1.Experimental and Computational Investigation of pH-Dependent Urease Conformational Dynamics and Its Impact on MICP Efficiency
Qiu-Cai ZHANG ; Yi-Fei ZHENG ; Mei-Zhong HUANG ; Xiu-Kang SHEN ; Ling-Ling WU ; Zhi-Jun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):879-894
The engineering application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation(MICP)is limited by pH-dependent conformational dynamics of urease.Focusing on the α-subunit urease from Sporosarcina pasteurii,this study integrated conductivity experiments and constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations to analyze active site conformational dynamics and catalytic function across pH 3-11.Results showed that under neutral conditions(pH 7-8),key histidine residues(HIS139/HIS249)exhibited minimal dis-placement(<0.5 ?),the longest hydrogen bond lifetime(>8 ps),highest conformational stability(root mean square deviation,RMSD:0.15-0.18 nm),and optimal catalytic activity(conductivity change rate:0.03 mS/cm·min-1,CaCO3 precipitation:3.84 g).Extreme pH(pH 3/11)induced structural collapse(displacement up to 1.8 ?)and complete activity loss.Simulations revealed that neutral pH sta-bilizes a protonation-dependent cooperative allosteric network by maintaining active site cavity volume(~120 ?3)and moderate conformational coherence(correlation coefficient~0.8).This work deciphers the molecular mechanism of pH-regulated urease dynamics through protonation states,providing theoreti-cal support for MICP applications in acidic mine tailing remediation and alkaline soil stabilization.
2.Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral refracture after percutaneous vertebral augmentation in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures (version 2025)
Yong YANG ; Xiaoguang ZHOU ; Qixin CHEN ; Jian CHEN ; Jian DONG ; Liangjie DU ; Shunwu FAN ; Jin FAN ; Zhong FANG ; Haoyu FENG ; Shiqing FENG ; Haishan GUAN ; Aiguo GAO ; Yanzheng GAO ; Yong HAI ; Da HE ; Dengwei HE ; Haiyi HE ; Dianming JIANG ; Xuewen KANG ; Bin LIN ; Baoge LIU ; Changqing LI ; Fang LI ; Li LI ; Fangcai LI ; Weishi LI ; Xiaoguang LIU ; Hongjian LIU ; Xinyu LIU ; Yong LIU ; Zhongjun LIU ; Shibao LU ; Xuhua LU ; Fei LUO ; Yuhai MA ; Keya MAO ; Xuexiao MA ; Bin MENG ; Xu NING ; Limin RONG ; Hongxun SANG ; Jun SHU ; Tiansheng SUN ; Dasheng TIAN ; Zheng WANG ; Bing WANG ; Linfeng WANG ; Qingde WANG ; Qinghe WANG ; Lan WEI ; Jigong WU ; Baoshan XU ; Youjia XU ; Guoyong YIN ; Jinglong YAN ; Feng YAN ; Cao YANG ; Huilin YANG ; Qiang YANG ; Bin ZHAO ; Jie ZHAO ; Yue ZHU ; Jianguo ZHANG ; Wenzhi ZHANG ; Zhongmin ZHANG ; Zhaomin ZHENG ; Yan ZENG ; Baorong HE ; Wei MEI
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2025;41(7):613-626
Vertebral refracture following percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA) is commonly seen in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures (OTLCF). It can lead to recurrent pain, loss of vertebral height, progression of kyphosis, and even neurological dysfunction, significantly impairing patients′ quality of life. Current diagnosis and treatment face multiple challenges, including high misdiagnosis rate, difficulty in choosing between surgical and non-surgical treatment options, lack of standardized surgical protocols, interference from intralesional bone cement during procedures, inadequate stability of internal fixation in osteoporotic bone, and suboptimal compliance of anti-osteoporotic therapy. Establishing a standardized diagnostic and therapeutic framework is urgently needed. To standardize the management process and improve outcomes for vertebral refractures after PVA in elderly OTLCF patients, Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the field to develop Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral refracture after percutaneous vertebral augmentation in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025), based on current literature and clinical experience, and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and clinical applicability. A total of 11 recommendations were proposed, encompassing diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of vertebral refracture after PVA in elderly patients with OTLCF, aiming to provide a foundation for a standardized management.
