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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors worldwide, and its occurrence and development are intricately associated with the abnormal regulation of various genes and signaling pathways. Exosome Component 3(EXOSC3) is involved in the occurrence and growth of tumors. However, the exact mechanisms by which EXOSC3 influences HCC remain to be elucidated. Bioinformatics analysis method was used to detect the expression of EXOSC3 in HCC, qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to verify EXOSC3 expression in HCC cell lines.CCK-8 and colony formation assay was used to evaluate the effect of EXOSC3 on tumor proliferation, and validate the impact on cell migration and invasion through Transwell and Wound healing assay. Flow cytometry and Hochest staining were used to investigate the effect of EXOSC3 knockdown on the cell cycle and apoptosis of HCC. Western blot method was used to detect proteins expression. In HCC tissues, EXOSC3 mRNA and protein expression levels were notably higher than those in normal liver tissues and these levels correlated with poor prognosis. After knocking down EXOSC3, cell proliferation, colony formation, and metastasis were significantly inhibited in HCC. Flow cytometry and Western blot analyses showed that knockdown EXOSC3 promoted HCC cell apoptosis and inhibited cell cycle progression with reduced G1/S checkpoint protein expression. Furthermore, knockdown EXOSC3 activated P53 and decreased retinoblastoma protein (RB1) phosphorylation, suggesting that EXOSC3 functions via the P53 pathway in HCC. EXOSC3 has potential as a prognostic biomarker in HCC. Knockdown EXOSC3 leads to cell cycle arrest and consequently inhibits the proliferation of liver cancer cells by activating the P53 signaling pathway and concomitantly suppressing the expression of crucial regulatory proteins. These results not only establish EXOSC3 as a clinically relevant prognostic indicator but also highlight its therapeutic potential as a molecular target for HCC intervention strategies.

Background： Despite the improvement in the health care industry, the rates of undetected, untreated, and uncontrolled hypertension （HTN） are still very high, especially in rural areas of China. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and efficiency of a guideline-based HTN management （novel therapy） in population of rural areas of Guangdong Province. Methods： Totally, 3113 patients with essential HTN in a rural area of Guangdong Province were enrolled and assigned to two groups, named traditional （n = 372） and novel therapeutic （n = 2741 ） groups, respectively. Patients in the traditional group were treated routinely, and patients in the novel group were treated in a novel model characterized by regular educational programs for hypertensive populations, close monitoring of blood pressure in combination with finely tuned antihypertensive medications, strict implementation of lifestyle modification and improving medical knowledge and skill of local medical staff efficiently. After 2 years of follow-up, primary endpoints including magnitude of systolic and diastolic blood pressures （SBP and DBP） decrease, treated and controlled rates, as well as secondary endpoints, were evaluated in both groups. Results： Initially, the treated rate was significantly higher in traditional group than that of novel group （71.15% vs. 64.99%, P 〈 0.05）, while the controlled rates were comparable and insignificant difference between baseline BP in both groups （31.07% vs. 26.88%, P 〉 0.05）. Four variables were significantly different, namely smoking rate, daily vegetable consumption （VC）, and serum levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and fasting blood glucose between these two groups. After 2 years of follow-up, decreases in SBP and DBP were more prominent in the novel group （P 〈 0.001）. Treated and controlled rates in both groups were both increased. Nevertheless, in comparison to the traditional group, controlled rate increased more significantly in the novel group （64.31% vs. 37.85%, P 〈 0.001）. Variables indicating lifestyle modification such as high sodium consumption, percentages of alcohol abuse, daily VC were profoundly improved in the novel group. Conclusions： The guideline-based HTN management implemented in the current study was beneficial for HTN control in rural areas of Guangdong Province.

