dependent) and passive (aquaporin-dominated) processes, respectively. The subcellular distribution patterns of I. pseudacorus and P. australis in the roots were different, as expressed by differences in organelles, cell wall concentration levels, and transport-related dynamics. Additionally, the microbe-driven enhancement of the remediation capacities of the plants was studied comprehensively via a combined microbial-phytoremediation hydroponic system. We confirmed that the microbial agents increased the secretion of root exudates, promoting the variation of TC chemical speciation and thus enhancing the active transport of TC. These results contribute toward the improved application of wetland plants in the context of antibiotic phytoremediation.

Association between age, gender, and oral traumatic ulcerative lesions: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Oral traumatic ulcerative lesions (OTUL) are commonly encountered in clinical practice, yet there is limited research on their clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the age, gender, clinical characteristics, and traumatic etiological factors in a large cohort of patients with OTUL and provide valuable insights for dental clinicians to optimize patient care and prevention strategies. METHODS: A total of 1543 patients with OTUL were enrolled in this study. Age, gender, medical history, clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the significance of age and gender as factors related to OTUL. RESULTS: The study revealed significant variations in clinical characteristics and traumatic etiological factors among different age groups and between genders. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that both age and gender were significant factors related to OTUL. CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics of OTUL and traumatic etiological factors appear to be significantly different according to age and gender. More targeted prevention strategies should be implemented for all age and gender groups.

First-line sintilimab with pegaspargase, gemcitabine, and oxaliplatin in advanced extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma (SPIRIT): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor sintilimab is effective in relapsed and refractory extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma (ENKTL), nasal type. We aimed to assess the safety and activity of sintilimab plus P-GEMOX (pegaspargase, gemcitabine, and oxaliplatin) in the first-line setting for advanced ENKTL. METHODS: The multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial was done at three medical centres in China. Patients aged 18-75 years with treatment-naive pathologically confirmed advanced ENKTL and an with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 0-2 were eligible. Patients received intravenous sintilimab (200 mg on day 1), intramuscular pegaspargase (2000 U/m2 on day 1), intravenous gemcitabine (1 g/m2 on days 1 and 8), and intravenous oxaliplatin (130 mg/m2 on day 1) every 3 weeks for six cycles, followed by intravenous sintilimab (200 mg) every 3 weeks for up to 2 years or until disease progression or unacceptable toxicities. The primary endpoint was the complete response rate in the intention-to-treat population. The secondary endpoints were overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04127227. Enrolment has been completed, and follow-up is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between Nov 29, 2019, and Sept 7, 2022, 34 eligible patients were enrolled (median age 39 years [IQR 32-55]; 25 [74%] of 34 patients were male; nine [26%] were female; and all were of Asian ethnicity). At the data cutoff (July 20, 2023), the median follow-up was 21 months (IQR 13-32). The complete response rate was 85% (29 of 34 patients, 95% CI 70-94). Five patients (15%; 95% CI 7-30) attained partial response and the ORR was 100% (34 of 34 patients). 24-month PFS was 64% (95% CI 48-86), 24-month DFS was 72% (54-95), and 36-month overall survival was 76% (52-100). The most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events were neutropenia (17 [50%] of 34 patients), anaemia (10 [29%] patients), and hypertriglyceridemia (10 [29%] patients). Hypothyroidism was the most frequent immune-related adverse event (18 [53%]), including grade 3 hypothyroidism in one (3%) patient that caused treatment termination. No severe adverse events occurred. There were three deaths: one due to haemophagocytic syndrome, one due to disease progression, and one due to unknown cause, which were not considered to be treatment related. INTERPRETATION: Combination of sintilimab with P-GEMOX seems to be an active and safe first-line regimen for patients with advanced ENKTL. FUNDING: National Key Research and Development Program and National Natural Science Foundation of China, Guangzhou Science and Technology Program and the Clinical Oncology Foundation of Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology.

Complications in transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A comprehensive analysis and management strategies.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) marks a significant advancement in treating aortic stenosis (AS), especially for patients with high surgical risks. This concise review outlines TAVR's development, its broader application to include lower-risk patients, and innovations in the device and procedural technology. Clinical trials, notably the PARTNER series, affirm TAVR's efficacy, showing it matches or surpasses surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in mortality reduction, hemodynamic benefits, and symptom alleviation, including heart failure. However, TAVR entails complications such as paravalvular leakage (PVL), conduction disorders, and increased cerebrovascular event risks. We evaluate these issues, their prevalence, causative factors, and clinical consequences, emphasizing improvements in valve design and technique that have significantly lowered PVL rates. The role of aortic valve anatomy and calcification in PVL and conduction issues is analyzed, underlining the necessity for meticulous patient selection and procedural planning. Further, the review delves into cerebrovascular event risks, their origins, and preventative strategies, including cerebral protection devices and the judicious use of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapies. TAVR presents a less invasive, promising alternative to SAVR, but requires careful complication management to optimize patient results. Ongoing innovation and research are vital for advancing TAVR's techniques, improving valve designs, and extending its reach, thereby enhancing AS patients' quality of life.

