Self-assembling dendrimer nanosystems for specific fluorine magnetic resonance imaging and effective theranostic treatment of tumors.

Fluorine magnetic resonance imaging (19F-MRI) is particularly promising for biomedical applications owing to the absence of fluorine in most biological systems. However, its use has been limited by the lack of safe and water-soluble imaging agents with high fluorine contents and suitable relaxation properties. We report innovative 19F-MRI agents based on supramolecular dendrimers self-assembled by an amphiphilic dendrimer composed of a hydrophobic alkyl chain and a hydrophilic dendron. Specifically, this amphiphilic dendrimer bears multiple negatively charged terminals with high fluorine content, which effectively prevented intra- and intermolecular aggregation of fluorinated entities via electrostatic repulsion. This permitted high fluorine nuclei mobility alongside good water solubility with favorable relaxation properties for use in 19F-MRI. Importantly, the self-assembling 19F-MRI agent was able to encapsulate the near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) agent DiR and the anticancer drug paclitaxel for multimodal 19F-MRI and NIRF imaging of and theranostics for pancreatic cancer, a deadly disease for which there remains no adequate early detection method or efficacious treatment. The 19F-MRI and multimodal 19F-MRI and NIRF imaging studies on human pancreatic cancer xenografts in mice confirmed the capability of both imaging modalities to specifically image the tumors and demonstrated the efficacy of the theranostic agent in cancer treatment, largely outperforming the clinical anticancer drug paclitaxel. Consequently, these dendrimer nanosystems constitute promising 19F-MRI agents for effective cancer management. This study offers a broad avenue to the construction of 19F-MRI agents and theranostics, exploiting self-assembling supramolecular dendrimer chemistry.

Beyond Lipids: Exploring Advances in Polymeric Gene Delivery in the Lipid Nanoparticles Era.

The recent success of gene therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of effective and safe delivery systems. Complementing lipid-based delivery systems, polymers present a promising alternative for gene delivery. Significant advances have been made in the recent past, with multiple clinical trials progressing beyond phase I and several companies actively working on polymeric delivery systems which provides assurance that polymeric carriers can soon achieve clinical translation. The massive advantage of structural tunability and vast chemical space of polymers is being actively leveraged to mitigate shortcomings of traditional polycationic polymers and improve the translatability of delivery systems. Tailored polymeric approaches for diverse nucleic acids and for specific subcellular targets are now being designed to improve therapeutic efficacy. This review describes the recent advances in polymer design for improved gene delivery by polyplexes and covalent polymer-nucleic acid conjugates. The review also offers a brief note on novel computational techniques for improved polymer design. The review concludes with an overview of the current state of polymeric gene therapies in the clinic as well as future directions on their translation to the clinic.

Lateral Shuffle-Induced Fatigue Effects on Ankle Proprioception and Countermovement Jump Performance.

To determine how lateral shuffling/lateral shuffle (LS) -induced fatigue affects ankle proprioception and countermovement jump (CMJ) performance. Eighteen male college athletes performed 6 modes of a repeated LS protocol with 2 distances (2.5 and 5 m) and 3 speeds (1.6, 1.8, and 2.0 m/s). After LS, ankle inversion proprioception (AIP) was measured using the active movement extent discrimination apparatus (AMEDA). CMJ, blood lactate (BLa), heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured before and after LS. The number of changes of direction (CODs) in each protocol was recorded. LS-induced fatigue was evident in BLa, HR and RPE (all p < 0.05), increasing with shorter shuffle distance and faster speed. RM-ANOVA showed a significant distance main effect on both AIP (p < 0.01) and CMJ (p < 0.05), but the speed main effect was only significant for CMJ (p ≤ 0.001), not AIP (p = 0.87). CMJ performance was correlated with BLa, HR and RPE (r values range from -0.62 to -0.32, all p ≤ 0.001). AIP was only correlated with CODs (r = -0.251, p < 0.01). These results suggested that in LS, shorter distance, regardless of speed, was associated with worse AIP, whereas subsequent CMJ performance was affected by both LS distance and speed. Hence, AIP performance was not related to physiological fatigue, but CMJ performance was. Results imply that LS affects processing proprioceptive input and producing muscular output differently, and that these two aspects of neuromuscular control are affected by physiological fatigue to varying degrees. These findings have implications for injury prevention and performance enhancement.

