Physiological response and tolerance of Sesuvium portulacastrum L. to low temperature stress.

The plant Sesuvium portulacastrum L., commonly referred to as sea purslane, is a perennial halophytic species with significant potential for development in marine ecological restoration. However, its growth is limited in high-latitude regions with lower temperatures due to its subtropical nature. Furthermore, literature on its cold tolerance is scarce. This study, therefore, focused on sea purslane plants naturally overwintering in Ningbo (29°77'N), investigating their morphological, histological, rooting, and physiological responses to low temperatures (7 °C, 11 °C, 15 °C, and 19 °C). The findings indicated an escalation in cold damage severity with decreasing temperatures. At 7 °C, the plants failed to root and subsequently perished. In contrast, at 11 °C, root systems developed, while at 15 °C and 19 °C, the plants exhibited robust growth, outperforming the 11 °C group in terms of leaf number and root length significantly (P < 0.05). Histological analyses showed a marked reduction in leaf thickness under cold stress (P < 0.05), with disorganized leaf structure observed in the 7 °C group, whereas it remained stable at higher temperatures. No root primordia were evident in the vascular cambium of the 7 and 11 °C groups, in contrast to the 15 and 19 °C groups. Total chlorophyll content decreased with temperature, following the order: 19 °C > 15 °C > 11 °C > 7 °C. Notably, ascorbic acid levels were significantly higher in the 7 and 11 °C groups than in the 15 and 19 °C groups. Additionally, the proline concentration in the 7 °C group was approximately fourfold higher than in the 19 °C group. Activities of antioxidant enzymes-superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase-were significantly elevated in the 7 and 11 °C groups compared to the 15 and 19 °C groups. Moreover, the malondialdehyde content in the 7 °C group (36.63 ± 1.75 nmol/g) was significantly higher, about 5.5 and 9.6 times, compared to the 15 °C and 19 °C groups, respectively. In summary, 7 °C is a critical threshold for sea purslane stem segments; below this temperature, cellular homeostasis is disrupted, leading to an excessive accumulation of lipid peroxides and subsequent death due to an inability to neutralize excess reactive oxygen species. At 11 °C, although photosynthesis is impaired, self-protective mechanisms such as enhanced antioxidative systems and osmoregulation are activated. However, root development is compromised, resulting in stunted growth. These results contribute to expanding the geographic distribution of sea purslane and provide a theoretical basis for its ecological restoration in high-latitude mariculture. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-024-01429-6.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus E protein induces formation of stress granules and attenuates protein translation through activation of the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) envelope protein (E) has been characterized as an important structural protein that plays critical roles in the interplay with its host to affect the virus life cycle. Stress granules (SGs) are host translationally silent ribonucleoproteins, which are mainly induced by the phosphorylation of eIF2α in the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway. Our previous study found that PEDV E protein caused endoplasmic reticulum stress response (ERS)-mediated suppression of antiviral proteins' translation. However, the link and the underlying mechanism by which PEDV induces SGs formation and suppresses host translation remain elusive. In this study, our results showed that PEDV E protein significantly elevated the expression of GRP78, CANX, and phosphorylation of PERK and eIF2α, indicating that the PERK/eIF2α branch of ERS was activated. PEDV E protein localized to the ER and aggregated into puncta to reconstruct ER structure, and further induced SGs formation, which has been caused through upregulating the G3BP1 expression level. In addition, a significant global translational stall and endogenous protein translation attenuation were detected in the presence of E protein overexpression, but the global mRNA transcriptional level remained unchanged, suggesting that the shutoff of protein translation was associated with the translation, not with the transcription process. Collectively, this study demonstrates that PERK/eIF2α activation is required for SGs formation and protein translation stall. This study is beneficial for us to better understand the mechanism by which PEDV E suppresses host protein synthesis, and provides us a new insight into the host translation regulation during virus infection.

Motor imagery therapy improved upper limb motor function in stroke patients with hemiplegia by increasing functional connectivity of sensorimotor and cognitive networks.

