Construction of porphyrinic manganese-organic frameworks based on structural regulation for electrochemical determination of nitrobenzene in water and vegetable samples.

Nitrobenzene (NB) is one of the major organic pollutants that has seriously endangered human health and the environment even in trace amounts. Therefore, it is of great significance to detect trace NB efficiently and sensitively. Herein, a porphyrinic metal-organic framework (MOF) of Mn-PCN-222 (PCN, porous coordination network) was first synthesized by the coordination between Zr6 cluster and tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl)-porphyrin-Mn (Ⅲ) (MnTCPPCl) ligand. To regulate its structure and the electrochemical properties, a phenyl group was inserted in each branched chain of TCPP to form the TCBPP organic ligand. Then, we used Zr6 clusters and manganese metalloporphyrin (MnTCBPPCl) to synthesize a new porphyrin-based MOF (Mn-CPM-99, CPM, crystalline porous material). Due to the extended chains of TCPP, the rod-shaped structure of Mn-PCN-222 was switched to concave quadrangular bipyramid of Mn-CPM-99. Mn-CPM-99 exhibited higher porosity, larger specific surface area, better electrochemical performances than those of Mn-PCN-222. By using modular assembly technique, Mn-CPM-99 film was sequentially assembled on the surface of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) to prepare an electrochemical sensor (Mn-CPM-99/ITO). The proposed sensor showed excellent electrochemical reduction of NB and displayed three linear response ranges in the wide concentration ranges. The obtained low limit of detection (LOD, 1.3 nM), high sensitivity and selectivity, and good reproducibility of the sensor for NB detection fully illustrate that Mn-CPM-99 is an excellent candidate for electrochemical sensor interface material. Moreover, the sensor was successfully applied to the detection of NB in lake water and vegetable samples showing satisfactory recovery of 98.9%-101.8%.

Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in the treatment of gastric cancer complicated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid (TXA) in preventing upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: The clinical data of patients with gastric cancer complicated with acute non-operative GI bleeding treated in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from 2020 to 2022 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The survival status of the patients was followed up by telephone. The dataset of 168 patients was divided into a control group (n=85) and a TXA group (n=83), at a 1:1 ratio. The patients in the control group were treated with esomeprazole, and the patients in the TXA group received additional TXA. The hemostatic effect, rebleeding rate, and mortality of patients were compared between the two groups. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the overall survival of patients as well as the related risk factors. RESULTS: The success rate of hemostasis and the normal blood coagulation rate in the TXA group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P=0.003 and P=0.016). The secondary bleeding rate, thrombus formation rate and digestive tract perforation rate in the TXA group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P=0.002, P=0.003 and P=0.035). The improvement of all indicators in the TXA group was better than that in the control group (all P<0.05). For patients with gastric cancer complicated with acute GI bleeding treated with TXA, the Cox proportional hazard model identified III~IV stage, time of TXA treatment, surgical treatment after hemorrhage, and an increase of D-dimer as independent risk factors for upper GI bleeding (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: TXA can be an effective treatment for patients with gastric cancer complicated by GI bleeding.

A highly sensitive, long-time stable Ag/AgCl ultra-micro sensor for in situ monitoring chloride ions inside the crevice using SECM.

Tracking the variation of Cl- timely within the crevice is of great significance for comprehending the dynamic mechanism of crevice corrosion. The reported chloride ion selective electrodes are difficult to realize the long-time Cl- detection inside the confined crevice, due to their millimeter size or a relative limited lifespan. For this purpose, an Ag/AgCl ultra-micro sensor (UMS) with a radius of 12.5 µm was fabricated and optimized using laser drawing and electrodeposition techniques. Results show the AgCl film's structure is significantly impacted by the deposited current density, and further affects the linear response, life span and stability of Ag/AgCl UMS. The UMS prepared at current density of 0.1 mA/cm2 for 2 h shows a rapid response (several seconds), excellent stability and reproducibility, strong acid/alkali tolerance, sufficient linearity (R2 > 0.99), and long lifespan (86 days). Moreover, combined with the potentiometric mode of scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM), the Ag/AgCl UMS was successfully applied to monitor the in-situ radial Cl- concentration in micro-regions inside a 100 µm gap of stainless steel. The findings demonstrated that there was obvious radial difference in Cl- concentration inside the crevice, where the fastest rise in Cl- concentration was at the opening. The proposed method which combines the UMS with SECM has attractive practical applications for microzone Cl- monitoring in real time inside crevice. It may further promote the study of other localized corrosion mechanism and the development of microzone ions detection method.

