Nano-Bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapies for improved bladder cancer treatment. / çº³ç±³å¡ä»‹è‹—æ”¹å–„è†€èƒ±ç™Œçš„å ç–«æ²»ç–—æ•ˆæžœ.

Cancer immunotherapy has rapidly become the fourth mainstream treatment alternative after surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, with some promising results. It aims to kill tumor cells by mobilizing or stimulating cytotoxic immune cells. However, the clinical applications of tumor immunotherapies are limited owing to a lack of adequate delivery pathways and high toxicity. Recently, nanomaterials and genetic engineering have shown great potential in overcoming these limitations by protecting the delivery of antigens, activating targeted T cells, modulating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and improving the treatment efficacy. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a live attenuated Mycobacterium bovis vaccine used to prevent tuberculosis, which was first reported to have antitumor activity in 1927. BCG therapy can activate the immune system by inducing various cytokines and chemokines, and its specific immune and inflammatory responses exert antitumor effects. BCG was first used during the 1970s as an intravesical treatment agent for bladder cancer, which effectively improved immune antitumor activity and prevented tumor recurrence. More recently, nano-BCG and genetically engineered BCG have been proposed as treatment alternatives for bladder cancer due to their ability to induce stronger and more stable immune responses. In this study, we outline the development of nano-BCG and genetically engineered BCG for bladder cancer immunotherapy and review their potential and associated challenges.

Nano-Bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapies for improved bladder cancer treatment. / çº³ç±³å¡ä»‹è‹—æ”¹å–„è†€èƒ±ç™Œçš„å ç–«æ²»ç–—æ•ˆæžœ.

Cancer immunotherapy has rapidly become the fourth mainstream treatment alternative after surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, with some promising results. It aims to kill tumor cells by mobilizing or stimulating cytotoxic immune cells. However, the clinical applications of tumor immunotherapies are limited owing to a lack of adequate delivery pathways and high toxicity. Recently, nanomaterials and genetic engineering have shown great potential in overcoming these limitations by protecting the delivery of antigens, activating targeted T cells, modulating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and improving the treatment efficacy. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a live attenuated Mycobacterium bovis vaccine used to prevent tuberculosis, which was first reported to have antitumor activity in 1927. BCG therapy can activate the immune system by inducing various cytokines and chemokines, and its specific immune and inflammatory responses exert antitumor effects. BCG was first used during the 1970s as an intravesical treatment agent for bladder cancer, which effectively improved immune antitumor activity and prevented tumor recurrence. More recently, nano-BCG and genetically engineered BCG have been proposed as treatment alternatives for bladder cancer due to their ability to induce stronger and more stable immune responses. In this study, we outline the development of nano-BCG and genetically engineered BCG for bladder cancer immunotherapy and review their potential and associated challenges.

The Impact of Microwave Annealing on MoS2 Devices Assisted by Neural Network-Based Big Data Analysis.

Microwave annealing, an emerging annealing method known for its efficiency and low thermal budget, has established a foundational research base in the annealing of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) devices. Typically, to obtain high-quality MoS2 devices, mechanical exfoliation is commonly employed. This method's challenge lies in achieving uniform film thickness, which limits the use of extensive data for studying the effects of microwave annealing on the MoS2 devices. In this experiment, we utilized a neural network approach based on the HSV (hue, saturation, value) color space to assist in distinguishing film thickness for the fabrication of numerous MoS2 devices with enhanced uniformity and consistency. This method allowed us to precisely assess the impact of microwave annealing on device performance. We discovered a relationship between the device's electrical performance and the annealing power. By analyzing the statistical data of these electrical parameters, we identified the optimal annealing power for MoS2 devices as 700 W, providing insights and guidance for the microwave annealing process of two-dimensional materials.

An optimal combined slow-release nitrogen fertilizer and urea can enhance the decomposition rate of straw and the yield of maize by improving soil bacterial community and structure under full straw returning system.

