Current state and influencing factors in airbag management among emergency department nurses: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The emergency department (ED) plays a critical role in establishing artificial airways and implementing mechanical ventilation. Managing airbags in the ED presents a prime opportunity to mitigate the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Nonetheless, existing research has largely overlooked the understanding, beliefs, and practical dimensions of airway airbag management among ED nurses, with a predominant focus on intensive care unit nurses. AIM: To investigate the current status of ED nurses' knowledge, beliefs, and practical behaviors in airway airbag management and their influencing factors. METHODS: A survey was conducted from July 10th to August 10th, 2023, using convenience sampling on 520 ED nurses from 15 tertiary hospitals and 5 sary hospitals in Shanghai. Pathway analysis was utilized to analyze the influencing factors. RESULTS: The scores for ED nurses' airway airbag management knowledge were 60.26 ± 23.00, belief was 88.65 ± 13.36, and behavior was 75.10 ± 19.84. The main influencing factors of airbag management knowledge included participation in specialized nurse or mechanical ventilation training, department, and work experience in the department. Influencing factors of airbag management belief comprised knowledge, department, and participation in specialized nurse or mechanical ventilation training. Primary influencing factors of airbag management behavior included knowledge, belief, department, participation in specialized nurse or mechanical ventilation training, and professional title. The belief in airbag management among ED nurses acted as a partial mediator between knowledge and behavior, with a total effect value of 0.513, and an indirect effect of 0.085, constituting 16.6% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: ED nurses exhibit a positive attitude toward airbag management with relatively standardized practices, yet there remains room for improvement in their knowledge levels. Nursing managers should implement interventions tailored to the characteristics of ED nurses' airbag management knowledge, beliefs, and practices to enhance their airbag management proficiency.

TUG1 exacerbates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury through miR-340-5p-mediated PTEN.

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play a substantial role in the process of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI). The present work aimed to determine the probable mechanism by which LncRNA TUG1 exacerbates CIRI via the miR-340-5p/phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) pathway. After developing a middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) model, pcDNA-TUG1 together with miR-340-5p agomir were administrated in vivo. Furthermore, the neurologic defects in rats were assessed by a modified neurological severity score. Moreover, 2,3,5-Triphenyl-2 H-tetrazolium chloride stain-step was performed to determine the brain's infarct size. In addition, western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and qRT-PCR experiments were utilized for gauging the proteomic/genomic expression-profiles. Luciferase reporter assay validated correlations across TUG1, miR-340-5p, together with PTEN. The results indicated relatively reduced miR-340-5p levels in MCAO/R models, while upregulated TUG1 levels. The pcDNA-TUG1-treated rats indicated increasing neurological dysfunction, whereas the miR-340-5p agomir-treated rats showed improvement. Furthermore, miR-340-5p was determined to be the expected and confirmed TUG1 target. All things considered, the findings suggested that PTEN can serve as the target of miR-340-5p. In addition, TUG1 served as a miR-340-5p ceRNA, which promotes PTEN modulation. Furthermore, TUG1 overexpression decreased miR-340-5p's capacity to fend against CIRI. Conclusively, this work proved that in CIRI, targeting the TUG1/miR-340-5p/PTEN regulatory axis is a viable approach for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

[Occurrence and Distribution of Potential Dangerous Biological Agents in Beijing Suburban Rivers].

Dangerous biological agents （DBAs） refer to microorganisms, toxins, and other biological substances that have the potential to cause significant harm to humans, animals, plants, and the environment. They are the primary target of the prevention and response in China's Biosafety Law, and it is of great importance to clarify the characteristics of DBAs in the Beijing suburban rivers for the insurance of the water safety in Beijing. The typical Beijing suburban rivers （Mangniu River, Chaohe River, and Baihe River） were selected, and the occurrence and distribution of DBAs concerning the molecular biology composition as the nucleic acid （antibiotic resistance genes, ARGs）, nucleic acid and proteins （viruses）, and intact cellular structures （pathogens） were determined based on the metagenomics. The results showed that there was a high abundance of multidrug-resistant ARGs in the water and substrates of the urban river； on average, they made up 74.11% ±6.82% of the total, and the abundance of aminoglycoside and MLS （macrolide-lincosamide-streptomycin）-resistant ARGs was the highest, but the predominant subtypes of ARGs were of low risk and had limited transmission potential. The viruses in the tributary mainly belonged to the phages, most of which were Kyanoviridae and Peduoviridae, with averages of 16.98% ±8.44% and 16.19% ±10.79%, respectively. Eukaryotic viral populations consisted mainly of members from the Mimiviridae and Phycodnaviridae families, with averages of 10.37% ±12.68% and 8.34% ±6.97%, respectively, whereas there were few viruses related to human and animal diseases. The pathogenic bacteria mainly contained Neisseria meningitidis, Brucella suis, Salmonella enterica, and Burkholderia pseudomalle, with averages of 19.17% ±3.63%, 12.76% ±2.88%, 11.22% ±1.95%, and 8.26% ±1.84%, respectively. The composition and abundance of pathogenic bacteria varied significantly among different tributaries and locations, possibly owing to water quality, pollution sources, environmental factors, and human activities. These findings can provide data support for the water safety management and biological risk control of Beijing suburban rivers.

