Search

Background: PD-L1 and PD1 mainly focused on melanoma, lung cancer and other tumors, while the related studies on early lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma were rarely reported. Objective: For elucidating the role of programmed death 1 (PD1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway in tumor growth of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods: Human thyroid cancer cell line and human normal thyroid cell line were obtained and transfected with si-PD1 or pCMV3-PD1 for the construction of PD1 knockdown or overexpression models. BALB/c mice were purchased for in vivo studies. Nivolumab was implemented for in vivo inhibition of PD1. Western blotting was performed for determining protein expression, while RTqPCR was used to measure relative mRNA levels. Results: The PD1 and PD-L1 levels were both significantly upregulated in PTC mice, while the knockdown of PD1 downregulated both PD1 and PD-L1 levels. Protein expression of VEGF and FGF2 was increased in PTC mice, while si-PD1 decreased their expression. Silencing of PD1 using si-PD1 and nivolumab both inhibited tumor growth in PTC mice. Conclusion: Suppressing PD1/PD-L1 pathway significantly contributed to the tumor regression of PTC in mice.

BACKGROUND: Research on the genetic mechanisms of hypertension has been a hot topic in the cardiovascular field. OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between senile hypertension and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitution and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene polymorphism and to provide the theoretical basis for TCM prevention and treatment of hypertension. METHODS: The elderly population in communities in Shanghai (hypertensive: 264 cases; non-hypertensive: 159 cases) was taken as the research object. Essential data and information on TCM constitution were collected. The LPL gene mutation was detected using the second-generation sequencing method. Statistical analysis was performed to clarify the relationship between hypertension and senile hypertension. The correlation of TCM constitution with risk factors and LPL gene polymorphisms was studied. RESULTS: The primary TCM constitutions in the hypertension group were phlegm-dampness constitution (51.52%), yin-deficiency constitution (17.42%), balanced constitution (15.53%), and yin-deficiency (9.43%). Logistic regression analysis showed that the phlegm-dampness constitution (P< 0.05, OR = 2.587) and yin-deficiency constitution (P< 0.01, OR = 2.693) were the risk constitutions of hypertension in the elderly. A total of 37 LPL gene mutation loci (SNP: 22; new discovery: 15) were detected in the LPL gene, and the mutation rates of rs254, rs255, rs3208305, rs316, rs11570891, rs328, rs11570893, and rs13702 were relatively high, which were 26.24%, 26.24%, 16.08%, 14.66%, 13.24%, 12.06%, and 10.64%. In the phlegm-dampness group, the proportion of rs254 CC type, rs255 TT type, and rs13702 TT type in the hypertensive group (77.21%, 77.21%, and 93.38%) was higher than that in the non-hypertensive group (56.41%, 56.41%, and 82.05%), The difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The phlegm-dampness constitution and yin-deficiency constitution are the risk factors of hypertension in the elderly; in the phlegm-dampness population, rs254 CC type, rs255 TT type, and rs13702 TT type are the risk factors for elderly hypertension.

Tumorigenesis of bladder cancer and retinoblastoma is correlated with long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) RBAT1. However, the role of RBAT1 in ovarian carcinoma (OC) is unclear. Thus, the study explored the role of RBAT1 in OC. This research enrolled patients with OC (n = 68), irritable bowel disease (IBD, n = 68, females), digestive tract inflammation (DTI, n = 68, females), urinary tract infection (UTI, n = 68, females), endometriosis (EM, n = 68, females), and healthy controls (HCs, n = 68) to collect plasma sampled. OC and paired non-tumor tissues were collected from patients with OC. RBAT1 accumulation in all samples was analyzed using RT-qPCR. The role of plasma RBAT1 in OC diagnosis was examined using the ROC curves with OC patients as the true positive cases and other patients and HCs as the true negative cases. The role of RBAT1 in predicting the survival of OC patients was analyzed using the survival curve study. RBAT1 was overexpressed in both OC plasma and tissues. Plasma RBAT1 levels were correlated with RBAT1 levels in OC tissues but not in non-tumor tissues. Plasma RBAT1 could distinguish OC patients from other patients and HCs. Patients with high plasma RBAT1 levels had a shorter survival. RBAT1 is overexpressed in OC and might be applied to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of OC.

