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Background and purpose: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common subtype of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and its pathogenesis is unclear. Nucleolar protein 8 (NOL8), as one of the RNA-binding protein (RBP), plays a key role in the occurrence and development of many kinds of tumors, however its role in OSCC is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the expression level of NOL8 in OSCC and its effects on the proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of OSCC. Methods: The expression of NOL8 in HNSCC was analyzed online by gene expression profiling interactive analysis 2 (GEPIA2), tumor immune estimation resource (TIMER), the University of Alabama at Birmingham cancer data analysis portal (UALCAN) and the encyclopedia of RNA interactomes (ENCORI). The mRNA expression level of NOL8 in OSCC cells was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTFQ-PCR). siRNA interference technique was used to knock down the expression of NOL8 in CAL-27 cells to form NOL8 knockdown group (si-NOL8-1, si-NOL8-2) and negative control group. CAL-27 and HN6 cells were overexpressed with NOL8 by lentivirus transfection technique to form NOL8 overexpression group and negative control group. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, scratch healing assay and transwell assay were used to detect the effect of NOL8 expression on the proliferation, migration and invasion of OSCC cells. Western blot assay was used to detect the effect of NOL8 on the expression of EMT-related genes including E-cadherin, vimentin and N-cadherin. The effect of NOL8 on the proliferation of OSCC cells in vivo was examed by xenograft formation assays. Results: The online analysis of GEPIA2, TIMER, UALCAN and ENCORI showed that the expression of NOL8 was higher in HNSCC than in normal tissues, and the expression of NOL8 in OSCC was significantly higher than in normal control cells. The relative expression of NOL8 in CAL-27 cells transfected with si-NOL8-1 and si-NOL8-2 was significantly lower compared with the negative control group. The results of CCK-8 assay, scratch healing assay and transwell assay showed that the proliferative ability, cell migration rate and invasion number of CAL-27 cells were significantly decreased after knockdown of NOL8 expression. The relative expression of NOL8 in CAL-27 and HN6 cells transfected with NOL8 was significantly higher compared with the control group. The proliferative ability, cell migration rate and invasion number of CAL-27 and HN6 cells in the overexpression NOL8 group were significantly higher compared with the negative control group. The results of Western blot showed that in CAL-27 cells, the expression of E-cadherin increased and the expressions of N-cadherin and vimentin decreased after NOL8 knockdown, while in CAL-27 and HN6 cells, the expression of E-cadherin decreased and the expressions of N-cadherin and vimentin increased after NOL8 overexpression. The xenograft formation assays showed that the weight of tumor was significantly higher in NOL8 overexpression group than in NOL8 control group. Conclusion: NOL8 is highly expressed in OSCC and can promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of OSCC, which may be related to the process of EMT.

Background: We aimed to demonstrate the regulatory effect of long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) ENAH‐202 on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) development as well as its molecular mechanism. Methods: We detected ENAH‐202 expression in OSCC tissues and cell lines by quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR). The biological function of ENAH‐202 was assessed in vitro and in vivo using CCK‐8, colony formation assays, transwell assays, xenograft formation, and tail vein injection. The further molecular mechanism by which ENAH‐202 promoted OSCC progression was identified using RNA pull‐down, LS‐MS/MS analysis, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Results: ENAH‐202 was significantly upregulated in OSCC tissues and cells. ENAH‐202 promoted OSCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. The expression of enabled homolog (ENAH) and epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐related proteins was changed with the expression of ENAH‐202. Moreover, ENAH‐202 promoted the transcription of Vimentin (VIM) by binding with ZNF502, which can help ENAH‐202 promote OSCC progression. Conclusions: ENAH‐202 facilitated OSCC cell proliferation and metastasis by regulating ZNF502/VIM axis, which played an important role in OSCC progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N7‐methylguanosine (m7G) modification is closely related to the occurrence of tumors. However, the m7G modification of circRNAs in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains to be investigated. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP‐seq) was used to measure the methylation levels of m7G and identify m7G sites in circRNAs in human OSCC and normal tissues. The host genes of differentially methylated and differentially expressed circRNAs were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, and circRNA–miRNA–mRNA networks were predicted using the miRanda and miRDB databases. The analysis identified 2348 m7G peaks in 624 circRNAs in OSCC tissues. In addition, the source of m7G‐methylated circRNAs in OSCC was mainly the sense overlap region compared with normal tissues. The most conserved m7G motif in OSCC tissues was CCUGU, whereas the most conserved motif in normal tissues was RCCUG (R = G/A). Importantly, GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis showed that the host genes of differentially methylated and differentially expressed circRNAs were involved in many cellular biological functions. Furthermore, the significantly differentially expressed circRNAs were analyzed to predict the circRNA–miRNA–mRNA networks. This study revealed the whole profile of circRNAs of differential m7G methylation in OSCC and suggests that m7G‐modified circRNAs may impact the development of OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of land use data, combined with ArcGIS and fragstats4.2, the landscape ecological risk spatial mode and process feature of Yonghe county from 1980 to 2018 were analyzed. The results showed that: (1) from 1980 to 2018, the landscape pattern of Yonghe county changed obviously, the area of arable land and holt decreased, while the area of grassland, water and buildings grow a number. The conversion area between arable land and grassland is the largest. In Yonghe County, the fragmentation degree of landscape is on the rise, and the separation degree is also on the rise. The overall dominance of construction land is the largest, and the dominance of grassland is the smallest. (2) The landscape ecological risk level gradually subsided, the area of middle risk area decreased, and moderate risk areas are falling. From the spatial distribution analysis, the risk types of Yonghe County subsided from southeast to northwest. The high-risk areas were principally scattered in sangbi town and Jiaokou township. The main landscape type in this area was grassland, which was easily disturbed by human activities; the low-risk areas were principally scattered in Potou Township in the north and Yonghe County in the middle of the study area, and Woodland and buildings are the main landscape types land have strong anti-interference ability and low risk value.

Variations in runoff and sediment discharge are important characteristic variables for revealing the coupled effects of climate change (including both the natural variability of climate and anthropogenic climate change) and human activities (including soil and water conservation measures, land use changes, and hydraulic engineering construction). Based on the meteorological data from 19 meteorological stations and the hydrological data from the watershed control station of Hongqi Station, the temporal and spatial evolution of runoff and sediment discharge and the water–sand relationship were analyzed, and the response mechanisms of runoff and sediment discharge changes were clarified using Mikhail Budyko's theory and other qualitative and quantitative methods. The results determined that: (1) The runoff and sediment discharge showed significant downward trends, with linear change rates of −0.28 × 108 m3/a and −46.10 × 104 t/a, respectively. The change points of the runoff and sediment discharge occurred in 1987 and 1996, respectively. (2) The spatial distribution of water and sediment was different, and the upper and middle reaches produced water, while the downstream produced sediment. (3) Comparing potential evapotranspiration and rainfall based on Budyko theory and the regression relationship, runoff is more closely related to rainfall, and runoff changes are more affected by it. The change in sediment discharge is most closely related to sediment concentration, followed by rainfall and potential evaporation. (4) The contribution rates of runoff and sediment discharge changes influenced by climate change were 24% and 3%, respectively, and the contribution rates by human activities were 76% and 97%, respectively. Human activities, including soil and water conservation measures, land use changes, and hydraulic engineering construction were the main influencing factors, and the impacts of human activities increased from 1960 to 2019. The research results are of great significance for erosion control and ecological restoration in the Tao River Basin under the conditions of the changing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the mechanisms driving variation in ET0 (reference evapotranspiration) in an arid inland region of Northwest China, daily meteorological data from 1960 to 2019 from 19 meteorological stations in the Taohe River basin and its surrounding areas were used to analyze the temporal and spatial distributions of ET0 and meteorological variables. Various qualitative and quantitative analysis methods were used to reveal the correlation between ET0 and meteorological variables. The degree of sensitivity of ET0 variations to meteorological variables and the contribution from each meteorological variable were clarified, and the mechanisms driving variation in ET0 were fully revealed. These are the