Exploring treatment options in cancer: Tumor treatment strategies.

Traditional therapeutic approaches such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy have burdened cancer patients with onerous physical and psychological challenges. Encouragingly, the landscape of tumor treatment has undergone a comprehensive and remarkable transformation. Emerging as fervently pursued modalities are small molecule targeted agents, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), cell-based therapies, and gene therapy. These cutting-edge treatment modalities not only afford personalized and precise tumor targeting, but also provide patients with enhanced therapeutic comfort and the potential to impede disease progression. Nonetheless, it is acknowledged that these therapeutic strategies still harbour untapped potential for further advancement. Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the merits and limitations of these treatment modalities holds the promise of offering novel perspectives for clinical practice and foundational research endeavours. In this review, we discussed the different treatment modalities, including small molecule targeted drugs, peptide drugs, antibody drugs, cell therapy, and gene therapy. It will provide a detailed explanation of each method, addressing their status of development, clinical challenges, and potential solutions. The aim is to assist clinicians and researchers in gaining a deeper understanding of these diverse treatment options, enabling them to carry out effective treatment and advance their research more efficiently.

Concurrent manipulation of competitive mechanisms to construct glutathione-stabilized gold nanocluster-based dual-channel molecular classifier for metal ions detection and information steganography.

Understanding charge transport in metal ion-mediated glutathione-stabilized gold nanoclusters (GSH-Au NCs) has proved difficult due to the presence of various competitive mechanisms, such as electron transfer (ET) and aggregation induction effect (AIE). In this paper, we present a dual-channel fluorescence (FL) and second-order Rayleigh scattering (SRS) sensing method for high-throughput classification of metal ions, relying on the competition between ET and AIE using GSH-Au NCs. The SRS signals show significant enhancement when Pb2+, Ag+, Al3+, Cu2+, Fe3+, and Hg2+ are present, as a result of the aggregation of GSH-Au NCs. Notably, the fluorescence signal exhibits the opposite trend. The FL intensities of GSH-Au NCs are enhanced by Pb2+, Ag+, and Al3+ through the AIE mechanism, while they are quenched by Cu2+, Fe3+, and Hg2+, which is dominated by the ET mechanism. By employing principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, these signals are transformed into unique fingerprints and Euclidean distances, respectively, enabling successful distinction of six metal ions and their mixtures with a low detection limit of 30 nM. This new strategy has successfully addressed interference from impurities in the testing of real water samples, demonstrating its strong ability to detect multiple metal ions. Impressively, we have achieved molecular cryptosteganography, which involves encoding, storing, and concealing information by transforming the selective response of GSH-Au NCs to binary strings. This research is anticipated to advance utilization of nanomaterials in logic sensing and information safety, bridging the gap between molecular sensors and information systems.

A seasonal study on the microbiomes of Diploid vs. Triploid eastern oysters and their denitrification potential.

Oyster reefs are hotspots of denitrification mediated removal of dissolved nitrogen (N), however, information on their denitrifier microbiota is scarce. Furthermore, in oyster aquaculture, triploids are often preferred over diploids, yet again, microbiome differences between oyster ploidies are unknown. To address these knowledge gaps, farmed diploid and triploid oysters were collected over an annual growth cycle and analyzed using shotgun metagenomics and quantitative microbial elemental cycling (QMEC) techniques. Regardless of ploidy, Psychrobacter genus was abundant, with positive correlations found for genes of central metabolism, DNA metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolism. MAGs (metagenome-assembled genomes) yielded multiple Psychrobacter genomes harboring norB, narH, narI, and nirK denitrification genes, indicating their functional relevance within the eastern oysters. QMEC analysis indicated the predominance of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling genes, with no discernable patterns between ploidies. Among the N-cycling genes, the nosZII clade was overrepresented, suggesting its role in the eastern oyster's N removal processes.

