RNA molecules display distinctive organization at nuclear speckles.

RNA molecules often play critical roles in assisting the formation of membraneless organelles in eukaryotic cells. Yet, little is known about the organization of RNAs within membraneless organelles. Here, using super-resolution imaging and nuclear speckles as a model system, we demonstrate that different sequence domains of RNA transcripts exhibit differential spatial distributions within speckles. Specifically, we image transcripts containing a region enriched in binding motifs of serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins and another region enriched in binding motifs of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs). We show that these transcripts localize to the outer shell of speckles, with the SR motif-rich region localizing closer to the speckle center relative to the hnRNP motif-rich region. Further, we identify that this intra-speckle RNA organization is driven by the strength of RNA-protein interactions inside and outside speckles. Our results hint at novel functional roles of nuclear speckles and likely other membraneless organelles in organizing RNA substrates for biochemical reactions.

Novel indel variation of LTBP4 gene associates with risk of sudden cardiac death in Chinese populations with coronary artery disease.

The objective of this study is to investigate whether common genetic variants of the LTBP4 gene are linked to the susceptibility of sudden cardiac death in individuals who have atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (SCD-CAD) in Chinese populations. A total of 208 SCD-CAD cases and 638 controls were included in the analysis, and logistic regression was employed to assess the association between a 4-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism (rs34005443) within LTBP4 and the susceptibility to SCD-CAD among Chinese individuals. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated a notable association between the insertion allele of rs34005443 and an escalated susceptibility to SCD-CAD [odds ratio (OR) = 1.434; 95 % confidence interval:1.14-1.80; P = 1.79 × 10-3]. Genotype-phenotype correlation analysis was performed using Genotype-Tissue expression (GTEx) database and further validated by human myocardium using qPCR. Correlation analysis revealed that LTBP4 expression level was lower in samples with the insertion allele. Furthermore, the dual-luciferase activity assays indicated that rs34005443 may play a regulatory role. Additionally, we predicted 30 transcription factors that are likely to bind to rs34005443 and its highly linked genetic variants via 3DSNP database. Subsequent GO and KEGG analysis indicated that these transcription factors have a significant function in regulating gene expression. Finally, PPI network analysis suggested a tight connection between LTBP4 proteins and TGFßs, highlighting these genes as potential hub genes in the context of SCD-CAD. In summary, our study revealed that rs34005443 might contribute to SCD-CAD susceptibility by regulating LTBP4 expression. These findings revealed that this indel could be a potentially functional marker for molecular diagnosis and risk stratification of SCD-CAD.

Stability and ecological risk assessment of nickel (Ni) in phytoremediation-derived biochar.

Improper treatment of heavy metal-enriched biomass generated after phytoremediation might cause secondary pollution in soil and water. At present, the pyrolysis process is an effective method for the treatment of phytoremediation residue. In this study, Ni-enriched biomass was prepared using hydroponics method and further pyrolyzed at different temperatures (300-700 °C). At low pyrolysis temperatures (below 500 °C), carbonate precipitation was the main reason of Ni stabilization in biochar. Nevertheless, the formed phosphate and aluminosilicate were important factors for immobilizing Ni in biochar at high pyrolysis temperatures (above 500 °C). Moreover, the oxidizable (F3) and residual (F4) components of Ni in biochar increased with increasing pyrolysis temperature, which indicated that higher pyrolysis temperature could effectively reduce the bioavailability of Ni in biochar. The results of deionized water, acidification, oxidation, and toxic characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) experiments showed that pyrolysis temperature was the dominant factor for Ni stabilization in biochar. The ecological risk assessments further proved that pyrolyzed Ni-enriched biochar could reduce the environmental toxicity and potential ecological risks of Ni. In the soil simulated experiment, the soil microenvironment gradually promoted the transformation of Ni in BCNiX from bioavailable fraction to stable fraction. Overall, this study would expose more reasonable reference for the long-term storage of phytoremediation residues.

[Application Value of Random Urine Potassium-to-Creatinine Ratio in Diagnosing Renal Potassium Loss].

