HFIP-Promoted Divergent Cycloadditions of Difluoroenoxysilanes with 2-Indolylmethanols: Synthesis of Fluoro 2H-Pyrano[3,4-b]indoles and gem-Difluoro Cyclopenta[b]indoles.

An oxa-6π-electrocyclization of difluoroenoxysilanes with diaryl 2-indolylmethanols has been developed. In addition, a rarely reported C3-nucleophilic [3+2] cycloaddition of difluoroenoxysilanes with dialkyl 2-indolylmethanols has been disclosed. This divergent cycloaddition approach affording readily available difluoroenoxysilanes as three-atom and C2 synthons provides rapid access to fluoro 2H-pyrano[3,4-b]indoles and gem-difluoro cyclopenta[b]indoles in good to excellent yields with good functional group tolerance. The metal-free and mild conditions using only HFIP as the solvent without any external acid catalyst illuminate practical and environmentally benign advantages.

Postpartum Necrotizing Myositis With Endometrial Prolapse.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum necrotizing myositis is a rare condition, typically presenting as a complication after uterine artery embolization or uterine compression suturing. Uterine ischemia can cause endometrial necrosis and even myometrial necrosis, which can lead to systemic infection. If a systemic infection is not promptly and actively treated, it may pose significant risk. CASE: A 35-year-old patient who had undergone bilateral uterine artery ligation, modified B-Lynch suture, and multiple compression sutures due to refractory postpartum hemorrhage frequently presented to clinic after postpartum discharge due to persistent fever and vaginal discharge. A bag-like prolapse from the vagina measuring 10×5 cm, accompanied by purulent discharge, was noted 78 days postsurgery. Subsequent pelvic magnetic resonance imaging revealed a uterine basal abscess and postpartum necrotizing myositis; an emergency laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy was performed, with postoperative pathology confirming the diagnosis. After the patient's discharge, she was readmitted for inpatient treatment of a pelvic abscess. CONCLUSIONS: Although rare, postpartum necrotizing myositis should be considered in postpartum patients presenting with fever, abdominal pain, severe infection symptoms, and abnormal vaginal discharge. Culture and sensitivity testing are recommended to direct appropriate antibiotic therapy.

Alzheimer's Amyloid-ß Accelerates Cell Senescence and Suppresses SIRT1 in Human Neural Stem Cells.

As a lifelong source of neurons, neural stem cells (NSCs) serve multiple crucial functions in the brain. The senescence of NSCs may be associated with the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our study reveals a noteworthy finding, indicating that the AD-associated pathogenic protein amyloid-ß (Aß) substantially enhances senescence-related characteristics of human NSCs. These characteristics encompass the enhanced expression of p16 and p21, the upregulation of genes associated with the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), increased SA-ß-gal activity, and the activation of the DNA damage response. Further studies revealed that Aß treatment significantly downregulates the SIRT1 protein which plays a crucial role in regulating the aging process and decreases downstream PGC-1α and FOXO3. Subsequently, we found that SIRT1 overexpression significantly alleviates a range of Aß-induced senescent markers in human NSCs. Taken together, our results uncover that Aß accelerates cellular senescence in human NSCs, making SIRT1 a highly promising therapeutic target for senescent NSCs which may contribute to age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including AD.

Ordered Mesoporous Crystalline Frameworks Toward Promising Energy Applications.

Ordered mesoporous crystalline frameworks (MCFs), which possess both functional frameworks and well-defined porosity, receive considerable attention because of their unique properties including high surface areas, large pore sizes, tailored porous structures, and compositions. Construction of novel crystalline mesoporous architectures that allows for rich accessible active sites and efficient mass transfer is envisaged to offer ample opportunities for potential energy-related applications. In this review, the rational synthesis, unique structures, and energy applications of MCFs are the main focus. After summarizing the synthetic approaches, an emphasis is placed on the delicate control of crystallites, mesophases, and nano-architectures by concluding basic principles and showing representative examples. Afterward, the currently fabricated components of MCFs such as metals, metal oxides, metal sulfides, and metal-organic frameworks are described in sequence. Further, typical applications of MCFs in rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis are highlighted. This review ends with the possible development and synthetic challenges of MCFs as well as a future prospect for high-efficiency energy applications, which underscores a pathway for developing advanced materials.

