Recent advances in copper chalcogenides for CO2 electroreduction.

Transforming CO2 through electrochemical methods into useful chemicals and energy sources may contribute to solutions for global energy and ecological challenges. Copper chalcogenides exhibit unique properties that make them potential catalysts for CO2 electroreduction. In this review, we provide an overview and comment on the latest advances made in the synthesis, characterization, and performance of copper chalcogenide materials for CO2 electroreduction, focusing on the work of the last five years. Strategies to boost their performance can be classified in three groups: (1) structural and compositional tuning, (2) leveraging on heterostructures and hybrid materials, and (3) optimizing size and morphology. Despite overall progress, concerns about selectivity and stability persist and require further investigation. This review outlines future directions for developing the next-generation of copper chalcogenide materials, emphasizing on rational design and advanced characterization techniques for efficient and selective CO2 electroreduction.

ReIPS: A Secure Cloud-Based Reputation Evaluation System for IoT-Enabled Pumped Storage Power Stations.

Reputation evaluation is an effective measure for maintaining secure Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems, but there are still several challenges when applied in IoT-enabled pumped storage power stations (PSPSs), such as the limited resources of intelligent inspection devices and the threat of single-point and collusion attacks. To address these challenges, in this paper we present ReIPS, a secure cloud-based reputation evaluation system designed to manage intelligent inspection devices' reputations in IoT-enabled PSPSs. Our ReIPS incorporates a resource-rich cloud platform to collect various reputation evaluation indexes and perform complex evaluation operations. To resist single-point attacks, we present a novel reputation evaluation model that combines backpropagation neural networks (BPNNs) with a point reputation-weighted directed network model (PR-WDNM). The BPNNs objectively evaluate device point reputations, which are further integrated into PR-WDNM to detect malicious devices and obtain corrective global reputations. To resist collusion attacks, we introduce a knowledge graph-based collusion device identification method that calculates behavioral and semantic similarities to accurately identify collusion devices. Simulation results show that our ReIPS outperforms existing systems regarding reputation evaluation performance, particularly in single-point and collusion attack scenarios.

Co3-xFexO4 inverse opals with tunable catalytic activity for high-performance overall water splitting.

The development of earth-abundant and high-performance bifunctional catalysts for both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline electrolytes is required to efficiently produce hydrogen by electrochemical water splitting, but remains a challenge. We have fabricated mesoporous cobalt iron oxide inverse opals (m-CFO IO) with different mole ratios of cobalt and iron by a wet chemical method using polystyrene beads as a hard template, followed by calcination in air. The performance of the m-CFO IO as OER and HER electrocatalysts was investigated. The as-prepared catalyst with equal concentrations of Fe and Co exhibits remarkable OER and HER performances with low overpotentials of 261 and 157 mV to attain 10 mA cm-2 and small Tafel slopes of 63 and 56 mV dec-1, respectively. An alkaline water electrolyzer with a two-electrode configuration achieves 10 mA cm-2 at 1.55 V with excellent long-term stability, outperforming the combination of noble metal IrO2 and Pt/C benchmark catalysts. The superior catalytic performance is ascribed to the synergistic effects of particle size, crystallinity, oxygen efficiency, a large number of active sites, and the large specific surface area of the porous inverse opal structure.

Role and mechanism of actin-related protein 2/3 complex signaling in cancer invasion and metastasis: A review.

The actin 2/3 complex (Arp2/3) regulates actin polymerization and nucleation of actin filaments, is associated with cell motility, and has been shown to play a key role in the invasion and migration of cancer cells. nucleation-promoting factor (NPF) such as N-WASP (neural-WASP famly verprolin-homologous protein family), WAVE (WASP famly verprolin-homologous protein family), and WASH (WASP and Scar homologue) undergo conformational changes upon receipt of multiple upstream signals including Rho family GTPases, cdc42 (Cell division control protein 42 homolog), and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns 4,5 P2) to bind and activate the Arp2/3 complex. Once activated, the Arp2/3 complex forms actin-based membrane protrusions necessary for cancer cells to acquire an invasive phenotype. Therefore, how to influence the invasion and migration of cancer cells by regulating the activity of the Arp2/3 complex has attracted great research interest in recent years. Several studies have explored the effects of phosphorylation modifications of cortactin and several NPFs (Nucleation Promoting Factor) including N-WASP and WAVE on the activity of the Arp2/3 complex and ultimately on cancer cell invasiveness, and have attempted to suggest new strategies for antiinvasive therapy as a result. Other studies have highlighted the potential of targeting genes encoding partial or complete proteins of the Arp2/3 complex as a therapeutic strategy to prevent cancer cell invasion and metastasis. This article reviews the role of the Arp2/3 complex in the development, invasion, and metastasis of different types of cancer and the mechanisms regulating the activity of the Arp2/3 complex.

