TREM1 as a novel prognostic biomarker and tumor immune microenvironment evaluator in glioma.

Glioma is the most malignant tumor in the central nervous system with a poor prognosis. The tumor immune microenvironment plays a crucial role in glioma formation and progress. TREM1, as a vital immune regulator, has not been investigated in glioma. This study aims to explore the role of TREM1 in prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment of glioma. The mRNA expression level of TREM1 was collected from TCGA and GEO databases. The correlations between the clinic-pathological features and TREM1 expression were analyzed using Cox regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier was used to evaluate the effect of TREM1 on OS. Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were performed to analyze the functional annotations and signaling pathways of the TREM1 coexpression genes. ESTIMATE and TIMER explored the correlations between TREM1 and immune cell infiltration. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to examine the association between the TREM1 and immune checkpoint expression. The expression level of TREM1 was significantly increased in glioma. TREM1 overexpression was positively related to poor prognosis, higher World Health Organization grade, isocitrate dehydrogenase wildtype, and 1p/19q non-codeletion. TREM1 coexpression genes were mainly related to immunoregulation and inflammatory response. TREM1 participated in the initiation and progression of glioma by regulating immune cell infiltration and expression of immune checkpoints. TREM1 is an effective prognostic and diagnostic biomarker in glioma. It can be adopted as a novel predictor for clinical prognosis, pathological characteristics, and immune microenvironment in glioma patients.

Endothelial TREM-1 receptor regulates the blood-brain barrier integrity after intracerebral hemorrhage in mice via SYK/ß-catenin signaling.

BACKGROUND: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a high mortality and disability stroke subtype. Destruction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a crucial contributor to brain edema and neurological deficit after ICH. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1) has been reported to be expressed in endothelial cells, but its role in ICH remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the role of TREM-1 on BBB permeability after ICH in mice. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-two CD1 mice were used in this study. The ICH model was established by collagenase injection. LP17 was administered intranasally at 2 or 8 h after ICH to inhibit TREM-1. To explore the underlying mechanism, SYK activation CRISPR was administered intracerebroventricularly with LP17, and Anti-mouse TREM-1 rat IgG2a (a specific TREM-1 agonist) was injected intracerebroventricularly with R406 (a specific SYK inhibitor) intraperitoneally. Neurobehavioral outcome, brain water content, BBB permeability, and protein expression were evaluated. RESULTS: The expression level of the TREM-1 receptor increased rapidly as early as 6 h after ICH, and it was mainly expressed on the endotheliocytes in the neurovascular unit. Early and delayed administration of LP17 significantly decreased brain edema and improved neurobehavioral outcomes at 24 h after ICH. LP17 reduced the BBB permeability by increasing ß-catenin, claudin-5 and ZO-1 expression. Furthermore, SYK activation CRISPR abolished the beneficial effect of LP17 on the expression of the above junction molecules. Meanwhile, R406 reversed the impact of the TREM-1 activator on the downregulation of ß-catenin, claudin-5 and ZO-1 expression. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that TREM-1 deteriorated BBB permeability via modulating the expression of interendothelial junction molecules after ICH, and this regulation is partly mediated by the SYK/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Tensile Property and Corrosion Performance of Ag Microalloying of Al-Cu Alloys for Positive Electrode Current Collectors of Li-Ion Batteries.

The development of a current collector for Li-ion batteries is of great significance for improving the performance of Li-ion batteries. Tensile property and corrosion performance of the positive electrode current collectors are an indispensable prerequisite for the realization of high-performance Li-ion batteries. In our study, the effects of Ag alloying on the microscopic structure, electrical conductivity, tensile property and corrosion resistance of Al-xCu (x = 0.1-0.15%) alloy foils were investigated. Moderate Ag addition on the Al-Cu alloy could reduce the size of second phases and promote the formation of second phases. The tensile strength of the Al-0.1Cu-0.1Ag alloy was higher than that of the Al-0.1Cu alloy at both room and high temperatures. All of the alloy foils demonstrated high electrical conductivity around 58% ICAS. The corrosion potential and corrosion current density of the Al-0.1Cu alloy were demonstrated by Tafel polarization to be -873 mV and 37.12 µA/cm2, respectively. However, the Al-0.1Cu-0.1Ag alloy showed enhanced corrosion resistance after the Ag element was added to the Al-0.1Cu alloy, and the Al-0.1Cu-0.1Ag alloy had a greater positive corrosion potential of -721 mV and a lower corrosion current density of 1.52 µA/cm2, which suggests that the Ag element could significantly improve the corrosion resistance of the Al-Cu alloy.