Integrated Eu3+ loaded covalent organic framework with smartphone for ratiometric fluorescence detection of tetracycline.

Developing rapid tetracycline sensing system is of great significance to monitor the illegal addition to drugs and pollution to food and ecosystem. By loading covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with Eu3+, a new hybridized material (COF@Eu3+) was prepared for tetracycline determination. Based on the Schiff base reaction, the COFs were by synthesized through solvent evaporation in 30 min at room temperature. Thereafter, Eu3+ was modified into COFs to develop the COF@Eu3+ sensing platform by adsorption and coordination. In presence of tetracycline, tetracycline can displace water molecules and coordinate with Eu3+ through the antenna effect. As a result, the red fluorescence of Eu3+ was enhanced by tetracycline with green fluorescence of COF as a reference. The developed ratiometric fluorescence sensor exhibits a linear range of 0.1-20 µM for detecting tetracycline with a detection limit of 30 nM. Integrated with a smartphone, the rapid tetracycline detection can be realized in situ, which is potential for high-throughput screening of tetracycline contaminated samples. Furthermore, the COF@Eu3+ fluorescence sensor has been successfully applied to the detection of tetracycline in traditional Chinese medicine compound preparation with satisfied recoveries. Therefore, a smartphone-assisted device was successfully developed based on Eu3+-functionalized COF, which is an attractive candidate for further applications of fluorescence sensing and visual detection.

Diagnostic efficiency of conventional ultrasound, shear wave elastography, and superb microvascular imaging in evaluating ulnar neuropathy at the elbow.

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: The current diagnosis of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE) relies mainly on the clinical presentation and nerve electrodiagnostic (EDX) testing, which can be uncomfortable and yield false negatives. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of conventional ultrasound, shear wave elastography (SWE), and superb microvascular imaging (SMI) in diagnosing UNE. METHODS: We enrolled 40 patients (48 elbows) with UNE and 48 healthy volunteers (48 elbows). The patients were categorized as having mild, moderate or severe UNE based on the findings of EDX testing. The cross-sectional area (CSA) was measured using conventional ultrasound. Ulnar nerve (UN) shear wave velocity (SWV) and SMI were performed in a longitudinal plane. RESULTS: Based on the EDX findings, UNE severity was graded as mild in 4, moderate in 10, and severe in 34. The patient group showed increased ulnar nerve CSA and stiffness at the site of maximal enlargement (CSA mean at the site of max enlargement [CSAmax] and SWV mean at the site of max enlargement [SWVmax]), ulnar nerve CSA ratio, and stiffness ratio (elbow-to-upper arm), compared with the control group (p < .001). Furthermore, the severe UNE group showed higher ulnar nerve CSAmax and SWVmax compared with the mild and moderate UNE groups (p < .001). The cutoff values for diagnosis of UNE were 9.5 mm2 for CSAmax, 3.06 m/s for SWVmax, 2.00 for CSA ratio, 1.36 for stiffness ratio, and grade 1 for SMI. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that SWE and SMI are valuable diagnostic tools for the diagnosis and assessment of severity of UNE.

Disease Progression and Multiparametric Imaging Characteristics of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 With Spastic Paraplegia.

