Search

In order to aovid peri-implantitis，Ti-ZnO nanocomposite coatings were prepared on the surface of pure Ti slices by reactive magnetron sputtering.The effects of nano-ZnO content on the microstructure and antibacterial performance of the coatings were studied by means of changing the splicing ratio of Ti target and ZnO target.The microstructure，roughness and wettability of the samples were characterized and measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)，X-ray diffraction (XRD)，atomic force microscopy (AFM) and JC2000C1 interfacial tension tester.In addition，the release of Zn ions from the coatings was measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)，the cytotoxicity of the coatings was tested by CCK-8 method，and the antibacterial performance of the coatings was evaluated by plate colony counting method.Results showed that when the ratio of Ti target to ZnO target was 95 ∶5，the nano-ZnO content in Ti-ZnO coating was the highest，the roughness and contact angle with liquid phase of the coating reached the maximum values of 0.547 nm and 101.25° respectively，the coating had no cytotoxicity and met the standards for biosafety materials，and the antibacterial performance of the coating was the best with an antibacterial rate up to 91.05%.

Endocrine‐resistant ER+HER2– breast cancer (BC) is particularly aggressive and leads to poor clinical outcomes. Effective therapeutic strategies against endocrine‐resistant BC remain elusive. Here, analysis of the RNA‐sequencing data from ER+HER2– BC patients receiving neoadjuvant endocrine therapy and spatial transcriptomics analysis both show the downregulation of innate immune signaling sensing cytosolic DNA, which primarily occurs in endocrine‐resistant BC cells, not immune cells. Indeed, compared with endocrine‐sensitive BC cells, the activity of sensing cytosolic DNA through the cGAS‐STING pathway is attenuated in endocrine‐resistant BC cells. Screening of kinase inhibitor library show that this effect is mainly mediated by hyperactivation of AKT1 kinase, which binds to kinase domain of TBK1, preventing the formation of a trimeric complex TBK1/STING/IRF3. Notably, inactivation of cGAS–STING signaling forms a positive feedback loop with hyperactivated AKT1 to promote endocrine resistance, which is physiologically important and clinically relevant in patients with ER+HER2– BC. Blocking the positive feedback loop using the combination of an AKT1 inhibitor with a STING agonist results in the engagement of innate and adaptive immune signaling and impairs the growth of endocrine‐resistant tumors in humanized mice models, providing a potential strategy for treating patients with endocrine‐resistant BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the molecular etiology of low sperm quality in patients with intractable spermatocystitis, spermatozoa samples from patients with persistent hematospermia undergoing transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy and healthy volunteers were utilized. Spermatozoa samples were collected from the seminal vesicles through transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy or by masturbation ejaculation. Sperm quality was analyzed by a WLJY-9000 color semen analysis system. Measurement of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the seminal plasma was performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Measurement of H2O2 in the seminal plasma was performed with a hydrogen peroxide kit. The protein levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and phosphorylated-Nrf2 (p-Nrf2) were measured by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence assays. Low sperm quality parameters and increased levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-6, and H2O2) in the seminal plasma were detected among the semen samples from the patients with persistent hematospermia. Nrf2 and p-Nrf2 were strongly expressed in the nucleus and periphery of human sperm cells, according to the results of the immunofluorescence assays. The protein levels of Nrf2 and p-Nrf2 were significantly lower in the spermatozoa samples from patients with persistent hematospermia than in those from healthy volunteers with normal sperm motility. The results suggested that Nrf2 signaling might play a role in the low sperm quality of patients with intractable spermatocystitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that transcription factor activating enhancer binding protein 4 (TFAP4) plays a vital role in multiple types of cancer; however, the TFAP4 expression profile is still unknown, as is its value within the human pan‐cancer analysis. The present study comprehensively analysed TFAP4 expression patterns from 33 types of malignancies, along with the significance of TFAP4 for prognosis prediction and cancer immunity. TFAP4 displayed inconsistent levels of gene expression across the diverse cancer cell lines, and displayed abnormal expression within most malignant tumours, which closely corresponded to overall survival. More importantly, the TFAP4 level was also significantly related to the degree of tumour infiltration. TFAP4 was correlated using gene markers in tumour‐infiltrating immune cells and immune scores. TFAP4 expression was correlated with tumour mutation burden and microsatellite instability in different cancer types, and enrichment analyses identified TFAP4‐associated terms and pathways. The present study comprehensively analysed the expression of TFAP4 across 33 distinct types of cancers, which revealed that TFAP4 may possibly play a vital role during cancer formation and development. TFAP4 is related to differing degrees of immune infiltration within cancers, which suggests the potential of TFAP4 as an immunotherapy target in cancers. Our study demonstrated that TFAP4 plays an important role in tumorigenesis as a prognostic biomarker, which highlights the possibility of developing new targeted treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats may use echolocation for social communication (e.g. group cohesion and individual recognition) although it has evolved primarily for orientation and foraging. This idea has been tested by using bats living in permanent roosts (e.g. caves) in large colonies. Here, we investigated social signatures in echolocation calls of a leaf-roosting bat, Kerivoula furva, which forms a small-sized group (2–10 