Correction: Liu et al. RANBP2 Activates O-GlcNAcylation through Inducing CEBPα-Dependent OGA Downregulation to Promote Hepatocellular Carcinoma Malignant Phenotypes. Cancers 2021, 13, 3475.

In the original publication [...].

Subgrouping testicular germ cell tumors based on immunotherapy and chemotherapy associated lncRNAs.

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most common reproductive system malignancies in men aged 15-44 years, accounting for 95 % of all testicular tumors. Our previous studies have been shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), such as LINC00313, TTTY14 and RFPL3S, were associated with development of TGCT. Subgrouping TGCT according to differential expressed lncRNAs and immunological characteristics is helpful to comprehensively describe the characteristics of TGCT and implement precise treatment. In this study, the TGCT transcriptome data in The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) database was used to perform consensus clustering analysis to construct a prognostic model for TGCT. TGCT was divided into 3 subtypes C1, C2, and C3 based on the differentially expressed lncRNAs. C1 subtype was sensitive to chemotherapy drugs, while the C2 subtype was not sensitive to chemotherapy drugs, and C3 subtype may benefit from immunotherapy. We defined the C1 subtype as epidermal progression subtype, the C2 subtype as mesenchymal progression subtype, and the C3 subtype as T cell activation subtype. Subgrouping based on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and immunological characteristics is helpful for the precise treatment of TGCT.

Underwater motion scene image restoration based on an improved U-Net network.

Active underwater polarization imaging is a common underwater imaging method, which uses the polarization difference between the reflected light and the scattered light in the underwater scene to suppress the scattered light, so as to improve the imaging quality of the underwater scene. However, the implementation often requires the acquisition of multiple polarization images, which is not suitable for the restoration of images of underwater motion scenes. To address the problem, a U-AD-Net deep learning network model based on a single polarized image is proposed, taking the polarization information of the single polarized image as the feature input, based on the classic U-Net network model, and introducing Dense-Net and spatial attention module. The learning ability and generalization ability of the proposed model for deep features are enhanced, and the polarization information that is most helpful to the image restoration is extracted, so as to restore the scene image more comprehensively. IE, AG, UCIQE, and SSIM are selected as evaluation metrics to assess the quality of the restored images. Experimental results show that the images restored through this proposed method contain richer detail information, having an obvious advantage to the existing network models. Since only a single polarized image is needed for restoration, this method has dynamic adaptability to underwater moving scene restoration.

Efficacy of indocyanine green fluorescence-guided inguinal lymph node dissection for penile cancer: a randomised trial.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the safety and efficacy of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence-guided inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) in patients with penile cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective, single-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial (ChiCTR2100044584) was performed among patients with penile caner who underwent bilateral modified ILND at four centres in China between 1 April 2021 and 30 June 2022. Patients aged 18-80 years and diagnosed with squamous cell carcinomas were included. Each enrolled patient was randomly assigned to either ICG fluorescence-guided ILND by a laparoscopic or robot-assisted approach in one groin, with non-ICG fluorescence-guided ILND in the other groin acting as a control. The primary outcome was the number of retrieved ILNs. Secondary outcomes included complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification and the ILN non-compliance (inadequate removal of ILNs) rate. RESULTS: A total of 45 patients were included in the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, and the 42 who completed the entire study were included in the per protocol (PP) analysis. There were no ICG-related complications in any of the patients. The results of the ITT and PP analyses indicated that the total number of unilateral ILNs retrieved was higher on the ICG side than on the non-ICG side (mean 13 vs 9 ILNs, difference 4 ILNs [95% CI 2.7-4.4], P = 0.007), and the number of unilateral deep and superficial ILNs was higher on the ICG side. Furthermore, the LN non-compliance rate was lower on the ICG side than on the non-ICG side. Additionally, there was no significant difference in local complications in the groins between the two sides (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: An ICG fluorescence-guided ILND was safe for patients with penile cancer. This procedure can improve the number of ILNs retrieved and reduce the LN non-compliance rate without increased complications. ICG fluorescence-guided ILND is beneficial and recommended for selected patients with penile cancer.

