Search

Abstract Background Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is characterized by a systemic inflammatory response, predominantly associated with hepatitis B virus in the Asia-Pacific region, with a high short-term mortality rate. The platelet to high-density lipoprotein ratio (PHR) has been used to predict the prognosis of patients with various inflammatory diseases. We aim to is to use the PHR to predict the short-term prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF. Method In this study, we retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 270 HBV-ACLF patients. Using logistic regression, we identified independent risk factors for short-term mortality and developed a prognostic model. This model was then validated, compared, and its clinical utility assessed via decision curve analysis (DCA). Results Among the 270 HBV-ACLF patients, 98 patients died within 28 days. The deceased group exhibited a higher proportion of severe hepatic encephalopathy and ascites. Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.046) in the novel inflammation scoring system, PHR, between the two groups. Following stringent variable selection, PHR was identified as a predictive factor for short-term mortality in HBV-ACLF patients using logistic regression analysis (OR: 0.835 (0.756–0.999), P = 0.009), and it exhibited a synergistic effect with certain traditional scores. The prognostic model constructed based on PHR demonstrated a superior ability to predict short-term mortality compared to traditional scores such as Child-Turcotte-Pugh (AUC: 0.889). Evaluation using calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA) suggested its practical utility. Conclusion PHR can predict short-term mortality in patients, with a low PHR upon admission being associated with an increased risk of death.

Abstract Argininosuccinate synthase (ASS1), a critical enzyme in the urea cycle, acts as a tumor suppressor in many cancers. To date, the anticancer mechanism of ASS1 has not been fully elucidated. Here, we found that phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), a key rate-limiting enzyme in serine synthesis, is a pivotal protein that interacts with ASS1. Our results showed that ASS1 directly binds to PHGDH and promotes its ubiquitination-mediated degradation to inhibit serine synthesis, consequently suppressing tumorigenesis. Importantly, the tumor suppressive effects of ASS1 were strongly abrogated by PHGDH knockout. In addition, ASS1 knockout and knockdown partially rescued cell proliferation when serine and glycine were depleted, while the inhibitory effect of ASS1 overexpression on cell proliferation was restored by the addition of serine and glycine. These findings unveil a novel role of ASS1 and suggest that the ASS1/PHGDH serine synthesis pathway is a promising target for cancer therapy.

Microwave dielectric ceramics should be improved to advance mobile communication technologies further. In this study, we prepared Sr1+xY2O4+x (x = 0–0.04) ceramics with nonstoichiometric Sr2+ ratios based on our previously reported SrY2O4 microwave dielectric ceramic, which has a low dielectric constant and an ultrahigh quality factor (Q value). The ceramic exhibited a 33.6% higher Q-by-frequency (Q×f) value (Q ≈ 12,500) at x = 0.02 than SrY2O4. All Sr1+xY2O4+x (x = 0–0.04) ceramics exhibited pure phase structures, although variations in crystal-plane spacings were observed. The ceramics are mainly composed of Sr–O, Y1–O, and Y2–O octahedra, with the temperature coefficient of the resonant frequency (τf) of the ceramic increasing with Y2–O octahedral distortion. The ceramic comprises uniform grains with a homogeneous elemental distribution, clear grain boundaries, and no obvious cavities at x = 0.02. The Sr1+xY2O4+x (x = 0–0.04) ceramics exhibited good microwave dielectric properties, with optimal performance observed at x = 0.02 (dielectric constant (εr) = 15.41, Q×f = 112,375 GHz, and τf = −17.44 ppm/℃). The τf value was reduced to meet the temperature-stability requirements of 5G/6G communication systems by adding CaTiO3, with Sr1.02Y2O4.02+2wt%CaTiO3 exhibiting εr = 16.14, Q×f = 51,004 GHz, and τf = 0 ppm/℃. A dielectric resonator antenna prepared using Sr1.02Y2O4.02+2wt%CaTiO3 exhibited a central frequency of 26.6 GHz, with a corresponding gain and efficiency of 3.66 dBi and 83.14%, respectively. Consequently, Sr1.02Y2O4.02-based dielectric resonator antennas are suitable for use in 5G millimeter-wave band (24.5–27.5 GHz) applications.