Under a full straw returning system, the relationship between soil bacterial community diversity and straw decomposition, yield, and the combined application of slow-release nitrogen and urea remains unclear. To evaluate these effects and provide an effective strategy for sustainable agricultural production, a 2-year field positioning trial was conducted using maize as the research object. Six experimental treatments were set up: straw returning + no nitrogen fertilizer (S1N0), straw returning + slow-release nitrogen fertilizer:urea = 0:100% (S1N1), straw returning + slow-release nitrogen fertilizer:urea = 30%:70% (S1N2), straw returning + slow-release nitrogen fertilizer:urea = 60%:40% (S1N3), straw returning + slow-release nitrogen fertilizer:urea = 90%:10% (S1N4), and straw removal + slow-release nitrogen fertilizer:urea = 30%:70% (S0N2). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between treatments for Proteobacteria, Acidobacteriota, Myxococcota, and Actinobacteriota at the jointing stage; Proteobacteria, Acidobacteriota, Myxococcota, Bacteroidota, and Gemmatimonadota at the tasseling stage; and Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, Myxococcota, Methylomirabilota, and Proteobacteria at the maturity stage. The alpha diversity analysis of the soil bacterial community showed that the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and the Chao1 index were higher in S1N2, S1N3, and S1N4 compared with S0N2 at each growth stage. Additionally, the alpha diversity measures were higher in S1N3 and S1N4 compared with S1N2. The beta diversity analysis of the soil bacterial community showed that the bacterial communities in S1N3 and S1N4 were more similar or closely clustered together, while S0N2 was further from all treatments across the three growth stages. The cumulative straw decomposition rate was tested for each treatment, and data showed that S1N3 (90.58%) had the highest decomposition rate. At the phylum level, straw decomposition was positively correlated with Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Myxococcota, and Bacteroidota but significantly negatively correlated with Acidobacteriota. PICRUSt2 function prediction results show that the relative abundance of bacteria in soil samples from each treatment differed significantly. The maize yield of S1N3 was 15597.85 ± 1477.17 kg/hm2, which was 12.80 and 4.18% higher than that of S1N1 and S0N2, respectively. In conclusion, a combination of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer and urea can enhance the straw decomposition rate and maize yield by improving the soil bacterial community and structure within a full straw returning system.

Spacer arm of ionic liquids facilitated laccase immobilization on magnetic graphene enhancing its stability and catalytic performance.

To fulfill the requirements of environmental protection, a magnetically recoverable immobilized laccase has been developed for water pollutant treatment. In order to accomplish this objective, we propose a polydopamine-coated magnetic graphene material that addresses the challenges associated with accumulation caused by electrostatic interactions between graphene and enzyme molecules, which can lead to protein denaturation and inactivation. To achieve this, we present a polydopamine-coated magnetic graphene material that binds to the enzyme molecule through flexible spacer arms formed by ionic liquids. The immobilized laccase exhibited a good protective effect on laccase and showed a high stability and recycling ability. Laccase-ILs-PDA-MGO has a wider pH and temperature range and retains about 80% of its initial activity even after incubation at 50 °C for 2 h, which is 2.2 times more active than free laccase. Furthermore, the laccase-ILs-PDA-MGO exhibited a remarkable removal efficiency of 97.0% and 83.9% toward 2,4-DCP and BPA within 12 h at room temperature. More importantly, laccase-ILs-PDA-MGO can be recovered from the effluent and used multiple times for organic pollutant removal, while maintaining a relative removal efficiency of 80.6% for 2,4-DCP and 81.4% for BPA after undergoing seven cycles. In this study, a strategy for laccase immobilization by utilizing ILs spacer arms to modify GO aims to provide valuable insights into the advancement of efficient enzyme immobilization techniques and the practical application of immobilized enzymes in wastewater treatment.

Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) NAC Transcriptional Factor PvNAC52 Enhances Transgenic Arabidopsis Resistance to Salt, Alkali, Osmotic, and ABA Stress by Upregulating Stress-Responsive Genes.