Synthesis of Fluoro 3(2H)-Furanones via a TFA-Catalyzed Dehydrofluorinative Cyclization of 2,2-Difluoro-3-hydroxy-1,4-diketones.

A TFA-catalyzed dehydrofluorinative cyclization of 2,2-difluoro-3-hydroxy-1,4-diketones has been developed in the presence of amines under mild conditions in which the difluorinated substrates are readily prepared according to our reported literature. This protocol provides a rapid construction of fluoro 3(2H)-furanones in good to excellent yields with good functional group tolerance. Easy scale-up synthesis also shows a practical advantage.

Study on the influence mechanism of adoption of smart agriculture technology behavior.

Smart agricultural (SA) technology has become a technological support for modern agriculture. By exploring the decision-making process and psychological motivation of farmers in adopting SA technology, it is conducive to achieving the popularisation of SA technology and promoting the modernisation of agriculture. Based on microscopic research data, a Structural Equation Model (SEM) is used to analyse the influencing factors and extent of cotton farmers' adoption of SA technologies, using Deconstructive Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) as the analytical framework. This was combined with in-depth interviews to further reveal the motivations and influencing mechanisms of cotton farmers' adoption of SA technologies. The results show that under the behavioural belief dimension, cotton farmers value the positive effect of perceived usefulness even though the risk of the technology itself has a dampening effect on adoption intentions. Under the normative belief dimension, superior influence influenced the willingness to adopt SA technologies to a greater extent than peer influence. Under the control belief dimension, factors such as self-efficacy and information channels influence willingness to adopt technology and behaviour. In addition, behavioural attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control all contribute to cotton farmers' willingness to adopt SA technologies, and can also influence behaviour directly or indirectly through willingness to adopt. Policy and technology satisfaction positively moderate the transition from willingness to behaviour. Therefore, preferential policies are proposed to reduce the cost of adopting SA technologies; to continuously improve the level of SA technologies; to establish SA technology test plots to provide a reference base; and to increase knowledge training on SA and expand access to information.

Efficacy and safety of early chest tube removal after selective pulmonary resection with high-output drainage: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is controversy over the drainage threshold for removal of chest tubes in the absence of significant air leakage after selective pulmonary resection. METHODS: A comprehensive search of online databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Ovid, Elsevier, Ebsco, and Wiley) and clinical trial registries (WHO-ICTRP and ClinicalTrials.gov) was performed to investigate the efficacy and safety of early chest tube removal with high-output drainage. Primary outcome (postoperative hospital day) and secondary outcomes (30-day complications, rate of thoracentesis, and chest tube placement) were extracted and synthesized. Subgroup analysis, meta-regression, and sensitivity analysis were used to explore the potential heterogeneity. Study quality was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and evidence was graded using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) assessment by the online GRADEpro Guideline Development Tool. RESULTS: Six cohort studies with a total of 1262 patients were included in the final analysis. The postoperative hospital stay in the high-output group was significantly shorter than in the conventional treatment group (weighted mean difference: -1.34 [-2.34 to -0.34] day, P = .009). While there was no significant difference between 2 groups in 30-day complications (relative ratio [RR]: 0.92 [0.77-1.11], P = .38), the rate of thoracentesis (RR: 1.93 [0.63-5.88], P = .25) and the rate of chest tube placement (RR: 1.00 [0.37-2.70], P = .99). According to the sensitivity analysis, the relative impacts of the 2 groups had already stabilized. Subgroup analysis revealed that postoperative hospital stay was modified by Newcastle-Ottawa Scale score. The online GRADEpro Guideline Development Tool presented very low quality of evidence for the available data. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis revealed that it is feasible and safe to remove a chest tube with high-output drainage after pulmonary resection for selected patients.