Objective: To analyze the value of applying random urine potassium-to-creatinine ratio (rUK/Ucr) in diagnosing renal potassium loss. Methods: patients diagnosed with hypokalemia, including 373 cases of renal potassium loss, 83 cases of non-renal potassium loss , and 358 cases of normal serum potassium, between 2017 and 2021 were enrolled. The clinical data of the patients were collected and the correlation between rUK/Ucr and 24-hour urine potassium (24 hUK) in the three groups was analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of applying rUK/Ucr in diagnosing renal potassium loss. Results: Serum potassium decreased in the normal serum potassium group, the renal potassium loss group, and the non-renal renal potassium loss group ( P<0.01). The 24 hUK and the rUK/Ucr of the renal potassium loss group were higher than those of the non-renal potassium loss group and normal serum potassium group ( P<0.01). rUK/Ucr showed low to moderate correlation with 24 hUK. The AUC of 24 hUK and rUK/Ucr for determining renal potassium loss were 0.73 and 0.71, respectively. When the optimal cutoff point of rUK/Ucr for determining renal potassium loss was 3.4, the sensitivity was 67.6% and the specificity was 67.5%. Conclusion: rUK/Ucr shows a moderate correlation with 24 hUK and its accuracy in determining renal potassium loss is comparable to that of 24 hUK. When 24-hour urine samples cannot be obtained, it is recommended that rUK/Ucr be used instead of 24 hUK to determine whether renal potassium loss exists, with the optimal cutoff point for diagnosis being 3.4.

Clinical features and surgical outcomes of Rathke cleft cysts with suprasellar components: a single-center experience of 157 cases.

BACKGROUND: Both intrasuprasellar and suprasellar Rathke cleft cysts (RCCs) have suprasellar components, and we aimed to explore their clinical features and surgical outcomes. METHOD: Patients with surgically treated intrasuprasellar or suprasellar RCCs were retrospectively analyzed. All patients with intrasuprasellar RCCs were treated with the standard endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA, group I); the patients with suprasellar RCCs received the extended EEA (group II) or supraorbital keyhole approach (SKA, group III) according to the relevant indications. A surgical strategy of maximal safe resection aiming to protect neuroendocrine function was adopted. In addition, patients (distinguished from the above 3 groups) who had aggressive resection of suprasellar RCC were also enrolled for comparison of different surgical strategies. RESULTS: A total of 157 patients were eligible, including 121 patients with intrasuprasellar RCCs in group I, 19 patients with suprasellar RCCs in group II, and 17 patients with suprasellar RCCs in group III. Preoperatively, the patients with suprasellar RCC (groups II and III) more commonly presented with visual dysfunction, diabetes insipidus (DI), and hyperprolactinemia than the patients with intrasuprasellar RCCs (all p<0.05). A higher incidence of hypopituitarism and a larger diameter were observed for intrasuprasellar RCCs (both p<0.05). Postoperatively, group II had a higher rate of new-onset DI, hyponatremia, and recurrence than group I (all p<0.025) and similar outcomes to group III. For suprasellar RCCs, comparison of the maximal safe resection vs. aggressive resection (supplementary patients: 14 with extended EEA, 12 with SKA) showed similar improvement and recurrence, with higher rates of DI and hyponatremia with the latter strategy (all p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Suprasellar RCC is associated with more complicated preoperative presentations, intricate postoperative complications, and frequent recurrence compared with intrasuprasellar RCC. Under rational indications, both extended EEA and SKA achieve satisfactory outcomes. The strategy of maximal safe resection is recommended for greatest functional preservation.

Oxygen Vacancy Induced Strong Metal-Support Interactions on Ni/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 Nanorod Catalysts for Promoting Steam Reforming of Toluene: Experimental and Computational Studies.

