Metabolic reprogramming: a new option for the treatment of spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injuries impose a notably economic burden on society,mainly because of the severe after-effects they cause.Despite the ongoing development of various therapies for spinal cord injuries,their effectiveness remains unsatisfactory.However,a deeper understanding of metabolism has opened up a new therapeutic opportunity in the form of metabolic reprogramming.In this review,we explore the metabolic changes that occur during spinal cord injuries,their consequences,and the therapeutic tools available for metabolic reprogramming.Normal spinal cord metabolism is characterized by independent cellular metabolism and intercellular metabolic coupling.However,spinal cord injury results in metabolic disorders that include disturbances in glucose metabolism,lipid metabolism,and mitochondrial dysfunction.These metabolic disturbances lead to corresponding pathological changes,including the failure of axonal regeneration,the accumulation of scarring,and the activation of microglia.To rescue spinal cord injury at the metabolic level,potential metabolic reprogramming approaches have emerged,including replenishing metabolic substrates,reconstituting metabolic couplings,and targeting mitochondrial therapies to alter cell fate.The available evidence suggests that metabolic reprogramming holds great promise as a next-generation approach for the treatment of spinal cord injury.To further advance the metabolic treatment of the spinal cord injury,future efforts should focus on a deeper understanding of neurometabolism,the development of more advanced metabolomics technologies,and the design of highly effective metabolic interventions.

Enhanced Precision Therapy of Multiple Myeloma Through Engineered Biomimetic Nanoparticles with Dual Targeting

Multiple myeloma(MM)is the second most prevalent hematological malignancy.Current MM treatment strategies are hampered by systemic toxicity and suboptimal therapeutic efficacy.This study addressed these limitations through the development of a potent MM-targeting chemotherapy strategy,which capitalized on the high binding affinity of alendronate for hydroxyapatite in the bone matrix and the homologous targeting of myeloma cell membranes,termed T-PB@M.The results from our investigations highlight the considerable bone affinity of T-PB@M,both in vitro and in vivo.Additionally,this material demonstrated a capability for drug release triggered by low pH conditions.Moreover,T-PB@M induced the generation of reactive oxygen species and triggered cell apoptosis through the poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1(PARP1)-Caspase-3-B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2)pathway in MM cells.Notably,T-PB@M preferentially targeted bone-involved sites,thereby circumventing systemic toxic side effects and leading to prolonged survival of MM orthotopic mice.Therefore,this designed target-MM nanocarrier presents a promising and potentially effective platform for the precise treatment of MM.

Effect of Age on the Clinicopathological Characteristics and Survival Outcomes of Thymoma Patients

Background: Age is an important prognostic factor for thymoma;however, few studies have specifically focused on age-related survival outcomes in thymoma patients. This study explored the effect of age on the clinicopathological features and survival outcomes of thymoma patients. Methods: We reviewed the clinical data of 1984 chest thymoma patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database of the National Cancer Institute. In accordance with the World Health Organization age brackets, the patients were divided into young (group A, 0 - 44-year-old);middle-aged (group B, 45 - 59-year-old);old (group C, 60 - 74-year-old);and seniors (group D 75 - 84-year-old). Single-factor and multivariate analysis were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and a multivariate Cox regression model was generated to assess patient prognosis. Results: In total, 1984 patients were included. The median follow-up time was 156.0 months (range: 0 - 492 months). Group C (60 - 74-year-old) had the most patients (35.1%), and Group D had the fewest patients (12.3%). Among all age groups, the proportion of white people and men with thymoma increased with age, while the proportion of black people and women showed a downward trend. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the overall survival rate of thymoma patients was negatively correlated with age. The overall survival times of the four groups were significantly different (p Conclusion: Age is an important prognostic factor for survival in thymoma patients, and younger patients have a survival advantage over older patients.