With the aim of investigating the assessment methodology for the overall damage effects on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) subjected to a blast wave, the failure criteria for the typical UAV was formulated through an analysis of the structural strength design standards. Specifically, the shear force associated with wing failure can serve as a critical parameter for assessing the overall damage inflicted on the UAV by blast waves. According to the design load criterion of the aircraft, the shear force value corresponding to the overall failure of the typical UAV was calculated. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the mechanical response of UAV structures under blast wave loading generated by a 500 g explosive. Combining the critical shear force values obtained from theoretical calculations with the numerical simulation results, two distances between the explosives and the UAV that could produce different damage effects were estimated, namely 1 m and 2.5 m. Subsequently, static explosion experiments with equivalent explosive charges were performed, revealing different damage effects on a typical UAV at two specific distances. The numerical simulation results were highly consistent with the experimental observations, further validating the scientific and rational basis for using shear force as a primary parameter in assessing overall structural damage to fixed-wing UAVs.

CrCoNi medium-entropy alloy (MEA) shows an exceptional combination of macroscale mechanical properties, however, knowledge of its mechanical properties at nano/microscale is lacking. In this paper, nano/microscale single crystal MEA pillars with orientation of 〈116〉, 〈014〉, 〈102〉 were fabricated using focused ion beam milling, and the compressive strength was determined with micropillar compression testing using a flat-end tip in an indentation machine. Results showed that the yield and flow strength of these MEA pillars were orientation-dependent, i.e., the lower the Schmid factor, the higher the strength. At the same time the strength of the pillars was dependent on the pillar’s size, the strength increasing as the pillar diameter reduced. From the results of the micropillar compression testing, the bulk critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) was determined to be 92 MPa, which is the highest value of the group of CrCoNi-based medium and high-entropy alloys. Analysis of transmission electron microscope images and large-scale molecular dynamics simulations revealed a group of complimentary deformation mechanisms, including dislocation slides, dislocation annihilation, dislocation-slip band interaction, formation of nanoscale stacking-faulting networks, and deformation nanotwins.

Abstract Background: The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in the progression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). However, challenges remain regarding the role played by TME associated genes in the prognosis of PAAD. Methods: The scores of tumor infiltrating immune cells (TICs), the immune and stroma scores of 182 PAAD patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were determined using CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE calculations. The final genes were identified by protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and univariate Cox regression of differentially expressed genes. Finally, the correlation between gene expression and TCGA and clinical characteristics of patients in local hospital database was discussed. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), the association between CXCL10 expression and TICs components were conducted. Results: In TCGA database and local hospital data, CXCL10 expression was correlated with the survival rate and TNM classification of patients with PAAD. Immune-related activities were enriched in the CXCL10 high expression group, while metabolic pathways were enriched in the CXCL10 low expression group. The expression of CXCL10 correlated with the proportion of TICs. CXCL10 expression was correlated with the proportion of TICs. Conclusion: CXCL10 is a potential prognostic marker for PAAD and provide additional insights into the treatment of PAAD based on TME transformation. However, more independent experimentation with the CXCL10 is need.

The exploration of novel bio-based functional polymers has high application value and confirms to sustainable development strategies following the increasing shortage of fossil resources. In this research, several different recyclable bio-based dynamic covalent polymer networks (DCPNs) containing dynamic Diels-Alder bonds from vegetable oil and furan were designed and fabricated via a simple preparation process. The reprocessability, shape memory, molecular structures, thermal properties and mechanical properties of the DCPNs were all investigated. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysises demonstrated the target reactive products were all successfully synthesized. Variable-temperature FTIR and differential scanning calorimetry revealed the changing rule of dynamic Diels-Alder bond molecular structures with temperature. The DCPNs possess controllable tensile properties including superior ductility and certain rigidity via adjusting fatty chain component, which is in accordance with the result of dynamic mechanical analysis. Thermal gravimetric analysis demonstrated the DCPNs had excellent thermostability, and the main peak decomposition temperatures were all above 460 °C. The nature of the dynamic Diels-Alder bonds could make shattered DCPNs be reprocessed multiple times under relatively mild conditions. The DCPNs displayed certain shape memory properties, and the shape fixation and recovery ratio at the last two cycles were kept above 95.53% and 84.58%, respectively. This work will help with the development on this kind of bio-based polymers containing dynamic Diels-Alder covalent bonds.

