A real-world study of the efficacy of second-line treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma with esophagogastric varices after progression on first-line lenvatinib combined with PD-1 inhibitor.

Purpose: The incidence and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma are still high according to National Cancer Center of China. Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab has become one of the standard regimens for the first-line treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. However, some patients still use lenvatinib in combination with immunotherapy instead of a standard "atezolizumab-bevacizumab" regimen as a lower risk of bleeding in patients with esophagogastric varices.

Dual-function regulator MexL as a target to control phenazines production and pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Antibiotic resistance or tolerance of pathogens has become one of the global public crises. Finding new drug targets may open up a way of infection control. Phenazine pyocyanin (PYO) is an important virulence factor produced by the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Evolution of supramolecular structure for bamboo cellulose during successive freeze-thaw-pyrolyzing process.

Motivated by "bamboo as a substitute for plastic (BASP)" initiative, replacing plastic products with bamboo attracted worldwide attention. However, the BASP products often suffered from mechanical failure under freeze-thaw process, during which varying cellulose supramolecular structure played a critical role. Herein, the structural evolution of supramolecular for cellulosic models including bamboo fiber, parenchyma and pulps were carefully determined during successive freeze-thaw-pyrolyzing process (-80 °C-1600 °C).

Vicenin-2 reduces inflammation and apoptosis to relieve skin photoaging via suppressing GSK3β.

Background: Skin photoaging caused by ultraviolet rays (UVR) not only affects the appearance, but also leads to benign and malignant skin tumors. Vicenin-2, a bioflavonoid, exhibits anti-UVB properties, but its potential in preventing skin photoaging and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of Vicenin-2 in treating photoaging through network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and experimental validation.

Carbon ion irradiation conquers the radioresistance by inducing complex DNA damage and apoptosis in U251 human glioblastomas cells.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant brain tumor, with radiotherapy frequently employed following surgical resection. However, conventional radiation therapies often yield suboptimal results. This study investigated the effects of X-ray and carbon ion irradiation on the glioblastoma cell line U251 to assess the distinctive advantages of carbon ion treatment and explore mechanisms for overcoming radiation resistance.

Relationship between intraoperative blood pressure variability and postoperative acute kidney injury in pediatric cardiac surgery.

Background: Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) is a notably common complication in pediatrics, with an incidence rate ranging from 15 to 64%. This rate is significantly higher than that observed in adults. Currently, there is a lack of substantial evidence regarding the association between intraoperative blood pressure variability (BPV) during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and the development of AKI in pediatric patients.

Microstructural Characteristics of Damaged Hot Dry Rock Flow Network Stimulated by Cryogenic Liquid Nitrogen Shock.

Hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal development faces challenges due to the difficulty of stimulating fluid flow and heat-exchange fracture channels within deep, low-porosity, and low-permeability reservoirs. A liquid nitrogen cyclic cold shock method was proposed, using liquid nitrogen as a fracturing fluid. The large temperature difference between the liquid nitrogen and the hot rock induces thermal stress, forming a complex pore-fracture network.

Designer topological-single-atom catalysts with site-specific selectivity.

Designing catalysts with well-defined, identical sites that achieve site-specific selectivity, and activity remains a significant challenge. In this work, we introduce a design principle of topological-single-atom catalysts (T-SACs) guided by density functional theory (DFT) and Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations, where metal single atoms are arranged in asymmetric configurations that electronic shield topologically misorients d orbitals, minimizing unwanted interactions between reactants and the support surface. Mn/CeO catalysts, synthesized via a charge-transfer-driven approach, demonstrate superior catalytic activity and selectivity for NO removal.

Establishment of a Quadruplex RT-qPCR for the Detection of Canine Coronavirus, Canine Respiratory Coronavirus, Canine Adenovirus Type 2, and Canine Norovirus.

Canine coronavirus (CCoV), canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV), canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2), and canine norovirus (CNV) are important pathogens for canine viral gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases. Especially, co-infections with these viruses exacerbate the damages of diseases. In this study, four pairs of primers and probes were designed to specifically amplify the conserved regions of the CCoV M gene, CRCoV N gene, CAV-2 hexon gene, and CNV RdRp gene.

Development of a Quadruplex RT-qPCR for the Detection of Porcine Astrovirus, Porcine Sapovirus, Porcine Norovirus, and Porcine Rotavirus A.

Porcine astrovirus (PoAstV), porcine sapovirus (PoSaV), porcine norovirus (PoNoV), and porcine rotavirus A (PoRVA) are newly discovered important porcine diarrhea viruses with a wide range of hosts and zoonotic potential, and their co-infections are often found in pig herds. In this study, the specific primers and probes were designed targeting the ORF1 gene of PoAstV, PoSaV, and PoNoV, and the VP6 gene of PoRVA. The recombinant standard plasmids were constructed, the reaction conditions (concentration of primers and probes, annealing temperature, and reaction cycle) were optimized, and the specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility were analyzed to establish a quadruplex real-time quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) assay for the detection of these four diarrheal viruses.