The NAC family of transcription factors includes no apical meristem (NAM), Arabidopsis thaliana transcription activator 1/2 (ATAF1/2), and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC2) proteins, which are unique to plants, contributing significantly to their adaptation to environmental challenges. In the present study, we observed that the PvNAC52 protein is predominantly expressed in the cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus. Overexpression of PvNAC52 in Arabidopsis strengthened plant resilience to salt, alkali, osmotic, and ABA stresses. PvNAC52 significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the degree of oxidative damage to cell membranes, proline content, and plant water loss by increasing the expression of MSD1, FSD1, CSD1, POD, PRX69, CAT, and P5CS2. Moreover, the expression of genes associated with abiotic stress responses, such as SOS1, P5S1, RD29A, NCED3, ABIs, LEAs, and DREBs, was enhanced by PvNAC52 overexpression. A yeast one-hybrid assay showed that PvNAC52 specifically binds to the cis-acting elements ABRE (abscisic acid-responsive elements, ACGTG) within the promoter. This further suggests that PvNAC52 is responsible for the transcriptional modulation of abiotic stress response genes by identifying the core sequence, ACGTG. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the further analysis of the targeted cis-acting elements and genes downstream of PvNAC52 in the common bean.

Analysis of factors affecting the clinical efficacy and quality of life in the treatment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Objective: To analyze the factors affecting the long-term clinical efficacy and quality of life in the treatment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methods: This is a retrospective study. One hundred children with ALL were collected before June, 2018 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University and followed up for five years. Not only were their five-years survival rates analyzed, but univariate and multivariate analyses were also performed for factors that might affect their five-year survival rates. The MOS 36-Item Short Form of Health Survey (SF-36) was utilized to investigate the surviving children after five years in order to analyze the factors that may affect the quality of life of the children. Results: The five-years survival rate of one hundred children with ALL after treatment was 91.00% (91/100). Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed on the factors that may affect the long-term efficacy of pediatric ALL. The results showed that white blood cell count at first diagnosis, prednisone response test, treatment compliance and recurrence were independent risk factors for the long-term efficacy of pediatric ALL(p<0.05). The SF-36 survey of 91 surviving children after five years showed that prednisone response test and treatment compliance were independent risk factors affecting the quality of life of pediatric ALL(p<0.05). Conclusion: In the initial diagnosis of pediatric ALL, sufficient attention and control should be given to the factors that may affect the long-term clinical efficacy and quality of life, and appropriate treatment plans should be adopted. Meanwhile, the treatment compliance of children should be improved during treatment to improve the survival rate and quality of life of pediatric ALL.

Distinct glutamatergic projections of the posteroventral medial amygdala play different roles in arousal and anxiety.

Sleep disturbance usually accompanies anxiety disorders and exacerbates their incidence rates. The precise circuit mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we found that glutamatergic neurons in the posteroventral medial amygdala (MePVGlu) are involved in arousal and anxiety-like behaviors. Excitation of MePVGlu neurons not only promoted wakefulness but also increased anxiety-like behaviors. Different projections of MePVGlu neurons played various roles in regulating anxiety-like behaviors and sleep-wakefulness. MePVGlu neurons promoted wakefulness through the MePVGlu-posteromedial cortical amygdaloid area (PMCo) pathway and the MePVGlu-bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BNST) pathway. In contrast, MePVGlu neurons increased anxiety-like behaviors through the MePVGlu-ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) pathway. Chronic sleep disturbance increased anxiety levels and reduced reparative sleep, accompanied by the enhanced excitability of MePVGlu-PMCo and MePVGlu-VMH circuits but suppressed responses of glutamatergic neurons in the BNST. Inhibition of the MePVGlu neurons could rescue chronic sleep deprivation-induced phenotypes. Our findings provide important circuit mechanisms for chronic sleep disturbance-induced hyperarousal response and obsessive anxiety-like behavior, and are expected to provide a promising strategy for treating sleep-related psychiatric disorders and insomnia.