A preliminary study of optimal treatment response rates in patients undergoing hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy combined with molecular targeting and immunotherapy.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the best response rate (BRR) as a surrogate for overall survival (OS), using the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST), in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) with fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) combined with molecular targeting and immunotherapy. Methods: This study enrolled 111 consecutive patients who had complete imaging data. The median age of patients was 58 years (IQR 50.5-65.0). Among the patients, those with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A, BCLC stage B, and BCLC stage C comprised 6.4%, 19.1%, and 73.6%, respectively. The optimal threshold of BRR can be determined using restricted cubic splines (RCS) and the rank sum statistics of maximum selection. Survival curves of patients in the high rating and low rating groups were plotted. We then used the change-in-estimate (CIE) method to filter out confounders and the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to balance confounders between the two groups to assess the robustness of the results. Results: The median frequency of the combination treatment regimens administered in the overall population was 3 times (IQR 2.0-3.0). The optimal BRR truncation value calculated was -0.2. Based on this value, 77 patients were categorized as the low rating group and 34 as the high rating group. The differences in the OS between the high and low rating groups were statistically significant (7 months [95%CI 6.0-14.0] vs. 30 months [95%CI 30.0-]; p< 0.001). Using the absolute 10% cut-off value, the CIE method was used to screen out the following confounding factors affecting prognosis: successful conversion surgery, baseline tumor size, BCLC stage, serum total bilirubin level, number of interventional treatments, alpha-fetoprotein level, presence of inferior vena cava tumor thrombus, and partial thrombin activation time. The survival curve was then plotted again using IPTW for confounding factors, and it was found that the low rating group continued to have better OS than the high rating group. Finally, the relationship between BRR and baseline factors was analyzed, and inferior vena cava tumor thrombus and baseline tumor size correlated significantly with BRR. Conclusions: BRR can be used as a surrogate endpoint for OS in unresectable HCC patients undergoing FOLFOX-HAIC in combination with molecular targeting and immunotherapy. Thus, by calculating the BRR, the prognosis of HCC patients after combination therapy can be predicted. Inferior vena cava tumor thrombus and baseline tumor size were closely associated with the BRR.

GmMATE100 Is Involved in the Import of Soyasaponins A and B into Vacuoles in Soybean Plants (Glycine max L.).

Triterpenoid saponins, synthesized via the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway in the cytoplasm, provide protection against pathogens and pests in plants and health benefits for humans. However, the mechanisms by which triterpenoid saponins are transported between cellular compartments remain uncharacterized. Here, we characterize a tonoplast localized multidrug and toxic compound extrusion transporter, GmMATE100 (encoded by Glyma.18G143700), from soybean (Glycine max L.). GmMATE100 is co-expressed with soyasaponin biosynthetic genes, and its expression was induced by MeJA treatment, which also led to soyasaponin accumulation in soybean roots. GmMATE100 efficiently transports multiple type-B soyasaponins as well as type-A soyasaponins with low affinity from the cytosol to the vacuole in a yeast system. The GmMATE100 loss-of-function mutant showed a significant decrease in type-A and type-B soyasaponin contents in soybean roots. This study not only characterized the first soybean triterpenoid saponin transporter but also provided new knowledge for the rational engineering of soyasaponin content and composition in soybean plants to modulate their levels within crop environments.