Hypoxia-mediated activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A review.

Since the 1950s, hypoxia has been recognized as a crucial characteristic of cancer cells and their microenvironment. Indeed, hypoxia promotes the growth, survival, and metastasis of cancer cells. In the early 1990s, we found that as many phenomena in hypoxia can occur through hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α). HIF1α is known as an angiogenesis converter in hypoxia, which promotes tumorigenesis, development, immune escape, recurrence, etc; This page goes into great detail on how HIF1α is activated during hypoxia and how the 2 signaling channels interact. It specifically emphasizes the significance of reactive oxygen species, the function of the PI3K/the serine/threonine kinase Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin cascade, and outlines the similarities between the 2 important factors (reactive oxygen species and PI3K/the serine/threonine kinase Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin cascade), nuclear factor κB, for HIF1α Important implications, in an effort to offer fresh views for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and HIF1α research.

VX-765 attenuates silica-induced lung inflammatory injury and fibrosis by modulating alveolar macrophages pyroptosis in mice.

Silicosis is a diffuse fibrotic lung disease in which excessive inflammatory responses are triggered by silica exposure. Pyroptosis, a pro-inflammatory mode of programmed cell death, is mediated by gasdermin and may play a pivotal role in the development of silicosis. The caspase-1 inhibitor, VX-765, was used in vivo and in vitro to investigate the effects of silica-induced early inflammatory injury and later lung fibrosis. Our findings show that VX-765 reduces inflammatory lung injury by inhibiting silica-induced pyroptosis of alveolar macrophages in a silicosis mouse model. VX-765 limits the infiltration of inflammatory M1 alveolar macrophages, decreasing expression of inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, CCL2, and CCL3, and down-regulating endogenous DAMPs and inflammatory immune-related cell pattern recognition receptors TLR4 and NLRP3. Furthermore, VX-765 alleviates fibrosis by down-regulating α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen, and fibronectin. In this study, we illustrate that Alveolar macrophages pyroptosis occur in the early stages of silicosis, and VX-765 can alleviate the development of silicosis by inhibiting the pyroptosis signaling pathway. These results may provide new insight into the prevention and treatment of early-stage silicosis.

m6A-related lncRNA signature for predicting prognosis and immune response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) significantly impact the prognosis and the response to immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Therefore, this study aimed to develop an m6A-related lncRNA (m6AlncRNA) model for predicting the prognosis and the immunotherapeutic response in HNSCC. METHODS: We identified the m6AlncRNAs and constructed a risk assessment signature by using univariable Cox, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The Kaplan-Meier analysis, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves, principal component analysis (PCA), decision curve analysis (DCA), consistency index (C-index), and nomogram were applied to assess the risk model. Finally, we investigated the predictability of this model in prognosis and response to immunotherapy and evaluated various novel compounds for the clinical treatment of HNSCC. RESULTS: HNSCC patients were assigned to high- and low-risk groups based on the median risk scores, and the high- and low-risk groups had different clinical features, tumor immune infiltration status, tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE), tumor mutational burden (TMB), sensitivity to novel potential compounds, and immunotherapeutic response. CONCLUSIONS: The model we developed was accurate and efficient in predicting the prognosis of patients with HNSCC. It was also sensitive in stratifying HNSCC patients with good response to immunotherapy. Therefore, our study provided insight into elucidating the processes and mechanisms of m6AlncRNAs.

