Internal urethral sphincter reconstruction with anterior bladder neck tube for robotic and laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: improving early return of continence.

Background: In recent years, despite several surgical techniques having been applied, the early incontinence rate after radical prostatectomy (RP) remains high. In this study, we reconstructed an internal urethral sphincter (IUS) with anterior bladder neck tube (ABNT) to improve early return of continence and find a more effective technique for early urinary incontinence after RP. Methods: In this study, 96 previous patients who did not receive an ABNT between October 2018 and May 2020 were compared as historical controls (the control group). A total of 210 consecutive patients underwent robotic or laparoscopic RP with ABNT between May 2020 and February 2023 (the ABNT group). The inclusion criteria included Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score 0-1 and localized prostate cancer (clinical stages cT1-3, cN0, cM0). The exclusion criteria included patients with diabetes, neurologic diseases, previous pelvic operations, symptoms of urinary incontinence, prior radiation, focal therapy, or androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. ABNT was reconducted with a U-shaped flap from the anterior wall of the bladder neck, and was then anastomosed with the urethra. In the control group, the bladder outlet was directly anastomosed with the urethra. Continence, as defined if 0 pads were used per day and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) score ≤6, was assessed at 1, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks after catheter removal. At 2 weeks after catheter removal, urethral pressure profilometry (UPP) and upright urethrography were performed to evaluate the function of ABNT in the ABNT group. Results: More patients in the ABNT group were continent than those in the control group at 1 week (85.2% vs. 22.9%, P<0.001), 4 weeks (91.4% vs. 27.1%, P<0.001), 8 weeks (95.2% vs. 40.6%, P<0.001), 12 weeks (100% vs. 71.9%, P<0.001), and at 24 weeks (100% vs. 87.5%, P<0.001) after catheter removal. Stricture was presented in 5.2% and 2.1% (P=0.34) in the ABNT group and control group, respectively. UPP showed that a functional IUS was reconstructed with ABNT. Upright urethrography showed that the ABNT was filled with contrast medium in the urination period and with no contrast medium during the storage period and interruption of urination. Conclusions: The ABNT technique significantly improved early return of continence in comparison with the no ABNT technique, especially the immediate continence. The ABNT technique reconstructed the functional IUS with acceptable urethral stricture. The limitations of the present study include that the comparison was conducted retrospectively with a historical cohort and lack of randomization, and the single center setting. A prospective, randomized, and multicenter evaluation is expected.

CCDC88C, an O-GalNAc glycosylation substrate of GALNT6, drives breast cancer metastasis by promoting c-JUN-mediated CEMIP transcription.

Coiled-coil domain containing 88C (CCDC88C) is a component of non-canonical Wnt signaling, and its dysregulation causes colorectal cancer metastasis. Dysregulated expression of CCDC88C was observed in lymph node metastatic tumor tissues of breast cancer. However, the role of CCDC88C in breast cancer metastasis remains unclear. To address this, the stable BT549 and SKBR3 cell lines with CCDC88C overexpression or knockdown were developed. Loss/gain-of-function experiments suggested that CCDC88C drove breast cancer cell motility in vitro and lung and liver metastasis in vivo. We found that CCDC88C led to c-JUN-induced transcription activation. Overlapping genes were identified from the genes modulated by CCDC88C and c-JUN. CEMIP, one of these overlapping genes, has been confirmed to confer breast cancer metastasis. We found that CCDC88C regulated CEMIP mRNA levels via c-JUN and it exerted pro-metastatic capabilities in a CEMIP-dependent manner. Moreover, we identified the CCDC88C as a substrate of polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 6 (GALNT6). GALNT6 was positively correlated with CCDC88C protein abundance in the normal breast and breast cancer tissues, indicating that GALNT6 might be associated with expression patterns of CCDC88C in breast cancer. Our data demonstrated that GALNT6 maintained CCDC88C stability by promoting its O-linked glycosylation, and the modification was critical for the pro-metastatic potential of CCDC88C. CCDC88C also could mediate the pro-metastatic potential of GALNT6 in breast cancer. Collectively, our findings uncover that CCDC88C may increase the risk of breast cancer metastasis and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Bimetallic Nanoplatforms for Prostate Cancer Treatment by Interfering Cellular Communication.