超声振动对聚苯乙烯熔体解缠结的影响

用自行研制的超声振动挤出装置,采用控制变量的方法,改变超声功率和冷却条件,在水冷和空冷的条件下研究超声振动对聚苯乙烯(PS)熔体解缠结的影响。结果表明,在超声功率为200 W的范围内,聚苯乙烯并未发生明显的降解,挤出过程表观黏度下降的原因是超声的热效应及超声的空化效应和机械效应,分别占比56%和44%。通过定量缠结点间平均相对分子质量发现,水冷能够实现对解缠结结构的较大保留,聚苯乙烯的缠结点间相对分子质量最大提升了83%。熔体流动速率数据显示,经过600 s的热历史,所有样品的熔体流动速率值趋于一致,缠结结构基本回复。

Renewable Hydrogen Produced from Different Renewable Feedstock by Aqueous-Phase Reforming Process

Aqueous phase reforming (APR) of biomass derived feedstock producing hydrogen was reviewed. The APR process was discussed based on different feedstock categories such as sugars, polyols and ethanol. The mechanism of APR was analyzed referring to different structures of feedstock. The reaction pathways of APR were investigated. The usage of catalysts should be judged by feedstock on the requirement including C-C bond cleavage, water-gas shift (WGS) reaction, and catalyst maintenance. The prospects were concluded based on the recent works from bimetallic catalysts and high efficient supports. Examples of significant challenges of reducing catalyst cost and increasing catalyst stability have been discussed. The modification and utilization of alkane selectivity of APR processes for liquid fuel production was also investigated.

Synthesis of ternary magnetic nanoparticles for enhanced catalytic conversion of biomass-derived methyl levulinate into γ-valerolactone

Conversion of levulinic acid and its esters into versatile y-valerolactone(GVL)is a pivotal and challenging step in biorefineries,limited by high catalyst cost,the use of hydrogen atmosphere,or tedious catalyst preparation and recycling process.Here we have successfully synthesized a ternary magnetic nanoparticle catalyst(Al_(2)O_(3)-ZrO_(2)/Fe_(3)O_(4)(5)),over which biomass-derived methyl levulinate(ML)can be quantitively converted to GVL with an extremely high selectivity of>99%and yield of-98%in the absence of molecular hydrogen.Al_(2)O_(3)-ZrO_(2)/Fe_(3)O_(4)(5)incorporates simultaneously inexpensive alumina and zirconia onto magnetite support by a facile coprecipitation method,giving rise to a core-shell structure,welldistributed acid-base sites,and strong magnetism,as evidenced by the X-ray diffraction(XRD),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),high-angle annular dark-field scanning-TEM(HAADF-STEM),SEM-energy dispersive Xray spectroscopy(SEM-EDX),temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia(NH3-TPD),temperature-programmed desorption of carbon dioxide(CO_(2)-TPD),pyridine-adsorption infrared spectra(Py-IR),and vibrating sample magnetometry(VSM).Such characteristics enable it to be highly active and easily recycled by a magnet for at least five cycles with a slight loss of its catalytic activity,avoiding a time-consuming and energy-intensive reactivation process.It is found that there was a synergistic effect among the metal oxides,and the high efficiency and selectivity originating from such synergism are evidenced by kinetic studies.Furthermore,a reaction mechanism regarding the hydrogenation of ML to GVL is proposed by these findings,coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)analysis.Accordingly,this readily synthesized and recovered magnetic nanocatalyst for conversion of biomassderived ML into GVL can provide an eco-friendly and safe way for biomass valorization.

Optimal Scheduling for Flexible Regional Integrated Energy Systemwith Soft Open Point

The Regional Integrated Energy System(RIES)has brought new modes of development,utilization,conversion,storage of energy.The introduction of Soft Open Point(SOP)and the application of Power to Gas(P2G)technology will greatly deepen the coupling of the electricity-gas integrated energy system,improve the flexibility and safety of the operation of the power system,and bring a deal of benefits to the power system.On this background,an optimal dispatch model of RIES combined cold,heat,gas and electricity with SOP is proposed.Firstly,RIES architecture with SOP and P2G is designed and its mathematical model also is built.Secondly,on the basis of considering the optimal scheduling of combined cold,heat,gas and electricity,the optimal scheduling model for RIES was established.After that,the original model is transformed into a mixed-integer second-order cone programming model by using linearization and second-order cone relaxation techniques,and the CPLEX solver is invoked to solve the optimization problem.Finally,the modified IEEE 33-bus systemis used to analyze the benefits of SOP,P2G technology and lithium bromide absorption chillers in reducing systemnetwork loss and cost,as well as improving the system’s ability to absorb wind and solar and operating safety.