Background: Motor imagery therapy (MIT) showed positive effects on upper limbs motor function. However, the mechanism by which MIT improves upper limb motor function is not fully understood. Therefore, our purpose was to investigate the changes in functional connectivity (FC) within and outside the sensorimotor network (SMN) induced by MIT associated with improvement in upper limb motor function in stroke patients. Methods: A total of 26 hemiplegic stroke patients were randomly divided into MIT (n = 13) and control (n = 13) groups. Fugl-Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity Scale (FMA-UL), Modified Barthel Index (MBI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were evaluated in the two groups before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment. The efficacy of MIT on motor function improvement in stroke patients with hemiplegia was evaluated by comparing the FMA-UL and MBI scores before and after treatment in the two groups. Furthermore, the FC within the SMN and between the SMN and the whole brain was measured and compared before and after different treatment methods in stroke patients. The correlation analysis between the improvement of upper limbs motor function and changes in FC within the SMN and between the SMN and the whole brain was examined. Results: The FCs between ipsilesional primary motor cortex (M1.I) and contralateral supplementary motor area (SMA.C), M1.I and ipsilesional SMA (SMA.I), and SMA.C and contralateral dorsolateral premotor cortex (DLPM.C) significantly increased in the control group but decreased in the MIT group; while the FC between SMA.C and contralateral primary somatosensory cortex (S1.C) significantly increased in the control group but showed no significant difference in the MIT group. The FCs between M1.I and the ipsilesional hippocampal gyrus and ipsilesional middle frontal gyrus significantly decreased in the control group but increased in the MIT group; while the FC in the contralateral anterior cingulate cortex significantly increased in the MIT group but there was no significant difference in the control group. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the differences in abnormal intra-FCs within the SMN negatively correlated with the differences in FMA and MBI, and the difference in abnormal inter-FCs of the SMN positively correlated with the differences in FMA and MBI. Conclusions: MIT can improve upper limb motor function and daily activities of stroke patients, and the improvement effect of conventional rehabilitation therapy (CRT) combined with MIT is significantly higher than that of CRT alone. CRT may improve the upper limb motor function of stroke patients with hemiplegia mainly through the functional reorganization between SMN, while MIT may mainly increase the interaction between SMN and other brain networks.

RGA1 regulates grain size, rice quality and seed germination in the small and round grain mutant srg5.

BACKGROUND: Generating elite rice varieties with high yield and superior quality is the main goal of rice breeding programs. Key agronomic traits, including grain size and seed germination characteristics, affect the final yield and quality of rice. The RGA1 gene, which encodes the α-subunit of rice G-protein, plays an important role in regulating rice architecture, seed size and abiotic stress responses. However, whether RGA1 is involved in the regulation of rice quality and seed germination traits is still unclear. RESULTS: In this study, a rice mutant small and round grain 5 (srg5), was identified in an EMS-induced rice mutant library. Systematic analysis of its major agronomic traits revealed that the srg5 mutant exhibited a semi-dwarf plant height with small and round grain and reduced panicle length. Analysis of the physicochemical properties of rice showed that the difference in rice eating and cooking quality (ECQ) between the srg5 mutant and its wild-type control was small, but the appearance quality was significantly improved. Interestingly, a significant suppression of rice seed germination and shoot growth was observed in the srg5 mutant, which was mainly related to the regulation of ABA metabolism. RGA1 was identified as the candidate gene for the srg5 mutant by BSA analysis. A SNP at the splice site of the first intron disrupted the normal splicing of the RGA1 transcript precursor, resulting in a premature stop codon. Additional linkage analysis confirmed that the target gene causing the srg5 mutant phenotype was RGA1. Finally, the introduction of the RGA1 mutant allele into two indica rice varieties also resulted in small and round rice grains with less chalkiness. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that RGA1 is not only involved in the control of rice architecture and grain size, but also in the regulation of rice quality and seed germination. This study sheds new light on the biological functions of RGA1, thereby providing valuable information for future systematic analysis of the G-protein pathway and its potential application in rice breeding programs.

[Clinicians' Practice and Opinions on Sedation Therapy in End-Stage Patients].

