Optimizing Prediction of In-Hospital Mortality in Elderly Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Nomogram Approach Using the Age-Adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index Score.

BACKGROUND: To study the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI) scale, which is a comprehensive quantification of multimorbidity coexistence, for the assessment of the risk of acute myocardial infarction death in elderly people. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 502 older patients with acute myocardial infarction were studied at Qilu Hospital from September 2017 to March 2022. They were categorized on the basis of ACCI into low (≤5), intermediate (6, 7), and high (≥8) risk groups. Hospitalization duration was observed, with death as the end point. least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression was used to screen variables, 10-fold cross-validation was performed to validate the screened variables, a Cox regression nomogram predicting the risk of patient death was prepared, hazard ratio with 95% CI was calculated, a nomogram calibration curve was constructed, and a receiver operating characteristic curve, decision curve analysis, and a clinical impact curve were established. From 62 potential factors in a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, 12 were selected via 10-fold cross-validation. Retain variables with significant statistical differences in the Cox regression. A nomogram of the risk of death from acute infarction was constructed, and risk factors included ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation, atrial fibrillation, nicorandil, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, ß blockers, and ACCI score, carbon dioxide combining power, and blood calcium concentration. CONCLUSIONS: The ACCI score effectively assesses multimorbidity in the older patients. As ACCI rises, the death risk from acute myocardial infarction grows. The study's nomogram is valid and clinically applicable.

How the secrets behind photocurrents are revealed in Ag-TiO2 heterostructures-based plasmonic photoelectrochemical systems: A collaborative approach of EC-SERS and photoelectrochemical methods.

Plasmon-mediated chemical reactions (PMCR) have garnered growing interest as a promising concept for photocatalysis. However, in electrochemical systems at solid-liquid interfaces, the photo-induced charge transfer on the surface of metal-semiconductor heterostructures involves complex processes and mechanisms, which are still poorly understood. We explore the plasmon-mediated carrier transfer mechanism and the synergistic effect of light and electric fields on Ag-TiO2 heterostructures, through a combination of electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical methods, with para-aminothiophenol (PATP) serving as a probe molecule. The results show that photocurrent responses are dependent on not only excitation wavelengths and applied potentials, but also the irreversibility of redox. The relationship between photocurrent responses and the chemical transformation between PATP and 4,4'-dimercaptoazobenzene is established, reflecting the photo-induced charge transfer of the heterostructures. The collaboration of spectroscopic and photoelectrochemical methods provide valuable insights into the chemical transformation and kinetic information of adsorbed molecules on the heterostructure during PMCR, offering opportunities for modulating of photocatalytic activities of hot carriers.

Analysis of changes in social isolation, loneliness, or both, and subsequent cognitive function among older adults: Findings from a nationwide cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: The study aimed to investigate the associations of changes in social isolation, loneliness, or both, with cognitive function. METHODS: Data were from 7299 older adults in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. We defined four change patterns (no, incident, transient, and persistent) for social isolation and loneliness, and created nine-category variable to represent the joint changes. Tobit regression models and Cox models were performed. RESULTS: Incident, transient, and persistent social isolation or loneliness may accelerate cognitive decline (p < 0.05). Incident, transient, and persistent social isolation were associated with higher cognitive impairment risk, while only persistent loneliness was associated with higher cognitive impairment risk (p < 0.001). Notably, short-term or persistent social isolation was associated with accelerated cognitive decline and incident cognitive impairment, regardless of different loneliness change status (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: Short-term or persistent social isolation and persistent loneliness may be a salient risk factor for cognitive decline and cognitive impairment. HIGHLIGHTS: Incident, transient, and persistent social isolation were associated with accelerated cognitive decline and higher cognitive impairment risk. Persistent loneliness was associated with accelerated cognitive decline and higher cognitive impairment risk. Short-term or persistent social isolation with concurrent different loneliness change status accelerated cognitive decline and higher cognitive impairment risk.