To develop an efficient Ni-based steam reforming catalyst for tar removal from the products of biomass gasification, Ni/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 nanorods were designed. The Ni/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 nanorod was used as a catalyst in steam reforming of toluene, which was regarded as a model compound of biomass gasification tar. At gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 24,000 h-1 and Ni loading of 5 wt %, the 5Ni/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 nanorod catalyst achieved 100% of toluene conversion at 600 °C. After 10 h of operation, toluene conversion still reached 87.6%, and the carbon deposition rate was only 1.9 mg/gcat h-1. The experimental results demonstrated that the 5Ni/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 nanorod catalyst showed much higher catalytic activity and coking resistance than other Ni-based catalysts reported in the literature. Through different characterization technologies and density functional theory calculations, it was confirmed that the excellent catalytic performance was attributed to the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) between Ni and the {100} facet of Ce0.8Zr0.2O2. The special surface structure of {100} allowed Ni atoms to anchor to the surface oxygen vacancies and maintained its reduced state by electron transport between surface atoms. The anchored Ni facilitated oxygen vacancies formation and H2O dissociation on the support, while the support modulated the electronic structure of Ni, which promoted its ability to toluene activation.

A Laser-Processed Carbon-Titanium Carbide Heterostructure Electrode for High-Frequency Micro-Supercapacitors.

Micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) are an important energy storage component for future miniaturized electronic systems, yet their key performance indexes such as high-frequency response, energy density, and cycle life still have a large room to be improved. Herein, a laser-processed carbon-titanium carbide heterostructure (LCTH) electrode is demonstrated, which can excellently address the above key challenges by employing a unique one-step laser-processing fabrication method. Different from the other reported electrode structures, this LCTH electrode shows a heterogeneous structure, featuring the carbon nanofoam layer which provides extremely short ion transport channels and abundant electrochemical active sites, and the underlying titanium carbide layer which can provide excellent electron conductivity and contribute to the pseudo-capacitance. The assembled symmetric supercapacitor can stably work at the voltage window of 3.5 V at an ultra-high frequency of approximately 1121.3 Hz, exhibiting an ultra-high areal specific energy density of 721 µFV2 cm-2 at 120 Hz and a cycle life of 140 000 cycles with capacitance retention of 100.95%, which is superior to most reported MSCs. The as-fabricated MSC is compatible with the contemporary embedded electronic component fabrication processes, which shows significant advantages in large-scale fabrication and system integration, demonstrating a broad prospect for future system-in-package applications.

Efficient activation of peroxodisulfate by novel bionic iron-encapsulated biochar: The key roles of electron transfer pathway and reactive oxygen species evolution.

In this study, a novel iron-encapsulated biochar (Fe@BC) was prepared using the biomass cultivated with an iron-containing solution. The iron in Fe@BC showed the phase change from Fe3O4 to α-Fe, and to CFe15.1, with the increase of pyrolysis temperature (500-900 °C), and a graphene shell formed on the surface of Fe@BC. In addition, the signals assigned to the π-π* shake up, pyridinic N, graphitic N, and defects of Fe@BC were found to be stronger as the pyrolysis temperature increased. The F4@B9 sample, which was prepared at 900 °C, exhibited an excellent performance (98.01 %) to activate peroxydisulfate (PDS) for the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol. Electron paramagnetic resonanceand chemical quenching experiments revealed that reactive oxygen radicals (ROS) including sulfate radical (•SO4-), hydroxyl radical (•OH), superoxide radical (•O2-), and singlet oxygen (1O2) existed in the F4@B9/PDS system. Furthermore, the micro-electrolysis process facilitated the generation of •O2- (12.35 %) and 1O2 (6.49 %) compared with the pure PDS system. Density functional theory revealed that, for the F4@B9-activated PDS process, the graphene shell of F4@B9 served as catalytic active sites as well. According to the correlation analysis, the iron specie of CFe15.1 was more favorable for the generation of ROS than α-Fe. Also, π-π* shake up, pyridinic N, graphitic N, and defects participated in the PDS activation. This study provides a new method for the preparation of high-performance catalysts from naturally grown biomass with high iron contents.

Adsorption behavior of biochar pyrolyzed from barracuda grass for cadmium ions.