Covalently bridging graphene edges for improving mechanical and electrical properties of fibers.

Assembling graphene sheets into macroscopic fibers with graphitic layers uniaxially aligned along the fiber axis is of both fundamental and technological importance. However, the optimal performance of graphene-based fibers has been far lower than what is expected based on the properties of individual graphene. Here we show that both mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of graphene-based fibers can be significantly improved if bridges are created between graphene edges through covalent conjugating aromatic amide bonds. The improved electrical conductivity is likely due to extended electron conjugation over the aromatic amide bridged graphene sheets. The larger sheets also result in improved π-π stacking, which, along with the robust aromatic amide linkage, provides high mechanical strength. In our experiments, graphene edges were bridged using the established wet-spinning technique in the presence of an aromatic amine linker, which selectively reacts to carboxyl groups at the graphene edge sites. This technique is already industrial and can be easily upscaled. Our methodology thus paves the way to the fabrication of high-performance macroscopic graphene fibers under optimal techno-economic and ecological conditions.

Activation of NOTCH signaling impedes cell proliferation and survival in acute megakaryoblastic leukemia.

The genetic lesions that drive acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) have not been fully elucidated. To search for genetic alterations in AMKL, we performed targeted deep sequencing in 34 AMKL patient samples and 8 AMKL cell lines and detected frequent genetic mutations in the NOTCH pathway in addition to previously reported alterations in GATA-1 and the JAK-STAT pathway. Pharmacological and genetic NOTCH activation, but not inhibition, significantly suppressed AMKL cell proliferation in both in vitro and in vivo assays employing a patient-derived xenograft model. These results suggest that NOTCH inactivation underlies AMKL leukemogenesis. and NOTCH activation holds the potential for therapeutic application in AMKL.

Vaginal micro-environment disorder promotes malignant prognosis of low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: a prospective community cohort study in Shanxi Province, China.

PURPOSE: Emerging evidence suggests that vaginal micro-environment disorder is closely related to the development of cervical lesions. Low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN1), as an early stage of cervical lesions, exhibits a high risk of progressing to high-grade lesions or even cervical cancer. However, the effect of vaginal micro-environment on the malignant prognosis of CIN1 remains uncertain. METHODS: A total of 504 patients diagnosed with CIN1 by pathology, who were from the population-based cohorts established in Shanxi Province, China, were enrolled and followed up for 2 years. Micro-environmental factors such as vaginal pH, cleanliness, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), ß-glucuronidase (GUSB), leucocyte esterase (LE), and sialidase (SNA) were detected to evaluate their effect on the malignant prognosis of CIN1. RESULTS: Abnormal vaginal pH (HR = 1.472, 95%CI 1.071-2.022), cleanliness (HR = 1.446, 95%CI 1.067-1.960), H2O2 (HR = 1.525, 95%CI 1.155-2.013), GUSB (HR = 1.739, 95%CI 1.235-2.448), LE (HR = 1.434, 95%CI 1.038-1.981), and SNA (HR = 1.411, 95%CI 1.065-1.870) could promote a higher incidence of CIN1 malignant prognosis, and the combined effects of these micro-environmental factors resulted in a nearly twofold increased risk (HR = 2.492, 95%CI 1.773-3.504) compared to any single factor alone, especially under the high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. Notably, the cumulative incidence of malignant prognosis for CIN1 gradually increased during the early follow-up period, reaching its peak at approximately 8 months, and then stabilizing. CONCLUSION: Vaginal micro-environment disorder could promote CIN1 malignant prognosis, particularly in HR-HPV-infected women. Taking micro-environmental factors as the breakthrough, our study provides a feasible vision for preventing early stage cervical lesions.

Bimetallic Cu@Ru Core-Shell Structures with Ligand Effects for Endo-Exogenous Stimulation-Mediated Dynamic Oncotherapy.