Cisplatin-induced pyroptosis is mediated via the CAPN1/CAPN2-BAK/BAX-caspase-9-caspase-3-GSDME axis in esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer is the seventh most common cancer globally. Chemotherapy resistance remains a significant challenge in the treatment of esophageal cancer patients. Cisplatin can damage tumor cells by inducing pyroptosis. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this work, we aim to investigate pyroptosis-dependent molecular mechanisms underlying cisplatin sensitivity and find potential biomarkers to predict response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy for esophageal cancer patients. Pyroptosis-associated proteins were screened via proteomics for esophageal cancer (n = 124) and bioinformatics analysis. We observed that high calpain-1 (CAPN1) and calpain-2 (CAPN2) expression were associated with favorable clinical outcomes and prolonged survival in esophageal cancer patients. We employed immunohistochemistry to evaluate the expression of CAPN1 and CAPN2 in pretreatment tumor biopsies from 108 patients with esophageal cancer who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). These results suggested that esophageal cancer patients with high expression of both CAPN1 and CAPN2 are likely to experience a complete response to CCRT and have significantly better survival. Western blotting, LDH release, calpain activity and cell viability assays indicated that cisplatin could activate calpain activity, while calpain inhibition or knockout suppressed cisplatin-induced pyroptosis. Mechanistically, we uncovered a novel mechanism whereby cisplatin induced pyroptosis via activation of a CAPN1/CAPN2-BAK/BAX-caspase-9-caspase-3-GSDME signaling axis in esophageal cancer cells. Collectively, this study is the first to explore the effects of calpain on cisplatin-induced pyroptosis in esophageal cancer cells. Further, our findings also imply that the combination of CAPN1 and CAPN2 could be considered as a promising biomarker of cisplatin sensitivity and prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer, providing a possibility to guide individualized treatment.

Heterointerface and Defect Dual Engineering in a Superhydrophilic Ni2P/WO2.83 Microsphere for Boosting Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction at High Current Density.

Developing a high-performance electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) requires a comprehensive consideration of the three key factors, that is, intrinsic activity, electric conductivity, and active site number. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of a self-supported Ni2P/WO2.83 heterointerface microsphere as a highly active and low-cost catalyst for alkaline HER, which has simultaneously addressed these key issues by a joint application of heterointerface construction and defect and architecture engineering strategies. Our density functional theory calculations revealed Ni2P and WO2.83 optimized by the interface coupling effect work in concert to improve the intrinsic activity of the catalyst. Importantly, the metalloid Ni2P in an intimate combination with the oxygen-defect-rich WO2.83 species endowed the electrocatalyst with high conductivity. Furthermore, the Ni2P/WO2.83 electrocatalyst presented a superhydrophilic nanostructure, ensuring abundant active sites and their accessibility. Benefiting from these attributes, the obtained Ni2P/WO2.83 heterointerface electrocatalyst exhibited excellent activity along with favorable stability for alkaline HER, especially at high current density, surpassing the most reported non-precious catalysts.

Common genetic variants on chromosome 9p21 confers risk of ischemic stroke: A large-scale genetic association study.

The objective of this experiment was to observe the allele frequency and genotype distribution of some 9p21 SNPs in the Anhui Han population, and to study its relationship with the susceptibility to ischemic stroke. For this purpose, a collection of 992 patients with ischemic stroke confirmed and hospitalized in our hospital from October 2017 to October 2020 were used as the IS case group, and 951 normal people who had a healthy physical examination in the physical examination center of our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. After informed consent, cubital venous blood of all subjects was collected, and epidemiological data of the subjects were collected; the rs2383206, rs2383207, rs10757274, and rs1333049 on chromosome 9p21 as the sites to be tested, using Sequenom Mass Array system for genotyping, using Haploview4.2 software to calculate whether the genotype distribution meets Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Results showed that there were no significant differences between the two groups in gender, age, and smoking history. There are significant differences in the levels of hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C and apolipoprotein A1 between the two groups of study subjects. The genotype frequencies of the participating populations were in a balanced state. The results of the association analysis between SNPs and IS susceptibility showed that rs2383207, rs10757274, rs1333049 and rs2383206 are the susceptibility sites of ischemic stroke. It concluded that in Anhui, China, the inheritance of chromosome 9p21 region is associated with ischemic stroke.

