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Immunotherapy based on immune checkpoint genes (ICGs) has recently made significant progress in the treatment of bladder cancer patients, but many patients still cannot benefit from it. In the present study, we aimed to perform a comprehensive analysis of ICGs in bladder cancer tissues with the aim of evaluating patient responsiveness to immunotherapy and prognosis. We scored ICGs in each BLCA patient from TCGA and GEO databases by using ssGSEA and selected genes that were significantly associated with ICGs scores by using the WCGNA algorithm. NMF clustering analysis was performed to identify different bladder cancer molecular subtypes based on the expression of ICGs-related genes. Based on the immune related genes differentially expressed among subgroups, we further constructed a novel stratified model containing nine genes by uni-COX regression, LASSO regression, SVM algorithm and multi-COX regression. The model and the nomogram constructed based on the model can accurately predict the prognosis of bladder cancer patients. Besides, the patients classified based on this model have large differences in sensitivity to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, which can provide a reference for individualized treatment of bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human urine-derived stem cells (USCs)-derived exosomes (USC-Exo) could improve kidney ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), while the underlying mechanisms of this protective effect remain unclear. Methods: Human USCs and USC-Exo were isolated and verified by morphology and specific biomarkers. The effects of USC-Exo on ferroptosis and kidney injury were detected in the IRI-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) model in C57BL/6 mice. The effects of USC-Exo on ferroptosis and lncRNA taurine-upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) were detected in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-treated human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2). The interaction of SRSF1 and TUG1, ACSL4 was checked via RNA pull-down/RIP and RNA stability assays. The effects of LncRNA TUG1 on SRSF1/ACSL4-mediated ferroptosis were verified in H/R-treated HK-2 cells and the IRI-induced AKI mouse models. Results: USC-Exo treatment improved kidney injury and ameliorated ferroptosis in IRI-induced AKI mouse models. USC-Exo were rich in lncRNA TUG1, which suppressed ferroptosis in HK-2 cells exposed to H/R. Mechanistically, lncRNA TUG1 regulates the stability of ACSL4 mRNA by interacting with RNA-binding protein SRSF1. In addition, SRSF1 upregulation or ACSL4 downregulation partially reversed the protective effect of lncRNA TUG1 on ferroptosis in H/R-treated HK-2 cells. Further, ACSL4 upregulation partially reversed TUG1's repression on kidney injury and ferroptosis in IRI-induced AKI mice. Conclusion: Collectively, lncRNA TUG1 carried by USC-Exo regulated ASCL4-mediated ferroptosis by interacting with SRSF1 and then protected IRI-induced AKI. Potentially, USC-Exo rich in lncRNA TUG1 can serve as a promising therapeutic method for IRI-AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common malignant tumor of the urinary system characterized by poor prognosis and difficult treatment. It has been reported that iron metabolism dysregulation is a common phenomenon in ccRCC and is closely related to the process of ccRCC. But still now, the exact function and underlying mechanisms of iron metabolism dysregulation in ccRCC have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the prognostic value and potential role of STEAP3 (an iron metabolism-related gene) in ccRCC. STEAP3 is significantly up-regulated in ccRCC. High STEAP3 expression is associated with gender, hemoglobin level, pathological grade, tumor stage and significantly predicts an unfavorable prognosis of ccRCC patients. Functional enrichment analysis and evaluation of the tumor microenvironment indicated that STEAP3 was involved in the remodeling of tumor extracellular matrix and the shaping of an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment to promote tumor metastasis and evade immune killing. Besides, the expression of STEAP3 is also associated with the expression of various immune checkpoint molecules and the IC50 of targeted drugs. Finally, we verified STEAP3 by RT-qPCR and IHC staining. In conclusion, we found that STEAP3 can serve as a candidate prognostic biomarker for ccRCC, and targeting STEAP3 and its biological processes may provide new references for the individualized treatment of ccRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The discovery and research of effective biomarkers have become prevailing trends. SUMO-activating enzyme subunit 1 (sae1), an E1-activating enzyme, is indispensable for protein SUMOylation. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of database contents and found that sae1 is highly expressed in HCC and is correlated with poor prognosis. We also identified its regulated transcription factor, rad51 , and related signaling pathways. We conclude that sae1 is a promising cancer metabolic biomarker with diagnostic and prognostic value in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The assumption that He does not adsorb in porous media is not correct for Shales. • New method presented to measure the adsorption of shale-gas components in Shales. • The technique does not require He to measure the solid's skeletal volume. • A new zero-point correction method presented for the magnetic suspension balance, Measuring the adsorption of gases in microporous solids like the shales requires accurate knowledge of the solid's skeletal volume. Helium (He) is commonly used to determine the sample's skeletal volume