A Correlation Evaluation Between the Peripheral Blood Index and the Prognosis of Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients Treated with Camrelizumab.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between peripheral blood indices and the efficacy and prognosis of advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients treated with camrelizumab. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 64 patients who received camrelizumab for advanced ESCC at the Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang City between July 2020 and June 2022. The study included examination of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), the systemic inflammation index (SII), the lymph-to-monocytes ratio (LMR), the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). We used multivariate logistic regression analysis to explore the link existing between peripheral blood and the efficacy of treatment. Determination of potential prognostic factors for Progression-free survival (PFS) and Overall survival (OS) using Cox regression analysis. The nomogram model was developed based on the results of the Cox multivariate analysis. Patients were divided into three groups according to the reduction in LDH and LDL levels before treatment, and the Kaplan-Meier survival curves for the three groups were compared and ROC curves for LDH combined with PLR were plotted. Results: Lower LDH (OR=6.237, 95% CI: 1.625-23.944) were independently associated with disease control rates(DCR). LDH was independently correlated with PFS (HR: 0.227 95% CI: 0.099-0.517). LDH and PLR were independently linked to OS. The C index of the nomogram model is 0.819, indicating good predictive performance. Kaplan-Meier Survival Curve suggested better OS in patients with reduced pretreatment LDH and PLR. The area under the ROC curve showed that the LDH index combined with the PLR index predicts patient survival better than the index alone. Conclusion: LDH combined with PLR predicted prognosis in patients with ESCC treated with camrelizumab.

Ultralow Strain-Induced Emergent Polarization Structures in a Flexible Freestanding BaTiO3 Membrane.

The engineering of ferroic orders, which involves the evolution of atomic structure and local ferroic configuration in the development of next-generation electronic devices. Until now, diverse polarization structures and topological domains are obtained in ferroelectric thin films or heterostructures, and the polarization switching and subsequent domain nucleation are found to be more conducive to building energy-efficient and multifunctional polarization structures. In this work, a continuous and periodic strain in a flexible freestanding BaTiO3 membrane to achieve a zigzag morphology is introduced. The polar head/tail boundaries and vortex/anti-vortex domains are constructed by a compressive strain as low as ≈0.5%, which is extremely lower than that used in epitaxial rigid ferroelectrics. Overall, this study c efficient polarization structures, which is of both theoretical value and practical significance for the development of next-generation flexible multifunctional devices.

Ultrafast micro/nano-manufacturing of metastable materials for energy.

The structural engineering of metastable nanomaterials with abundant defects has attracted much attention in energy-related fields. The high-temperature shock (HTS) technique, as a rapidly developing and advanced synthesis strategy, offers significant potential for the rational design and fabrication of high-quality nanocatalysts in an ultrafast, scalable, controllable and eco-friendly way. In this review, we provide an overview of various metastable micro- and nanomaterials synthesized via HTS, including single metallic and bimetallic nanostructures, high entropy alloys, metal compounds (e.g. metal oxides) and carbon nanomaterials. Note that HTS provides a new research dimension for nanostructures, i.e. kinetic modulation. Furthermore, we summarize the application of HTS-as supporting films for transmission electron microscopy grids-in the structural engineering of 2D materials, which is vital for the direct imaging of metastable materials. Finally, we discuss the potential future applications of high-throughput and liquid-phase HTS strategies for non-equilibrium micro/nano-manufacturing beyond energy-related fields. It is believed that this emerging research field will bring new opportunities to the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology in both fundamental and practical aspects.