Association of insomnia symptoms and trajectories with the risk of functional disability: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: There is limited understanding regarding prospective associations of insomnia symptoms and trajectories with functional disability. We aimed to investigate the associations of insomnia symptoms and trajectories with functional disability. METHOD: A total of 13 197 participants were eligible from the Health and Retirement Study. Insomnia symptoms included non-restorative sleep, difficulty initiating sleep, early morning awakening, and difficulty maintaining sleep. We also identified four distinct trajectories of insomnia symptoms: low, decreasing, increasing, and high insomnia symptoms. Functional status was assessed through activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). RESULTS: Participants experiencing one (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13-1.29), two (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.29-1.57), or three to four (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.25-1.60) insomnia symptoms had a higher risk of ADL disability than asymptomatic respondents. Similarly, participants with one or more insomnia symptoms had a higher risk of IADL disability. Furthermore, using the trajectory with low insomnia symptoms as the reference, decreasing insomnia symptoms (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.12-1.34), increasing insomnia symptoms (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.05-1.41), and high insomnia symptoms (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.18-1.56) were all associated with an increased risk of ADL disability. CONCLUSION: Both a single measurement and dynamic trajectory of insomnia symptoms are associated with the onset of ADL disability. Increased awareness and management of insomnia symptoms may contribute to the prevention of functional disability occurrence.

Discovery and Manipulation of van der Waals Polarons in Sb2O3 Ultrathin Molecular Crystal.

Manipulating single electrons at the atomic scale is vital for mastering complex surface processes governed by the transfer of individual electrons. Polarons, composed of electrons stabilized by electron-phonon coupling, offer a pivotal medium for such manipulation. Here, using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we report the identification and manipulation of a new type of polaron, dubbed van der Waals (vdW) polaron, within mono- to trilayer ultrathin films composed of Sb2O3 molecules that are bonded via vdW attractions. The Sb2O3 films were grown on a graphene-covered SiC(0001) substrate via molecular beam epitaxy. Unlike prior molecular polarons, STM imaging observed polarons at the interstitial sites of the molecular film, presenting unique electronic states and localized band bending. DFT calculations revealed the lowest conduction band as an intermolecular bonding state, capable of ensnaring an extra electron through locally diminished intermolecular distances, thereby forming an intermolecular vdW polaron. We also demonstrated the ability to generate, move, and erase such vdW polarons using an STM tip. Our work uncovers a new type of polaron stabilized by coupling with intermolecular vibrations where vdW interactions dominate, paving the way for designing atomic-scale electron transfer processes and enabling precise tailoring of electron-related properties and functionalities.

Environmentally relevant estrogens impaired spermatogenesis and sexual behaviors in male and female zebrafish.

Environmental estrogens (EEs) are found extensively in natural waters and negatively affect fish reproduction. Research on the reproductive toxicity of EEs mixtures in fish at environmentally relevant concentrations is scarce. In this study, adult male zebrafish were exposed for 60 days to EES (a mixture of EEs), EE2-low (5.55 ng/L, with an estrogenic potency equal to EES), and EE2-high (11.1 ng/L). After exposure, the expression levels of vtg1, vtg3, and esr1 in the livers in EES-treated fish remained unaltered, whereas they were significantly increased in EE2-treated fish. Both EE2-high and EES exposures notably reduced the gonad somatic index and sperm count. A disrupted spermatogenesis was also observed in the testes of EE2-high- and EES-exposed fish, along with an alteration in the expression of genes associated with spermatogonial proliferation (pcna, nanog), cell cycle transition (cyclinb1, cyclind1), and meiosis (aldh1a2, cyp26a1, sycp3). Both EE2 and EES significantly lowered plasma 11-ketotestosterone levels in males, likely by inhibiting the expression level of genes for its synthesis (scc, cyp17a1 and cyp11b2), and increased 17ß-estradiol (E2) levels, possibly through upregulating the expression of cyp19a1a. A significant increase in tnfrsf1a expression and the tnfrsf1a/tnfrsf1b ratio in EE2-high and EES-treated males also suggests increased apoptosis via the extrinsic pathway. Further investigation showed that both EE2-high and EES diminished the sexual behavior of male fish, accompanied with reduced E2 levels in the brain and the expression of genes in the kisspeptin/gonadotropin-releasing hormone system. Interestingly, the sexual behavior of unexposed females paired with treated males was also reduced, indicating a synergistic effect. This study suggests that EES have a more severe impact on reproduction than EE2-low, and EEs could interfere not only with spermatogenesis in fish, but also with the sexual behaviors of both exposed males and their female partners, thereby leading to a more significant disruption in fish reproduction.