Let $\Gamma $ be a graph of valency at least four whose automorphism group contains a minimally vertex-transitive subgroup G. It is proved that $\Gamma $ admits a nowhere-zero $3$ -flow if one of the following two conditions holds: (i) $\Gamma $ is of order twice an odd number and G contains a central involution; (ii) G is a direct product of a $2$ -subgroup and a subgroup of odd order.

Paleopalynology evidence and megafossil records indicated that tree fern order Cyatheales, played an important role in Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystem. Few fossil records of the family Thyrsopteridaceae have been reported so far. In the present study, we describe a distinctive fertile pinnule segment of a fern plant preserved in a mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar. The well-preserved fertile pinnule is identified as a new species of the extant tree fern genus Thyrsopteris (Thyrsopteridaceae): Thyrsopteris cyathindusia n. sp. It represents the second fossil species of Thyrsopteridaceae found in the mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar. The new species shows distinctive characteristics of the sporophyll that are considered paleoecologically/paleobiogeographically significant for evolution of the Thyrsopteridaceae.

Colloidal silica, which has a low viscosity, can seep quickly through sand and subsequently form silica gel to stabilize the sand. The addition of carbon nanotubes can improve the strength of the sand-gel composite. However, previous literature has not investigated the coupled effect of carbon nanotubes and sand crushing on the strength and compression of colloidal-silica-stabilized calcareous sand. So we prepared 86 specimens with 2 different concentrations of colloidal silica and 9 different contents of carbon nanotubes. Then, we performed triaxial shearing and isotropic compression tests based on the triaxial system. The test results show the following: (1) The same carbon nanotube content at the higher concentration of colloidal silica results in higher shear strength, but increasing crushing makes the shear strengths, respectively, caused by 10 wt% and 40 wt% colloidal silica dispersed with carbon nanotubes tend to be the same. (2) The optimal content of carbon nanotubes, which leads to the maximum shear strength, is distributed differently in different concentrations of colloidal silica; i.e., as crushing increases, the optimal carbon nanotube content drifts from 0.03 wt% to 0.10 wt% in 10 wt% colloidal silica, while 40 wt% colloidal silica stabilizes the optimal carbon nanotube content around 0.08 wt%. (3) Compared with carbon nanotubes in 10 wt % colloidal silica, carbon nanotubes in 40 wt% colloidal silica cause higher cohesion rather than internal friction angle, which is the mechanism of higher shear strength at higher colloidal silica concentration with the same carbon nanotube content. (4) For isotropic compression, minimal compression is caused by 40 wt% colloidal silica plus 0.1 wt% carbon nanotubes.

Accumulating evidence indicates that the lysosomal Ragulator complex is essential for the full activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Abnormal mTORC1 activation has been implicated in cancer and glycolytic metabolism associated with drug resistance. Fasting is known to upregulate the ring finger protein 152 (RNF152) and mediate the metabolic status of cells. Here we report that RNF152 regulates mTORC1 signaling by targeting p18, a subunit of the Ragulator, and attenuates gemcitabine resistance in gallbladder cancer (GBC). The effects of RNF152 expression on molecular behavior were analyzed. RNF152 and p18 levels were detected in tissues, and detailed mechanistic studies were undertaken by using activators, inhibitors, and lentivirus transfections. RNF152 levels were significantly lower in GBC than in adjacent non-cancer tissues. Fasting impairs glycolysis, induces gemcitabine sensitivity, and upregulates the expression of RNF152. RNF152 overexpression increases the sensitivity of GBC cells to the chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine, whereas silencing RNF152 exhibited the opposite effect. Our study verified that fasting-induced RNF152 ubiquitinates p18, resulting in proteasomal degradation. RNF152 deficiency induces the increased lysosomal localization of p18 and other members of the Ragulator-Rag complex, and increased mTORC1 activity, to promote glycolysis and decrease gemcitabine sensitivity in GBC. Our research suggests that RNF152 is a fasting sensor and an important regulator of the mTORC1 signal. RNF152 functions as a tumor suppressor that can suppress the activity of mTORC1 to inhibit glycolysis and enhance the sensitivity of gemcitabine in GBC. RNF152 may have potential in the therapeutic management of GBC.