Dynamic therapies, which induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in situ through endogenous and exogenous stimulation, are emerging as attractive options for tumor treatment. However, the complexity of the tumor substantially limits the efficacy of individual stimulus-triggered dynamic therapy. Herein, bimetallic copper and ruthenium (Cu@Ru) core-shell nanoparticles are applied for endo-exogenous stimulation-triggered dynamic therapy. The electronic structure of Cu@Ru is regulated through the ligand effects to improve the adsorption level for small molecules, such as water and oxygen. The core-shell heterojunction interface can rapidly separate electron-hole pairs generated by ultrasound and light stimulation, which initiate reactions with adsorbed small molecules, thus enhancing ROS generation. This synergistically complements tumor treatment together with ROS from endogenous stimulation. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that Cu@Ru nanoparticles can induce tumor cell apoptosis and ferroptosis through generated ROS. This study provides a new paradigm for endo-exogenous stimulation-based synergistic tumor treatment.

High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Combined with Reactive Oxygen Species Reveals Differences in Photoreactivity of Dissolved Organic Matter from Microplastic Sources in Aqueous Environments.

Microplastics (MPs)-derived dissolved organic matter (MPs-DOM) is becoming a non-negligible source of DOM pools in aquatic systems, but there is limited understanding about the photoreactivity of different MPs-DOM. Herein, MPs-DOM from polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), PE, and polypropylene (PP), representing aromatic, biodegradable, and aliphatic plastics, were prepared to examine their photoreactivity. Spectral and high-resolution mass spectrometry analyses revealed that PS/PET/PBAT-DOM contained more unsaturated aromatic components, whereas PE/PP-DOM was richer in saturated aliphatic components. Photodegradation experiments observed that unsaturated aromatic molecules were prone to be degraded compared to saturated aliphatic molecules, leading to a higher degradation of PS/PET/PBAT-DOM than PE/PP-DOM. PS/PET/PBAT-DOM was mainly degraded by hydroxyl (•OH) via attacking unsaturated aromatic structures, whereas PE/PP-DOM by singlet oxygen (1O2) through oxidizing aliphatic side chains. The [•OH]ss was 1.21-1.60 × 10-4 M in PS/PET/PBAT-DOM and 0.97-1.14 × 10-4 M in PE/PP-DOM, while the [1O2]ss was 0.90-1.35 × 10-12 and 0.33-0.44 × 10-12 M, respectively. This contributes to the stronger photoreactivity of PS/PET/PBAT-DOM with a higher unsaturated aromatic degree than PE/PP-DOM. The photodegradation of MPs-DOM reflected a decreasing tendency from aromatic-unsaturated molecules to aliphatic-saturated molecules. Special attention should be paid to the photoreactivity and environmental impacts associated with MPs-DOM containing highly unsaturated aromatic compounds.

Maramycin, a Cytotoxic Isoquinolinequinone Terpenoid Produced through Heterologous Expression of a Bifunctional Indole Prenyltransferase/Tryptophan Indole-Lyase in S. albidoflavus.

Isoquinolinequinones represent an important family of natural alkaloids with profound biological activities. Heterologous expression of a rare bifunctional indole prenyltransferase/tryptophan indole-lyase enzyme from Streptomyces mirabilis P8-A2 in S. albidoflavus J1074 led to the activation of a putative isoquinolinequinone biosynthetic gene cluster and production of a novel isoquinolinequinone alkaloid, named maramycin (1). The structure of maramycin was determined by analysis of spectroscopic (1D/2D NMR) and MS spectrometric data. The prevalence of this bifunctional biosynthetic enzyme was explored and found to be a recent evolutionary event with only a few representatives in nature. Maramycin exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against human prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP and C4-2B. The discovery of maramycin (1) enriched the chemical diversity of natural isoquinolinequinones and also provided new insights into crosstalk between the host biosynthetic genes and the heterologous biosynthetic genes in generating new chemical scaffolds.

Life Satisfaction and Its Relationship With Personality Traits Among Medical College Students in China.