High-Performance p-Type Bi2Te3-Based Thermoelectric Materials Enabled via Regulating Bi-Te Ratio.

Bi2Te3-based alloys, as the sole commercial thermoelectric (TE) material, play an irreplaceable role in the thermoelectric field. However, the low TE efficiency, poor mechanical properties, and high cost have limited its large-scale applications. Here, high-performance p-type Bi2Te3-based materials were successfully prepared by ball milling and hot pressing. The optimized p-type Bi0.55Sb1.45Te3 + 2.5 wt % Bi shows a peak zT value of 1.45 at 360 K, and the average zT value of up to 1.24 at 300-480 K, which is completely comparable with previously reported Bi2Te3-based alloys with excellent performance. Such performance mainly results from the enhanced electrical conductivity and decreased lattice thermal conductivity via regulating carrier and phonon transport. Furthermore, this material shows good mechanical properties, in which the Vickers hardness and compressive strength are up to 0.95 GPa and 94.6 MPa, respectively. Overall, both the thermoelectric and mechanical performance of the materials fabricated by our processing technology are quite competitive. This may enlighten researchers concentrating on Bi2Te3-based alloys, thus further promoting their industrial applications.

High-Power-Density and Excellent-Flexibility Thermoelectric Generator Based on All-SWCNTs/PVP Composites.

Flexible polymer/single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) composites are a vital component for wearable/portable electronics, but the development of their n-type counterpart is laggard. Furthermore, little attention is paid to the interaction between SWCNT and polymers, especially the unconjugated polymers, as well as the conversion mechanism of conduction characteristics. Here, the n-type flexible SWCNTs/Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone (PVP) films are successfully fabricated, where the oxygen atoms in PVP interacted with SWCNT via hydrogen bonds, which can lower the energy barrier of electron tunneling, providing the pathway for the electron transfer. Furthermore, with the increasing synthesis temperature, the hydrogen bonds strengthened and the thermal activation energy further improved, both of which enhanced the electron-donating ability of PVP, resulting in a high-power-factor value of 260 µW m-1 K-2. Based on the optimized SWCNTs/PVP films, a thermoelectric module is assembled, which achieved a power density of 400 µW cm-2 at a temperature difference of 56 K, coupled with excellent flexibility, showing a less than 1% variation of resistance after 5000 bending cycles. It shows the highest output-performance and the best flexibility among the reported SWCNT-based thermoelectric modules. This work provides significant insights into the interaction mechanism and performance optimization of hybrid thermoelectric composites, based on SWCNTs/unconjugated polymers.

n-Type PVP/SWCNT Composite Films with Improved Stability for Thermoelectric Power Generation.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are one of the promising thermoelectric materials in applications of powering wearable electronics. However, the electrical performance of n-type SWCNTs quickly decreases in air, showing a low stability, and low-cost and effective solutions to improving its stability are also lacking, all of which limit practical applications. In this study, we studied the stability of PVP/SWCNT composite films, where oxygen and moisture from air should be responsible for the decreased stability due to oxidation and hydration. In this case, we found that coating with a 0.20 g mL-1 PVP/0.002 g mL-1 PVDF layer on the surface of PVP/SWCNTs can prevent the penetration of oxygen and moisture from air, improving film stability, where there is almost no reduction in thermoelectric performance after they are exposed to air for 60 days. Based on the stable n-type PVP/SWCNT films, a thermoelectric generator was fabricated, where poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was used to coat the surface of the thermoelectric leg to further improve its stability. This generator showed high output performance, which achieved an open-circuit voltage of 10.6 mV and a power density of 312.2 µW cm-2 at a temperature difference of 50 K. Particularly, it exhibited high stability, where the output performance kept almost unchanged after exposure to high-humidity air for 30 days. This coating technology is also applicable to other air-sensitive materials and promotes the development and application of thermoelectric materials and devices.