Identification of molecular classification and gene signature for predicting prognosis and immunotherapy response in HNSCC using cell differentiation trajectories.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy with poor prognosis. This article aims to explore the clinical significance of cell differentiation trajectory in HNSCC, identify different molecular subtypes by consensus clustering analysis, and develop a prognostic risk model on the basis of differentiation-related genes (DRGs) for predicting the prognosis of HNSCC patients. Firstly, cell trajectory analysis was performed on single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data, four molecular subtypes were identified from bulk RNA-seq data, and the molecular subtypes were predictive of patient survival, clinical features, immune infiltration status, and expression of immune checkpoint genes (ICGs)s. Secondly, we developed a 10-DRG signature for predicting the prognosis of HNSCC patients by using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), differential expression analysis, univariate Cox regression analysis, and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Then, a nomogram integrating the risk assessment model and clinical features can successfully predict prognosis with favorable predictive performance and superior accuracy. We projected the response to immunotherapy and the sensitivity of commonly used antitumor drugs between the different groups. Finally, we used the quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis and western blot to verify the signature. In conclusion, we identified distinct molecular subtypes by cell differentiation trajectory and constructed a novel signature based on differentially expressed prognostic DRGs, which could predict the prognosis and response to immunotherapy for patients and may provide valuable clinical applications in the treatment of HNSCC.

The novel HLA-A*24:520 allele was identified in a Chinese individual.

HLA-A*24:520 differs from HLA-A*24:02:01:01 by one nucleotide substitution at position 668 C→T in exon 4.

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subtypes Based on Immunologic and Hallmark Gene Sets in Tumor and Non-tumor Tissues.

BACKGROUND: Non-tumor tissue has a significant impact on the prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Previous studies for HNSCC have mainly focused on tumor tissue, greatly neglecting the role of non-tumor tissue. This study aimed to identify HNSCC subtypes and prognostic gene sets based on activity changes of immunologic and hallmark gene sets in tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues to improve patient prognosis. METHODS: In the study, we used gene set variation analysis (GSVA) to estimate the relative enrichment of gene sets over the sample population, and identified relevant subtypes of HNSCC by Cox regression analysis and the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) method. The representative gene sets were identified by calculating the differential enrichment score of gene sets between each of the two subgroups, intersecting them, and screening them using univariate Cox regression analysis. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was used to screen out potential prognostic gene sets and establish a risk model. Finally, genes encompassed in each prognostic gene set were obtained and subjected to enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) in tumor and non-tumor tissues. RESULTS: We identified three subtypes of HNSCC based on gene sets in tumor and non-tumor tissues, and patients with subtype 1 had a higher survival rate than subtypes 2 and 3. The subtypes were related to the survival status, pathological stage, and T stage of HNSCC patients. In total 450 differentially gene sets and 39 representative gene sets were obtained by calculating the differential enrichment score of gene sets between each of the two subgroups, intersecting them, and screening them using univariate Cox regression analysis. The prognostic model was constructed by LASSO regression analysis, including five prognostic gene sets. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that different risk groups and the five prognostic gene sets were associated with survival status in the model. Finally, enrichment analysis and PPI indicated that non-tumor and tumor tissues affect the prognosis of HNSCC patients in different ways. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we provide a novel insight for rational treatment strategies and precise prognostic assessments based on tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues, suggesting that more emphasis should be placed on changes in adjacent non-tumor and tumor tissues, rather than just the tumor itself.

The mechanisms of biofilm antibiotic resistance in chronic rhinosinusitis: A review.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common but burdensome ailment that is still poorly understood in terms of its pathogenesis. The existence of biofilms on the sinonasal mucosa of individuals with CRS has been proven by current biofilm identification methods. Current treatments for CRS generally include functional endoscopic sinus surgery, biofilm-removing strategies, and limited therapies that target quorum sensing (QS), patients with CRS are often resistant to antimicrobial therapy at degrees achievable by oral or intravenous administration, and even a subset of patients fail to react to either medical or surgical intervention. Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, especially methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae are the most commonly implicated bacteria in CRS patients, which may lead to the persistence and severity of CRS and antibiotic treatment failure via the formation of biofilms. Resistance to antibiotics is attributed to the 3-dimensional structure and QS of biofilms, and the latter describes the communication of bacteria within biofilms. A better understanding of biofilms in CRS and their contribution to the antibiotic resistance of CRS is critical for novel treatment strategies. This review mainly discusses the special structure of biofilms, QS, and their mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in order to investigate prospective anti-biofilm therapies, suggest future directions for study, and potentially refine the CRS prevention paradigm.