Cellular communication mediated by messenger molecules plays an important role in the progression of cancer. Herein, pH-sensitive zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) loaded with PtCl2(OH)2(NH3)2 [i.e., Pt(IV)] bimetallic nanoplatforms were developed for prostate cancer therapy by interfering inositol-1, 4, 5-trisphosphate (IP3)-mediated cellular communication. As an important messenger in cells, the function of IP3 was found to be efficiently interfered with by the Pt(IV)-binding inositol unit. This finding effect of Pt(IV) is totally different from its traditional function as a prodrug of cis-platinum for chemotherapy. The decreased IP3 signal further downregulated the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration and downstream signal transduction to inhibit proliferation and invasion of tumor cells. Meanwhile, Zn2+ released from ZIF-8 under an acidic tumor microenvironment decreased adenosine triphosphate biosynthesis, which could further limit the cellular communication. Such a proposed strategy of interfering cellular communication has demonstrated its feasibility in this study, which may provide new perspectives for cancer therapy.

Metal bond strength regulation enables large-scale synthesis of intermetallic nanocrystals for practical fuel cells.

Structurally ordered L10-PtM (M = Fe, Co, Ni and so on) intermetallic nanocrystals, benefiting from the chemically ordered structure and higher stability, are one of the best electrocatalysts used for fuel cells. However, their practical development is greatly plagued by the challenge that the high-temperature (>600 °C) annealing treatment necessary for realizing the ordered structure usually leads to severe particle sintering, morphology change and low ordering degree, which makes it very difficult for the gram-scale preparation of desirable PtM intermetallic nanocrystals with high Pt content for practical fuel cell applications. Here we report a new concept involving the low-melting-point-metal (M' = Sn, Ga, In)-induced bond strength weakening strategy to reduce Ea and promote the ordering process of PtM (M = Ni, Co, Fe, Cu and Zn) alloy catalysts for a higher ordering degree. We demonstrate that the introduction of M' can reduce the ordering temperature to extremely low temperatures (≤450 °C) and thus enable the preparation of high-Pt-content (≥40 wt%) L10-Pt-M-M' intermetallic nanocrystals as well as ten-gram-scale production. X-ray spectroscopy studies, in situ electron microscopy and theoretical calculations reveal the fundamental mechanism of the Sn-facilitated ordering process at low temperatures, which involves weakened bond strength and consequently reduced Ea via Sn doping, the formation and fast diffusion of low-coordinated surface free atoms, and subsequent L10 nucleation. The developed L10-Ga-PtNi/C catalysts display outstanding performance in H2-air fuel cells under both light- and heavy-duty vehicle conditions. Under the latter condition, the 40% L10-Pt50Ni35Ga15/C catalyst delivers a high current density of 1.67 A cm-2 at 0.7 V and retains 80% of the current density after extended 90,000 cycles, which exceeds the United States Department of Energy performance metrics and represents among the best cathodic electrocatalysts for practical proton-exchange membrane fuel cells.

Introducing Electron Buffers into Intermetallic Pt Alloys against Surface Polarization for High-Performing Fuel Cells.

Surface polarization under harsh electrochemical environments usually puts catalysts in a thermodynamically unstable state, which strictly hampers the thermodynamic stability of Pt-based catalysts in high-performance fuel cells. Here, we report a strategy by introducing electron buffers (variable-valence metals, M = Ti, V, Cr, and Nb) into intermetallic Pt alloy nanoparticle catalysts to suppress the surface polarization of Pt shells using the structurally ordered L10-M-PtFe as a proof of concept. Operando X-ray absorption spectra analysis suggests that with the potential increase, electron buffers, especially Cr, could facilitate an electron flow to form a electron-enriched Pt shell and thus weaken the surface polarization and tensile Pt strain. The best-performing L10-Cr-PtFe/C catalyst delivers superb oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity (mass activity = 1.41/1.02 A mgPt-1 at 0.9 V, rated power density = 14.0/9.2 W mgPt-1 in H2-air under a total Pt loading of 0.075/0.125 mgPt cm-2, respectively) and stability (20 mV voltage loss at 0.8 A cm-2 after 60,000 cycles of accelerated durability test) in a fuel cell cathode, representing one of the best reported ORR catalysts. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the optimized surface strain by introducing Cr on L10-PtFe/C accounts for the enhanced ORR activity, and the durability enhancement stems from the charge transfer contribution of Cr to the Pt shells and the increased kinetic energy barrier for Pt dissolution/Fe diffusion.

