Magnetically nanorized seaweed residue for the adsorption of methylene blue in aqueous solutions.

The cost-effective and green separation of dye pollutants from wastewater is of great importance in environmental remediation. Industrial seaweed residue (SR), as a low-cost cellulose source, was used to produce carboxylated nanorized-SR (NSR) via oxalic acid (OA)-water pretreatments followed by ultrasonic disintegration. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray polycrystalline diffraction, nitrogen isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, particle charge detection, zeta potential and retro titration experiments were utilized to explore the physiochemical properties of samples. The NSRs with carboxyl content of 4.58-6.73 mmol g-1 were prepared using 10-60% OA-water pretreatment. In the case of 20% OA-water pretreatment, the highest NSR yield (73.9%) and nanocellulose content (80.2%) were obtained. Through self-assembly induced by the electrostatic interaction, magnetic NSR composite adsorbents (MNSRs) were prepared with the combination of NSR and Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs). The carboxylated NSR with negative charge demonstrated good affinity for Fe3O4 NPs. The Fe3O4 NPs were perfectly microencapsulated with the NSR when the NSR/Fe3O4 mass ratio was higher than 1/1. The adsorption properties of the MNSR for methylene blue (MB) removal from aqueous solution were investigated. The adsorbent with NSR/Fe3O4 mass ratio of 1/1 (MNSR1/1) exhibited optimum performance in terms of the magnetic properties and adsorption capacity. The MNSR1/1 showed high adsorption ability in a pH ≥7 environment. According to the Langmuir fitting, the maximum adsorption capacity of MNSR1/1 for MB reached 184.25 mg g-1. The adsorption of MB complies with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. MNSR1/1 still maintained good adsorption properties after the fifth cycle of adsorption-desorption. MNSR1/1 could selectively adsorb cationic dye (i.e., MB and methyl violet) from wastewater, with hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction as the main force.

Evaluating anemia in HIV-infected patients using chest CT.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the Hounsfield unit value of chest CT non-contrast enhanced scan in evaluating the severity of anemia in HIV-infected patients. Methods: Patients with HIV infection combined with anemia admitted to the Kunming Third People's Hospital were retrospectively collected and divided into mild anemia, moderate anemia, and severe anemia groups by peripheral hemoglobin (HB) content and calculated the ratio of ventricular septum density (VSD) to left ventricular density (LVD) and VSD to right ventricular density (RVD); then, the above patients were divided into the critical value group and the non-critical value group according to HB and compared the differences of LVD, RVD, VSD/LVD, and VSD/RVD in the two groups of patients. Results: A total of 126 patients were included, with a mean age of 47.9 ± 11.1 years; 43 cases were in the mild anemia group, 59 cases were in the moderate anemia group, and 24 cases were in the severe anemia group; the differences in LVD, RVD, VSD/LVD, and VSD/RVD were significant in the three groups; VSD/LVD was an independent predictor for the diagnosis of anemia critical value in the non-critical value group vs critical value group by multifactorial binary logistic regression analysis, and the ROC was plotted using VSD/LVD with an area under the curve of 0.731. Conclusions: The measurement of cardiac cavity density and ventricular septal density under CT plain film scan has a high accuracy in evaluating the severity of anemia in patients with HIV infection and can quickly determine the severity of HIV infection in the early stage and treat it as soon as possible.

Identification of macrophage-related genes in bladder cancer patients using single-cell sequencing and construction of a prognostic model.

Single-cell sequencing is an emerging technology that can effectively identify cell types in tumors. In the tumor microenvironment of bladder cancer, macrophages play a crucial role in invasion and immune escape. This study aimed to assess the expression of macrophage-related genes (MRGs) in the tumor microenvironment of bladder cancer patients and construct a prognostic model based on MRGs using bioinformatics methods. METHODS: Single-cell sequencing data from bladder cancer patients was downloaded from the GEO. After quality control and cell type identification, macrophages in the samples were extracted for re-clustering. Feature genes were then identified, and MRGs were assessed. Genetic data from TCGA database bladder cancer patients was also downloaded and organized. The intersection of MRGs and the TCGA gene set was determined. Clinical information was connected with this intersection, and the data was divided into training and validation sets. The training set was used for model construction and the validation set for model verification. A prognostic model based on MRGs was built using the LASSO algorithm and Cox regression. Patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups based on their prognostic features, and survival information in the training and validation sets was observed. The predictive ability of the model was assessed using a ROC curve, followed by a calibration plot to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates. RESULTS: Four cell types were identified, and after extracting macrophages, three cell subgroups were clustered, resulting in 1,078 feature genes. The top 100 feature genes from each macrophage subgroup were extracted and intersected with TCGA expressed genes to construct the model. A risk prediction model composed of CD74, METRN, PTPRR, and CDC42EP5 was obtained. The survival and ROC curves showed that this model had good predictive ability. A calibration curve also demonstrated good prognostic ability for patients. CONCLUSION: This study, based on single-cell data, TCGA data, and clinical information, constructed an MRG-based prognostic model for bladder cancer using multi-omics methods. This model has good accuracy and reliability in predicting the survival and prognosis of patients with bladder cancer, providing a reference for understanding the interaction between MRGs and bladder cancer.

