Biomolecular condensates are formed through phase separation of biomacromolecules such as proteins and RNAs. These condensates exhibit liquid-like properties that can futher transition into more stable material states. They form complex internal structures via multivalent weak interactions, enabling precise spatiotemporal regulations. However, the use of inconsistent and non-standardized terminology has become increasingly problematic, hindering academic exchange and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the terminology related to biomolecular condensates in order to clarify concepts, promote interdisciplinary cooperation, enhance research efficiency, and support the healthy development of this field.

Objective To evaluate the surgical efficacy of unilateral pneumonectomy for the treatment of tuberculous destroyed lung, analyze the causes of severe postoperative complications, and explore clinical management strategies. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with tuberculous destroyed lung who underwent unilateral pneumonectomy at the Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu from 2017 to 2023. Postoperative severe complications were statistically analyzed. Patients were divided into a non-severe complication group and a severe-complication group, and the causes, management, and outcomes of complications were analyzed. Results A total of 134 patients were included, comprising 69 males and 65 females, with a mean age of 17-73 (40.43±12.69) years. There were 93 patients undergoing left pneumonectomy and 41 patients undergoing right pneumonectomy. Preoperative sputum smear was positive in 35 patients, all of which converted to negative postoperatively. There were 58 patients with hemoptysis preoperatively, and none experienced hemoptysis postoperatively. Postoperative incisional infection occurred in 8 (5.97%) patients, and postoperative pulmonary infection in 26 (19.40%) patients. Severe postoperative complications occurred in 17 (12.69%) patients, including empyema in 9 (6.72%) patients, bronchopleural fistula with empyema in 1 (0.75%) patient, severe pneumonia in 3 (2.24%) patients, postpneumonectomy syndrome in 1 (0.75%) patient, chylothorax in 1 (0.75%) patient, ketoacidosis in 1 (0.75%) patient, and heart failure with severe pneumonia in 1 (0.75%) patient. Perioperative mortality occurred in 2 (1.49%) patients, both of whom underwent right pneumonectomy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a history of ipsilateral thoracic surgery, concomitant Aspergillus infection, and greater blood loss were independent risk factors for severe complications following unilateral pneumonectomy for tuberculous destroyed lung (P<0.05). Conclusion Unilateral pneumonectomy for patients with tuberculous destroyed lung can significantly improve the clinical cure rate, sputum conversion rate, and hemoptysis cessation rate. However, there is a certain risk of severe perioperative complications and mortality, requiring thorough perioperative management and appropriate management of postoperative complications.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on pregnancy outcomes after assisted reproduction and mitochondrial function of granulosa cells (GCs) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and phlegm-dampness syndrome. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 90 infertile women with PCOS and phlegm-dampness syndrome were recruited between August 2022 and December 2022. Patients were randomly assigned to the EA and control groups using a random sequence of codes in the order of enrolment, with 45 in in each group. Both groups underwent the ovarian stimulation protocol. The patients in the EA group received EA therapy including Zhongwan (CV 12), Qihai (CV 6), bilateral Xuehai (SP 10), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Tianshu (ST 25), Zusanli (ST 36), and Fenglong (ST 40), and the patients in the control group was treated with pseudo-acupuncture. The intervention was 25 min twice a week for a total of 6 times until the trigger day after menstruation had ended in the cycle before oocyte retrieval. The primary outcomes were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and the number of high-quality embryos. The secondary outcomes were (1) pregnancy-related indicators, including fresh embryo transfer rate (ETR), ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) rate, early pregnancy loss rate (ePLR), ectopic pregnancy rate, live birth rate (LBR), and cumulative CPR; (2) mitochondrial autophagy and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in GCs; and (3) scoring for Chinese medicine syndrome. Adverse events to assess clinical safety were also monitored. RESULTS: The cumulative CPR was significantly higher in the EA group (42/45, 93.3%) than in the control group (38/45, 84.4%, P=0.036). The number of high-quality embryos and fresh ETR in the EA group were higher than those in the control group (3.80±1.65 vs. 2.44±1.34, P<0.001; 46.7% vs 24.4%, P=0.028). Ectopic pregnancies were not observed in either group. There were no significant differences in the fresh CPR, OHSS rate, ePLR or LBR between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the EA group showed lower expression levels of miR-146a-5p mRNA and P62 protein in GCs and higher levels of MMP and the LC3-II/LC3-I protein ratio (all P<0.01). The phlegm-dampness syndrome scores of the EA group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS EA significantly improved pregnancy outcomes in patients with PCOS and phlegm dampness syndrome. Mechanistically, this effect may be related to EA in decreasing miR-146a-5p mRNA expression, promoting mitochondrial autophagy in GCs, and improving mitochondrial function, which may contribute to improved oocyte quality. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2200062915).