Delivery of coenzyme Q10 loaded micelle targets mitochondrial ROS and enhances efficiency of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in intervertebral disc degeneration

Stem cell transplantation has been proved a promising therapeutic instrument in intervertebral disc degeneration(IVDD).However,the elevation of oxidative stress in the degenerated region impairs the efficiency of mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)transplantation treatment via exaggeration of mitochondrial ROS and promotion of BMSCs apoptosis.Herein,we applied an emulsion-confined assembly method to encapsulate Coenzyme Q10(Co-Q10),a promising hydrophobic antioxidant which targets mitochondria ROS,into the lecithin micelles,which renders the insoluble Co-Q10 dispersible in water as stable colloids.These micelles are injectable,which displayed efficient ability to facilitate Co-Q10 to get into BMSCs in vitro,and exhibited prolonged release of Co-Q10 in intervertebral disc tissue of animal models.Compared to mere use of Co-Q10,the Co-Q10 loaded micelle possessed better bioactivities,which elevated the viability,restored mitochondrial structure as well as function,and enhanced production of ECM components in rat BMSCs.Moreover,it is demonstrated that the injection of this micelle with BMSCs retained disc height and alleviated IVDD in a rat needle puncture model.Therefore,these Co-Q10 loaded micelles play a protective role in cell survival and differentiation through antagonizing mitochondrial ROS,and might be a potential therapeutic agent for IVDD.

Corrigendum to“Delivery of coenzyme Q10 loaded micelle targets mitochondrial ROS and enhances efficiency of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in intervertebral disc degeneration”[Bioact.Mater.23(2023)247-260]

This corrects the article“Delivery of coenzyme Q10 loaded micelle targets mitochondrial ROS and enhances efficiency of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in intervertebral disc degeneration”in volume 23 on page 247.The authors regret that the printed version of the above article contains some errors which are not identified during the proofing stage.

Experimental research on spinal metastasis with mouse models

To the Editor:The spine is a common site for tumor metastasis.Patients with spinal metastases have pain,pathological fractures and spinal deformities owing to the tumor invasion of spinal bones.At present,the mouse model is a very important tool for spinal metastases-related studies.[1]It is crucial to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanism underlying spinal metastases,improve the diagnosis and treatment guidelines,and develop new therapeutic methods.In this study,we have summarized various mouse spinal metastasis models and the applicable research contents.

Improving the real-time probabilistic channel flood forecasting by incorporating the uncertainty of inflow using the particle filter

An accurate and reliable real-time flood forecast is crucial for mitigating flood disasters. The errors associated with the inflow boundary forcing data are considered as an important source of uncertainties in hydraulic model. In this paper, a real-time probabilistic channel flood forecasting model is developed with a novel function to incorporate the uncertainty of the forcing inflow. This new approach couples a hydraulic model with the particle filter（PF） data assimilation algorithm, a sequential Bayesian Monte Carlo method. The stage observations at hydrological stations are assimilated at each time step to update the model states in order to improve the next time step＇s forecasting. This new approach is tested against a real flood event occurred in the upper Yangtze River. As compared with the open loop simulations, the evaluations of model performance with several deterministic and probabilistic metrics indicate that the accuracy of the ensemble mean prediction and the reliability of the uncertainty quantification are improved pronouncedly as a result of the PF assimilation. Further assessment of the prediction results at different lead times shows that the improvement of model performance deteriorates with the increase of the lead time due to the gradual diminishing of the updating effect for the initial conditions. Based on the analyses of the number of particles and the assimilation frequency, we find that the optimal number of particles can be determined by balancing the model performance and the computation cost, while a high assimilation frequency is preferred to incorporate the emerging observations to update the model states to match the real conditions.