Two moderately halotolerant bacterium strains, designated PJ-16T and PJ-38, were isolated from a tidal flat of the red beach in Panjin City, Liaoning Province, PR China. Cells were found to be Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped with a single polar flagellum. Optimum growth of strain PJ-16T occurred at 30 °C, pH 7.0 and 0.2–8.0 % (w/v) NaCl, and strain PJ-38 at 30 °C, pH 6.0–7.0 and 0.2–8.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain PJ-16T was most closely related to Marinobacter denitrificans KCTC 62941T (99.2 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), Marinobacter algicola DSM 16394T (98.6 %), Marinobacter salarius JCM 19399T (98.4 %) and Marinobacter confluentis KCTC 42705T (98.2 %), and strain PJ-38 was most closely related to M. denitrificans KCTC 62941T (99.1 %), M. algicola DSM 16394T (98.6 %), M. salarius JCM 19399T (98.4 %) and M. confluentis KCTC 42705T (98.1 %). The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain PJ-16T based on its draft genomic sequence was 57.4 mol%. The major cellular fatty acids of strain PJ-16T were C16 : 0, C16 : 1 ω7c/C16 : 1 ω6c and C18 : 1 ω9c. The major respiratory quinone of PJ-16T was ubiquinone-9 and the major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The results of the phenotypic, phylogenetic and genomic analyses revealed that strains PJ-16T and PJ-38 represent a novel species of the genus Marinobacter , and the name Marinobacter panjinensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is PJ-16T (= CGMCC 1.13694T= KCTC 72023T).

Purpose Programmed death-1 (PDCD-1) and lymphocyte activating 3 (LAG3), two important immunosuppressive molecules, play crucial roles in immune escape of tumor cells. This study evaluated the effects of PDCD-1 (rs10204525 and rs36084323), and LAG3 (rs870849 and rs1882545) gene polymorphisms on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk. Methods 341 patients with HCC and 350 cancer-free controls in the South Chinese population were included in a population-based case-control study. DNAs were extracted from peripheral blood samples. Genotypes were analyzed using multiplex PCR and sequencing. SNPs were analyzed using multiple inheritance models (co-dominant, dominant, recessive, and over-dominant). Results The allele and genotype frequencies of neither of the four polymorphisms, adjusted for age and gender, differed between HCC patients and controls. The differences were also not significant after stratifying by gender and age. According to our results, HCC patients with rs10204525 TC genotype had significantly lower AFP levels than HCC patients with rs10204525 TT genotype (P = 0.004). Moreover, the frequency of PDCD-1 rs36084323 CT genotype reduced the risk of TNM grade (CT vs. C/C-T/T: OR = 0.57, 95%CI = 0.37–0.87, P = 0.049). Conclusion Our results demonstrated that the PDCD-1 (rs10204525 and rs36084323), and LAG3 (rs870849 and rs1882545) polymorphism did not influence the risk of HCC, PDCD-1 rs10204525 TC genotype was associated with the lower AFP levels and rs36084323 CT genotypes were related to HCC tumor grades in the South Chinese samples.