Electroacupuncture at Dazhui(GV14) and Mingmen(GV4) on the Governor Vessel has been shown to exhibit curative effects on spinal cord injury; however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. In this study, we established rat models of spinal cord injury using a modified Allen’s weight-drop method. Ninety-nine male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three equal groups: sham(only laminectomy), SCI(induction of spinal cord injury at T10), and EA(induction of spinal cord injury at T10 and electroacupuncture intervention at GV14 and GV4 for 20 minutes once a day). Rats in the SCI and EA groups were further randomly divided into the following subgroups: 1-day(n = 11), 7-day(n = 11), and 14-day(n = 11). At 1, 7, and 14 days after electroacupuncture treatment, the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale showed obvious improvement in rat hind limb locomotor function, hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the histological change of injured spinal cord tissue was obviously alleviated, and immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis showed that Wnt1, Wnt3 a, β-catenin immunoreactivity and protein expression in the injured spinal cord tissue were greatly increased compared with the sham and SCI groups. These findings suggest that electroacupuncture at GV14 and GV4 upregulates Wnt1, Wnt3 a, and β-catenin expression in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, exhibiting neuroprotective effects against spinal cord injury.

Electroacupuncture at Dazhui（GV14） and Mingmen（GV4） on the Governor Vessel has been shown to exhibit curative effects on spinal cord injury; however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. In this study, we established rat models of spinal cord injury using a modified Allen＇s weight-drop method. Ninety-nine male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three equal groups： sham（only laminectomy）, SCI（induction of spinal cord injury at T10）, and EA（induction of spinal cord injury at T10 and electroacupuncture intervention at GV14 and GV4 for 20 minutes once a day）. Rats in the SCI and EA groups were further randomly divided into the following subgroups： 1-day（n = 11）, 7-day（n = 11）, and 14-day（n = 11）. At 1, 7, and 14 days after electroacupuncture treatment, the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale showed obvious improvement in rat hind limb locomotor function, hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the histological change of injured spinal cord tissue was obviously alleviated, and immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis showed that Wnt1, Wnt3 a, β-catenin immunoreactivity and protein expression in the injured spinal cord tissue were greatly increased compared with the sham and SCI groups. These findings suggest that electroacupuncture at GV14 and GV4 upregulates Wnt1, Wnt3 a, and β-catenin expression in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, exhibiting neuroprotective effects against spinal cord injury.

Lithium–sulfur batteries are attractive alternatives to lithium-ion batteries because of their high theoretical specific energy and natural abundance of sulfur. However, the practical specific energy and cycle life of Li–S pouch cells are significantly limited by the use of thin sulfur electrodes, flooded electrolytes and Li metal degradation. Here we propose a cathode design concept to achieve good Li–S pouch cell performances. The cathode is composed of uniformly embedded ZnS nanoparticles and Co–N–C single-atom catalyst to form double-end binding sites inside a highly oriented macroporous host, which can effectively immobilize and catalytically convert polysulfide intermediates during cycling, thus eliminating the shuttle effect and lithium metal corrosion. The ordered macropores enhance ionic transport under high sulfur loading by forming sufficient triple-phase boundaries between catalyst, conductive support and electrolyte. This design prevents the formation of inactive sulfur (dead sulfur). Our cathode structure shows improved performances in a pouch cell configuration under high sulfur loading and lean electrolyte operation. A 1-A-h-level pouch cell with only 100% lithium excess can deliver a cell specific energy of >300 W h kg −1 with a Coulombic efficiency >95% for 80 cycles. The shuttling effect in Li–S batteries can be drastically suppressed by using a single-atom Co catalyst and polar ZnS nanoparticles embedded in a macroporous conductive matrix as a cathode. Using this strategy, Li–S pouch cells show stable cycling and high energy performances.

To explore the relationship between cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and locomotive syndrome (LS) among Chinese older adults with cancer. This study was a cross-sectional survey. Staged random sampling method was employed to enroll 500 geriatric cancer patients from the Oncology Center of Jiangnan University Hospital in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. Data were collected using General Information Questionnaire, Cancer Fatigue Scale and the Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale. χ2 test, Logistic regression analysis and Spearman analysis were utilized to analyze the data. A total of 466 geriatric cancer patients were enrolled in this survey. The occurrence of CRF was 43.8%, and the occurrence of LS was 30.9%. LS were risk factors for the occurrence of CRF in geriatric cancer patients. Advanced old age, fear of falling, comorbid with chronic diseases and CRF were risk factors for LS. CRF was positively associated with LS (r = 0.446, P < 0.001). Our findings indicate a potential link between CRF and LS. By addressing LS from various aspects, including controlling the number of complications due to advanced old age and other factors, as well as spreading proper fall-related knowledge and controlling the awareness of fear of falling, healthcare professionals can indirectly alleviate CRF symptoms and improve the overall quality of life for these patients.