Recent progress in radioactive seed implantation brachytherapy of non-small cell lung cancer: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Brachytherapy, a new form of radiation therapy, has been used to treat lung cancer and consists of two main forms of treatment: endobronchial brachytherapy and radioactive seed implantation brachytherapy (RSI-BT), the latter of which is used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The use of RSI-BT in the treatment of NSCLC at our centre has yielded some positive results. Methods: To more fully consider the context of this application, we conducted a search of PubMed from 2018 to March 5, 2023. The search included a combination of the MeSH terms: "brachytherapy" and "lung neoplasm". Key Content and Findings: The majority of NSCLC patients who received RSI-BT achieved positive benefits. Most patients had a progression-free survival (PFS) of between 12 and 18 months. Additionally, radioactive particle stent implantation as a specific RSI-BT has shown therapeutic potential in the treatment of malignant airway obstruction. With the application of new technologies, RSI-BT will become more precise, efficient and inexpensive. Conclusions: This review demonstrates that RSI-BT can be therapeutic in the treatment of both early and advanced NSCLC with manageable complications. There have also been reports on the combination of RSI-BT with other therapies, but more research is needed on the combination of RSI-BT with them.

Exploring prognostic microbiota markers in patients with endometrial carcinoma: Intratumoral insights.

Endometrial cancer, a leading gynecological malignancy, is profoundly influenced by the uterine microbiota, a key factor in disease prognosis and treatment. Our study underscores the distinct microbial compositions in endometrial cancer compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues, revealing a dominant presence of p_Actinobacteria in cancerous tissues as opposed to p_Firmicutes in surrounding areas. Through comprehensive analysis, we identified 485 unique microorganisms in cancer tissues, 26 of which correlate with patient prognosis. Employing univariate Cox regression and LASSO regression analyses, we devised a microbial risk scoring model, effectively stratifying patients into high and low-risk categories, thereby providing predictive insights into their overall survival. We further developed a nomogram that incorporates the microbial risk score along with age, grade, and clinical stage, significantly enhancing the accuracy of our clinical prediction model for endometrial cancer. Moreover, our study delves into the differential immune landscapes of high-risk and low-risk patients. The low-risk group displayed a higher prevalence of activated B cells and increased T cell co-stimulation, indicative of a robust immune response. Conversely, high-risk patients showed elevated tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion scores, suggesting less favorable outcomes in immunotherapy. Notably, the efficacy of IPS-CTLA4 and PD1/PD-L1/PD-L2 blockers was substantially higher in the low-risk group, pointing to a more responsive immunotherapeutic approach. In summary, our research elucidates the unique microbial patterns in endometrial cancer and adjacent tissues, and establishes both a microbial risk score model and a clinical prediction nomogram. These findings highlight the potential of uterine microbiota as a biomarker for customizing treatment strategies, enabling precise interventions for high-risk patients while preventing overtreatment in low-risk cases. This study emphasizes the microbiota's role in tailoring immunotherapy, offering a novel perspective in the treatment and prognosis of endometrial cancer. Significantly, our study's expansive sample analysis from the TCGA-UCEC cohort, employing linear discriminant analysis effect size methodology, not only validates but also enhances our understanding of the microbiota's role in endometrial cancer, paving the way for novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in its management.

Investigating the Dynamic Mechanical Properties and Strengthening Mechanisms of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy by Using the Ultrasonic Surface Rolling Process.

The demand for titanium alloy has been increasing in various industries, including aerospace, marine, and biomedical fields, as they fulfilled the need for lightweight, high-strength, and corrosion-resistant material for modern manufacturing. However, titanium alloy has relatively low hardness, poor wear performance, and fatigue properties, which limits its popularization and application. These disadvantages could be efficiently overcome by surface strengthening technology, such as the ultrasonic surface rolling process (USRP). In this study, the true thermo-mechanical deformation behavior of Ti-6Al-4V was obtained by dynamic mechanical experiment using a Hopkinson pressure bar. Moreover, USRP was applied on the Ti-6Al-4V workpiece with different parameters of static forces to investigate the evolution in surface morphology, surface roughness, microstructure, hardness, residual stress, and fatigue performance. The strain rate and temperature during the USRP of Ti-6Al-4V under the corresponding conditions were about 3000 s-1 and 200 °C, respectively, which were derived from the numerical simulation. The correlation between the true thermo-mechanical behavior of Ti-6Al-4V alloy and the USRP parameters of the Ti-6Al-4V workpiece was established, which could provide a theoretical contribution to the optimization of the USRP parameters. After USRP, the cross-sectional hardness distribution of the workpiece was shown to initially rise, followed by a subsequent decrease, ultimately to matrix hardness. The cross-sectional residual compressive stress distribution of the workpiece showed a tendency to initially reduce, then increase, and finally decrease to zero. The fatigue performance of the workpiece was greatly enhanced after USRP due to the effect of grain refinement, work hardening, and beneficial residual compressive stress, thereby inhibiting the propagation of the fatigue crack. However, it could be noted that the excessive static force parameter of USRP could induce the decline in surface finish and compressive residual stress of the workpiece, which eliminated the beneficial effect of the USRP treatment. This indicated that the choice of the optimal USRP parameters was highly crucial. This work would be conducive to achieving high-efficiency and low-damage USRP machining, which could be used to effectively guide the development of high-end equipment manufacturing.