This work investigated the removal of cadmium ions (Cd2+) by using biochar derived from Barracuda Grass. The biochars derived from the pyrolysis of roots (BGR), stems (BGS) and leaves (BGL) were characterized and their performance for cadmium adsorption was studied at varying parameters of temperature, time, and alkali (earth) metal concentrations. The maximum adsorption amount at equilibrium of BGR, BGS and BGL was determined experimentally as 8.38 mg/g, 42.12 mg/g, and 30.39 mg/g. Adsorption fitting results revealed that Cd2+ adsorbed on BGR and BGS preferred to be multilayer-covered, and BGL was more likely to have monolayer-covered functions. The kinetic data fitted well to the pseudo-second-order model (R 2 > 0.99), revealing the adsorption process was a spontaneous monolayer chemisorption process. The results of alkaline (earth) metals leaching of biochar revealed that the inherent alkaline (earth) metals in biochar made inhibitory functions on the Cd2+ adsorption behavior by occupying the active sites. And in the process of wastewater treatment, the leaching of alkaline earth metals might enhance the complexation reaction between surface groups and Cd2+. This study provides a feasible strategy for the resource utilization of abundant hydrophytic plants in waste management.

High Performance of Commercial PAC on the Simultaneous Desulfurization and Denitrification of Wastewater From a Coal-Fired Heating Plant.

The flue gas desulfurization wastewater is highly saline and has too many refractory pollutants to be recycled during the desulfurization process of the coal-fired heating plant. Given that waste heat is abundant in coal-fired heating plants, a thermal treatment method was developed to simultaneously remove sulfates and nitrates from the wastewater, with the production of chemical-grade natroalunite and recycled water. The results showed that sulfates and nitrates were 50.3 and 10 g/L in the wastewater, respectively, and only 2.8% and 9.1% were removed after direct treatment at 270°C for 7 h; but these rates increased to 99.3% and 99.9%, respectively, with the addition of commercial poly aluminum chloride. Mass balance summarized that the treatment of 1 ton wastewater needed 0.1 ton PAC and produced 0.11 ton natroalunite and 0.92 ton recycle water. The removal of sulfates and nitrates was mainly done by the precipitation reaction of sulfates such as natroalunite and the redox reaction between nitrates and organics, respectively. Thermodynamic analysis demonstrated that the precipitate reaction occurred at 45°C and accelerated in the temperature range of 45-270°C, but became slow with the decrease of sulfate and Al concentrations in wastewater. Four other reagents were also used for wastewater treatment in comparison with PAC and showed the following order of performance: PAC > citrate calcium > limestone > subacetate aluminum > citrate ferric. This method provided a practical route to treat wastewater from flue gas desulfurization without generating secondary waste.

Incidence and risk factors of delayed postoperative hyponatremia after endoscopic endonasal surgery for Rathke's cleft cyst: A single-center study.

Backgroud: Delayed postoperative hyponatremia (DPH) is common for sellar lesions. However, the true prevalence and associated factors of DPH after endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) for Rathke's cleft cyst (RCC) have not been studied in a large patient cohort. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted over 6 years at our institution, and patients with RCC treated by EES were enrolled according to our inclusion criteria. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, images, and surgical procedures were documented. Serum sodium was routinely measured before surgery, on postoperative day 1, and every 2 days thereafter until discharge. For patients with DPH, electrolyte, hematocrit, serum protein levels, and plasma and urinary osmolality were daily measured to explore potential etiology. Results: Of the 149 eligible patients, 25 (16.8%) developed DPH, which was similar to other sellar lesions, except craniopharyngioma, in the same period in our institution. Significant risk factors suggested by univariate analysis were cyst location, requirement of postoperative hydrocortisone therapy, postoperative meningitis, intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, and subtotal resection (STR) of the cyst wall (all p < 0.05). In addition, other supplementary 11 cases of suprasellar RCC with different surgical strategies (aggressive resection) and relevant factors were enrolled into multivariate analysis. Suprasellar location [odds ratio (OR) 8.387, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.014-69.365, p = 0.049], requirement of postoperative hydrocortisone therapy (OR 4.208, 95%CI 1.246-14.209, p = 0.021), and intraoperative CSF leakage (OR 6.631, 95%CI 1.728-25.440, p = 0.006) were found to be the independent predictors of DPH. Conclusion: DPH is a common complication after EES for RCC. Suprasellar location, requirement of postoperative hydrocortisone therapy, and intraoperative CSF leakage are the most reliable risk factors. Cortisol deficiency and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) are considered as the main etiologies of DPH in RCC. Conservative excision of the cyst wall may reduce DPH occurrence.

