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Cheng-Chuan Chen,1,* Na Zhou,2,* Na Hu,1 Jian-Guo Feng,1 Xiao-Bin Wang1 1Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Nursing, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xiao-Bin Wang, Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13708280087, Fax +86 830-3161222, Email wangxiaobin67@163.comPurpose: Suicide is a major public health concern with currently no validated and efficacious treatments approved. Preliminary evidence suggests that intravenous ketamine has rapid and sustained antidepressant effects, making it a candidate with therapeutic potential for depressed patients at risk for suicide. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of ketamine and esketamine in reducing suicidal ideation (SI), as well as their respective onset and duration of action.Data Sources: We searched PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases for studies published from inception to September 29, 2022.Study Eligibility Criteria: We conducted a systematic review of all parallel randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effect and duration of ketamine or esketamine on SI. Our primary outcome measure was the Suicide Scale score, which was measured using the Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI), Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), or Modified Scale for Suicidal Ideation (MSSI). To obtain effect sizes (Cohen’s d), we calculated the difference in Suicide Scale scores before and after administration in each group.Results: Our study showed that intravenous sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine and intranasal inhaled esketamine had a significant anti-SI effect. Specifically, ketamine produced a large degree of anti-SI effect within the 4– 6 hours (Cohen’s d = 1.16, 95% CI: 0.50, 1.81) and a medium-large degree in the 24 hours (Cohen’s d = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.48, 1.41). Esketamine, on the other hand, produced a small-medium degree of anti-SI effect within the 4– 6 hours timeframe (Cohen’s d = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.44) and the 24 hours (Cohen’s d = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.47).Conclusion: Intravenous sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine and intranasal inhaled esketamine could reduce SI within 4 hours and last for 24 hours.Keywords: ketamine, esketamine, suicide ideation, depressive disorder

Bu-Kao Ni,1 Jian-Yong Cai,2 Xiao-Bo Wang,1 Qun Lin,2 Xue-Na Zhang,1 Jian-Hua Wu1 1Intensive Care Unit, The Wenzhou Central Hospital, Wenzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurosurgery, The Wenzhou Central Hospital, Wenzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jian-Hua Wu, Tel +86 577 88070335, Email wjh104@163.comObjective: Growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6) may harbor protective effects in acute brain injury. This study was designed to determine the relation of serum Gas6 levels to severity and prognosis after traumatic brain injury (TBI).Methods: In this prospective cohort study of 114 controls and 114 patients with severe TBI, multivariate analysis was used to assess relationships between serum Gas6 levels, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, Rotterdam computed tomography (CT) score, postinjury 180-day mortality, overall survival and poor prognosis (Extended Glasgow outcome scale score 1– 4).Results: Significantly increased serum Gas6 levels of patients (median, 10.3 ng/mL versus 32.5 ng/mL; P < 0.001), as compared with controls, were independently correlated with Rotterdam CT score (t = 3.629, P < 0.001) and GCS score (t=− 3.393, P = 0.001), and independently predicted 180-day mortality (odds ratio, 1.078; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.007– 1.154), overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.074; 95% CI, 1.012– 1.139) and poor prognosis (odds ratio, 1.129; 95% CI, 1.059– 1.205). Areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of serum Gas6 levels for discriminating risks of 180-day mortality and poor prognosis were 0.785 (95% CI, 0.699– 0.857) and 0.793 (95% CI, 0.707– 0.863), respectively; and serum Gas6 levels above 30.9 ng/mL and 28.3 ng/mL predicted 180-day mortality and poor prognosis with maximum Youden indices of 0.451 and 0.468, respectively. The predictive ability of serum Gas6 levels for mortality was similar to those of GCS score (AUC, 0.833; 95% CI, 0.751– 0.896; P = 0.286) and Rotterdam CT score (AUC, 0.823; 95% CI, 0.740– 0.888; P = 0.432). The discriminatory capability of serum Gas6 levels for the risk of poor prognosis was in the range of GCS score (AUC, 0.846; 95% CI, 0.766– 0.906; P = 0.178) and Rotterdam CT score (AUC, 0.831; 95% CI, 0.750– 0.895; P = 0.368).Conclusion: Serum Gas6 may appear as a promising biochemical parameter for aiding in the assessment of trauma severity and prediction of prognosis among patients with severe TBI.Keywords: traumatic brain injury, biomarkers, growth arrest-specific protein 6, severity, prognosis