A Superhydrophobic Hydrogel for Self-Healing and Robust Strain Sensor with Liquid Impalement Resistance

The superhydrophobic strain sensor is a fantastic direction,which could protect the strain sensor in harsh environment.Nevertheless,the self-healing superhydrophobic strain sensor has not been reported.In this research,we developed a superhydrophobic strain sensor,which demonstrated excellent self-healing,mechanical robustness,and liquid impalement resistance simultaneously.The key innovation is to partially embed hydrophobic graphene and carbon nanotubes into the hydrogel matrix.The hodrogel substrate endows the sample with self-healing property.The graphene,carbon nanotubes and hydrogel together lead to an accurate and real-time monitoring of human motion.Furthermore,the prepared sample demonstrated super-robust superhydrophobicity,which retained superhydrophobicity after many kinds of damage(such as 1000%stretch,10000 stretching-releasing cycles,hand-rub,tape-peeling,and high-speed drop/jet impact).

Hydrologic implications of the isotopic kinetic fractionation of open-water evaporation

The kinetic fractionation of open-water evaporation against the stable water isotope H_2 ^(18)O is an important mechanism underlying many hydrologic studies that use ^(18)O as an isotopic tracer. A recent in-situ measurement of the isotopic water vapor flux over a lake indicates that the kinetic effect is much weaker(kinetic factor 6.2‰) than assumed previously(kinetic factor14.2‰) by lake isotopic budget studies. This study investigates the implications of the weak kinetic effect for studies of deuterium excess-humidity relationships, regional moisture recycling, and global evapotranspiration partitioning. The results indicate that the low kinetic factor is consistent with the deuterium excess-humidity relationships observed over open oceans.The moisture recycling rate in the Great Lakes region derived from the isotopic tracer method with the low kinetic factor is a much better agreement with those from atmospheric modeling studies than if the default kinetic factor of 14.2‰ is used. The ratio of transpiration to evapotranspiration at global scale decreases from 84±9%(with the default kinetic factor) to 76±19%(with the low kinetic factor), the latter of which is in slightly better agreement with other non-isotopic partitioning results.

Spider Silk Supercontraction‑Inspired Cotton‑Hydrogel Self‑Adapting Textiles

Smart textiles are able to self-adapt to an irregular surface.So,they found new applications in intelligent clothes and equipments,where the properties and functionality of traditional polymeric fibers are insufficient,and hard to be realized.Inspired by the supercontraction behavior of the spider silk,we prepared a spinnable hydrogel to form a sheath-core-like composite yarn,after being coated on cotton yarn.The strong hydrogen bonding between the cotton yarn and the polar groups of the hydrogel provides an outstanding mechanical stability,and the twists insertion forms a spiral-like architecture,which exhibited moisture-responsive super contraction behavior.By structural tailoring the chirality of the fiber twists and coiling extends into homo-chiral and heterochiral architectures,as displays contraction and expansion when is exposed to the moisture.Once the relative humidity is increased from 60 to 90%,a homochiral yarn exhibits 90%contraction,while a heterochiral yarn shows 450% expansion,and the maximum work capacity reached up to 6.1 J/Kg.The super contracted yarn can be re-stretched to its original length manifesting cyclability,which can be exploited to build a smart textile,selfadaptive to irregular surfaces.Such a strategy may be further extended to a wide variety of materials to achieve intelligent textiles from common fiber or yarns.

The synergistic effect of micro structure/nanofiller/superhydrophobicity on the surface flashover

The surface flashover is affected by many factors,such as surface roughness,nanofillers and chemical functional groups.In this research study,polyamide mesh was utilised as a scaffold to systematically study the synergistic effect of micro structure/nanofiller/superhydrophobicity on the surface flashover.Based on the dissolution and resolidification method,nanofillers were partially embedded into the mesh fabrics.Here,Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles were used as a typical non-conductive nanofiller,and carbon nanotubes were used as a typical conductive nanofiller.Moreover,the micro structure was determined by altering the mesh size,and chemical fluorination was utilised to change the surface chemical group.It was found that the polyamide mesh with 300#demonstrated best anti-flashover properties.Chemical fluorination could effectively improve the flashover voltage.By further adjusting the ratio of Al_(2)O_(3)to carbon nanotubes,the flashover voltage can be increased by up to 30%.

