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mRNA vaccines are becoming a feasible alternative for treating cancer. To develop mRNA vaccines against LUAD, potential antigens were identified and LUAD ferroptosis subtypes distinguished for selecting appropriate patients. The genome expression omnibus, cancer genome atlas (TCGA) and FerrDB were used to collect gene expression profiles, clinical information, and the genes involved in ferroptosis, respectively. cBioPortal was used to visualize and compare genetic alterations, GEPIA2 to calculate prognostic factors of the selected antigens, and TIMER to visualize the relationship between potential antigens and tumor immune cell infiltration. Consensus clustering analysis was utilized to identify ferroptosis subtypes and their prognostic value assessed by Log-rank and cox regression tests. The modules of ferroptosis-related gene screening were conducted by weight gene co-expression network analysis. The LUAD ferroptosis landscape was visualized through dimensionality reduction and graph learning. Six tumor antigens had obvious LUAD-mutations, positively correlated with different antigen-presenting cells, and might induce tumor cell ferroptosis. LUAD patients were stratified into three ferroptosis subtypes (FS1, FS2, and FS3) according to diverse molecular, cellular, and clinical characteristics. FS3 showed the highest tumor mutation burden and the most somatic mutations, deemed potential indicators of mRNA vaccine effectiveness. Moreover, different ferroptosis subtypes expressed distinct immune checkpoints and immunogenic cell death modulators. AGPS, NRAS, MTDH, PANX1, NOX4, and PPARD are potentially suitable for mRNA vaccinations against LUAD, specifically in patients with FS3 tumors. This study defines vaccination candidates and establishes a theoretical basis for LUAD mRNA vaccinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To further evaluate the causal relationships between inflammatory cytokines and migraine, we conducted a bidirectional, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using genetic data from publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We used several MR methods, including random-effect inverse-variance weighting (IVW), weighted median, MR-Egger, to test the causal relationships. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted to evaluate the robustness of the results. The results showed that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was positively associated with the risk of migraine (odds ratio [OR], 1.004; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.001–1.008; P = 0.022). In addition, Interleukin-2 (IL-2) was considered a downstream consequence of migraine (OR, 0.012; 95% CI, 0.000–0.0929; P = 0.046). These findings suggest that HGF may be a factor associated with the etiology of migraine, while IL-2 is more likely to be involved in the downstream development of migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Multiple myeloma acquires resistance to EGFR inhibitor via induction of pentose phosphate pathway" published in Scientific Reports. The correction addresses an error in Figure 2 of the article, where incorrect images were used during the image assembly. The correct Figure 2 and accompanying legend are provided in the correction notice. The authors of the article are Yan Chen, Ruibin Huang, Jianghua Ding, Dexiang Ji, Bing Song, Liya Yuan, Hong Chang, and Guoan Chen. [Extracted from the article]

The disordered expression of ZNF143 is closely related to the malignant progression of tumours. However, the basic control mechanism of ZNF143 in glioma has not yet been clarified. Therefore, we tried to find a new pathway to illustrate the function of ZNF143 in glioma. To explore the function of KPNA2 in the development of glioma, we used survival analysis by the Kaplan‒Meier method to assess the overall survival (OS) of patients with low and high KPNA2 expression in the TCGA and CGGA cohorts. Western blotting assays and RT‒PCR assays were utilized to determine the expression level of KPNA2 in glioma cells. The interaction between ZNF143 and KPNA2 was confirmed by ChIP assays. Proliferation was assessed by CCK-8 assays, and migration was evaluated by wound healing and Transwell assays. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry, and the expression level of YAP/TAZ was visualized using an immunofluorescence assay. The expression levels of LATS1, LATS2, YAP1, and p-YAP1 were determined. Patients with low KPNA2 expression showed a better prognosis than those with high KPNA2 expression. KPNA2 was found to be upregulated in human glioma cells. ZNF143 can bind to the promoter region of KPNA2. Downregulation of ZNF143 and KPNA2 can activate the Hippo signalling pathway and reduce YAP/TAZ expression in human glioma cells, thus inducing apoptosis of human glioma cells and weakening their proliferation, migration and invasion. In conclusion, ZNF143 mediates the Hippo/YAP signalling pathway and inhibits the growth and migration of glioma cells by regulating KPNA2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the effects of aminosalicylic acid, glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants on the expression levels of multidrug resistance genes in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), with the aim of providing a theoretical and therapeutic basis for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of UC. Fresh colonic mucosal tissues or postoperative pathological biopsies from 148 UC patients were collected, and the distribution sites and morphology of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) were detected using immunohistochemical staining. RT-PCR was used to quantify the expression levels of multidrug resistance gene (MDR1) mRNA before and after the corresponding treatment, and the effects of aminosalicylic acid, glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive drugs on P-gp were compared. In addition, the effects of the three drugs on MDR1 mRNA were analyzed. Administration of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) drugs did not correlate with MDR1 expression in UC, whereas administration of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive drugs was positively correlated with MDR1 expression profile. The expression levels of MDR1 mRNA and its product P-gp were significantly upregulated in patients who did not respond to glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive drugs. 5-ASA had no effect on the expression levels of MDR1 and its product P-gp in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of UC. However, the use of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants can increase the expression level of MDR1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia and its incidence increases with sepsis. However, data on new-onset AF during sepsis hospitalization remain limited in China. We aimed to evaluate the incidence, risk factors, and associated mortality of new-onset AF in sepsis patients in China. We conducted a retrospective study using the National Data Center for Medical Service system, from 1923 tertiary and 2363 secondary hospitals from 31 provinces in China from 2017 to 2019.In total we included 1,425,055 sepsis patients ≥ 18 years without prior AF. The incidence of new-onset AF was 1.49%. Older age, male sex, hypertension, heart failure, coronary disease, valvular disease, and mechanical ventilation were independent risk factor. New-onset AF was associated with a slight increased risk of mortality (adjusted RR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.06). Population attributable fraction suggested AF accounted for 0.2% of sepsis deaths. In this large nationwide cohort, new-onset AF occurred in 1.49% of sepsis admissions and was associated with a small mortality increase. Further research should examine whether optimized AF management can improve sepsis outcomes in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collagen-type I alpha 1 chain (COL1A1) and COL1A2 are abnormally expressed in intracranial aneurysm (IA), but their mechanism of action remains unclear. This study was performed to investigate the mechanism of COL1A1 and COL1A2 affecting the occurrence and rupture of IA. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure the expression of hsa-miR-513b-5p, COL1A1, COL1A2, TNF-α, IL-6, MMP2, MMP3, MMP9 and TIMP4 in patients with ruptured IA (RA) (n = 100), patients with un-ruptured IA (UA) (n = 100), and controls (n = 100). Then, human vascular smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) were cultured, and dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to analyse the targeting relationship between miR-513b-5p and COL1A1 or COL1A2. The effects of the miR-513b-5p mimic and inhibitor on the proliferation, apoptosis, and death of HASMC and the RIP1-RIP3-MLKL and matrix metalloproteinase pathways were also explored. The effect of silencing and over-expression of COL1A1 and COL1A2 on the role of miR-513b-5p were also evaluated. Finally, the effects of TNF-α on miR-513b-5p targeting COL1A1 and COL1A2 were tested. Compared with those in the control group, the serum mRNA levels of miR-513b-5p, IL-6 and TIMP4 were significantly decreased in the RA and UA groups, but COL1A1, COL1A2, TNF-α, IL-1β, MMP2, MMP3 and MMP9 were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Compared with those in the UA group, the expression of COL1A1, COL1A2, TNF-α, IL-1β and MMP9 was significantly up-regulated in the RA group (p < 0.05). Results from the luciferase reporter assay showed that COL1A1 and COL1A were the direct targets of miR-513b-5p. Further studies demonstrated that miR-513b-5p targeted COL1A1/2 to regulate the RIP1-RIP3-MLKL and MMP pathways, thereby enhancing cell death and apoptosis. Over-expression of COL1A1 or COL1A2, rather than silencing COL1A1/2, could improve the inhibitory effect of miR-513b-5p on cell activity by regulating the RIP1-RIP3-MLKL and MMP pathways. Furthermore, over-expression of miR-513b-5p and/or silencing COL1A1/2 inhibited the TNF-α-induced cell proliferation and enhanced the TNF-α-induced cell death and apoptosis. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of collagen I and TIMP4 expression and promotion of the expression of RIP1, p-RIP1, p-RIP3, p-MLKL, MMP2 and MMP9. MiR-513b-5p targeted the inhibition of COL1A1/2 expression and affected HASMC viability and extracellular mechanism remodelling by regulating the RIP1-RIP3-MLKL and MMP pathways. This process might be involved in the formation and rupture of IA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic sponges have considerable potential for oil/water separation. Most of the methods used for superhydrophobic modification of sponges require toxic or harmful solvents, which have the drawbacks of hazardous to environment, expensive, and complex to utilize. Moreover, the hydrophobic layer on the surface of sponge is often easily destroyed. In this paper, a highly efficient superhydrophobic sponge with excellent reusability was developed by using a facile, simple and environmentally friendly dopamine biomimetic bonding method. Different types of sponges, such as melamine, polyethylene or polyurethane sponge wastes, were used as raw materials to prepare superhydrophobic sponges, which possess the advantages of inexpensive and abundant. The effects of different dopamine polymerization time and different hydrophobic agent dosage on the hydrophobicity and oil absorption capacity of melamine sponges were optimized. The study results showed that the water contact angle of the superhydrophobic sponge could reach 153° with excellent organic solvent absorption capacity of 165.9 g/g. Furthermore, the superhydrophobic sponge retained approximately 92.1% of its initial absorption capacity after 35 reutilization cycles. More importantly, the dopamine biomimetic bonding superhydrophobic modification method can be used for different types of sponges. Therefore, a universally applicable, facile, simple and environmentally friendly superhydrophobic modification method for sponges was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with ulcerative colitis are typically suspected of an inflammatory flare based on suggestive symptoms of inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of inflammation on colonic motility and rectal sensitivity from active to recovery of inflammation. Male rats were given drinking water with 5% dextran sulfate sodium for 7 days. Inflammation, intestinal motor and sensory functions were investigated weekly for 6 weeks. (1) The disease activity index score, fecal calprotectin and tumor necrosis factor alpha were increased from Day 0 to Day 7 (active inflammation) and then decreased gradually until recovery. (2) Distal colon transit was accelerated on Day 7, and then remained unchanged. Whole gut transit was delayed on Day 7 but accelerated from Day 14 to Day 42. (3) Rectal compliance was unaffected from Day 0 to Day 7, but decreased afterwards. (4) Rectal hypersensitivity was noted on Day 7 and persistent. (5) Plasma acetylcholine was decreased on Day 7 but increased from Day 14 to Day 42. Nerve growth factor was increased from Day 7 to Day 42. DSS-induced inflammation leads to visceral hypersensitivity that is sustained until the resolution of inflammation, probably mediated by NGF. Rectal compliance is reduced one week after the DSS-induced inflammation and the reduction is sustained until the resolution of inflammation. Gastrointestinal transit is also altered during and after active colonic inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal microspheres doping porous carbon (MMPC), which was prepared using in-situ pyrolysis reduction strategy, could enhance the thermal conductivity of shape-stabilized phase change material (ss-PCM) prepared by MMPC as the matrix. However, in previous studies that were reported, the preparation of MMPC needed to synthesize porous carbon by pyrolysis firstly, and then porous carbon adsorbed metal ions was pyrolyzed again to obtain MMPC, which was tedious and energy-prodigal. In this study, a one-step pyrolysis strategy was developed for the synthesis of MMPC through the pyrolyzation of wheat bran adsorbed copper ions, and the copper microspheres doping wheat bran biochar (CMS-WBB) was prepared. The CMS-WBB was taken as the supporter of stearic acid (SA) to synthesize the ss-PCM of SA/CMS-WBB. The study results about the thermal properties of SA/CMS-WBB demonstrated that the introduction of copper microspheres could not only improve the thermal conductivity of SA/CMS-WBB, but also could increase the SA loading amount of wheat bran biochar. More importantly, the CMS-WBB could be obtained by only one-step pyrolysis, which greatly simplified the preparation process and saved energy consumption. Furthermore, the raw material of wheat bran is a kind of agricultural waste, which is abundant, cheap and easy to obtain. Hence, the SA/CMS-WBB synthesized in this study had huge potentialities in thermal management applications, and a simplified method for improving the thermal properties of ss-PCMs was provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomineralization is a sophisticated biological process precisely regulated by multiple molecules and pathways. Accumulating miRNAs have been identified in invertebrates but their functions in biomineralization are poorly studied. Here, an oyster species-specific miRNA, novel_miR_1 was found to regulate biomineralization in Pinctada fucata. Target prediction showed that novel_miR_1 could target Prisilkin-39 and ACCBP by binding to their coding sequences (CDS). Tissue distribution analysis revealed that the expression level of novel_miR_1 was highest in the mantle, which was a key tissue participating in biomineralization. Gain-of-function assay in vivo showed that biomineralization-related genes including Prisilkin-39 and ACCBP were down-regulated and shell inner surfaces of both prismatic and nacreous layer were disrupted after the over-expression of novel_miR_1, indicating its dual roles in biomineralization. Furthermore, the shell notching results indicated that novel_miR_1 was involved in shell regeneration. Dual-luciferase reporter assay in vitro demonstrated that novel_miR_1 directly suppressed Prisilkin-39 and ACCBP genes by binding to the CDS regions. Taken together, these results suggest that novel_miR_1 is a direct negative regulator to Prisilkin-39 and ACCBP and plays an indispensable and important role in biomineralization in both prismatic and nacreous layer of P. fucata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the cecal microbiota and serum metabolite profile of chickens fed with plant essential oils (PEO) or virginiamycin (VIRG) using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomics approach. The main aim of this work was to explore the biochemical mechanisms involved in the improved growth performance of antibiotics and their alternatives in animal production. The results showed that both PEO and VIRG treatment significantly increased the relative abundance of phyla Bacteroidetes and decreased the abundance of phyla Firmicutes and genus of Lactobacillus in cecal microbiota of chickens. Compared to the control group (CT group), the relative abundance of genus of Alistipes, unclassified Rikenellaceae, Roseburia, and Anaeroplasma was enriched in the PEO group; that of genus Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae, and unclassified Enterobacteriaceae was enriched in the cecal microbiota of the VIRG group. Untargeted metabolomics analyses revealed that the PEO treatment modified 102 metabolites and 3 KEGG pathways (primary bile acid biosynthesis and phenylalanine metabolism) in the cecal microbiota, and 81 metabolites and relevant KEGG pathways (fructose and mannose metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and linoleic acid.) in the serum of the chicken. Compared to the CT group, VIRG treatment group differed 217 metabolites and 10 KEGG pathways in cecal contents and 142 metabolites and 7 KEGG pathways in serum of chickens. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that phyla Bacteroidetes and genus of Bacteroides, Alistipes, and unclassified Rikenellaceae (in the VIRG and PE group) were positively correlated with many lipid metabolites. However, phyla Firmicutes and genera Lactobacillus (higher in the CT group) were negatively correlated with the lipid and thymine metabolism, and positively correlated with hydroxyisocaproic acid, cytosine, and taurine. This study shows that dietary supplementation with PEO and VIRG altered the composition and metabolism profile of the cecal microbiota, modified the serum metabolism profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the effect of symmetry breaking in cuprates superconductors YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 - δ , we employ the renormalized mean-field theory to study the presence of uniform superconducting and charge-ordered states in two anisotropic t–J–U models, either with hopping strength anisotropy or antiferromagnetic interaction anisotropy. In the case of uniform superconducting state, compared with the isotropic t–J–U model with only d x 2 - y 2 -wave superconducting state, there is an additional s-wave superconducting state in the model with hopping strength anisotropy. Meanwhile, the hopping anisotropy may enhance the critical Coulomb interaction U c at the Mott insulator to the Gossamer superconductor transition point, and strong hopping anisotropy may weaken the superconducting state. In the case of a charge-ordered state, hopping anisotropy may suppress the amplitude of the charge density waves and pair density waves, which originate from local Coulomb interactions. These results indicate that the effects of hopping anisotropy and local Coulomb interactions are competitive. Moreover, the antiferromagnetic interaction anisotropy only weakly suppresses the superconducting gap and density wave amplitude. Our results show that the t–J–U model with hopping anisotropy is qualitatively consistent with experimental superconducting pair symmetry and charge density waves in the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 - δ system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer ranks as one of the top malignancies and the leading cause of cancer death in both males and females in the US. Using a cancer database covering the entire population, this study was to determine the gender disparities in lung cancer incidence during 2001–2019. Cancer patients were obtained from the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. The SEER*Stat software was applied to calculate the age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR). Temporal changes in lung cancer incidence were analyzed by the Joinpoint software. A total of 4,086,432 patients (53.3% of males) were diagnosed with lung cancer. Among them, 52.1% were 70 years or older, 82.7% non-Hispanic white, 39.7% from the South, and 72.6% non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The AAIR of lung cancer continuously reduced from 91.0 per 100000 to 59.2 in males during the study period, while it increased from 55.0 in 2001 to 56.8 in 2006 in females, then decreased to 48.1 in 2019. The female to male incidence rate ratio of lung cancer continuously increased from 2001 to 2019. Gender disparities were observed among age groups, races, and histological types. In those aged 0–54 years, females had higher overall incidence rates of lung cancer than males in recent years, which was observed in all races (except non-Hispanic black), all regions, and adenocarcinoma and small cell (but not squamous cell). Non-Hispanic black females aged 0–54 years had a faster decline rate than males since 2013. API females demonstrated an increased trend during the study period. Lung cancer incidence continues to decrease with gender disparities among age groups, races, regions, and histological types. Continuous anti-smoking programs plus reduction of related risk factors are necessary to lower lung cancer incidence further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing is a next-generation strategy for genetic modifications. Typically, sgRNA is constitutively expressed relying on RNA polymerase III promoters. Polymerase II promoters initiate transcription in a flexible manner, but sgRNAs generated by RNA polymerase II promoter lost their nuclease activity. To express sgRNAs in a tissue-specific fashion and endow CRISPR with more versatile function, a novel system was established in a polycistron, where miRNAs (or shRNAs) and sgRNAs alternately emerged and co-expressed under the control of a single polymerase II promoter. Effective expression and further processing of functional miRNAs and sgRNAs were achieved. The redundant nucleotides adjacent to sgRNA were degraded, and 5′- cap structure was responsible for the compromised nuclease capacity of sgRNA: Cas9 complex. Furthermore, this strategy fulfilled conducting multiplex genome editing, as well as executing neural- specific genome editing and enhancing the proportion of homologous recombination via inhibiting NHEJ pathway by shRNA. In summary, we designed a new construction for efficient expression of sgRNAs with miRNAs (shRNAs) by virtue of RNA polymerase II promoters, which will spur the development of safer, more controllable/regulable and powerful CRISPR/Cas9 system-mediated genome editing in a wide variety of further biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple myeloma (MM) was characterized by frequent mutations in KRAS/NRAS/BRAF within the EGFR pathway that could induce resistance to EGFR inhibitors. We here report that EGFR inhibition solely exhibited moderate inhibition in KRAS/NRAS/BRAF wildtype (triple-WT) MM cells, whilst had no effect in myeloma cells with any of the mutated genes. The moderate inhibitory effect was conferred by induction of pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) when cells were treated with Gefitinib, the EGFR inhibitor. Combination of Gefitinib with PPP inhibitor 6AN effected synergistically in triple-WT cells. The inhibition could be restored by addition of NADPH. Dual EGFR/ERBB2 inhibitor Afatinib also exhibited similar effects. Further genetic silencing of EGFR, ERBB2 and mTOR indicated that major effect conferred by ERBB2 was via convergence to EGFR pathway in MM. Our results contributed to the individualized targeted therapy with EGFR inhibitors in MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary lung injury after SCI is a major cause of patient mortality, with apoptosis playing a key role. This study aimed to explore the impact of treadmill training and miR145-5p on the MAPK/Erk signaling pathway and apoptosis in rats with complete SCI. SD rats were used to establish T10 segmental complete SCI models and underwent treadmill training 3, 7, or 14 days postinjury. Various techniques including arterial blood gas analysis, lung wet/dry weight ratio, HE staining, immunofluorescence staining, immunohistochemical staining, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting were employed to assess alterations in lung function and the expression levels of crucial apoptosis-related factors. In order to elucidate the specific mechanism, the impact of miR145-5p on the MAPK/Erk pathway and its role in apoptosis in lung cells were confirmed through miR145-5p overexpression and knockdown experiments. Following spinal cord injury (SCI), an increase in apoptosis, activation of the MAPK/Erk pathway, and impairment of lung function were observed in SCI rats. Conversely, treadmill training resulted in a reduction in alveolar cell apoptosis, suppression of the MAPK/Erk pathway, and enhancement of lung function. The gene MAP3K3 was