Yan-zhi Liu,1,2 Mohammed P Akhter,3 Xiang Gao,4 Xiao-yan Wang,2 Xiao-bei Wang,2 Gang Zhao,2 Xin Wei,2 Hao-jun Wu,4 Hang Chen,4 Dong Wang,2 Liao Cui1 1Guangdong Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Natural Drugs, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; 3Osteoporosis Research Center, Department of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA; 4Stem Cell Research and Cellular Therapy Center, Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, People’s Republic of China Background: The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of glucocorticoid (GC) on the fracture healing process in a closed femur fracture mice model.Materials and methods: Forty 12-week-old female CD-1 mice were randomly allocated into four groups: healthy control and mice with prednisone exposure (oral gavage), 6 mg/kg/day (GC-L), 9 mg/kg/day (GC-M) and 12 mg/kg/day (GC-H). Three weeks after the initiation of prednisone dosing, closed femur fractures were created on prednisone-exposed mice and the healthy control. Prednisone administration was continued for 9 weeks post-fracture, and X-ray imaging was performed weekly to monitor the fracture healing process until the mice were euthanized. Necropsy was performed after 9 weeks and the fractured femurs were isolated and processed at necropsy for micro-CT and biomechanical property analysis. Another 20 mice (control and GC-H, 10 mice/group) were used for histology and micro-CT analysis at early time point (2-week post fracture) with continued prednisone exposure.Results: The results showed that oral administration of prednisone for 3 months in this strain of mice could inhibit endochondral ossification and delay the healing process, especially hard callus formation (woven bone) and bone remodeling during healing. It also could significantly decrease bone biomechanical properties.Conclusion: Long-term GC administration leads to significantly delayed fracture healing and impaired bone biomechanical properties. This mouse model may be used to systematically study the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying fracture healing with GC treatment background and may also be used to study the influence of different therapeutic interventions for bone fracture healing. Keywords: delayed healing, non-union, fracture, glucocorticoid, mouse, stiffness, toughness

Wei Guo,1 Hor Yue Tan,1 Ning Wang,1,2 Xuanbin Wang,3,4 Yibin Feng1–4 1School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong; 2Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, The University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China; 3Laboratory of Chinese Herbal Pharmacology, Oncology Center, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China; 4Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of death from cancer, with increasing prevalence worldwide. The mortality rate of HCC is similar to its incidence rate, which reflects its poor prognosis. At present, the diagnosis of HCC is still mostly dependent on invasive biopsy, imaging methods, and serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) testing. Because of the asymptomatic nature of early HCC, biopsy and imaging methods usually detect HCC at the middle–late stages. AFP has limited sensitivity and specificity, as many other nonmalignant liver diseases can also result in a very high serum level of AFP. Therefore, better biomarkers with higher sensitivity and specificity at earlier stages are greatly needed. Since metabolic reprogramming is an essential hallmark of cancer and the liver is the metabolic hub of living systems, it is useful to investigate HCC from a metabolic perspective. As a noninvasive and nondestructive approach, metabolomics provides holistic information on dynamically metabolic responses of living systems to both endogenous and exogenous factors. Therefore, it would be conducive to apply metabolomics in investigating HCC. In this review, we summarize recent metabolomic studies on HCC cellular, animal, and clinicopathologic models with attention to metabolomics as a biomarker in cancer diagnosis. Recent applications of metabolomics with respect to therapeutic and prognostic evaluation of HCC are also covered, with emphasis on the potential of treatment by drugs from natural products. In the last section, the current challenges and trends of future development of metabolomics on HCC are discussed. Overall, metabolomics provides us with novel insight into the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic evaluation of HCC. Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, metabolomics, biomarker, diagnosis and therapy

Dan Shi,1,* Yan Liu,1,* Ronggang Xi,1 Wei Zou,2 Lijun Wu,3 Zhiran Zhang,1 Zhongyang Liu,1 Chao Qu,1 Baoli Xu,1 Xiaobo Wang1 1Department of Pharmacy, The 210th Hospital of People’s Liberation Army, 2College of Life Science, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, 3Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by the t(9;22) (q34;q11)-associated Bcr-Abl fusion gene, which is an essential element of clinical diagnosis. As a traditional Chinese medicine, realgar has been widely used for the treatment of various diseases for >1,500 years. Inspired by nano-drug, realgar nanoparticles (NPs) have been prepared with an average particle size of

Zhi-Bo Xie,1,2,* Xiao-Bo Wang,1,3,* De-Liang Fu,2 Jian-Hong Zhong,1,4 Xia-Wei Yang,1 Le-Qun Li1,4 1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 2Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Institute, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 3Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Minzu Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 4Guangxi Liver Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Engineering and Technology Research Center, Nanning, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have the risk of postoperative hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation (PHR). Antiviral therapy was given to patients with detectable HBV DNA levels but not to patients with undetectable HBV DNA levels. Methods: In this retrospective study, 258 patients were enrolled (HBV DNA levels 500 copies/mL group, n=99). Results: A total of 50 patients (19.4%) had PHR. The following significant factors related to PHR were found: without antiviral therapy (hazard ratio [HR] =0.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.031–0.911), hepatitis B e antigen positivity (HR =5.20, 95% CI 1.931–14.007), hepatitis B core antigen S1 positivity (HR =2.54, 95% CI 1.116–5.762), preoperative HBV DNA levels ≥500 copies/mL (HR =1.28, 95% CI 1.085–2.884), hepatic inflow occlusion (HR =3.60, 95% CI 1.402–9.277), moderate liver cirrhosis or more (HR =2.26, 95% CI 1.001–5.121), and blood transfusion (HR =2.89, 95% CI 0.836–10.041). Recurrence-free survival time was significantly shorter in patients with PHR (23.06±2.46 months) than in patients without PHR (29.30±1.27 months). Conclusion: Antiviral therapy could efficiently decrease the incidence of PHR. Patients with HBV DNA levels