Metabolic obesity phenotypes and all-cause mortality among the Chinese oldest-old population: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The obesity paradox has been reported among older adults. However, whether the favorable effect of obesity is dependent on metabolic status remains largely unknown. We aimed to explore the association of metabolic obesity phenotypes and their changes with all-cause mortality among the Chinese oldest-old population. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 1207 Chinese oldest old (mean age: 91.8 years). Metabolic obesity phenotypes were determined by central obesity and metabolic status, and participants were classified into metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO), metabolically healthy non-obesity (MHN), and metabolically unhealthy non-obesity (MUN). The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated by Cox regression models. RESULTS: During 5.3 years of follow-up, 640 deaths were documented. Compared with non-obesity, obesity was associated with a decreased mortality risk among participants with metabolically healthy (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.63-0.91) while this association was insignificant among metabolically unhealthy. Compared to MHO, MHN (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.06-1.53) and MUN (HR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.10-2.02) were significantly associated with an increased mortality risk. Compared to those with stable MHO, those transited from MHO to MUO demonstrated a higher mortality risk (HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.06-3.11). CONCLUSIONS: MHO predicts better survival among the Chinese oldest-old population. These findings suggest that ensuring optimal management of metabolic health is beneficial and taking caution in weight loss based on the individual body weight for the metabolically healthy oldest-old adults.

Cinnamaldehyde Regulates the Migration and Apoptosis of Gastric Cancer Cells by Inhibiting the Jak2/Stat3 Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Gastric cancer is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality all around the world. Because of its poor prognosis and low survival rate, the treatment of gastric cancer has received extensive attention. Cinnamaldehyde (CA) is the main single active component of the Chinese herbal medicine cinnamon, which has a variety of pharmacological effects. The inhibitory effect of CA on the growth of some tumor cells has been proven, but its therapeutic effect on gastric cancer has rarely been reported. METHODS: Through network pharmacology, bioinformatics methods, and molecular docking technology, we predicted the interaction targets of CA and gastric cancer. Moreover, we found that apoptosis is an important mode of action of CA on gastric cancer cells. Subsequently, we validated it in gastric cancer cell lines cultured in vitro. RESULTS: The results showed that in the presence of CA, the Jak2/Stat3 pathway was inhibited, the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax decreased, and the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells was promoted in a concentration-dependent. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, CA can promote the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by inhibiting the activity of the Jak2/Stat3 pathway, which may achieve the effect of treating gastric cancer.

Exposure to high concentrations of triphenyl phosphate altered functional performance, liver metabolism and intestinal bacterial composition of aquatic turtles.

Organophosphorus flame retardants, such as triphenyl phosphate (TPhP), exist ubiquitously in various environments owing to their widespread usage. Potential toxic effects of residual flame retardants on cultured non-fish species are not concerned commonly. TPhP-induced physiological and biochemical effects in an aquatic turtle were evaluated here by systematically investigating the changes in growth and locomotor performance, hepatic antioxidant ability and metabolite, and intestinal microbiota composition of turtle hatchlings after exposure to different TPhP concentrations. Reduced locomotor ability and antioxidant activity were only observed in the highest concentration group. Several metabolic perturbations that involved in amino acid, energy and nucleotide metabolism, in exposed turtles were revealed by metabolite profiles. No significant among-group difference in intestinal bacterial diversity was observed, but the composition was changed markedly in exposed turtles. Increased relative abundances of some bacterial genera (e.g., Staphylococcus, Vogesella and Lawsonella) probably indicated adverse outcomes of TPhP exposure. Despite having only limited impacts of exposure at environmentally relevant levels, our results revealed potential ecotoxicological risks of residual TPhP for aquatic turtles considering TPhP-induced metabolic perturbations and intestinal bacterial changes.