To date, Cd contamination of cropland and crops is receiving more and more attention around the world. As a plant hormone, abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in Cd stress response, but its effect on plant Cd uptake and translocation varies among plant species. In some species, such as Arabidopsis thaliana , Oryza sativa, Brassica chinensis , Populus euphratica , Lactuca sativa , and Solanum lycopersicum , ABA inhibits Cd uptake and translocation, while in other species, such as Solanum photeinocarpum and Boehmeria nivea , ABA severs the opposite effect. Interestingly, differences in the methods and concentrations of ABA addition also triggered the opposite result of Cd uptake and translocation in Sedum alfredii . The regulatory mechanism of ABA involved in Cd uptake and accumulation in plants is still not well-established. Therefore, we summarized the latest studies on the ABA synthesis pathway and comparatively analyzed the physiological and molecular mechanisms related to ABA uptake, translocation, and detoxification of Cd in plants at different ABA concentrations or among different species. We believe that the control of Cd uptake and accumulation in plant tissues can be achieved by the appropriate ABA application methods and concentrations in plants.

As an anti-aging protein, although studies increasingly suggest that the Klotho plays a role in the auditory system, the link between serum Klotho levels and tinnitus remains poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between serum Klotho levels and tinnitus focusing on prevalence, duration and severity in middle-aged and older adults. We performed a population-based cross-sectional study of individuals in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2012 and 2015-2016. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between serum Klotho levels and tinnitus, with adjustment for potential confounders and further age-stratified analyses. Restricted cubic splines were applied to assess potential non-linearity in the dose-response relationship. Furthermore, Subgroup and interaction analyses were conducted to assess the consistency of this association. In this research of 3280 individuals aged 40-79 years with a median age of 55 (IQR: 48, 62) and 48% male participants, the median serum Klotho level was 779.80pg/mL. Multivariable logistic regression uncovered consistent inverse associations between serum Klotho levels and tinnitus incidence across progressively adjusted models (ORs: 0.68-0.70, p = 0.009-0.01). Age-based stratified analyses suggested the strongest effect was observed in individuals aged 50-59 years (full model ORs: 0.55, p = 0.046). A marginally significant protective effect was observed in the 60-69 age group (unadjusted OR=0.62, 95% CI: 0.39-1.00, p = 0.050). Serum Klotho levels showed no significant correlation with tinnitus severity, while a potential association with the duration of tinnitus was observed (p = 0.058). Additionally, restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a linear inverse association between Klotho and tinnitus risk stratified by age (all p for nonlinear >0.15). Finally, subgroup and interaction analyses revealed no significant effect modification (all p-interaction >0.1). Serum Klotho concentrations showed a consistent inverse association with tinnitus prevalence in US adults, with the strongest effect observed in individuals aged 50-69 years.