Could the New pN Staging Classification Better Predict the Prognosis of Penile Cancer? A Population-Based Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) has made new revisions to the N staging of penile cancer (PeCa). This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the new N staging classification. METHODS: This cohort was included from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1988-2016). Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival curve. The Cox proportional hazards model was employed to calculate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Among the included 583 patients, 270 patients had only one positive inguinal lymph node (ILNP), 115 had two ILNPs, and 198 had 3 or more ILNPs. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that The OS and CSS of patients with ILNP = 2 were not statistically different from those with ILNP = 1 (p = 0.394; p = 0.760), but had OS and CSS benefit over those with ILNP ≥3 (p = 0.017; p = 0.020). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that patients with ILNP = 2 and ILNP = 1 have similar OS and CSS (HR = 0.80, p = 0.153; HR = 0.74, p = 0.148), but patients with ILNP ≥3 had worse OS and CSS than patients with ILNP = 2 (HR = 1.56, p = 0.007; HR = 1.86, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: PeCa patients with only one or two lymph node metastases had similar survival outcomes. AJCC 8th edition pN staging has a better discriminative ability to predict the prognosis and can accurately stratify mortality risk in PeCa.

Could the New pN Staging Classification Better Predict the Prognosis of Penile Cancer? A Population-Based Analysis

Background: The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) has made new revisions to the N staging of penile cancer (PeCa). This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the new N staging classification. Methods: This cohort was included from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1988–2016). Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier survival curve. The Cox proportional hazards model was employed to calculate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Among the included 583 patients, 270 patients had only one positive inguinal lymph node (ILNP), 115 had two ILNPs, and 198 had 3 or more ILNPs. Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated that The OS and CSS of patients with ILNP = 2 were not statistically different from those with ILNP = 1 (p = 0.394; p = 0.760), but had OS and CSS benefit over those with ILNP ≥3 (p = 0.017; p = 0.020). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that patients with ILNP = 2 and ILNP = 1 have similar OS and CSS (HR = 0.80, p = 0.153; HR = 0.74, p = 0.148), but patients with ILNP ≥3 had worse OS and CSS than patients with ILNP = 2 (HR = 1.56, p = 0.007; HR = 1.86, p = 0.003). Conclusions: PeCa patients with only one or two lymph node metastases had similar survival outcomes. AJCC 8th edition pN staging has a better discriminative ability to predict the prognosis and can accurately stratify mortality risk in PeCa (AU)

An Adaptive Multi-Mode Navigation Method with Intelligent Virtual Sensor Based on Long Short-Term Memory in GNSS Restricted Environment.

Aiming at the problem of fast divergence of pure inertial navigation system without correction under the condition of GNSS restricted environment, this paper proposes a multi-mode navigation method with an intelligent virtual sensor based on long short-term memory (LSTM). The training mode, predicting mode, and validation mode for the intelligent virtual sensor are designed. The modes are switching flexibly according to GNSS rejecting situation and the status of the LSTM network of the intelligent virtual sensor. Then the inertial navigation system (INS) is corrected, and the availability of the LSTM network is also maintained. Meanwhile, the fireworks algorithm is adopted to optimize the learning rate and the number of hidden layers of LSTM hyperparameters to improve the estimation performance. The simulation results show that the proposed method can maintain the prediction accuracy of the intelligent virtual sensor online and shorten the training time according to the performance requirements adaptively. Under small sample conditions, the training efficiency and availability ratio of the proposed intelligent virtual sensor are improved significantly more than the neural network (BP) as well as the conventional LSTM network, improving the navigation performance in GNSS restricted environment effectively and efficiently.

Hyperforin regulates renal fibrosis via targeting the PI3K-AKT/ICAM1 axis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role and mechanism of hyperforin (one of the active components of Sophora flavescens) in renal fibrosis. METHODS: The active compounds and target proteins of Sophora flavescens were first screened through TCMSP (https://tcmsp-e.com/). The renal fibrosis-related genes were analyzed through GeneCards (https://www.genecards.org/). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in renal fibrosis in GEO dataset GSE156181 were obtained. Metascape was applied for target protein enrichment analysis. TGF-ß1-stimulated renal tubular epithelial cells were used for renal fibrosis cell model establishment. The unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mouse model was used for the renal fibrosis in vivo model. Cell viability was detected using an MTT assay. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to detect cell morphology changes and the expression of α-SMA and collagen I. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson staining were employed to determine the renal morphologic change. qRT-PCR or Western blotting was applied to determine the expression levels of the target proteins. RESULTS: After intersecting the analysis results of TCMSP, GeneCards, and dataset GSE156181, hyperforin targeting ICAM1 was identified. Metascape pathway enrichment analysis results revealed that the effective compounds of Sophora flavescens were tightly associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and inflammatory response. MTT assay demonstrated that hyperforin had no toxic effect on cells. Immunofluorescence staining results evidenced that hyperforin could partially restore TGF-ß1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), the PI3K/AKT pathway activation, and ICAM1 upregulation, and these effects of hyperforin could be reversed by ICAM1 overexpression. While the PI3K/AKT pathway activator IGF-1 effectively reversed the EMT inhibition effect of hyperforin on renal tubular epithelial cells. Moreover, the UUO mouse model further confirmed that hyperforin reduced renal fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Hyperforin inhibited renal fibrosis via the PI3K/AKT/ICAM1 axis.