Radiating blood flow signal: A new ultrasound feature of thyroid carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To summary radiating blood flow signals and evaluate their diagnostic value in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively recruited consecutive patients undergoing US at 4 hospitals from 2018 to 2022. In a training dataset, the correlations of US features with malignant thyroid nodules were assessed by multivariate logistic analysis. Multivariate logistic regression models involving the ACR TI-RADS score, radiating blood flow signals and their combination were built and validated internally and externally. The AUC with 95% asymptotic normal confidence interval as well as sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) with 95% exact binomial confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: Among 2475 patients (1818 women, age: 42.47 ± 11.57; 657 men, age: 42.16 ± 11.69), there were 3187 nodules (2342 malignant nodules and 845 benign nodules). Radiating blood flow signals were an independent risk factor for diagnosing thyroid carcinoma. In the training set, the AUC of the model using the combination of radiating blood flow signals and the ACR TI-RADS score (0.95 95 % CI: [0.94, 0.97]; P < 0.001) was significantly higher than that of the ACR TI-RADS model (0.91 [0.89, 0.93]). In the two internal validation sets and the external validation set, the AUCs of the combination model were 0.97 [0.96, 0.98], 0.92 [0.88, 0.96], and 0.91 [0.86, 0.95], respectively, and were all significantly higher than that of the ACR TI-RADS score (0.92 [0.90, 0.95], 0.86 [0.81, 0.91], 0.84 [0.79, 0.89]; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Radiating blood flow is a new US feature of thyroid carcinomas that can significantly improve the diagnostic performance vs. the ACR TI-RADS score.

Effects of baculovirus infection on intestinal microflora of BmNPV resistant and susceptible strain silkworm.

Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a serious pathogen causing huge economic losses to sericulture. There is growing evidence that the gut microbiota of silkworms plays a critical role in shaping host responses and interactions with viral infection. However, little is known about the differences in the composition and diversity of intestinal microflora, especially with respect to silkworm strain differences and BmNPV infection-induced changes. Here, we aim to explore the differences between BmNPV-resistant strain A35 and susceptible strain P50 silkworm and the impact of BmNPV infection on intestinal microflora in different strains. The 16S rDNA sequencing analysis revealed that the fecal microbial populations were distinct between A35 and P50 and were significantly changed post BmNPV infection in both strains. Further analysis showed that the BmNPV-resistant strain silkworm possessed higher bacterial diversity than the susceptible strain, and BmNPV infection reduced the diversity of intestinal flora assessed by feces in both silkworm strains. In response to BmNPV infection, the abundance of Muribaculaceae increased in P50 and decreased in A35, while the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae decreased in P50 and increased in A35. These results indicated that BmNPV infection had various effects on the abundance of fecal microflora in different silkworm strains. Our findings not only broadened the understanding of host-pathogen interactions but also provided theoretical help for the breeding of resistant strains and healthy rearing of silkworms based on symbiotic bacteria.

HK2 and LDHA upregulation mediate hexavalent chromium-induced carcinogenesis, cancer development and prognosis through miR-218 inhibition.

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is one of the most common environmental contaminants due to its tremendous industrial applications, but its effects and mechanism remain to be investigated. Our previous studies showed that Cr(VI) exposure caused malignant transformation and tumorigenesis. This study showed that glycolytic proteins HK2 and LDHA levels were statistically significant changed in blood samples of Cr(VI)-exposed workers and in Cr-T cells compared to the control subjects and parental cells. HK2 and LDHA knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and angiogenesis, and higher HK2 and LDHA expression levels are associated with advanced stages and poor prognosis of lung cancer. We found that miR-218 levels were significantly decreased and miR-218 directly targeted HK2 and LDHA for inhibiting their expression. Overexpression of miR-218 inhibited glucose consumption and lactate production in Cr-T cells. Further study found that miR-218 inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis by decreasing HK2 and LDHA expression in vivo. MiR-218 levels were negatively correlated with HK2 and LDHA expression levels and cancer development in human lung and other cancers. These results demonstrated that miR-218/HK2/LDHA pathway is vital for regulating Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis and human cancer development.

Advancing Detectivity and Stability of Near-Infrared Organic Photodetectors via a Facile and Efficient Cathode Interlayer.

Near-infrared (NIR) organic photodetectors (OPDs) are pivotal in numerous technological applications due to their excellent responsivity within the NIR region. Polyethylenimine ethoxylated (PEIE) has conventionally been employed as an electron transport layer (hole-blocking layer) to suppress dark current (JD) and enhance charge transport. However, the limitations of PEIE in chemical stability, processing conditions, environmental impact, and absorption range have spurred the development of alternative materials. In this study, we introduced a novel solution: a hybrid of sol-gel zinc oxide (ZnO) and N,N'-bis(N,N-dimethylpropan-1-amine oxide)perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PDINO) as the electron transport layer for NIR-OPDs. Our fabricated OPD exhibited significantly improved responsivity, reduced internal traps, and enhanced charge transfer efficiency. The detectivity, spanning from 400 to 1100 nm, surpassed ∼5 × 1012 Jones, reaching ∼1.1 × 1012 Jones at 1000 nm, accompanied by an increased responsivity of 0.47 A/W. Also, the unpackaged OPD remarkedly demonstrated stable JD and external quantum efficiency (EQE) over 1000 h under dark storage conditions. This innovative approach not only addresses the drawbacks of conventional PEIE-based OPDs but also offers promising avenues for the development of high-performance OPDs in the future.