Related factors of delirium after transsphenoidal endoscopic pituitary adenoma resection-A matched retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this study is to explore the factors associated with delirium incidence in postoperative patients who have undergone endoscopic transsphenoidal approach surgery for pituitary adenoma. METHODS: The study population included patients admitted to Tianjin Huanhu Hospital's Skull Base Endoscopy Center from January to December 2022, selected through a retrospective cohort study design. The presence of perioperative delirium was evaluated using the 4 'A's Test (4AT) scale, and the final diagnosis of delirium was determined by clinicians. Statistical analysis included Propensity Score Matching (PSM), χ2 Test, and Binary Logistic Regression. RESULTS: A total of 213 patients were included in this study, and the incidence of delirium was found to be 29.58 % (63/213). Among them, 126 patients were selected using PSM (delirium:non-delirium = 1:1), ensuring age, gender, and pathology were matched. According to the results of univariate analysis conducted on multiple variables, The binary logistic regression indicated that a history of alcoholism (OR = 6.89, [1.60-29.68], P = 0.010), preoperative optic nerve compression symptoms (OR = 4.30, [1.46-12.65], P = 0.008), operation time ≥3 h (OR = 5.50, [2.01-15.06], P = 0.001), benzodiazepines for sedation (OR = 3.94, [1.40-11.13], P = 0.010), sleep disorder (OR = 3.86, [1.40-10.66], P = 0.009), and physical restraint (OR = 4.53, [1.64-12.53], P = 0.004) as independent risk factors for postoperative delirium following pituitary adenoma surgery. CONCLUSIONS: For pituitary adenoma patients with a history of alcoholism and presenting symptoms of optic nerve compression, as well as an operation time ≥3 h, enhancing communication between healthcare providers and patients, improving perioperative sleep quality, and reducing physical restraint may help decrease the incidence of postoperative delirium.

Spectrum and antibiotic sensitivity of bacterial keratitis: a retrospective analysis of eight years in a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Southwest China.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiological characteristics, distribution of isolates, prevailing patterns, and antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial keratitis (BK) in a Tertiary Referral Hospital located in Southwest China. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 660 cases of bacterial keratitis occurring between January 2015 and December 2022. The demographic data, predisposing factors, microbial findings, and antibiotic sensitivity profiles were examined. Results: Corneal trauma emerged as the most prevalent predisposing factor, accounting for 37.1% of cases. Among these cases, bacterial culture results were positive in 318 cases, 68 species of bacteria were identified. The most common Gram-Positive bacteria isolated overall was the staphylococcus epidermis and the most common Gram-Negative bacteria isolated was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci accounted for 18.1% of all Gram-Positive bacteria. The detection rate of P. aeruginosa showed an increasing trend over time (Rs=0.738, P=0.037). There was a significant decrease in the percentage of Gram-Negative microorganisms over time (Rs=0.743, P=0.035). The sensitivity of Gram-Positive bacteria to linezolid, vancomycin, tigecycline, quinupristin/dalfopristin, and rifampicin was over 98%. The sensitivity rates of Gram-Negative bacteria to amikacin, meropenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam, ceftazidime, and cefepime were all above 85%. In patients with a history of vegetative trauma, the possibility of BK should be taken into account in addition to the focus on fungal keratitis. Conclusion: The microbial composition primarily consists of Gram-Positive cocci and Gram-Negative bacilli. Among the Gram-Positive bacteria, S. epidermidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae are the most frequently encountered, while P. aeruginosa is the predominant Gram-Negative bacteria. To combat Gram-Positive bacteria, vancomycin, linezolid, and rifampicin are considered excellent antimicrobial agents. When targeting Gram-Negative pathogens, third-generation cephalosporins exhibit superior sensitivity compared to first and second-generation counterparts. As an initial empirical treatment for severe cases of bacterial keratitis and those unresponsive to fourth-generation fluoroquinolones in community settings, the combination therapy of vancomycin and tobramycin is a justifiable approach. Bacterial keratitis can be better managed by understanding the local etiology and antibacterial drug susceptibility patterns.

Accelerating the Phase Formation Kinetics of Alluaudite Sodium Iron Sulfate Cathodes via Ultrafast Thermal Shock.

Alluaudite sodium iron sulfate (NFS) exhibits great potential for use in sodium-ion battery cathodes due to its elevated operating potential and abundant element reserves. However, conventional solid-state methods demonstrate a low heating/cooling rate and sluggish reaction kinetics, requiring a long thermal treatment to effectively fabricate NFS cathodes. Herein, we propose a thermal shock (TS) strategy to synthesize alluaudite sodium iron sulfate cathodes using either hydrous or anhydrous raw materials. The analysis of the phase formation process reveals that TS treatment can significantly facilitate the removal of crystal water and decomposition of the intermediate phase Na2Fe(SO4)2 in the hydrous precursor. In the case of the anhydrous precursor, the kinetics of the combination reaction between Na2SO4 and FeSO4 can be also accelerated by TS treatment. Consequently, pure NFS phase formation can be completed after a substantially shorter time of post-sintering, thereby saving significant time and energy. The TS-treated NFS cathode derived from hydrous precursor exhibits higher retention after 200 cycles at 1C and better rate capability than the counterpart prepared by conventional long-term tube furnace sintering, demonstrating the great potential of this novel strategy.