Immune landscape and the key role of APOE+ monocytes of lupus nephritis under the single-cell and spatial transcriptional vista.

BACKGROUND: Lupus nephritis (LN) is among the most common complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with high mortality and morbidity. The analysis of LN kidney's local immune response through single-cell and spatial transcriptome enables the study of potential therapeutic targets. METHODS: By single cell sequencing and spatial transcriptome, we profile cells from LN kidney and normal kidney tissues to characterize cellular composition and elucidate the potential upstream monocyte/macrophage (Mono/MΦ) initiating the auto-immune response. After the high-throughput synergy screening, we performed the immunofluorescence to identify the specific cells in LN patients. The function experiments were finished by flow cytometry and Elisa. RESULTS: By immunofluorescence and spatial transcriptome, we identified differential subsets of Mono/MΦ and demonstrated that they exhibit temporal expression of TIMP1, IL1B, SPP1 and APOE. With the function experiments, we found that the APOE+ Mono may be compensatorily increased in LN, and the capacity of antigen presenting was decreased with the overexpression of APOE. Furthermore, how do the LN-specific Mono/MΦ transport in and out the glomerulus to active the local immune response remains unclear. Our results showed that lymphangiogenesis occurred in LN kidneys but not in normal kidneys, suggesting the presence of a new lymphatic vessel may serve as a 'green channel' for LN-specific Mono/MΦ. CONCLUSIONS: In LN, APOE+ Mono are compensatorily elevated, with decreased antigen presenting ability and reduced secretion of interferons. The lymphangiogenesis in LN prompts the trafficking of Mono/MΦ in LN kidney.

Recent advances in aptamer-based therapeutic strategies for targeting cancer stem cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are believed to be the main cause of chemotherapy resistance and tumor relapse. Various therapeutic strategies to eliminate CSCs have been developed recently. Aptamers, also called "chemical antibodies", can specifically bind with their molecular targets through special tertiary structures. The advantages of aptamers, such as lower immunogenicity and smaller size, make them superior to conventional antibodies. Therefore, aptamers have been used widely as targeting ligands for CSC-targeted therapeutic strategies in different tumor types. To date, various therapeutic cargoes have been conjugated to aptamers to kill CSCs, such as chemotherapy drugs, small interfering RNAs, and microRNAs. Aptamer-based targeted therapies for CSCs have made great progress in recent years, especially the development of multifunctional aptamer-based therapeutic strategies. Besides, cell-systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment has been applied to screen new aptamers that might have a higher binding ability for CSCs. In this review, we focus on recent advances and introduce some new modalities of aptamer-drug conjugates against CSCs. Some considerations of the advantages and limitations of different aptamer-based targeted therapies for CSCs are also discussed.

A Novel Methylation Marker NRN1 plus TERT and FGFR3 Mutation Using Urine Sediment Enables the Detection of Urothelial Bladder Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant DNA methylation is an early event during tumorigenesis. In the present study, we aimed to construct a methylation diagnostic tool using urine sediment for the detection of urothelial bladder carcinoma, and improved the diagnostic performance of the model by incorporating single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites. METHODS: A three-stage analysis was carried out to construct the model and evaluate the diagnostic performance. In stage I, two small cohorts from Xiangya hospital were recruited to validate and identify the detailed regions of collected methylation biomarkers. In stage II, proof-of-concept study cohorts from the Hunan multicenter were recruited to construct a diagnostic tool. In stage III, a blinded cohort comprising suspicious UBC patients was recruited from Beijing single center to further test the robustness of the model. RESULTS: In stage I, single NRN1 exhibited the highest AUC compared with six other biomarkers and the Random Forest model. At the best cutoff value of 5.16, a single NRN1 biomarker gave a diagnosis with a sensitivity of 0.93 and a specificity of 0.97. In stage II, the Random Forest algorithm was applied to construct a diagnostic tool, consisting of NRN1, TERT C228T and FGFR3 p.S249C. The tool exhibited AUC values of 0.953, 0.946 and 0.951 in training, test and all cohorts. At the best cutoff value, the model resulted in a sensitivity of 0.871 and a specificity of 0.947. In stage III, the diagnostic tool achieved a good discrimination in the external validation cohort, with an overall AUC of 0.935, sensitivity of 0.864 and specificity of 0.895. Additionally, the model exhibited a superior sensitivity and comparable specificity compared with conventional cytology and FISH. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic tool exhibited a highly specific and robust performance. It may be used as a replaceable approach for the detection of UBC.