Peng Xue,1 Ziyu Wu,2 Kunpeng Wang,1 Chuanquan Tu,1 Xiangbo Wang1 1Department of Urology, First People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, 2Department of Urology, No 2 Hospital of Huaian, Huaian, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients undergoing transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) and to identify those factors associated with delirium.Methods: From July 2010 to February 2015, 358 patients, aged ≥65 years and undergoing TURP were prospectively enrolled. Personal, medical and cognitive data, laboratory assessments, pain intensity, preoperative medications, and details of hemodynamic control were collected as predictors of delirium. POD was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method.Results: In the present study, POD occurred in 28 out of 358 cases (7.8%) after TURP, with duration of 1–4 days. The multivariate analysis showed that old age and visual analog scale pain scores were associated with POD. Marital status, body mass index, education, alcohol consumption, smoking history, preoperative psychotropic medication usage, activities of daily living scores, preoperative Mini-Mental Status Examination score, anesthesia type, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, or hypotensive episodes during surgery did not significantly correlate with the occurrence of POD.Conclusion: Old age and pain intensity after surgery were found as the risk factors for the development of delirium in elderly patients undergoing TURP. These findings might help develop preventive strategies to decrease POD through targeted evaluation. Keywords: elderly, postoperative delirium, risk factors, transurethral resection of prostate

Ye Tian,1 Xiaobo Wang,1,2 Ronggang Xi,1,2 Weisan Pan,1 Shuang Jiang,2 Zhao Li,1 Yu Zhao,3 Guanghui Gao,4 Dan Liu21Department of Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 2Department of Pharmacy, 210th Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Dalian, 3Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 4Department of Laboratory Medicine, Liaoning Institute for Food and Drug Control, Shenyang, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: Realgar is a poorly water-soluble compound that exhibits poor bioavailability. To improve this, the authors reduced the particle size of realgar to nanoscale by high-energy ball milling and optimized the preparation process under which (realgar weight 40 g, milling time 9 hours, milling speed 38 Hz, milling temperature -20°C) realgar nanoparticles (NPs) with an average size of 78±8.3 nm were prepared. The average particle size of realgar was characterized by laser scattering, and its apparent shape was observed by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The solubility of realgar was enhanced after milling until the particles were in the nanoscale region without altering its properties, as confirmed by a scanning electron microscopy energy-dispersive spectrometer. Realgar NPs had higher cytotoxicity on the selected cell lines, namely human breast cancer (MCF7), human hepatoma (HepG2), and human lung cancer (A549) cell lines, than coarse realgar. In addition, a pharmacokinetics study performed in rats indicated that the relative bioavailability of realgar NPs was 216.9% compared with coarse realgar; a biodistribution study performed in mice showed that after intragastric administration of realgar NPs, higher arsenic concentration was reached in the tumor, heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney compared with the administration of coarse realgar, as confirmed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to determine the concentration of arsenic. This study indicated that high-energy ball milling is an effective way to reduce the average particle size of realgar, and compared with coarse realgar, the cytotoxicity and bioavailability of realgar NPs were significantly improved.Keywords: realgar nanoparticles, high-energy ball milling, cytotoxicity, pharmacokinetics, biodistribution

Shuang Jiang,1 Xiaobo Wang,1 Ronggang Xi,1 Yingge Zhang2 1210th Hospital of People Liberation Army, Dalian, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was applied for obtaining structural information about acetylcholinesterase (AChE) tetramer (AChE G4) before and after reaction with S-acetylcholine iodide (S-ACh), in the presence or absence of propidium iodide (PI), an inhibitor for peripheral anionic sites (PAS). An iced-bath ultrasound was used to prepare the phospholipid membrane. Ves-fusion technique was applied for incorporating AChE G4 in a lipid layer on mica. Before reaction with substrates, the single AChE G4 particle was ellipsoid in shape with a clear border. It had a smooth surface with a central projection. The four subunits of a single enzyme particle were arranged tightly (no separated subunits being found, with an average size of 89 ± 7 nm in length, 68 ± 9 nm in width, and 6 ± 3 nm in height). After reaction with S-ACh in the absence of PI, the loose arrangement of subunits of AChE G4 was seen, with an average size of 104 ± 7 nm in length, 91 ± 5 nm in width, and 8 ± 2 nm in height. Also there was free-flowing space amongst the four subunits of the AChE G4. This was consistent with the results of the X-ray diffraction crystallography and molecular dynamics studies. The apparent free space was the central path of AChE G4, changing from small to big, to small, to lateral door appearance, with an average size of 60 ± 5 nm in length and 51 ± 9 nm in width. The size of lateral door was 52 ± 5 nm in width and 32 ± 3 nm in depth on average. In the presence of PI, S-ACh could not cause topological structure changes of AChE G4. AFM verified that the central path might govern the turnover of the enzyme morphologically, and the interactions between PI and S-ACh might gate the creation of a central path and the opening of ACG in monomer; and the combination of S-ACh with peripheral anionic sites is conducive to the opening of ACG while PI can inhibit this action. Resolution at the inframolecular level is favorable in providing substantial information on how the spatial structure is adapted to the high efficiency of AChE molecules. Keywords: AChE, AFM, ACG, Ves-fusion, phospholipid membrane

The accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is an effective method for the determination of the half-life of long-lived radionuclides. In this paper, we report a method for measurement of the half-life of 79Se. The number of 79Se atoms was determined from measured 79Se/Se absolute ratios with the AMS system at the China Institute of Atomic Energy and the decay rate of 79Se was determined by counting the emitted β-rays with a liquid scintillation spectrometer. The major improvements of our measurements include using the high abundance of an 79Se sample which was cooled for many years to exclude the interference of short-lived nuclides, the extraction of SeO2- molecular ions, that results in a suppression of the 79Br background by as much as about five orders of magnitude. Also, an AMS measurement of the absolute ratio of 79Se/Se was developed to avoid systematic errors. The results show that 79Se/Se is (2.35±0.12)×10-7 in the reference sample and the radioactivity of 79Se is (1.24±0.05) Bq/g, so the half-life of 79Se is (2.78±0.18)×105 a.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Upon investigation, it was discovered that 4 out of 8 images contain fabrication. Figures 6D, 6E, 8E and 7F have used the same microscopic image for different experimental settings. The Figure represented in 8E is the correct image placement. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter and apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of highly efficient electrocatalysts for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of paramount importance for water splitting. However, it is still a formidable task in Mo 2 C-based materials because of the agglomeration and strong Mo-H binding of Mo 2 C units. Herein, a novel CeOCl-CeO 2 /Mo 2 C heterostructure nesting within a three-dimensional porous nitrogen-doped carbon matrix has been designed and used for catalyzing HER via simultaneous morphology and heterointerface engineering. As expected, the optimal CeOCl-CeO 2 (0.2)/Mo 2 C@3DNC exhibits impressive HER activity, with a low overpotential of 156 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm -2 coupled with a slight Tafel slope of 62.20 mV dec -1 . Introducing a Ce promoter, that is CeOCl and CeO 2 , would endow the interface with an internal electric field and electron redistribution between CeOCl-CeO 2 and Mo 2 C induced by the heterogeneous work function difference. Moreover, experimental investigation and density functional calculations confirm that the CeOCl-CeO 2 /Mo 2 C heterointerface can downshift the d-band center of the active Mo center, weakening the strength of the Mo-H coupling. This proposed concept, engineering Ce-based promoters into active entities involved in the heterostructure to modulate intermediate adsorption, offers a great opportunity for the design of superior electrocatalysts for energy conversion.

Potassium (K+) plays crucial roles in both plant development and immunity. However, the function of K+ in plant-virus interactions remains largely unknown. Here, we utilized Barley yellow striate mosaic virus (BYSMV), an insect-transmitted plant cytorhabdovirus, to investigate the interplay between viral infection and plant K+ homeostasis. The BYSMV accessory P9 protein exhibits viroporin activity by enhancing membrane permeability in Escherichia coli. Additionally, P9 increases K+ uptake in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cells, which is disrupted by a point mutation of glycine 14 to threonine (P9G14T). Furthermore, BYSMV P9 forms oligomers and targets to both the viral envelope and the plant membrane. Based on the recombinant BYSMV-GFP (BYGFP) virus, a P9-deleted mutant (BYGFPΔP9) was rescued and demonstrated infectivity within individual plant cells of Nicotiana benthamiana and insect vectors. However, BYGFPΔP9 failed to infect barley plants after transmission by insect vectors. Furthermore, infection of barley plants was severely impaired for BYGFP-P9G14T lacking P9 K+ channel activity. In vitro assays demonstrate that K+ facilitates virion disassembly and the release of genome RNA for viral mRNA transcription. Altogether, our results show that the K+ channel activity of viroporins is conserved in plant cytorhabdoviruses and plays crucial roles in insect-mediated virus transmission., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of the CXCL10/CXCR3 axis regulating Th1 cell differentiation and migration through the PI3K/AKT pathway in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS)., Methods: Experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) model, a well-described and validated animal model of CP/CPPS, was used in our study. After treatment with CXCL10, the severity of EAP and Th1 cell proportion were respectively measured by HE stains, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry. Then, the protein expression of the PI3K/AKT pathway in CXCL10/CXCR3-regulated Th1 cell differentiation and migration was evaluated by western blotting. Additionally, by the CXCR3 antagonist AMG487 and the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 applications, the effects of CXCL10/CXCR3 through PI3K/AKT pathway on the Th1 cell differentiation and migration were further assessed., Results: The EAP model was successfully built. CXCL10 increased the proportion of Th1 cells in EAP mice, accompanied by upregulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Additionally, the PI3K/AKT pathway was found to be involved in CXCL10/CXCR3 axis-mediated Th1 cell differentiation and migration., Conclusions: Our investigations indicate that the CXCL10/CXCR3 axis regulates Th1 cell differentiation and migration in EAP through the PI3K/AKT pathway, which provides a new perspective on the immunological mechanisms of CP/CPPS., (© 2023 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.)