Background and Objectives: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a hereditary ataxia that occurs worldwide. Clinical patterns were observed, including the one characterized by marked spastic paraplegia. This study investigated the clinical features, disease progression, and multiparametric imaging aspects of patients with SCA3. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 249 patients with SCA3 recruited from the Organization for Southeast China for cerebellar ataxia research between October 2014 and December 2020. Of the 249 patients, 145 were selected and assigned to 2 groups based on neurologic examination: SCA3 patients with spastic paraplegia (SCA3-SP) and SCA3 patients with nonspastic paraplegia (SCA3-NSP). Participants underwent 3.0-T brain MRI examinations, and voxel-wise and volume-of-interest-based approaches were used for the resulting images. A tract-based spatial statistical approach was used to investigate the white matter (WM) alterations using diffusion tensor imaging, neurite orientation dispersion, and density imaging metrics. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to compare the clinical and imaging parameters between the 2 groups. The longitudinal data were evaluated using a linear mixed-effects model. Results: Forty-three patients with SCA3-SP (mean age, 37.58years ± 11.72 [SD]; 18 women) and 102 patients with SCA3-NSP (mean age, 47.42years ± 12.50 [SD]; 39 women) were analyzed. Patients with SCA3-SP were younger and had a lower onset age but a larger cytosine-adenine-guanine repeat number, as well as higher clinical severity scores (all corrected p < 0.05). The estimated progression rates of the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) and International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale scores were higher in the SCA3-SP subgroup than in the SCA3-NSP subgroup (SARA, 2.136 vs 1.218 points; ICARS, 5.576 vs 3.480 points; both p < 0.001). In addition, patients with SCA3-SP showed gray matter volume loss in the precentral gyrus with a decreased neurite density index in the WM of the corticospinal tract and cerebellar peduncles compared with patients with SCA3-NSP. Discussion: SCA3-SP differs from SCA3-NSP in clinical features, multiparametric brain imaging findings, and longitudinal follow-up progression.

Excess non-COVID-19-related mortality among inflammatory bowel disease decedents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted healthcare in the United States. AIM: To investigate COVID-19-related and non-COVID-19-related death and characteristics associated with excess death among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) decedents. METHODS: We performed a register-based study using data from the National Vital Statistics System, which reports death data from over 99% of the United States population, from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2021. IBD-related deaths among adults 25 years and older were stratified by age, sex, race/ethnicity, place of death, and primary cause of death. Predicted and actual age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) per 100000 persons were compared. RESULTS: 49782 IBD-related deaths occurred during the study period. Non-COVID-19-related deaths increased by 13.14% in 2020 and 18.12% in 2021 [2020 ASMR: 1.55 actual vs 1.37 predicted, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26-1.49; 2021 ASMR: 1.63 actual vs 1.38 predicted, 95%CI: 1.26-1.49]. In 2020, non-COVID-19-related mortality increased by 17.65% in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients between the ages of 25 and 65 and 36.36% in non-Hispanic black (NHB) Crohn's disease (CD) patients. During the pandemic, deaths at home or on arrival and at medical facilities as well as deaths due to neoplasms also increased. CONCLUSION: IBD patients suffered excess non-COVID-19-related death during the pandemic. Excess death was associated with younger age among UC patients, and with NHB race among CD patients. Increased death at home or on arrival and due to neoplasms suggests that delayed presentation and difficulty accessing healthcare may have led to increased IBD mortality.

Identification and Characterization of Metastasis-Initiating Cells in ESCC in a Multi-Timepoint Pulmonary Metastasis Mouse Model.

Metastasis is the biggest obstacle to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treatment. Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses are applied to investigate lung metastatic ESCC cells isolated from pulmonary metastasis mouse model at multiple timepoints to characterize early metastatic microenvironment. A small population of parental KYSE30 cell line (Cluster S) resembling metastasis-initiating cells (MICs) is identified because they survive and colonize at lung metastatic sites. Differential expression profile comparisons between Cluster S and other subpopulations identified a panel of 7 metastasis-initiating signature genes (MIS), including CD44 and TACSTD2, to represent MICs in ESCC. Functional studies demonstrated MICs (CD44high) exhibited significantly enhanced cell survival (resistances to oxidative stress and apoptosis), migration, invasion, stemness, and in vivo lung metastasis capabilities, while bioinformatics analyses revealed enhanced organ development, stress responses, and neuron development, potentially remodel early metastasis microenvironment. Meanwhile, early metastasizing cells demonstrate quasi-epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype to support both invasion and anchorage. Multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) staining of 4 MISs (CD44, S100A14, RHOD, and TACSTD2) in ESCC clinical samples demonstrated differential MIS expression scores (dMISs) predict lymph node metastasis, overall survival, and risk of carcinothrombosis.

Reduction in antimicrobial resistance in a watershed after closure of livestock farms.