identified as a target of miR145-5p. The influence of miR145-5p on the MAPK/Erk pathway and its impact on apoptosis in alveolar cells were confirmed through the manipulation of miR145-5p expression levels. The upregulation of miR145-5p in spinal cord injury (SCI) rats led to a reduction in MAP3K3 protein expression within lung tissues, thereby inhibiting the MAPK/Erk signaling pathway and decreasing apoptosis. Contrarily, rats with miR145-5p knockdown undergoing treadmill training exhibited an increase in miR145-5p expression levels, resulting in the inhibition of MAP3K3 protein expression in lung tissues, suppression of the MAPK/Erk pathway, and mitigation of lung cell apoptosis. Ultimately, the findings suggest that treadmill training may attenuate apoptosis in lung cells post-spinal cord injury by modulating the MAP3K3 protein through miR145-5p to regulate the MAPK/Erk signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial response mechanism of hydrology and water quality of large river-connected lakes is very complicated. In this study, we developed a spatial response analysis method that couples wavelet correlation analysis (WTC) with self-organizing maps (SOM), revealing the spatial response and variation of water level and water quality in Poyang Lake, China's largest river-connected lake, over the past decade. The results show that: (1) there was significant spatial heterogeneity in water level and quality during the dry seasons (2010–2018) compared to other hydrological stages. (2) We identified a more pronounced difference in response of water level and quality between northern and southern parts of Poyang Lake. As the distance increases from the northern lake outlet, the impact of rising water levels on water quality deterioration intensified during the dry seasons. (3) The complex spatial heterogeneity of water level and quality response in the dry seasons is primarily influenced by water level fluctuations from the northern region and the cumulative pollutant entering the lake from the south, which particularly leads to the reversal of the response in the central area of Poyang Lake. The results of this study can contribute to scientific decision-making regarding water environment zoning management in large river-connected lakes amidst complex environment conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), known for causing gastric inflammation, gastritis and gastric cancer, prompted our study to investigate the differential expression of cytokines in gastric tissues, which is crucial for understanding H. pylori infection and its potential progression to gastric cancer. Focusing on Il-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-18, and TNF-α, we analysed gene and protein levels to differentiate between H. pylori-infected and non-infected gastritis. We utilised real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for gene quantification, immunohistochemical staining, and ELISA for protein measurement. Gastric samples from patients with gastritis were divided into three groups: (1) non-gastritis (N-group) group, (2) gastritis without H. pylori infection (G-group), and (3) gastritis with H. pylori infection (GH-group), each consisting of 8 samples. Our findings revealed a statistically significant variation in cytokine expression. Generally, cytokine levels were higher in gastritis, but in H. pylori-infected gastritis, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 levels were lower compared to H. pylori-independent gastritis, while IL-12, IL-18, and TNF-α levels were higher. This distinct cytokine expression pattern in H. pylori-infected gastritis underscores a unique inflammatory response, providing deeper insights into its pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretically, contact lenses change the accommodation and vergence demands of the eyes and directly or indirectly influence binocular vision. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of different optical designs of contact lenses on binocular vision and visual behavior among young adults. In this randomized, single-blinded experimental study, visual behavioral performance (VBP) and Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaires were used for preliminary screening. Nineteen myopic subjects aged 20–26 years (21.59 ± 1.40 years) participated in the study. Baseline values for subjective refraction and binocular visual functions were evaluated. All the subjects were randomly grouped to wear different optical designs of single-vision, progressive, and bifocal contact lenses. Eye examinations were performed on the first day (CL baseline), 2nd week, and 4th week of wearing the lenses. In addition, subjects completed the VBP and visual quality questionnaire again at the end of the examination. Single-vision contact lenses (Lens 1) increased accommodative lag, negative relative accommodation, and distant and near vergence; however, vergence facilities, accommodative facilities, heterophoria, and the comfort and posture balance dimensions in the VBP questionnaire were improved. Progressive contact lenses (Lens 2) reduced the lag of accommodation and near vergence; in addition, vergence facilities and accommodative facilities were also improved. Bifocal contact lenses (Lens 3) affected negative and positive relative accommodation, but vergence facilities and accommodative facilities also progressed. Furthermore, both progressive (Lens 2) and bifocal (Lens 3) contact lenses enhanced overall visual behavioral performance. In terms of visual quality, single-vision contact lenses (Lens 1) were the most comfortable, progressive and bifocal contact lenses reduced distant visual acuity and stability, progressive contact lenses (Lens 2) had more complaints about halos at night, and bifocal contact lens (Lens 3) users were more likely to have double vision. Compared with single-vision contact lenses, progressive and bifocal contact lenses relaxed accommodation, reduced the lag of accommodation, and improved visual behavioral performance. Although the vergence function showed a significant change, it did not show worse trends when wearing contact lenses. Contact lenses with different optical designs have a great influence on binocular vision and visual behavioral performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study assessed the temporal associations of ~ 300 lifestyle exposures with nine cardiometabolic traits to identify exposures/exposure groups that might inform lifestyle interventions for the reduction of cardiometabolic disease risk. The analyses were undertaken in a longitudinal sample comprising > 31,000 adults living in northern Sweden. Linear mixed models were used to assess the average associations of lifestyle exposures and linear regression models were used to test associations with 10-year change in the cardiometabolic traits. 'Physical activity' and 'General Health' were the exposure categories containing the highest number of 'tentative signals' in analyses assessing the average association of lifestyle variables, while 'Tobacco use' was the top category for the 10-year change association analyses. Eleven modifiable variables showed a consistent average association among the majority of cardiometabolic traits. These variables belonged to the domains: (i) Smoking, (ii) Beverage (filtered coffee), (iii) physical activity, (iv) alcohol intake, and (v) specific variables related to Nordic lifestyle (hunting/fishing during leisure time and boiled coffee consumption). We used an agnostic, data-driven approach to assess a wide range of established and novel risk factors for cardiometabolic disease. Our findings highlight key variables, along with their respective effect estimates, that might be prioritised for subsequent prediction models and lifestyle interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, silver microspheres (SMS) were introduced into cotton stalk porous-carbon (CSP) to prepare silver microsphere doping porous-carbon (SMS-CSP), and then SMS-CSP was used as the matrix of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to synthesize shape-stable phase change material of PEG/SMS-CSP. It was found that the introduction of SMS into CSP could not only greatly improve the loading capacity of the porous-carbon for PEG, but also could increase the thermal conductivity of PEG/SMS-CSP. Additionally, the method of introducing SMS into porous-carbon had the advantages of environmental protection and simple operation. Moreover, the raw material of cotton stalk is a kind of agricultural waste, which has the merits of wide source, low price and easy to obtain. Furthermore, in the preparation of cotton stalk porous-carbon, with the increase of pyrolysis temperature the thermal conductivity of PEG/SMS-CSP could be enhanced significantly. The mechanism about the enhancement of thermal conductivity was clarified, which could provide more basic theory for the study about the thermal conductivity of shape-stable phase change materials (ss-PCMs) based on porous-carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite increasing evidence that antibiotic resistant pathogens are shared among humans and animals, the diversity, abundance and patterns of spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in wildlife remains unclear. We identified 194 ARGs associated with phenotypic resistance to 13 types of antibiotic in meta-transcriptomic data generated from a broad range of lower vertebrates residing in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. These ARGs, confirmed by PCR, included those that shared high sequence similarity to clinical isolates of public health concern. Notably, the lower vertebrate resistome varied by ecological niche of the host sampled. The resistomes in marine fish shared high similarity and were characterized by very high abundance, distinct from that observed in other habitats. An assessment of ARG mobility found that ARGs in marine fish were frequently co-localized with mobile elements, indicating that they were likely spread by horizontal gene transfer. Together, these data reveal the remarkable diversity and transcriptional levels of ARGs in lower vertebrates, and suggest that these wildlife species might play an important role in the global spread of ARGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) projects high-dimensional genotype data into a few components that discern populations. Ancestry Informative Markers (AIMs) are a small subset of SNPs capable of distinguishing populations. We integrate these two approaches by proposing an algorithm to identify necessary informative loci whose removal from the data deteriorates the PCA structure. Unlike classical AIMs, necessary informative loci densely cover the genome, hence can illuminate the evolution and mixing history of populations. We conduct a comprehensive analysis to the genotype data of the 1000 Genomes Project using necessary informative loci. Projections along the top seven principal components demarcate populations at distinct geographic levels. Millions of necessary informative loci along each PC are identified. Population identities along each PC are approximately determined by weighted sums of minor (or major) alleles over the informative loci. Variations of allele frequencies are aligned with the history and direction of population evolution. The population distribution of projections along the top three PCs is recapitulated by a simple demographic model based on several waves of founder population separation and mixing. Informative loci possess locational concentration in the genome and functional enrichment. Genes at two hot spots encompassing dense PC 7 informative loci exhibit differential expressions among European populations. The mosaic of local ancestry in the genome of a mixed descendant from multiple populations can be inferred from partial PCA projections of informative loci. Finally, informative loci derived from the 1000 Genomes data well predict the projections of an independent genotype data of South Asians. These results demonstrate the utility and relevance of informative loci to investigate human evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Armchair WS2 nanoribbons are semiconductors with band gaps close to 0.5 eV. If some of the W atoms in the ribbon are replaced by transition metals, the impurity states can tremendously affect the overall electronic structure of the doped ribbon. By using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory, we investigated substitutional doping of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Co at various positions on WS2 ribbons of different widths. We found that Fe-doped ribbons can have two-channel conduction in the middle segment of the ribbon and at the edges, carrying opposite spins separately. Many Co-doped ribbons are transformed into spin filters that exhibit 100% spin-polarized conduction. These results will be useful for spintronics and nanoelectronic circuit design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper microsphere hybrid mesoporous carbon (MPC-Cu) was synthesized by the pyrolysis of polydopamine microspheres doped with copper ions that were prepared using a novel, facile and simple one-step method of dopamine biomimetic polymerization and copper ion adsorption. The resulting MPC-Cu was then used as a supporter for polyethylene glycol (PEG) to synthesize shape-stabilized phase change materials (PEG/MPC-Cu) with enhanced thermal properties. PEG/MPC-Cu was studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal constant analysis. The results demonstrated that the thermal conductivity of PEG/MPC-Cu was 0.502 W/(m K), which increased by 100% compared to pure PEG [0.251 W/(m K)]. The melting enthalpy of PEG/MPC-Cu was 95.98 J/g, indicating that PEG/MPC-Cu is a promising candidate for future thermal energy storage applications. In addition, the characterization results suggested that PEG-MPC-Cu possessed high thermal stability. Therefore, the method developed in this paper for preparing shape-stabilized phase change materials with improved thermal properties has substantial engineering application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulosic biomass is composed of three major biopolymers: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Analytical tools capable of quickly detecting both glycan and lignin deconstruction are needed to support the development and characterization of efficient enzymes/enzyme cocktails. Previously we have described nanostructure-initiator mass spectrometry-based assays for the analysis of glycosyl hydrolase and most recently an assay for lignin modifying enzymes. Here we integrate these two assays into a single multiplexed assay against both classes of enzymes and use it to characterize crude commercial enzyme mixtures. Application of our multiplexed platform based on nanostructure-initiator mass spectrometry enabled us to characterize crude mixtures of laccase enzymes from fungi Agaricus bisporus (Ab) and Myceliopthora thermophila (Mt) revealing activity on both carbohydrate and aromatic substrates. Using time-series analysis we determined that crude laccase from Ab has the higher GH activity and that laccase from Mt has the higher activity against our lignin model compound. Inhibitor studies showed a significant reduction in Mt GH activity under low oxygen conditions and increased activities in the presence of vanillin (common GH inhibitor). Ultimately, this assay can help to discover mixtures of enzymes that could be incorporated into biomass pretreatments to deconstruct diverse components of lignocellulosic biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "IL-8 is a novel prometastatic chemokine in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma that induces CXCR2-PI3K/AKT signaling upon CD97 activation" published in Scientific Reports. The correction addresses an error in Figure 3 of the original article, where the siNC group and IL-8+siNC group were misused. The corrected version of the article is now available. [Extracted from the article]

Although direct deposition of polymeric materials onto textiles through 3D printing is a great technique used more and more to develop smart textiles, one of the main challenges is to demonstrate equal or better mechanical resistance, durability and comfort than those of the textile substrates before deposition process. This article focuses on studying the impact of the textile properties and printing platform temperature on the tensile and deformations of non-conductive and conductive poly lactic acid (PLA) filaments deposited onto polyethylene terephthalate (PET) textiles through 3D printing process and optimizing them using theoretical and statistical models. The results demonstrate that the deposition process affects the tensile properties of the printed textile in comparison with the ones of the textiles. The stress and strain at rupture of the first 3D printed PLA layer deposited onto PET textile material reveal to be a combination of those of the printed layer and the PET fabric due to the lower flexibility and diffusion of the polymeric printed track through the textile fabric leading to a weak adhesion at the polymer/textile interface. Besides, printing platform temperature and textile properties influence the tensile and deformation properties of the 3D printed PLA on PET textile significantly. Both, the washing process and the incorporation of conductive fillers into the PLA do not affect the tensile properties of the extruded polymeric materials. The elastic, total and permanent deformations of the 3D-printed PLA on PET fabrics are lower than the ones of the fabric before polymer deposition which demonstrates a better dimensional stability, higher stiffness and lower flexibility of these materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A promising new form-stable phase change material (PA/PB) was fabricated using pinecone biochar (PB) as the supporting material of palmitic acid (PA). The biochar of PB with large surface area was produced by forest residue of pinecone, and it was cheap, environment friendly and easy to prepare. The PB was firstly utilized as the supporter of PA and the characterizations of PA/PB were analyzed by the BET, SEM, XRD, DSC, TGA, FT-IR and thermal conductivity tester. The results demonstrated that the PA was physically absorbed by the PB and the crystal structure of the PA was not destroyed. The results of DSC showed that the fusing and crystallization points of the form-stable phase change material with the maximum content of PA (PA/PB-4) were 59.25 °C and 59.13 °C, and its fusing and freezing latent heat were 84.74 kJ/kg and 83.81 kJ/kg, respectively. The results of TGA suggested that the thermal stability of the PA/PB-4 composite was excellent, which could be used for the applications of thermal energy storage. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of PA/PB-4 was 0.3926 W/(m∙K), which was increased by 43.76% compared with that of the pure PA. Thus, the study results indicated that the PA/PB-4 had great potential for thermal energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philadelphia chromosome-like (Ph-like) acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a high-risk subtype characterised by genomic alterations that activate cytokine receptor and kinase signalling, is associated with inferior outcomes in most childhood ALL clinical trials. Half of the patients with Ph-like ALL have kinase rearrangements or fusions. We examined the frequency and spectrum of these fusions using a retrospective cohort of 212 newly diagnosed patients with childhood B-cell ALL. Samples without known chromosomal alterations were subject to multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to identify known Ph-like kinase fusions. Immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (IGH) capture and kinase capture were applied to samples without known kinase fusions. We detected known kinase fusions in five of 212 patients, comprising EBF1-PDGFRB, ETV6-ABL1, ZC3HAV1-ABL2, EPOR-IGH, and CNTRL-ABL1. Two patients with P2RY8-CRLF2 were identified. Patients with non-Ph kinase fusions had inferior 5-year event-free survival and overall survival compared with patients with other common genetic alterations. The prevalence of non-Ph kinase fusions in our Taiwanese cohort was lower than that reported in Caucasian populations. Future clinical trials with tyrosine kinase inhibitors may be indicated in Taiwan because of the inferior outcomes for B-cell ALL with kinase fusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serious problems of environmental pollution and energy shortage have pushed the green economy photocatalysis technology to the forefront of research. Therefore, the development of an efficient and environmentally friendly photocatalyst has become a hotpot. In this work, magnetic Fe3O4/C/MnO2/C3N4 composite as photocatalyst was synthesized by combining in situ coating with low-temperature reassembling of CN precursors. Morphology and structure characterization showed that the composite photocatalyst has a hollow core–shell flower-like structure. In the composite, the magnetic Fe3O4 core was convenient for magnetic separation and recovery. The introduction of conductive C layer could avoid recombining photo-generated electrons and holes effectively. Ultra-thin g-C3N4 layer could fully contact with coupled semiconductor. A Z-type heterojunction between g-C3N4 and flower-like MnO2 was constructed to improve photocatalytic performance. Under the simulated visible light, 15 wt% photocatalyst exhibited 94.11% degradation efficiency in 140 min for degrading methyl orange and good recyclability in the cycle experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a rare but highly aggressive malignant tumor arising within the liver, with a 5-year survival rate of only 20–40% after surgery. The role of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in ICC progression remains elusive. A transcriptomic approach based on IL-8 stimulation first revealed significant upregulation of the prometastatic gene CD97 and key epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) factors E-cadherin and vimentin. Immunohistochemistry of 125 ICC tissues confirmed the positive correlation between IL-8 and CD97. Multivariable Cox regression indicated that they are both independent predictors of ICC prognosis. Mechanistically, IL-8 treatment induced CD97 expression at 50 and 100 ng/ml in QBC-939 and QBE cells, respectively. Moreover, the induction of cell migration and invasion upon IL-8 treatment was attenuated by CD97 RNA interference, and the expression of EMT-associated genes was dramatically inhibited. To determine whether CXCR1 or CXCR2 are downstream effectors of IL-8, siCXCR2 was applied and shown to significantly attenuate the oncogenic effects of IL-8 by inhibiting the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT. Finally, the induction of CD97 expression by the PI3K pathway was verified by treatment with the inhibitor LY294002. In vivo, the significant tumor growth and lung metastasis effects induced by intraperitoneal injection of IL-8 were greatly inhibited by silencing CD97 in nude mice. Collectively, the study presents a novel mechanism of the IL-8-CXCR2-PI3K/AKT axis in regulating CD97 expression, which leads to ICC metastasis mainly through EMT. The study may provide alternatives for targeting the tumor microenvironment in metastatic ICC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate the causal relationship between genetically predicted endometriosis (EMS) and breast cancer risk. A total of 122,977 cases and 105,974 controls were included in the analysis, with gene-level summary data obtained from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC). An inverse variance-weighting approach was applied to assess the causal relationship between EMS and breast cancer risk, and weighted median and MR-Egger regression methods were used to evaluate pleiotropy. Results showed a causal relationship between EMS and a decreased risk of overall breast cancer (odds ratio [OR] 0.95; 95% CI 0.90–0.99, p = 0.02). Furthermore, EMS was associated with a lower risk for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer in a subgroup analysis based on immunohistochemistry type (OR 0.91; 95% CI 0.86–0.97, p = 0.005). However, there was no causal association between ER-negative breast cancer and survival (OR 1.00; 95% CI 0.94–1.06, p = 0.89). Pleiotropy was not observed. These findings provide evidence of a relationship between EMS and reduced breast cancer risk in invasive breast cancer overall and specific tissue types, and support the results of a previous observational study. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nemonoxacin is a novel non-fluorinated quinolone with strong antibacterial efficacy, but data of its effect on acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is rare. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of oral nemonoxacin with moxifloxacin in AECOPD outpatients. In this retrospective observational study, a total of 101 AECOPD outpatients initially treated with nemonoxacin or moxifloxacin from July 2021 to March 2022 were enrolled. We collected COPD assessment test (CAT), Transition Dyspnea Indices (TDI) scores, and exacerbations information during 24 weeks follow-up from the electronic medical records. Kaplan–Meier curve was used to analyze the time to the next moderate/severe exacerbation. Compared to the moxifloxacin group, changes in CAT scores and TDI scores were significantly higher in the nemonoxacin group, and the nemonoxacin group also had a greater probability to reach the minimal clinically important difference of CAT (71.40% vs. 97.80%, p < 0.01) and TDI (40.50% vs. 60.00%, p < 0.05) at week 4. Despite no significant difference in the incidence of exacerbations between two groups, patients treated with nemonoxacin had a significantly prolonged time to next moderate/severe exacerbation than those with moxifloxacin (p < 0.05). Nemonoxacin achieved a better symptomatic improvement and a prolonged interval to next moderate/severe exacerbation for AECOPD outpatients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast-track surgery is claimed to reduce medical morbidity, eliminate the hospitalization needs, and shorten the convalescence period. Intraoperative bleeding as the main complication is also the primary cause of conversion from laparoscopic to open splenectomy. Intraoperative blood salvage can reduce transfusion requirements, decrease the conversion rate to open, and promote fast-tracking in laparoscopic splenectomy (LS). From November 2007 through December 2016 we collected medical data of 115 LS patients. There were three groups: 54 patients receiving routine care (we marks them as Group RT), 33 patients with fast-track care (Group FT), and 28 receiving fast-track care receiving intraoperative splenic blood salvage and autotransfusion (Group FT + ISBS). These medical data are comprised of included three phases (pre-, intra-, and postoperative). There were significant differences (P < 0.05) between RT, FT, and FT + ISBS groups. The hemoglobin level in Group FT + ISBS was significantly higher than in Group RT and Group FT. Comparing the duration of hospital stay of 3 groups, Group RT stayed for a significantly longer time than Group FT and Group FT + ISBS, Group FT + ISBSmuch shorter than Group FT. Comparing the hospitalization expense, GroupFT + ISBS significantly expended less than Group RT and Group FT. Our study shows that laparoscopic splenectomy with fast-track care is feasible, effective, and safe for patients who require splenectomy. Fast-tracking with intraoperative blood salvage improved the fast-track laparoscopic splenectomy procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identified heterogeneous Mg-Ho alloys as an ideal material to measure the most extensive acoustic emission spectra available. Mg-Ho alloys are porous and show a high density of dislocations, which slide under external tension and compression. These dislocations nucleate near numerous heterogeneities. Two mechanisms compete under external forcing in the structural collapse, namely collapsing holes and the movements of dislocations. Their respective fingerprints in acoustic emission (AE) measurements are very different and relate to their individual signal strengths. Porous collapse generates very strong AE signals while dislocation movements create more but weaker AE signals. This allows the separation of the two processes even though they almost always coincide temporarily. The porous collapse follows approximately mean-field behavior (ε = 1.4, τ' = 1.82, α = 2.56, x = 1.93, χ = 1.95) with mean field scaling fulfilled. The exponents for dislocation movement are greater (ε = 1.92, τ' = 2.44, α = 3.0, x = 1.7, χ = 1.42) and follows approximately the force integrated mean-field predictions. The Omori scaling is similar for both mechanisms. The Bath's law is well fulfilled for the porous collapse but not for the dislocation movements. We suggest that such 'complex' mixing behavior is dominant in many other complex materials such as (multi-) ferroics, entropic alloys and porous ferroelastics, and, potentially, homogeneous materials with the simultaneous appearance of different collapse mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine whether dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) derived parameters can identify oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and lymphatic metastasis. Thirty-nine oesophageal SCC patients underwent DCE-MRI. Quantitative parameters including endothelial transfer constant (Ktrans), reflux rate (Kep), fractional extravascular extracellular space volume and fractional plasma volume, and semi-quantitative parameters including time to peak (TTP), max concentration, Max Slope and area under concentration-time curve of both oesophageal SCC and normal oesophagus were measured. Mann-Whitney U test revealed that Ktrans and Kep of oesophageal SCC were higher while TTP was shorter when compared to normal oesophagus (all P-values < 0.05); and areas under receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curves displayed that Kep was superior to TTP or Ktrans for identifying oesophageal SCC (0.903 vs. 0.832 or 0.713). Mann-Whitney U test also demonstrated that Kep was higher and TTP was shorter in patients with lymphatic metastasis when compared to non-metastatic cancer patients (both P-values < 0.05), and area under ROC curve also showed that TTP was superior to Kep for predicting lymphatic metastasis (0.696 vs. 0.659). In conclusion, the combination of quantitative and semi-quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI can aid in the identification of oesophageal SCC and lymphatic metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actinomycetes are a heterogeneous group of gram positive filamentous bacteria that have been found to produce a wide range of valuable bioactive secondary metabolites, particularly antibiotics. Moreover, actinomycetes isolated from unexplored environments show an unprecedented potential to generate novel active compounds. Hence, in order to search for novel antibiotics, we isolated and characterized actinomycetes strains from plant samples collected from a mangrove in Macau. Within the class of actinobacteria, fourteen actinomycetes isolates have been isolated and identified belonging to the genus of Streptomyces, Micromonospora, Mycobacterium, Brevibacterium, Curtobacterium and Kineococcus based on their 16S rRNA sequences. Further whole genome sequencing analysis of one of the isolated Streptomyces sp., which presented 99.13% sequence similarity with Streptomyces parvulus strain 2297, showed that it consisted of 118 scaffolds, 8,348,559 base pairs and had a 72.28% G + C content. In addition, genome-mining revealed that the isolated Streptomyces sp. contains 109 gene clusters responsible for the biosynthesis of known and/or novel secondary metabolites, including different types of terpene, T1pks, T2pks, T3pks, Nrps, indole, siderophore, bacteriocin, thiopeptide, phosphonate, lanthipeptide, ectoine, butyrolactone, T3pks-Nrps, and T1pks-Nrps. Meanwhile, the small molecules present in ethyl acetate extract of the fermentation broth of this strain were analyzed by LC-MS. Predicted secondary metabolites of melanin and desferrioxamine B were identified and both of them were firstly found to be produced by the Streptomyces parvulus strain. Our study highlights that combining genome mining is an efficient method to detect potentially promising natural products from mangrove-derived actinomycetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic neuropathy can damage systemic nervous system, including alteration of enteric nervous system and subsequent gastrointestinal dysfunction. The effect of diabetes on enteric glia cell (EGC) is not clear. We investigated the effect of diabetes and hyperglycemia on EGC, and the role of microRNA375 in modulating EGC survival in vivo and in vitro. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice were intraperitoneally injected with microRNA375 inhibitor or its negative control. EGC was transfected with microRNA375 inhibitor or its mimic. Diabetes mice with gastrointestinal dysfunction showed increased apoptosis of EGC (no difference in cell numbers) and gene expression of micorRNA375 in the myenteric plexus. Hyperglycemia triggered apoptosis of EGC in vitro with decreased expression of Pdk1 and p-Akt, but increased expression of micorRNA375. MicorRNA375 mimic induced apoptosis of EGC in vitro with repressed Pdk1and p-Akt. MicorRNA375 inhibitor could both prevent hyperglycemia-induced apoptosis of EGC in vitro and diabetes-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction in vivo. Our results suggest that diabetes-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction is related to increased apoptosis of EGC in the myenteric plexus. Hyperglycemia can increase the expression of microRNA375 and damage EGC survival through PI3K/Akt pathway. MicroRNA375 specific inhibition can prevent hyperglycemia induced EGC damage and diabetes-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burn injury is common, and antimicrobial agents are often applied immediately to prevent wound infection and excessive inflammatory response. Although inflammation is essential for clearing bacteria and creating an environment conducive to the healing process, it is unclear what time-frame inflammation should be present for optimal wound healing. This study critically investigated the role of early inflammation in burn wound healing, and also revealed the molecular mechanisms underlying the pro-healing effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). We created a burn injury mouse model using wild-type and Smad3−/− mice, which were topically treated with AgNPs at different post-burn days, and examined the healing processes of the various groups. We also delineated the molecular pathways underlying the anti-inflammation and pro-healing effects of AgNPs by morphological and histological analysis, immuno-histochemistry, and western blotting. Our results showed that (1) AgNPs regulated pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 production of keratinocytes and neutrophils infiltration through KGF-2/p38 signaling pathway, (2) Topical AgNPs treatment immediately after burn injury significantly supressed early inflammation but resulted in delayed healing, (3) A short delay in AgNPs application (post-burn day 3 in our model) allowed early inflammation in a controlled manner, and led to optimal burn wound healing. Thus, our current study showed that some degree of early inflammation was beneficial, but prolonged inflammation was detrimental for burn wound healing. Further evaluation and clinical translation of this finding is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

miRNAs are endogenous regulatory factors that play pivotal roles in post-transcriptional regulation. However, their specific roles in early somatic embryogenesis (SE) remain unclear. Study of the SE system is fundamental for clarifying the molecular mechanisms in Dimocarpus longan. We identified 289 known miRNAs from 106 different miRNA families and 1087 novel miRNAs during early longan SE, including embryogenic callus (EC), incomplete pro-embryogenic culture (ICpEC), globular embryo (GE), and non-embryogenic callus (NEC). The abundances of known miRNAs were concentrated in GE. The differentially expression (DE) miRNAs showed five expression patterns during early SE. Largely miRNAs were expressed highly and specially in EC, ICpEC, and GE, respectively. Some miRNAs and putative target genes were enriched in lignin metabolism. Most potential targets were related to the pathways of plant hormone signal transduction, alternative splicing, tyrosine metabolism and sulfur metabolism in early longan SE. The regulatory relationships between dlo-miR166a-3p and DlHD-zip8, dlo-miR397a and DlLAC7, dlo-miR408-3p and DlLAC12 were confirmed by RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The expression patterns of eight DE miRNAs detected by qRT-PCR were consistent with RNA-seq. Finally, the miRNA regulatory network in early SE was constructed, which provided new insight into molecular mechanism of early SE in longan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater pollution and shortage have become an imminent problem. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a multi-functional membrane for the production of fresh water. In this work, the regenerated lignocellulose modified cotton fabric was developed as a novel, multi-functional and degradable membrane (LCPT@CF) for efficient oil–water separation and solar steam generation for the first time. The fabrication method has the merits of simple, environmentally friendly and cost effective. The regenerated lignocellulose was adhered on the surface of cotton fabric by tannic acid and polyvinyl alcohol complexes tightly, and the multilayered structures of the LCPT@CF can be formed, which endowed the membranes with underwater superoleophobic property and durability. The underwater superoleophobic property enabled LCPT@CF to purify various kinds of oil-in-water emulsions with a separation efficiency of more than 99.90%. Moreover, benefiting from the excellent photothermal conversion capacity of regenerated lignocellulose, the LCPT@CF achieved high evaporation rate of 1.39 kg m−2 h−1 and favorable evaporation efficiency of 84% under 1 sun illumination, and the LCPT@CF also presented excellent salt-resistance for evaporating seawater for 20 cycles, without salt accumulation. More importantly, the LCPT@CF could be naturally degradable by microorganisms in the natural condition within 3 months, which had outstanding environmental friendliness. These above results demonstrated that the green and efficient LCPT@CF could play great potential in oil–water separation and sewage purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial diseases (MDs) were a large group multisystem disorders, attributable in part to the dual genomic control. The advent of massively sequencing has improved diagnostic rates and speed, and was increasingly being used as a first-line diagnostic test. Paediatric patients (aged < 18 years) who underwent dual genomic sequencing were enrolled in this retrospective multicentre study. We evaluated the mitochondrial disease criteria (MDC) and molecular diagnostic yield of dual genomic sequencing. Causative variants were identified in 177 out of 503 (35.2%) patients using dual genomic sequencing. Forty-six patients (9.1%) had mitochondria-related variants, including 25 patients with nuclear DNA (nDNA) variants, 15 with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants, and six with dual genomic variants (MT-ND6 and POLG; MT-ND5 and RARS2; MT-TL1 and NARS2; MT-CO2 and NDUFS1; MT-CYB and SMARCA2; and CHRNA4 and MT-CO3). Based on the MDC, 15.2% of the patients with mitochondria-related variants were classified as "unlikely to have mitochondrial disorder". Moreover, 4.5% of the patients with non-mitochondria-related variants and 1.43% with negative genetic tests, were classified as "probably having mitochondrial disorder". Dual genomic sequencing in suspected MDs provided a more comprehensive and accurate diagnosis for pediatric patients, especially for patients with dual genomic variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of programmed spatial anatomy of myopectineal orifice technique in laparoscopic total extraperitoneal hernioplasty (TEP) surgery. A total of 121 adult male patients with unilateral inguinal hernias who underwent TEP in the Department of General Surgery, Wujin Hospital, affiliated with Jiangsu University, from January 2019 to December 2020 were selected. Patients were divided into the procedural (63 cases) and traditional groups (58 cases) according to the surgical methods adopted. The procedural group underwent programmed spatial anatomy of the myopectineal orifice combined with TEP, and the traditional group underwent traditional TEP. The perioperative evaluation indicators and postoperative complications were observed and compared between the two groups. Compared with the traditional group, the time of handling hernia, the intraoperative operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative ambulation time, and postoperative hospital stay in the procedural group were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications such as sensory nerve abnormalities and chronic pain was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and the total incidence of complications in the procedural group was significantly lower than that in the traditional group (P < 0.05). While there was no significant difference in postoperative incision infection (P > 0.05). The programmed spatial anatomy of the myopectineal orifice can significantly improve the treatment outcome of TEP, significantly improve the patients' intraoperative and postoperative indicators, and reduce the incidence of postoperative complications. It is worthy of being promoted among young physicians and basic hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TPA stimulates carcinogenesis in various types of cancers. However, we found that TPA inhibits transformative phenotypes in liver cancer cells via the translocation of YAP from the nucleus, where it functions as a transcriptional co-factor, to the cytoplasm. Such effects led to a separation of YAP from its dependent transcription factors. The inhibitory effects of TPA on YAP were AMOT dependent. Without AMOT, TPA was unable to alter YAP activity. Importantly, the depletion of YAP and AMOT blocked the TPA-reduced transformative phenotypes. In sum, TPA has been established as an anti-tumorigenic drug in liver cancer cells via YAP and AMOT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]