Charge-density wave mediated quasi-one-dimensional Kondo lattice in stripe-phase monolayer 1T-NbSe2.

The heavy fermion physics is dictated by subtle competing exchange interactions, posing a challenge to their understanding. One-dimensional (1D) Kondo lattice model has attracted special attention in theory, because of its exact solvability and expected unusual quantum criticality. However, such experimental material systems are extremely rare. Here, we demonstrate the realization of quasi-1D Kondo lattice behavior in a monolayer van der Waals crystal NbSe2, that is driven into a stripe phase via Se-deficient line defects. Spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy measurements and first-principles calculations indicate that the stripe-phase NbSe2 undergoes a novel charge-density wave transition, creating a matrix of local magnetic moments. The Kondo lattice behavior is manifested as a Fano resonance at the Fermi energy that prevails the entire film with a high Kondo temperature. Importantly, coherent Kondo screening occurs only in the direction of the stripes. Upon approaching defects, the Fano resonance exhibits prominent spatial 1D oscillations along the stripe direction, reminiscent of Kondo holes in a quasi-1D Kondo lattice. Our findings provide a platform for exploring anisotropic Kondo lattice behavior in the monolayer limit.

High-speed flexible near-infrared organic photodiode for optical communication.

Optical communication is a particularly compelling technology for tackling the speed and capacity bottlenecks in data communication in modern society. Currently, the silicon photodetector plays a dominant role in high-speed optical communication across the visible-near-infrared spectrum. However, its intrinsic rigid structure, high working bias and low responsivity essentially limit its application in next-generation flexible optoelectronic devices. Herein, we report a narrow-bandgap non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) with a remarkable π-extension in the direction of both central and end units (CH17) with respect to the Y6 series, which demonstrates a more effective and compact 3D molecular packing, leading to lower trap states and energetic disorders in the photoactive film. Consequently, the optimized solution-processed organic photodetector (OPD) with CH17 exhibits a remarkable response time of 91 ns (λ = 880 nm) due to the high charge mobility and low parasitic capacitance, exceeding the values of most commercial Si photodiodes and all NFA-based OPDs operating in self-powered mode. More significantly, the flexible OPD exhibits negligible performance attenuation (<1%) after bending for 500 cycles, and maintains 96% of its initial performance even after 550 h of indoor exposure. Furthermore, the high-speed OPD demonstrates a high data transmission rate of 80 MHz with a bit error rate of 3.5 [Formula: see text] 10-4, meaning it has great potential in next-generation high-speed flexible optical communication systems.

Adhesion performance of magnetically responsive surfaces under wet conditions.

Adhesion is the key functionality to pick-and-place objects in wet environments. Recently, various micropillars and external stimuli have been proposed to achieve reversible wet adhesion. However, their underlying mechanisms of liquid/solid regulations have not been sufficiently revealed. Herein, two kinds of magnetically responsive micropillar arrays with different terminals (pointed and flat) are developed using a spray self-assembly method. The coupling effect of geometric structures and external stimuli on the wet adhesion performance between a solid substrate and the developed surface is discussed. In situ observation and analysis of theoretical models demonstrate that changes in adhesive forces are mainly caused by the length of the liquid bridge and the apparent contact angle of the developed surface. The adhesion conversion efficiency in the presence of an on/off magnetic field can achieve a highest value of 72% for the micropillar arrays with flat terminals, which exceeds 3 times that of the micropillar arrays with pointed terminals. In addition, wet adhesion measurements during the process of repeatedly switching the magnetic field demonstrate the durability and cyclic reversibility of the magnetically responsive surface. Furthermore, the transportation of microcomponents verifies the application potential of the magnetically responsive surface, which may provide inspiration for transfer printing systems and wet climbing robots.