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third-most deadly cancer worldwide. More breakthroughs are needed in the clinical practice for liver cancer are needed, and new treatment strategies are required. This study aims to determine the significant differences in genes associated with LIHC and further analyze its prognostic value further. Methods Here, we used the TCGA-LIHC database and the profiles of GSE25097 from GEO to explore the differentially co-expressed genes in HCC tissues compared with paratumor (or healthy) tissues. Then, we utilized WGCNA to screen differentially co-expressed genes. Finally, we explored the function of FYN in HCC cells and xenograft tumor models. Results We identified ten hub genes in the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, but only three (COLEC10, TGFBR3, and FYN) appeared closely related to the prognosis. The expression of FYN was positively correlated with the prognosis of HCC patients. The xenograft model showed that overexpression of FYN could significantly inhibit malignant tumor behaviors and promote tumor cell apoptosis. Conclusion Thus, FYN may be central to the development of LIHC and maybe a novel biomarker for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Abstract Background To evaluate and compare the changes in intraocular pressure and anterior eye segment biometrics during and after wearing two types of commonly used swimming goggles. Methods In a cross-sectional study, a total of 40 healthy adults aged between 18 and 60 years old were selected to wear two kinds of common swimming goggles (ocular socket and orbital goggles). Intraocular pressure and anterior segment biometry were evaluated before wearing, at 2 and 5 min of wearing, and at 5 min after removing the goggles. Intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal front keratometry values (K1, K2, Km), central corneal thickness (CCT), central anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber volume (ACV), and anterior chamber angle (ACA) were measured. Results The IOP at 2 min (21.0 ± 2.2 mmHg) and 5 min (21.2 ± 2.3 mmHg) was significantly higher than before wearing goggles (17.7 ± 2.1 mmHg). The IOP after the goggles were removed and at 5 min after the goggles were removed was 18.4 ± 2.3 mmHg and 17.7 ± 2.1 mmHg, respectively. ACV, ACD, and ACA values all decreased while the googles were worn. After the goggles were removed, these changes gradually returned to baseline values, with no significant difference in the values before and after. Conclusion This study proves that wearing orbital goggles can lead to an acute increase in IOP and a slight decrease in ACV, ACD, and ACA. However, once the goggles are removed, these indicators return to baseline levels, showing that wearing orbital goggles has no significant lasting effect on IOP and anterior segment parameters.

Background. Variceal rebleeding is a significant and potentially life-threatening complication of cirrhosis. Unfortunately, currently, there is no reliable method for stratifying high-risk patients. Liver stiffness measurements (LSM) have been shown to have a predictive value in identifying complications associated with portal hypertension, including first-time bleeding. However, there is a lack of evidence to confirm that LSM is reliable in predicting variceal rebleeding. The objective of our study was to evaluate the ability of generating a extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithm model to improve the prediction of variceal rebleeding. Methods. This retrospective analysis examined a cohort of 284 patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis. XGBoost models were developed using laboratory data, LSM, and imaging data to predict the risk of rebleeding in the patients. In addition, we compared the XGBoost models with traditional logistic regression (LR) models. We evaluated and compared the two models using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and other model performance parameters. Lastly, we validated the models using nomograms and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results. During a median follow-up of 66.6 weeks, 72 patients experienced rebleeding, including 21 (7.39%) and 61 (21.48%) patients who rebleed within 6 weeks and 1 year, respectively. In brief, the AUC of the LR models in predicting rebleeding at 6 weeks and 1 year was 0.828 (0.759–0.897) and 0.799 (0.738–0.860), respectively. In contrast, the accuracy of the XGBoost model in predicting rebleeding at 6 weeks and 1 year was 0.985 (0.907–0.731) and 0.931 (0.806–0.935), respectively. LSM and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels differed significantly between the rebleeding and nonrebleeding groups, with LSM being a reliable predictor in those models. The XGBoost models outperformed the LR models in predicting rebleeding within 6 weeks and 1 year, as demonstrated by the ROC and DCA curves. Conclusion. The XGBoost algorithm model can achieve higher accuracy than the LR model in predicting rebleeding, making it a clinically beneficial tool. This implies that the XGBoost model is better suited for predicting the risk of esophageal variceal rebleeding in patients.

Novel functional dynamic covalent-bonded polymer networks (DCPN) containing dynamic disulfide bonds were prepared from castor oil via a simple process. Firstly, UV-curable castor-oil-based polyurethane acrylate (COPUA) containing disulfide bonds and unsaturated double bonds was synthesized, then added with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) to reduce viscosity (named COPUA-GMA) and mixed with different proportions of glycidyl esters containing unsaturated double bonds to form a series of UV-cured polymers named COPUA-GMA-EP. FTIR and NMR demonstrated the target pre-polymers and DCPNs were successfully synthesized. The DCPNs possessed controllable mechanical properties. Tensile tests showed the polymers had a range of tunable stiffness and flexibility. The COPUA-GMA-EP-2 copolymerized system containing 50 wt% COPUA-GMA had relatively excellent tensile strength of 11.8 MPa and elongation at break of 72.3%. Thermal analysis showed that DCPNs had excellent thermal stability, and COPUA-GMA-EP-2 had higher crosslinking density. Importantly, COPUA-GMA-EP-2 displayed excellent shape memory properties with Rf of 98.9% and Rr of 79.0%. Meanwhile, this DCPN exhibited certain self-healing properties. The DCPNs will be widely applied with good prospects owing to their excellent UV-curable, eco-friendly and shape memory properties.