Impacts of monosaccharide composition on immunomodulation by cello-pentaose, manno-pentaose, and xylo-pentaose: Unraveling the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Different types of functional oligosaccharides exhibit varying degrees of immune-enhancing effects, which might be attributable to differences in their glycosyl structures. The differences in the immunomodulatory action of three functional oligosaccharides with distinct glycosyl compositions: cello-oligosaccharides (COS), manno-oligosaccharides (MOS), and xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), were investigated in mouse-derived macrophage RAW264.7. Moreover, the immune enhancement mechanism of oligosaccharides with diverse glycosyl compositions was investigated from a molecular interaction perspective. The TLR4-dependent immunoregulatory effect of functional oligosaccharides was shown by measuring the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 in RAW264.7 cells treated with different functional oligosaccharides, both with and without Resatorvid [TAK-242] (a Toll-like receptor 4 [TLR4] inhibitor). Western blot analysis showed that binding of the three oligosaccharides to TLR4 activated the downstream signaling pathway and consequently enhanced the immune response. The fluorescence spectra and molecular docking results revealed that the main mechanisms by which these oligosaccharides attach to the TLR4 active pocket are hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. Functional oligosaccharides were ranked according to their affinity for TLR4, as follows: MOS > COS > XOS, indicating that oligosaccharides or polysaccharides containing mannose units may confer significant advantages for immune enhancement.

Computational-aided analysis of the pathway and mechanism of dichloroacetonitrile formation from phenylalanine upon chloramination.

Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) is an emerging disinfection by-product (DBP) that is widespread in drinking water. However, the pathway for DCAN formation from aromatic amino acids remains unclear, leading to a lack of an understanding of its explicit fate during chloramination. In this study, we investigated the specific formation mechanism of DCAN during the chloramination of phenylalanine based on reaction kinetics and chemical thermodynamics. The reason for differences between aldehyde and decarboxylation pathways was explained, and kinetic parameters of the pathways were obtained through quantum chemistry calculations. The results showed that the reaction rate constant of the rate-limiting step of the aldehyde pathway with 1.9 × 10-11 s-1 was significantly higher than that of decarboxylation (3.6 × 10-16 s-1 M-1), suggesting that the aldehyde pathway is the main reaction pathway for DCAN formation during the chloramination of phenylalanine to produce DCAN. Subsequently, theoretical calculations were performed to elucidate the effect of pH on the formation mechanism, which aligned well with the experimental results. Dehydrohalogenation was found to be the rate-limiting step under acidic conditions with reaction rate constants higher than those of the rate-limiting step (expulsion of amines) under neutral conditions, increasing the rate of DCAN formation. This study highlights the differences in DCAN formation between the decarboxylation and aldehyde pathways during the chloramination of precursors at both molecular and kinetic levels, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the reaction mechanisms by which aromatic free amino acids generate DCAN.

Ratiometric electrochemical determination of hydroxyl radical based on graphite paper modified with metal-organic frameworks and impregnated with salicylic acid.

Hydroxyl radical (•OH) detection is pivotal in medicine, biochemistry and environmental chemistry. Yet, electrochemical method-specific detection is challenging because of hydroxyl radicals' high reactivity and short half-life. In this study, we aimed to modify the electrode surface with a specific recognition probe for •OH. To achieve this, we conducted a one-step hydrothermal process to fabricate a CoZnMOF bimetallic organic framework directly onto conductive graphite paper (Gp). Subsequently, we introduced salicylic acid (SA) and methylene blue (MB), which easily penetrated the pores of CoZnMOF. By selectively capturing •OH by SA and leveraging the electrochemical signal generated by the reaction product, we successfully developed an electrochemical sensor Gp/CoZnMOF/SA + MB. The prepared sensor exhibited a good linear relationship with •OH concentrations ranging from 1.25 to 1200 nM, with a detection limit of 0.2 nM. Additionally, the sensor demonstrated excellent reproducibility and accuracy due to the incorporation of an internal reference. It exhibited remarkable selectivity for •OH detection, unaffected by other electrochemically active substances. The establishment of this sensor provides a way to construct MOF-modified sensors for the selective detection of other reactive oxygen species (ROS), offering a valuable experimental basis for ROS-related disease research and environmental safety investigations.