Enhanced healing process of tooth sockets using strontium-doped TiO2.

Prevention of residual ridge resorption is important for tooth socket healing in clinical treatment. As a well known biomaterial, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been reported to show desirable bone regeneration capability. On the other hand, strontium plays a role in maintaining normal function in organisms and balancing bone remodeling. Hence, we synthesized strontium-doped titanium dioxide mesoporous nanospheres functionalized with amino-group using diphenyl diisocyanate. After incorporation with segmented polyurethane, the obtained injectable SPU/Sr-TiO2/MDI nanocomposite adhesive showed satisfactory antibacterial activity and cell nontoxicity. This nanocomposite was used for tooth socket healing, and greatly promoted the formation of new bone tissue in the tooth extraction socket.

Electrospun Polysaccharides for Periodontal Tissue Engineering: A Review of Recent Advances and Future Perspectives.

Periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss among the adult population. Indeed, conventional treatment modalities have specific challenges such as scar tissue infiltration, the formation of long epithelium junctions, and aesthetic limitations. Therefore, the development of alternative strategies is highly demanded. In this regard, periodontal tissue engineering has shed new light on the next generation of treatment methods. The essence of this technology is the use of appropriate biomaterials, bioactive agents, and fabrication technologies to mimic the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) of periodontal tissue. Among different candidates, the use of electrospun polysaccharides has gained significant attention. These structures possess a solid resemblance to native periodontal tissue's ECM in physicochemical, biological, and structural properties. The current review discusses the recent progress, challenges, and future perspectives of electrospun polysaccharides in periodontal tissue engineering.

A Simple Method for Fabricating Ink Chamber of Inkjet Printheads.

The process of fabricating chambers is becoming more important for inkjet printheads. However, there are some problems with the majority of present fabrication methods, such as nozzle structural deformation, blocked chambers, and collapsed chambers. In this paper, we propose a new process for preparing printhead chips by bonding tantalum nitride thin-film heaters and SU-8 chamber film using UV curing optical adhesive. This process simplifies the preparation process of printhead chips and overcomes the limitations of the traditional adhesive bonding process. Firstly, a chamber film was prepared by the molding lithography process based on a PDMS mold. The chamber film was then bonded with the membrane heater by the adhesive bonding process based on film transfer to form a thermal bubble printhead chip. Finally, the chip was integrated with other components to form a thermal inkjet printhead. The results show that the overflow width of bonding interface of 3.10 µm and bonding strength of 3.3 MPa were achieved. In addition, the printhead could stably eject polyvinyl pyrrolidone binder droplets, which are expected to be used for binder-jetting printing of powder such as ceramics, metals, and sand molds. These results might provide new clues to better understand the adhesive bonding process based on film transfer and the new applications of inkjet printheads.

All-in-One Self-Powered Human-Machine Interaction System for Wireless Remote Telemetry and Control of Intelligent Cars.

The components in traditional human-machine interaction (HMI) systems are relatively independent, distributed and low-integrated, and the wearing experience is poor when the system adopts wearable electronics for intelligent control. The continuous and stable operation of every part always poses challenges for energy supply. In this work, a triboelectric technology-based all-in-one self-powered HMI system for wireless remote telemetry and the control of intelligent cars is proposed. The dual-network crosslinking hydrogel was synthesized and wrapped with functional layers to fabricate a stretchable fibrous triboelectric nanogenerator (SF-TENG) and a supercapacitor (SF-SC), respectively. A self-charging power unit containing woven SF-TENGs, SF-SCs, and a power management circuit was exploited to harvest mechanical energy from the human body and provided power for the whole system. A smart glove designed with five SF-TENGs on the dorsum of five fingers acts as a gesture sensor to generate signal permutations. The signals were processed by the microcontroller and then wirelessly transmitted to the intelligent car for remote telemetry and control. This work is of paramount potential for the application of various terminal devices in self-powered HMI systems with high integration for wearable electronics.