Modulating the Coordination of Single Co Atoms to Trigger the Catalytic Oxidation of Formaldehyde at Room Temperature.

Designing efficient and stable non-precious metal catalysts remains a significant challenge for formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation, which is an expected way to replace the employment of noble-metal catalysts. Herein, a series of atomically dispersed Co catalysts are optimized by evaporating nitrogen atoms and exploring their HCHO oxidation catalytic performance. The results show that the prepared temperature can effectively control the coordination regulation of the Co atomic site, which in turn affects the catalytic oxidation activity. Our best catalyst, the Co-N/C prepared at 1000 °C, exhibits superior activity with 92.8% of conversion at room temperature at a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 72,000 mL·g-1·h-1. Extensive characterizations combined with theoretical calculations reveal that the high catalytic activity is attributed to the low-coordinated center, which can be tailored by pyrolysis temperature. This work provides an innovative strategy for catalyst design in the catalytic oxidation reaction.

Long non-coding RNA FABP5P3/miR-22 axis improves TGFß1-induced fatty acid oxidation deregulation and fibrotic changes in proximal tubular epithelial cells of renal fibrosis.

Severe hydronephrosis increases the risk of urinary tract infection and irretrievable renal fibrosis. While TGFß1-mediated fibrotic changes in proximal tubular epithelial cells and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) deregulation contribute to renal fibrosis and hydronephrosis. Firstly, a few elements were analyzed in this paper, including differentially-expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and miRNAs correlated to CPT1A, RXRA, and NCOA1. This paper investigated TGFß1 effects on lncRNA FABP5P3, CPT1A, RXRA, and NCOA1 expression and fibrotic changes in HK-2 cells and FABP5P3 overexpression effects on TGFß1-induced changes. Moreover, this paper predicted and proved that miR-22 binding to lncRNA FABP5P3, 3'UTR of CPT1A, RXRA, and NCOA1 was validated. The dynamic effects of the FABP5P3/miR-22 axis on TGFß1-induced changes were investigated. A Renal fibrosis model was established in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mice, and FABP5P3 effects were investigated. Eventually, this paper concluded that TGFß1 inhibited lncRNA FABP5P3, CPT1A, RXRA, and NCOA1 expression, induced fibrotic changes in HK-2 cells, and induced metabolic reprogramming within HK-2 cells, especially lower FAO. FABP5P3 overexpression partially reversed TGFß1-induced changes. miR-22 targeted lncRNA FABP5P3, CPT1A, RXRA, and NCOA1. LncRNA FABP5P3 counteracted miR-22 inhibition of CPT1A, NCOA1, and RXRA through competitive binding. TGFß1 stimulation induced the activation of TGFß/SMAD and JAG/Notch signaling pathways; Nocth2 knockdown reversed TGFß1 suppression on lncRNA FABP5P3. FABP5P3 overexpression attenuated renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction mice. The LncRNA FABP5P3/miR-22 axis might be a potent target for improving the FAO deregulation and fibrotic changes in proximal TECs under TGFß1 stimulation.

Targeting treatment of bladder cancer using PTK7 aptamer-gemcitabine conjugate.