Accurate risk stratification for patients with stage II/III colon cancer is pivotal for postoperative treatment decisions. Here, we aimed to identify and validate a circRNA‐based signature that could improve postoperative prognostic stratification for these patients. In current retrospective analysis, we included 667 patients with R0 resected stage II/III colon cancer. Using RNA‐seq analysis of 20 paired frozen tissues collected postoperation, we profiled differential circRNA expression between patients with and without recurrence, followed by quantitative validation. With clinical information, we generated a four‐circRNA‐based cirScore to classify patients into high‐risk and low‐risk groups in the training cohort. The patients with high cirScores in the training cohort had a shorter disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) than patients with low cirScores. The prognostic capacity of the classifier was validated in the internal and external cohorts. Loss‐of‐function assays indicated that the selected circRNAs played functional roles in colon cancer progression. Overall, our four‐circRNA‐based classifier is a reliable prognostic tool for postoperative disease recurrence in patients with stage II/III colon cancer. Synopsis Novel molecular biomarkers allowing for better prognostic stratification of patients with stage II/III colon cancer are urgently needed. In this study, a circRNA‐based signature (cirScore) was identified and validated to improve postoperative risk‐stratification for these patients. Dysregulated circRNAs showed strong classification capacities in distinguishing between recurrent and nonrecurrent colon cancer patients. The proposed four‐cirRNA‐based cirScore can effectively classify patients with stage II/III colon cancer into groups with low and high risks of disease recurrence. The loss‐of‐function assay indicated that the representative circRNAs plays functional roles in the sophisticated regulation of colon cancer progression. Nomograms incorporating the cirScore with existing risk factors achieved excellent accuracy for predicting disease‐free and overall survival for patients with stage II/III colon cancer. Graphical Abstract Novel molecular biomarkers allowing for better prognostic stratification of patients with stage II/III colon cancer are urgently needed. In this study, a circRNA‐based signature (cirScore) was identified and validated to improve postoperative risk‐stratification for these patients.

Pleural abrasion has been widely used to control the recurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). However, controversy still exists regarding the advantages and disadvantages of pleural abrasion compared with other interventions in preventing the recurrence of PSP. The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched up to December 15, 2014 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effects of pleural abrasion with those of other interventions in the treatment of PSP. The study outcomes included the PSP recurrence rate and the occurrence rate of adverse effects. Mechanical pleural abrasion and apical pleurectomy after thoracoscopic stapled bullectomy exhibited similarly persistent postoperative air leak occurrence rates (p = 0.978) and 1-year PSP recurrence rates (p = 0.821), whereas pleural abrasion led to reduced residual chest pain and discomfort (p = 0.001) and a smaller rate of hemothorax (p = 0.036) than did apical pleurectomy. However, the addition of minocycline pleurodesis to pleural abrasion did not reduce the pneumothorax recurrence rate compared with apical pleurectomy (3.8% for both procedures) but was associated with fewer complications. There was no statistical difference in the pneumothorax recurrence rate between mechanical pleural abrasion and chemical pleurodesis with minocycline on either an intention-to-treat basis (4 of 42 versus 0 of 42, p = 0.12; Fisher exact test) or after exclusions (2 of 40 versus 0 of 42, p = 0.24; Fisher exact test). Pleural abrasion plus minocycline pleurodesis also did not reduce the pneumothorax recurrence rate compared with pleural abrasion alone (p = 0.055). Moreover, pleural abrasion plus minocycline pleurodesis was associated with more intense acute chest pain. The postoperative overall recurrence rate in patients who underwent staple line coverage with absorbable cellulose mesh and fibrin glue was similar to that with mechanical abrasion after thoracoscopic bullectomy (13.8% vs. 14.2%, respectively; p = 0.555), but staple line coverage resulted in less postoperative residual pain than mechanical abrasion (0.4% vs.3.2%; p<0.0001). Pleural abrasion after thoracoscopic wedge resection did not decrease the recurrence of pneumothorax compared with wedge resection alone (p = 0.791), but the intraoperative bleeding and postoperative pleural drainage rates were higher when pleural abrasion was performed. In addition to resulting in the same pneumothorax recurrence rate, thoracoscopic pleural abrasion with or without minocycline pleurodesis is safer than apical pleurectomy in the treatment of PSP. However, minocycline pleurodesis with or without pleural abrasion is not any more effective than pleural abrasion alone. Moreover, additional mechanical abrasion is not safer than additional staple line coverage with absorbable cellulose mesh and fibrin glue after thoracoscopic bullectomy because of increased postoperative pain. Additionally, pleural abrasion after thoracoscopic wedge resection should not be recommended for routine application due to the greater incidence of adverse effects than wedge resection alone. However, further large-scale, well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm the best procedure.