3.Experimental and Computational Investigation of pH-Dependent Urease Conformational Dynamics and Its Impact on MICP Efficiency
Qiu-Cai ZHANG ; Yi-Fei ZHENG ; Mei-Zhong HUANG ; Xiu-Kang SHEN ; Ling-Ling WU ; Zhi-Jun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):879-894
The engineering application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation(MICP)is limited by pH-dependent conformational dynamics of urease.Focusing on the α-subunit urease from Sporosarcina pasteurii,this study integrated conductivity experiments and constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations to analyze active site conformational dynamics and catalytic function across pH 3-11.Results showed that under neutral conditions(pH 7-8),key histidine residues(HIS139/HIS249)exhibited minimal dis-placement(<0.5 ?),the longest hydrogen bond lifetime(>8 ps),highest conformational stability(root mean square deviation,RMSD:0.15-0.18 nm),and optimal catalytic activity(conductivity change rate:0.03 mS/cm·min-1,CaCO3 precipitation:3.84 g).Extreme pH(pH 3/11)induced structural collapse(displacement up to 1.8 ?)and complete activity loss.Simulations revealed that neutral pH sta-bilizes a protonation-dependent cooperative allosteric network by maintaining active site cavity volume(~120 ?3)and moderate conformational coherence(correlation coefficient~0.8).This work deciphers the molecular mechanism of pH-regulated urease dynamics through protonation states,providing theoreti-cal support for MICP applications in acidic mine tailing remediation and alkaline soil stabilization.
4.Endoplasmic reticulum membrane remodeling by targeting reticulon-4 induces pyroptosis to facilitate antitumor immune.
Mei-Mei ZHAO ; Ting-Ting REN ; Jing-Kang WANG ; Lu YAO ; Ting-Ting LIU ; Ji-Chao ZHANG ; Yang LIU ; Lan YUAN ; Dan LIU ; Jiu-Hui XU ; Peng-Fei TU ; Xiao-Dong TANG ; Ke-Wu ZENG
Protein & Cell 2025;16(2):121-135
Pyroptosis is an identified programmed cell death that has been highly linked to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dynamics. However, the crucial proteins for modulating dynamic ER membrane curvature change that trigger pyroptosis are currently not well understood. In this study, a biotin-labeled chemical probe of potent pyroptosis inducer α-mangostin (α-MG) was synthesized. Through protein microarray analysis, reticulon-4 (RTN4/Nogo), a crucial regulator of ER membrane curvature, was identified as a target of α-MG. We observed that chemically induced proteasome degradation of RTN4 by α-MG through recruiting E3 ligase UBR5 significantly enhances the pyroptosis phenotype in cancer cells. Interestingly, the downregulation of RTN4 expression significantly facilitated a dynamic remodeling of ER membrane curvature through a transition from tubules to sheets, consequently leading to rapid fusion of the ER with the cell plasma membrane. In particular, the ER-to-plasma membrane fusion process is supported by the observed translocation of several crucial ER markers to the "bubble" structures of pyroptotic cells. Furthermore, α-MG-induced RTN4 knockdown leads to pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2)-dependent conventional caspase-3/gasdermin E (GSDME) cleavages for pyroptosis progression. In vivo, we observed that chemical or genetic RTN4 knockdown significantly inhibited cancer cells growth, which further exhibited an antitumor immune response with anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1). In translational research, RTN4 high expression was closely correlated with the tumor metastasis and death of patients. Taken together, RTN4 plays a fundamental role in inducing pyroptosis through the modulation of ER membrane curvature remodeling, thus representing a prospective druggable target for anticancer immunotherapy.