Immune-Related lncRNA Signature for Predicting the Immune Landscape of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a significant role in the development, establishment, and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This article aims to develop an immune-related lncRNA (irlncRNA) model, regardless of expression levels, for risk assessment and prognosis prediction in HNSCC patients. Methods: We obtained clinical data and corresponding full transcriptome expression of HNSCC patients from TCGA, downloaded GTF files to distinguish lncRNAs from Ensembl, discerned irlncRNAs based on co-expression analysis, distinguished differentially expressed irlncRNAs (DEirlncRNAs), and paired these DEirlncRNAs. Univariate Cox regression analysis, LASSO regression analysis, and stepwise multivariate Cox regression analysis were then performed to screen lncRNA pairs, calculate the risk coefficient, and establish a prognosis model. Finally, the predictive power of this model was validated through the AUC and the ROC curves, and the AIC values of each point on the five-year ROC curve were calculated to select the maximum inflection point, which was applied as a cut-off point to divide patients into low- or high-risk groups. Based on this methodology, we were able to more effectively differentiate between these groups in terms of survival, clinico-pathological characteristics, tumor immune infiltrating status, chemotherapeutics sensitivity, and immunosuppressive molecules. Results: A 13-irlncRNA-pair signature was built, and the ROC analysis demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity of this signature for survival prediction. The Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that the high-risk group had a significantly shorter survival rate than the low-risk group, and the chi-squared test certified that the signature was highly related to survival status, clinical stage, T stage, and N stage. Additionally, the signature was further proven to be an independent prognostic risk factor via the Cox regression analyses, and immune infiltrating analyses showed that the high-risk group had significant negative relationships with various immune infiltrations. Finally, the chemotherapeutics sensitivity and the expression level of molecular markers were also significantly different between high- and low-risk groups. Conclusion: The signature established by paring irlncRNAs, with regard to specific expression levels, can be utilized for survival prediction and to guide clinical therapy in HNSCC.

miR-96-5p Suppresses the Progression of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma by Targeting CDK1.

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor that occurs in the nasopharyngeal mucosa. Clinically, radiotherapy is the preferred treatment for NPC, and cervical lymph node metastasis is easy to emerge in the early stage. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role and potential molecular mechanisms of miR-96-5p in NPC cells to develop new therapeutic horizons. METHODS: The expression of miR-96-5p and CDK1 was measured by RT-qPCR or Western blot. The target relationship between miR-96-5p and CDK1 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. CCK-8, sphere formation, flow cytometry and colony formation assay were employed to examine cell viability, stem-like property, apoptosis and cycle, respectively. Male BALB/c nude mice model (6-8 weeks, weigh 18-20 g) was used to evaluate the effect of miR-96-5p on tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS: miR-96-5p was lowly expressed and CDK1 was highly expressed in NPC tissues and cell lines. CDK1 was identified as a direct target of miR-96-5p, and its expression was negatively regulated by miR-96-5p. By targeting CDK1, miR-96-5p overexpression significantly inhibited tumor sphere formation, promoted apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in CNE-2Z cells. Importantly, CCK-8 and colony formation assay demonstrated that elevated miR-96-5p enhanced the radiotherapy and chemotherapy sensitivity of CNE-2Z cells. Animal experiments showed that the overexpression of miR-96-5p reduced tumor weight and size in tumor-bearing mice and inhibited the expression of stem-like marker proteins and apoptosis-related proteins. CONCLUSION: These results, together, suggested that miR-96-5p induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, inhibited stem-like property, and enhanced the radiochemical sensitivity of NPC by targeting CDK1. In short, miR-96-5p may be a diagnostic and therapeutic target for NPC.

Effects of Qing Qiao Capsule in the treatment of chronic secretory otitis media and the levels of serum inflammatory factors.

To explore the effects of Qing Qiao Capsule in the treatment of chronic secretory otitis media and the levels of serum inflammatory factors, a total of 50 chronic secretory otitis media patients in the control group were subjected to caefaclor capsule, while the total of 50 cases in the observation group were treated with Qing Qiao Capsule. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, therapeutic effects, and the levels of inflammatory factors were evaluated. After treatment, the scores of deafness, hearing loss, dizziness, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, and fever is hens in palms and soles were significantly decreased in both groups (all P value <0.05). However, each score in the observation group was markedly less than that of the control group (all P value <0.05). Moreover, the C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels measured after treatment were significantly lowered than those before treatment (all P value <0.05). Also, the levels of CRP, PCT and TNF-α in the observation group were obviously less than that of the control group (all P value <0.05). And the total therapeutic efficacy of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). But no significant difference was observed in the rates of adverse reactions between both groups (P>0.05). Application of Qing Qiao Capsule in the treatment of chronic secretory otitis media yields better results, lowers TCM syndrome scores, and alleviates the body's inflammatory response, which is a safe drug in clinical use.