Mn/carbon aerogels derived from the water-induced self-assembly of UIO-66 (Mn) for the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate.

In solid propellants, combustion catalysts play a crucial role. Here, we introduce a convenient method for the self-assembly of UIO-66 (Mn) in the presence of water, leading to the preparation of Mn/C aerogels. The aerogels were successfully utilized in the thermocatalytic decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP). The results indicate that the incorporation of 2% mass fraction of Mn/C aerogels enhances the peak temperature of AP decomposition by approximately 87.5°C. Mn/C aerogels demonstrate excellent catalytic performance. In combination with kinetics, we propose a thermal catalytic mechanism.

Peripheral blood eosinophils: an important reference for radiologists to distinguish between pulmonary paragonimiasis and tuberculous pleurisy in children.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we examined the value of chest CT signs combined with peripheral blood eosinophil percentage in differentiating between pulmonary paragonimiasis and tuberculous pleurisy in children. METHODS: Patients with pulmonary paragonimiasis and tuberculous pleurisy were retrospectively enrolled from January 2019 to April 2023 at the Kunming Third People's Hospital and Lincang People's Hospital. There were 69 patients with pulmonary paragonimiasis (paragonimiasis group) and 89 patients with tuberculous pleurisy (tuberculosis group). Clinical symptoms, chest CT imaging findings, and laboratory test results were analyzed. Using binary logistic regression, an imaging model of CT signs and a combined model of CT signs and eosinophils were developed to calculate and compare the differential diagnostic performance of the two models. RESULTS: CT signs were used to establish the imaging model, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.856 (95% CI: 0.799-0.913), the sensitivity was 66.7%, and the specificity was 88.9%. The combined model was established using the CT signs and eosinophil percentage, and the ROC was plotted. The AUC curve was 0.950 (95% CI: 0.919-0.980), the sensitivity was 89.9%, and the specificity was 90.1%. The differential diagnostic efficiency of the combined model was higher than that of the imaging model, and the difference in AUC was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The combined model has a higher differential diagnosis efficiency than the imaging model in the differentiation of pulmonary paragonimiasis and tuberculous pleurisy in children. The presence of a tunnel sign on chest CT, the absence of pulmonary nodules, and an elevated percentage of peripheral blood eosinophils are indicative of pulmonary paragonimiasis in children.

Giant vascular malformations invading the skull: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Vascular malformations (VMs) arise as a result of errors in the process of angiogenesis and are usually present at birth, but may not become apparent until after birth. However, giant VMs of the head and face are uncommon, with few reported cases, and the prognosis for their surgical intervention is unclear. CASE SUMMARY: A 12-year-old girl was admitted to the hospital with findings of an enlarged right temporal scalp. After admission, computed tomography (CT) angiography of cerebral ateries showed a right occlusal gap and a right temporal artery venous malformation. Furthermore, cerebral angiography showed a right temporal lobe VM with multiple vessels supplying blood. The patient underwent surgery to remove the malformed vessels and the eroded skull. Two hours after the surgery, the patient's right pupil was dilated, and an urgent CT scan of the skull showed a right subdural haematoma under the incision, which was urgently removed by a second operation. After surgery, we gave continuous antibiotic anti-infection treatment, and the patient recovered well and was discharged two weeks later. CONCLUSION: Surgical removal of giant haemangiomas is risky and adequate preoperative (including interventional embolisation) and intraoperative preparations should be made.

GSDMD in regulated cell death: A novel therapeutic target for sepsis.