Review of the Perspectives and Study of Thermo-Responsive Polymer Gels and Applications in Oil-Based Drilling Fluids.

Thermoresponsive polymer gels are a type of intelligent material that can react to changes in temperature. These materials possess excellent innovative properties and find use in various fields. This paper systematically analyzes the methods for testing and regulating phase transition temperatures of thermo-responsive polymer gels based on their response mechanism. The report thoroughly introduces the latest research on thermo-responsive polymer gels in oil and gas extraction, discussing their advantages and challenges across various environments. Additionally, it elucidates how the application limitations of high-temperature and high-salt conditions can be resolved through process optimization and material innovation, ultimately broadening the scope of application of thermo-responsive polymer gels in oil and gas extraction. The article discusses the technological development and potential applications of thermo-responsive polymer gels in oil-based drilling fluids. This analysis aims to offer researchers in the oil and gas industry detailed insights into future possibilities for thermo-responsive polymer gels and to provide helpful guidance for their practical use in oil-based drilling fluids.

Identification of crucial modules and genes associated with backfat tissue development by WGCNA in Ningxiang pigs.

Fat deposition is an economically important trait in pigs. Ningxiang pig, one of the four famous indigenous breeds in China, is characterized by high fat content. The underlying gene expression pattern in different developmental periods of backfat tissue remains unclear, and the purpose of this investigation is to explore the potential molecular regulators of backfat tissue development in Ningxiang pigs. Backfat tissue (three samples for each stage) was initially collected from different developmental stages (60, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 days after birth), and histological analysis and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were then conducted. Fragments per kilobase of transcript per million (FPKM) method was used to qualify gene expressions, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Furthermore, strongly co-expressed genes in modules, which were named by color, were clustered by Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) based on dynamic tree cutting algorithm. Gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment were subsequently implemented, and hub genes were described in each module. Finally, QPCR analysis was employed to validate RNA-seq data. The results showed that adipocyte area increased and adipocyte number decreased with development of backfat tissue. A total of 1,024 DEGs were identified in five comparison groups (120 days vs. 60 days, 180 days vs. 120 days, 240 days vs. 180 days, 300 days vs. 240 days, and 360 days vs. 300 days). The turquoise, red, pink, paleturquoise, darkorange, and darkgreen module had the highest correlation coefficient with 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 days developmental stage, while the tan, black and turquoise module had strong relationship with backfat thickness, adipocyte area, and adipocyte number, respectively. Thirteen hub genes (ACSL1, ACOX1, FN1, DCN, CHST13, COL1A1, COL1A2, COL6A3, COL5A1, COL14A1, OAZ3, DNM1, and SELP) were recognized. ACSL1 and ACOX1 might perform function in the early developmental stage of backfat tissue (60 days), and FN1, DCN, COL1A1, COL1A2, COL5A1, COL6A3, and COL14A1 have unignorable position in backfat tissue around 120 days developmental stage. Besides, hub genes SELP and DNM1 in modules significantly associated with backfat thickness and adipocyte area might be involved in the process of backfat tissue development. These findings contribute to understand the integrated mechanism underlying backfat tissue development and promote the progress of genetic improvement in Ningxiang pigs.

Pan-cancer evidence of prognosis, immune infiltration, and immunotherapy efficacy for annexin family using multi-omics data.