Chondrocyte membrane-coated nanoparticles promote drug retention and halt cartilage damage in rat and canine osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease characterized by progressive degeneration of articular cartilage. A challenge in the development of disease-modifying drugs is effective delivery to chondrocytes. The unique structure of the joint promotes rapid clearance of drugs through synovial fluid, and the dense and avascular cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) limits drug penetration. Here, we show that poly(lactide-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles coated in chondrocyte membranes (CM-NPs) were preferentially taken up by rat chondrocytes ex vivo compared with uncoated nanoparticles. Internalization of the CM-NPs was mediated primarily by E-cadherin, clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and micropinocytosis. These CM-NPs adhered to the cartilage ECM in rat knee joints in vivo and penetrated deeply into the cartilage matrix with a residence time of more than 34 days. Simulated synovial fluid clearance studies showed that CM-NPs loaded with a Wnt pathway inhibitor, adavivint (CM-NPs-Ada), delayed the catabolic metabolism of rat and human chondrocytes and cartilage explants under inflammatory conditions. In a surgical model of rat OA, drug-loaded CM-NPs effectively restored gait, attenuated periarticular bone remodeling, and provided chondroprotection against cartilage degeneration. OA progression was also mitigated by CM-NPs-Ada in a canine model of anterior cruciate ligament transection. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using chondrocyte membrane-coated nanoparticles to improve the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of anti-OA drugs.

Constructing Novel High Dielectric Constant Polyimides Containing Dipolar Pendant Groups with Enhanced Orientational Polarization.

Polymer dielectrics with high dielectric constant are urgently demanded for potential electrical and pulsed power applications. The design of polymers with side chains containing dipolar groups is considered an effective method for preparing materials with a high dielectric constant and low loss. This study synthesizes and comprehensively compare the dielectric properties of novel polyimides with side chains containing urea (BU-PI), carbamate (BC-PI), and sulfonyl (BS-PI) functional groups. The novel polyimides exhibit relatively high dielectric constant and low dielectric loss values due to the enhanced orientational polarization and suppressed dipole-dipole interactions of dipolar groups. In particular, BU-PI containing urea pendant groups presents the highest dielectric constant of 6.14 and reasonably low dielectric loss value of 0.0097. The strong γ transitions with low activation energies derived from dielectric spectroscopy measurements have been further evaluated to demonstrate the enhanced free rotational motion of urea pendant dipoles. In energy storage applications, BU-PI achieves a discharged energy density of 6.92 J cm-3 and a charge-discharge efficiency above 83% at 500 MV m-1. This study demonstrates that urea group, as dipolar pendant group, can provide polymers with better dielectric properties than the most commonly used sulfonyl groups.

Neurosurgical clipping versus endovascular coiling for patients with ruptured anterior circulation aneurysms: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

To compare the safety and efficacy of clipping and coiling in patients with ruptured anterior circulation aneurysms. A systematic search of four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase) was conducted to identify comparative articles on endovascular coiling and surgical clipping in patients with ruptured anterior circulation aneurysms. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models. Nineteen studies, including 1983 patients, were included. The meta-analysis showed that neurosurgical clipping was associated with a lower incidence of retreatment (OR:0.28, 95% CI (0.11, 0.70), P = 0.006) than endovascular coiling, which seemed to be a result of incomplete occlusion (OR:0.22, 95% CI (0.11, 0.45), P < 0.001). Neurosurgical clipping was associated with lower mortality (OR:0.45, 95% CI (0.25, 0.82), P = 0.009) at short-term follow-up than endovascular coiling. However, neurosurgical clipping showed a higher incidence of ischemic infarction (OR:2.28, 95% CI (1.44, 3.63), P < 0.001) and a longer length of stay (LOS) (WMD:6.12, 95% CI (4.19, 8.04), P < 0.001) after surgery than endovascular coiling. Furthermore, the pooled results showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding poor outcome, long-term mortality, rebleeding, vasospasm, and hydrocephalus. Evidence from this systematic review illustrates that neurosurgical clipping may be superior to endovascular coiling for ruptured anterior circulation aneurysms. Large-scale RCTs should be conducted to verify these outcomes and provide results according to patient status.