Microhydrated closo -boranes have attracted great interest due to their superchaotropic activity related to the well-known Hofmeister effect and important applications in biomedical and battery fields. In this work, we report a combined negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemical investigation on hydrated closo -decaborate clusters [B 10 H 10 ] 2- · n H 2 O ( n = 1-7) with a direct comparison to their analogues [B 12 H 12 ] 2- · n H 2 O and free water clusters. A single H 2 O molecule is found to be sufficient to stabilize the intrinsically unstable [B 10 H 10 ] 2- dianion. The first two water molecules strongly interact with the solute forming B-H···H-O dihydrogen bonds while additional water molecules show substantially reduced binding energies. Unlike [B 12 H 12 ] 2- · n H 2 O possessing a highly structured water network with the attached H 2 O molecules arranged in a unified pattern by maximizing B-H···H-O dihydrogen bonding, distinct structural arrangements of the water clusters within [B 10 H 10 ] 2- · n H 2 O are achieved with the water cluster networks from trimer to heptamer resembling free water clusters. Such a distinct difference arises from the variations in size, symmetry, and charge distributions between these two dianions. The present finding again confirms the structural diversity of hydrogen-bonding networks in microhydrated closo -boranes and enriches our understanding of aqueous borate chemistry.

The oxidation of phenolic compounds is one of the most important reactions prevalent in various biological processes, often explicitly coupled with proton transfers (PTs). Quantitative descriptions and molecular-level understanding of these proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions have been challenging. This work reports a direct observation of PCET in photodetachment (PD) photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) of hydrogen-bonded phenolic (ArOH) nitrate (NO 3 - ) complexes, in which a much slower rising edge provides a spectroscopic signature to evidence PCET. Electronic structure calculations unveil the PCET processes to be isomer-specific, occurred only in those with their HOMOs localized on ArOH, leading to charge-separated transient states ArOH •+ ·NO 3 - triggered by ionizing phenols while simultaneously promoting PT from ArOH •+ to NO 3 - . Importantly, this study showcases that gas-phase PD-PES is a generic means enabling to identify PCET reactions with explicit structural and binding information., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Conducting a comprehensive molecular-level evaluation of a photoacid generator (PAG) and its subsequent impact on lithography performance can facilitate the rational design of a promising 193 nm photoresist tailored to specific requirements. In this study, we integrated spectroscopy and computational techniques to meticulously investigate the pivotal factors of three prototypical PAG anions, p-toluenesulfonate (pTS-), 2-(trifluoromethyl)benzene-1-sulfonate (TFMBS-), and triflate (TF-), in the lithography process. Our findings reveal a significant redshift in the absorption spectra caused by specific PAG anions, attributed to their involvement in electronic transition processes, thereby enhancing the transparency of the standard PAG cation, triphenylsulfonium (TPS+), particularly at ∼193 nm. Furthermore, the electronic stability of PAG anions can be enhanced by solvent effects with varying degrees of strength. We observed the lowest vertical detachment energy of 6.6 eV of pTS- in PGMEA solution based on the polarizable continuum model, which prevents anion loss at 193 nm lithography. In addition, our findings indicate gas-phase proton affinity values of 316.4 kcal/mol for pTS-, 308.1 kcal/mol for TFMBS-, and 303.2 kcal/mol for TF-, which suggest the increasing acidity strength, yet even the weakest acid pTS- is still stronger than strong acid HBr. The photolysis of TPS+-based PAG, TPS+·pTS-, generated an excited state leading to homolysis bond cleavage with the lowest reaction energy of 83 kcal/mol. Overall, the PAG anion pTS- displayed moderate acidity, possessed the lowest photolysis reaction energy, and demonstrated an appropriate redshift. These properties collectively render it a promising candidate for an effective acid producer., (© 2024 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.)

Thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (TOLF) is a pathological heterotopic ossification disease in which the fibrous tissue of the ligamentum flavum of the thoracic spine converts into bony tissue, often leading to thoracic spinal stenosis and compression of the thoracic spinal cord nerve. When TOLF patients present with symptoms of spinal cord nerve compression, surgical treatment is usually required, and traditional open surgery is more invasive and carries a higher risk of spinal cord nerve injury. In recent years, domestic and foreign researchers have tried to apply spinal endoscopic techniques such as microendoscopy, percutaneous foraminoscopy, and unilateral biportal endoscopy for the treatment of TOLF, which can maximize the preservation of normal bone while achieving adequate decompression of the spinal cord nerve, with less damage to spinal stability, and have the advantages of less surgical trauma, less bleeding, and faster postoperative recovery. Due to the special anatomical structure of the thoracic vertebra, spinal endoscopic techniques should focus on safety and it is recommended that they are performed in experienced centers, and surgical indications should be strictly controlled.