Objective To investigate clinicians' practice and opinions on sedation therapy in end-stage patients at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Methods From August,2022 to April,2023,an online questionnaire survey was conducted among clinicians involved in end-stage patient management. Results A total of 205 questionnaires were distributed,with an effective response rate of 56.1%.Among the clinicians,55.7% of them had experience of applying sedation therapy in end-stage patients;85.2% of clinicians believed that sedation could relieve the suffering of terminal patients from physical refractory symptoms;75.7% of clinicians considered that sedation therapy could be used to relieve agony from psycho-existential distress.Most clinicians had concerns about sedation therapy due to the lack of legal support(86.1%)and the lack of understanding of patients or families(59.1%).The majority (90.4%) of clinicians were willing to receive training on palliative sedation. Conclusions A majority of clinicians agree that sedation therapy could relieve the physical distress and psycho-existential distress in end-stage patients.However,most clinicians have concerns about the application of sedation therapy due to the lack of legal support.It is necessary to enhance the training on palliative sedation.

Exploring the impact of emotionalized learning experiences on the affective domain: A comprehensive analysis.

The central aim of this research endeavor was to delve into the profound influence of affective learning experiences on the cognitive and psychomotor domains. Concurrently, the study sought to discern the effects of these experiences on students' academic accomplishments within the three domains. This differentiation was predicated upon the interplay between pedagogical resources and the multifaceted dimensions of cognitive, affective, and social contexts for learning. Over the course of four consecutive semesters, data were meticulously collected from a cohort of 140 undergraduates enrolled at a private-sector university. The experimental cohorts 1, 2 and 3, comprising 35, 46, and 31 students, respectively, were instructed through distinct methodologies - namely, activity learning, reflective learning, and collaborative learning. In parallel, the control group, composed of 28 students, received instruction via the discussion method. The findings eloquently established a robust and affirmative linear correlation between affective experiences and achievements within the cognitive and psychomotor domains. This correlation notably underscored the far-reaching influence of the affective domain upon its cognitive and psychomotor counterparts. Furthermore, the variable of emotional context for learning emerged as a conspicuously noteworthy determinant of students' achievements across all three domains. In contrast, the remaining independent variables - namely, pedagogical resources, cognitive learning context, and social learning context - did not exhibit a substantial contribution. However, it was observed that the amalgamation of all four independent variables yielded a statistically significant relationship with achievements within the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. This underscored the imperative nature of accounting for all pertinent factors when formulating instructional approaches that yield optimal outcomes.

Understanding the Poly (Triazine Imide) Crystals Formation Process: The Conversion from Heptazine to Triazine.

Poly (triazine imide) (PTI) generally obtained via ionothermal synthesis features extended π-conjugation and enhanced crystallinity. However, in-depth investigation of the polycondensation process for PTI is an onerous task due to multiple influencing factors and limited characterization techniques. Herein, to simplify the polymerization route and exclude non-essential factors, PTI was prepared by calcining only melamine and LiCl. This study aims to identify the pivotal role of LiCl in PTI formation, which can convert heptazine-based intermediates into more stable triazine-based PTI framework. Based on this discovery, we demonstrate the transformation process of the prepared samples from amorphous Bulk g-C3 N4 to regular PTI, and further prove that the reaction with LiCl causes disruption of heptazine covalent organic frameworks. Additionally, the PTI exhibits higher photocatalytic water splitting performance due to efficient charge carrier mobility and separation, as well as faster reaction kinetics. This discovery deepens understanding of the polycondensation process of PTI crystals and provides insights toward the rational design of crystalline carbon nitride-based semiconductors.

Butyrate ameliorated ferroptosis in ulcerative colitis through modulating Nrf2/GPX4 signal pathway and improving intestinal barrier.

Oxidative stress and intestinal inflammation are main pathological features of ulcerative colitis (UC). Ferroptosis, characterized by iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation, is closely related to the pathologic process of UC. 16S rRNA sequencing for intestinal microbiota analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) contents clearly demonstrated lower amounts of butyrate-producing bacteria and butyrate in colitis mice. However, the precise mechanisms of sodium butyrate (NaB) in treating UC remain largely unclear. We found that ferroptosis occurred in colitis models, as evidenced by the inflammatory response, intracellular iron level, mitochondria ultrastructural observations and associated protein expression. NaB inhibited ferroptosis in colitis, significantly rescued weight loss and colon shortening in mice and reduced inflammatory lesions and mitochondrial damage. Furthermore, NaB improved intestinal barrier integrity and markedly suppressed the expression of pro-ferroptosis proteins. Conversely, the protein expression of anti-ferroptosis markers including nuclear factor erythroid-related Factor 2 (Nrf2) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), was significantly upregulated with NaB treatment. Moreover, the knockdown of Nrf2 reversed the anti-colitis effect of NaB. Taken together, NaB exhibited a protective effect by ameliorating ferroptosis in experimental colitis through Nrf2/GPX4 signaling and improving intestinal barrier integrity, which provides a novel mechanism for NaB prevention of UC.