BackgroundLipid profile disorders frequently occur in patients with advanced liver diseases. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels decrease rapidly during acute conditions of some diseases, and HDL-C levels may be related to mortality in patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF).Materials and methodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted on 200 subjects with HBV-ACLF. The patients were separated into non-survivors and survivors according to their 28-day outcome. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of mortality, and the performance of these predictors was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed to draw survival curves of HDL-C.ResultsThe 28-day mortality in the cohort was 27.0%. HDL-C levels differed markedly between non-survivors and survivors. In the multivariate analysis, HDL-C, the Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP), model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), and Chinese Group on the Study of Severe Hepatitis B-ACLF II (COSSH-ACLF II) scores were identified as independent predictors for mortality (HR = 0.806, 95% CI: 0.724–0.898; HR = 1.424, 95% CI: 1.143–1.775; HR = 1.006, 95% CI: 1.002–1.007; and HR = 1.609, 95% CI: 1.005–2.575, respectively). Patients with lower HDL-C levels had a worse prognosis than those with higher HDL-C levels. In ROC analysis, the prognostic accuracy for mortality was similar between HDL-C (AUROC: 0.733) and the CTP, MELD, and COSSH-ACLF II scores (AUROC: 0.753; 0.674 and 0.770, respectively).ConclusionThe HDL-C level may serve as a potential indicator for the prognosis of HBV-ACLF and can be used as a simple marker for risk assessment and selection of therapeutic options.

BackgroundLiver failure (LF) is a serious liver function damage caused by various factors, mainly jaundice, hepatic encephalopathy, coagulation disorders and multiple organ failure, with the clinical characteristic of high short-term mortality. LF is often accompanied by excessive activation of inflammatory factors, and an excessive systemic inflammatory response (i.e., inflammatory storm) is considered to be the trigger of LF. However, a specific prognostic model including inflammatory factors for patients with LF has not been well established.AimTo establish and validate a nomogram for predicting 28-day, 90-day, and 180-day mortality in patients with LF.MethodsA total of 423 eligible LF patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Independent predictors were identified using a multivariate logistic model and then integrated into a nomogram to predict 28-day, 90-day, and 180-day mortality. The concordance index, receiver operating characteristic curves, and calibration plots were used to evaluate the performance of the model.ResultsSex, age, total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, international normalized ratio, Child–Pugh score, and serum interleukin-6 were independent risk factors for death at 28, 90, and 180 days in LF patients. The nomogram showed good calibration and discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.927. The calibration curve fit as well, indicating that the nomogram had good clinical application value.ConclusionThis nomogram model for predicting the 28-day, 90-day, and 180-day mortality of LF patients could help optimize treatment strategies and improve prognosis.

Abstract An improved natural frequency based method is proposed to accurately locate faults in transmission lines. The method only requires three phase instantaneous current measurements at the local terminal of the line and is compatible with protective relays using high‐speed tripping techniques. First, the theoretical peak frequencies along the entire frequency spectrum of the measured currents are derived, for different fault types, locations and resistances. Next, the fault location is determined by finding the minimum average distance between the theoretical and the measured peak frequencies. Compared to the existing natural frequency based fault location methods, the proposed method solves the mode mixing problem during single phase to ground faults and systematically considers the effect of fault resistances. In addition, the proposed method fully utilizes the frequency spectrum information instead of only the dominant frequency, and therefore overcomes the difficulty to extract the dominant frequency. Numerical experiments have shown that, compared to the existing method, the proposed method presents much higher fault location accuracy during single phase to ground faults, and slightly higher (comparable) fault location accuracy for other types of faults, regardless of fault locations and fault resistances.

AIM:To evaluate the effect of the vault on corneal endothelial cells after implantation of central hole implantable lens(ICL)V4c without viscoelastic microincision.METHODS: Prospective non-randomized controlled study. A total of 70 patients(137 eyes)with myopia who underwent ICL V4c implantation in our hospital from November 2017 to February 2018 were divided into low vault group(100μm

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype, with shorter five-year survival than other breast cancer subtypes, and lacks targeted and hormonal treatment strategies. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling is up-regulated in various tumors, including TNBC, and plays a vital role in regulating the expression of multiple proliferation- and apoptosis-related genes. Results: By combining the unique structures of the natural compounds STA-21 and Aulosirazole with antitumor activities, we synthesized a class of novel isoxazoloquinone derivatives and showed that one of these compounds, ZSW, binds to the SH2 domain of STAT3, leading to decreased STAT3 expression and activation in TNBC cells. Furthermore, ZSW promotes STAT3 ubiquitination, inhibits the proliferation of TNBC cells in vitro, and attenuates tumor growth with manageable toxicities in vivo. ZSW also decreases the mammosphere formation of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) by inhibiting STAT3. Conclusions: We conclude that the novel isoxazoloquinone ZSW may be developed as a cancer therapeutic because it targets STAT3, thereby inhibiting the stemness of cancer cells.