Background: Adequate bowel preparation is essential for successful colonoscopy and polypectomy procedures. However, a significant proportion of patients still exhibit suboptimal bowel preparation, ranging from 18% to 35%. The effectiveness of bowel preparation agents can be hampered by volume and taste, adversely affecting patient compliance and tolerance. Therefore, exploring strategies to minimise laxative volume and improve patient tolerance and adherence is imperative to ensure optimal bowel preparation quality., Methods and Analysis: This study is a two-arm, single-blinded, parallel-group randomised controlled trial designed to compare the efficacy of 2 L polyethylene glycol (PEG) combined with linaclotide with 4 L PEG in bowel cleansing. A total of 422 participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group (2 L PEG combined with 580 µg linaclotide) or the control group (4 L PEG). The primary outcome measure is bowel cleansing efficacy, which is assessed using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale. Secondary outcomes include evaluating the tolerability and safety of the bowel preparation regimens, bowel diary assessments, postpolypectomy complications (such as bleeding and perforation) and the size and number of removed polyps., Ethics and Dissemination: The study has received approval from the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. The findings of this trial will serve as a valuable resource for clinicians and patients undergoing colonoscopy polypectomy by guiding the selection of appropriate bowel preparation regimens. Study findings will be disseminated to participants, presented at professional society meetings, and published in peer-reviewed journals. This trial was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry with registration number ChiCTR2300075410., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

A series of anionic transition metal halides, OsCl n - ( n = 3-5), have been investigated using a newly developed, home-constructed, cryogenic anion cluster photoelectron spectroscopy. The target anionic species are generated through collision-induced dissociation in a two-stage ion funnel. The measured vertical detachment energies (VDEs) are 3.48, 4.54, and 4.81 eV for n = 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP-D3(BJ)//aug-cc-pVTZ(-pp) level predict the lowest energy structures of the atomic form of OsCl n - ( n = 3-5) to be a quintet triangle, quartet square, and quintet square-based pyramid, respectively. The CCSD(T)-calculated VDEs and corresponding adiabatic detachment energies agree well with our experimental measurements. Analysis of the corresponding frontier molecular orbitals and charge density differences suggests that the d -orbitals of the transition metal Os play a primary role in the single-photon detachment processes, and the detached electrons originating from different molecular orbitals are distinguishable.

The substantial nonlinear optical response observed in numerous topological materials renders them well-suited for optic and photonic applications, underscoring the critical need to devise effective strategies for manipulating their nonlinearity to enhance their versatility across different applications. In this Letter, we focus on the second-harmonic generation (SHG) response of the topological material PtBi 2 under intense terahertz (THz) pulses and unveil the transient nonlinearity manipulated by a THz electric field. Our findings demonstrate that upon excitation of an intense THz pulse, there emerges a substantial enhancement in the SHG signal of PtBi 2 , which is predominantly attributed to the linear term involving the THz field, i.e., χ (2) χ (3) E THz . We also clearly observe the transient change in the nonlinear coefficients, which could arise from the excitation of the bands with linear dispersion via the intense THz pulse. These findings bear significant implications for achieving ultrafast modulation of nonlinearity in topological materials, thereby opening avenues for advanced applications in this field.

Background: Currently, there is limited understanding regarding the clinical significance of the tumor-stroma ratio (TSR) in giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB). Hence, we aimed to investigate the distribution of TSR in GCTB and explore its correlation with various clinicopathologic factors, immune microenvironment, survival prognosis, and denosumab treatment responsiveness., Methods: We conducted a multicenter cohort study comprising 426 GCTB patients treated at four centers. TSR was evaluated on hematoxylin and eosin-stained and immunofluorescent sections of tumor specimens. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD20+, PD-1+, PD-L1+, and FoxP3+ TIL subtypes as well as Ki-67 expression levels in 426 tissue specimens. These parameters were then analyzed for their correlations with patient outcomes [local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and overall survival (OS)], clinicopathological features, and denosumab treatment responsiveness., Results: Low TSR was significantly associated with poor LRFS and OS in both cohorts. Furthermore, TSR was also correlated with multiple clinicopathological features, TIL subtype expression, and denosumab treatment responsiveness. TSR demonstrated similar predictive capabilities as the conventional Campanacci staging system for predicting patients' LRFS and OS., Conclusion: The results of this study provide evidence supporting the use of TSR as a reliable prognostic tool in GCTB and as a predictor of denosumab treatment responsiveness. These findings may aid in developing individualized treatment strategies for GCTB patients in the future., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In recent years, a few asparaginyl endopeptidases (AEPs) from certain higher plants have been identified as efficient peptide ligases with wide applications in protein labeling and cyclic peptide synthesis. Recently, we developed a NanoLuc Binary Technology (NanoBiT)-based peptide ligase activity assay to identify more AEP-type peptide ligases. Herein, we screened 61 bamboo species from 16 genera using this assay and detected AEP-type peptide ligase activity in the crude extract of all tested bamboo leaves. From a popular bamboo species, Bambusa multiplex, we identified a full-length AEP-type peptide ligase candidate (BmAEP1) via transcriptomic sequencing. After its zymogen was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and self-activated in vitro, BmAEP1 displayed high peptide ligase activity, but with considerable hydrolytic activity. After site-directed mutagenesis of its ligase activity determinants, the mutant zymogen of [G238V]BmAEP1 was normally overexpressed in E. coli, but failed to activate itself. To resolve this problem, we developed a novel protease-assisted activation approach in which trypsin was used to cleave the mutant zymogen and was then conveniently removed via ion-exchange chromatography. After the noncovalently bound cap domain was dissociated from the catalytic core domain under acidic conditions, the recombinant [G238V]BmAEP1 displayed high peptide ligase activity with much lower hydrolytic activity and could efficiently catalyze inter-molecular protein ligation and intramolecular peptide cyclization. Thus, the engineered bamboo-derived peptide ligase represents a novel tool for protein labeling and cyclic peptide synthesis., (© 2024 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