The comparative analysis of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos: A systematical review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) and Lonicerae Flos (LF) were once used as the same herb in China, but they were distinguished by Chinese Pharmacopoeia in 2005 in terms of their medicinal history, plant morphology, medicinal properties and chemical constituents. However, their functions, flavor, and meridian tropism are the same according to the Chinese pharmacopoeia 2020 edition, making researchers and customers confused. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aimed to provide a comparative analysis of LJF and LF in order to provide a rational application in future research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The information was gathered from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), SciFinder, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Chinese Masters and Doctoral Dissertations (all chosen articles were reviewed attentively from 1980.1 to 2023.8). RESULTS: Till now, 507 chemical compounds have been isolated and identified in LJF, while 223 ones (79 overlapped compounds) are found in LF, including organic acids and derivatives, flavonoids, triterpenoids, iridoids, and essential oil components, etc. In addition, the pharmacological activities of LJF and LF, especially for their anti-influenza efficacy and mechanism, and their difference in terms of pharmacokinetic parameters, toxicology, and clinical applications were also summarized. CONCLUSION: The current work offers comparative information between LJF and LF in terms of botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and pharmacology, especially their anti-influenza activities. Despite the same clinical applications and similar chemical components in LJF and LF, differentiated components were still existed, resulting in differentiated pharmacological activities and pharmacokinetics parameters. Moreover, the research about anti-influenza mechanism and functional substances of LJF and LF is dramatically limited, restricting their clinical applications. In addition, few studies have investigated the metabolism feature of LF in vivo, which is one of the important bases for revealing the pharmacological mechanism of LF. At the same time, the toxicity of LJF and LF is not fully studied, and the toxic compounds of LJF and LF need to be screened out in order to standardize the drug use and improve their rational applications.

Prediction of pathological complete response of breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with a nomogram based on clinicopathologic variables, ultrasound, and MRI.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a nomogram for predicting the pathologic complete response (pCR) in breast cancer (BC) patients after NAC by applying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US). METHODS: A total of 607 LABC women who underwent NAC before surgery between January 2016 and June 2022 were retrospectively enrolled, and then were randomly divided into the training (n = 425) and test set (n = 182) with the ratio of 7:3. MRI and US variables were collected before and after NAC, as well as the clinicopathologic features. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to confirm the potentially associated predictors of pCR. Finally, a nomogram was developed in the training set with its performance evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) and validated in the test set. RESULTS: Of the 607 patients, 108 (25.4%) achieved pCR. Hormone receptor negativity (odds ratio [OR], 0.3; P < .001), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positivity (OR, 2.7; P = .001), small tumour size at post-NAC US (OR, 1.0; P = .031), tumour size reduction ≥50% at MRI (OR, 9.8; P < .001), absence of enhancement in the tumour bed at post-NAC MRI (OR, 8.1; P = .003), and the increase of ADC value after NAC (OR, 0.3; P = .035) were all significantly associated with pCR. Incorporating the above variables, the nomogram showed a satisfactory performance with an AUC of 0.884. CONCLUSION: A nomogram including clinicopathologic variables and MRI and US characteristics shows preferable performance in predicting pCR. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: A nomogram incorporating MRI and US with clinicopathologic variables was developed to provide a brief and concise approach in predicting pCR to assist clinicians in making treatment decisions early.

Bacillus licheniformis bloodstream infections associated with oral probiotic administration: Two case reports.

Bacillus licheniformis is a facultative anaerobe, gram-positive, endogenous, spore-forming bacillus. It is included in a probiotic preparation commonly used in clinical practice and is usually safe for oral administration. In this paper, we report two cases of bloodstream infection resulting from using B. licheniformis probiotic preparations for gastrointestinal bleeding. The results suggest that B. licheniformis should be used with caution in people who are immunocompromised and suffering from severe= damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier.

Association between vitamin D, depression, and sleep health in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys: a mediation analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the association between vitamin D and sleep health and to investigate whether depression could mediate this relationship. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using the 2005-2014 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. The logistic regression models were conducted to evaluate association of serum vitamin D concentrations with sleep health and depression. Mediation analyses were conducted to investigate the mediated effects of depression on the association of vitamin D with sleep health. RESULTS: In multivariate logistic models, vitamin D was found to be negatively associated with an increased risk of poor sleep health, with an odds ratio (OR) of vitamin D deficiency versus sufficiency was 1.256 (95% CI = 1.084-1.455). Additionally, univariate logistic models showed that vitamin D was also negatively associated with depression risk (vitamin D deficiency vs. sufficiency: OR = 1.699, 95% CI = (1.373-2.103). Further mediation analyses showed that the association of vitamin D with sleep health was mediated by depression, with the mediating effects of depression accounted for 44.56% of the total effects. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D affects sleep health directly and indirectly through depression. The results suggest that interventions increasing intake of vitamin D should be prioritized to promote sleep health of persons with or at risk of depression.