Pyroptosis/immunology*
;
Humans
;
Endoplasmic Reticulum/immunology*
;
Animals
;
Nogo Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors*
;
Mice
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Xanthones/pharmacology*
;
Neoplasms/pathology*
;
Mice, Nude
5.Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral refracture after percutaneous vertebral augmentation in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures (version 2025)
Yong YANG ; Xiaoguang ZHOU ; Qixin CHEN ; Jian CHEN ; Jian DONG ; Liangjie DU ; Shunwu FAN ; Jin FAN ; Zhong FANG ; Haoyu FENG ; Shiqing FENG ; Haishan GUAN ; Aiguo GAO ; Yanzheng GAO ; Yong HAI ; Da HE ; Dengwei HE ; Haiyi HE ; Dianming JIANG ; Xuewen KANG ; Bin LIN ; Baoge LIU ; Changqing LI ; Fang LI ; Li LI ; Fangcai LI ; Weishi LI ; Xiaoguang LIU ; Hongjian LIU ; Xinyu LIU ; Yong LIU ; Zhongjun LIU ; Shibao LU ; Xuhua LU ; Fei LUO ; Yuhai MA ; Keya MAO ; Xuexiao MA ; Bin MENG ; Xu NING ; Limin RONG ; Hongxun SANG ; Jun SHU ; Tiansheng SUN ; Dasheng TIAN ; Zheng WANG ; Bing WANG ; Linfeng WANG ; Qingde WANG ; Qinghe WANG ; Lan WEI ; Jigong WU ; Baoshan XU ; Youjia XU ; Guoyong YIN ; Jinglong YAN ; Feng YAN ; Cao YANG ; Huilin YANG ; Qiang YANG ; Bin ZHAO ; Jie ZHAO ; Yue ZHU ; Jianguo ZHANG ; Wenzhi ZHANG ; Zhongmin ZHANG ; Zhaomin ZHENG ; Yan ZENG ; Baorong HE ; Wei MEI
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2025;41(7):613-626
Vertebral refracture following percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA) is commonly seen in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures (OTLCF). It can lead to recurrent pain, loss of vertebral height, progression of kyphosis, and even neurological dysfunction, significantly impairing patients′ quality of life. Current diagnosis and treatment face multiple challenges, including high misdiagnosis rate, difficulty in choosing between surgical and non-surgical treatment options, lack of standardized surgical protocols, interference from intralesional bone cement during procedures, inadequate stability of internal fixation in osteoporotic bone, and suboptimal compliance of anti-osteoporotic therapy. Establishing a standardized diagnostic and therapeutic framework is urgently needed. To standardize the management process and improve outcomes for vertebral refractures after PVA in elderly OTLCF patients, Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the field to develop Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral refracture after percutaneous vertebral augmentation in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025), based on current literature and clinical experience, and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and clinical applicability. A total of 11 recommendations were proposed, encompassing diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of vertebral refracture after PVA in elderly patients with OTLCF, aiming to provide a foundation for a standardized management.
6.Predictive value of glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism indexes for in-stent restenosis in patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans of lower limbs after surgery
Chengwen WU ; Chaoyi CUI ; Haihan KANG ; Fei LI
Journal of Xinxiang Medical College 2024;41(7):657-662
Objective To explore the predictive value of glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism indexes for in-stent restenosis(ISR)in patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans(ASO)of lower limbs after surgery.Methods A total of 160 patients with ASO of lower limbs admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2018 to October 2021 were selected as the research subjects.All patients were treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty combined with stent implantation and were followed up for 1 year.Patients were divided into the ISR group(n=59)and the non-ISR group(n=101),according to the incidence of ISR during the follow-up period.General clinical data of patients in the two groups were collected.Univariate analysis was performed to preliminarily screen out the influencing factors for ISR,and the selected indexes were further analyzed by multivariate logistic regression to analyze the influencing factors for the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the value of the glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism indexes one day before discharge alone and their combination in predicting the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery.The net benefit rate of predicting the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs by the levels of glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism indexes one day before discharge alone and their combination was analyzed through the decision curve.Results Among the 160 patients,59 developed ISR,with an incidence rate of 36.88%.There was no significant difference in age,gender,alcohol consumption,complications,affected side,Fontaine stage,fasting plasma glucose,and serum triglycerides of patients between the ISR group and the non-ISR group(P>0.05);the proportion of smokers and the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)in peripheral blood and low-density lipoprotein(LDL)in serum of patients in the ISR group were significantly higher than those in the non-ISR group,while the level of high-density lipoprotein(HDL)in serum was significantly lower than that in the non-ISR group(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the elevated levels of HbA1 c in peripheral blood and LDL in serum were risk factors for ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery(odds ratio>1.00,P<0.05),and the increased level of HDL in serum was the protective factor for ISR in patients with ASO of limbs after surgery(odds ratio<1.00,P<0.05).The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve of peripheral blood HbA1c,serum LDL and HDL levels alone and their combination in predicting the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery was 0.717,0.761,0.654,and 0.824,respectively;the specificity was 0.861,0.792,0.851,and 0.663,respectively;and the sensitivity was 0.525,0.678,0.424,and 0.864,respectively.The decision curve showed that the net benefit rate for the combination of peripheral blood HbA1c,serum LDL and HDL levels one day before discharge in predicting the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery was higher than that of prediction by the said indexes alone.Conclusion Glucose metabolism index peripheral blood HbA1c and lipid metabolism indexes serum LDL and HDL have certain predictive values for the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery,and the net benefit rate of the joint prediction of the three indexes is higher.