Exploring the association between Cerebral small-vessel diseases and motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVES: to explore the association between cerebral small-vessel diseases (CSVDs) and motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: 137 PD patients were recruited into the study. Detailed motor symptoms, including tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and axial impairment, were evaluated using Unified Parkinson's disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Non-motor symptoms, including cognition, anxiety, and depression, were evaluated using Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), and Hamilton depression scale (HAMD). Brain MRI was used to assess the subtypes of CSVDs, including lacunes, enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), and white matter hyperintensities (WMH). WMH were furtherly divided into deep WMH (DWMH) and periventricular hyperintensities (PVH). The association between CSVDs and motor symptoms was analyzed. Patients were divided into the postural instability and gait disability (PIGD) group and non-PIGD group. Demographic, clinical and CSVDs variables were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: CSVDs subtypes were all detected in the participants with different prevalence rates and severity degrees. We found a close association between EPVS in basal ganglia and the tremor score (p = 0.032), and between DWMH in the frontal and occipital lobes and the axial motor score (p < 0.05) through the spearman and multivariate liner regression analysis. Compared with the non-PIGD group, the PIGD group demonstrated more serious cognitive impairment and DWMH in the frontal and occipital lobes (p < 0.05). The demographic characteristics and vascular risk factors of the PIGD group were not different from those of the non-PIGD group. Cognitive impairment and DWMH in the frontal lobe were identified to be independent risk factors of PIGD motor phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a close association between the CSVDs and motor symptoms in PD and DWMH in the frontal lobe was a risk factor of PIGD motor phenotype, which supports the contribution of vascular pathology in PD.

Apigenin enhances the antitumor effects of cetuximab in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by inhibiting EGFR signaling.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of head and neck cancers with poor prognosis. Despite that platinum-based chemotherapy concurrent with radiotherapy have made great achievements for the treatment of NPC, the therapeutic reaction and toxicity varies dramatically among individuals. Apigenin (API), a naturally occurring plant flavone, is considered to have anti-cancer effect. Cetuximab (CET), a well known epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, is widely used in various cancers, especially head and neck cancers. The aim of our study was to measure the combination of API and CET for the treatment of NPC in vitro and in vivo. Results demonstrated that combining API and CET could better suppress the viability of the human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines (HONE1 and CNE2) and inhibit the growth of NPC than API or CET used alone. Besides, the combination of API with CET produced greater pro-apoptosis effect. Moreover, the increased G2/M phase arrest caused by CET could be remarkably enhanced by adding API in HONE1 and CNE2 cells. Although, both API and CET could decrease the expressions of p-EGFR, p-Akt, p-STAT3 and Cyclin D1. Combining them produced greater inhibition effect. These results suggested that the combination of API and CET may be a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of NPC.

Discovering phases, phase transitions, and crossovers through unsupervised machine learning: A critical examination.

We apply unsupervised machine learning techniques, mainly principal component analysis (PCA), to compare and contrast the phase behavior and phase transitions in several classical spin models-the square- and triangular-lattice Ising models, the Blume-Capel model, a highly degenerate biquadratic-exchange spin-1 Ising (BSI) model, and the two-dimensional XY model-and we examine critically what machine learning is teaching us. We find that quantified principal components from PCA not only allow the exploration of different phases and symmetry-breaking, but they can distinguish phase-transition types and locate critical points. We show that the corresponding weight vectors have a clear physical interpretation, which is particularly interesting in the frustrated models such as the triangular antiferromagnet, where they can point to incipient orders. Unlike the other well-studied models, the properties of the BSI model are less well known. Using both PCA and conventional Monte Carlo analysis, we demonstrate that the BSI model shows an absence of phase transition and macroscopic ground-state degeneracy. The failure to capture the "charge" correlations (vorticity) in the BSI model (XY model) from raw spin configurations points to some of the limitations of PCA. Finally, we employ a nonlinear unsupervised machine learning procedure, the "autoencoder method," and we demonstrate that it too can be trained to capture phase transitions and critical points.

Publisher's Note: Discovering phases, phase transitions, and crossovers through unsupervised machine learning: A critical examination [Phys. Rev. E 95, 062122 (2017)].

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.95.062122.