Treatments for obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to malignant midline intracranial tumors during the perioperative period - a retrospective study of 372 pediatric patients from a single institution.

Objective: Common treatments for obstructive hydrocephalus caused by malignant midline intracranial tumors during the perioperative period include ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement, endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), and direct tumor resection. The purpose of this study is to determine whether it is necessary to treat hydrocephalus before tumor resection and to clarify which treatment is most effective.

Methods: Data from 372 pediatric patients (under 18 years) with obstructive hydrocephalus due to malignant midline intracranial tumors, referred to the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Beijing Tiantan Hospital between January 2018 and September 2019, were collected.

Rapid self-strengthening in double-network hydrogels triggered by bond scission.

The scission of chemical bonds in materials can lead to catastrophic failure, with weak bonds typically undermining the materials' strength. Here we demonstrate how weak bonds can be leveraged to achieve self-strengthening in polymer network materials. These weak sacrificial bonds trigger mechanochemical reactions, forming new networks rapidly enough to reinforce the material during deformation and significantly improve crack resistance.

Nitazoxanide inhibits pili assembly by targeting BamB to synergize with polymyxin B against drug-resistant Escherichia coli.

Gram-negative bacteria rely on pili assembly for pathogenicity, with the chaperone-usher (CU) pathway regulating pilus biogenesis. Nitazoxanide (NTZ) inhibits CU pathway-mediated P pilus biogenesis by specifically interfering with the proper folding of the outer membrane protein (OMP) usher, primarily mediated by the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) complex. In this study, we identified the BAM complex components BamB and the BamA POTRA2 domain as key binding targets for NTZ.

SLC1A4 Promotes Malignant Transformation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Activating the AKT Signaling.

Due to the difficulty in early diagnosis and the lack of treatment for advanced disease, the mortality rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is high, and the 5-year overall survival rate is low at present. SLC1A4 is a neutral amino acid transporter, but its regulatory role and mechanism in HCC are still unclear. Through analyzing the TCGA database and clinical tissue specimens, this study uncovered the high expression of SLC1A4 in tumor tissues of HCC.

Hydrogel PCDME creates pancreatic cancer stem cells in OXPHOS metabolic state with TXNIP elevation.

Pancreatic cancer is known as one of the poor prognostic cancers, and the most of patients are unable to undergo radical resection due to local progression or distant metastasis at initial diagnosis. In spite of the advancements in surgery and chemotherapy, there are many cases of recurrence after surgery or chemoradiotherapy mainly due to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are potential therapeutic target, but current issue is that an identification of CSCs is difficult since they are only present in a small number of tumor cells.

SLC13A5 plays an essential role in the energy shift to oxidative phosphorylation in cisplatin-resistant mesothelioma stem cells.

Mesothelioma is a highly aggressive tumor affecting an increasing number of patients worldwide. Owing to the poor clinical outcomes associated with current therapies, the development of novel therapies that target cancer stem cells (CSCs) is desirable. Here, we examined the applicability of our previously established hydrogel-based rapid CSC generation method to human mesothelioma cell lines and further analyzed the characteristics of the induced mesothelioma stem cell (MesoSC) -like cells.

Cerium-based nanoplatform for severe acute pancreatitis: Achieving enhanced anti-inflammatory effects through calcium homeostasis restoration and oxidative stress mitigation.

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), a life-threatening inflammatory disease of the pancreas, has a high mortality rate (∼40 %). Current therapeutic approaches, including antibiotics, trypsin inhibitors, fasting, rehydration, and even continuous renal replacement therapy, yield limited clinical management efficacy. Abnormally elevated calcium levels and reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction by damaged mitochondria are key factors in the inflammatory cascade in SAP.

Multiparametric MRI-based machine learning system of molecular subgroups and prognosis in medulloblastoma.

Objectives: We aimed to use artificial intelligence to accurately identify molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma (MB), predict clinical outcomes, and incorporate deep learning-based imaging features into the risk stratification.

Methods: The MRI features were extracted for molecular subgroups by a novel multi-parameter convolutional neural network (CNN) called Bi-ResNet-MB. Then, MR features were used to establish a prognosis model based on XGBoost.