Natural environments play a crucial role in transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Development of methods to manage antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in natural environments are usually limited to the laboratory or field scale, partially due to the complex dynamics of transmission between different environmental compartments. Here, we conducted a nine-year longitudinal profiling of ARGs at a watershed scale, and provide evidence that restrictions on livestock farms near water bodies significantly reduced riverine ARG abundance. Substantial reductions were revealed in the relative abundance of genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides (42%), MLSB (36%), multidrug (55%), tetracyclines (53%), and other gene categories (59%). Additionally, improvements in water quality were observed, with distinct changes in concentrations of dissolved reactive phosphorus, ammonium, nitrite, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Antibiotic residues and other pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) maintain at a similarly low level. Microbial source tracking demonstrates a significant decrease in swine fecal indicators, while human fecal pollution remains unchanged. These results suggest that the reduction in ARGs was due to a substantial reduction in input of antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes from animal excreta. Our findings highlight the watershed as a living laboratory for understanding the dynamics of AMR, and for evaluating the efficacy of environmental regulations, with implications for reducing environmental risks associated with AMR on a global scale.

Construction of oral squamous cell carcinoma organoids in vitro 3D-culture for drug screening.

OBJECTIVE: Patient-derived organoids are potent pre-chemotherapy models. Due to limited research on diverse types of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and construction efficiency, our goal was to optimize OSCC organoid models from various sites and assess drug responsiveness. METHODS: We screened and optimized culture media, employing three-dimensional techniques to construct human-derived oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) organoid models in vitro. Morphological validation, immunofluorescence analysis, tissue origin verification, and Short Tandem Repeat (STR) sequencing confirmed the consistency between organoids and source tissues. These organoid models were then subjected to varying concentrations of anticancer drugs, with subsequent assessment of cell viability to calculate IC50 values. RESULTS: Twenty-nine surgical specimens yielded an 86.2% success rate in culturing 25 organoids in vitro. Morphological consistency confirmed nuclear atypia and positive expression of K5, P40, and E-cadherin, indicating squamous epithelial origin. Cultured complex organoids included α-SMA+ tumour-associated fibroblasts and tumour stem cells expressing CD44 and Ki67. STR sequencing affirmed genomic homogeneity between cultured organoids and source tissues. Drug sensitivity testing revealed diverse responses among organoids, highlighting their value for assessing drug sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: An efficient OSCC organoid culture system for personalized in vitro drug sensitivity screening was established, laying the foundation for precise treatment development.

Relating fragile-to-strong transition to fragile glass via lattice model simulations.

Glass formers are, in general, classified as strong or fragile depending on whether their relaxation rates follow Arrhenius or super-Arrhenius temperature dependence. There are, however, notable exceptions, such as water, which exhibit a fragile-to-strong (FTS) transition and behave as fragile and strong, respectively, at high and low temperatures. In this work, the FTS transition is studied using a distinguishable-particle lattice model previously demonstrated to be capable of simulating both strong and fragile glasses [C.-S. Lee, M. Lulli, L.-H. Zhang, H.-Y. Deng, and C.-H. Lam, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 265703 (2020)0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.125.265703]. Starting with a bimodal pair-interaction distribution appropriate for fragile glasses, we show that by narrowing down the energy dispersion in the low-energy component of the distribution, a FTS transition is observed. The transition occurs at a temperature at which the stretching exponent of the relaxation is minimized, in agreement with previous molecular dynamics simulations.

The tumour suppressor Fat1 is dispensable for normal murine hematopoiesis.

Loss and overexpression of FAT1 occurs among different cancers with these divergent states equated with tumor suppressor and oncogene activity, respectively. Regarding the latter, FAT1 is highly expressed in a high proportion of human acute leukemias relative to normal blood cells, with evidence pointing to an oncogenic role. We hypothesized that this occurrence represents legacy expression of FAT1 in undefined hematopoietic precursor subsets that is sustained following transformation, predicating a role for FAT1 during normal hematopoiesis. We explored this concept by using the Vav-iCre strain to construct conditional knockout (cKO) mice where Fat1 expression was deleted at the hematopoietic stem cell stage. Extensive analysis of precursor and mature blood populations using multi-panel flow cytometry revealed no ostensible differences between Fat1 cKO mice and normal littermates. Further functional comparisons involving colony forming unit and competitive bone marrow transplantation assays support the conclusion that Fat1 is dispensable for normal murine hematopoiesis.