BACKGROUND: Life satisfaction is a comprehensive psychological index to measure a person's life quality. Previous studies have found that population sociological factors, physiological factors, psychological factors, and social factors all affect life satisfaction, but few studies have looked at the role of stable psychological factors, such as personality, in life satisfaction. Thus, this study combined previous research results and theories to study the current situation of college students' life satisfaction and its correlation with personality. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to comprehensively assess the life satisfaction levels among university students enrolled in a medical college in China, explore their correlation with various demographic factors and personality traits, identify potential areas for intervention, and provide recommendations for improving students' overall well-being and fostering the development of a positive and healthy personality. METHODS: A stratified cluster sampling method was used to select college students from a university. The questionnaire consists of general characteristics, a life satisfaction scale, and the Big Five Inventory. Descriptive statistical methods were conducted to describe the college students' life satisfaction status; an analysis of variance was performed to compare the score of life satisfaction among different demographic features; and the correlation between the score of life satisfaction and the Big Five Inventory was also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 3116 subjects were included in this survey. The life satisfaction of females was higher than that of males in the dimensions of family, friends, school, and overall satisfaction (p<0.05). The life satisfaction of males in the self dimension was higher than that of females (p<0.05). The life satisfaction of different weight types had statistical significance in the life dimension (p<0.05). The life satisfaction of family, school, and overall well-being among smoking college students was lower than that of non-smoking college students (p<0.05). The life satisfaction of non-drinking college students in family, friends, life, school, and overall life satisfaction scores was higher than those of drinking college students (p<0.05). College students who get plenty of sleep a day (more than eight hours) scored higher life satisfaction scores in the self dimension than sleep-deprived college students (p<0.05). In addition to the family dimension, students taking long physical exercise breaks every day had higher life satisfaction scores in every dimension than students lacking physical exercise (p<0.05). The mean score of personality in the agreeableness and openness dimensions is the highest. Correlation analysis showed that the personality score in each dimension was positively correlated with the life satisfaction score in each dimension except for the neuroticism dimension of personality (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The life satisfaction of college students is different for different lifestyles. The student management department should pay attention to the physical and mental health of college students with low life satisfaction and further find out the reasons for the difference in life satisfaction. Meanwhile, education should be strengthened for college students and encourage them to give up smoking and alcohol; strengthen physical training; and university education should strengthen the personality cultivation of college students.

Changes in the intestinal microbiota of multiple myeloma patients living in high­altitude and cold regions analyzed using 16s rRNA high­throughput sequencing.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell clonal disease and these plasma cells can survive in the gut. The intestinal microbiota is a complex ecosystem and its dysfunction can release persistent stimulus signals that trigger genetic mutations and clonal evolution in the gut. The present study analyzed the intestinal microbiota in fecal samples of MM patients in high-altitude and cold regions of China using 16s rRNA sequencing and analyzed significantly enriched species at the phylum and genus levels. Although no significant difference in the alpha diversity was observed between the MM and control groups, a significant difference was noted in the beta diversity. A total of 15 significant differential bacteria at the genus level were found between the two groups, among which Bacteroides, Streptococcus, Lactobacillus and Alistipes were significantly enriched in the MM group. The present study also constructed a disease diagnosis model using Random Forest analysis and verified its accuracy using receiver operating characteristic analysis. In addition, using correlation analysis, it demonstrated that the composition of the intestinal microbiota in patients with MM was associated with complement levels. Notably, the present study predicted that the signaling and metabolic pathways of the intestinal microbiota affected MM progression through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functional analysis. The present study provides a new approach for the prevention and treatment of MM, in which the intestinal microbiota may become a novel therapeutic target for MM.

Role of non­coding RNAs in UV­induced radiation effects (Review).

