Integrating Multiple Bacterial Phenotypes and Bayesian Network for Analyzing Health Risks of Pathogens in Plastisphere.

Plastic pollution represents a critical threat to soil ecosystems and even humans, as plastics can serve as a habitat for breeding and refuging pathogenic microorganisms against stresses. However, evaluating the health risk of plastispheres is difficult due to the lack of risk factors and quantification model. Here, DNA sequencing, single-cell Raman-D2O labeling, and transformation assay were used to quantify key risk factors of plastisphere, including pathogen abundance, phenotypic resistance to various stresses (antibiotic and pesticide), and ability to acquire antibiotic resistance genes. A Bayesian network model was newly introduced to integrate these three factors and infer their causal relationships. Using this model, the risk of pathogen in the plastisphere is found to be nearly 3 magnitudes higher than that in free-living state. Furthermore, this model exhibits robustness for risk prediction, even in the absence of one factor. Our framework offers a novel and practical approach to assessing the health risk of plastispheres, contributing to the management of plastic-related threats to human health.

Spatially confined synthesis of large-sized MoS2 nanosheets in molten KSCN toward efficient hydrogen evolution.

Low-temperature KSCN molten salt is a promising technique to synthesize defect-rich MoS2 catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, owing to the fast ion diffusion rate for rapid crystal growth, the resultant catalysts show a morphology of microsphere, which aggregates from MoS2 nanosheets, to suppress the catalytic performance. In this work, large-sized few-layer MoS2 nanosheets are synthesized via a spatial confinement strategy by adding inert NaCl into the KSCN molten salt. With the NaCl spacer to physically block the long-distance ion diffusion and isolate the chemical reaction, the MoS2 nucleation and subsequent crystal growth could be controlled, guiding the nanosheets to grow along the narrow gap between the NaCl crystals to avoid aggregation. As a result, ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets with a large geometry size are constructed. Profiting from the architecture to expose active sites and boost charge transfer kinetics, the large-sized few-layer MoS2 nanosheets exhibit an impressive HER performance, showing a small η10 of 160 mV and a low Tafel slope of 53 mV dec-1 with excellent stability. This work provides not only an efficient HER catalyst but also a facile spatial confinement technique to design and synthesize a large spectrum of transition metal sulfides for broad uses.

Combined application of myo-inositol and corn steep liquor enhances seedling growth and cold tolerance in cucumber and tomato.

Low temperatures pose a common challenge in the production of cucumbers and tomatoes, hindering plant growth and, in severe cases, leading to plant death. In our investigation, we observed a substantial improvement in the growth of cucumber and tomato seedlings through the application of corn steep liquor (CSL), myo-inositol (MI), and their combinations. When subjected to low-temperature stress, these treatments resulted in heightened levels of photosynthetic pigments, thereby fostering enhanced photosynthesis in both tomato and cucumber plants. Furthermore, it contributed to a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and electrolyte leakage (REP). The effectiveness of the treatment was further validated through the analysis of key gene expressions (CBF1, COR, MIOX4, and MIPS1) in cucumber. Particularly, noteworthy positive outcomes were noted in the treatment involving 0.6 mL L-1 CSL combined with 72 mg L-1 MI. This study provides valuable technical insights into leveraging the synergistic effects of inositol and maize leachate to promote early crop growth and bolster resistance to low temperatures.