STAT3ß disrupted mitochondrial electron transport chain enhances chemosensitivity by inducing pyroptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The clinical efficacy of cisplatin in the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is undesirable. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3ß (STAT3ß), a splice variant of STAT3, restrains STAT3α activity and enhances chemosensitivity in ESCC. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we found that high expression of STAT3ß contributes to cisplatin sensitivity and enhances Gasdermin E (GSDME) dependent pyroptosis in ESCC cells after exposure to cisplatin. Mechanistically, STAT3ß was located into the mitochondria and its high expression disrupts the activity of the electron transport chain, resulting in an increase of ROS in cisplatin treatment cells. While high levels of ROS caused activation of caspase-3 and GSDME, and induced cell pyroptosis. STAT3ß blocked the phosphorylation of STAT3α S727 in mitochondria by interacting with ERK1/2 following cisplatin treatment, disrupting electron transport chain and inducing activation of GSDME. Clinically, high expression of both STAT3ß and GSDME was strongly associated with better overall survival and disease-free survival of ESCC patients. Overall, our study reveals that STAT3ß sensitizes ESCC cells to cisplatin by disrupting mitochondrial electron transport chain and enhancing pyroptosis, which demonstrates the prognostic significance of STAT3ß in ESCC therapy.

STAT3ß Enhances Sensitivity to Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy by Inducing Cellular Necroptosis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), especially platinum plus radiotherapy, is considered to be one of the most promising treatment modalities for patients with advanced esophageal cancer. STAT3ß regulates specific target genes and inhibits the process of tumorigenesis and development. It is also a good prognostic marker and a potential marker for response to adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (ACRT). We aimed to investigate the relationship between STAT3ß and CCRT. We examined the expression of STAT3α and STAT3ß in pretreatment tumor biopsies of 105 ESCC patients who received CCRT by immunohistochemistry. The data showed that ESCC patients who demonstrate both high STAT3α expression and high STAT3ß expression in the cytoplasm have a significantly better survival rate, and STAT3ß expression is an independent protective factor (HR = 0.424, p = 0.003). Meanwhile, ESCC patients with high STAT3ß expression demonstrated a complete response to CCRT in 65 patients who received platinum plus radiation therapy (p = 0.014). In ESCC cells, high STAT3ß expression significantly inhibits the ability of colony formation and cell proliferation, suggesting that STAT3ß enhances sensitivity to CCRT (platinum plus radiation therapy). Mechanistically, through RNA-seq analysis, we found that the TNF signaling pathway and necrotic cell death pathway were significantly upregulated in highly expressed STAT3ß cells after CCRT treatment. Overall, our study highlights that STAT3ß could potentially be used to predict the response to platinum plus radiation therapy, which may provide an important insight into the treatment of ESCC.

Genetic variation for maize root architecture in response to drought stress at the seedling stage.

Although the root system is indispensable for absorption of nutrients and water, it is poorly studied in maize owing to the difficulties of direct measurement of roots. Here, 103 maize lines were used to compare root architectures under well-watered and water-stressed conditions. Significant genetic variation, with medium to high heritability and significant correlations, was observed for root traits. Total root length (TRL) and total root surface area (TSA) had high phenotypical diversity, and TRL was positively correlated with TSA, root volume, and root forks. The first two principal components explained 94.01% and 91.15% of total root variation in well-watered and water-stressed conditions, respectively. Thus, TRL and TSA, major contributors to root variation, can be used as favorable selection criteria at the seedling stage. We found that stiff stalk and non-stiff stalk groups (temperate backgrounds) showed relatively higher mean values for root morphological diversity than the TST group (tropical/subtropical background). Of the tested lines, 7, 42, 45, and 9 were classified as drought sensitive, moderately sensitive, moderately drought tolerant, and highly drought tolerant, respectively. Seven of the 9 extremely drought tolerant lines were from the TST group, suggesting that TST germplasms harbor valuable genetic resources for drought tolerance that could be used in breeding to improve abiotic stress tolerance in maize.