Deciphering unique and shared interactions between the human gut microbiota and oral antidiabetic drugs.

The administration of oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) to patients with type 2 diabetes elicits distinct and shared changes in the gut microbiota, with acarbose and berberine exhibiting greater impacts on the gut microbiota than metformin, vildagliptin, and glipizide. The baseline gut microbiota strongly associates with treatment responses of OADs.

The significance and prognostic value of multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma in children and adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: The prognostic value of multifocality in paediatric papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients remains a subject of debate. This study aimed to explore the clinical significance and prognostic value of multifocality in children and adolescents with PTC. METHODS: This study retrospectively analysed the clinicopathological characteristics and postoperative follow-up data of 338 PTC patients aged ≤ 20 years from May 2012 to July 2022. The clinical and pathological characteristics of 205 patients with unifocal lesions and 133 patients with multifocal lesions were compared. A logistic regression model evaluated the relationship between multifocal lesions and disease recurrence/persistence in children and adolescents with PTC. Based on the median follow-up time of children with multifocal PTC, 114 patients with multifocal PTC older than 20 years were added, and the clinicopathological characteristics were compared between the 133. paediatric/adolescent patients and 114 adult patients with multifocal PTC. RESULTS: Among the paediatric and adolescent patients, over a median follow-up time of 49 months, 133 had multifocal disease and 205 had unifocal disease. Multifocal PTC patients exhibited stronger invasiveness in the form of extrathyroidal extension, tumour diameter, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis. Multifocality (OR 2.68; p = 0.017), lateral lymph node metastasis (OR 2.85; p = 0.036), and distant metastasis (OR 4.28; p = 0.010) were identified as independent predictive factors for the recurrence/persistence of disease. Comparing the paediatric/adolescent vs. adult multifocal patients, the former demonstrated greater tumour invasiveness. Lateral lymph node metastasis (OR 6.36; P = 0.012) and distant metastasis (OR 3.70; P = 0.027) were independent predictive factors for recurrence/persistence of disease in multifocal patients, while age was not (OR 0.95; P = 0.455). CONCLUSION: Tumour multifocality independently predicts persistent/recurrent disease in paediatric and adolescent PTC patients.

The reversal of PXR or PPARα activation-induced hepatomegaly.

The activation of pregnane X receptor (PXR) or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) can induce liver enlargement. Recently, we reported that PXR or PPARα activation-induced hepatomegaly depends on yes-associated protein (YAP) signaling and is characterized by hepatocyte hypertrophy around the central vein area and hepatocyte proliferation around the portal vein area. However, it remains unclear whether PXR or PPARα activation-induced hepatomegaly can be reversed after the withdrawal of their agonists. In this study, we investigated the regression of enlarged liver to normal size following the withdrawal of PCN or WY-14643 (typical agonists of mouse PXR or PPARα) in C57BL/6 mice. The immunohistochemistry analysis of CTNNB1 and KI67 showed a reversal of hepatocyte size and a decrease in hepatocyte proliferation after the withdrawal of agonists. In details, the expression of PXR or PPARα downstream proteins (CYP3A11, CYP2B10, ACOX1, and CYP4A) and the expression of proliferation-related proteins (CCNA1, CCND1, and PCNA) returned to the normal levels. Furthermore, YAP and its downstream proteins (CTGF, CYR61, and ANKRD1) also restored to the normal states, which was consistent with the change in liver size. These findings demonstrate the reversibility of PXR or PPARα activation-induced hepatomegaly and provide new data for the safety of PXR and PPARα as drug targets.

Diverging functional connectivity timescales: Capturing distinct aspects of cognitive performance in early psychosis.