results: (1) ET0 in the Taohe River basin presented a significant upward trend with a linear change rate of 0.93 mm/a, and a sudden change occurred in 1994. The spatial variation in ET0 ranged from 779.8 to 927.6 mm/a, with low values in the upper and middle reaches and high values in the lower reaches. The ET0 at 14 stations (73.68% of the total) was significantly increased (p < 0.05), and that at 5 stations (26.32% of the total) was not significantly increased (p > 0.05). (2) RH, Rn, and u2 did not change significantly, while Tmax and Tmin showed a significant upward trend. (3) Rn is a meteorological variable closely related to variations in ET0, and is the most sensitive variable for variations in ET0, followed by Tmax and u2. (4) Tmax is the meteorological variable that contributes most to the variation in ET0 (30.98%), followed by Tmin (29.11%), u2 (6.57%), Rn (2.22%), and RH (0.05%). The research results provide a scientific basis for the rational and efficient utilization of water resources and the maintenance of ecosystem health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources in arid and semi-arid inland regions are highly vulnerable, facing threats from global climate change and human activities. Ensuring water resource sustainability requires scientifically evaluating the vulnerability of water resources and its driving factors. Taking the Shule River Basin, an inland river in northwest China, as an example, this study established an assessment system considering 16 influencing factors based on three aspects, including natural vulnerability, anthropogenic vulnerability, and carrying capacity vulnerability. The mature-element fuzzy model based on comprehensive weight and the Delphi method were used to evaluate the water resource vulnerability of the basin from 2005 to 2021. The results were as follows: (1) The water resource vulnerability in the Shule River Basin was between severe and moderate from 2005 to 2021, with a trend towards severe vulnerability. (2) The barrier analysis at the index level shows that factors of natural vulnerability had a low impact on water resource vulnerability in the basin from 2005 to 2019 but exerted a greater impact in 2020–2021, an impact that was far higher than that caused by factors of man-made vulnerability and water resource vulnerability. The impact of factors of anthropogenic vulnerability on water resource vulnerability was relatively low in the entire study period, except in 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2021. In 2005–2010, the factors of bearing capacity vulnerability had a great impact on water resource vulnerability, but in 2011–2021, the impact was alleviated and was gradually reduced. (3) Among the 16 factors affecting water resource vulnerability, the obstacle degree was higher than 6.5% for the following factors: the ratio of irrigation water use on farmland, the annual precipitation, total water resources, the annual quantity of wastewater effluent, the urbanization rate, the surface water control rate, and the degree of groundwater resource amount, exploration, and utilization obstacle values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignant tumor in the oral and maxillofacial regions, and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in the occurrence and progression of HNSCC. The lncRNA lnc‐H2AFV‐1 was found to be upregulated in HNSCC tissues; however, the function of lnc‐H2AFV‐1 in regulating HNSCC proliferation and the potential molecular mechanism is unclear. The present study evaluated the expression of lnc‐H2AFV‐1 in HNSCC tissues using quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) and associated abundant lnc‐H2AFV‐1 expression with tumor size. Functionally, lnc‐H2AFV‐1 significantly promoted the proliferation of HNSCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Quantified N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation and dot blot assays revealed that total m6A methylation in HNSCC cells was accompanied by lnc‐H2AFV‐1 expression. Western blotting showed that the expression of methyltransferase‐like (METTL) 3 and METTL14 was consistent with that of lnc‐H2AFV‐1, whereas the expression of demethylase fat mass and obesity‐associated (FTO) was contrary to that of lnc‐H2AFV‐1. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP‐seq) and MeRIP‐qPCR revealed that lnc‐H2AFV‐1 overexpression led to the elevated expression and maximal m6A methylation of intraflagellar transport (IFT) 80 in HNSCC. In addition, METTL3/14 knockdown decreased IFT80 expression. Thus, our findings suggested that lnc‐H2AFV‐1 might be a biomarker that alters m6A modification by regulating the m6A methylases METTL3/14 and FTO and then mediating the downstream target IFT80 to promote HNSCC progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non‐coding RNAs (LncRNAs), which are more than 200 nucleotides in length and with limited protein‐coding potential, play vital roles in the pathogenesis, tumorigenesis, and angiogenesis of cancers. Aberrant expression of lncRNAs has been detected in various carcinomas and may be correlated with oncogenesis by affecting related genes expression. Recently, an increasing number