Establishment of a novel method for differentiating into dopaminergic neurons using charged hydrogels.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease primarily affecting the central nervous system and impacting both the motor system and non-motor systems. Although administration of L-DOPA is effective, it is not a fundamental treatment and has side effects such as diurnal fluctuation and dyskinesia, highlighting the need for new treatment methods. There is a growing interest in dopaminergic neuron transplantation as a potential treatment.

Cognitive and cortical network alterations in pediatric temporal lobe space-occupying lesions: an fMRI study.

Background: Temporal lobe mass lesions are the most common intracranial space-occupying lesions in children, among various brain lobes. The temporal lobe is critically involved in higher cognitive functions, and surgical interventions often risk causing damage to these functions. If necessary interventions and prehabilitation can be conducted preoperatively, it might be possible to achieve a larger extent of lesion resection with minimal cognitive impairment.

Analysis of synthetic polymer hydrogel-based generation of leukemia stem cells.

Leukemia stem cells (LSCs), capable of simultaneous self-renewal and differentiation, are resistant to chemotherapy and the cause of relapse in refractory cases of leukemia. As a method to rapidly generate LSCs has not been established, research on LSCs as therapeutic targets has been hampered. Here, we demonstrate that K562 leukemia cells acquired LSC properties with increase in stemness markers such as CD34, Oct3/4, and Nanog and metabolic alterations towards OXPHOS by culturing cells on synthetic polymer hydrogels.

Modeling craniopharyngioma for drug screening reveals a neuronal mechanism for tumor growth.

Tumors occurring along the hypothalamus-pituitary axis receive axonal projection from neuroendocrine neurons, but it remains unclear whether neuroendocrine neuronal activity drives tumor expansion. Craniopharyngioma is a common suprasellar tumor with a propensity for invading the hypothalamus, leading to devastating endocrine and metabolic disorders. Here, we developed two autochthonous animal models that faithfully recapitulate the molecular pathology, clinical manifestations, and transcriptomic profiles of papillary craniopharyngioma.

Soft hydrogel-embedded ceramic skeleton mimicking bone structure sacrificial bond concept.

Bone, consisting of calcium phosphate minerals, rigid collagen fibrils, and acidic proteins, exhibits stiff and tough mechanical properties. On a molecular scale, covalent cross-linking in proteins and ionic interactions within proteins and at the protein-mineral boundary contribute to bone's toughness. In addition, hierarchical structures, like the sponge-like arrangement, are also crucial for the energy dissipation system in bone.

Improving the Performance of Arsenene Nanoribbon Gate-All-Around Tunnel Field-Effect Transistors Using H Defects.

We systematically study the transport properties of arsenene nanoribbon tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) along the armchair directions using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory combined with the non-equilibrium Green's function approach. The pristine nanoribbon TFET devices with and without underlap (UL) exhibit poor performance. Introducing a H defect in the left UL region between the source and channel can drastically enhance the ON-state currents and reduce the SS to below 60 mV/decade.

Short-term changes in brain networks and cognition in children with frontal lobe lesions treated solely with neurosurgical procedures.

Intracranial lesions in children often have good prognoses, allowing long-term survival. Cognitive functions, crucial for life quality, need more attention. Previous research has focused on adults, with pediatric studies limited by varied lesions and complex treatments.

Identifying the genetic association between severe autoimmune type 2 diabetes and the risk of focal epilepsy.

Background: Observational studies suggested a bidirectional relationship between severe autoimmune type 2 diabetes and focal epilepsy. However, it remains debated whether and in which direction a causal association exists. This genetics-based study aimed to explore the relationships of severe autoimmune type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and focal epilepsy outcomes with two sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) method.

Icaritin inhibits the progression of urothelial cancer by suppressing PADI2-mediated neutrophil infiltration and neutrophil extracellular trap formation.

Tumor relapse and metastasis are the major causes of mortality associated with urothelial cancer. In the tumor microenvironment, negative regulatory molecules and various immune cell subtypes suppress antitumor immunity. The inflammatory microenvironment, associated with neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), promotes tumor metastasis.

Covalent Immobilization of Mediators on Photoelectrodes for NADH Regeneration.

The reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) is a vital biomolecule involved in many biocatalytic processes, and the high cost makes it significant to regenerate NADH in vitro. The photoelectrochemical approach is a promising and environmentally friendly method for sustainable NADH regeneration. However, the free Rh-based mediator ([Cp*Rh (bpy)HO]) in the electrolyte suffers from low efficiency due to the sluggish charge transfer controlled by the diffusion process.