Background: Psychosis spectrum disorders (PSDs) are marked by cognitive impairments, the neurobiological correlates of which remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the entropy of time-varying functional connectivity (TVFC) patterns from resting-state fMRI (rfMRI) as potential biomarker for cognitive performance in PSDs. By combining our results with multimodal reference data, we hope to generate new insights into the mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction in PSDs. We hypothesized that low-entropy TVFC patterns (LEN) would be more behaviorally informative than high-entropy TVFC patterns (HEN), especially for tasks that require extensive integration across diverse cognitive subdomains. Methods: rfMRI and behavioral data from 97 patients in the early phases of psychosis and 53 controls were analyzed. Positron-Emission Tomography (PET) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) data were taken from a public repository (Hansen et al., 2022). Multivariate analyses were conducted to examine relationships between TVFC patterns at multiple spatial scales and cognitive performance in patients. Results: Compared to HEN, LEN explained significantly more cognitive variance on average in PSD patients, driven by superior encoding of information on psychometrically more integrated tasks. HEN better captured information in specific subdomains of executive functioning. Nodal HEN-LEN transitions were spatially aligned with neurobiological gradients reflecting monoaminergic transporter densities and MEG beta power. Exploratory analyses revealed a close statistical relationship between LEN and positive PSD symptoms. Conclusion: Our entropy-based analysis of TVFC patterns dissociates distinct aspects of cognition in PSDs. By linking topographies of neurotransmission and oscillatory dynamics with cognitive performance, it enhances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying cognitive deficits in PSDs. CRediT Authorship Contribution Statement: Fabian Hirsch: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Formal analysis, Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing, Visualization; Ângelo Bumanglag: Methodology, Software, Formal analysis, Writing - Review & Editing; Yifei Zhang: Methodology, Software, Formal analysis, Writing - Review & Editing; Afra Wohlschlaeger: Methodology, Writing - Review & Editing, Supervision, Project administration.

A cross-sectional mental-health survey of Chinese postgraduate students majoring in stomatology post COVID-19 restrictions.

Background: The psychological status of Chinese postgraduate students majoring in stomatology after the COVID-19 restrictions still remains unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate the mental status through a cross-sectional survey and gather related theoretical evidence for psychological intervention on postgraduate students majoring in stomatology. Methods: An online survey was administered, and subjective well-being, anxiety, stress and depression symptoms were assessed using the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5), item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively, wherein suicidal ideation and sleep-related problems were measured with PHQ-9 and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Results: A total of 208 participants who completed one questionnaire were considered as valid. It was found that female respondents generally exhibited significantly higher levels of PSS-10, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 scores and shorter physical activity hours than male students. Students from rural areas demonstrated significantly higher levels of PHQ-9, suicidal ideation, and less portion of good or fair family economic support. Additionally, individuals from only-child families reported increased levels of activity hours (1.78 ± 2.07, p = 0.045) and a higher portion (55.10%, p = 0.007) of having clear future plan as compared with multiple-child families. The risk factors for anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 score) were higher scores of PSS-10 (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.09-1.22), PHQ-9 (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.22-1.49), and ISI-7 (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.06-1.23), while owning a clear graduation plan was the protective factor (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.31-0.98). Moreover, the risk factors for depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) included PSS-10 (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.04-1.16), GAD-7 (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.25-1.52), suicidal ideation (OR = 5.66, 95% CI = 3.37-9.51), and ISI-7 (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.09-1.25). Approximately 98.08% of Chinese postgraduates studying stomatology reported experiencing at least moderate stress after the COVID-19 restrictions. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, senior students were more inclined to stress, while anxiety symptoms were related to severer levels of stress, depression, and insomnia. Depressive symptoms were associated with higher levels of stress, anxiety, insomnia, suicidal ideation, and lower levels of self-reported well-being. Thus, psychological interventions for postgraduates should be timely and appropriately implemented by strengthening well-being, reasonably planning for the future, and good physique, thereby mitigating the psychological issues after COVID-19 restrictions.