Ultraviolet (UV) is divided into UVA (long-wave, 320-400 nm), UVB (middle-wave, 280-320 nm) and UVC (short-wave, 100-280 nm) based on wavelength. UV radiation (UVR) from sunlight (UVA + UVB) is a major cause of skin photodamage including skin inflammation, aging and pigmentation. Accidental exposure to UVC burns the skin and induces skin cancer. In addition to the skin, UV radiation can also impair visual function. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a class of functional RNAs that do not have coding activity but can control cellular processes at the post-transcriptional level, including microRNA (miRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and circulatory RNA (circRNA). Through a review of the literature, it was determined that UVR can affect the expression of various ncRNAs, and that this regulation may be wavelength specific. Functionally, ncRNAs participate in the regulation of photodamage through various pathways and play pathogenic or protective regulatory roles. In addition, ncRNAs that are upregulated or downregulated by UVR can serve as biomarkers for UV-induced diseases, aiding in diagnosis and prognosis assessment. Therapeutic strategies targeting ncRNAs, including the use of natural drugs and their extracts, have shown protective effects against UV-induced photodamage. In the present review, an extensive summarization of previous studies was performed and the role and mechanism of ncRNAs in UV-induced radiation effects was reviewed to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of UV-related diseases.

A bacterial cellulose/polyvinyl alcohol/nitro graphene oxide double layer network hydrogel efficiency antibacterial and promotes wound healing.

In this study, graphene oxide (GO) was chemically modified utilizing concentrated nitric acid to produce a nitrated graphene oxide derivative (NGO) with enhanced oxidation level, improved dispersibility, and increased antibacterial activity. A double-layer composite hydrogel material (BC/PVA/NGO) with a core-shell structure was fabricated by utilizing bacterial cellulose (BC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) binary composite hydrogel scaffold as the inner network template, and hydrophilic polymer (PVA) loaded with antibacterial material (NGO) as the outer network. The fabrication process involved physical crosslinking based on repeated freezing and thawing. The resulting BC/PVA/NGO hydrogel exhibited a porous structure, favorable mechanical properties, antibacterial efficacy, and biocompatibility. Subsequently, the performance of BC/PVA/NGO hydrogel in promoting wound healing was evaluated using a mouse skin injury model. The findings demonstrated that the BC/PVA/NGO hydrogel treatment group facilitated improved wound healing in the mouse skin injury model compared to the control group and the BC/PVA group. This enhanced wound healing capability was attributed primarily to the excellent antibacterial and tissue repair properties of the BC/PVA/NGO hydrogel.

Preterm Birth, Low Birth Weight, and Medical Comorbidities Are Risk Factors for Severe Laryngomalacia in Children.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics and the risk factors associated with severe laryngomalacia in children. Methods: In this study, the clinical data of children (0-18 years), including gender, age at presentation, preterm delivery, low birth weight, delivery mode, feeding mode, fetal delivery, medical comorbidities, maternal gestational age at presentation, and calcium supplementation during pregnancy, diagnosed with laryngomalacia between January 2013 and January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The children were divided into mild-moderate and severe groups. Several risk factors were compared and analyzed between the 2 groups. The statistically significant risk factors were included in the logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 224 children with severe laryngomalacia were enrolled in this study. The ratio of male to female patients was 1.55:1. All patients had severe laryngomalacia manifested by inspiratory laryngeal stridor. The average age of patients at symptom presentation was 2.7 (1.5-5.2) months. There were significant differences between the 2 groups in the age at presentation, premature delivery, low birth weight, medical comorbidities, and calcium supplementation during pregnancy (P < .05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that premature delivery [odds ratio (OR) = 3.177, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.329-4.334], low birth weight (OR = 3.188, 95% CI: 2.325-4.370), and medical comorbidities (OR = 1.434, 95% CI: 1.076-1.909) were independent risk factors for severe laryngomalacia (P < .05). Conclusion: Children with severe laryngomalacia exhibited persistent stridor at an earlier age at presentation. Premature delivery, low birth weight, and medical comorbidities were potential risk factors for severe laryngomalacia in children.