Background: Soluble CD163 (sCD163) is a scavenger receptor membrane protein expressed almost exclusively on Kupffer cells and other macrophages. It was found to be associated with the severity of liver cirrhosis. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the novel biomarker sCD163 predicts outcomes in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.Materials and Methods: A single-center, observational, prospective study with 345 decompensated cirrhosis patients was conducted in the Gastroenterology Department between January 2017 and December 2020. Their plasma samples were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for sCD163 within 24 hours of admission. These patients were followed up at 28 days, 3 months and 6 months. The independent risk factors were identified with uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses. We evaluated the predictive performance of the new scoring system (including sCD163) and the original scoring system.Results: The sCD163 level was significantly higher in non-surviving patients than in surviving patients. Positive associations were found between sCD163 levels and the Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) scores. Logistic regression confirmed that sCD163 was an independent risk factor for 28-day, 3-month, and 6-month mortality. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of the use of sCD163 for the prediction of 28-day, 3-month, and 6-month mortality were relatively higher (AUROCs: 0.856; 0.823 and 0.811, respectively). The AUROCs of the new scores obtained by adding sCD163 to the original scoring systems (CTP + sCD163, MELD + sCD163 and ALBI + sCD163) showed that the new scoring systems had better predictive performance than the original scoring systems at all time points (P < 0.001).Conclusion: sCD163 is a prognostic predictor of short-term and long-term outcomes in decompensated cirrhosis patients. Accordingly, the addition of sCD163 to the original clinical scoring systems improved their prognostic performance.

Background: Esophageal vein rebleeding is a life-threatening complication of liver cirrhosis. However, the role of non-invasive methods that were developed to evaluate the severity of chronic liver disease, especially in rebleeding, remains unclear.Aims: To evaluate the performance of liver stiffness and non-invasive fibrosis scores in predicting esophageal vein rebleeding in hepatitis B virus (HBV) cirrhotic patients.Methods: A prospective analysis of 194 HBV patients between 2017 and 2021 was performed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and time-dependent ROC curves were used to assess the power for predicting rebleeding with non-invasive fibrosis score and liver stiffness.Results: During the median follow-up time of 68.28 weeks, 55 patients experienced rebleeding. In the entire cohort, the area under the ROC curve for liver stiffness measurement (LSM) predicting for rebleeding was 0.837, with a cut-off value of 17.79 kPa, and the time-dependent ROC curve also showed stable prediction performance of LSM. The predictive ability of the non-invasive fibrosis score was less than that of LSM, and there were statistical differences. Moreover, patients using non-selective beta-blockers and HBV DNA-negative patients experienced significantly reduced rebleeding.Conclusions: Compared with non-invasive fibrosis scores, LSM can more simply and accurately predict rebleeding events of hepatitis B liver cirrhosis.

BackgroundsTumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in the initiation and progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), especially immune infiltrates. However, there is still a challenge in understanding the modulation of the immune and stromal components in TME, especially TME related genes.MethodsThe proportion of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) and the immune and stromal scores in 374 HCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were determined using CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE computational methods. The final screened genes were confirmed by the PPI network and univariate Cox regression of the differentially expressed genes based on different immune or stromal scores. The correlation between the expression levels of the final gene interactions and the clinical characteristics was based on TCGA database and local hospital data. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and the effect of CXCL5 expression on TICs were conducted.ResultsThere were correlations between the expression of CXCL5 and survival of HCC patients and TMN classification both in TCGA database and local hospital data. The immune-related activities were enriched in the high-expression group; however, the metabolic pathways were enriched in the low-expression group. The result of CIBERSORT analyzing had indicated that CXCL5 expression were correlated with the proportion of NK cells activated, macrophages M0, Mast cells resting, Neutrophils.ConclusionsCXCL5 was a potential prognostic marker for HCC and provides clues regarding immune infiltrates, which offers extra insight for therapeutics of HCC, however, more independent cohorts and functional experiments of CXCL5 are warranted.