The OsZIP2 transporter is involved in root-to-shoot translocation and intervascular transfer of cadmium in rice.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal that poses serious threats to human health. Rice is a major source of dietary Cd but how rice plants transport Cd to the grain is not fully understood. Here, we characterize the function of the ZIP (ZRT, IRT-like protein) family protein, OsZIP2, in the root-to-shoot translocation of Cd and intervascular transfer of Cd in nodes. OsZIP2 is localized at the plasma membrane and exhibited Cd2+ transport activity when heterologously expressed in yeast. OsZIP2 is strongly expressed in xylem parenchyma cells in roots and in enlarged vascular bundles in nodes. Knockout of OsZIP2 significantly enhanced root-to-shoot translocation of Cd and alleviated the inhibition of root elongation by excess Cd stress; whereas overexpression of OsZIP2 decreased Cd translocation to shoots and resulted in Cd sensitivity. Knockout of OsZIP2 increased Cd allocation to the flag leaf but decreased Cd allocation to the panicle and grain. We further reveal that the variation of OsZIP2 expression level contributes to grain Cd concentration among rice germplasms. Our results demonstrate that OsZIP2 functions in root-to-shoot translocation of Cd in roots and intervascular transfer of Cd in nodes, which can be used for breeding low Cd rice varieties.

Correction: Surface mobility gradient and emergent facilitation in glassy films.

Correction for 'Surface mobility gradient and emergent facilitation in glassy films' by Qiang Zhai et al., Soft Matter, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SM00221K.

Preparation and evaluation of decellularized epineurium as an anti-adhesive biofilm in peripheral nerve repair.

Following peripheral nerve anastomosis, the anastomotic site is prone to adhesions with surrounding tissues, consequently impacting the effectiveness of nerve repair. This study explores the development and efficacy of a decellularized epineurium as an anti-adhesive biofilm in peripheral nerve repair. Firstly, the entire epineurium was extracted from fresh porcine sciatic nerves, followed by a decellularization process. The decellularization efficiency was then thoroughly assessed. Subsequently, the decellularized epineurium underwent proteomic analysis to determine the remaining bioactive components. To ensure biosafety, the decellularized epineurium underwent cytotoxicity assays, hemolysis tests, cell affinity assays, and assessments of the immune response following subcutaneous implantation. Finally, the functionality of the biofilm was determined using a sciatic nerve transection and anastomosis model in rats. The result indicated that the decellularization process effectively removed cellular components from the epineurium while preserving a number of bioactive molecules, and this decellularized epineurium was effective in preventing adhesion while promoting nerve repairment and functional recovery. In conclusion, the decellularized epineurium represents a novel and promising anti-adhesion biofilm for enhancing surgical outcomes of peripheral nerve repair.

HMGA1 sensitizes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma to mTOR inhibitors through the ETS1-FKBP12 axis.

Esophageal carcinoma is amongst the prevalent malignancies worldwide, characterized by unclear molecular classifications and varying clinical outcomes. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, one of the frequently perturbed dysregulated pathways in human malignancies, has instigated the development of various inhibitory agents targeting this pathway, but many ESCC patients exhibit intrinsic or adaptive resistance to these inhibitors. Here, we aim to explore the reasons for the insensitivity of ESCC patients to mTOR inhibitors. We assessed the sensitivity to rapamycin in various ESCC cell lines by determining their respective IC50 values and found that cells with a low level of HMGA1 were more tolerant to rapamycin. Subsequent experiments have supported this finding. Through a transcriptome sequencing, we identified a crucial downstream effector of HMGA1, FKBP12, and found that FKBP12 was necessary for HMGA1-induced cell sensitivity to rapamycin. HMGA1 interacted with ETS1, and facilitated the transcription of FKBP12. Finally, we validated this regulatory axis in in vivo experiments, where HMGA1 deficiency in transplanted tumors rendered them resistance to rapamycin. Therefore, we speculate that mTOR inhibitor therapy for individuals exhibiting a reduced level of HMGA1 or FKBP12 may not work. Conversely, individuals exhibiting an elevated level of HMGA1 or FKBP12 are more suitable candidates for mTOR inhibitor treatment.

Surface mobility gradient and emergent facilitation in glassy films.

Confining glassy polymers into films can substantially modify their local and film-averaged properties. We present a lattice model of film geometry with void-mediated facilitation behaviors but free from any elasticity effect. We analyze the spatially varying viscosity to delineate the transport properties of glassy films. The film mobility measurements reported by Yang et al., Science, 2010, 328, 1676 are successfully reproduced. The flow exhibits a crossover from a simple viscous flow to a surface-dominated regime as the temperature decreases. The propagation of a highly mobile front induced by the free surface is visualized in real space. Our approach provides a microscopic treatment of the observed glassy phenomena.