based on the assumption that it does not adsorb in these porous media. The validity of such an assumption for microporous solids has been questioned in recent years, and in this study, we show that it is not applicable for the shale we study. We present a new method to measure the adsorption of shale-gas components in shales, which does not require the use of He to measure the solid's skeletal volume. Since the proposed analysis method relies on the use of dynamic adsorption data, we also propose here a new zero-point correction method for the magnetic suspension balance, which is better suited for the analysis of such data. We employ the new technique to the study of Argon adsorption in Marcellus shales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been recently a great progress in the development of dielectric capacitors for high temperature electronic applications. The design of lead-free ceramics with high dielectric permittivity, low dielectric loss and a limited variation of these parameters over a wide temperature range is still a big challenge. In this work, lead-free Bi 0.35 Na 0.65 – 0.5x Rb 0.5x Ti 0.7 Nb 0.3 O 3 (x = 0–0.05) bulk ceramics were prepared using the solid-state reaction method. Upon Rb substitution, the variation of the dielectric permittivity was reduced substantially, in particular, at high temperature (over 200 °C). In addition, a low temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC ≤ 10%) together with an ultra-low dielectric loss (tan δ ≤ 0.05) were achieved for the Bi 0.35 Na 0.63 Rb 0.02 Ti 0.7 Nb 0.3 O 3 sample in the temperature range from −43 °C to 292 °C. The new relaxor-type ferroelectrics also possess the outstanding stability of the dielectric properties under high DC bias voltage, which makes them promising materials for high-performance capacitors of the next generation. Unlabelled Image • Rb/Nb co-substituted Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 –based ceramics display TCC < 10% in the temperature range of −43 °C–292 °C. • The BNT-derived relaxors exhibit high permittivity (>800) and ultra-low dielectric loss (≤0.05) from −43 °C up to 292 °C. • The variance of the capacitance of the Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 –based ceramics is lower than 150 ppm under the DC voltage of 1 kV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. MSC-derived extracellular vehicles (EVs) exhibit a protective functional role in renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (RIRI). Recent studies have revealed that mitophagy could be a potential target process in the treatment of RIRI. However, whether MSC-derived EVs are involved in the regulation of mitophagy in RIRI remains largely unknown to date. Methods. RIRI model was established in vivo in mice by subjecting them to renal ischemia/reperfusion. TCMK-1 cells were subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) stimulation to mimic RIRI in vitro. BMSCs and BMSC-derived EVs were isolated and identified. Renal injury was assessed using H&E staining. The qPCR and western blot analyses were conducted to detect the mRNA and protein levels. Apoptosis was evaluated using the TUNEL assay and flow cytometry analysis. The EVs, autophagosomes, and mitochondria were observed using TEM. The colocalization of autophagosomes with mitochondria was confirmed through the confocal assay. The direct binding of miR-223-3p to NLRP3 was validated through the dual-luciferase assay. Results. BMSCs and BMSC-derived EVs were successfully isolated from mice and identified. The protective effect of BMSC-derived EVs against RIRI was validated both in vitro and in vivo, which was indicated by a decrease in apoptosis and inflammasome activation and an increase in mitophagy. However, this protective effect was impaired in the miR-223-3p-depleted EVs, suggesting that miR-223-3p mediated this protective effect. Further mechanistic investigation revealed that miR-223-3p suppressed inflammasome activation to enhance mitophagy by directly targeting NLRP3. Conclusion. In conclusion, the protective role of BMSC-derived EVs and exosome-delivered miR-223-3p in RIRI was validated. Exogenous miR-223-3p directly targeted NLRP3 to attenuate inflammasome activation, thereby promoting mitophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aurivillius phase Ca2Bi4Ti5O18 powders with micrometer size were produced by solid‐state reaction. X‐ray diffraction revealed that the powders had polar orthorhombic structure with space group of B2cb. Ca2Bi4Ti5O18 ceramic exhibited frequency independent dielectric anomaly at 774°C. The piezoelectric coefficient d33 value of poled Ca2Bi4Ti5O18 pellets was 0.7 ± 0.2 pC/N. Both frequency independent dielectric anomaly and detectable d33 value clearly indicated that Ca2Bi4Ti5O18 is a ferroelectric material with Curie point of 774 ℃. UV–vis absorption spectra revealed that Ca2Bi4Ti5O18 had a direct band gap of 3.2 eV. Photocatalytic activity of the Ca2Bi4Ti5O18 powders was examined by degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under simulated solar light. 