Transition of cooking fuels and obesity risk in Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND: Since 1990 s, China has witnessed a widespread transition to clean cooking fuels, presenting an opportunity to investigate whether household fuel transition could mitigate obesity risk and reconcile inconsistencies in the literature regarding the association between cooking fuels and obesity. METHODS: The China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) is a prospective cohort study covering 12 provinces of China (1989-2015). Participants were classified into persistent cleaner fuel users, fuel transitioners, and persistent polluting fuel users according to self-reported primary cooking fuels. Obesity and central obesity were defined as BMI ≥ 28.0 kg/m2 and waist circumference ≥ 90 cm in men and ≥ 85 cm in women according to Chinese criteria. FINDINGS: Among 13,032 participants, 3657 (28.06 %) were persistent cleaner fuel users; 5264 (40.39 %) transitioned from using polluting fuels to cleaner fuels after the baseline survey; and 4111 (31.55 %) were persistent polluting fuel users. During the period of follow-up of 9.0 ± 6.8 years, 1248 (9.58 %) participants were classified into the obesity category, and 4703 (36.09 %) into the central obesity category. Persistent polluting fuel users had a significantly higher risk of developing obesity (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.45, 95 %CI: 1.22-1.72) and central obesity (HR: 1.32, 95 %CI: 1.21-1.44), compared to persistent cleaner fuel users. Persistent polluting fuel use was positively associated with developing obesity in women (HR: 1.64, 95 %CI: 1.30-2.06), but not in men. Subgroup analyses showed higher HR of persistent polluting fuel use among individuals aged 18-44 years (HR: 2.04, 95 %CI: 1.62-2.56). In contrast, the transitioners did not exhibit a significantly different risk of developing obesity (HR: 0.94, 95 %CI: 0.80-1.10) compared to persistent cleaner fuel users, which was consistent across different sex, age and urbanicity. Similar trends were observed for developing central obesity. INTERPRETATION: Persistent polluting fuel use increased obesity risk while the obesity risk of the transition to cleaner fuels was similar to persistent use of cleaner fuels. The finding underscores the significance of advocating for the adoption of cleaner fuels as a strategy to mitigate the disease burden associated with obesity.

Hypermethylated TAGMe as a universal-cancer-only methylation marker and its application in diagnosis and recurrence monitoring of urothelial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the second most common urological malignancy. Despite numerous molecular markers have been evaluated during the past decades, no urothelial markers for diagnosis and recurrence monitoring have shown consistent clinical utility. METHODS: The methylation level of tissue samples from public database and clinical collected were analyzed. Patients with UC and benign diseases of the urinary system (BUD) were enrolled to establish TAGMe (TAG of Methylation) assessment in a training cohort (n = 567) using restriction enzyme-based bisulfite-free qPCR. The performance of TAGMe assessment was further verified in the validation cohort (n = 198). Urine samples from 57 UC patients undergoing postoperative surveillance were collected monthly for six months after surgery to assess the TAGMe methylation. RESULTS: We identified TAGMe as a potentially novel Universal-Cancer-Only Methylation (UCOM) marker was hypermethylated in multi-type cancers and investigated its application in UC. Restriction enzyme-based bisulfite-free qPCR was used for detection, and the results of which were consistent with gold standard pyrosequencing. Importantly, hypermethylated TAGMe showed excellent sensitivity of 88.9% (95% CI: 81.4-94.1%) and specificity of 90.0% (95% CI: 81.9-95.3%) in efficiently distinguishing UC from BUD patients in urine and also performed well in different clinical scenarios of UC. Moreover, the abnormality of TAGMe as an indicator of recurrence might precede clinical recurrence by three months to one year, which provided an invaluable time window for timely and effective intervention to prevent UC upstaging. CONCLUSION: TAGMe assessment based on a novel single target in urine is effective and easy to perform in UC diagnosis and recurrence monitoring, which may reduce the burden of cystoscopy. Trial registration ChiCTR2100052507. Registered on 30 October 2021.

UPLC-MS/MS determination of 71 neuropsychotropic drugs in human serum.