The annexin superfamily (ANXA) is made up of 12 calcium (Ca2+) and phospholipid binding protein members that have a high structural homology and play a key function in cancer cells. However, little research has been done on the annexin family's function in pan-cancer. We examined the ANXA family's expression in various tumors through public databases using bioinformatics analysis, assessed the differences in ANXA expression between tumor and normal tissues in pan-cancer, and then investigated the relationship between ANXA expression and patient survival, prognosis, and clinicopathologic traits. Additionally, we investigated the relationships among TCGA cancers' mutations, tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), immunological subtypes, immune infiltration, tumor microenvironment, immune checkpoint genes, chemotherapeutics sensitivity, and ANXAs expression. cBioPortal was also used to uncover pan-cancer genomic anomalies in the ANXA family, study relationships between pan-cancer ANXA mRNA expression and copy number or somatic mutations, and assess the prognostic values of these variations. Moreover, we investigated the relationship between ANXAs expression and effectiveness of immunotherapy in multiple cohorts, including one melanoma (GSE78220), one renal cell carcinoma (GSE67501), and three bladder cancer cohorts (GSE111636, IMvigor210 and our own sequencing dataset (TRUCE-01)), and further analyzed the changes of ANXAs expression before and after treatment (tislelizumab combined with nab-paclitaxel) of bladder cancer. Then, we explored the biological function and potential signaling pathway of ANXAs using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and first conducted immune infiltration analysis with ANXAs family genes expression, copy number, or somatic mutations of bladder cancer by TIMER 2.0. Most cancer types and surrounding normal tissues expressed ANXA differently. ANXA expression was linked to patient survival, prognosis, clinicopathologic features, mutations, TMB, MSI, immunological subtypes, tumor microenvironment, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint gene expression in 33 TCGA cancers, with ANXA family members varied. The anticancer drug sensitivity analysis showed that ANXAs family members were significantly related to a variety of drug sensitivities. In addition, we also discovered that the expression level of ANXA1/2/3/4/5/7/9/10 was positively or negatively correlated with objective responses to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 across multiple immunotherapy cohorts. The immune infiltration analysis of bladder cancer further showed the significant relationships between ANXAs copy number variations or mutation status, and infiltration level of different immune cells. Overall, our analyses confirm the importance of ANXAs expression or genomic alterations in prognosis and immunological features of various cancer and identified ANXA-associated genes that may serve as potential therapeutic targets.

Circ_0000231 promotes paclitaxel resistance in ovarian cancer by regulating miR-140/RAP1B.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are identified as vital regulators in a variety of cancers. However, the involvement of circ_0000231 in paclitaxel (PTX) resistant ovarian cancer (OC) remains unclear. In this study, we examined the levels of circ_0000231, microRNA-140 (miR-140) and RAP1B in PTX-resistant OC tissues and cells and found that circ_0000231 and RAP1B levels were increased, while miR-140 level was decreased in these cells. Depletion of circ_0000231 could inhibit the resistance, proliferation, invasion, migration and EMT and promoted the apoptosis of PTX-resistant OC cells. The opposite effects were observed by overexpression of circ_0000231. Furthermore, the effect of circ_0000231 on the PTX sensitivity of OC cells was investigated by using xenograft tumor models, and circ_0000231 knockdown increased PTX sensitivity of OC in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that circ_0000231 acted as a sponge for miR-140, and RAP1B was the target gene of miR-140. Taken together, these data indicated that circ_0000231 was a key molecule required for the growth, migration, and PTX-resistance of OC cells and was involved in EMT. Knockdown of circ_000231 suppressed PTX-resistant OC progression via regulating miR-140/RAP1B signaling pathway. circ_0000231 might play vital roles in the tumorigenesis and chemoresistance of OC.

HP1α promotes the progression of prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Patients who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa) typically have a dismal outlook and few therapeutic choices available to them, because the precise pathogenesis of the disease is not yet fully understood. The presence of HP1α, also known as the heterochromatin protein 1α, is required for the creation of higher-order chromatin structures. However, little is known about HP1α that serves roles in the pathogenesis of PCa. The primary purpose of our research was to investigate alterations in the levels of HP1α expression and to plan a series of tests to validate the function of HP1α in PCa. METHOD: Information on HP1α expression in PCa and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissues were gathered using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases. RT-qPCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to assess HP1α mRNA and protein expression in several human PCa tissues and cell lines. The CCK8 assay, clone formation assay, and transwell assay were used to examine biological activities including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The expression of proteins connected to apoptosis and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was examined using Western blot. The tumorigenic effect of HP1α was also verified by in vivo experiments. RESULT: HP1α expression was much higher in PCa than in BPH tissues and cells, and was positively correlated with the Gleason score of PCa. In vitro experiments showed that HP1α knockdown could inhibit the ability of proliferation, invasion, and migration of PC3 and LNCaP cells, and promote cell apoptosis and EMT. In vivo experiments showed that HP1α knockdown inhibited tumorigenesis in mice. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that HP1α expression promotes PCa development and might be a novel therapeutic target for the diagnosis or treatment of PCa.