Sepsis is a life-threatening multi-organ dysfunction syndrome caused by an abnormal host response to infection. Regulated cell death is essential for maintaining tissue homeostasis and eliminating damaged, infected, or aging cells in multicellular organisms. Gasdermin D, as a member of the gasdermin family, plays a crucial role in the formation of cytoplasmic membrane pores. Research has found that GSDMD plays important roles in various forms of regulated cell death such as pyroptosis, NETosis, and necroptosis. Therefore, through mediating regulated cell death, GSDMD regulates different stages of disease pathophysiology. This article mainly summarizes the concept of GSDMD, its role in regulated cell death, its involvement in organ damage associated with sepsis-related injuries mediated by regulated cell death via GSDMD activation and introduces potential drugs targeting GSDMD that may provide more effective treatment options for sepsis patients through drug modification.

Comparison of prognosis and postoperative morbidities between standard pancreaticoduodenectomy and the TRIANGLE technique for resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Radical surgery combined with systemic chemotherapy offers the possibility of long-term survival or even cure for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), although tumor recurrence, especially locally, still inhibits the treatment efficacy. The TRIANGLE technique was introduced as an extended dissection procedure to improve the R0 resection rate of borderline resectable or locally advanced PDAC. However, there was a lack of studies concerning postoperative complications and long-term outcomes of this procedure on patients with resectable PDAC. AIM: To compare the prognosis and postoperative morbidities between standard pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and the TRIANGLE technique for resectable PDAC. METHODS: Patients with resectable PDAC eligible for PD from our hospital between June 2018 and December 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. All the patients were divided into PDstandard and PDTRIANGLE groups according to the surgical procedure. Baseline characteristics, surgical data, and postoperative morbidities were recorded. All of the patients were followed up, and the date and location of tumor recurrence, and death were recorded. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used for the survival analysis. RESULTS: There were 93 patients included in the study and 37 underwent the TRIANGLE technique. Duration of operation was longer in the PDTRIANGLE group compared with the PDstandard group [440 (410-480) min vs 320 (265-427) min] (P = 0.001). Intraoperative blood loss [700 (500-1200) mL vs 500 (300-800) mL] (P = 0.009) and blood transfusion [975 (0-1250) mL vs 400 (0-800) mL] (P = 0.009) were higher in the PDTRIANGLE group. There was a higher incidence of surgical site infection (43.2% vs 12.5%) (P = 0.001) and postoperative diarrhea (54.1% vs 12.5%) (P = 0.001) in the PDTRIANGLE group. The rates of R0 resection and local recurrence, overall survival, and disease-free survival did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The TRIANGLE technique is safe, with acceptable postoperative morbidities compared with standardized PD, but it does not improve prognosis for patients with resectable PDAC.

The Effect of Perioperative Dexamethasone on Postoperative Complications After Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of perioperative dexamethasone on postoperative complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy. BACKGROUND: The glucocorticoid dexamethasone has been shown to improve postoperative outcomes in surgical patients, but its effects on postoperative complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy are unclear. METHODS: This multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted in four Chinese high-volume pancreatic centers. Adults undergoing elective pancreaticoduodenectomy were randomized to receive either 0.2 mg/kg dexamethasone or a saline placebo as an intravenous bolus within 5 minutes after anesthesia induction. The primary outcome was the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) score within 30 days after the operation, analyzed using the modified intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: Among 428 patients for eligibility, 300 participants were randomized and 265 were included in the modified intention-to-treat analyses. One hundred thirty-four patients received dexamethasone and 131 patients received a placebo. The mean (SD) CCI score was 14.0 (17.5) in the dexamethasone group and 17.9 (20.3) in the placebo group (mean difference: -3.8; 95% CI: -8.4 to 0.7; P = 0.100). The incidence of major complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥III; 12.7% vs 16.0%, risk ratio: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.44 to 1.43; P = 0.439) and postoperative pancreatic fistula (25.4% vs 31.3%, risk ratio: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.55 to 1.19; P = 0.286) were not significantly different between the two groups. In the stratum of participants with a main pancreatic duct ≤3 mm (n = 202), the CCI score was significantly lower in the dexamethasone group (mean difference: -6.4; 95% CI: -11.2 to -1.6; P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative dexamethasone did not significantly reduce postoperative complications within 30 days after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Antibiotic prophylaxis with piperacillin-tazobactam reduces organ/space surgical site infection after pancreaticoduodenectomy: a retrospective and propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of surgical site infection (SSI) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is still relatively high. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the efficacy of piperacillin-tazobactam as perioperative prophylactic antibiotic on organ/space SSI for patients underwent PD. METHODS: Four hundred seven consecutive patients who underwent PD between January 2018 and December 2022 were enrolled and analyzed retrospectively. The univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify independent risk factors of organ/space SSI. Postoperative complications were compared between the two groups according to the use of prophylactic antibiotics by a ratio of 1:1 propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis. RESULTS: Based on perioperative prophylactic antibiotic use, all 407 patients were divided into the ceftriaxone group (n = 192, 47.2%) and piperacillin-tazobactam group (n = 215, 52.8%). The rate of organ/space SSI was 31.2% with the choice of perioperative antibiotics (OR = 2.837, 95%CI = 1.802-4.465, P < 0.01) as one of independent risk factors. After PSM, there were similar baseline characteristics among the groups. Meanwhile, the piperacillin-tazobactam group had a significant lower rate of organ/space SSI compared to the ceftriaxone group both before and after PSM(P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The adoption of piperacillin-tazobactam as perioperative prophylaxis for patients underwent PD reduced organ/space SSI significantly.