Associations between whole grains intake and new-onset hypertension: a prospective cohort study.

IMPORTANCE: Epidemiological evidences regarding the association between whole grain intake and the risk of new-onset hypertension are still controversial. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the relationship between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension and examine possible effect modifiers in the general population. METHODS: A total of 10,973 participants without hypertension from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were enrolled, with follow-up beginning in 1997 and ending in 2015. Whole grain intake was assessed by 3 consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression model after adjusting for potential risk factors. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 3,733 participants developed new-onset hypertension. The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were as follows: for quartile 2 (HR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.47-0.57), quartile 3 (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.42-0.51), and quartile 4 (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.31-0.38), compared with quartile 1. Different types of whole grain types, including wheat (adjusted HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.32-0.39), maize (adjusted HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.42-0.59), and millet (adjusted HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.30-0.48), showed significant associations with a reduced risk of hypertension. The association between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension was stronger in individuals with older age (P for interaction < 0.001) and higher BMI (P for interaction < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Higher consumption of whole grains was significantly associated with a lower risk of new-onset hypertension. This study provides further evidence supporting the importance of increasing whole grain intake for hypertension prevention among Chinese adults.

Rejuvenation of peripheral immune cells attenuates Alzheimer's disease-like pathologies and behavioral deficits in a mouse model.

Immunosenescence contributes to systematic aging and plays a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the potential of immune rejuvenation as a therapeutic strategy for AD. To achieve this, the immune systems of aged APP/PS1 mice were rejuvenated through young bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that young BMT restored the expression of aging- and AD-related genes in multiple cell types within blood immune cells. The level of circulating senescence-associated secretory phenotype proteins was decreased following young BMT. Notably, young BMT resulted in a significant reduction in cerebral Aß plaque burden, neuronal degeneration, neuroinflammation, and improvement of behavioral deficits in aged APP/PS1 mice. The ameliorated cerebral amyloidosis was associated with an enhanced Aß clearance of peripheral monocytes. In conclusion, our study provides evidence that immune system rejuvenation represents a promising therapeutic approach for AD.

Genomic characteristics of nine Nitrospirota metagenome-assembled genomes in deep-sea sediments from East Pacific polymetallic nodules zone.

Previously studies have reported that MAGs (Metagenome-assembled genomes) belong to "Candidatus Manganitrophaceae" of phylum Nitrospirota with chemolithoautotrophic manganese oxidation potential exist in freshwater and hydrothermal environments. However, Nitrospirota members with chemolithoautotrophic manganese oxidation potential have not been reported in other marine environments. Through metagenomic sequencing, assembly and binning, nine metagenome-assembled genomes belonging to Nitrospirota are recovered from sediment of different depths in the polymetallic nodule area. Through the key functional genes annotation results, we find that these Nitrospirota have limited potential to oxidize organic carbon because of incomplete tricarboxylic acid cycle and most of them (6/9) have carbon dioxide fixation potential through different pathway (rTCA, WL or CBB). One MAG belongs to order Nitrospirales has the potential to use manganese oxidation to obtain energy for carbon fixation. In addition to manganese ions, the oxidation of inorganic nitrogen, sulfur, hydrogen and carbon monoxide may also provide energy for the growth of these Nitrospirota. In addition, different metal ion transport systems can help those Nitrospirota to resist heavy metal in sediment. Our work expands the understanding of the metabolic potential of Nitrospirota in sediment of polymetallic nodule region and may contributes to promoting the study of chemolithoautotrophic manganese oxidation.

The complete degradation of 1,2-dichloroethane in Escherichia coli by metabolic engineering.