In this study, a UPLC-MS/MS method was developed for the rapid detection of 71 neuropsychotropic drugs in human serum for drug concentration monitoring and toxicity screening. The analytes were separated from the biological matrix by protein precipitation using a methanol-acetonitrile solvent mixture. The chromatographic separation was performed on a Kromasil ClassicShell C18 column (2.1*50 mm, 2.5 µ m) with gradient elution using acetonitrile-0.2 % acetic acid and 10 mM ammonium acetate as the mobile phases (flow rate 0.4 mL/min, column temperature 40 °C, injection volume 5 µL). An electrospray ion source in both positive and negative ion modes with multiple ion monitoring was used. The total run time was 6 min. All compounds were quantified using the isotope internal standard method. Totally, 71 drugs were detected within their linear ranges with correlation coefficients greater than 0.990. The intra- and inter-batch precision relative standard deviations (RSDs) for the low, medium, and high concentration points were less than 15 %, with an accuracy of 90%-110 %. All compounds except Moclobemide N-oxindole are stabilised within 7 days. The relative matrix effect results for each analyte were within ±20 % of the requirements. The method is validated according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, easy to use, and has a low cost.

Differences in Genomic Alterations and Accumulations of Heavy Metals Between Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with and without Bone Metastasis.

Purpose: Bone metastasis (BoM) has been closely associated with increased morbidity and poor survival outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Given its significant implications, this study aimed to systematically compare the biological characteristics between advanced NSCLC patients with and without BoM. Methods: In this study, the genomic alterations from the tumor tissue DNA of 42 advanced NSCLC patients without BoM and 67 patients with BoM and were analyzed by a next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel. The serum concentrations of 18 heavy metals were detected by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: A total of 157 somatic mutations across 18 mutated genes and 105 somatic mutations spanning 16 mutant genes were identified in 61 out of 67 (91.05%) patients with BoM and 37 of 42 (88.10%) patients without BoM, respectively. Among these mutated genes, NTRK1, FGFR1, ERBB4, NTRK3, and FGFR2 stood out exclusively in patients with BoM, whereas BRAF, GNAS, and AKT1 manifested solely in those without BoM. Moreover, both co-occurring sets of genes and mutually exclusive sets of genes in patients with BoM were different from those in patients without BoM. In addition, the serum concentrations of Cu and Sr in patients with BoM were significantly higher than in patients without BoM. One of our aims was to explore how these heavy metals associated with BoM interacted with other heavy metals, and significant positive correlations were observed between Cu and Co, between Cu and Cr, between Sr and Ba, and between Sr and Ni in patients with BoM. Given the significant impacts of molecular characteristics on patients' prognosis, we also observed a noteworthy negative correlation between EGFR mutations and Co, alongside a significant positive correlation between TP53 mutations and Cd. Conclusions: The genomic alterations, somatic interactions, key signaling pathways, functional biological information, and accumulations of serum heavy metals were markedly different between advanced NSCLC patients with and without BoM, and certain heavy metals (e.g., Cu, Sr) might have potentials to identify high-risk patients with BoM.

Evidence of abnormal hot carrier thermalization at van Hove singularity of twisted bilayer graphene.

Interlayer twist evokes revolutionary changes to the optical and electronic properties of twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) for electronics, photonics and optoelectronics. Although the ground state responses in TBG have been vastly and clearly studied, the dynamic process of its photoexcited carrier states mainly remains elusive. Here, we unveil the photoexcited hot carrier dynamics in TBG by time-resolved ultrafast photoluminescence (PL) autocorrelation spectroscopy. We demonstrate the unconventional ultrafast PL emission between the van Hove singularities (VHSs) with a ∼4 times prolonged relaxation lifetime. This intriguing photoexcited carrier behavior is ascribed to the abnormal hot carrier thermalization brought by bottleneck effects at VHSs and interlayer charge distribution process. Our study on hot carrier dynamics in TBG offers new insights into the excited states and correlated physics of graphene twistronics systems.

Association of Pringle maneuver with postoperative recurrence and survival following hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter propensity score and competing-risks regression analysis.