3D Printing of Robust High-Performance Conducting Polymer Hydrogel-Based Electrical Bioadhesive Interface for Soft Bioelectronics.

Electrical bioadhesive interface (EBI), especially conducting polymer hydrogel (CPH)-based EBI, exhibits promising potential applications in various fields, including biomedical devices, neural interfaces, and wearable devices. However, current fabrication techniques of CPH-based EBI mostly focus on conventional methods such as direct casting, injection, and molding, which remains a lingering challenge for further pushing them toward customized practical bioelectronic applications and commercialization. Herein, 3D printable high-performance CPH-based EBI precursor inks are developed through composite engineering of PEDOT:PSS and adhesive ionic macromolecular dopants within tough hydrogel matrices (PVA). Such inks allow the facile fabrication of high-resolution and programmable patterned EBI through 3D printing. Upon successive freeze-thawing, the as-printed PEDOT:PSS-based EBI simultaneously exhibits high conductivity of 1.2 S m-1 , low interfacial impedance of 20 Ω, high stretchability of 349%, superior toughness of 109 kJ m-3 , and satisfactory adhesion to various materials. Enabled by these advantageous properties and excellent printability, the facile and continuous manufacturing of EBI-based skin electrodes is further demonstrated via 3D printing, and the fabricated electrodes display excellent ECG and EMG signal recording capability superior to commercial products. This work may provide a new avenue for rational design and fabrication of next-generation EBI for soft bioelectronics, further advancing seamless human-machine integration.

Photoinduced Metal- and Photosensitizer-Free Decarbonylative C-H Alkylation of Cyclic Sulfamidate Imines.

Photoinduced decarbonylative C-C bond formation with readily accessible aldehydes as alkyl sources is described. This protocol provides a sustainable alternative for the effective construction of diverse valuable 4-alkylated sulfonyl ketimines under metal- and photosensitizer-free conditions. Significantly, in this reaction, air serves as the green oxidant, and cyclic sulfamidate imines play a dual role of substrate and photocatalyst, thus affording a concise reaction system for C-H alkylation of cyclic sulfamidate imines.

Sclareol ameliorates liver injury by inhibiting nuclear factor-kappa B/NOD-like receptor protein 3-mediated inflammation and lipid metabolism disorder in diabetic mice.

Objectives: Sclareol (SCL) is a natural diterpene with anti-inflammation and antioxidant properties. This study aimed to assess the hepatoprotective effects of SCL in diabetic mice. Methods: SCL (10 mg/kg) was administered intragastrically to C57BL/6 mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes daily for 5 weeks to evaluate its beneficial effects in liver injury. Body and liver weight and blood glucose levels were measured. Liver histopathology, fibrosis, and lipid accumulation were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome, and Oil Red O staining, respectively. Serum hepatic enzyme and lipid levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Hepatocellular apoptosis was measured using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. Oxidative stress markers and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using appropriate assay kits. The effects of sclareol on inflammation and lipid metabolism was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunohistochemical analysis, and Western blot assays. Results: SCL significantly decreased serum liver enzymes and lipids levels, and alleviated adipogenesis and fibrosis. Moreover, the protein levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and sterol response element-binding protein 1 were downregulated, whereas the expression of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 was upregulated. SCL increased the antioxidant activity, and decreased ROS levels. SCL alleviated hepatic mitochondrial damage. Furthermore, SCL inhibited Kupffer cell infiltration and reduced serum inflammatory cytokine levels. SCL significantly downregulated the protein expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) P65, NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase 1, and interleukin-1ß. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that SCL improves diabetes-induced liver injury by alleviating the NF-κB/NLRP3-mediated inflammation and lipid metabolism disorder.