Amorphous MnRuOx Containing Microcrystalline for Enhanced Acidic Oxygen-Evolution Activity and Stability.

Compared to Ir, Ru-based catalysts often exhibited higher activity but suffered significant and rapid activity loss during the challenging oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in a corrosive acidic environment. Herein, we developed a hybrid MnRuOx catalyst in which the RuO2 microcrystalline regions serve as a supporting framework, and the amorphous MnRuOx phase fills the microcrystalline interstices. In particular, the MnRuOx-300 catalyst from an annealing temperature of 300 °C contains an optimal amorphous/crystalline heterostructure, providing substantial defects and active sites, facilitating efficient adsorption and conversion of OH-. In addition, the heterostructure leads to a relative increase of the d-band center close to the Fermin level, thus accelerating electron transfer with reduced charge transfer resistance at the active interface between crystalline and amorphous phases during the OER. The catalyst was further thoroughly evaluated under various operating conditions and demonstrated exceptional activity and stability for the OER, representing a promising solution to replace Ir in water electrolyzers.

Study of the differences in collection scope of raw materials of biomass CHP plants caused by regional factors.

Combined heat and power (CHP) plants fueled by biomass can collect and utilize waste straw resources in a productive way. This paper considers the impact of regional factors on biomass energy potential and the energy needs of the population, so as to study the differences in construction of biomass CHP plants and the collection scope of raw materials, and proposes evaluating suitability for biomass energy development based on scope of resource collection. Taking five counties in China as its study areas, this paper assesses biomass energy potential. A topology system of biomass CHP plants has been reasonably established in different counties through ArcGIS, the required installed capacity has been calculated according to the number of persons served by such plants. Finally, the collection length and corresponding value range of raw materials of CHP plants along roads has been obtained based on biomass energy potential and energy demand. The result shows that the differences in area, straw yield and biomass fuelization rate depending on regions have a great impact on biomass energy potential, while the residue-to-product ratio of straw and biomass calorific value have less of an impact. When the biomass energy per capita of a region reaches 9.75GJ/person, it is suitable for biomass energy development. The installed capacity in the biomass CHP plant system of each study area is mostly within the scope of 3-59 MW, and the collection length of corresponding biomass resources of such plants along roads is mostly within the scope of 5.09-25.23 km.

Electrically Reconfigurable Phase-Change Transmissive Metasurface.

Programmable and reconfigurable optics hold significant potential for transforming a broad spectrum of applications, spanning space explorations to biomedical imaging, gas sensing, and optical cloaking. The ability to adjust the optical properties of components like filters, lenses, and beam steering devices could result in dramatic reductions in size, weight, and power consumption in future optoelectronic devices. Among the potential candidates for reconfigurable optics, chalcogenide-based phase change materials (PCMs) offer great promise due to their non-volatile and analogue switching characteristics. Although PCM have found widespread use in electronic data storage, these memory devices are deeply sub-micron-sized. To incorporate phase change materials into free-space optical components, it is essential to scale them up to beyond several hundreds of microns while maintaining reliable switching characteristics. This study demonstrated a non-mechanical, non-volatile transmissive filter based on low-loss PCMs with a 200 µm×200 µm switching area. The device/metafilter can be consistently switched between low- and high-transmission states using electrical pulses with a switching contrast ratio of 5.5 dB. The device was reversibly switched for 1250 cycles before accelerated degradation took place. The work represents an important step toward realizing free-space reconfigurable optics based on PCMs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PPP1r18 promotes tumor progression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by regulating the calcineurin-mediated ERK pathway.