Background: The application of Pringle maneuver (PM) during hepatectomy reduces intraoperative blood loss and the need for perioperative transfusion, but its effect on long-term recurrence and survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. We sought to determine the association between the application of PM and post-hepatectomy oncologic outcomes for patients with HCC. Methods: Patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for HCC at 9 Chinese hospitals from January 2010 to December 2018 were identified. Using two propensity score methods [propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weight (IPTW)], cumulative recurrence rate and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) were compared between the patients in the PM and non-PM groups. Multivariate competing-risks regression models were performed to adjust for the effect of non-cancer-specific mortality and other prognostic risk factors. Results: Of the 2,798 included patients, 2,404 and 394 did and did not adopt PM (the PM and non-PM groups), respectively. The rates of intraoperative blood transfusion, postoperative 30-day mortality and morbidity were comparable between the two groups (all P>0.05). In the PSM cohort by the 1:3 ratio, compared to 382 patients in the non-PM group, 1,146 patients in the PM group also had the higher cumulative 5-year recurrence rate and CSM (63.9% and 39.1% vs. 55.3% and 31.6%, both P<0.05). Similar results were also yielded in the entire cohort and the IPTW cohort. Multivariate competing-risks regression analyses demonstrated that no application of the PM was independently associated with lower recurrence rate and CSM based on various analytical cohorts [hazard ratio (HR), 0.82 and 0.77 in the adjusted entire cohort, HR 0.80 and 0.73 in the PSM cohort, and HR 0.80 and 0.76 in the IPTW cohort, respectively]. Conclusions: The findings suggested that no application of PM during hepatectomy for patients with HCC reduced the risk of postoperative recurrence and cancer-specific death by approximately 20-25%.

Enhanced full-seawater splitting with a CoNiP@N,P-C core-shell electrocatalyst.

This study investigated a novel electrocatalyst with a core-shell structure of CoNiP@N,P-C. The unique carbon shell of this catalyst serves a dual purpose: exposing numerous active sites and safeguarding CoNiP nanoparticles from dissolution caused by the electrolyte. As a result, the CoNiP@N,P-C nanoparticles exhibit exceptional electrochemical properties. The CoNiP@N,P-C catalyst displays overpotentials of 234 and 314 mV for the HER and OER, respectively, within a simulated seawater solution (1 M KOH + 0.5 M NaCl), indicating its outstanding catalytic performance. Moreover, when subjected to full seawater splitting, the CoNiP@N,P-C catalyst exhibited high activity, achieving a 1.71 V cell voltage at a current density of 10 mA cm-2. As revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the CoNiP@N,P-C catalyst exhibits Gibbs free energy for hydrogen adsorption (ΔGH* = -0.19 eV) that is decreased in comparison with CoP@N,P-C, NiP@N,P-C, and N,P-C (-0.321 eV, -0.434 eV, and 0.723 eV, respectively). This finding confirms that the core-shell structure plays a role in enhancing the HER kinetics and improving the catalytic performance, which is consistent with the experimental observations. Consequently, this study introduces the concept of utilizing bimetal phosphide core-shell structures for overall seawater splitting, offering a novel approach in this field of research.

High-efficient depletion and separation of histidine-rich proteins via Cu2+-chelated porous polymer microspheres.

Depletion and separation of histidine-rich proteins from complicated biosamples are crucial for various downstream applications in proteome research and clinical diagnosis. Herein, porous polymer microspheres coated with polyacrylic acid (SPSDVB-PAA) were fabricated through double emulsion interfacial polymerization technique and followed by immobilization of Cu2+ ions on the surface of SPSDVB-PAA. The as-prepared SPSDVB-PAA-Cu with uniform size and nanoscale pore structure enabled coordination interaction of Cu2+ with histidine residues in his-rich proteins, resulting in high-performance adsorption. As metal affinity adsorbent, the SPSDVB-PAA-Cu exhibited favorable selectivity for adsorbing hemoglobin (Hb) and human serum albumin (HSA) with the maximum adsorption capacities of 152.2 and 100.7 mg g-1. Furthermore, the polymer microspheres were used to isolate histidine-rich proteins from human whole blood and plasma, underscoring their effectiveness. The liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) results indicated that the content of 14 most abundant proteins in human plasma was depleted from 81.6 % to 30.7 % and low-abundance proteins were enriched from 18.4 % to 69.3 % after treatment with SPSDVB-PAA-Cu, illustrating potential application of SPSDVB-PAA-Cu in proteomic research.