Sound attenuation in high mach number oscillating bubble media.

We study theoretically and numerically sound attenuation in bubble-containing media when the bubbles are freely oscillating at high Mach numbers. This paper expands one of the main forms of bubble-related acoustic damping factors by extending the previous theories to higher Mach numbers, further improves the theories of nonlinear sound propagation in bubble-containing media. A nonlinear sound propagation model incorporating second-order liquid compression terms is developed, expressing the sound velocity and density in the medium as a function of the driving pressure, and taking into account the higher-order liquid compression effects on sound propagation. The correctness of the proposed model is verified by comparing with a linear model and a nonlinear model containing only low-order Mach number terms. When the bubble oscillates at a high Mach number, radiation damping, which is directly related to Mach number, becomes the main damping component affecting sound attenuation. The higher the driving amplitude, the stronger the nonlinear effect, and the greater the impact of high-order liquid compression effects on the sound attenuation, the more necessary it is to use the proposed model to calculate the sound attenuation. For high Mach numbers, varying the bubble radius and bubble number density, respectively, the difference between the proposed model and the model containing only low-order Mach number terms in capturing the pressure-dependent attenuation is calculated. Due to stronger radiation damping in smaller bubbles, the effect of compressibility becomes more important. The smaller the bubble radius, the greater the half-quality factor of the curve related to the difference in attenuation calculated by the two models, the more necessary it is to calculate the pressure-dependent attenuation using the proposed model. Here, the half-quality factor is defined as the corresponding frequency bandwidth when the curve falls from the maximum value to 22 times. Without considering the coupling effect between bubbles, the half-quality factor of the curve is not affected by the bubble number density.

Oral microbiota disorder in GC patients revealed by 2b-RAD-M.

BACKGROUND: Microbiota alterations are linked with gastric cancer (GC). However, the relationship between the oral microbiota (especially oral fungi) and GC is not known. In this study, we aimed to apply 2b-RAD sequencing for Microbiome (2b-RAD-M) to characterize the oral microbiota in patients with GC. METHODS: We performed 2b-RAD-M analysis on the saliva and tongue coating of GC patients and healthy controls. We carried out diversity, relative abundance, and composition analyses of saliva and tongue coating bacteria and fungi in the two groups. In addition, indicator analysis, the Gini index, and the mean decrease accuracy were used to identify oral fungal indicators of GC. RESULTS: In this study, fungal imbalance in the saliva and tongue coating was observed in the GC group. At the species level, enriched Malassezia globosa (M. globosa) and decreased Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) were observed in saliva and tongue coating samples of the GC group. Random forest analysis indicated that M. globosa in saliva and tongue coating samples could serve as biomarkers to diagnose GC. The Gini index and mean decreases in accuracy for M. globosa in saliva and tongue coating samples were the largest. In addition, M. globosa in saliva and tongue coating samples classified GC from the control with areas under the receiver operating curve (AUCs) of 0.976 and 0.846, respectively. Further ecological analysis revealed correlations between oral bacteria and fungi. CONCLUSION: For the first time, our data suggested that changes in oral fungi between GC patients and controls may help deepen our understanding of the complex spectrum of the different microbiotas involved in GC development. Although the cohort size was small, this study is the first to use 2b-RAD-M to reveal that oral M. globosa can be a fungal biomarker for detecting GC.

Intraoperative Blood Pressure Lability Acts as a Key Mediator in the Impacts of Goal-Directed Fluid Therapy on Postoperative Complications in Patients Undergoing Major Spine Surgery.