With the advent of the information age in the 21st century, Internet technology has developed rapidly. With the development of agriculture, industry, and service industry, Internet technology has also achieved further innovation and cross-border integration. The rapid development of Internet technology has provided new ideas for poverty alleviation in poor areas of China and accelerated the speed of poverty alleviation in poor areas. Based on the assumption of China’s industrial poverty alleviation and the analysis of the implementation center, this paper puts forward an evaluation method of industrial poverty alleviation effect based on the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method, which is evaluated from three aspects: income structure, expenditure structure, and labor resources. Taking Wuxi County as an example, this paper discusses the combination of human capital theory and multidimensional poverty theory. The evaluation of poverty alleviation effectiveness includes four indicators (comprehensive analysis, evaluation system, policy implementation, poverty alleviation funds) and 21 secondary indicators. Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is an objective, fair, and comprehensive evaluation of the overall level of poverty alleviation and development in Wuxi. The expert scoring method is used to calculate the weight of each index and determine the level of members and the industrial situation of China’s industrial poverty alleviation. According to the scores of each evaluation index, the poor households in Wuxi County are very satisfied with the person in charge of help, the villager group, the way of helping, and the effect of helping.

SARS-CoV-2 infection has been described in a wide range of species, including domestic animals such as dogs and cats. Illness in dogs is usually self-limiting, and further diagnostics may not be pursued if clinical signs resolve or they respond to empirical treatment. As new variants emerge, the clinical presentation and role in transmission may vary in animals. This report highlights different clinical presentations and immunological responses in two SARS-CoV-2 Delta-variant-positive dogs with similar exposure to the same fully vaccinated human with a SARS-CoV-2 infection and emphasizes the need for active surveillance and additional One Health research on SARS-CoV-2 variant infections in companion animals and other species.

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a serious complication associated with antiresorptive and antiangiogenic medications, of which impaired angiogenesis is a key pathological alteration. Since Magnesium (Mg)-based implants possess proangiogenic effects, we hypothesized that the biodegradable Mg implant could alleviate the development of MRONJ via enhancing angiogenesis.MRONJ model was established and divided into the Veh ​+ ​Ti group (Vehicle-treated rat, with Titanium (Ti) implant), BP ​+ ​Ti group (Bisphosphonate (BP)-treated rat, with Ti implant), BP ​+ ​Mg group (BP-treated rat, with Mg implant), BP ​+ ​Mg ​+ ​SU5416 group (BP-treated rat, with Mg implant and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-2 inhibitor), BP ​+ ​Mg ​+ ​BIBN group (BP-treated rat, with Mg implant and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist), and BP ​+ ​Mg ​+ ​SU5416+BIBN group (BP-treated rat, with Mg implant and VEGF receptor-2 inhibitor and CGRP receptor antagonist). The occurrence of MRONJ, alveolar bone necrosis, new bone formation and vessel formation were assessed by histomorphometry, immunohistochemistry, and micro-CT analysis.Eight weeks after surgery, the BP ​+ ​Mg group had significantly reduced occurrence of MRONJ-like lesion and histological osteonecrosis, increased bone microstructural parameters, and increased expressions of VEGFA and CGRP, than the BP ​+ ​Ti group. By simultaneously blocking VEGF receptor-2 and CGRP receptor, the vessel volume and new bone formation in the BP ​+ ​Mg group were significantly decreased, meanwhile the occurrence of MRONJ-like lesion and histological bone necrosis were significantly increased.Biodegradable Mg implant could alleviate the development of MRONJ-like lesion, possibly via upregulating VEGF- and CGRP-mediated angiogenesis. Mg-based implants have the translational potential to be developed as a novel internal fixation device for patients with the risk of MRONJ.This work reports a biodegradable Mg implant which ameliorates the development of MRONJ-like lesions possibly due to its angiogenic property. Mg-based implants have the potential to be developed as a novel internal fixation device for patients at the risk of MRONJ.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is characterized by the development of hyperglycemia and insulin resistance during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, associated with considerable risks to both the mother and developing fetus. Although emerging evidence suggests an association between the altered gut microbiota and GDM, remarkably little is known about the microbial and metabolic mechanisms that link the dysbiosis of the gut microbiota to the development of GDM. In this study, a metagenome-wide association study and serum metabolomics profiling were performed in a cohort of pregnant women with GDM and pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). We identified gut microbial alterations associated with GDM and linked to the changes in circulating metabolites. Blood metabolite profiles revealed that GDM patients exhibited a marked increase in 2-hydroxybutyric acid and L-alpha-aminobutyric acid, but a decrease in methionine sulfoxide, allantoin, and dopamine and dopaminergic synapse, when compared with those in NGT controls. Short-chain fatty acid-producing genera, including