Repurposing of halogenated organic pollutants via alkyl bromide-catalysed transfer chlorination.

Halogenated organic pollutants (HOPs) are causing a significant environmental and human health crisis due to their high levels of toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation. Urgent action is required to develop effective approaches for the reduction and reuse of HOPs. Whereas current strategies focus primarily on the degradation of HOPs, repurposing them is an alternative approach, albeit a challenging task. Here we discover that alkyl bromide can act as a catalyst for the transfer of chlorine using alkyl chloride as the chlorine source. We demonstrate that this approach has a wide substrate scope, and we successfully apply it to reuse HOPs that include dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, hexabromocyclododecane, chlorinated paraffins, chloromethyl polystyrene and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Moreover, we show that the synthesis of essential non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be achieved using PVC and hexabromocyclododecane, and we demonstrate that PVC waste can be used directly as a chlorinating agent. Overall, this methodology offers a promising strategy for repurposing HOPs.

Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms with single-hit TP53 mutations share the clinical, molecular, and survival characteristics of their multi-hit counterparts.

Recent updates in the classification of myeloid neoplasms (MNs) recognize the poor prognostic impact of TP53 mutations, with particular emphasis on the TP53 allele status. Studies on the effect of TP53 allele status exclusively in therapy-related MNs (t-MNs) are lacking. We compared the clinicopathologic and survival characteristics of t-MNs with single-hit (SH) and multi-hit (MH) TP53 mutations. A total of 71 TP53-mutated t-MNs were included, including 56 (78.9%) MH and 15 (21.1%) SH. Both groups showed comparable genetic profiles with an excess of high-risk karyotypes and a paucity of other co-mutated genes. TP53 was the sole detectable mutation in 73.3% of SH and 75.0% of MH cases. The overall survival (OS) of SH TP53-mutated t-MNs was not significantly different from MH cases (median survival: 233 vs.273 days, p = 0.70). Our findings suggest that t-MNs with SH TP53 mutations share the poor prognostic and biologic profile of their MH counterparts.

Association between cardiac magnetic resonance ventricular strain and left ventricular thrombus in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial strain can analyze early myocardial dysfunction after myocardial infarction (MI). However, the correlation between left ventricular (LV) strain (including regional and global strain) obtained by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and left ventricular thrombus (LVT) after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is unclear. METHODS: The retrospective clinical observation study included patients with LVT (n = 20) and non-LVT (n = 195) who underwent CMR within two weeks after STEMI. CMR images were analyzed using CVI 42 (Circle Cardiovascular Imaging, Canada) to obtain LV strain values. Logistic regression analysis identified risk factors for LVT among baseline characteristics, CMR ventricular strain, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Considering potential correlations between strains, the ability of LV strain to identify LVT was evaluated using 9 distinct models. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated with GraphPad Prism, and the area under the curve (AUC) of LVEF, apical longitudinal strain (LS), and circumferential strain (CS) was calculated to determine their capacity to distinguish LVT. RESULTS: Among 215 patients, 9.3% developed LVT, with a 14.5% incidence in those with anterior MI. Univariate regression indicated associations of LAD infarct-related artery, lower NT-proBNP, lower LVEF, and reduced global, midventricular, and apical strain with LVT. Further multivariable regression analysis showed that apical LS, LVEF and NT-proBNP were still independently related to LVT (Apical LS: OR = 1.14, 95%CI (1.01, 1.30), P = 0.042; LVEF: OR = 0.91, 95%CI (0.85, 0.97), P = 0.005; NT-proBNP: OR = 2.35, 95%CI (1.04, 5.31) ). CONCLUSION: Reduced apical LS on CMR is independently associated with LVT after STEMI.

Fabrication of Azacrown Ether-Embedded Covalent Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Cathode Performance in Aqueous Ni-Zn Batteries.