Background The reprogramming of energy metabolism and consistently altered metabolic genes are new features of cancer, and their prognostic roles remain to be further studied in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD). Methods Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression profiles and clinicopathological data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the GSE84437 databases from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. A univariate Cox regression analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression model established a novel metabolic signature based on TCGA. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUROC) and a nomogram were calculated to assess the predictive accuracy. Results A novel metabolic-related signature (including acylphosphatase 1, RNA polymerase I subunit A, retinol dehydrogenase 12, 5-oxoprolinase, ATP-hydrolyzing, malic enzyme 1, nicotinamide N-methyltransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase 5, deoxycytidine kinase, galactosidase alpha, DNA polymerase delta 3, glutathione S-transferase alpha 2, N-acyl sphingosine amidohydrolase 1, and N-acyl sphingosine amidohydrolase 1) was identified. In both TCGA and GSE84437, patients in the high-risk group showed significantly poorersurvival than the patients in the low-risk group. A good predictive value was shown by the AUROC and nomogram. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analyses (GSEAs) revealed several significantly enriched pathways, which may help in explaining the underlying mechanisms. Conclusions A novel robust metabolic-related signature for STAD prognosis prediction was conducted. The signature may reflect the dysregulated metabolic microenvironment and can provided potential biomarkers for metabolic therapy in STAD.

Activation of the NOX4/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway has been associated with fibrosis in other organs. An imbalance in intestinal bacteria is an important driving factor of liver fibrosis through the liver-gut axis. This study aimed to explore whether the effect of ursolic acid (UA) on liver fibrosis was associated with the NOX4/NLRP3 inflammasome pathways and intestinal bacteria. Wild-type (WT), NLRP3−/-, and NOX4−/- mice and AP-treated mice were injected with CCI4 and treated with or without UA. The intestinal contents of the mice were collected and analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. UA alleviated liver fibrosis, which manifested as decreases in collagen deposition, liver injury, and the expression of fibrosis-related factors, and the expression of NOX4 and NLRP3 was significantly inhibited by UA treatment. Even after CCI4 injection, liver damage and fibrosis-related factors were significantly decreased in NLRP3−/-, NOX4−/-, and AP-treated mice. Importantly, the expression of NLRP3 was obviously inhibited in NOX4−/- and AP-treated mice. In addition, the diversity of intestinal bacteria and the abundance of probiotics in NLRP3−/- and NOX4−/- mice was significantly higher than those in WT mice, while the abundance of harmful bacteria in NLRP3−/- and NOX4−/- mice was significantly lower than that in WT mice. The NOX4/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway plays a crucial role in liver fibrosis and is closely associated with the beneficial effect of UA. The mechanism by which the NOX4/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway is involved in liver fibrosis may be associated with disordered intestinal bacteria.

Background Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), which is characterized by rapid deterioration of liver function and multiorgan failure, has high mortality. This study was designed to identify prognostic scores to predict short-term and long-term outcome in patients with ACLF to facilitate early treatment and thereby improve patient survival. Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed 102 ACLF patients who were hospitalized in the gastroenterology department. The EASL-CLIF criteria were used to define the ACLF. The demographic characteristics and biochemical examination results of the patients were acquired, and seven scores (CTP score, MELD score, MELD-Na, CLIF ACLF score, CLIF-C OF score, and CLIF SOFA score) were calculated 24 h after admission. All patients were observed until loss to follow-up, death, or specific follow-up times (28 days, 3 months, and 6 months), which were calculated after the initial hospital admission. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was employed to estimate the power of six scores to forecast ACLF patients’ outcome. Results All scores were distinctly higher in nonsurviving patients than in surviving patients and had predictive value for outcome in patients with ACLF at all time points (P < 0.050). The areas under the ROC curve (AUROCs) of the CLIF-SOFA score were higher than those of other scores at all time points. The comparison of the AUROC of the CLIF-SOFA score with other scores was statistically significant at 28 days (P < 0.050), which was the only time point at which it was greater than 0.800. Conclusion Patients with ACLF have high mortality. These six scores are effective tools for assessing the prognosis of ACLF patients. The CLIF-SOFA score is especially effective for evaluating 28-day mortality.

We investigate the femtosecond laser filamentation in nanoparticle colloidal solutions. Colloidal solutions of water doped with gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanospheres under different sizes and concentrations were experimentally studied. A cyan–red light path was visualized, and the generated supercontinuum spectra spanning from 400 nm to 950 nm were obtained. It was found that the energy losses and frequency-dependent scattering are necessary prerequisites for generating a colorful light path.