Esophageal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors, and the 5-year overall survival rate is only 20%. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the primary histological type of esophageal carcinoma in China. Protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 18 (PPP1r18) is one of the actin-regulatory proteins and is able to bind to protein phosphatase 1 catalytic subunit alpha (PPP1CA). Yet, little is known about the role of PPP1r18 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This study aimed to elucidate the biological functions of PPP1r18 in the ESCC progression. Clinical samples first confirmed that PPP1r18 expression was upregulated in ESCC, and PPP1r18 was correlated with tumor invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and reduced overall survival. We then observed that PPP1r18 overexpression enhanced cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, PPP1r18 regulated tumor progression of ESCC through activating the calcineurin-mediated ERK pathway, rather than binding to PPP1CA. Collectively, our results suggest that PPP1r18 promotes ESCC progression by regulating the calcineurin-mediated ERK pathway. PPP1r18 might be a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of ESCC.

Combined biomass network design: A new integrated approach based on ArcGIS.

In light of contemporary energy and environmental objectives, a pivotal transformation of the energy system, encompassing biomass energy, is imperative. A notable challenge in biomass energy facility layout planning is the trade-off between high-efficiency production and the associated investment costs. To harmonize energy efficiency with economy viability, a hybrid layout with the simultaneous construction of centralized and decentralized biomass energy facilities has emerged as a crucial strategic solution. However, the delineation methods for these two layouts lack explicit data support. This study established a population density threshold (PDT) suitable for selecting the distributed layout and employed population density as the criterion for delineating the two layouts. Taking Fuxin City as an example, hybrid layout planning schemes were generated under different PDTs, and a cost and energy benefit analysis framework was developed for these schemes. The results indicated that the scheme with a PDT of 145 person/km2 exhibited the highest energy and economic comprehensive benefits. Compared to a single layout, the planning strategy proposed in this study could achieve nearly the same energy surplus level while saving an investment cost ranging from 2403.9 million CNY to 25,000.23 million CNY. The findings are applicable to other regions with similar conditions, and the analysis framework proposed in this study can be utilized in formulating biomass development strategies for other countries and regions.

Case report: Nutritionally supported perioperative chemo-immunotherapy for advanced gastric cancer with incomplete pyloric obstruction.

This case describes the benefits of perioperative chemo-immunotherapy for advanced gastric cancer and incomplete pyloric obstruction, supplemented with nutritional support. Early parenteral nutrition to stabilize nutritional status and mitigate nutrition impact symptoms, and in addition, throughout the chemo-immunotherapy perioperative period also maintained oral nutrition support and a tailored dietary plan. Above nutritional support maintained the patient's physical condition during immunotherapy. Eventually, this combination therapy plan leads to a partial response. On the other hand, a combination of therapies that focus more on immune checkpoint inhibitor may be able to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy. Such findings may yield novel prospects for patients with advanced gastric cancer and incomplete pyloric obstruction, enabling them to achieve better outcomes.

Boosting Up Electrosynthesis of Urea with Nitrate and Carbon Dioxide via Synergistic Effect of Metallic Iron Cluster and Single-Atom.

Electrocatalytic conversion of nitrates and carbon dioxide to urea under ambient conditions shows promise as a potential substitute for traditional urea synthesis processes characterized by high consumption and pollution. In this study, a straightforward one-pot method is employed to prepare a highly efficient FeNC-Fe1N4 electrocatalyst, consisting of atomically dispersed Fe1N4 sites and metallic Fe clusters (FeNC) with particle size of 4-7 nm. The FeNC-Fe1N4 catalyst exhibits remarkable electrocatalytic activity for urea synthesis from nitrate anion (NO3 -) and carbon dioxide (CO2), achieving a urea production rate of 38.2 mmol gcat -1 h-1 at -0.9 V (vs RHE) and a Faradaic efficiency of 66.5% at -0.6 V (vs RHE). Both experimental and theoretical results conclusively demonstrate that metallic Fe clusters and Fe1N4 species provide active sites for the adsorption and activation of NO3 - and CO2, respectively, and the synergistic effect between Fe1N4 and metallic Fe clusters significantly enhances the electrochemical efficiency of urea synthesis. In all, this work contributes to the rational design and comprehensive synthesis of a dual-active site iron-based electrocatalyst, facilitating efficient and sustainable urea synthesis.