Humans ; Female ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome/therapy* ; Pregnancy ; Electroacupuncture ; Granulosa Cells/metabolism* ; Adult ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Rate ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Infertility, Female/therapy*

Lacking therapeutic targets highlights the crucial roles of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the clinical management of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). To relieve the side effects of the chemoradiotherapy combination regimen, we design and develop a self-assembled micelle nanosystem consisting of perfluorocarbon chain-modified cisplatin prodrug. By incorporating perfluorodecalin, this nanosystem can effectively carry ozone and promote irradiation-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. By leveraging the perfluorocarbon sidechain, the nanosystem exhibits efficient internalization by TNBC cells and effectively escapes from lysosomal entrapment. Under X-ray irradiation, ozone-generated ROS disrupts the intracellular redox balance, thereby facilitating the release of cisplatin in a reduction-responsive manner mediated by reduced glutathione. Moreover, oxygen derived from ozone decomposition enhances the efficacy of radiotherapy by alleviating tumor hypoxia. Notably, the combination of irradiation with ozone-loaded cisplatin prodrug nano system synergistically prompts antitumor efficacy and reduces cellular/systemic toxicity in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the combo regimen remodels the tumor microenvironment into an immune-favored state by triggering immunogenic cell death and relieving hypoxia, which provides a promising foundation for a combination regimen of immunotherapy. In conclusion, our nanosystem presents a novel strategy for integrating chemotherapy and radiotherapy to optimize the efficacy and safety of TNBC clinical treatment.

Tailored lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)-mediated small interfering RNA (siRNA) nanomedicines show promise in treating liver disease, such as acute liver injury (ALI) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, constructing LNPs that address biosafety concerns, ensure efficient delivery, and target specific hepatic subcellular fractions has been challenging. To evade above obstacles, we develop three novel self-degradable "gemini-like" ionizable lipids (SS-MA, SS-DC, SS-MH) by incorporating disulfide bonds and modifying the length of ester bond and tertiary amino head. Our findings reveal that the disulfide-bond-bridged LNPs exhibit reduction-responsive drug release, improving both biosafety and siRNA delivery efficiency. Furthermore, the distance of ester bond and tertiary amino head significantly influences the LNPs' pK _a, thereby affecting endosomal escape, hemolytic efficiency, absorption capacity of ApoE, uptake efficiency of hepatocytes and liver accumulation. We also develop the modified-mannose LNPs (M-LNP) to target liver macrophages specifically. The optimized M-MH_LNP@TNFα exhibits potential in preventing ALI by decreasing tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) levels in the macrophages, while MH_LNP@DGAT2 could treat NASH by selectively degrading diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) in the hepatocytes. Our findings provide new insights into developing novel highly effective and low-toxic "gemini-like" ionizable lipids for constructing LNPs, potentially achieving more effective treatment for hepatic diseases.