Tanshinone IIA reduces AQP4 expression and astrocyte swelling after OGD/R by inhibiting the HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB/IL-6 pro-inflammatory axis.

This study aimed to investigate the role of tanshinone IIA (TSO IIA) in astrocytic swelling caused by ischemia-reperfusion-like injury in an in vitro model and the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect. Primary brain astrocytes were cultured under conditions of glucose and oxygen deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R). The study explored the effects of TSO IIA treatment on cell swelling and injury and the protein levels of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in the plasma membrane. It then examined the involvement of the high-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1)/receptors for advanced-glycation end products (RAGE)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/interleukin-6 (IL-6) pro-inflammatory axis in TSO IIA-mediated protection. The treatment with TSO IIA alleviated OGD/R-induced astrocytic swelling and the overclustering of AQP4 protein in the plasma membrane. In addition, TSO IIA significantly reduced the overexpression of HMGB1 and the high levels of the NF-κB protein in the nucleus and of the IL-6 protein in the cytoplasm and extracellular media induced by OGD/R. The combination of TSO IIA and recombinant HMGB1 reversed these effects. The inhibition of the RAGE, the receptor of HMGB1, induced results similar to those of TSO IIA. In addition, exogenous IL-6 reversed TSO IIA-mediated effect on AQP4 overclustering and cell swelling. TSO IIA significantly reduced astrocyte swelling after OGD/R injury in vitro, via blocking the activation of the HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB/IL-6 pro-inflammatory axis and thereby decreasing the expression of AQP4 in the plasma membrane.

Biomimetic synthesis technology for preparation of Fe3O4-encapsulated biochar using in highly efficient peroxodisulfate activation.

The background value of iron in red soil is superior, primarily absorbed and homogeneously encapsulated in harvested biomass. However, this property on the high-value utilization of bionic iron-encapsulated biomass remains unknown. In this study, special biochar (Fe@BC) was obtained from this kind of biomass by one-step pyrolysis method, which was further used to activate peroxydisulfate (PDS) and degrade 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). The results showed that Fe3O4 was formed and homogeneously embedded in biochar at 500oC. Comparing to catalysts prepared by impregnation pyrolysis (Fe/BC), Fe@BC exhibited excellent degradation performance (90.9%, k = 0.0037 min-1) for 2,4-DCP. According to the free radicals quenching studies, hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide radicals (·O2 -) were the dominant reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Fe@BC/PDS system. Importantly, a PDS adsorption model was established, and the electron transport and PDS activation in the core-shell structure were demonstrated by DFT calculations. Therefore, this study could supply a high-performance catalyst and significant implications for high-value biomass utilization in red soil.