Bisdemethoxycurcumin alleviates LPS-induced acute lung injury via activating AMPKα pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI), and subsequently result in rapid deterioration in health. Considering the indispensable role of bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) in inflammation and oxidative stress, the present study aims to examine the effect of BDMC on sepsis-related ALI. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were administered with BDMC (100 mg/kg) or an equal volume of vehicle, and then injected with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to induce ALI. We assessed the parameters of lung injury, inflammatory response and oxidative stress in lung tissues. Consistently, the macrophages with or without BDMC treatment were exposed to LPS to verify the effect of BDMC in vitro. RESULTS: BDMC suppressed LPS-induced lung injury, inflammation and oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, BDMC increased the phosphorylation of AMPKα in response to LPS stimulation, and AMPK inhibition with Compound C almost completely blunted the protective effect of BDMC in LPS-treated mice and macrophages. Moreover, we demonstrated that BDMC activated AMPKα via the cAMP/Epac pathway. CONCLUSION: Our study identifies the protective effect of BDMC against LPS-induced ALI, and the underlying mechanism may be related to the activation of cAMP/Epac/AMPKα signaling pathway.

Corrigendum: Effects of Xiao Chengqi formula on slow transit constipation by assessing gut microbiota and metabolomics analysis in vitro and in vivo.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.864598.].

Heavy Metals in Surface Sediment of Plateau Lakes in Tibet, China: Occurrence, Risk Assessment, and Potential Sources.

Tibetan Plateau lakes have high ecological value and play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. This research aimed to study the pollution characteristics, ecological risk, and potential sources of eight heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the surface sediments of 12 Tibetan Plateau lakes. The results of the toxicity risk index (TRI) showed that only Gongzhu Tso (28.09) and La' ang Tso (20.25) had heavy metals that could pose a very high risk of toxicity to aquatic organisms. Hg posed the highest potential ecological risk to aquatic organisms. Based on the results of multiple analyses, we inferred that the contents of Cr, Cu, Hg, and Ni in sediments of Tibetan lakes were influenced by industrial and agricultural development; Cd, Pb, and Zn were influenced by transport and atmospheric transport; and As was derived from geothermal activity and rock weathering.

Unveiling mitophagy-mediated molecular heterogeneity and development of a risk signature model for colorectal cancer by integrated scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq analysis.

Background: Accumulating researchers have recognized mitophagy as a key player in tumors, but few studies have investigated its role in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Advances in the technology of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) have allowed unveiling the concealed features of the TME at cellular resolution. This study aimed to elucidate the role of mitophagy within the TME of colorectal cancer (CRC) and to establish a mitophagy-mediated risk model. Methods: We assessed mitophagy-related pathway activities at both single-cell and tissue levels. Subsequently, an unsupervised clustering algorithm was employed to identify mitophagy-mediated subtypes. Furthermore, we developed a mitophagy-mediated risk signature (MMRS) using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox analysis and constructed a MMRS model incorporating the risk score and clinical variables. Subsequently, we used quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis to verify the expression of the screened genes. Results: We retrieved and annotated a total of 14,719 cells from eight samples in the scRNA-seq GSE132465 data set. The activities of mitophagy-related pathways were uniformly upregulated in cancer cells. Integrating with bulk RNA-seq data, we identified two mitophagy-mediated clusters (C1 and C2) with distinct characteristics and prognoses. C2 was identified as a mitophagy-high cluster. Then, we developed a five-gene MMRS via LASSO Cox analysis in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. We utilized the GSE39582 cohort to validate the efficacy of our model. The expression of CX3CL1 and INHBB was upregulated in CRC tissues. Conclusions: The present study identified two mitophagy-mediated CRC subtypes with distinct features. Our MMRS may provide potential therapeutic strategies for CRC. The findings of our work offer novel insights into the involvement of mitophagy in CRC.

Dynamic monitoring of self-assembly by confining conformational changes of butterfly-motion-based molecules.

A simple dynamic monitoring strategy for chiral self-assembly is achieved by confining the bent-to-planar evolution observed in N,N'-diphenyl-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazine derivatives (DPAC-R/S-GLD). Besides, this approach provides a facile pathway to fabricate architectures with circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) properties.