Crown ethers (CEs), known for their exceptional host-guest complexation, offer potential as linkers in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for enhanced performance in catalysis and host-guest binding. However, their highly flexible conformation and low symmetry limit the diversity of CE-derived COFs. Here, we introduce a novel C3-symmetrical azacrown ether (ACE) building block, tris(pyrido)[18]crown-6 (TPy18C6), for COF fabrication (ACE-COF-1 and ACE-COF-2) via reticular synthesis. This approach enables precise integration of CEs into COFs, enhancing Ni2+ ion immobilization while maintaining crystallinity. The resulting Ni2+-doped COFs (Ni@ACE-COF-1 and Ni@ACE-COF-2) exhibit high discharge capacity (up to 1.27 mAh·cm-2 at 8 mA·cm-2) and exceptional cycling stability (>1000 cycles) as cathode materials in aqueous alkaline nickel-zinc batteries. This study serves as an exemplar of the seamless integration of macrocyclic chemistry and reticular chemistry, laying the groundwork for extending the macrocyclic-synthon driven strategy to a diverse array of COF building blocks, ultimately yielding advanced materials tailored for specific applications.

LINC00982-encoded protein PRDM16-DT regulates CHEK2 splicing to suppress colorectal cancer metastasis and chemoresistance.

Metastasis is one of the key factors of treatment failure in late-stage colorectal cancer (CRC). Metastatic CRC frequently develops resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. This study aimed to identify the novel regulators from "hidden" proteins encoded by long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in tumor metastasis and chemoresistance. Methods: CRISPR/Cas9 library functional screening was employed to identify the critical suppressor of cancer metastasis in highly invasive CRC models. Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, invasion, migration, wound healing, WST-1, colony formation, gain- and loss-of-function experiments, in vivo experimental metastasis models, multiplex immunohistochemical staining, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, and RT-PCR were used to assess the functional and clinical significance of FOXP3, PRDM16-DT, HNRNPA2B1, and L-CHEK2. RNA-sequencing, co-immunoprecipitation, qRT-PCR, RT-PCR, RNA affinity purification, RNA immunoprecipitation, MeRIP-quantitative PCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization, chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay were performed to gain mechanistic insights into the role of PRDM16-DT in cancer metastasis and chemoresistance. An oxaliplatin-resistant CRC cell line was established by in vivo selection. WST-1, colony formation, invasion, migration, Biacore technology, gain- and loss-of-function experiments and an in vivo experimental metastasis model were used to determine the function and mechanism of cimicifugoside H-1 in CRC. Results: The novel protein PRDM16-DT, encoded by LINC00982, was identified as a cancer metastasis and chemoresistance suppressor. The down-regulated level of PRDM16-DT was positively associated with malignant phenotypes and poor prognosis of CRC patients. Transcriptionally regulated by FOXP3, PRDM16-DT directly interacted with HNRNPA2B1 and competitively decreased HNRNPA2B1 binding to exon 9 of CHEK2, resulting in the formation of long CHEK2 (L-CHEK2), subsequently promoting E-cadherin secretion. PRDM16-DT-induced E-cadherin secretion inhibited fibroblast activation, which in turn suppressed CRC metastasis by decreasing MMP9 secretion. Cimicifugoside H-1, a natural compound, can bind to LEU89, HIS91, and LEU92 of FOXP3 and significantly upregulated PRDM16-DT expression to repress CRC metastasis and reverse oxaliplatin resistance. Conclusions: lncRNA LINC00982 can express a new protein PRDM16-DT to function as a novel regulator in cancer metastasis and drug resistance of CRC. Cimicifugoside H-1 can act on the upstream of the PRDM16-DT signaling pathway to alleviate cancer chemoresistance.

Prognostic implications of preoperative, postoperative, and dynamic changes of alpha-fetoprotein and des-gamma (γ)-carboxy prothrombin expression pattern for hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatic resection: a multicenter observational study.