Based on the network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiment, this study explored the anti-rheumatoid arthritis(RA) mechanism of Sophorae Tonkinesis Radix et Rhizoma(STRR). The active components of STRR were retrieved from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP), Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrative Database(TCMID), and previous research, main targets of STRR from TCMSP and SwissTargetPrediction, and targets of RA from GeneCards, DrugBank, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM), and Therapeutic Target Database(TTD). The common targets of the two were screened by Venny 2.1.0. Cytoscape 3.6.0 was used to generate thequot;component-targetquot; network, and STRING and Cytoscape were used to construct the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network. DAVID 6.8 was employed for Gene Ontology(GO) term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment, and AutoDock Vina for molecular docking. Finally, collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis(CIA) mouse model was constructed, and the expression of core target proteins was detected by Western blot. A total of 27 active components, including quercetin, genistein, kaempferol, subprogenin C, and daidzein, and 154 anti-RA targets, such as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), tumor necrosis factor(TNF), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1(MAPK1), AP-1 transcription factor subunit(JUN), and interleukin 6(IL6), of STRR were screened out. It was preliminarily indicated that STRR may regulate phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-protein kinase B(PI3 K-AKT) signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway to modulate the positive regulation of RNA polymerase Ⅱ promoter transcription, inflammatory response, and other biological processes, thus exerting the anti-RA effect. The results of molecular docking showed that the main active components in STRR had high binding affinity to the core targets. Animal experiment suggested that the water extract of STRR can significantly reduce the levels of p-STAT3, p-MAPK1, and TNF. This study demonstrated the multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway synergistic effect of STRR in the treatment of RA, laying an experimental basis for clinical application of this medicine.

This study focuses on how operating pressure, pesticide characteristics, membrane materials, feed solution and draw solution affect the performance of thin film composite membranes on pesticides removal. The membrane separation discussed in this review involve nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO) and forward osmosis processes (FO) (i.e., FO mode and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) mode). High pressure shows positive effects on NF and RO membranes flux performances, but it could deform PRO membranes. Hydrophobic pesticides that are larger in size, negatively charged with small dipole moments will result in higher retention. Besides, ions in the feed solution increased the rejection efficiency and permeate flux of membrane whereas pesticides concentration has a negative effect on their retention. pH of feed solution determines the zeta potential of membrane. As for the draw solution, NaCl at higher concentration is recommended. This paper is crucial to give an overview on ways to improve the removal of pesticides with various thin film composite membranes.

In order to comprehensively explore multitarget mechanism and key active compounds of Artemisia argyi essential oil (AAEO) in the treatment of pressure injuries (PIs), we analyzed the biological functions and pathways involved in the intersection targets of AAEO and PIs based on network pharmacology, and the affinity of AAEO active compounds and core targets was verified by molecular docking finally. In our study, we first screened 54 effective components according to the relative content and biological activity. In total, 103 targets related to active compounds of AAEO and 2760 targets associated with PIs were obtained, respectively, and 50 key targets were overlapped by Venny 2.1.0. The construction of key targets-compounds network was achieved by the STRING database and Cytoscape 3.7.2 software. GO analysis from Matespace shows that GO results are mainly enriched in biological processes, including adrenergic receptor activity, neurotransmitter clearance, and neurotransmitter metabolic process. KEGG analysis by the David and Kobas website shows that the key targets can achieve the treatment on PIs through a pathway in cancer, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, human immunodeficiency virus 1 infection, MAPK signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, etc. In addition, molecular docking results from the CB-Dock server indicated that active compounds of AAEO had good activity docking with the first 10 key targets. In conclusion, the potential targets and regulatory molecular mechanisms of AAEO in the treatment of PIs were analyzed by network pharmacology and molecular docking. AAEO can cure PIs through the synergistic effect of multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway, providing a theoretical basis and new direction for further study.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in need for better treatment. Sophoridine, a plant-derived quinoxidine alkaloid, has been shown to exhibit pharmacological effects on several diseases including lung and gastric cancers. To further extend these beneficial effects we have explored the role of sophoridine in breast cancer progression. Our results show that sophoridine suppressed the proliferation of breast cancer cells and inhibited the migration as well as invasion. In addition, sophoridine inhibited the angiogenesis of breast cancer cells. Mechanically, our data confirmed that sophoridine suppressed the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 pathway, and therefore suppressed breast cancer progression. We therefore suggest that sophoridine could serve as a promising drug for the treatment of breast cancer.