The novel HLA-C*03:651 allele, identified by Sanger dideoxy nucleotide sequencing in a Chinese individual.

HLA-C*03:651 differs from HLA-C*03:03:01:01 by one nucleotide in exon 4.

Loss of Claudin-1 incurred by DNMT aberration promotes pancreatic cancer progression.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most malignant and deadly tumors of digestive system with complex etiology and pathogenesis. Dysregulations of oncogenes and tumor suppressors due to epigenetic modifications causally affect tumorogenesis; however the key tumor suppressors and their regulations in PC are only partially defined. In this study, we found that Claudin-1 (encoded by CLDN1 gene) was significantly suppressed in PC that correlated with a poor clinical prognosis. Claudin-1 knockdown enhanced PC cell proliferation, migration, and stemness. Pancreatic specific Cldn1 knockout in KPC (LSLKrasG12D/Pdx1-Cre/Trp53R172H+) and KC (LSLKrasG12D/Pdx1-Cre) mice reduced mouse survival, promoted acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) process, and accelerated the development of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and PC. Further investigation revealed that Claudin-1 suppression was mainly caused by aberrant DNA methylatransferase 1 (DNMT1) and DNMT3A elevations and the resultant CLDN1 promoter hypermethylation, as a DNMT specific inhibitor SGI-1027 effectively reversed the Claudin-1 suppression and inhibited PC progression both in vitro and in vivo in a Claudin-1 preservation-dependent manner. Together, our data suggest that Claudin-1 functions as a tumor suppressor in PC and its epigenetic suppression due to DNMT aberrations is a crucial event that promotes PC development and progression.

Case-controlled study of tuberculosis in in-vitro fertilisation-embryo transfer and natural pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To improve the understanding of the clinical features and imaging characteristics of pregnant women with and without in-vitro fertilisation-embryo transfer combined with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted involving 50 patients with pregnancy who had pulmonary TB and were admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Kunming (China) between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021. These patients were divided into an in-vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) conception group and a natural conception group according to the conception method. The clinical and imaging data were then collected and compared. RESULTS: The mean age of the IVF-ET group (n = 13, 31.85 ± 5.84 years) was higher than in the natural conception group (n = 37, 27.05 ± 5.5 years). The proportions of fever, haematogenous TB and extrapulmonary TB in the IVF-ET group (92.31%, 84.62% and 76.92%, respectively) were higher than those in the natural conception group (40.54%,16.22%,27.03%,respectively). The percentage of patients with pregnancy who had intracranial TB (76.9%) in the IVF-ET group was higher than in the natural conception group (10.8%). The percentage of pregnancy terminations in the IVF-ET conception group (84.62%) was higher than in the natural conception group (48.65%). All the above results had statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overall, IVF-ET conception combined with extensive pulmonary TB lesions lead to heavy systemic toxic symptoms, severe disease and poor pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, screening for TB prior to performing IVF-ET is recommended.

Long non-coding RNA PRR7-AS1 promotes osteosarcoma progression via binding RNF2 to transcriptionally suppress MTUS1.