BCMA-CD19 compound CAR T cells for systemic lupus erythematosus: a phase 1 open-label clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of BCMA-CD19 compound chimeric antigen receptor T cells (cCAR) to dual reset the humoral and B cell immune system in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with lupus nephritis (LN). METHODS: This is a single-arm open-label multicentre phase 1 study of BCMA and CD19-directed cCAR in patients suffering from SLE/LN with autoantibodies produced by B cells and plasma/long-lived plasma cells. In this clinical trial, we sequentially assigned biopsy-confirmed (classes III-V) LN patients to receive 3×106 cCAR cells/kg postcessation of all SLE medications and conditioning. The primary endpoint of safety and toxicity was assessed. Complete immune reset was indicated by B cell receptor (BCR) deep sequencing and flow cytometry analysis. Patient 11 (P11) had insufficient lymphocyte counts and was underdosed as compassionate use. RESULTS: P1 and P2 achieved symptom and medication-free remission (MFR) from SLE and complete remission from lymphoma. P3-P13 (excluding P11) received an initial dose of 3×106 cCAR cells /kg and were negative for all autoantibodies, including those derived from long-lived plasma cells, 3 months post-cCAR and the complement returned to normal levels. These patients achieved symptom and MFR with post-cCAR follow-up to 46 months. Complete recovery of B cells was seen in 2-6 months post-cCAR. Mean SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 reduced from 10.6 (baseline) to 2.7 (3 months), and renal function significantly improved in 10 LN patients ≤90 days post-cCAR. cCAR T therapy was well tolerant with mild cytokine-release syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Data suggest that cCAR therapy was safe and effective in inducing MFR and depleting disease-causing autoantibodies in patients with SLE.

The inhibitory effect of adenosine on tumor adaptive immunity and intervention strategies.

Adenosine (Ado) is significantly elevated in the tumor microenvironment (TME) compared to normal tissues. It binds to adenosine receptors (AdoRs), suppressing tumor antigen presentation and immune cell activation, thereby inhibiting tumor adaptive immunity. Ado downregulates major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II) and co-stimulatory factors on dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages, inhibiting antigen presentation. It suppresses anti-tumor cytokine secretion and T cell activation by disrupting T cell receptor (TCR) binding and signal transduction. Ado also inhibits chemokine secretion and KCa3.1 channel activity, impeding effector T cell trafficking and infiltration into the tumor site. Furthermore, Ado diminishes T cell cytotoxicity against tumor cells by promoting immune-suppressive cytokine secretion, upregulating immune checkpoint proteins, and enhancing immune-suppressive cell activity. Reducing Ado production in the TME can significantly enhance anti-tumor immune responses and improve the efficacy of other immunotherapies. Preclinical and clinical development of inhibitors targeting Ado generation or AdoRs is underway. Therefore, this article will summarize and analyze the inhibitory effects and molecular mechanisms of Ado on tumor adaptive immunity, as well as provide an overview of the latest advancements in targeting Ado pathways in anti-tumor immune responses.

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons promotes the progression of low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: A population-based cohort study in China.

Low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN1) is an early stage of cervical cancer development. Previously, we reported that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) increases the risk of cervical precancerous lesions, especially in females with a high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. However, the effects of PAHs on CIN1 progression remain unclear. A community-based prospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the role of exposure to PAHs in the progression of CIN1. A total of 564 patients diagnosed with CIN1 were followed-up at 6, 12, and 24 months, post-diagnosis, to determine CIN1 reversion, persistence, and progression. Exposure to PAHs was determined by the urine 1-hydroxipayrene (1-OHP) level. Our results showed that the 1-OHP level was significantly higher in patients with CIN1 persistence/progression than in those with reversion (P < .05). High exposure to PAHs increased the risk of CIN1 persistence/progression, with hazard ratios (HR), 95% confidence intervals (CI) of (1.62, 1.24-2.67), (1.98, 1.42-2.75), and (2.37, 1.61-3.49) at 6, 12, and 24 months, post-diagnosis, respectively. The effect was enhanced with HR-HPV positivity, as determined at 6 (1.82, 1.24-2.67), 12 (3.02, 1.74-5.23), and 24 (2.51, 1.48-4.26) months, post-diagnosis. Moreover, the predictive value of exposure to PAHs for CIN1 persistence/progression was higher in HR-HPV-positive patients than in HR-HPV-negative patients. The results revealed that exposure to PAHs facilitated the malignant progression of CIN1 and hindered its reversal, particularly in patients with HR-HPV infection. Our findings provide novel insights into early prevention and intervention targeting the initiation and progression of cervical neoplasia.

Single-nucleus RNA transcriptome profiling reveals murine adipose tissue endothelial cell proliferation gene networks involved in obesity development.