BACKGROUND: Gemcitabine (GEM) is one of the first-line chemotherapies for bladder cancer (BC), but the GEMs cannot recognize cancer cells and have a low long-term response rate and high recurrence rate with side effects during the treatment of BC. Targeted transport of GEMs to mediate cytotoxicity to tumor and avoid the systemic side effects remains a challenge in the treatment of BC. METHODS: Based on a firstly confirmed biomarker in BC-protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7), which is overexpressed on the cell membrane surface in BC cells, a novel targeting system protein tyrosine kinase 7 aptamer-Gemcitabine conjugate (PTK7-GEMs) was designed and synthesized using a specific PTK7 aptamer and GEM through auto-synthesis method to deliver GEM against BC. In addition, the antitumor effects and safety evaluation of PTK7-GEMs was assessed with a series of in vitro and in vivo assays. RESULTS: PTK7-GEMs can specifically bind and enter to BC cells dependent on the expression levels of PTK7 and via the macropinocytosis pathway, which induced cytotoxicity after GEM cleavage from PTK7-GEMs respond to the intracellular phosphatase. Moreover, PTK7-GEMs showed stronger anti-tumor efficacy and excellent biosafety in three types of tumor xenograft mice models. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that PTK7-GEMs is a successful targeted aptamer-drug conjugates strategy (APDCs) to treat BC, which will provide new directions for the precision treatment of BC in the field of biomarker-oriented tumor targeted therapy.

The Predictive Significance of Prognostic Nutritional Index and Serum Albumin/Globulin Ratio on the Overall Survival of Penile Cancer Patients Undergoing Penectomy.

Objective: To assess the value of using the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and serum albumin/globulin ratio (AGR) in predicting the overall survival (OS) of patients with penile cancer (PC) undergoing penectomy. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of 123 patients who were admitted to our hospital due to PC from April 2010 to September 2021 and who underwent penectomy were included in the study. The optimal cut-off value of the PNI and AGR was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox proportional hazard model were used to evaluate the correlation between the PNI, AGR, and OS in patients with PC. Results: A total of 16 of the 123 patients died during the follow-up period, and the median follow-up time was 58.0 months. The best cut-off values of the PNI and AGR were set to 49.03 (95% confidence interval 0.705-0.888, Youden index = 0.517, sensitivity = 57.9%, specificity = 93.7%, p < 0.001) and 1.28 (95% confidence interval 0.610-0.860, Youden index = 0.404, sensitivity = 84.1%, specificity = 56.2%, p = 0.003). The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the OS of the patients in the high PNI group and the high AGR group was significantly higher than that of the patients in the low PNI group and the low AGR group (p < 0.001). The univariable analysis showed that the aCCI, the clinical N stage, the pathological stage, and the PNI, AGR, SII, and PLR are all predictors of OS in patients with PC (p < 0.05). The multivariable analysis showed that the PNI (risk rate [HR] = 0.091; 95% CI: 0.010-0.853; p = 0.036) and the AGR (risk rate [HR] = 0.171; 95% CI: 0.043-0.680; p = 0.012) are independent prognostic factors for predicting OS in patients with PC undergoing penectomy. Conclusions: Both the PNI score and the serum AGR are independent prognostic factors for predicting OS in patients with PC undergoing penectomy.

"Light green up": Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging-guided Robotic Bilateral Inguinal Lymphadenectomy by the Hypogastric Subcutaneous Approach for Penile Cancer.

Background: Inguinal lymphadenectomy is of great significance in the management of penile cancer, which aims to mitigate the progression of lymph node metastasis. It is important to improve the efficiency of lymph node dissection and reduce surgical complications. Objective: To detail a novel technique for robotic bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy through the hypogastric subcutaneous approach by indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging, which promotes the identification and dissection of inguinal lymph nodes with considerable safety. Design setting and participants: Ten eligible penile cancer patients who underwent ICG fluorescence imaging-guided robotic bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy were prospectively enrolled (ICG group). Sixteen patients who underwent the surgery without ICG were retrospectively set as the control (non-ICG) group. Follow-up records for at least 12 mo were required. Surgical procedure: Inguinal lymphadenectomy was performed by the hypogastric subcutaneous approach. The ICG solution was subcutaneously injected into the prepuce at the beginning of surgery, and ICG fluorescence imaging-guided robotic-assisted bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy was conducted. Measurements: Clinical outcomes were collected. The primary study outcome measurement was the number of dissected inguinal lymph nodes. Results and limitations: The numbers of inguinal overall, superficial, and deep lymph nodes retrieved were all higher in the ICG than in the non-ICG group (p < 0.05). No patients had severe perioperative complications. No difference was found in the overall complication rate and 12-mo survival between two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: ICG fluorescence imaging-guided robotic inguinal lymphadenectomy via the hypogastric subcutaneous approach is feasible and safe for patients with penile cancer, which is beneficial for dissecting more inguinal lymph nodes with few surgical complications. Patient summary: We developed a promising indocyanine green fluorescence imaging-guided technique to perform robotic bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy on patients with penile cancer, which conduces to remove more inguinal lymph nodes with limited complications.