Effects of cruciate embedding fascia-bone flap technique on grade II-III cerebral spinal fluid leak in endoscopic endonasal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) leak remains an important issue in endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES). A standard protocol for skull base closure has not yet been established, and the application of rigid buttress has not been given sufficient attention. To emphasize the functions of support and fixation from rigid buttress in reconstruction, we introduced the cruciate embedding fascia-bone flap (CEFB) technique using autologous bone graft to buttress the fascia lata attachment to the partially sutured skull base dural defect and evaluated its efficacy in a consecutive case series of grade II-III CSF leaks in EES. METHODS: Data from consecutive patients diagnosed with sellar region lesions with grade II-III CSF leaks during EES were collected from May 2015 to May 2020. Skull base reconstructions were performed with the CEFB or the conventional pedicle vascularized nasoseptal flap (PNSF). Related clinical data were analysed. The combined use of the CEFB and PNSF was applied to an additional supplemental case series of patients with grade III leak and multiple high-risk factors. RESULTS: There were 110 and 65 patients included in the CEFB and PNSF groups, respectively. The CEFB demonstrated similar effects on the incidence of postoperative CSF leak (2.7%), intracranial infection (4.5%), and lumbar drainage (LD) placement (5.5%) as PNSF (3.1%, 3.1%, and 6.2%), but with less epistaxis (CEFB: 0%, PNSF: 6.2%) and nasal discomforts (CEFB: 0%, PNSF: 7.7%). The LD duration (CEFB: 6.67 ± 2.16 days, PNSF: 10.50 ± 2.38 days), bed-stay time (CEFB: 5.74 ± 1.58 days, PNSF: 8.83 ± 3.78 days) and hospitalization time (CEFB: 10.49 ± 5.51 days, PNSF: 13.58 ± 5.50 days) were shortened in the CEFB group. The combined use of CEFB and PNSF resulted in 0 postoperative CSF leaks in the supplemental case series of 23 highly susceptible patients. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that the new CEFB technique has the potential to prevent postoperative CSF leak in EES. The results indicated that it can be used effectively without PNSF in suitable cases or applied in addition to a PNSF with high compatibility when necessary. Its effectiveness should be further verified with a larger cohort and better design in the next step. Trial Registration Current Controlled Trials ChiCTR2100044764 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry); date of registration: 27 March 2020. Retrospectively registered.

Incidence and factors associated with the recurrence of Rathke's cleft cyst after surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Backgroud: Recurrence of Rathke's cleft cyst (RCC) is not uncommon after surgery, and the associated factors and incidence of relapse deserve a systematic summary. Methods: This study was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases were searched until September 12, 2022. Studies with significant results of recurrent factors or specific incidences of RCC recurrence and mean/median follow-up time were included. Based on a protocol of a 2-year interval grouping, included studies were categorized into four groups with follow-up periods <24 months, 24-48 months, 48-72 months, and ≥72 months, respectively. Quality assessment was performed using the NOS score. Pooled estimations were computed by using a random-effects model in the STATA "metaprop" command. Publication bias was assessed visually through a funnel plot and statistically through Egger's linear regression test and Begg's correlation test. Results: A total of 44 studies were included containing 2,539 cases. Squamous metaplasia was the most commonly reported factor, followed by the extent of cyst removal. The other factors were reported individually. The pooled overall incidences of RCC recurrence after surgery in four groups of the follow-up period were 7.4% (95%CI = 4.1-11.3%) in <24 months, 13.1% (95%CI = 9.7-17.0%) in 24-48 months, 13.7% (95%CI = 7.7-21.0%) in 48-72 months, and 33.8% (95%CI = 19.6-49.6%) in ≥72 months. The pooled symptomatic incidences were 2.3% (95%CI = 0.4-5.1%) in <24 months, 5.6% (95%CI = 3.6-7.9%) in 24-48 months, 5.9% (95%CI = 2.4-10.6%) in 48-72 months, and 14.1% (95%CI = 6.0-24.5%) in ≥72 months. A dramatic increase in recurrent incidence was observed when the follow-up period was more than 72 months in both overall and symptomatic recurrence. A similar trend of recurrence was found in subgroup analyses stratified by publication year, cohort size, and cyst resection strategy. Conclusion: This study systematically reviewed recurrent factors and described the profile of trends in RCC recurrent incidence after surgery with a follow-up time based on a protocol of a 2-year interval, finding a dramatic increase in recurrent rates with a follow-up period of more than 72 months. This encouraged us to put forward a recommendation of at least a 6-year follow-up after surgery for patients with RCC. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier: CRD42021278970.

Recombinant Annexin A2 Administration Improves Neurological Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice.