Background The number of elderly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients is increasing, and precisely assessing of the prognosis of these patients is necessary. We developed a prognostic scoring model to predict survival in elderly HCC patients. Methods We extracted data from 4,076 patients ≥65 years old from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and randomly divided them into training and validation groups. Cox regression analysis was used to screen for meaningful independent prognostic factors. The receiver operating characteristic curve reflected the model’s discrimination power. Results Age, race, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, degree of tumour differentiation, tumour size, alpha-fetoprotein and tumour therapy were independent prognostic factors for survival in elderly HCC patients. We developed a prognostic scoring model based on the seven meaningful variables to predict survival in elderly HCC patients. The AUCs of the model were 0.805 (95% CI [0.788–0.821]) and 0.788 (95% CI [0.759–0.816]) in the training and validation groups, respectively. We divided the patients into low-risk groups and high-risk groups according to the optimal cut-off value. The Kaplan–Meier survival curve showed that in the training and validation groups, the survival rate of the low-risk group was significantly higher than that of the high-risk group (P < 0.001). Conclusion Based on a large population, we constructed a prognostic scoring model for predicting survival in elderly HCC patients. The model may provide a reference for clinicians for preoperative and postoperative evaluations of elderly HCC patients.

Background and Aims: Continuous development will evolve into end-stage liver disease. Profibrotic factors NOX4 and RhoA participate in the activation of HSC and accelerate the development of liver fibrosis. Abnormal intrahepatic metabolism during liver fibrosis interferes with intestinal homeostasis through the liver—gut axis.Methods: Wild-type (WT), NOX4 knockout, RhoA expression inhibition C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 6 groups as follows: control group, CCl4 group, NOX4−/− group, AP group, RhoAi group, and FA group.Results: The results of alpha-diversity suggest that the diversity and abundance of intestinal flora in liver fibrosis mice is lower than that in normal mice, but there is some recovery in liver fibrosis mice with NOX4 or RhoA intervention. The flora structure showed that the intestinal flora of the control group, NOX4−/− group, AP group, RhoAi group, and FA group belonged to one type, while the intestinal flora of the CCl4 group belonged to another type. In addition, analysis of the composition of the flora at the level of the phylum and genus also suggested the decline in Firmicutes and Lactobacillus caused by liver fibrosis has partially restore in the liver fibrosis mice with NOX4 or RhoA intervention. In terms of functional prediction, the “Secondary metabolites biosynthesis, transport and catabolism,” “Infectious diseases,” and “Xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism” signaling pathways are mainly enriched in liver fibrosis mice, and the “Energy production and conversion,” “Defense mechanisms,” and “Carbohydrate metabolism” signaling pathways are mainly enriched in the NOX4 and RhoA intervention groups.Conclusion: In the case of liver fibrosis, the intestinal flora is disordered, and the disorder is related to NOX4 and RhoA. This study provides theoretical support for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of liver fibrosis development.

Herein, a facile strategy was firstly developed to synthesize ellipsoidal mesoporous silica nanomaterials (MSNs) with well-ordered parallel channels along the short axis. A miniaturized microfluidic device with spiral-shaped channels was then chosen as a straightforward and general platform to produce the corresponding hollow counterparts of MSNs under mild conditions. Such reaction process carried out in a microfluidic system was further demonstrated to be more rapid and efficient than a conventional batch method under equivalent experimental conditions. The evolution of hollow structure can be well tuned by flow rates (i.e. etching time), providing a new paradigm for rational design and engineering of anisotropic nanostructures.

We demonstrated a straightforward approach to generate red and near-infrared laser emissions by a Raman-assisted four wave mixing (FWM) process in a nonlinear Yb-doped fiber amplifier, delivering 342 fs pulses of 241 nJ at 864 nm, 834 fs pulses of 21 nJ at 751 nm, and 1.9 ps pulses of 3.8 μJ at 1030 nm. A pair of gratings was employed as the pre-compressor to promote the intensity of the fundamental wave in the main amplifier. Multiple wavelengths from 751 to 1273 nm resulted due to cascaded-Raman-assisted FWM. The pre-compression also underlay the achievement of 25.1, 701, and 2000 kW peak power for the red (751 nm), near-infrared (864 nm), and fundamental (1030 nm) components respectively, which restrained the gain narrowing effect during the amplification. It finally led to shorter pulse duration under increased power.