The type II band alignment of 0D/2D GQDs–MoS2 is realized by increasing the size of GQDs, beneficial to photocatalysis.

Zeolite supported amorphous zirconia layer with high specific surface area, abundant adsorption sites and excellent reusability hold a bright prospect in phosphate adsorption, yet it is proven to be still challenging to precisely regulate its synthesis.

The effect of temperature on phase transformation, metallization rate, carbon residue and agglomeration of metal Fe after the pre-reduction of carbon-containing pellets in high-chromium vanadium–titanium magnetite (HCVTM) was investigated. The results indicated that titanomagnetite was finally reduced to metal Fe and (Mg, Fe)Ti2O5 without low valence titanium oxide with increasing pre-reduction temperature from 950 to 1,250℃; Vanadium magnetite produces Fe, VO and VC0.88 without V, and chromite magnetite produces Fe, Cr2O3, CrC x and a small amount of Cr. With an increase in the pre-reduction temperature, the metallization rate in the metallized pellets gradually increases, while the content of the residual carbon gradually decreases. Meanwhile, the iron particles precipitated on the surface of ore particles begin to soften into strips and finally agglomerate to form spherical iron particles, which leads to the diameter of iron particles increasing from 8.23 to 182.35 μm. When the pre-reduction temperature is 1,250℃, the maximum metallization rate in the metallized pellets is 92.49 wt% and the minimum content of residual carbon is 10.37 wt%.

Jun Zhang,1– 3,&ast; Chun-Lin Mai,1,&ast; Ying Xiong,1 Zhen-Jia Lin,1 Ying-Tao Jie,1 Jie-Zhen Mai,1 Chong Liu,1 Man-Xiu Xie,4 Xin Zhou,2,3 Xian-Guo Liu1,5,6 1Department of Physiology and Pain Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of China; 3Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Anesthesiology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, 510060, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Anesthesiology, Guangdong Second Provincial Central Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, People’s Republic of China; 6Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xian-Guo Liu; Xin Zhou Email liuxg@mail.sysu.edu.cn; zhoux89@mail2.sysu.edu.cnPurpose: Postmenopausal women often suffer from chronic pain, memory decline and mood depression. The mechanisms underlying the neuronal disorders are not fully understood, and effective treatment is still lacking.Methods: Oral administration of magnesium-L-threonate was tested to treat the neuronal disorders in ovariectomized and aged female mice. The pain hypersensitivity, memory function and depression-like behaviors were measured with a set of behavioral tests. Western blots, immunochemistry and in situ hybridization were used to assess molecular changes.Results: Chronic oral administration of magnesium-L-threonate substantially prevented or reversed the chronic pain and memory/emotional deficits in both ovariectomized and aged female mice. We found that phospho-p65, an active form of nuclear factor-kappaB, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta were significantly upregulated in the neurons of dorsal root ganglion, spinal dorsal horn and hippocampus in ovariectomized and aged mice. The microglia and astrocytes were activated in spinal dorsal horn and hippocampus. Calcitonin gene–related peptide, a marker for peptidergic C-fibers, was upregulated in dorsal horn, which is associated with potentiation of C-fiber-mediated synaptic transmission in the model mice. In parallel with neuroinflammation and synaptic potentiation, free Mg2+ levels in plasma, cerebrospinal fluid and in dorsal root ganglion neurons were significantly reduced. Oral magnesium-L-threonate normalized the neuroinflammation, synaptic potentiation and Mg2+ deficiency, but did not affect the estrogen decline in ovariectomized and aged mice. Furthermore, in cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons, estrogen at physiological concentration elevated intracellular Mg2+, and downregulated phospho-p65, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta exclusively in the presence of extracellular Mg2+.Conclusion: Estrogen decline in menopause may cause neuroinflammation by reducing intracellular Mg2+ in neurons, leading to chronic pain, memory/emotional deficits. Supplement Mg2+ by oral magnesium-L-threonate may be a novel approach for treating menopause-related neuronal disorders.Keywords: magnesium-L-threonate, postmenopause, neuroinflammation, chronic pain, memory, depression