Microvascular failure is one of the key pathogenic factors in the dynamic pathological evolution after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Our laboratory and others previously reported that Annexin A2 functions in blood-brain barrier (BBB) development and cerebral angiogenesis, and recombinant human Annexin A2 (rA2) protected against hypoxia plus IL-1ß-induced cerebral trans-endothelial permeability in vitro, and cerebral angiogenesis impairment of AXNA2 knock-out mice in vivo. We thereby hypothesized that ANXA2 might be a cerebrovascular therapy candidate that targets early BBB integrity disruption, and subacute/delayed cerebrovascular remodeling after TBI, ultimately improve neurological outcomes. In a controlled cortex impact (CCI) mice model, we found rA2 treatment (1 mg/kg) significantly reduced early BBB disruption at 24 h after TBI; and rA2 daily treatment for 7 days augmented TBI-induced mRNA levels of pro-angiogenic and endothelial-derived trophic factors in cerebral microvessels. In cultured human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC), through MAPKs array, we identified that rA2 significantly activated Akt, ERK, and CREB, and the activated CREB might be responsible for the rA2-induced VEGF and BDNF expression. Moreover, rA2 administration significantly increased cerebral angiogenesis examined at 14 days and vessel density at 28 days after TBI in mice. Consistently, our results validated that rA2 significantly induced angiogenesis in vitro, evidenced by tube formation and scratched migration assays in HBMEC. Lastly, we demonstrated that rA2 improved long-term sensorimotor and cognitive function, and reduced brain tissue loss at 28 days after TBI. Our findings suggest that rA2 might be a novel vascular targeting approach for treating TBI.

Perdisulfate-assisted advanced oxidation of 2,4-dichlorophenol by bio-inspired iron encapsulated biochar catalyst.

To improve advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), bio-inspired iron-encapsulated biochar (bio-inspired Fe⨀BC) catalysts with superior performance were prepared from iron-rich biomass of Iris sibirica L. using a pyrolysis method under anaerobic condition. The obtained compounds were used as catalysts to activate perdisulfate (PDS) and then degradate 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), and synthetic iron-laden biochar (synthetic Fe-BC) was used for comparison. The highest removal rate of 2,4-DCP was 98.35%, with 37.03% of this being distinguished as the contribution of micro-electrolysis, greater than the contribution of adsorption (32.81%) or advanced oxidation (28.51%). The high performance of micro-electrolysis could be attributable to the formation of Fe (Iron, syn) and austenite (CFe15.1) with strong electron carrier at 700 °C. During micro-electrolysis, Fe2+ and electrons were gradually released and then used as essential active components to enhance the AOPs. The slow-releasing Fe2+ (K = 0.0048) also inhibited the overconsumption of PDS (K = -0.00056). Furthermore, the electrons donated from Fe⨀BC-4 were able to activate PDS directly. The electrons were enriched by the porous structure of Fe⨀BC-4, and the formation of the COFe bond in the π-electron system could also accelerate the electron transfer to activate PDS. Similar reactive oxygen species (ROS) were identified during the micro-electrolysis and AOPs, leading to similar degradation pathways. The higher does concentration of O2- generated during micro-electrolysis than during the AOPs also led to a greater dechlorination effect.

Treatment with endoscopic transnasal resection of hypothalamic pilocytic astrocytomas: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUNDS: Pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) are World Health Organization (WHO) grade I tumors, which are relatively common, and are benign lesions in children. PAs could originate from the cerebellum, optic pathways, and third ventricular/hypothalamic region. Traditional various transcranial routes are used for hypothalamic PAs (HPAs). However, there are few studies on hypothalamic PAs treated through the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA). This study reports the preliminary experience of the investigators and results with HPAs via expanded EEAs. METHODS: All patients with HPAs, undergone EEA in our hospital from 2017 to 2019, were retrospectively reviewed. The demographic data, clinical symptoms, complications, skull base reconstruction, prognosis, and endocrinological data were all recorded and analyzed in detail. RESULTS: Finally, five female patients were enrolled. The average age of patients was 28.6 ± 14.0. All patients had complaints about their menstrual disorder. One patient had severe bilateral visual impairment. Furthermore, only one patient suffered from severe headache due to acute hydrocephalus, although there were four patients with headache or dizziness. Four cases achieved gross-total resection, and one patient achieved subtotal resection. Furthermore, there was visual improvement in one patient (case 5), and postoperative worsening of vision in one patient (case 4). However, only one patient had postoperative intracranial infection. None of the patients experienced a postoperative CSF leak, and in situ bone flap (ISBF) techniques were used for two cases for skull base repair. In particular, ISBF combined with free middle turbinate mucosal flap was used for case 5. After three years of follow-up, three patients are still alive, two patients had no neurological or visual symptoms, or tumor recurrence, and one patient had severe hypothalamic dysfunction. Unfortunately, one patient died of severe postoperative hypothalamus reaction, which presented with coma, high fever, diabetes insipidus, hypernatremia and intracranial infection. The other patient died of recurrent severe pancreatitis at one year after the operation. CONCLUSION: Although the data is still very limited and preliminary, EEA provides a direct approach to HPAs with acceptable prognosis in terms of tumor resection, endocrinological and visual outcomes. ISBF technique is safe and reliable for skull base reconstruction.