Objective Although goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) has been proven to be effective in reducing the incidence of postoperative complications, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of intraoperative hemodynamic lability in the association between GDFT and the incidence of postoperative complications. We further tested the role of this mediation effect using mean arterial pressure, a hemodynamic indicator. Methods This secondary analysis used the dataset of a completed nonrandomized controlled study to investigate the effect of GDFT on the incidence of postoperative complications in patients undergoing posterior spine arthrodesis. We used a simple mediation model to test whether there was a mediation effect of average real variability between the association of GDFT and postoperative complications. We conducted mediation analysis using the mediation package in R (version 3.1.2), based on 5,000 bootstrapped samples, adjusting for covariates. Results Among the 300 patients in the study, 40% (120/300) developed postoperative complications within 30 days. GDFT was associated with fewer 30-day postoperative complications after adjustment for confounders (odds ratio: 0.460, 95% CI: 0.278, 0.761; P = 0.003). The total effect of GDFT on postoperative complications was -0.18 (95% CI: -0.28, -0.07; P < 0.01). The average causal mediation effect was -0.08 (95% CI: -0.15, -0.04; P < 0.01). The average direct effect was -0.09 (95% CI: -0.20, 0.03; P = 0.17). The proportion mediated was 49.9% (95% CI: 18.3%, 140.0%). Conclusions The intraoperative blood pressure lability mediates the relationship between GDFT and the incidence of postoperative complications. Future research is needed to clarify whether actively reducing intraoperative blood pressure lability can prevent postoperative complications.

Association between post-COVID-19 status and perioperative morbidity and mortality: protocol for an ambispective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: With COVID-19 bringing persistent impact on the worldwide population, perioperative management after SARS-CoV-2 infection needs to be revisited in the new period of different circulating coronavirus variants, vaccination status, increased reinfection rate and new disease control policies. This study aims to explore the association between time to surgery after COVID-19 diagnosis and the risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a single-centre ambispective cohort study. Patients with preoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection who require inpatient surgical intervention from 1 December 2022 to 28 February 2023 will be included. Baseline assessment will include the time interval between preoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and surgery, COVID-19 diagnosis and symptoms, vaccination status and routine preoperative evaluations. The primary outcome will be postoperative composite complications within 30 days after surgery. Association between post-COVID-19 interval and the outcomes will be explored using logistic regression after adjusting for confounding variables. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (IRB K3570). We aim to publish and disseminate the findings in peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences and on social media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05689840.

Combining WGCNA and machine learning to construct immune-related EMT patterns to predict HCC prognosis and immune microenvironment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with a very high mortality rate. Because of its high heterogeneity, there is an urgent need to find biomarkers that accurately predict prognosis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely associated with frequent recurrence and high mortality of HCC. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively analyze the prognostic value and immunological properties of EMT gene in HCC. In our study, we performed bioinformatics analysis of the TCGA and ICGC liver cancer cohorts and identified the module genes of immune-associated EMTs (iEMT) by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). Further we used machine learning (support vector machines-recursive feature elimination and Lasso) to identify three central iEMT genes (ARMC9, ADAM15 and STC2) and construct iEMT_score. Subsequently, in the training and validation cohorts, it was demonstrated that the overall survival (OS) of patients in the high iEMT_score group was worse than that of patients in the low iEMT_score group. Based on this, we have constructed a nomogram that is easy for clinicians to use. In addition, our study explored differences in pathway enrichment, immunological properties, and sensitivity to common chemotherapy and targeted drugs in different subgroups of iEMT_score. Finally, we showed through in vitro experiments that knockdown of ARMC9 could significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells BEL7402. Taken together, our findings suggest that iEMT_score is an excellent biomarker for predicting prognosis and provide some new insights for personalized treatment of HCC patients.

SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein triggers depression-like behaviors and dysosmia via TLR2-mediated neuroinflammation in mice.