1,2-Dichloroethane (1,2-DCA), a widely utilized chemical intermediate and organic solvent in industry, frequently enters the environment due to accidental leaks and mishandling during application processes. Thus, the in-situ remediation of contaminated sites has become increasingly urgent. However, traditional remediation methods are inefficient and costly, while bioremediation presents a green, efficient, and non-secondary polluting alternative. In this study, an engineered strain capable of completely degrading 1,2-DCA was constructed. We introduced six exogenous genes of the 1,2-DCA degradation pathway into E. coli and confirmed their normal transcription and efficient expression in this engineered strain through qRT-PCR and proteomics. The degradation experiments showed that the strain completely degraded 2 mM 1,2-DCA within 12 h. Furthermore, the results of isotope tracing verified that the final degradation product, malic acid, entered the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) of E. coli and was ultimately fully metabolized. Also, morphological changes in the engineered strain and control strain exposed to 1,2-DCA were observed under SEM, and the results revealed that the engineered strain is more tolerant to 1,2-DCA than the control strain. In conclusion, this study paved a new way for humanity to deal with the increasingly complex environmental challenges.

Telomerase-related advances in hepatocellular carcinoma: A bibliometric and visual analysis.

BACKGROUND: As a critical early event in hepatocellular carcinogenesis, telomerase activation might be a promising and critical biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, and its function in the genesis and treatment of HCC has gained much attention over the past two decades. AIM: To perform a bibliometric analysis to systematically assess the current state of research on HCC-related telomerase. METHODS: The Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed were systematically searched to retrieve publications pertaining to HCC/telomerase limited to "articles" and "reviews" published in English. A total of 873 relevant publications related to HCC and telomerase were identified. We employed the Bibliometrix package in R to extract and analyze the fundamental information of the publications, such as the trends in the publications, citation counts, most prolific or influential writers, and most popular journals; to screen for keywords occurring at high frequency; and to draw collaboration and cluster analysis charts on the basis of coauthorship and co-occurrences. VOSviewer was utilized to compile and visualize the bibliometric data. RESULTS: A surge of 51 publications on HCC/telomerase research occurred in 2016, the most productive year from 1996 to 2023, accompanied by the peak citation count recorded in 2016. Up to December 2023, 35226 citations were made to all publications, an average of 46.6 citations to each paper. The United States received the most citations (n = 13531), followed by China (n = 7427) and Japan (n = 5754). In terms of national cooperation, China presented the highest centrality, its strongest bonds being to the United States and Japan. Among the 20 academic institutions with the most publications, ten came from China and the rest of Asia, though the University of Paris Cité, Public Assistance-Hospitals of Paris, and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) were the most prolific. As for individual contributions, Hisatomi H, Kaneko S, and Ide T were the three most prolific authors. Kaneko S ranked first by H-index, G-index, and overall publication count, while Zucman-Rossi J ranked first in citation count. The five most popular journals were the World Journal of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Journal of Hepatology, Oncotarget, and Oncogene, while Nature Genetics, Hepatology, and Nature Reviews Disease Primers had the most citations. We extracted 2293 keywords from the publications, 120 of which appeared more than ten times. The most frequent were HCC, telomerase and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Keywords such as mutational landscape, TERT promoter mutations, landscape, risk, and prognosis were among the most common issues in this field in the last three years and may be topics for research in the coming years. CONCLUSION: Our bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of HCC/telomerase research and insights into promising upcoming research.

Silver Surface-Assisted Dehydrobrominative Cross-Coupling between Identical Aryl Bromides.

Cross-coupling reactions represent an indispensable tool in chemical synthesis. An intriguing challenge in this field is to achieve selective cross-coupling between two precursors with similar reactivity or, to the limit, the identical molecules. Here we report an unexpected dehydrobrominative cross-coupling between 1,3,5-tris(2-bromophenyl)benzene molecules on silver surfaces. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, we examine the reaction process at the single-molecular level, quantify the selectivity of the dehydrobrominative cross-coupling, and reveal the modulation of selectivity by substrate lattice-related catalytic activity or molecular assembly effect. Theoretical calculations indicate that the dehydrobrominative cross-coupling proceeds via regioselective C-H bond activation of debrominated TBPB and subsequent highly selective C-C coupling of the radical-based intermediates. The reaction kinetics plays an important role in the selectivity for the cross-coupling. This work not only expands the toolbox for chemical synthesis but also provides important mechanistic insights into the selectivity of coupling reactions on the surface.