Objective:To investigate the changes in the white matter fiber structure of fetal brain with mild to moderate isolated ventriculomegaly (IVM) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) model and fixed based analysis (FBA) method of diffusion MRI (dMRI).Methods:This was a case-control study. Twenty fetuses diagnosed with mild to moderate IVM who were admitted to the Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from August 2022 to August 2023 were included prospectively as the IVM group, with gestational age ranging from 24 to 36 (29.9±3.6) weeks. The control group included 22 normal control fetuses obtained from the dMRI atlas data of Chinese fetal brain, with gestational age ranging from 24 to 36 (30.2±3.7) weeks. The dMRI data were collected for all fetuses and the DTI model was used to obtain fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity of 7 main fiber bundles, including the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum, middle cerebellar peduncle, bilateral cortico-spinal tract, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and anterior thalamic radiation. The FBA method was used to obtain fiber density (FD), fiber cross-sectional area (FC), and fiber density and cross-section (FDC) of the whole brain. The comparison of DTI parameters of each fiber bundle between the two groups was conducted using independent sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test. The comparison of FBA parameters between the two groups was performed using covariance analysis, and the MRtrix3 software package was used to display the brain regions with significant differences. Results:The FA values of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus in the IVM group and the control group were 0.142±0.012 and 0.133±0.015, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.21, P=0.033), while the DTI parameters of the other fiber bundles showed no statistically significant differences ( P>0.05). The whole brain FBA results showed that compared with the control group,FD decreased while FC increased in the corpus callosum, fornix, and sagittal stratum in IVM fetuses, while FDC decreased in the cortico-spinal tract. Conclusion:There are microstructural changes of the brain white matter fiber in intrauterine fetuses with mild to moderate IVM, which are mainly located in the white matter fiber bundles surrounding the body, atrium, and temporal horn of the lateral ventricle.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features of colorectal adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation (CAED).Methods:Eight cases of CAED diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China from January 2017 to August 2023 were collected. The histopathological, immunohistochemical, molecular and prognostic features of 8 CAED cases were analyzed. The relevant studies were also reviewed.Results:Among the eight patients, there were six males and two females, with an average age of 58 years (range: 29-77 years, median age: 61.5 years). Preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were elevated in five patients (14.0-286.6 μg/L). Four tumors were located in the colon, and four tumors in the rectum. Two patients were clinically staged as advanced stage (stage Ⅳ), and distant metastasis occurred at the initial diagnosis (one case had liver metastasis, and the other had lung, bone and multiple lymph nodes metastases). Six patients were clinically staged as locally-advanced stage (Stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ). Three of them developed distant metastases after surgery (one case had liver metastasis, one case had lung metastasis, and one case had peritoneal metastasis). Additionally, two patients died at 9 months and 24 months after surgery, respectively. The tumors were composed of various proportions of adenocarcinoma components with enteroblastic differentiation (30%-100%) and classical tubular adenocarcinoma components. The component with enteroblastic differentiation exhibited morphology similar to embryonic intestinal epithelium: cuboidal or columnar tumor cells arranged in tubular, papillary, cribriform, or solid nest patterns, with clear cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical studies showed that tumor cells expressed at least one oncofetal protein (SALL4, Glypican-3, and AFP). In addition, focal squamous differentiation was observed in 3 cases (3/8). Compared to the primary tumor, both CAED and squamous differentiation components were increased in the metastatic tumors. Based on the sequencing results of KRAS, NRAS and BRAF of the primary and/or metastatic tumors, 5 cases were wild-type, while KRAS exon 2 (G13D) mutations were identified in 2 cases.Conclusions:CAED is a rare colorectal malignancy with a dismal prognosis. Accurate pathological diagnosis is prognostically valuable. The histological features of enteroblastic differentiation, elevated serum AFP levels, and the expression of oncofetal proteins play an important role in the tumor diagnosis.