BACKGROUND: Depression and dysosmia have been regarded as primary neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients, the mechanism of which remains unclear. Current studies have demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (E) protein is a pro-inflammatory factor sensed by Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), suggesting the pathological feature of E protein is independent of viral infection. In this study, we aim to ascertain the role of E protein in depression, dysosmia and associated neuroinflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). METHODS: Depression-like behaviors and olfactory function were observed in both female and male mice receiving intracisternal injection of E protein. Immunohistochemistry was applied in conjunction with RT-PCR to evaluate glial activation, blood-brain barrier status and mediators synthesis in the cortex, hippocampus and olfactory bulb. TLR2 was pharmacologically blocked to determine its role in E protein-related depression-like behaviors and dysosmia in mice. RESULTS: Intracisternal injection of E protein evoked depression-like behaviors and dysosmia in both female and male mice. Immunohistochemistry suggested that the E protein upregulated IBA1 and GFAP in the cortex, hippocampus and olfactory bulb, while ZO-1 was downregulated. Moreover, IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, CCL2, MMP2 and CSF1 were upregulated in both cortex and hippocampus, whereas IL-1ß, IL-6 and CCL2 were upregulated in the olfactory bulb. Furtherly, inhibiting microglia, rather than astrocytes, alleviated depression-like behaviors and dysosmia induced by E protein. Finally, RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry suggested that TLR2 was upregulated in the cortex, hippocampus and olfactory bulb, the blocking of which mitigated depression-like behaviors and dysosmia induced by E protein. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that envelope protein could directly induce depression-like behaviors, dysosmia, and obvious neuroinflammation in CNS. TLR2 mediated depression-like behaviors and dysosmia induced by envelope protein, which could serve as a promising therapeutic target for neurological manifestation in COVID-19 patients.

Flexible Supercapacitors Based on Stretchable Conducting Polymer Electrodes.

Supercapacitors are widely used in various fields due to their high power density, fast charging and discharging speeds, and long service life. However, with the increasing demand for flexible electronics, integrated supercapacitors in devices are also facing more challenges, such as extensibility, bending stability, and operability. Despite many reports on stretchable supercapacitors, challenges still exist in their preparation process, which involves multiple steps. Therefore, we prepared stretchable conducting polymer electrodes by depositing thiophene and 3-methylthiophene on patterned 304 stainless steel (SS 304) through electropolymerization. The cycling stability of the prepared stretchable electrodes could be further improved by protecting them with poly(vinyl alcohol)/sulfuric acid (PVA/H2SO4) gel electrolyte. Specifically, the mechanical stability of the polythiophene (PTh) electrode was improved by 2.5%, and the stability of the poly(3-methylthiophene (P3MeT) electrode was improved by 7.0%. As a result, the assembled flexible supercapacitors maintained 93% of their stability even after 10,000 cycles of strain at 100%, which indicates potential applications in flexible electronics.

[Standard Process for Palliative Sedation in Peking Union Medical College Hospital].

End-stage patients experience unbearable pain because of refractory symptoms.Palliative sedation is a form of palliative care which relieves patients' agony by lowering their consciousness.Standard palliative sedation can help patients die with dignity.It is distinct from euthanasia and does not alter the survival of patients.Sufficient palliative care is the premise of palliative sedation.Repeated and detailed clinical evaluation,as well as multidisciplinary involvement,is necessary for the standardized implementation of palliative sedation.Here,we proposed the standard process and specifications of palliative sedation in Peking Union Medical College Hospital.Furthermore,we reported a case of palliative sedation for an advanced cancer patient with refractory delirium and living pain to demonstrate its application in clinical practice.

Mir-153-3p Modulates the Breast Cancer Cells' Chemosensitivity to Doxorubicin by Targeting KIF20A.

Breast cancer is considered the solid tumor most sensitive to chemotherapy. However, it can become resistant to various chemotherapeutic drugs, including doxorubicin, which triggers cell death by intercalation between DNA bases, free radical formation, and topoisomerase II inhibition. When drug resistance develops, several miRNAs are dysregulated, suggesting that miRNAs may play a significant role in resistance formation. In the current study, we investigated how doxorubicin sensitivity of breast cancer cells is affected by miR-153-3p and its target gene. The MTT method was used to determine the chemo-sensitizing effect of miR-153-3p on doxorubicin in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Results of Western blot and dual luciferase confirmed that miR-153-3p targets KIF20A and decreases its expression. Transwell and flow cytometry experiments showed that miR-153-3p and doxorubicin together had higher effects on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as increasing apoptosis and arresting cells in the G1 phase. Proteins related to apoptosis and the cell cycle exhibited the same tendency. Intracellular vesicle formation was inhibited and RAB26 was also downregulated by treatment with miR-153-3p alone or in combination with doxorubicin. Doxorubicin's ability to suppress tumors may be enhanced by miR-153-3p, according to in vivo studies. According to our findings, miR-153-3p has a direct effect on KIF20A and may regulate the formation of intracellular vesicles, which in turn makes breast cancer cells more susceptible to doxorubicin.