Conditional Enhanced Variational Autoencoder-Heterogeneous Graph Attention Neural Network: A Novel Fault Diagnosis Method for Electric Rudders Based on Heterogeneous Information.

In machine fault diagnosis, despite the wealth of information multi-sensor data provide for constructing high-quality graphs, existing graph data-driven diagnostic methods face challenges posed by handling these heterogeneous multi-sensor data. To address this issue, we propose CEVAE-HGANN, an innovative model for fault diagnosis based on the electric rudder, which can process heterogeneous data efficiently. Initially, we facilitate interaction between conditional information and the original features, followed by dimensional reduction via a conditional enhanced variational autoencoder, thereby achieving a more robust state representation. Subsequently, we define two meta-paths and employ both the Euclidean distance and Pearson coefficient in crafting an effective adjacency matrix to delineate the relationships among edges within the graph, thereby effectively representing the complex interrelations among these subsystems. Ultimately, we incorporate heterogeneous graph attention neural networks for classification, which emphasizes the connections among different subsystems, moving beyond the reliance on node-level fault identification and effectively capturing the complex interactions between subsystems. The experimental outcomes substantiate the superiority of the electric rudder-based CEVAE-HGANN model fault diagnosis.

Thiacalix[4]arene Etching of an Anisotropic Cu70H22 Intermediate for Accessing Robust Modularly Assembled Copper Nanoclusters.

Atom-precise metal nanoclusters (NCs) with large bulk (nuclearity >60) are important species for insight into the embryonic phase of metal nanoparticles and their top-down etching synthesis. Herein, we report a metastable rod-shaped 70-nuclei copper-hydride NC, [Cl@Cu70H22(PhC≡C)29(CF3COO)16]2+ (Cu70), with Cl- as the template, in which the Cl@Cu59 kernel adopts a distinctive metal packing mode along the bipolar direction, and the protective ligand shell exhibits corresponding site differentiation. In terms of metal nuclearity, Cu70 is the largest alkynyl-stabilized Cu-hydride cluster to date. As a typical highly active intermediate, Cu70 could undergo a transformation into a series of robust modularly assembled Cu clusters (B-type Cu8, A-A-type Cu22, A-B-type Cu23, and A-B-A-type Cu38) upon etching by p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene (H4TC4A), which could not be achieved by "one-pot" synthetic methods. Notably, the patterns of A and B blocks in the Cu NCs could be effectively modulated by employing appropriate counterions and blockers, and the modular assembly mechanism was illustrated through comprehensive solution chemistry analysis using HR-ESI-MS. Furthermore, catalytic investigations reveal that Cu38 could serve as a highly efficient catalyst for the cycloaddition of propargylic amines with CO2 under mild conditions. This work not only enriched the family of high-nuclear copper-hydride NCs but also provided new insights into the growth mechanism of metal NCs.

Association of TyG index and central obesity with hypertension in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults: a prospective cohort study.

Triglyceride glucose index (TyG) and waist circumstance have been well documented to be highly correlated with hypertension. However, the joint effect of waist circumstance and TyG on the risk of hypertension is unknown in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between TyG and the risk of new-onset hypertension in middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals with different waist circumstances. The multicentred prospective cohort study was conducted in 28 provinces of China including a total of 5865 eligible participants aged ≥ 45 years old. Cox regression was performed to examine the relationship of TyG index and hypertension with adjustments for the pertinent variables. Besides, the relationship was explored in different groups on the basis of waist circumstance. There was no significant correlation between TyG index and new-onset hypertension after adjustment for pertinent variables (hazards ratio [HR]: 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80-1.24). When the association was explored in different waist circumstance groups, multivariate cox regression analyses revealed that TyG was an independent factor positively associated with the risk of hypertension in central obesity prophase group (HR: 1.57; 95% CI 1.13-2.16). Among individuals with central obesity, relative to population with lower TyG (Q1: 4.96-8.18), people who had higher TyG (Q3: 8.52-8.95; Q4: 8.95-12.14) were associated with significantly lower HR for hypertension. There was no conspicuous correlation between TyG index with new-onset hypertension in normal waist circumstance (HR: 1.05; 95% CI 0.84-1.30). The research demonstrated the positive relationship of TyG with risk of hypertension among individuals with central obesity prophase, negative relationship of TyG with hypertension among population with central obesity and inconspicuous correlation of TyG with hypertension among individuals with normal waist. In conclusion, the study findings supported the combined effects of TyG index and waist circumference in predicting hypertension in middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals.