DNA Demethylation of Promoter Region Facilitates Atoh-1-Induced Interleukin-19 Expression Activation in Bone Marrow Monocytes of Old Mice.

With increasing age, there is a notable increase in the differentiation of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMMs) into osteoclasts, accompanied by a concurrent rise in both osteoclast quantity and activity. This escalation in osteoclastic activity accelerates bone resorption, which in turn contributes to age-related bone loss and metabolic bone disorders, notably osteoporosis. Our study confirms that elevated IL-19 expression promotes aging-induced bone loss in aged mice and sheds light on the regulatory mechanisms upstream of IL-19 expression and secretion. Primarily, it is the methylation status of the IL-19 gene's promoter region that impacts Atonal BHLH Transcription Factor 1 (Atoh1)'s ability to bind to the promoter. We found that this specific mechanism involves reduced expression and binding affinity of Dnmt1 to the IL-19 promoter region. The findings of our study suggest that targeting IL-19 could be a potential strategy for managing bone loss-related conditions and enhance the current understanding of how DNA methylation levels contribute to age-related bone loss.

Erratum: PFKFB4 promotes angiogenesis via IL-6/STAT5A/P-STAT5 signaling in breast cancer: Erratum.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7150/jca.66773.].

A codelivery system loaded with PDL1-siRNA and sorafenib enhances the therapeutic effect of sorafenib on hepatocellular carcinoma via TAT-poly-SS-lysine modified chitosan.

Sorafenib (SF) is a first-line drug for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in clinical practice. However, acquired drug resistance tremendously limits the clinical efficacy of sorafenib in treating HCC, which has attracted great attention. PDL1 plays a crucial role in the drug resistance of HCC. Here, a codelivery system based on poly-SS-lysine modified chitosan (TAT-C-SS-P) was established and was applied to deliver sorafenib and PDL1-siRNA for synergetic HCC therapy. The successful synthesis of TAT-C-SS-P was confirmed by 1H NMR. Additionally, sorafenib and PDL1-siRNA were successfully transported into the cells as the decreased expression of VEGF and PD-L1 by administrated with TAT-C-SS-P@SF@ PDL1-siRNA. Simultaneously, the expression of pro-apoptosis proteins cyt-c and Bax was prominently augmented, whereas the expression of anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2 was decreased. The reduced expression of PDL1 resulted in the downregulation of P-GP and MRP1, which contributed to more sorafenib aggregation in tumor cells. Moreover, TAT-C-SS-P@PDL1-siRNA@SF efficiently promotes apoptosis of HepG2-SI cells, as the apoptosis rate rised to 73 %. A sorafenib-insensitive model was established to evaluate in vivo antitumor effect of TAT-C-SS-P@PDL1-siRNA@SF. TAT-C-SS-P@PDL1-siRNA@SF showed a tumor inhibition rate of 90.2 ± 3.5 % and no significant decrease in body weight. Taken together, our study provided compelling evidence that TAT-C-SS-P@PDL1-siRNA@SF has great potential application in the treatment of HCC clinically.

Awareness, attitudes and first aid knowledge of epilepsy among university students - A cross-sectional study in Henan Province, China.

PURPOSE: Epilepsy is a debilitating disease that can lead to series of social and psychological issues, impairing the quality of life of people with epilepsy (PWE). This survey aimed to investigate the awareness, attitudes, and first-aid knowledge of epilepsy in university students METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Henan Province, China between January 1 and April 30, 2022. Students majored in education, medicine, science and engineering from 8 universities attended the study. The survey questionnaire comprised 28 questions covering 4 sections: demographic characteristics, awareness of epilepsy, attitudes toward PWE and knowledge of first aid for seizures. RESULTS: A total of 2376 university students completed the questionnaire. 94.7% heard of epilepsy. In the first aid knowledge section, individual question was correctly answered by at least 50% students, 9.3% students correctly answered all questions. Attitude toward PWE was independently (R2 =0.108, F=73.227, p < 0.001) associated with both awareness of epilepsy (B=0.411, p < 0.001) and first aid knowledge of epilepsy (B=0.047, p = 0.001). Among the three majors, medical students had more positive attitudes toward PWE than students majored in education, science and engineering (p < 0.05). However, medical students performed worse among the groups when answering the first aid knowledge questions. CONCLUSION: This survey showed that university students in Central China had a good awareness of epilepsy. For medical students, improvements are necessary for the awareness of the first aid knowledge for seizure.