7.Relationship between serum miR-326 and miR-623 expression and clinical pathological characteristics in non-small cell lung cancer patients
Rujing HUANG ; Hongling LU ; Chao WU ; Hongjuan YANG ; Xiaoming YIN ; Yang ZHAO ; Huawei KANG ; Fei TIAN ; Yunchuan SUN
Journal of Clinical Surgery 2024;32(7):706-710
Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of serum microRNA-326(miR-326)and microRNA-623(miR-623)in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)patients and their clinical pathological characteristics and prognosis.Methods A total of 114 NSCLC patients diagnosed in our hospital from March 2019 to June 2020 were collected as study subjects as case group,123 healthy individuals who underwent physical examination were as the control group.According to the 3-year prognosis,patients were separated into a survival group of 71 cases and a death group of 43 cases.Patient related clinical data were collected,real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR method was applied to detect the expression levels of miR-326 and miR-623 in various serum samples;Kaplan-Meier method was applied to analyze the relationship between the expression levels of serum miR-326 and miR-623 in NSCLC patients and their 3-year prognosis;Cox proportional risk regression model was applied to analyze the influencing factors of 3-year prognosis in NSCLC patients.Results The expression levels of serum miR-326 in the case group and control group were 0.64±0.15 and 1.02±0.23,respectively,and the expression levels of miR-623 were 0.56±0.10 and 0.98±0.15,respectively.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).The proportions of patients with low expression of miR-326 and miR-623 in low differentiation,TNM stage Ⅲ+Ⅳ,and lymph node metastasis were higher than those in high differentiation,TNM stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ,and no lymph node metastasis(P<0.05).The 3-year survival rates of patients with low expression of miR-326(20/55,36.36%)and miR-623(27/61,44.26%)in the serum of NSCLC patients were lower than those of patients with high expression of miR-326(51/59,86.44%)and miR-623(44/53,83.02%)(Log Rank x2=32.060,22.812,P<0.05).Serum miR-326[(0.55±0.09)vs.(0.69±0.11)]and miR-623 levels[(0.48±0.08)vs.(0.61±0.10)]of patients in the death group were significantly lower than those in the survival group(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)for poor prognosis of serum miR-326 and miR-623 alone and in combination in patients diagnosed with NSCLC were 0.828(95%CI:0.754 to 0.901),0.763(95%CI:0.671 to 0.855),and 0.903(95%CI:0.849 to 0.958),respectively.The proportions of patients with TNM stage Ⅲ+Ⅳ,lymph node metastasis,low expression of miR-326 and low expression of miR-623in the death group were higher than those in the survival group(P<0.05).MiR-326 and miR-623 were protective factors affecting 3-year mortality in NSCLC patients,while TNM staging and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors affecting 3-year mortality in NSCLC patients(P<0.05).Conclusion The low expression of miR-326 and miR-623 may be involved in the occurrence and development of lung cancer,which is closely related to the clinical pathological characteristics and poor prognosis of patients.
8. Advances in research of polysaccharides on inflammatory diseases and gut microbiota
Yu-Zhe HUANG ; Qian-Zhen WU ; Hao CHEN ; Kun-Feng ZHANG ; Jie-Lin CHEN ; Yan CHEN ; Teng-Fei XU ; Da-Xiang LI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2022;38(11):1601-1606
Gut microbiota is a bridge between the metabolism and health state of the host,which plays a very important role in maintaining homeostasis. Natural polysaccharides,widely existed in nature,are a kind of biological macromolecules with prebiotics effects,which can improve a degree of physiological status by selectively changing the gut microbiota structure and function,enhancing the content of short chain fatty acids(SCFAs)and decreasing the level of inflammatory cytokines. In addition,the majority of polysaccharides can be degraded by gut microbiota to enhance their bioavailability and to promote the health state of the host. In this paper we discuss the interaction among polysaccharides and gut microbiotanatural,degradation mechanism and review gut microbiota as a target in the treatment of metabolic diseases,so as to provide future prospects of natural polysaccharides as " prebiotics " functional factors in the field of biological medicine and health products.
9.Association of nutritional status with clinical outcomes of stroke patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion after emergency endovascular treatment.
Yi SUN ; Ya Chen JI ; Kang Fei WU ; Hao WANG ; Ya Peng GUO ; Xiang Jun XU ; Xian Jin SHANG ; Qian YANG ; Xian Jun HUANG ; Zhi Ming ZHOU
Journal of Southern Medical University 2022;42(9):1397-1402
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the influence of nutritional status on 90-day functional outcomes of stroke patients with acute large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation after endovascular treatment (EVT).