SP4 Facilitates Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Progression by Activating PHF14 Transcription and Wnt/Β-Catenin Signaling.

Specificity protein 4 transcription factor (SP4), a member of the Sp/Krüppel-like family (KLF), could bind to GT and GC box promoters, and plays an essential role in transcriptional activating. Despite SP4 having been detected to be highly expressed in a variety of human tumors, its biological effect and underlying molecular mechanism in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. Our research discovered that high SP4 expression is detected in primary ESCC specimens and cell lines and is strongly associated with the ESCC tumor grade and poor prognosis. In vitro, knockdown of SP4 suppressed cell proliferation and cell-cycle progression and promoted apoptosis, whereas overexpression of SP4 did the opposite. In vivo, inhibiting SP4 expression in ESCC cells suppresses tumor growth. Subsequently, we demonstrated that SP4 acts as the transcriptional upstream of PHF14, which binds to PHF14 promoter region, thus promoting PHF14 transcription. PHF14 was also significantly expressed in patient tissues and various ESCC cell lines and its expression promoted cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis. Moreover, knockdown of SP4 inhibited the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, whereas overexpression of PHF14 eliminated the effects of SP4 knockdown in ESCC cells. These results demonstrate that SP4 activates the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway by driving PHF14 transcription, thereby promoting ESCC progression, which indicates that SP4 might act as a prospective prognostic indicator or therapeutic target for patients with ESCC. IMPLICATIONS: This study identified SP4/PH14 axis as a new mechanism to promote the progression of ESCC, which may serve as a novel therapeutic target for patients with ESCC.

Co-encapsulation of curcumin and anthocyanins in bovine serum album-fucoidan nanocomplex with a two-step pH-driven method.

BACKGROUND: Curcumin (CUR) and anthocyanins (ACN) are recommended due to their bioactivities. However, their nutritional values and health benefits are limited by their low oral bioavailability. The incorporation of bioactive substances into polysaccharide-protein composite nanoparticles is an effective way to enhance their bioavailability. Accordingly, this study explored the fabrication of bovine serum albumin (BSA)-fucoidan (FUC) hybrid nanoparticles using a two-step pH-driven method for the delivery of CUR and ACN. RESULTS: Under a 1:1 weight ratio of BSA to FUC, the point of zero charge moved from pH ⁓ 4.7 for BSA to around 2.5 for FUC-coated BSA, and the formation of BSA-FUC nanocomplex was pH-dependent by showing the maximum CUR emission wavelength shifting from 546 nm (CUR-loaded BSA-FUC at pH 4.7) and 544 nm (CUR/ACN-loaded BSA-FUC nanoparticles at pH 4.7) to 540 nm (CUR-loaded BSA-FUC at pH 6.0) and 539 nm (CUR/ACN-loaded BSA-FUC nanoparticles at pH 6.0). Elevated concentrations of NaCl from 0 to 2.5 mol L-1 caused particle size increase from about 250 to about 800 nm, but showing no effect on the encapsulation efficiency of CUR. The CUR and ACN entrapped, respectively, in the inner and outer regions of the BSA-FUC nanocomplex were released at different rates. After incubation for 10 h, more than 80% of ACN was released, while less than 25% of CUR diffused into the receiving medium, which fitted well to Logistic and Weibull models. CONCLUSION: In summary, the BSA-FUC nanocomposites produced by a two-step pH-driven method could be used for the co-delivery of hydrophilic and hydrophobic nutraceuticals. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.