Introduction: Osteosarcoma is a common bone malignant tumor in adolescents with high mortality and poor prognosis. At present, the progress of osteosarcoma and effective treatment strategies are not clear. This study provides a new potential target for the progression and treatment of osteosarcoma. Methods: The relationship between lncRNA PRR7-AS1 and osteosarcoma was analyzed using the osteosarcoma databases and clinical sample testing. Cell function assays and tumor lung metastasis were employed to study the effects of PRR7-AS1 on tumorigenesis in vivo and in vitro. Potential downstream RNF2 of PRR7-AS1 was identified and explored using RNA pulldown and RIP. The GTRD and KnockTF database were used to predict the downstream target gene, MTUS1, and ChIP-qPCR experiments were used to verify the working mechanismy. Rescue experiments were utilized to confirm the role of MTUS1 in the pathway. Results: Deep mining of osteosarcoma databases combined with clinical sample testing revealed a positive correlation between lncRNA PRR7-AS1 and osteosarcoma progression. Knockdown of PRR7-AS1 inhibited osteosarcoma cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, RNA pulldown and RIP revealed that PRR7-AS1 may bind RNF2 to play a cancer-promoting role. ChIP-qPCR experiments were utilized to validate the working mechanism of the downstream target gene MTUS1. RNF2 inhibited the transcription of MTUS1 through histone H2A lysine 119 monoubiquitin. Rescue experiments confirmed MTUS1 as a downstream direct target of PRR7-AS1 and RNF2. Discussion: We identified lncRNA PRR7-AS1 as an important oncogene in osteosarcoma progression, indicating that it may be a potential target for diagnosis and prognosis of osteosarcoma.

Simultaneous deep transcriptome and proteome profiling in a single mouse oocyte.

Although single-cell multi-omics technologies are undergoing rapid development, simultaneous transcriptome and proteome analysis of a single-cell individual still faces great challenges. Here, we developed a single-cell simultaneous transcriptome and proteome (scSTAP) analysis platform based on microfluidics, high-throughput sequencing, and mass spectrometry technology to achieve deep and joint quantitative analysis of transcriptome and proteome at the single-cell level, providing an important resource for understanding the relationship between transcription and translation in cells. This platform was applied to analyze single mouse oocytes at different meiotic maturation stages, reaching an average quantification depth of 19,948 genes and 2,663 protein groups in single mouse oocytes. In particular, we analyzed the correlation of individual RNA and protein pairs, as well as the meiosis regulatory network with unprecedented depth, and identified 30 transcript-protein pairs as specific oocyte maturational signatures, which could be productive for exploring transcriptional and translational regulatory features during oocyte meiosis.

Caspase-3/GSDME mediated pyroptosis: A potential pathway for sepsis.

The inflammatory response is one of the host's mechanisms to combat pathogens. Normal and controlled inflammation can accelerate the clearance of pathogens. However, in sepsis, the host often exhibits an excessive inflammatory response to infection, leading to tissue and organ damage. Therefore, studying the mechanisms underlying the occurrence and development of sepsis is of significant importance. Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death (PCD) executed by the gasdermins (GSDMs) family, and its pro-inflammatory characteristics are considered a crucial component of the sepsis mechanism. Previous research on pyroptosis in sepsis has mainly focused on the caspase-1/4/5/11-GSDMD pathway, which has made significant progress. However, there is a lack of research on the roles of other GSDMs family members in sepsis. New research has revealed that the caspase-3/GSDME pathway can also mediate pyroptosis, playing important roles in cancer, other inflammatory diseases, and even some sepsis-related conditions. This discovery suggests the potential value of investigating caspase-3/GSDME in sepsis research. This review provides an overview of the role of the GSDMs family in infectious diseases, summarizes current research on the caspase-1/4/5/11-GSDMD pathway, describes the role of caspase-3 in sepsis, and discusses the research findings related to pyroptosis mediated by the caspase-3/GSDME pathway in cancer, inflammatory diseases, and sepsis-related conditions. The aim of this article is to propose the concept of caspase-3/GSDME as a potential target in sepsis research. Considering the role of this pathway in other diseases, including inflammatory conditions, and given the unique nature of sepsis as an inflammatory disease, the article suggests that this pathway may also play a role in sepsis. This hypothesis provides new insights and options for future sepsis research, although direct experiments are needed to validate this hypothesis.