METHODS:
We retrospectively analyzed the baseline, laboratory, surgical and 90-day follow-up data of patients with stroke resulting from acute large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation, who underwent emergency endovascular treatment in our hospital from July, 2015 to December, 2020. A favorable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin scale score ≤2 at 90 days. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to explore the relationship between nutritional status and 90-day functional outcomes of the patients.
RESULTS:
A total of 459 patients (mean age of 68.29±11.21 years, including 260 males) were enrolled in this study. According to their prognostic nutritional index (PNI), the patients were divided into normal nutrition group (392 cases, 85.4%), moderate malnutrition group (44 cases, 9.6%), and severe malnutrition group (23 cases, 5.0%). Univariate analysis showed that the patients with good clinical outcomes had a lower proportion of malnutrition with a younger age, a lower rate of diabetes, lower baseline blood pressure, lower baseline NIHSS score, higher baseline ASPECT score, and higher rates of good collateral circulation and complete vascular recanalization. Multivariate analysis showed that in addition to age, diabetes, baseline systolic blood pressure, successful recanalization, baseline ASPECT score, baseline NIHSS score and collateral circulation, a greater PNI was a protective factor for a good 90-day outcome of patients after EVT (moderate vs severe: OR=0.245, 95% CI: 0.066-0.908, P=0.035; normal vs severe: OR=0.185, 95% CI: 0.059-0.581, P=0.004).
CONCLUSION
Nutritional status an important factor affecting the 90-day outcomes after EVT of stroke patients with acute large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation.
Aged
;
Brain Ischemia/etiology*
;
Endovascular Procedures/methods*
;
Humans
;
Male
;
Malnutrition/etiology*
;
Middle Aged
;
Nutritional Status
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Stroke/surgery*
;
Thrombectomy/methods*
;
Treatment Outcome
10.Application of limiting antigen avidity enzyme immunoassay for estimating HIV-1 incidence in men who have sex with men.
Xi Jia TANG ; Lei Jing DUAN ; Wen Li LIANG ; Si CHENG ; Ting Li DONG ; Zhen XIE ; Kang Mai LIU ; Fei YU ; Zi Huang CHEN ; Guo Dong MI ; Liang LIANG ; Hong Jing YAN ; Lin CHEN ; Li LIN ; Dian Min KANG ; Xiao Bing FU ; Mao Feng QIU ; Zhen JIANG ; Jie XU ; Zun You WU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2022;43(1):72-77
Objective: To estimate the incidence of HIV-1 infection in men who have sex with men (MSM) in key areas of China through HIV-1 limiting antigen avidity enzyme immunoassay (LAg-Avidity EIA), analyze the deviation from the actual results and identify influencing factors, and provided reference for improving the accuracy of estimation results. Methods: Based on the principle of the cohort randomized study design, 20 cities were selected in China based on population size and the number of HIV-positive MSM. The sample size was estimated to be 700 according to the HIV-1 infection rate in MSM. MSM mobile phone app. was used to establish a detection appointment and questionnaire system, and the baseline cross-sectional survey was conducted from April to November 2019. LAg-Avidity EIA was used to identify the recent infected samples. The incidence of HIV-1 infection was calculated and then adjusted based on the estimation formula designed by WHO. The influencing factors were identified by analyzing the sample collection and detection processes. Results: Among the 10 650 blood samples from the participants, 799 were HIV-positive in initial screening, in which 198 samples (24.78%) missed during confirmation test. Only 621 samples were received by the laboratory. After excluding misreported samples, 520 samples were qualified for testing. A total of 155 samples were eventually determined as recent infection through LAg-Avidity EIA; Based on the estimation formula , the incidence of HIV-1 infection in MSM in 20 cities was 4.06% (95%CI:3.27%-4.85%), it increased to 5.53% (95%CI: 4.45%-6.60%)after the adjusting for sample missing rate. When the sample missing rate and misreporting rate were both adjusted, the incidence of HIV-1 infection in the MSM increased to 5.66% (95%CI:4.67%-6.65%). The actual incidence of HIV-1 infection in MSM in the 20 cities might be between 4.06% and 5.66%. Conclusions: Sample missing and misreporting might cause the deviation of the estimation of HIV-1 infection incidence. It is important to ensure the sample source and the quality of sample collection and detection to reduce the deviation in the estimation of HIV-1 infection incidence.
Cross-Sectional Studies
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HIV Infections/epidemiology*
;
HIV-1
;
Homosexuality, Male
;
Humans
;
Immunoenzyme Techniques
;
Incidence
;
Male
;
Sexual and Gender Minorities

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