AKT/GSK-3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathway participates in erythropoietin-promoted glioma proliferation.

PURPOSE: Although erythropoietin (EPO) has been proven to significantly promote the proliferation of cancer cells, the mechanism for promoting glioma proliferation is poorly understood. Here, we examined the functional role of the AKT/GSK-3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathway in the EPO-mediated proliferation of glioma. METHODS: The distribution of EPO and Ki-67 among clinical samples with different WHO grades was plotted by Immunological Histological Chemistry analysis. U87 and U251 glioma cell lines were treated with short hairpin RNA targeting (shEPO), recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) and/or AKT-specific inhibitor (MK-2206). The changes in phosphorylated AKT, nuclear ß-catenin, cyclin D1 and p27kip1 expression were detected. Cell cycle distributions and glioma proliferation in vitro and in vivo were analyzed. RESULTS: The expression level of EPO was significantly elevated with the increase of WHO grade and Ki67 in clinical glioma specimens. In vitro, knockdown of endogenous EPO in U87 and U251 cells effectively block the phosphorylation of AKT and GSK-3ß and the expression of nuclear ß-catenin. shEPO treatment also significantly decreased the expression of cyclin D1 and increased the expression of p27kip1. The cell cycle transition then slowed down and the proliferation of glioma cells or mouse xenograft tumors both decreased. Treatment of cells or tumors with extra rhEPO reversed the above biological effects mediated by shEPO. rhEPO-induced activation of the AKT/GSK-3ß/ß-catenin pathway and proliferation were abolished by MK-2206. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified the AKT/GSK-3ß/ß-catenin axis as a critical mediator of EPO-induced glioma proliferation and further provided a clinically significant dimension to the biology of EPO.

A strategy of using recycled char as a co-catalyst in cyclic in-situ catalytic cattle manure pyrolysis for increasing gas production.

Cattle manure is a major livestock waste in agroecosystem, and in-situ catalytic pyrolysis is considered as a potential technology for its disposal. In order to increase the gas production during cattle manure pyrolysis and alleviate the problem of frequent regeneration-separation of the in-situ catalyst, a strategy of in-situ catalytic pyrolysis was proposed in this work, in which the pyrolytic char product was not separated from the pyrolysis catalyst of NiO/γ-Al2O3 but mixed with it and recycled for several times as the co-catalyst for cattle manure pyrolysis instead. Adopting this strategy, it was observed that the mixed-type catalyst could lead to 70% increase in gas production and 82% promotion in syngas energy conversion rate compared with the circumstance of no catalyst added. Through different means of characterization, it was found that there are synergistic effects between char and NiO/γ-Al2O3, which enhance the catalytic performance of catalyst. On one hand, during the pyrolysis process, char can translate NiO into Ni that has higher cracking activity through in-situ reduction. On the other hand, due to its rich porous texture and large pore volume, char can act as an additional adsorbent for the reactants. Based on the experimental results of this work, the proposed strategy of cyclic in-situ catalysis with the recycled char as the co-catalyst can be a promising scheme in the practical biomass pyrolysis process for gas production.