Objectives: The translocation of intestinal flora has been linked to the colonization of diverse and heavy lower respiratory flora in patients with septic ARDS, and is considered a critical prognostic factor for patients., Methods: On the first and third days of ICU admission, BALF, throat swab, and anal swab were collected, resulting in a total of 288 samples. These samples were analyzed using 16S rRNA analysis and the traceability analysis of new generation technology., Results: On the first day, among the top five microbiota species in abundance, four species were found to be identical in BALF and throat samples. Similarly, on the third day, three microbiota species were found to be identical in abundance in both BALF and throat samples. On the first day, 85.16% of microorganisms originated from the throat, 5.79% from the intestines, and 9.05% were unknown. On the third day, 83.52% of microorganisms came from the throat, 4.67% from the intestines, and 11.81% were unknown. Additionally, when regrouping the 46 patients, the results revealed a significant predominance of throat microorganisms in BALF on both the first and third day. Furthermore, as the disease progressed, the proportion of intestinal flora in BALF increased in patients with enterogenic ARDS., Conclusions: In patients with septic ARDS, the main source of lung microbiota is primarily from the throat. Furthermore, the dynamic trend of the microbiota on the first and third day is essentially consistent.It is important to note that the origin of the intestinal flora does not exclude the possibility of its origin from the throat.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a subtype of inflammatory bowel disease. Previous studies have suggested a link between senescence process and the body's inflammatory reaction, indicating that senescence may exacerbate UC, yet the relation between UC and senescence remains unclear. Tedizolid Phosphate (TED), a novel oxazolidinone antimicrobial, is indicated in acute bacterial skin infections, its impact on senescence is not known. Our research revealed that the UC inducer dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) triggers senescence in both colon epithelial NCM460 cells and colon tissues, and TED that screened from a compound library demonstrated a strong anti-senescence effect on DSS treated NCM460 cells. As an anti-senescence medication identified in this research, TED efficiently alleviated UC and colonic senescence in mice caused by DSS. By proteomic analysis and experimental validation, we found that DSS significantly inhibits the AMPK signaling pathway, while TED counteracts senescence by restoring AMPK activity. This research verified that the development of UC is accompanied with colon tissue senescence, and TED, an anti-senescence medication, can effectively treat UC caused by DSS and alleviate colon senescence. Our work suggests anti-senescence strategy is an effective approach for UC treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Twin-field quantum key distribution (TFQKD) overcomes the linear rate-loss limit, which promises a boost of secure key rate over long distance. However, the complexity of eliminating the frequency differences between the independent laser sources hinders its practical application. We analyzed and determined the frequency stability requirements for implementing TFQKD using frequency-stabilized lasers. Based on this analysis, we proposed and demonstrated a simple and practical approach that utilizes the saturated absorption spectroscopy of acetylene as an absolute reference, eliminating the need for fast frequency locking to achieve TFQKD. Adopting the 4-intensity sending-or-not-sending TFQKD protocol, we experimentally demonstrated the TFQKD over 502, 301, and 201 km ultralow-loss optical fiber, respectively. We expect this high-performance scheme will find widespread usage in future intercity and free-space quantum communication networks.