PLAC8 contributes to the malignant behaviors of cervical cancer cells by activating the SOX4-mediated AKT pathway.

Cervical cancer (CC) is the primary cancer-related cause of morbidity and mortality in women. Previous studies have shown that placenta-specific 8 (PLAC8) has different functions in multiple malignancies. This study aimed to explore the function and regulatory mechanism of PLAC8 in CC. Bioinformatics and immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated that PLAC8 was significantly upregulated in CC tissues compared with normal tissues. Gain/loss-of-function experiments showed that siRNA-mediated knockdown of PLAC8 suppressed cell migration and invasion, while PLAC8 overexpression promoted cell motility. Moreover, PLAC8 was revealed to affect the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process by upregulating epithelial (E)-cadherin and decreasing the expression of mesenchymal markers of EMT, including vimentin, zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), neural (N)-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and MMP-2 in PLAC8-silenced cells. PLAC8 activated the AKT pathway, as proven by the downregulation of p-AKTSer473 and p-AKTThr308 expression after PLAC8 knockdown. Furthermore, PLAC8 overexpression upregulated the expression of sex-determining region Y-related high-mobility group box transcription factor 4 (SOX4), which is reported to mediate the activation of the AKT pathway, and SOX4 deficiency reversed the cellular functions caused by PLAC8 overexpression. Overall, the present study indicates that PLAC8 may facilitate CC development by activating the SOX4-mediated AKT pathway, suggesting that PLAC8 may serve as a potential biomarker for CC treatment.

Gaussian bare-bone slime mould algorithm: performance optimization and case studies on truss structures.

The slime mould algorithm (SMA) is a new meta-heuristic algorithm recently proposed. The algorithm is inspired by the foraging behavior of polycephalus slime moulds. It simulates the behavior and morphological changes of slime moulds during foraging through adaptive weights. Although the original SMA's performance is better than most swarm intelligence algorithms, it still has shortcomings, such as quickly falling into local optimal values and insufficient exploitation. This paper proposes a Gaussian barebone mutation enhanced SMA (GBSMA) to alleviate the original SMA's shortcomings. First of all, the Gaussian function in the Gaussian barebone accelerates the convergence while also expanding the search space, which improves the algorithm exploration and exploitation capabilities. Secondly, the differential evolution (DE) update strategy in the Gaussian barebone, using rand as the guiding vector. It also enhances the algorithm's global search performance to a certain extent. Also, the greedy selection is introduced on this basis, which prevents individuals from performing invalid position updates. In the IEEE CEC2017 test function, the proposed GBSMA is compared with a variety of meta-heuristic algorithms to verify the performance of GBSMA. Besides, GBSMA is applied to solve truss structure optimization problems. Experimental results show that the convergence speed and solution accuracy of the proposed GBSMA are significantly better than the original SMA and other similar products. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10462-022-10370-7.

RGS1 and related genes as potential targets for immunotherapy in cervical cancer: computational biology and experimental validation.

BACKGROUND: Effective treatment is needed for advanced, inoperable, or chemotherapy-resistant cervical cancer patients. Immunotherapy has become a new treatment modality for cervical cancer patients, and there is an urgent need to identify additional targets for cervical cancer immunotherapy. METHODS: In this study the core gene, RGS1, which affects immune status and the FIGO stage of cervical cancer patients was identified by WGCNA analysis and differential analysis using TCGA database. 10 related genes interacting with RGS1 were identified using PPI network, and the functional and immune correlations were analyzed. Based on the expression of RGS1 and related genes, the consensus clustering method was used to divide CESC patients into two groups (group 1, high expression of RGS1; group 2, low expression of RGS1). Then, the functional enrichment analysis was used to search for the functional differences in differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between group 1 and group 2. Immune infiltration analysis was performed using ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, and ssGSEA, and the differences in expression of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targets were assessed between the two groups. We investigated the effect of RGS1 on the clinical relevance of CESC patients, and experimentally verified the differences in RGS1 expression between cervical cancer patient tissues and normal cervical tissues, the role of RGS1 in cell function, and the effect on tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. RESULTS: We found that RGS1 was associated with CD4, GNAI3, RGS2, GNAO1, GNAI2, RGS20, GNAZ, GNAI1, HLA-DRA and HLA-DRB1, especially CD4 and RGS2. Functional enrichment of DEGs was associated with T cell activation. Compared with group 2, group 1 had stronger immune infiltration and higher ICI target expression. RGS1 had higher expression in cervical cancer tissues than normal tissues, especially in HPV-E6 positive cancer tissues. In cervical cancer cell lines, knockdown of RGS1 can inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor growth in nude mice and promoted apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: RGS1, as an oncogenic gene of cervical cancer, affects the immune microenvironment of patients with cervical cancer and may be a target of immunotherapy.

Protrusion-Rich Cu@NiRu Core@shell Nanotubes for Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysis.

The development of highly efficient and durable water electrolysis catalysts plays an important role in the large-scale applications of hydrogen energy. In this work, protrusion-rich Cu@NiRu core@shell nanotubes are prepared by a facile wet chemistry method and used for catalyzing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline environment. The protrusion-like RuNi alloy shells with accessible channels and abundant defects possess a large surface area and can optimize the surface electronic structure through the electron transfer from Ni to Ru. Moreover, the unique 1D hollow structure can effectively stabilize RuNi alloy shell through preventing the aggregation of nanoparticles. The synthesized catalyst can achieve a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in 1.0 m KOH with an overpotential of only 22 mV and show excellent stability after 5000 cycles, which is superior to most reported Ru-based catalysts. Density functional theory calculations illustrate that the weakened hydrogen adsorption on Ru sites induced by the alloying with Ni and active electron transfer between Ru and Ni/Cu are the keys to the much improved HER activity.

Chaotic simulated annealing multi-verse optimization enhanced kernel extreme learning machine for medical diagnosis.

Classification models such as Multi-Verse Optimization (MVO) play a vital role in disease diagnosis. To improve the efficiency and accuracy of MVO, in this paper, the defects of MVO are mitigated and the improved MVO is combined with kernel extreme learning machine (KELM) for effective disease diagnosis. Although MVO obtains some relatively good results on some problems of interest, it suffers from slow convergence speed and local optima entrapment for some many-sided basins, especially multi-modal problems with high dimensions. To solve these shortcomings, in this study, a new chaotic simulated annealing overhaul of MVO (CSAMVO) is proposed. Based on MVO, two approaches are adopted to offer a relatively stable and efficient convergence speed. Specifically, a chaotic intensification mechanism (CIP) is applied to the optimal universe evaluation stage to increase the depth of the universe search. After obtaining relatively satisfactory results, the simulated annealing algorithm (SA) is employed to reinforce the capability of MVO to avoid local optima. To evaluate its performance, the proposed CSAMVO approach was compared with a wide range of classical algorithms on thirty-nine benchmark functions. The results show that the improved MVO outperforms the other algorithms in terms of solution quality and convergence speed. Furthermore, based on CSAMVO, a hybrid KELM model termed CSAMVO-KELM is established for disease diagnosis. To evaluate its effectiveness, the new hybrid system was compared with a multitude of competitive classifiers on two disease diagnosis problems. The results demonstrate that the proposed CSAMVO-assisted classifier can find solutions with better learning potential and higher predictive performance.

Chemical Polishing of Perovskite Surface Enhances Photovoltaic Performances.

The benefits of excess PbI2 on perovskite crystal nucleation and growth are countered by the photoinstability of interfacial PbI2 in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here we report a simple chemical polishing strategy to rip PbI2 crystals off the perovskite surface to decouple these two opposing effects. The chemical polishing results in a favorable perovskite surface exhibiting enhanced luminescence, prolonged carrier lifetimes, suppressed ion migration, and better energy level alignment. These desired benefits translate into increased photovoltages and fill factors, leading to high-performance mesostructured formamidinium lead iodide-based PSCs with a champion efficiency of 24.50%. As the interfacial ion migration paths and photodegradation triggers, dominated by PbI2 crystals, were eliminated, the hysteresis of the PSCs was suppressed and the device stability under illumination or humidity stress was significantly improved. Moreover, this new surface polishing strategy can be universally applicable to other typical perovskite compositions.

Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton influences the development of cervical carcinoma by promoting the antitumor effect of macrophages and dendritic cells.

BACKGROUND: As an immune enhancer, Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton (Nr-CWS) has been used to treat persistent human papillomavirus infection and cervical precancerous lesions. However, it is still unclear whether it can be used to treat cervical carcinoma. METHODS: In our study, the aim was to determine whether Nr-CWS affects the apoptosis of cervical carcinoma cells by enhancing the antitumor effect of dendritic cells and macrophages in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: The experimental results showed that Nr-CWS can promote the activity of dendritic cells and macrophages and reduce their apoptosis. It also increased the cytokines IL-6, IL-12, TNF-ɑ, and IL-1ß secreted by dendritic cells and macrophages and reduced their PD-L1 expression. In vitro, Nr-CWS inhibited the proliferation, colony forming ability of HeLa and SiHa cervical carcinoma cell lines cultured with macrophages, and more cells were blocked in G2/M phase. Nr-CWS promoted TNF-ɑ/TNFR1/caspase-8-mediated apoptosis by increasing macrophages secretion of TNF-ɑ and inhibited cell migration and invasion regulated by the WNT/ß-catenin-EMT pathway. Nr-CWS also reduced the expression of the cervical carcinoma genes E6 and E7 thereby increasing expression of p53 gene and decreasing expression of PD-L1 gene. In vivo, Nr-CWS inhibited tumor growth and decreased the expression of E6, E7, PD-L1, P16, Ki67, and PCNA in tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, our results suggest that Nr-CWS can promote apoptosis of cervical carcinoma cells by enhancing the antitumor effect of dendritic cells and macrophages.

CircGNG4 Promotes the Progression of Prostate Cancer by Sponging miR-223 to Enhance EYA3/c-myc Expression.

Patients diagnosed with prostate cancer often have a poor prognosis and limited treatment options, as the specific pathogenesis remains to be elucidated. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a type of non-coding RNA that interacts with microRNA (miRNA/miR) and transcription factors to regulate gene expression. However, little is known about specific circRNAs that serve roles in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. Findings of the present study confirmed that circRNA G protein subunit γ 4 (circGNG4) was upregulated in prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of circGNG4 inhibited the malignant behavior of prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, bioinformatics were used to predict targeting interactions between circGNG4 or miR-223 and EYA transcriptional coactivator and phosphatase 3 (EYA3)/c-Myc mRNA. miR-223 inhibited the malignant behavior of prostate cancer cells, while EYA3/c-Myc had the opposite effect. circGNG4 enhanced the expression of EYA3/c-Myc by sponging miR-223 to promote the growth of prostate cancer tumors in vivo. In conclusion, the circGNG4/miR-223/EYA3/c-Myc regulatory pathway promoted the malignant progression of prostate cancer. The results of the present study may provide potential new targets for the diagnosis or treatment of prostate cancer.

Modelling Farmers' Watershed Ecological Protection Behaviour with the Value-Belief-Norm Theory: A Case Study of the Wei River Basin.

Encouraging farmers to protect their environment is of great significance in improving watershed ecological environments and promoting the sustainable development of the watershed economy. To explore the factors influencing farmers' ecological protection behaviours in the river basin, we constructed a structural equation model to analyse the survey questionnaire responses of 719 farmers in the Wei River Basin, Shaanxi Province, China. The theoretical framework incorporated farmers' watershed belonging and social capital into an extended value-belief-norm model. Robustness tests revealed that incorporating these variables was valid. Personality norms, watershed belonging, and social capital all had direct positive effects on farmers' watershed ecological protection behaviour. Value orientation, environmental concern, consequences awareness, and responsibility attribution influenced the next variable in a causal chain and finally acted on watershed ecological protection behaviour indirectly through personality norms. Farmers' watershed belonging and social capital positively impacted individual norm; through this, there was an indirect positive impact on their watershed ecological protection behaviour. Moreover, watershed belonging and social capital reinforced each other.