Differential Regulation of Hyaluronan Synthesis by Three Isoforms of Hyaluronan Synthases in Mammalian Cells.

Hyaluronan (HA) is one of the crucial components of the extracellular matrix in vertebrates and is synthesized by three hyaluronan synthases (HASs), namely HAS1, HAS2, and HAS3. The low expression level of HASs in normal keratinocytes and other various types of cells presents a recognized challenge, impeding biological and pathological research on their localization. In this study, the human proteins HAS1, HAS2, and HAS3 with fused maltose-binding protein (MBP) tags were successfully expressed at high levels and purified for the first time in HEK293F cells.

Tumor burden with AFP improves survival prediction for TACE-treated patients with HCC: An international observational study.

Background & Aims: Current prognostic models for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) are not extensively validated and widely accepted. We aimed to develop and validate a continuous model incorporating tumor burden and biology for individual survival prediction and risk stratification.

Methods: Overall, 4,377 treatment-naive candidates for whom TACE was recommended, from 39 centers in five countries, were enrolled and divided into training, internal validation, and two external validation datasets.

Progressive Evolution of Flow and Heat Transfer Channels in Hot Dry Rock Stimulated by Liquid Nitrogen Cold Shock.

Hot dry rock (HDR) is a novel green, low-carbon energy. Its development requires the creation of fracture channels in deep thermal reservoirs. Traditional methods such as hydraulic fracturing have limited effectiveness in reservoir stimulation, so a method of liquid nitrogen cold shock was proposed.

Development of a triplex crystal digital RT-PCR for the detection of PHEV, PRV, and CSFV.

Porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV), porcine pseudorabies virus (PRV), and classical swine fever virus (CSFV) are currently prevalent worldwide and cause similar neurological symptoms in infected pigs. It is very important to establish a detection method that can rapidly and accurately detect and differentiate these three viruses. Targeting the PHEV N gene, PRV gB gene, and CSFV 5' untranslated region (5'UTR), three pairs of specific primers and probes were designed, and a triplex crystal digital reverse transcription-PCR (cdRT-PCR) was developed to detect PHEV, PRV, and CSFV.

Characteristics of Three-Dimensional Pore-Fracture Network Development and Enhanced Seepage Heat Transfer in Hot Dry Rock Stimulated by Temperature Shock Effects.

Hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal is a sustainable and clean energy source. However, its development progress is hindered by creating seepage channels in deep reservoirs with low porosity and permeability. Traditional hydraulic fracturing techniques are ineffective for enhancing the permeability of these high-strength reservoirs.

A Quadruplex RT-qPCR for the Detection of African Swine Fever Virus, Classical Swine Fever Virus, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus, and Porcine Pseudorabies Virus.

African swine fever virus (ASFV), classical swine fever virus (CSFV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), and porcine pseudorabies virus (PRV) induce similar clinical signs in infected pigs, including hyperthermia, anorexia, hemorrhage, respiratory distress, neurological symptoms, and/or abortions in pregnant sows. The differential diagnosis of these diseases relies on laboratory examinations. In this study, a quadruplex RT-qPCR was established using four pairs of specific primers and probes aimed at the (p72) gene of ASFV, the 5' untranslated region () of CSFV, the gene of PRRSV, and the gene of PRV for the detection and differentiation of ASFV, CSFV, PRRSV, and PRV.

A facile optical fiber-embedded microfluidic biochip for rapid and sensitive detection of microRNA-let-7a in serum.

A novel hybridization chain reaction (HCR) powered optical fiber-embedded microfluidic biochip (HCR-FMB) has been constructed for ultrafast and sensitive detection of lethal-7a (let-7a) in serum. By integrating HCR, fluorescence energy resonant transfer, and evanescent wave fluorescence principle, the HCR-FMB enables detecting let-7a with satisfactory limit of detection of 100.0 pM within 6 min at room temperature, and demonstrates excellent specificity.

How Do the Morphology and Crystal Facet of CeO Determine the Catalytic Activity toward NO Removal?

Cerium oxide (CeO) exhibits application potential for the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NO) with NH (NH-SCR). The crystal facets and morphology of CeO have a vital impact on the catalytic performance of NH-SCR. However, the precise influence mechanisms on SCR activity remain elusive.

Goal-directed Perfusion to Reduce Acute Kidney Injury After Pediatric Cardiac Operation.

Background: Although goal-directed perfusion (GDP) during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has been discussed extensively in adult studies, no pediatric indexed oxygen delivery (Doi) thresholds are universally accepted, and no pediatric randomized controlled trial has been reported. This study aimed to determine whether the GDP initiative (maintaining Doi ≥360 mL/min/m during CPB) could reduce the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after pediatric cardiac operation and improve clinical outcomes.

Methods: This single-center randomized controlled trial enrolled 312 pediatric patients, who were randomized to receive either the GDP strategy or a conventional perfusion strategy during CPB.