Construction of machine learning models for recognizing comorbid anxiety in epilepsy patients based on their clinical and quantitative EEG features.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to construct prediction models for the recognizing of anxiety disorders (AD) in patients with epilepsy (PWEs) by combining clinical features with quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) features and using machine learning (ML). METHODS: Nineteen clinical features and 20-min resting-state EEG were collected from 71 PWEs comorbid with AD and another 60 PWEs without AD who met the inclusion-exclusion criteria of this study. The EEG were preprocessed and 684 Phase Locking Value (PLV) and 76 Lempel-Ziv Complexity (LZC) features on four bands were extracted. The Fisher score method was used to rank all the derived features. We constructed four models for recognizing AD in PWEs, whether PWEs based on different combinations of features using eXtreme gradient boosting (XGboost) and evaluated these models using the five-fold cross-validation method. RESULTS: The prediction model constructed by combining the clinical, PLV, and LZC features showed the best performance, with an accuracy of 96.18%, precision of 94.29%, sensitivity of 98.33%, F1-score of 96.06%, and Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.96. The Fisher score ranking results displayed that the top ten features were depression, educational attainment, α_P3LZC, α_T6-PzPLV, α_F7LZC, ß_Fp2-O1PLV, θ_T4-CzPLV, θ_F7-PzPLV, α_Fp2LZC, and θ_T4-PzPLV. CONCLUSIONS: The model, constructed by combining the clinical and qEEG features PLV and LZC, efficiently identified the presence of AD comorbidity in PWEs and might have the potential to complement the clinical diagnosis. Our findings suggest that LZC features in the α band and PLV features in Fp2-O1 may be potential biomarkers for diagnosing AD in PWEs.

Assessing the role of global food commodity prices in achieving the 2030 agenda for SDGs.

Food plays a vital role in human sustenance and well-being, and the fluctuations in its price exert a significant impact on the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from social, economic, and environmental perspectives. This paper conducts an analysis utilizing data from 163 countries, revealing that an upsurge in global food commodity prices entails trade-offs with 13 SDGs, while exhibiting synergies with a few others. By considering specific food products, various types of countries, and the supply and demand shocks, further analysis confirms predominantly negative associations between spikes in food prices and the SDGs. Our findings highlight the urgent imperative to mitigate abrupt increases in food prices, such as those witnessed during the 2022 food crisis, to ensure the comprehensive fulfillment of the 2030 agenda for SDGs.

Effects of the Species and Growth Stage on the Antioxidant and Antifungal Capacities, Polyphenol Contents, and Volatile Profiles of Bamboo Leaves.

Bamboo leaves contain high concentrations of various biologically active compounds, such as polyphenols and volatiles, making them attractive as raw resources for antioxidant additives in the food industry. Here, we investigated the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of four bamboo leaf extracts from two species (Phyllostachys edulis and Chimonocalamus delicatus) at two growth stages (first and second years). Antioxidant capacity was determined based on the radical-scavenging capacity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+). We also assessed the antifungal capacity based on mycelial growth inhibition of Colletotrichum musae (C. musae), Botrytis cinerea (B. cinereain), and Alternaria alternata (A. alternata). Pearson's correlation coefficients showed that the TPC was significantly (p < 0.01) negatively correlated with the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations against DPPH and ABTS+, whereas the TFC was positively correlated with C. musae and B. cinereain growth inhibition, which suggest that TPC and TFC might be the major contributors to the antioxidant and antifungal capacities of bamboo leaves, respectively. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of bamboo leaves were also analyzed using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry. The VOCs included twenty-four aldehydes, eleven alcohols, four furans, seven esters, fifteen terpenes, three ketones, one pyrazine, and thirty unidentified compounds. Principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed to assess the differences in the volatile profiles of the four bamboo leaf samples, from which 23 discriminatory VOCs with variable importance in the projection values > 1 were screened, and part of them were impacted by species or growth stage. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the use of bamboo leaves.

Cerebellar encephalitis associated with anti-mGluR1 antibodies: a case report and comprehensive literature review.

Anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 encephalitis is an uncommon autoimmune condition characterized by a subacute onset of cerebellar syndrome. Frequently, it also manifests as sleep disorders and cognitive or behavioral changes. While immunotherapy is the primary treatment approach, the disease remains poorly understood. Herein, we present a case of anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 encephalitis, highlighting its primary cerebellar syndrome manifestation. The first magnetic resonance imaging scan showed no obvious abnormality. Lumbar puncture showed increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure, increased white blood cell count and protein level. The next-generation sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid showed Epstein-Barr virus infection, and the patient was diagnosed with viral cerebellar encephalitis. However, antiviral therapy was ineffective. Finally, anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 was measured at 1:1,000, and the patient was definitely diagnosed with anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 encephalitis. Therefore, clinicians should pay attention to such diseases to avoid misdiagnosis.

PTOV1-AS1 desensitizes colorectal cancer cells to 5-FU through depressing miR-149-5p to activate the positive feedback loop with Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

5-Fluorouracil is a commonly used chemotherapy drug for colorectal cancer. Resistance to 5-Fluorouracil remains a challenge. This research aimed to explore the mechanism of 5-Fluorouracil resistance in colorectal cancer. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to determine the RNA and protein expression in both cells and exosome. Assays in vitro and in vivo were performed to measure the role of miR-149-5p in colorectal cancer cells. RIP, luciferase activity report, and RNA pulldown assay were applied to detect the association of PTOV1-AS1, SUV39H1, miR-149-5p, and FOXM1. MiR-149-5p was down-expressed in 5-Fluorouracil-resistant cells. MiR-149-5p enhanced the effectiveness of 5-Fluorouracil both in vitro and in vivo. Sensitive colorectal cancer cells released exosomal miR-149-5p to sensitize resistant cells to chemotherapy. Mechanistically, miR-149-5p targeted the FOXM1 to inactivate Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, and PTOV1-AS1 recruited SUV39H1 to suppress miR-149-5p transcription, in turn activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, and forming a positive feedback loop with FOXM1. PTOV1-AS1 inhibits miR-149-5p by a positive feedback loop with FOXM1-mediated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, which provides insights into a potential novel target for enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients.

A dual-ligand lanthanide-based metal-organic framework for highly selective and sensitive colorimetric detection of Fe2.

Accumulation of heavy metals in humans and mammals causes health problems due to their abundance as transition metal ions. Iron (Fe2+) serves significantly in numerous biological processes as a heavy metal ion. In this study, we have designed and prepared a metal-organic framework (MOF) utilizing a one-step solvothermal process, incorporating a dual-ligand combination of terephthalic acid (H2BDC) and α,α',α''-tert-pyridine (TPY) with Eu3+ as the metal node. For this MOF, we termed it Eu-BDC/TPY. Eu-BDC/TPY has superior selectivity over other metal cations. It provides an accurate, sensitive, broad linear range colorimetric method for detecting Fe2+ in a concentration range of 1-50 µM with a modest limit of detection (0.33 µM). Eu-BDC/TPY detects the absence of Fe2+ quickly (within 5 seconds), which is very valuable in practical applications. In addition, the results can be used to create a digital image colorimetric card (DIC) using colorimetric software, enabling instantaneous detection of Fe2+ concentration using a smartphone.

Rapid High-Temperature Liquid Shock Synthesis of High-Entropy Alloys for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

High-entropy-alloy nanoparticles (HEA-NPs) show great potential as electrocatalysts for water splitting, fuel cells, CO2 conversion, etc. However, fine-tuning the surface, morphology, structure, and crystal phase of HEA remains a great challenge. Here, the high-temperature liquid shock (HTLS) technique is applied to produce HEA-NPs, e.g., PtCoNiRuIr HEA-NPs, with tunable elemental components, ultrafine particle size, controlled crystal phases, and lattice strains. HTLS directly applied Joule heating on the liquid mixture of metal precursors, capping agents, and reducing agents, which is feasible for controlling the morphology and structure such as the atomic arrangement of the resulting products, thereby facilitating the rationally designed nanocatalysts. Impressively, the as-obtained PtCoNiRuIr HEA-NPs delivered superior activity and long-term stability for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), with low overpotentials at 10 mA cm-2 and 1 A cm-2 of only 18 and 408 mV, respectively, and 10000 CV stable cycles in 0.5 M H2SO4. Furthermore, in the near future, by combining the HTLS method with artificial intelligence (AI) and theoretical calculations, it is promising to provide an advanced platform for the high-throughput synthesis of HEA nanocatalysts with optimized performance for various energy applications, which is of great significance for achieving a carbon-neutral society with an effective and environmentally friendly energy system.