of studies have reported on long intergenic non‐protein coding RNA 460 (LINC00460) in human tumor fields. LINC00460 is upregulated in diverse cancer tissues and cells. The upregulated expression level of LINC00460 is correlated with larger tumor size, tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage, lymph node metastasis, and shorter overall survival. The regulatory mechanism of LINC00460 was complex and diverse. LINC00460 could act as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA), directly bind with proteins or regulate multiple pathways, which affected tumor progression. Moreover, LINC00460 was also identified to increase drug resistance, and therefore, weaken the effectiveness of tumor treatment. It has become increasingly important to investigate the roles of LINC00460 in various cancers by different mechanisms. Therefore, a more comprehensive understanding of LINC00460 is crucial to expound on the cellular function and molecular mechanism of human cancers. In this review, we refer to studies concerning LINC00460 and provide the basis for the evaluation of LINC00460 as a predicted biomarker or potential therapeutic target in malignancies, and also provide ideas for the future research of lncRNAs similar to LINC00460. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farming-pastoral Ecotones in China (FPEC) is one of the most fragile ecological area in China. Landscape ecological risk assessment of FPEC based on terrain gradients has important strategic significance for ensuring national ecological security and the sustainable development of social economy. Based on the 30 × 30 m land use data and DEM data of FPEC in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020, this paper constructs a landscape ecological risk assessment model, and uses the methods of spatial autocorrelation analysis and terrain distribution index to appraise the dynamic change law and influential factors of FPEC landscape ecological risk on various terrain gradients. The results showed that: (1) In recent 40 years, land use/land cover changes (LUCC) has significantly changed, and the farmland area has increased continuously, mainly transferred from grassland, forest and bare land, particularly the bare land converted into grassland in recent 10 years, which leads to substantial increase in grassland area. (2) The overall ecological risk of the study area showed an upward trend, and the area of highest risk regions has increased more than twice during the study period, mainly distributed in the regions of "interference of human activities in low terrain" and "change of natural high terrain environment," these regions showed a high spatial concentration. (3) Ecological risk along with terrain gradient distribution is mainly limited by climate and terrain factors, the interference of human activities and natural environment change are the main influential factors of ecological risk increase in low and high terrain, respectively. Therefore, it is necessary to adapt to local conditions, and low terrain should rationally develop and utilize natural resources to reduce the interference of unreasonable production and human activities. In order to promote the sustainable and healthy development of FPEC, the policy of closing hillsides to facilitate afforestation should be adopted in the high terrain to reduce the impact of natural environment changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this two-year study was to evaluate the histocompatibility and osteogenic properties of a composite material consisting of poly(l - co - d, l lactide) (PLDLA) and silica-based bioactive glass fibers in vivo. PLDLA and PLDLA/silica-based bioactive glass fibers pins were implanted into the erector spinae muscles and femurs of beagles. Muscle and bone tissue samples were harvested 6, 12, 16, 26, 52, 78, and 104 weeks after implantation. Histology analysis was used to assess the histocompatibility, angiogenesis, and bone-implant contact. Micro-computed tomography was used to evaluate bone formation around the pins. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting revealed the expression level of the osteogenesis-related proteins. Addition of bioactive glass was demonstrated to possess better histocompatibility and reduce the inflammatory reactions in vivo. Moreover, PLDLA/silica-based bioactive glass fibers pins were demonstrated to promote angiogenesis and increase osteogenesis-related proteins expression, and thus played a positive role in osteogenesis and osseointegration after implantation. Our findings indicated that a composite of PLDLA and silica-based bioactive glass fiber is a promising biodegradable material for clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient water-saving irrigation techniques and appropriate nitrogen (N) application are keys to solving the problems of water scarcity and irrational fertilization in jujube cultivation. In this study, first, the effects of sand tube irrigation (STI) on surface and subsurface wetted characteristics were investigated using in-situ infiltration tests in a jujube garden. Compared with surface drip irrigation (SD), STI reduced surface wetted area by 57.4% and wetted