Adiponectin Suppresses Metastasis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma through Blocking the Activation of NF-κB and STAT3 Signaling

Adiponectin is an adipocytokine with anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Our previous study has shown that blood adiponectin levels were inversely correlated to the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and that adiponectin could directly suppress the proliferation of NPC cells. However, the effect of adiponectin on NPC metastasis remains unknown. Here, we revealed in clinical studies that serum adiponectin level was inversely correlated with tumor stage, recurrence, and metastasis in NPC patients, and that low serum adiponectin level also correlates with poor metastasis-free survival. Coculture with recombinant adiponectin suppressed the migration and invasion of NPC cells as well as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, recombinant adiponectin dampened the activation of NF-κB and STAT3 signaling pathways induced by adipocyte-derived proinflammatory factors such as leptin, IL-6, and TNF-α. Pharmacological activation of adiponectin receptor through its specific agonist, AdipoRon, largely stalled the metastasis of NPC cells. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that adiponectin could not only regulate metabolism and inhibit cancer growth, but also suppress the metastasis of NPC. Pharmacological activation of adiponectin receptor may be a promising therapeutic strategy to stall NPC metastasis and extend patients’ survival

Design and Optimization of Solid Amine CO₂ Adsorbents Assisted by Machine Learning

In the development of solid amine CO2 adsorbents, the CO2 adsorption performance of amine-functionalized adsorbents, with various novel porous supports or modification of the amine structure, has been widely studied. However, a lack of systematic research limits the industrial application of amine-functionalized CO2 adsorbents, especially the adsorbents prepared from inexpensive and readily available commercial porous supports. In this work, machine learning (ML) was employed to explore how the CO2 adsorption performance of amine-functionalized adsorbents is correlated with five factors: amine loading, amine type, pore volume, pore size, and specific surface area. We found that amine loading contributed the most to the effect of CO2 adsorption capacity, followed by pore volume. Pore size was the most important factor affecting amine efficiency, while the cycle stability of the adsorbent was basically related to the amine type, and the interaction effect between the influencing factors was explored by ML. In addition, the CO2 adsorption capacities of TEPA/KXY and PEI/KYX adsorbents were predicted by ML, and the results of ML prediction were consistent with our experimental results. Furthermore, we constructed a “five-in-one” comprehensive comparison of the CO2 adsorption performance of 45TEPA/KYX and 60PEI/KYX adsorbents through a radar diagram, and it was considered that the 45TEPA/KYX adsorbent had a better comprehensive CO2 adsorption performance. Our study provides insights into the development and optimization of solid amine CO2 adsorbents using commercial porous supports

Research on Vibration Law of Railway Tunnel Substructure under Different Axle Loads and Health Conditions

In this paper, 25-ton and 27-ton axle heavy trucks are used to carry out moving loading and dynamic real vehicle test on the cracked section, the intact section, and the repaired section of a railway tunnel foundation to test the dynamic performance of the tunnel basement structure with the change of axle loads and health conditions. By analyzing the influence law of dynamic response and fatigue life of heavy haul train under different basement conditions (intact, damaged, and repaired), the adaptability of railway tunnel equipment to freight trucks axle load is clarified. The results show that (1) the intact section of the tunnel can meet the normal operation of 25-ton and 27-ton axle load freight trains in good condition. (2) The normal operation of 25-ton and 27-ton axle load freight trucks is seriously affected by the cracked section of the tunnel. When the cracks in the tunnel basement are gradually hollowed out by groundwater, serious traffic accidents such as vehicle shaking and derailment are likely to occur. (3) The repaired section of the tunnel can meet the normal operation of 25-ton and 27-ton axle load freight trains after adopting the integrated comprehensive treatment of “Anchor-Injection-Drainage”. The research results will have reference significance for the condition assessment and disease treatment of the basement structure of the heavy haul railway tunnel

Porous Silicon Microparticle Potentiates Anti-Tumor Immunity by Enhancing Cross-Presentation and Inducing Type I Interferon Response

Micro- and nanometer-size particles have become popular candidates for cancer vaccine adjuvants. However, the mechanism by which such particles enhance immune responses remains unclear. Here, we report a porous silicon microparticle (PSM)-based cancer vaccine that greatly enhances cross-presentation and activates type I interferon (IFN-I) response in dendritic cells (DCs). PSM-loaded antigen exhibited prolonged early endosome localization and enhanced cross-presentation through both proteasome- and lysosome-dependent pathways. Phagocytosis of PSM by DCs induced IFN-I responses through a TRIF- and MAVS-dependent pathway. DCs primed with PSM-loaded HER2 antigen produced robust CD8 T cell-dependent anti-tumor immunity in mice bearing HER2+ mammary gland tumors. Importantly, this vaccination activated the tumor immune microenvironment with elevated levels of intra-tumor IFN-I and MHCII expression, abundant CD11c+ DC infiltration, and tumor-specific cytotoxic T cell responses. These findings highlight the potential of PSM as an immune adjuvant to potentiate DC-based cancer immunotherapy