Background: The utility of pre- and post-operative alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-gamma (γ)-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) expression patterns and their dynamic changes as predictors of the outcome of hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has yet to be well elucidated. Methods: From a multicenter database, AFP and DCP data during the week prior to surgery and the first post-discharge outpatient visit (within 1-2 months after surgery) were collected from patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy. AFP-DCP expression patterns were categorized according to the number of positive tumor markers (AFP ≥ 20ng/mL, DCP ≥ 40mAU/mL), including double-negative, single-positive, and double-positive. Changes in the AFP-DCP expression patterns were delineated based on variations in the number of positive tumor markers when comparing pre- and post-operative patterns. Results: Preoperatively, 53 patients (8.3%), 337 patients (52.8%), and 248 patients (38.9%) exhibited double-negative, single-positive, and double-positive AFP-DCP expression patterns, respectively. Postoperatively, 463 patients (72.6%), 130 patients (20.4%), and 45 patients (7.0%) showed double-negative, single-positive, and double-positive AFP-DCP expression patterns, respectively. Survival analysis showed a progressive decrease in recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) as the number of postoperative positive tumor markers increased (both P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that postoperative AFP-DCP expression pattern, but not preoperative AFP-DCP expression pattern, was an independent risk factor for RFS and OS. Further analysis showed that for patients with positive preoperative markers, prognosis gradually improves as positive markers decrease postoperatively. In particular, when all postoperative markers turned negative, the prognosis was consistent with that of preoperative double-negative patients, regardless of the initial number of positive markers. Conclusions: AFP-DCP expression patterns, particularly postoperative patterns, serve as vital sources of information for prognostic evaluation following hepatectomy for HCC. Moreover, changes in AFP-DCP expression patterns from pre- to post-operation enable dynamic prognostic risk stratification postoperatively, aiding the development of individualized follow-up strategies.

Identification of prognostic biomarkers for cholangiocarcinoma by combined analysis of molecular characteristics of clinical MVI subtypes and molecular subtypes.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is widely noted for its high degree of malignancy, rapid progression, and limited therapeutic options. This study was carried out on transcriptome data of 417 CCA samples from different anatomical locations. The effects of lipid metabolism related genes and immune related genes as CCA classifiers were compared. Key genes were derived from MVI subtypes and better molecular subtypes. Pathways such as epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell cycle were significantly activated in MVI-positive group. CCA patients were classified into three (four) subtypes based on lipid metabolism (immune) related genes, with better prognosis observed in lipid metabolism-C1, immune-C2, and immune-C4. IPTW analysis found that the prognosis of lipid metabolism-C1 was significantly better than that of lipid metabolism-C2 + C3 before and after correction. KRT16 was finally selected as the key gene. And knockdown of KRT16 inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of CCA cells.

Interfacial-Assembly-Induced In Situ Transformation from Aligned 1D Nanowires to Quasi-2D Nanofilms.

As the dimensionality of materials generally affects their characteristics, thin films composed of low-dimensional nanomaterials, such as nanowires (NWs) or nanoplates, are of great importance in modern engineering. Among various bottom-up film fabrication strategies, interfacial assembly of nanoscale building blocks holds great promise in constructing large-scale aligned thin films, leading to emergent or enhanced collective properties compared to individual building blocks. As for 1D nanostructures, the interfacial self-assembly causes the morphology orientation, effectively achieving anisotropic electrical, thermal, and optical conduction. However, issues such as defects between each nanoscale building block, crystal orientation, and homogeneity constrain the application of ordered films. The precise control of transdimensional synthesis and the formation mechanism from 1D to 2D are rarely reported. To meet this gap, we introduce an interfacial-assembly-induced interfacial synthesis strategy and successfully synthesize quasi-2D nanofilms via the oriented attachment of 1D NWs on the liquid interface. Theoretical sampling and simulation show that NWs on the liquid interface maintain their lowest interaction energy for the ordered crystal plane (110) orientation and then rearrange and attach to the quasi-2D nanofilm. This quasi-2D nanofilm shows enhanced electric conductivity and unique optical properties compared with its corresponding 1D geometry materials. Uncovering these growth pathways of the 1D-to-2D transition provides opportunities for future material design and synthesis at the interface.