Urine Cellular DNA Point Mutation and Methylation for Identifying Upper Tract Urinary Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To improve the selection of patients for ureteroscopy, avoid excessive testing and reduce costs, we aimed to develop and validate a diagnostic urine assay for upper tract urinary carcinoma (UTUC). METHODS: In this cohort study we recruited 402 patients from six Hunan hospitals who underwent ureteroscopy for hematuria, including 95 patients with UTUC and 307 patients with non-UTUC findings. Midstream morning urine samples were collected before ureteroscopy and surgery. DNA was extracted and qPCR was used to analyze mutations in TERT and FGFR3 and the methylation of NRN1. In the training set, the random forest algorithm was used to build an optimal panel. Lastly, the Beijing cohort (n = 76) was used to validate the panel. RESULTS: The panel combining the methylation with mutation markers led to an AUC of 0.958 (95% CI: 0.933-0.975) with a sensitivity of 91.58% and a specificity of 94.79%. The panel presented a favorable diagnostic value for UTUC vs. other malignant tumors (AUC = 0.920) and UTUC vs. benign disease (AUC = 0.975). Furthermore, combining the panel with age revealed satisfactory results, with 93.68% sensitivity, 94.44% specificity, AUC = 0.970 and NPV = 98.6%. In the external validation process, the model showed an AUC of 0.971, a sensitivity of 95.83% and a specificity of 92.31, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A novel diagnostic model for analyzing hematuria patients for the risk of UTUC was developed, which could lead to a reduction in the need for invasive examinations. Combining NRN1 methylation and gene mutation (FGFR3 and TERT) with age resulted in a validated accurate prediction model.

Lewis base sites of non-oxide supports boost oxygen absorption and activation over supported Pt catalysts.

Formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation to improve indoor air quality has attracted extensive attention. Designing efficient catalysts for HCHO removal at room temperature still remains challenging. Herein, we report a novel strategy to boost HCHO oxidation by the synergistic effect of Pt nanoparticles and C3N4. The pyridine nitrogen of C3N4 can create Lewis base sites, which function in adsorbing and activating O2 molecules. As the preparation temperature increased, the pyridine nitrogen content increased on the C3N4 surface, leading to a more significant synergistic effect. The mechanism study by in situ DRIFTS indicated that the adsorbed O2 molecules were activated by Pt/C3N4. As a result, the Pt/C3N4-650 has the most outstanding performance for HCHO oxidation at room temperature. HCHO can be completely eliminated with a concentration of 80 ppm at room temperature at a GHSV of 50 000 ml g-1 h-1. This study will provide a new perspective to design efficient HCHO oxidation catalysts.

Treatment of bladder cancer by geoinspired synthetic chrysotile nanocarrier-delivered circPRMT5 siRNA.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have important functions in many fields of cancer biology. In particular, we previously reported that the oncogenic circRNA, circPRMT5, has a major role in bladder cancer progression. Therapy based on circRNAs have good prospects as anticancer strategies. While anti-circRNAs are emerging as therapeutics, the specific in vivo delivery of anti-circRNAs into cancer cells has not been reported and remains challenging. METHODS: Synthesized chrysotile nanotubes (SCNTs) with a relatively uniform length (~ 200 nm) have been designed to deliver an siRNA against the oncogenic circPRMT5 (si-circPRMT5) inhibit circPRMT5. In addition, the antitumor effects and safety evaluation of SCNTs/si-circPRMT5 was assessed with a series of in vitro and in vivo assays. RESULTS: The results showed that SCNTs/si-circPRMT5 nanomaterials prolong si-circPRMT5's half-life in circulation, enhance its specific uptake by tumor cells, and maximize the silencing efficiency of circPRMT5. In vitro, SCNTs encapsulating si-circPRMT5 could inhibit bladder cancer cell growth and progression. In vivo, SCNTs/si-circPRMT5 inhibited growth and metastasis in three bladder tumor models (a subcutaneous model, a tail vein injection lung metastatic model, and an in situ model) without obvious toxicities. Mechanistic study showed that SCNTs/si-circPRMT5 regulated the miR-30c/SNAIL1/E-cadherin axis, inhibiting bladder cancer growth and progression. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the potential therapeutic utility of SCNTs/si-circPRMT5 to deliver si-circPRMT5 to treat bladder cancer.