16% of RhB solution was degraded by Ca2Bi4Ti5O18 powders after 4 hours UV‐vis irradiation. With Ag nanoparticles deposited on the Ca2Bi4Ti5O18 powders surface, 50% of RhB was degraded under the same irradiation condition. The fitted degradation rate constant of Ag decorated Ca2Bi4Ti5O18 was 4 times higher than that of bare Ca2Bi4Ti5O18. This work suggested that the Aurivillius ferroelectric Ca2Bi4Ti5O18 is a promising candidate for photocatalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead‐free Aurivillius phase BaBi2Nb2O9 powders were prepared by solid‐state reaction. Ferroelectric measurements on BaBi2Nb2O9 (BBNO) ceramics at room temperature provided supporting evidence for the existence of polar nanoregions (PNRs) and their reversible response to an external electric field, indicating relaxor behavior. The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B reached 12% after 3 hours irradiation of BBNO powders under simulated solar light. Silver (Ag) nanoparticles were photochemically deposited onto the surface of the BBNO powders and found to act as electron traps, facilitating the separation of photoexcited charge carriers; thus, the photocatalytic performance was significantly improved. The present study is the first examination of the photochemical reactivity of a relaxor ferroelectric within the Aurivillius family with PNRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Achieving ultrahigh W rec of 10.0 J/cm3 and η of 91 % in BST-based ceramics. • The variation of relaxor feature is analyzed by multi-polarization mechanism model. • Simultaneously toughening and enhanced energy storage performance are realized. Lead-free ceramic capacitors offer ultrahigh power density and ultrafast discharging rates, making them critical energy storage components for advanced pulsed power systems. However, the greatest obstacle to broader applications remains the relatively low energy storage density. In this study, a relaxor ferroelectric ceramic based on (0.6-x)Ba 0.55 Sr 0.45 TiO 3 -0.4Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 -xSrZrO 3 ((0.6-x)BST-0.4BNT-xSZ) is prepared using the tape casting method, resulting in an excellent energy density (W rec ≈ 10.0 J cm−3) and high energy storage efficiency (η ≈ 91 %). The solid solution of linear dielectrics SrZrO 3 synergistically regulates both relaxor properties and breakdown strength. The variation of relaxor property was explored utilizing New Glass model and the multi-polarization model, with confirmation provided by piezoresponse force microscopy. Furthermore, the breakdown strength could be attributed to improvements in electric insulation and the widening of the bandgap. As SrZrO 3 content increases, the in-situ emergence of the second phase ZrO 2 , accompanied by a martensitic transformation, not only improves the fracture toughness of ceramics but also serves to elongate the breakdown path. Encouragingly, x = 0.20 ceramics also achieve excellent temperature stability (−95–125 ℃), frequency stability (1–1000 Hz), cycling reliability (1–106 cycles), and great charging-discharging properties. This multiscale synergic regulation strategy plays a guiding role in the screening of high-performance energy storage dielectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kidney transplantation is the best therapy for end‐stage renal disease. Demand for kidney transplantation rises year‐on‐year, and the gap between kidney supply and demand remains large. To meet this clinical need, a gradual expansion in the supply of donors is required. However, clinics lack appropriate tools capable of quickly and accurately predicting post‐transplant renal allograft function, and thus assess donor‐kidney quality before transplantation. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a key component of damage‐associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and plays an important part in ischemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI), accelerating the progression of IRI by inducing inflammation and type I interferon responses. mtDNA is known to be closely involved in delayed graft function (DGF) and acute kidney injury (AKI) after transplantation. Thus, mtDNA is a potential biomarker able to predict post‐transplant renal allograft function. This review summarizes mtDNA biology, the role mtDNA plays in renal transplantation, outlines advances in detecting mtDNA, and details mtDNA's able to predict post‐transplant renal allograft function. We aim to elucidate the potential value of mtDNA as a biomarker in the prediction of IRI, and eventually provide help for predicting donor‐kidney quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local electron density of an atom is one key factor that determines its chemical properties. Regulating electron density can promote the atom's reactivity and so reduce the reaction activation energy, which is highly desired in many chemical applications. Herein, we report an intra‐crystalline electron lever strategy, which can regulate the electron density of reaction centre atoms via manipulating ambient lattice states, for Fenton activity improvement. Typically, with the assistance of ultrasound, the Mn4+−O−Fe3+ bond in BiFe0.97Mn0.03O3 perovskite nanocrystals can drive valence electrons and free electrons to accumulate on Fe atoms by a polarization electric field originated from the designed lattice strain. The increase of electron density significantly improves the catalytic activity of Fe, decreasing the activation energy of BiFe0.97Mn0.03O3‐mediated Fenton reaction by 52.55 %, and increasing the.OH yield by 9.21‐fold. This study provides a new way to understand the sono‐Fenton chemistry, and the increased.OH production enables a highly effective chemodynamic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local electron density of an atom is one key factor that determines its chemical properties. Regulating electron density can promote the atom's reactivity and so reduce the reaction activation energy, which is highly desired in many chemical applications. Herein, we report an intra‐crystalline electron lever strategy, which can regulate the electron density of reaction centre atoms via manipulating ambient lattice states, for Fenton activity improvement. Typically, with the assistance of ultrasound, the Mn4+−O−Fe3+ bond in BiFe0.97Mn0.03O3 perovskite nanocrystals can drive valence electrons and free electrons to accumulate on Fe atoms by a polarization electric field originated from the