individuals), roosts in furled banana leaves and switches roosts almost every day following foliation, but nevertheless, its group membership is largely fixed. We hypothesised that echolocation calls of K. furva differ significantly between groups and/or individuals, so that individuals can effectively find roost members, despite frequently changing roosts. Social structural and call analyses supported this hypothesis. Discriminant function analysis provided correct classifications significantly better than random ones, with 34.8% vs. 25% and 26.5% vs. 6.25% for group and individual signatures, respectively. Taken together with previous studies, our results suggest the possibility that, irrespective of the roost type, echolocation calls of bats generally contain enough information to be potentially useful for social communication. Future studies are encouraged to accumulate individual call data for a standardized comparison of context-dependent call signatures and to better understand social communication of bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During 1997–2012 we conducted a nationwide camera-trapping survey and assessed the availability of prey and habitat for the clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa in Taiwan. We surveyed 1,249 camera-trap sites over 113,636 camera-trap days, from the seashore to an altitude of 3,796 m and covering various types of vegetation. No clouded leopards were photographed during 128,394 camera-trap days, including at 209 sites in other studies, confirming the presumed extinction of clouded leopards in Taiwan. Assessment of the prey base revealed altitudinal distribution patterns of prey species and prey biomass. Areas at lower altitudes and with less human encroachment and hunting supported a higher prey biomass and more of the typical prey species of clouded leopards. Habitat analysis revealed 8,523 km2 of suitable habitat but this was reduced to 6,734 km2 when adjacent areas of human encroachment were subtracted. In the absence of hunting and large mammalian carnivores the major prey of clouded leopards in Taiwan, such as Formosan macaques Macaca cyclopis, Reeves's muntjacs Muntiacus reevesi, Formosan serow Capricornis swinhoei and sambar Rusa unicolor, could become over-abundant. Thus, it is important to address the cascading effect of the disappearance of top-down predator control. Our assessment indicated that, with proper regulation of hunting, habitat restoration and corridor improvement, it may be possible to reintroduce the clouded leopard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of ferroptosis-sensitive cancers is critical for the application of ferroptosis-inducing therapies in cancer therapy. Here, patient-derived organoid screening models of colorectal cancer are established to identify tumors that are sensitive to ferroptosis-inducing therapy. This study discovers that patient-derived tumors characterized by mitophagy deficiency are hypersensitive to ferroptosis-inducing therapies. Mechanistically, a novel negative feedback regulatory pathway of lipid peroxidation is identified, which is one of the important intrinsic anti-ferroptosis mechanisms of cancer cells. Lipid peroxidation-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress transcriptionally upregulates Parkin to promote mitophagy through ATF4. Mitophagy limits the generation of lipid peroxidation products and subsequently inhibits ferroptosis by inhibiting the accumulation of mitochondrial ROS. Mitophagy-deficient tumors lack this anti-ferroptotic mechanism, unleashing the generation of lipid peroxidation and potent ferroptotic cell death induced by erastin, RSL3, cysteine deprivation, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. More importantly, ferroptosis-inducing therapy selectively inhibits the growth and distant metastasis of mitophagy-deficient tumors in vivo. In summary, patient-derived organoids of colorectal cancer patients for screening ferroptosis-sensitive tumors are established, providing a paradigm for identifying that patient-derived tumors are sensitive to ferroptosis-inducing therapies. This study concludes that mitophagy-deficient tumors are vulnerable to ferroptosis induction, which may lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies for tumors deficient in mitophagy., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Habitat loss and fragmentation have a significant negative effect on amphibian species, particularly those with specialized habitat requirements. The endangered farmland green treefrog ( Zhangixalus arvalis ) primarily inhabits woodlands of agricultural landscapes in central Taiwan. Recently, due to increased demands for pineapple products, many woodlands, particularly bamboo plantations, were converted to pineapple fields. This study aimed to quantify the effect of habitat loss and fragmentation on Z. arvalis due to changes in land cover in an agricultural landscape. The study area contained 34,243 50 m × 50 m grids. In 2006 and 2014-2015, we used acoustic surveys to survey the occurrence of Z. arvalis in each grid. We obtained satellite images of the study area for 2006 and 2014, and we assigned the land-cover type of each grid to one of the following six types: woodland, brushland, cropland, bareland, manmade structures and water body. We examined whether Z. arvalis preferred a certain land-cover type by comparing the proportion of cover types available and the proportion of cover types used by the frogs. Furthermore, we used occurrence records for 2006 and 2014-2015 and applied the Maximum Entropy Model to predict suitable habitat for the respective years. We mapped the loss of suitable habitat and used six indices to quantify habitat fragmentation within the 8 years. We also tested the prediction that the occupancy rate of Z. arvalis in different-sized habitat patches was a function of patch size. Zhangixalus arvalis exhibited a strong preference for woodland, but avoided cropland and manmade structures. From 2006 to 2014-2015, the suitable habitat decreased 4.1%, and all six indices showed an increase in habitat fragmentation. The occupancy rate of different-sized woodland patches was positively correlated with patch size. Mapping suitable habitat and identifying the potential gaps in functional habitat connectivity can be used to guide effective measures for conserving Z. arvalis .