Impact of nicotine and cotinine on macrophage inflammatory plasticity via vesicular modifications in gastrointestinal bacteria.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to elucidate mechanistic explanation(s) for compositional changes to enteric microbiota by determining the impacts of continuous nicotine/cotinine exposure on representative gastrointestinal bacteria and how these alterations impact innate immune cell plasticity. METHODS: In vitro cultures of the gastrointestinal bacteria (Bacteroides fragilis 25285, Prevotella bryantii B14, and Acetoanaerobium sticklandii SR) were continuously exposed to nicotine or cotinine. Supernatant samples were collected for fermentation acid analysis. Vesicles were collected and analyzed for physiological changes in number, size, and total protein cargo. Cultured macrophages were stimulated to a tolerogenic phenotype, exposed to control or altered (nicotine or cotinine - exposed) vesicles, and inflammatory plasticity assessed via inflammatory cytokine production. RESULTS: Nicotine/cotinine exposure differentially affected metabolism of all bacteria tested in a Gram (nicotine) and concentration-dependent (cotinine) manner. Physiological studies demonstrated changes in vesiculation number and protein cargo following nicotine/cotinine exposures. Continuous exposure to 1 µM nicotine and 10 µM cotinine concentrations reduced total protein cargo of Gram (-) - 25285 and B14 vesicles, while cotinine generally increased total protein in Gram (+) - SR vesicles. We found that theses physiological changes to the vesicles of 25285 and SR formed under nicotine and cotinine, respectively, challenged the plasticity of tolerogenic macrophages. Tolerogenic macrophages exposed to vesicles from 1 µM nicotine, and 5 or 10 µΜ cotinine cultures produced significantly less IL-12p70, TNFα, or KC/GRO, regardless of macrophage exposure to nicotine/cotinine. CONCLUSIONS: Nicotine/cotinine exposure differentially alters bacterial metabolism and vesicle physiology, ultimately impacting the inflammatory response of tolerogenic macrophages.

E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF187 promotes growth of spermatogonia via lysine 48-linked polyubiquitination-mediated degradation of KRT36/KRT84.

Ubiquitination is the most common post-translational modification and is essential for various cellular regulatory processes. RNF187, which is known as RING domain AP1 coactivator-1, is a member of the RING finger family. RNF187 can promote the proliferation and migration of various tumor cells. However, whether it has a similar role in regulating spermatogonia is not clear. This study explored the role and molecular mechanism of RNF187 in a mouse spermatogonia cell line (GC-1). We found that RNF187 knockdown reduced the proliferation and migration of GC-1 cells and promoted their apoptosis. RNF187 overexpression significantly increased the proliferation and migration of GC-1 cells. In addition, we identified Keratin36/Keratin84 (KRT36/KRT84) as interactors with RNF187 by co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analyses. RNF187 promoted GC-1 cell growth by degrading KRT36/KRT84 via lysine 48-linked polyubiquitination. Subsequently, we found that KRT36 or KRT84 overexpression significantly attenuated proliferation and migration of RNF187-overexpressing GC-1 cells. In summary, our study explored the involvement of RNF187 in regulating the growth of spermatogonia via lysine 48-linked polyubiquitination-mediated degradation of KRT36/KRT84. This may provide a promising new strategy for treating infertility caused by abnormal spermatogonia development.

Laparoscopic versus Open Inguinal Hernia Repair in Aging Patients: A Propensity Score Matching-Based Retrospective Study.

Objective: Although laparoscopic repair has been widely carried out and promoted due to its minimally invasive advantages, open surgery is still popular compared to elderly patients. This study aims to compare the outcomes of laparoscopic (LIHR) vs open repair of inguinal hernias (OIHR) in elderly patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the database was performed to identify elderly patients, from January 2021 through December 2022, who underwent surgery for an inguinal hernia. After a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) with a caliper of 0.1 was conducted to balance potential bias, binary logistic regressions were used for categorical and continuous outcomes. Results: After PSM, 78 pairs of elderly patients were enrolled in this study, and there were no significant differences in baseline between LIHR and OIHR groups. Compared to OIHR, univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that LIHR was independently affected for reducing intraoperative hemorrhage (OR = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.02-0.18, P < 0.001) and shortening postoperative hospitalization time (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.15-0.57, P < 0.001) in elderly patients. Furthermore, LIHR (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.14-0.57, P < 0.001) and age (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.82-0.96, P = 0.002) were independent affecting factors for relieving postoperative pain. Meanwhile, no obvious differences were detected in postoperative complications [LIHR 7.7% (6/78) vs OIHR 14.1% (11/78), P = 0.199]. Conclusion: LIHR was closely associated with reducing intraoperative hemorrhage and shortening postoperative hospitalization time. Whilst LIHR and age were independently affecting factors for relieving postoperative pain.