designed lattice strain. The increase of electron density significantly improves the catalytic activity of Fe, decreasing the activation energy of BiFe0.97Mn0.03O3‐mediated Fenton reaction by 52.55 %, and increasing the.OH yield by 9.21‐fold. This study provides a new way to understand the sono‐Fenton chemistry, and the increased.OH production enables a highly effective chemodynamic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Highly textured Ba 2 Bi 4 Ti 5 O 18 ceramic was prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS). X-ray diffraction of the ceramics revealed the coexistence of a major ferroelectric phase (Space group, SG: B 2 cb) and a minor paraelectric phase (SG: I4/mmm) at room temperature. A diffused phase transition was observed at around 240 °C. The evolution of the switching current peaks in the electric current vs. electric field (I-E) loops with increasing temperature was interpreted by the structural changes and temperature dependent polarisation reversal processes. The slim polarisation vs. electric field (P-E) loops, the extra switching current peaks in the I-E loops and the non-zero piezoelectric d 33 coefficient indicate that Ba 2 Bi 4 Ti 5 O 18 is a relaxor ferroelectric material. The recoverable energy density (0.41 ± 0.01 J/cm3) of Ba 2 Bi 4 Ti 5 O 18 ceramics in the perpendicular direction to the SPS pressing direction is close to that of Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3)O 3 -based ceramics. The obtained results suggest Ba 2 Bi 4 Ti 5 O 18 ceramics might be promising for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezocatalysis, an evolving catalytic technology built on the piezoelectric properties of catalysts, breaks down the barrier between mechanical energy and chemical energy. The potential difference that arises from the mechanical deformation of a piezoelectric material is commonly termed 'piezopotential'. Piezopotential has been demonstrated to facilitate the manipulation of band structure and/or charge carrier separation. Despite significant efforts to design materials and understand the mechanism of piezoelectrically enhanced chemistry through semiconductor physics, there remains an opportunity to review the relationships between catalytic performance and piezo/ferroelectric properties. Herein, we provide a comprehensive summary of the catalytic mechanisms and correlated piezo/ferroelectric physical mechanism in the field of piezocatalysis. A fundamental understanding of piezo/ferroelectric structural design based on solid-state physics can be used to shed light on the future development of piezocatalysis. In addition, the types of piezoelectric materials, the design strategies for catalysis efficiency enhancement, and the up-to-date applications in environment remediation, renewable energy conversion, biomedicine and biotechnology are discussed. Finally, future perspectives for designing and developing highly active piezocatalysts using the guidelines of physicochemical relationships are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and reliable antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) platform is highly desired to select the right antibiotics to treat infectious disease at early stage. Here, we demonstrate rapid ASTs using nanoscale silicon ion-selective field-effect transistor sensors. Our sensors profile bacterial metabolic kinetics by monitoring the metabolism induced acidification in the growth media with the absence and the presence of different antibiotics. Rapid AST results could be determined from the metabolic profiles with a total assay time less than 30 min for different bacterial strains. In addition, the sensors could also distinguish the bactericidal mechanisms for antibiotics with different modes of actions. Furthermore, the initial bacterial concentration in an unknown sample, a key parameter to determine its clinic relevance, could be estimated based on the metabolic profiles. Our demonstrated AST method is all-electrical, label-free and silicon technology compatible, and holds great promise for the development of a high-throughput and low-cost point-of-care device. [Display omitted] • All-electrical, label-free and silicon technology compatible AST method. • Monitoring the metabolism induced acidification in the growth media. • Rapid AST results determined with a total assay time less than 30 min. • Distinguish the bactericidal mechanisms for antibiotics with different modes of actions. • Quantify the initial bacterial concentration in an unknown sample based on the metabolic profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-reciprocal devices such as isolators and circulators, based mainly on ferromagnetic materials, require extremely low dielectric loss in order for strict power-link budgets to be met for millimetre (mm)-wave and terahertz (THz) systems. The dielectric loss of commercial SrFe12O19 hexaferrite was significantly reduced to below 0.002 in the 75–170 GHz band by thermal annealing. While the overall concentration of Fe2+ and oxygen vacancy defects is relatively low in the solid, their concentration at the surface is significantly higher, allowing for a surface sensitive technique such as XPS to monitor the Fe3+/Fe2+ redox reaction. Oxidation of Fe2+ and a decrease in oxygen vacancies are found at the surface on annealing, which are reflected in the bulk sample by a small change in the unit cell volume. The significant decrease in the dielectric loss property can be attributed to the decreased concentration of charged defects such as Fe2+ and oxygen vacancies through the annealing process, which demonstrated that thermal annealing could be effective in improving the dielectric performance of ferromagnetic materials for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]