Objective: Clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) seriously affects the feasibility and safety of surgical treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. The aim of this study was to establish a new surgical scheme defining risk classification of post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) to facilitate the surgical decision-making and identify suitable candidates for individual hepatectomy among HCC patients with CSPH., Backgrounds: Hepatectomy is the preferred treatment for HCC. Surgeons must maintain a balance between the expected oncological outcomes of HCC removal and short-term risks of severe PHLF and morbidity. CSPH aggravates liver decompensation and increases the risk of severe PHLF thus complicating hepatectomy for HCC., Methods: Multivariate logistic regression and stochastic forest algorithm were performed, then the independent risk factors of severe PHLF were included in a nomogram to determine the risk of severe PHLF. Further, a conditional inference tree (CTREE) through recursive partitioning analysis validated supplement the misdiagnostic threshold of the nomogram., Results: This study included 924 patients, of whom 137 patients (14.8%) suffered from mild-CSPH and 66 patients suffered from (7.1%) with severe-CSPH confirmed preoperatively. Our data showed that preoperative prolonged prothrombin time, total bilirubin, indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min, CSPH grade, and standard future liver remnant volume were independent predictors of severe PHLF. By incorporating these factors, the nomogram achieved good prediction performance in assessing severe PHLF risk, and its concordance statistic was 0.891, 0.850 and 0.872 in the training cohort, internal validation cohort and external validation cohort, respectively, and good calibration curves were obtained. Moreover, the calculations of total points of diagnostic errors with 95% CI were concentrated in 110.5 (range 76.9-178.5). It showed a low risk of severe PHLF (2.3%), indicating hepatectomy is feasible when the points fall below 76.9, while the risk of severe PHLF is extremely high (93.8%) and hepatectomy should be rigorously restricted at scores over 178.5. Patients with points within the misdiagnosis threshold were further examined using CTREE according to a hierarchic order of factors represented by the presence of CSPH grade, ICG-R15, and sFLR., Conclusion: This new surgical scheme established in our study is practical to stratify risk classification in assessing severe PHLF, thereby facilitating surgical decision-making and identifying suitable candidates for individual hepatectomy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The trait-based unidimensional plant economics spectrum provides a valuable framework for understanding plant adaptation strategies to the environment. However, it is still uncertain whether there is a general multidimensionality of how variation of both leaf and fine root traits are influenced by environmental factors, and how these relate to microbial resource strategies. Here, we examined the coordination patterns of four pairs of similar leaf and fine root traits of herbaceous plants in an alpine meadow at the community-level, and their environmental driving patterns. We then assessed their correlation with microbial life-history strategies, as these exhibit analogous resource strategies with plants in terms of growth and resource utilization efficiency. Results exhibited an analogous multidimensionality of the economics spectrum for leaf and fine root traits: the first dimension, collaboration gradient, primarily represented a tradeoff between lifespan and resource foraging efficiency; the second dimension, conservation gradient, primarily represented a tradeoff between conservation and acquisition in resource uptake. Climate variables had a stronger impact on both dimensions for leaf and fine root traits than soil variables did; whereas, the primary drivers were more complex for fine root traits than for leaf traits. The collaboration gradient of leaf and fine root traits exhibited consistent relationships with soil microbial life-history strategies, both showed negative and positive correlation with bacterial and fungal strategies, respectively. Our findings suggest that both leaves and fine roots have general multidimensional strategies for adapting to new environments and provide a solid basis for further understanding the relationships between the adaptive strategies of plants and microbes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Plant virus-derived vectors are rapid and cost-effective for protein expression and gene functional studies in plants, particularly for species that are difficult to genetically transform. However, few efficient viral vectors are available for functional studies in Asteraceae plants. Here, we identified a potyvirus named zinnia mild mottle virus (ZiMMV) from common zinnia (Zinnia elegans Jacq.) through next-generation sequencing. Using a yeast homologous recombination strategy, we established a full-length infectious cDNA clone of ZiMMV under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Furthermore, we developed an efficient expression vector based on ZiMMV for the persistent and abundant expression of foreign proteins in the leaf, stem, root, and flower tissues with mild symptoms during viral infection in common zinnia. We showed that the ZiMMV-based vector can express ZeMYB9, which encodes a transcript factor inducing dark red speckles in leaves and flowers. Additionally, the expression of a gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis gene from the ZiMMV vector substantially accelerated plant height growth, offering a rapid and cost-effective method. In summary, our work provides a powerful tool for gene expression, functional studies, and genetic improvement of horticultural traits in Asteraceae plant hosts., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Crop-associated microorganisms play a crucial role in soil nutrient cycling, and crop growth, and health. Fine-scale patterns in soil microbial community diversity and composition are commonly regulated by plant species or genotype. Despite extensive reports in different crop or its cultivar effects on the microbial community, it is uncertain how rhizoma peanut (RP, Arachis glabrata Benth.), a perennial warm-season legume forage that is well-adapted in the southern USA, affects soil microbial community across different cultivars., Results: This study explored the influence of seven different RP cultivars on the taxonomic composition, diversity, and functional groups of soil fungal communities through a field trial in Marianna, Florida, Southern USA, using next-generation sequencing technique. Our results showed that the taxonomic diversity and composition of the fungal community differed significantly across RP cultivars. Alpha diversity (Shannon, Simpson, and Pielou's evenness) was significantly higher in Ecoturf but lower in UF&#95;Peace and Florigraze compared to other cultivars (p < 0.001). Phylogenetic diversity (Faith's PD) was lowest in Latitude compared to other cultivars (p < 0.0001). The dominant phyla were Ascomycota (13.34%), Mortierellomycota (3.82%), and Basidiomycota (2.99%), which were significantly greater in Florigraze, UF&#95;Peace, and Ecoturf, respectively. The relative abundance of Neocosmospora was markedly high (21.45%) in UF&#95;Tito and showed large variations across cultivars. The relative abundance of the dominant genera was significantly greater in Arbrook than in other cultivars. There were also significant differences in the co-occurrence network, showing different keystone taxa and more positive correlations than the negative correlations across cultivars. FUNGuild analysis showed that the relative abundance of functional guilds including pathogenic, saprotrophic, endophytic, mycorrhizal and parasitic fungi significantly differed among cultivars. Ecoturf had the greatest relative abundance of mycorrhizal fungal group (5.10 ± 0.44), whereas UF&#95;Peace had the greatest relative abundance of endophytic (4.52 ± 0.56) and parasitic fungi (1.67 ± 0.30) compared to other cultivars., Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence of crop cultivar's effect in shaping fine-scale fungal community patterns in legume-based forage systems., (© 2024. The Author(s).)