Microseismic monitoring technology has become an important technique to assess stability of rock mass in metal mines. Due to the special characteristics of underground metal mines in China, including the high tectonic stress, irregular shape and existence of ore body, and complex mining methods, the application of microseismic technology is more diverse in China compared to other countries, and is more challenging than in other underground structures such as tunnels, hydropower stations and coal mines. Apart from assessing rock mass stability and ground pressure hazards induced by mining process, blasting, water inrush and large scale goaf, microseismic technology is also used to monitor illegal mining, and track personnel location during rescue work. Moreover, microseismic data have been used to optimize mining parameters in some metal mines. The technology is increasingly used to investigate cracking mechanism in the design of rock mass supports. In this paper, the application, research development and related achievements of microseismic technology in underground metal mines in China are summarized. By considering underground mines from the perspective of informatization, automation and intelligentization, future studies should focus on intelligent microseismic data processing method, e.g., signal identification of microseismic and precise location algorithm, and on the research and development of microseismic equipment. In addition, integrated monitoring and collaborative analysis for rock mass response caused by mining disturbance will have good prospects for future development.

Zn-doped and Zn-Al co-doped La2O3 catalysts were prepared by citric acid sol-gel method and characterized by a series of in situ technologies, to investigate the structure-activity relationship of La2O3-based catalysts in the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM). The in situ XRD results reveal a thermal expansion of the La2O3 crystal along the c-axis at high temperature. The H2-TPR results show two types of oxygen species on the La2O3-based catalysts, viz., the strong-binding oxygen species and weak-binding oxygen species; in addition, the XPS results indicate that the strong-binding oxygen species is probably attributed to anion radical O−. The doping with Zn can significantly increase the number of oxygen vacancies in the Zn-doped La2O3 catalysts, which can promote the activation of oxygen and generate more strong-binding oxygen species; as a result, the Zn-doped La2O3 catalyst shows better performance in OCM in comparison with the unmodified La2O3 catalyst. Moreover, the co-doping with Al can promote the dispersion of Zn in La2O3 and further raise the number of strong-binding oxygen species in the Zn-Al co-doped La2O3 catalysts, which is beneficial to enhance the selectivity to C2+ hydrocarbons in the OCM reaction.

Aim This study investigated the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on renal outcomes in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and methods We searched Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to identify randomized controlled trials published up to April 2020 that compared SGLT2 inhibitors with placebo or active comparator and reported any renal outcomes in Asian patients with T2DM. Random effects models and inverse variance weighting were used to calculate relative risks with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results We included 14 studies, totaling 3792 patients, in the analysis. In the short term, SGLT2 inhibitors significantly slowed estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline (MD: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.66 to 0.94; p p p p = 0.11). However, dapagliflozin does appear to reduce albuminuria (p = 0.005). Lastly, SGLT2 inhibitors increased the incidence of adverse events (AEs) related to renal function (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.24 to 2.91; p = 0.003), but did not increase the incidence of renal impairment (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.40 to 1.81; p = 0.68). Conclusion The use of SGLT2 inhibitors in Asian patients with T2DM can help delay the decline of eGFR and reduce Scr and UA. Although SGLT2 inhibitors have no overall advantage in reducing albuminuria, dapagliflozin does appear to reduce albuminuria, and while they may increase the occurrence of AEs related to renal function, they do not increase the incidence of renal impairment.