Red mud (RM) is a highly alkaline polymetallic waste generated via the Bayer process during alumina production. It contains metals that are critical for a sustainable development of modern society. Due to a shortage of global resources of many metals, efficient large-scale processing of RM has been receiving increasing attention from both researchers and industry. This study investigated the solubilization of metals from RM, together with RM dealkalization, via sulfur (S0) oxidation catalyzed by the moderately thermophilic bacterium Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans. Optimization of the bioleaching process was conducted in shake flasks and 5-L bioreactors, with varying S0:RM mass ratios and aeration rates. The ICP analysis was used to monitor the concentrations of dissolved elements from RM, and solid residues were analyzed for surface morphology, phase composition, and Na distribution using the SEM, XRD, and STXM techniques, respectively. The results show that highest metal recoveries (89% of Al, 84% of Ce, and 91% of Y) were achieved with the S0:RM mass ratio of 2:1 and aeration rate of 1 L/min. Additionally, effective dealkalization of RM was achieved under the above conditions, based on the high rates (>95%) of Na, K, and Ca dissolution. This study proves the feasibility of using bacterially catalyzed S0 oxidation to simultaneously dealkalize RM and efficiently extract valuable metals from the amassing industrial waste.

Abstract The outer mitochondrial membrane protein mitoNEET (mNT) is a recently identified iron‐sulfur protein containing a unique Fe2S2(His)1(Cys)3 metal cluster with a single Fe−N(His87) coordinating bond. This labile Fe−N bond led to multiple unfolding/rupture pathways of mNT and its cluster by atomic force microscopy‐based single‐molecule force spectroscopy (AFM‐SMFS), one of most common tools for characterizing the molecular mechanics. Although previous ensemble studies showed that this labile Fe−N(His) bond is essential for protein function, they also indicated that the protein and its [2Fe2S] cluster are stable under acidic conditions. Thus, we applied AFM‐SMFS to measure the stability of mNT and its cluster at pH values of 6, 7, and 8. Indeed, all previous multiple unfolding pathways of mNT were still observed. Moreover, single‐molecule measurements revealed that the stabilities of the protein and the [2Fe2S] cluster are consistent at these pH values with only ≈20 pN force differences. Thus, we found that the behavior of the protein is consistent in both weakly acidic and basic solutions despite a labile Fe−N bond.

Low-K microwave dielectric ceramics are pivotal in 5G and millimetre-wave communications. Among them, garnet-structured ceramics hold significant strategic importance because of their rich elemental composition and high Q × f values. In this study, we investigated garnet-structured Ca3Mn2Ge3O12, aiming to optimize the ceramic phase composition through the synthesis of Ca3Mn2+xGe3O12+δ (x = 0-0.2) ceramics. XRD analysis revealed a pure phase of Ca3Mn2Ge3O12 (PDF#00-034-0285) only when x = 0.1, whereas impurity phases were observed for all other components. Rietveld refinement confirmed the garnet structure of the samples with the Ia3 with combining macron]d space group. The highest bulk (4.383 g cm-3) and relative (96.34%) densities were achieved after sintering at 1190 °C, when the radial shrinkage reached 11.5%. At a sintering temperature of 1180 °C, the ceramics displayed excellent microwave dielectric properties: εr = 8.88, Q × f = 50 793 GHz, τf = -39.35 ppm °C-1. Raman, XPS, and Rietveld refinement data respectively revealed that the relative density of the ceramics was closely related to the dielectric constant; the relative Mn3+/Mn4+ content, packing fraction, and FWHM of the A1g Raman spectra were highly correlated with the Q × f value; and the Mn-O bond valence affected the Q × f and τf values of the samples. Furthermore, far-infrared reflectance spectroscopy indicated a theoretical Q × f value of ~130000 GHz, suggesting that the existing samples have potential for further development. In conclusion, Ca3Mn2+xGe3O12+δ (x = 0.1) ceramics with optimised phase compositions have great potential for development and application in 5G and millimetre-wave communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of recyclable biopolymers from renewable resources is of great importance to sustainable development and environmental protection. Biopolymers not only provide a platform for achieving a friendly environment, but also reduce dependence on fossil fuel elements. In this study, a castor oil-based macromolecule prepolymer containing reactive isocyanate groups was firstly synthesized, and next a series of recyclable bio-polymers containing dynamic Diels--Alder bonds, imine bonds and hydrogen bonds were designed and fabricated by the introduction of furfural derivatives and vanillin. Dynamic covalent bonds and hydrogen bonds can bestow biopolymers with excellent comprehensive properties, including high self-healing efficiency, shape memory and reprocessability. Meanwhile, the formation of a reversible cross-linked network of hydrogen and dynamic bonds significantly improved the mechanical properties and endowed the biopolymers with self-healing capability. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance indicate the successful preparation of the biopolymers. Thermal gravimetric analysis demonstrates that the materials as-prepared possess high thermal stability. Mechanical tests show that the materials have excellent mechanical properties with a maximum stress of 36.44 MPa. Surface scratches can be repaired at 120 °C for 5 minutes. The biopolymers also exhibit shape memory properties. This work will contribute to the development and study of functional self-healing biopolymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]