Endothelial cells play an important role in the metabolism of adipose tissue (AT). This study aimed to analyze the changes that adipose tissue in AT endothelial cells undergo during the development of obesity, using single-nucleus RNA sequence (snRNA-seq). Mouse paraepididymal AT cells were subjected to snRNA-seq with the 10X Genomics platform. The cell types were then clustered using t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding and unbiased computational informatics analyses. Protein-protein interactions network was established using the STRING database and visualized using Cytoscape. The dataset was subjected to differential gene enrichment analysis. In total, 21,333 cells acquired from 24 mouse paraepididymal AT samples were analyzed using snRNA-seq. This study identified 18 distinct clusters and annotated macrophages, fibroblasts, epithelial cells, T cells, endothelial cells, stem cells, neutrophil cells, and neutrophil cell types based on representative markers. Cluster 12 was defined as endothelial cells. The proportion of endothelial cells decreased with the development of obesity. Inflammatory factors, such as Vegfa and Prdm16 were upregulated in the medium obesity group but downregulated in the obesity group. Genes, such as Prox1, Erg, Flt4, Kdr, Flt1, and Pecam1 promoted the proliferation of AT endothelial cells and maintained the internal environment of AT. This study established a reference model and general framework for studying the mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutic targets of endothelial cell dysfunction-related diseases at the single-cell level.

Risk factors of sleep-disordered breathing and poor asthma control in children with asthma.

BACKGROUND: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may lead to poor asthma control in children. OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors of SDB in children with asthma and assess its impact on asthma control. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we collected data of outpatients with asthma at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from June 2020 to August 2021. The Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire-Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder and the age-appropriate asthma control tests Childhood Asthma Control Test and Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids were completed. RESULTS: We enrolled 397 children with a male-to-female ratio of 1.7:1 and a mean age of 5.70 ± 2.53 years. The prevalence of SDB was 21.6%. Allergic rhinitis (odds ratio OR = 3.316), chronic tonsillitis (OR = 2.246), gastroesophageal reflux (OR = 7.518), adenoid hypertrophy (OR = 3.479), recurrent respiratory infections (OR = 2.195), and a family history of snoring (OR = 2.048) were risk factors for the development of combined SDB in children with asthma (p < 0.05). Asthma was poorly controlled in 19.6% of the children. SDB (OR = 2.391) and irregular medication use (OR = 2.571) were risk factors for poor asthma control (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Allergic rhinitis, chronic tonsillitis, gastroesophageal reflux, adenoid hypertrophy, recurrent respiratory infections, and a family history of snoring were independent risk factors for the development of SDB in children with asthma. SDB and irregular medication use were independent risk factors for poor asthma control.

Synthesis of ZSM-5 Zeolite Nanosheets with Tunable Silanol Nest Contents across an Ultra-wide pH Range and Their Catalytic Validation.

Zeolite synthesis under acidic conditions has always presented a challenge. In this study, we successfully prepared series of ZSM-5 zeolite nanosheets (Z-5-SCA-X) over a broad pH range (4 to 13) without the need for additional supplements. This achievement was realized through aggregation crystallization of ZSM-5 zeolite subcrystal (Z-5-SC) with highly short-range ordering and ultrasmall size extracted from the synthetic system of ZSM-5 zeolite. Furthermore, the crystallization behavior of Z-5-SC was investigated, revealing its non-classical crystallization process under mildly alkaline and acidic conditions (pH<10), and the combination of classical and non-classical processes under strongly alkaline conditions (pH≥10). What's particularly intriguing is that, the silanol nest content in the resultant Z-5-SCA-X samples appears to be dependent on the pH values during the Z-5-SC crystallization process rather than its crystallinity. Finally, the results of the furfuryl alcohol etherification reaction demonstrate that reducing the concentration of silanol nests significantly enhances the catalytic performance of the Z-5-SCA-X zeolite. The ability to synthesize zeolite in neutral and acidic environments without the additional mineralizing agents not only broadens the current view of traditional zeolite synthesis but also provides a new approach to control the silanol nest content of zeolite catalysts.