Whether statin use improves the survival of patients with glioblastoma?: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastomas are malignant brain tumors associated with high mortality and poor prognosis. Evidence from preclinical studies suggests that statins have an antitumor role, but their effects on the survival of patients with glioblastoma remain controversial. This meta-analysis attempts to assess the association between statins and glioblastoma. METHODS: We searched 4 databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library) for articles that evaluate the effect of statins on the survival of patients with glioblastoma. Two reviewers were asked to assess the quality of the studies and extract the data regarding progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULT: A total of 5 studies met the inclusion criteria with 430 statin users and 2089 nonstatin users. All 5 studies were retrospectively analyzed. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. There was no benefit of statins found pertaining to the survival of glioblastoma patients in both PFS (HR, 0.97; CI, 0.84-1.13) and OS (HR, 0.98; CI, 0.87-1.11). In a subgroup defined by the patterns of statin use, it was determined that usage before glioblastoma diagnosis favored the OS of patients (HR, 0.85). The result, however, failed to demonstrate a statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: Use of statins was not associated with prolonged survival of patients with glioblastoma. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm.

A Comparison of Subperiosteal or Subgaleal Drainage with Subdural Drainage on the Outcomes of Chronic Subdural Hematoma: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to compare the outcomes of patients with chronic subdural hematoma after undergoing burr hole craniotomy with subperiosteal or subgaleal drainage (SPGD) with those of patients who have undergone burr hole craniotomy with subdural drainage. METHODS: We searched 4 databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library) for relevant reports from January 1995 to September 2019. Two reviewers recorded the major outcomes data as follows: recurrence, mortality, postoperative seizures, postoperative bleeding events, surgical infection, pneumocephalus, modified Rankin scale scores, and Glasgow outcome scale scores. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 3149 patients from 10 studies were included in our analysis. Compared with the SSD group, the SPGD group had a lower recurrence rate (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.57-0.91) and a smaller risk of postoperative bleeding (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.22-0.78). Also, no significant differences were found in the incidence of mortality (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.54-1.18), postoperative seizures (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.39-1.40), surgical infection (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.55-1.76), pneumocephalus (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.28-1.20), modified Rankin scale score 0-3 (OR, 1.04 at discharge; OR, 1.33 at 6 months), and Glasgow outcome scale score 4-5 (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 0.82-2.67). CONCLUSIONS: Burr hole craniotomy with SPGD can be recommended as an effective and safe surgical therapy for patients with chronic subdural hematoma owing to its lower recurrence rate and reduced incidence of postoperative brain injuries, in addition to no increase in the rate of some postoperative complications. However, more studies are necessary for further confirmation.

Is Early Tracheostomy Better for Severe Traumatic Brain Injury? A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tracheostomy has proven benefits for patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. However, whether early tracheostomy (ET; <10 days after injury) can also improve outcomes in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) (Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤8) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to clarify this question. METHODS: We searched 4 databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library) for articles comparing the outcomes of ET with late tracheotomy or prolonged intubation in patients with severe TBI. Two reviewers were asked to record the major outcome data as follows: length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, mortality, and incidence of pneumonia. Both random-effects and fixed-effects models were used. RESULTS: Eight studies met our inclusion criteria, with a total of 797 patients in the ET group and 871 patients in the late tracheostomy or prolonged intubation (not-ET) group. A meta-analysis of these 8 studies suggested that ET could reduce the length of ICU stay (mean difference [MD], -3.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], -3.75 to -2.41), duration of mechanical ventilation (MD, -4.92; 95% CI, -6.82 to -3.02), length of hospital stay (MD, -4.79; 95% CI, -8.63 to -0.94), and incidence of pneumonia (odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% CI, 0.53-0.78), but seemed to be independent of mortality (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.90-1.75). CONCLUSIONS: The available evidence suggests that ET may reduce the length of ICU and hospital stays, duration of mechanical ventilation, and incidence of pneumonia in patients with severe TBI. Well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.