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the stress distribution of microtitanium plate and bioresorbable plates in fixation of mandibulotomy., Methods: Three dimensional models of different internal fixation systems in mandibular resection were established, and three dimensional finite element analysis was carried out to compare the displacement changes of fracture segments and stress distribution of titanium plates under the same stress conditions., Results: The maximum stress value of titanium plate was 49.8 MPa, and that of absorbable plate was 4.42 MPa. The maximum stress value of titanium plate was far greater than that of absorbable plate. However, all the stresses were less than their yield limits. It can be seen from the relative displacement comparison that when the mini-titanium plate was fixed on the mandible, the maximum displacement value was 0.1 mm; when absorbable plate was used for fixation, the maximum displacement value was 0.2 mm, and the relative displacement of both plates was small., Conclusions: These results suggest that the stiffness and internal strength of bioabsorbable fixation system are sufficient to support bone healing at the mandible site.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- (PPAR-) γ is a ligand-dependent transcription factor, and it has become evident that PPAR- γ agonists have renoprotective effects, but their influence and mechanism during the development of calcium oxalate (CaOx) nephrolithiasis remain unknown. Rosiglitazone (RSG) was used as a representative PPAR- γ agonist in our experiments. The expression of transforming growth factor- β 1 (TGF- β 1), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), c-Met, p-Met, PPAR- γ , p-PPAR- γ (Ser112), Smad2, Smad3, pSmad2/3, and Smad7 was examined in oxalate-treated Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and a stone-forming rat model. A CCK-8 assay was used to evaluate the effects of RSG on cell viability. In addition, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were monitored, and lipid peroxidation in renal tissue was detected according to superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde levels. Moreover, the location and extent of CaOx crystal deposition were evaluated by Pizzolato staining. Our results showed that, both in vitro and in vivo , oxalate impaired PPAR- γ expression and phosphorylation, and then accumulative ROS production was observed, accompanied by enhanced TGF- β 1 and reduced HGF. These phenomena could be reversed by the addition of RSG. RSG also promoted cell viability and proliferation and decreased oxidative stress damage and CaOx crystal deposition. However, these protective effects of RSG were abrogated by the PPAR- γ -specific inhibitor GW9662. Our results revealed that the reduction of PPAR- γ activity played a critical role in oxalate-induced ROS damage and CaOx stone formation. RSG can regulate TGF- β 1 and HGF/c-Met through PPAR- γ to exert antioxidant effects against hyperoxaluria and alleviate crystal deposition. Therefore, PPAR- γ agonists may be expected to be a novel therapy for nephrolithiasis, and this effect is related to PPAR- γ -dependent suppression of oxidative stress., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2019 Ya-Dong Liu et al.)

Background: Neural respiratory drive (NRD) using diaphragm electromyography through an invasive transesophageal multi-electrode catheter can be used as a feasible clinical physiological parameter in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to provide useful information on the treatment response. However, it remains unknown whether the surface diaphragm electromyogram (EMGdi) could be used to identify the deterioration of clinical symptoms and to predict the necessity of hospitalization in acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) patients., Methods: COPD patients visiting the outpatient department due to acute exacerbation were enrolled in this study. All patients who were subjected to EMGdi and classical parameters such as spirometry parameters, arterial blood gas analysis, COPD assessment test (CAT) score, and the modified early warning score (MEWS) in outpatient department, would be treated effectively in the outpatient or inpatient settings according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guideline. When the acute exacerbation of the patients was managed, all the examination above would be repeated., Results: We compared the relationships of admission-to-discharge changes (Δ) in the normalized value of the EMGdi, including the change of the percentage of maximal EMGdi (ΔEMGdi%max) and the change of the ratio of minute ventilation to the percentage of maximal EMGdi (ΔVE/EMGdi%max) with the changes of classical parameters. There was a significant positive association between ΔEMGdi%max and ΔCAT, ΔPaCO 2 , and ΔpH. The change (Δ) of EMGdi%max was negatively correlated with ΔPaO 2 /FiO 2 in the course of the treatment of AECOPD. Compared with the classical parameters including forced expiratory volume in 1 s, MEWS, PaO 2 /FiO 2 , the EMGdi%max (odds ratio 1.143, 95% confidence interval 1.004-1.300) has a higher sensitivity when detecting the early exacerbation and enables to predict the admission of hospital in the whole cohort., Conclusions: The changes of surface EMGdi parameters had a direct correlation with classical measures in the whole cohort of AECOPD. The measurement of NRD by surface EMGdi represents a practical physiological biomarker, which may be helpful in detecting patients who should be hospitalized timely., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest