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The tight junction protein claudin‐7 is essential for tight junction function and intestinal homeostasis. Cldn7 deletion in mice leads to an inflammatory bowel disease‐like phenotype exhibiting severe intestinal epithelial damage, weight loss, inflammation, mucosal ulcerations, and epithelial hyperplasia. Claudin‐7 has also been shown to be involved in cancer metastasis and invasion. Here, we test our hypothesis that claudin‐7 plays an important role in regulating colonic intestinal stem cell function. Conditional knockout of Cldn7 in the colon led to impaired epithelial cell differentiation, hyperproliferative epithelium, a decrease in active stem cells, and dramatically altered gene expression profiles. In 3D colonoid culture, claudin‐7–deficient crypts were unable to survive and form spheroids, emphasizing the importance of claudin‐7 in stem cell survival. Inhibition of the Hippo pathway or activation of Notch signaling partially rescued the defective stem cell behavior. Concurrent Notch activation and Hippo inhibition resulted in restored colonoid survival, growth, and differentiation to the level comparable to those of wild‐type derived crypts. In this study, we highlight the essential role of claudin‐7 in regulating Notch and Hippo signaling–dependent colonic stem cell functions, including survival, self‐renewal, and differentiation. These new findings may shed light on potential avenues to explore for drug development in colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of Dan'e Fukang soft extracts in moderate ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) for the simultaneous treatment of blood and fluid, guided by the traditional Chinese medicine principle of "triple prevention". Methods: This study conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical data from outpatients who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection embryo transfer (ICSI-ET). A total of 2245 cases were included and divided into a treatment group (1002 cases) and a control group (1243 cases). Patients in the treatment group were administered Dan'e Fukang soft extracts orally in addition to conventional Western medicine. Comparative assessments were made between the two groups on pelvic ascites volume, maximum ovary diameter, dysmenorrhea incidence post-oocyte retrieval, and safety indicators. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the treatment group and the control group in terms of general characteristics or the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteotropic hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), or progesterone (P) at the time of gonadotropin (Gn) initiation. The groups did not differ significantly when we compared the levels of LH, E2, or P on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection and during ovarian hyperstimulation protocols (P > 0.05 for all indicators). The differences in the volume of pelvic ascites, the maximum ovarian diameter, and the incidence of dysmenorrhea after oocyte retrieval were statistically significant between the treatment group and the control group (P < 0.05 in both). There were no instances of adverse reactions in either group. Conclusion: Based on the traditional Chinese medicine principle of "triple prevention", the use of Dan'e Fukang soft extracts for the simultaneous treatment of blood and fluid in moderate OHSS significantly improved the absorption of pelvic ascites, promoted ovarian recovery, and reduced the incidence of dysmenorrhea after oocyte retrieval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change literacy (CCL) is recognized as a critical component in formulating and implementing effective climate change policies and actions. However, the degree of CCL among those entrusted with these very responsibilities – public officials, remains relatively unexplored. This study pioneers an investigation into the CCL of public officials in Taiwan through a national survey. Our findings indicate that while a majority of these officials are cognizant of climate change issues, their personal commitment to climate action leaves considerable room for growth. Furthermore, their general understanding of climate change, its impacts, and the necessary adaptation strategies is found wanting. A similar deficit is observed in their comprehension of the relevance of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to climate change. Our study, by establishing a framework for assessing CCL among public officials and providing preliminary data on the CCL of Taiwanese officials, not only fills a significant knowledge gap but also lays the groundwork for comparative studies across nations. Moreover, our findings underscore the need for governments to invest in enhancing the CCL of their personnel, thereby equipping them with the requisite knowledge and motivation to contribute effectively to global climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environment-induced epigenetics are involved in diapause regulation, but the molecular mechanism that epigenetically couples nutrient metabolism to diapause regulation remains unclear. In this study, we paid special attention to the significant differences in the level of N6 -adenosine methylation (m6A) of dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase (DHAPAT) and phosphatidate phosphatase (PAP) genes in the lipid metabolism pathway of the bivoltine silkworm (Bombyx mori) strain Qiufeng developed from eggs incubated at a normal temperature (QFHT, diapause egg producer) compared to those from eggs incubated at a low temperature (QFLT, non-diapause egg producer). We knocked down DHAPAT in the pupal stage of the QFLT group, resulting in the non-diapause destined eggs becoming diapausing eggs. In the PAP knockdown group, the colour of the non-diapause destined eggs changed from light yellow to pink 3 days after oviposition, but they hatched as normal. Moreover, we validated that YTHDF3 binds to m6A-modified DHAPAT and PAP mRNAs to promote their stability and translation. These results suggest that RNA m6A methylation participates in the diapause regulation of silkworm by changing the expression levels of DHAPAT and PAP and reveal that m6A epigenetic modification can be combined with a lipid metabolism signal pathway to participate in the regulation of insect diapause traits, which provides a clearer image for exploring the physiological basis of insect diapause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tight junctions (TJs) are the most apical components of junctional complexes in epithelial and endothelial cells. Barrier function is one of the major functions of TJ, which restricts the ions and small water-soluble molecules from passing through the paracellular pathway. Adherens junctions (AJs) play an important role in cell–cell adhesion and cell signaling. Gap junctions (GJs) are intercellular channels regulating electrical and metabolic signals between cells. It is well known that TJ integral membrane proteins, such as claudins and occludins, are the molecular building blocks responsible for TJ barrier function. However, recent studies demonstrate that proteins of other junctional complexes can influence and regulate TJ barrier function. Therefore, the crosstalk between different cell junctions represents a common means to modulate cellular activities. In this review, we will discuss the interactions among TJ, AJ, and GJ by focusing on how AJ and GJ proteins regulate TJ barrier function in different biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the effects of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine on the outcome of frozen embryo transfer (FET).Methods: We grouped patients who underwent FET between August 2021 and March 2022 based on their vaccination status, number of doses, and the interval between the last dose and the FET, and then compared the differences in pregnancy outcomes among the groups.Results: There were 1084 vaccinated patients and 1228 non-vaccinated ones. There were significant differences in the live birth rate between the vaccination and non-vaccination groups (16.61% vs 28.26%), among the one-dose, two-dose, and three-dose groups (22.28% vs 19.51% vs 7.27%), and among the groups with interval ≤ 1 month, 1– 2 months, and ≥ 2 months (38.38% vs 27.27% vs 12.03%). There were significant differences in the persistent pregnancy rate between the vaccination and non-vaccination groups (22.88% vs 14.09%), among the one-dose, two-dose, and three-dose groups (14.51% vs 23.80% vs 38.18%), and among the groups with interval ≤ 1 month, 1– 2 months, and ≥ 2 months (1.01% vs 8.44% vs 28.16%). There were significant differences in the neonatal weight between the vaccination and non-vaccination groups [3805.50 (3746.00– 3863.50) vs 2970.00 (2500.00– 3400.00)]. There were significant differences in the premature birth rate among the one-dose, two-dose, and three-dose groups (23.26% vs 34.59% vs 100.00%), and among the groups with interval ≤ 1 month, 1– 2 months, and ≥ 2 months (15.79% vs 21.43% vs 37.00%).Conclusion: Pregnancy outcomes were not affected by taking the SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine before FET, the number of doses, and the interval between doses. These findings provide evidence supporting the safety of administering the SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine during pregnancy, which can be used as a guide for vaccinating patients undergoing ART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research has shown that epigenetic modification are involved the regulation of diapause in bivoltine silkworms (Bombyx mori), but it remains unclear how epigenetic modification in response to environmental signals precisely to regulate the diapause processing of bivoltine B. mori. Methods and results: In this study, the diapause terminated eggs of bivoltine B. mori, Qiufeng (QF) were divided into two groups: a QFHT group incubated at 25 °C with a natural day/night cycle to produce diapause eggs, and a QFLT group incubated at 16.5 °C in darkness to produce non-diapause eggs. On the 3rd day of the pupal stage, the total RNAs of the eggs were extracted and their N6-adenosine methylation (m6A) abundances were analyzed to explore the effects of m6A methylation on diapause in the silkworm. The results showed that 1984 m6A peaks are shared, 1563 in QFLT and 659 in QFHT. The m6A methylation level of the QFLT group was higher than that of the QFHT one in various signaling pathways. The m6A methylation rate of mevalonate kinase (MK) in the insect hormone synthesis pathway was significantly different between the two groups. The knockdown of MK by RNA interference in the pupae of QFLT resulted in females laying diapause eggs rather than non-diapause eggs after mating. Conclusions: m6A methylation involves in the diapause regulation of bivoltine B. mori by changing the expression levels of MK. This result provides a clearer image of the environmental signals on the regulation of diapause in bivoltine silkworms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the effect of introducing a course in Web Development for Chinese students on their academic achievements and the basic competencies, using traditional and online approaches. For the experimental learning purposes, 300 students were selected from three universities located in China's largest cities: Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin. A course in Web Development was designed and implemented to achieve the research objectives. The study results showed that the difference in the learning outcomes of the two groups was insignificant and did not depend on the training format. Online learners had more feedback and were able to take lectures and practical training more quickly. Further research requires quantifying and comparing the effects of online learning in programming instruction using the instrumental variable method and structural equation modeling to reveal the causal relationship between the two. The study can be useful to developers of training programs to create both traditional and online courses because the data obtained during this research can improve the effectiveness of the new course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, nanostructured gold was successfully prepared on a bare Au electrode using the electrochemical deposition method. Nanostructured gold provided more exposed active sites to facilitate the ion and electron transfer during the electrocatalytic reaction of organophosphorus pesticide (methyl parathion). The morphological and structural characterization of nanostructured gold was conducted using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), which was further carried out to evaluate the electrocatalytic activity towards methyl parathion sensing. The electrochemical performance of nanostructured gold was investigated by electrochemical measurements (cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV)). The proposed nanostructured gold-modified electrode exhibited prominent electrochemical methyl parathion sensing performance (including two linear concentration ranges from 0.01 to 0.5 ppm (R2 = 0.993) and from 0.5 to 4 ppm (R2 = 0.996), limit of detection of 5.9 ppb, excellent selectivity and stability), and excellent capability in determination of pesticide residue in real fruit and vegetable samples (bok choy and strawberry). The study demonstrated that the presented approach to fabricate a nanostructured gold-modified electrode could be practically applied to detect pesticide residue in agricultural products via integrating the electrochemical and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS-MS) analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high frequency of chemotherapy resistance is ultimately responsible for clinical relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism relevant to glucocorticoid (GC) resistance remains ambiguous. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were performed to detect the expressions of paraoxonase 2 (PON2), Bcl-2 and Bax. shRNA was used to knockdown PON2 expression in SUP-B15 and REH cell. CCK-8 and flow cytometry assay were conducted to monitor the changes of proliferation and apoptosis in ALL cells. The growth of ALL REH cells in vivo was determined using transplanted tumor model. This study was designed to identify GC resistance-associated genes by means of the transcriptome chip from the public Gene Expression Omnibus database, and preliminarily investigation of dexamethasone (DEX)-resistance mechanism in ALL. We disclosed that PON2 expression was elevated in ALL patients and especially higher in DEX-resistance ALL patients. Then, cell apoptosis assay suggested that silencing of PON2 dramatically promoted in DEX-resistant ALL cells apoptosis and the activity of Caspase 3 induced by DEX administration. In xenograft tumor model, PON2 knockdown significantly reduced DEX-resistant ALL cells growth in immunodeficient mice. Collectively, inhibition of PON2 may represent a novel method to restore the sensitivity of treatment-resistant ALL to GC-induced cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epithelial cells are polarized with defined apical tight junctions (TJs), lateral adherens junctions (AJs), and basal integrin–matrix interactions. However, it is increasingly recognized that resident cell junction proteins can be found in varying locations and with previously unrecognized functions. Our study here presents the nanoarchitecture and nanocolocalization of cell junction proteins in culture and tissue by stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM). The Z‐axial view of noncancerous MDCK‐II and PZ‐HPV‐7 cell–cell junctions resolved β‐catenin and p120ctn localizations to TJs and AJs, with p120ctn apical to β‐catenin and colocalizing with TJ protein claudin‐7. More basally, p120ctn and β‐catenin become colocalized. This topography was lost in isogenic Ras‐transformed MDCK cells and cancerous PC3 cells, where p120ctn becomes basally localized in relation to β‐catenin. Claudin‐7 gene conditional knockout (cKO) in mice also have altered polarity of p120ctn relative to β‐catenin, like that seen in normal‐to‐cancer cell phenotypic transformation. Additionally, claudin‐7 cKO resulted in redistribution and relocalization of other cell junction proteins, including claudin‐1, zonula occludens‐1, integrin α2, epithelial cell adhesion molecule, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK); specifically, integrin α2 and FAK were observed at the apical–lateral compartment. Our data show that STORM reveals regional cellular junction nanoarchitecture previously uncharacterized, providing new insight into potential trans‐compartmental modulation of protein functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 298: F24-F34, 2010. First published September 16, 2009; doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00450.2009.--Claudin-7, a member of the claudin family, is highly expressed in distal nephrons of kidneys and has been reported to be involved in the regulation of paracellular [Cl.sup.-] permeability in cell cultures. To investigate the role of claudin-7 in vivo, we generated claudin-7 knockout mice ([Cln7.sup.-/-] ) by the gene-targeting deletion method. Here we report that [Cln7.sup.-/-] mice were born viable, but died within 12 days after birth. [Cln7.sup.-/-] mice showed severe salt wasting, chronic dehydration, and growth retardation. We found that urine [Na.sup.+], [Cl.sup.-], and [K.sup.+] were significantly increased in [Cln7.sup.-/-] mice compared with that of [Cln7.sup.+/+] mice. Blood urea nitrogen and hematocrit were also significantly higher in [Cln7.sup.-/-] mice. The wrinkled skin was evident when [Cln7.sup.-/-] mice were ~ 1 wk old, indicating that they suffered from chronic fluid loss. Transepidermal water loss measurements showed no difference between [Cln7.sup.+/+] and [Cln7.sup.-/-] skin, suggesting that there was no transepidermal water barrier defect in [Cln7.sup.-/-] mice. Claudin-7 deletion resulted in the dramatic increase of aldosterone synthase mRNA level as early as 2 days after birth. The significant increases of epithelial [Na.sup.+] channel [alpha], [Na.sup.+]-[C1.sup.-] cotransporter, and aquaporin 2 mRNA levels revealed a compensatory response to the loss of electrolytes and fluid in [Cln7.sup.-/-] mice. [Na.sup.+]-[K.sup.+]-ATPase [[alpha].sub.1] expression level was also greatly increased in distal convoluted tubules and collecting ducts where claudin-7 is normally expressed. Our study demonstrates that claudin-7 is essential for NaCl homeostasis in distal nephrons, and the paracellular ion transport pathway plays indispensable roles in keeping ionic balance in kidneys. claudin-7; tight junction; kidney; knockout mice; salt wasting

Background: The Maastricht V/Florence Consensus Report recommends amoxicillin‐fluoroquinolone triple or quadruple therapy as a second‐line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection. An important caveat of amoxicillin‐fluoroquinolone rescue therapy is poor eradication efficacy in the presence of fluoroquinolone resistance. The study aimed to investigate the efficacies of tetracycline‐levofloxacin (TL) quadruple therapy and amoxicillin‐levofloxacin (AL) quadruple therapy in the second‐line treatment of H. pylori infection. Methods: Consecutive H. pylori‐infected subjects after the failure of first‐line therapies were randomly allocated to receive either TL quadruple therapy (tetracycline 500 mg QID, levofloxacin 500 mg QD, esomeprazole 40 mg BID, and tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate 300 mg QID) or AL quadruple therapy (amoxicillin 500 mg QID, levofloxacin 500 mg QD, esomeprazole 40 mg BID, and tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate 300 mg QID) for 10 days. Post‐treatment H. pylori status was assessed 6 weeks after the end of therapy. Results: The study was early terminated after an interim analysis. In the TL quadruple group, 50 out of 56 patients (89.3%) had successful eradication of H. pylori infection. Cure of H. pylori infection was achieved only in 39 of 52 patients (69.6%) receiving AL quadruple therapy. Intention‐to‐treat analysis showed that TL quadruple therapy achieved a markedly higher eradication rate than AL quadruple therapy (95% confidence interval: 4.8% to 34.6%; p = 0.010). Further analysis revealed that TL quadruple therapy had a high eradication rate for both levofloxacin‐susceptible and resistant strains (100% and 88.9%). In contrast, AL quadruple therapy yielded a high eradication for levofloxacin‐susceptible strains (90.9%) but a poor eradication efficacy for levofloxacin‐resistant strains (50.0%). The two therapies exhibited comparable frequencies of adverse events (37.5% vs 21.4%) and drug adherence (98.2% vs 94.6%). Conclusions: Ten‐day TL quadruple therapy is more effective than AL quadruple therapy in the second‐line treatment of H. pylori infection in a population with high levofloxacin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]