Potential and limitations of satellite laser altimetry for monitoring water surface dynamics:ICESat for US lakes

Elevation measurements from the Ice,Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite(ICESat)have been applied to monitor dynamics of lakes and other surface water bodies.Despite such potential,the true utility of ICEsat--more generally,satellite laser altimetry--for continuously tracking surface water dynamics over time has not been adequately assessed,especially in the continental or global contexts.This study analyzed elevation derived from ICESat data for the conterminous United States and examined the potential and limitations of satellite laser altimetry in monitoring the water level dynamics.Owing to a lack of spatially-explicit ground-based water-level data,the high-fidelity land elevation data acquired by airborne lidar were firstly resorted to quantify ICESat’s ranging accuracy.Trend and frequency analyses were then performed to evaluate how reliably ICESat could capture water-level dynamics over a range of temporal scales,as compared to in-situ gauge measurements.The analytical results showed that ICESat had a vertical ranging error of 0.16 m at the footprint level-an lower limit on the detectable range of water-level dynamics.The sparsity of data over time was identified as a major factor limiting the use of ICESat for water dynamics studies.Of all the US lakes,only 361 had reliable ICESat measurements for more than two flight passes.Even for those lakes with sufficient temporal coverage,ICESat failed to capture the true interannual water-level dynamics in 32%of the cases.Our frequency analysis suggested that even with a repeat cycle of two months,ICESat could capture only 60%of the variations in water-level dynamics for at most 34%of the US lakes.To capture 60%of the water-level variation for most of the US lakes,a weekly repeated cycle(e.g.,less than 5 d)is needed-a requirement difficult to meet in current designs of spaceborne laser altimetry.Overall,the results highlight that current or near-future satellite laser missions,though with high ranging accuracies,are unlikely to fulfill the general needs in remotely monitoring water surface dynamics for lakes or reservoirs.

A Robust Superhydrophobic Smart Coating with Reversible Thermochromic and Photochromic Property

Both thermochromic and photochromic coating have attracted many attentions due to their widely applications,but the low stability is a big obstacle.Inspired by the lotus leaf,to endow the chromic coating with superhydrophobicity is a possible solution.In this research,a dual response coating was prepared by adding photochromic and thermochromic particles simultaneously.The prepared sample demonstrated at least four-state color switching,which can be successfully used in tactile imaging,multi-color fabric,erasable record,and security labels.The superhydrophobicity was achieved by introducing vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane,which not only offers low surface energy but also can cross-link with the particles to increase the adhesion.Thus,the prepared sample maintained superhydrophobicity after various kinds of destruction(such as sandpaper abrasion,corrosive liquid attack,ultrasonic treatment,UV irradiation,and high-speed drops/turbulent jets impact).Even though the superhydrophobicity can be destroyed by plasma etching,it can be recovered after 12 h at room temperature.

Enhancing the soil and water assessment tool model for simulating N_(2)O emissions of three agricultural systems

Nitrous oxide(N_(2)O)is a potent greenhouse gas(GHG)contributing to global warming,with the agriculture sector as the major source of anthropogenic N_(2)O emissions due to excessive fertilizer use.There is an urgent need to enhance regional-/watershed-scale models,such as Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT),to credibly simulate N_(2)O emissions to improve assessment of environmental impacts of cropping practices.Here,we integrated the DayCent model’s N_(2)O emission algorithms with the existing widely tested crop growth,hydrology,and nitrogen cycling algorithms in SWAT and evaluated this new tool for simulating N_(2)O emissions in three agricultural systems(i.e.,a continuous corn site,a switchgrass site,and a smooth brome grass site which was used as a reference site)located at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center(GLBRC)scale-up fields in southwestern Michigan.These three systems represent different levels of management intensity,with corn,switchgrass,and smooth brome grass(reference site)receiving high,medium,and zero fertilizer application,respectively.Results indicate that the enhanced SWAT model with default parameterization reproduced well the relative magnitudes of N_(2)O emissions across the three sites,indicating the usefulness of the new tool(SWAT-N_(2)O)to estimate long-term N_(2)O emissions of diverse cropping systems.Notably,parameter calibration can significantly improve model simulations of seasonality of N_(2)O fluxes,and explained up to 22.5%-49.7%of the variability in field observations.Further sensitivity analysis indicates that climate change(e.g.,changes in precipitation and temperature)influences N_(2)O emissions,highlighting the importance of optimizing crop management under a changing climate in order to achieve agricultural sustainability goals.