Objective:To investigate the effects of selinexor,a inhibitor of nuclear export protein 1(XPO1)on the proliferation inhibition and apoptosis of Kasumi-1 cells in acute myeloid leukemia(AML).Methods:MTS method was used to detect the inhibitory effect of different concentrations of selinexor on the proliferation of Kasumi-1 cells at different time points.The apoptosis rate and cell cycle changes after treatment with different concentration of selinexor were detected by flow cytometry.Results:Selinexor inhibited the growth of Kasumi-1 cells at different time points in a concentration-dependent manner(r24 h=0.7592,r48 h=0.9456,and r72 h=0.9425).Selinexor inhibited Kasumi-1 cells growth in a time-dependent manner(r=0.9057 in 2.5 μmol/L group,r=0.9897 in 5 μmol/L group and r=0.9994 in 10 μmol/L group).Selinexor could induce apoptosis of Kasumi-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner(r=0.9732),and the apoptosis of Kasumi-1 cells was more obvious with the increase of drug concentration.The proportion of G0/G1 phase was significantly increased and the proportion of S phase was significantly decreased after the treatment of Kasumi-1 cells by selinexor.With the increase of drug concentration,the proportion of Kasumi-1 cells cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase was increased and the cell synthesis was decreased.Conclusion:Selinexor can promote the death of tumor cells by inhibiting Kasumi-1 cells proliferation,inducing apoptosis and blocking cell cycle.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH)in regulating ferroptosis,malignant biological behavior,and cisplatin resistance in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma(LSCC)under hypoxic conditions.METHODS Human laryngeal cancer Hep-2 and TU212 cell lines were cultured in vitro under hypoxic(1%O2)and normoxic(21%O2)conditions without serum.Hep-2 cells were divided into five experimental groups:DMSO control group,Erastin treatment group,Hypoxia+Erastin group,Hypoxia+Erastin+NC-GAPDH group,and Hypoxia+Erastin+Silenced GAPDH group,to study the cellular response under various experimental conditions.Quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)and Western blot(WB)techniques were employed to analyze GAPDH mRNA and protein expression levels in each cell line.Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8),colony formation,and Transwell invasion assays were used to assess the vitality,proliferation,and invasion capabilities of each group of laryngeal cancer cells.Additionally,CCK-8 assays were used to determine cell resistance to various concentrations of cisplatin(5,15,20 μg/ml).Kit methods were used to evaluate intracellular malondialdehyde(MDA)and glutathione(GSH)levels.WB was employed to detect the expression levels of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)and 4-hydroxynonenal(4-HNE)proteins.Fe2+probes and reactive oxygen species(ROS)fluorescence probes were used to measure intracellular Fe2+content and ROS levels.Transmission electron microscopy was utilized to observe mitochondrial morphology changes to assess ferroptosis occurrence.RESULTS Compared to normoxic conditions,hypoxia significantly increased the expression of GAPDH mRNA and protein in Hep-2 and Tu212 cells(P<0.05).Under hypoxic conditions,the number of cell colonies,migration capacity,and cell viability at 15 and 20 μg/ml cisplatin treatment were significantly higher than those under normoxic conditions(P<0.05).When GAPDH was silenced,these hypoxia-induced enhancements were reversed.Under normoxic conditions,compared to the DMSO control group,Erastin treatment significantly reduced the number of colonies,migration capacity,and cell viability at 15 and 20 μg/ml cisplatin treatment(P<0.05).However,under hypoxic conditions,the inhibitory effect of Erastin was weakened.Additionally,in the hypoxia+Erastin+si-GAPDH group,the number of colonies,migration capacity,and cell viability at 15 and 20 μg/ml cisplatin treatment were significantly lower than those in the hypoxia+Erastin+NC-GAPDH group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION This study reveals that silencing GAPDH under hypoxic conditions can reverse the inhibition of ferroptosis in LSCC cells,thereby suppressing their malignant biological behavior and cisplatin resistance.

Objective To design an anti-inversion performance evaluation system for ankle braces and validate its performance.Methods The system was composed of a simulation system,an inversion angle acquisition system,a lateral tension acquisition system for ankle joint and a data collection and procession system.The simulation platform made of aluminum alloy consisted of a standing platform and a landing pad,and the landing pad was made up of a platform and a slope for landing;the inversion angle acquisition system included markers,an image acquisition device and a fill light.The lateral tension acquisition system involved in a tension sensor,a detection sensor and an elastic cloth for fixation.The data collection and procession system comprised of a computer or smartphone,iXControl software,iXViewer software and a cell phone App that received real-time data from the lateral ankle tension acquisition device.The system developed underwent performance validation when applied to evaluating anti-inversion performance of volunteers without or with flexible or new braces.The traditional EMG testing method was used for EMG data acquisition for volunteers without or with flexible or new braces,and the consistency was explored between the testing results by the traditional method and the system.Results The system developed could evaluate the anti-inversion performance of ankle braces by simulating the process of ankle inversion during human high-altitude landing,and the results had high consistency with those by traditional EMG testing methods.Conclusion The system developed with simple structure and easy operation evaluates the anti-inversion performance of ankle braces.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(11):21-26]