perimeter of the surface wetted circle by 37.1% and increased subsurface maximum infiltration distance of wetting front by 64.9%. At the optimal sand tube depth of 20 cm, surface wetted area of the surface wetted circle decreased by 65.4% and maximum infiltration distance of the wetting front increased by 70.9%, compared with SD. Two-year field experiments then investigated the effects of STI and SD on soil water storage, jujube leaf chlorophyll, net photosynthetic rate, actual water consumption, fruit yield, and water (WUE) and N (NUE) use efficiencies at four levels of N (pure nitrogen: N1, 0; N2, 286 kg ha -1 ; N3, 381 kg ha -1 ; N4, 476 kg ha -1 ) at the same irrigation amount (45 mm irrigation -1 , total of 8). Compared with SD, STI increased soil water storage 18.0% (2021) and 15.6% (2022) during the entire growth period and also chlorophyll content, nitrogen balance index, and net photosynthetic rate, with both increasing and then decreasing with increasing N. Compared with SD, STI increased yields by 39.1% and 36.5% and WUE by 44.3% and 39.7% in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Nitrogen use efficiency was 2.5 (2021) and 1.6 (2022) times higher with STI than with SD. STI combined with N3 had the highest yield, WUE, NUE, and net income and is thus recommended as the optimal water-N combination. In conclusion, STI combined with appropriate N application can be an effective water-saving irrigation technology alternative to SD in jujube cultivation in arid areas., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Bai, Zhang, Jia, Sun, Zhang, Zhao, Fang, Wang, Xu and Cao.)

Background: Internal N7-methylguanosine (m7G) methylation in mammalian messenger RNAs (mRNAs) is essential in disease development. However, the status of internally m7G-modified mRNAs in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains poorly understood., Methods: Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) was used to identify the m7G modification level of mRNAs and the expression of mRNAs between OSCC and normal tissues. These differentially methylated and expressed genes were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis and construction of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay was performed to detect the expression of Baculoviral IAP Repeat Containing 3 ( BIRC3 ) in vitro . The biological function of BIRC3 in OSCC was clarified using CCK-8, Transwell migration and Western blot assays., Results: The m7G-mRNA profile showed 9514 unique m7G peaks within 7455 genes in OSCC tissues. In addition, the most conserved m7G motif within mRNAs in OSCC was GGARG (R = G/A). The identified m7G peaks were mainly distributed in the coding sequence region within mRNAs in OSCC. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses showed that m7G-modified genes were closely related to cancer progression. m7G-modified hub genes were screened from the constructed PPI networks. Furthermore, BIRC3 with high m7G methylation showed high expression in OSCC cell lines, as confirmed by qPCR assay. Functionally, the knockdown of BIRC3 significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration ability of CAL-27 cells in vitro functional assays. In addition, the relative expression of E-cadherin expression was elevated, while Vimentin and N-cadherin protein expression was decreased in CAL-27 cells transfected with si-BIRC3. This study suggests that BIRC3 could promote OSCC proliferation and migration, which may be associated with involvement in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression., Conclusions: This paper constructed a transcriptome map of internal m7G in mRNAs, which provides potential research value to study the role of m7G methylation in OSCC., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.)

A self-design bioreactor system employing a fixed bed operation process with immobilized Bacillus subtilis AYC beads for NH4+-N removal from slightly polluted water was proposed. Polyvinyl alcohol and Na-alginate were used as a gel matrix to entrap Bacillus subtilis AYC to form the immobilized beads. The NH4+-N removal process was studied in a intermittent operation mode to examine the start-up and steady state behaviors of the immobilized AYC in the reactor. The results indicated that the reactor was in the start-up state during the first week. NH4+-N began to be steadily removal since the second week, and the nitrogen removal rate was between 84.61% and 96.19% when the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 30 min. To apply Bacillus subtilis AYC to develop a practical nitrogen removal system and further understand its nitrogen removal ability, the bioreactor was continuously operated under different experimental perameters. The results showed that under the optimum conditions of an HRT of 20 min and DO of 3.77-5.80 mg/L, the NH4+-N removal rate reached 99.55%. The NH4+-N removal rate increased as the C/N ratio increased. However, a high C/N may cause a high residual carbon level in the effluent, therefore, the most suitable C/N ratio was 10. In addition, the results showed that the bioreactor system could remove many types of nitrogen such as NH4+-N, NO3--N and organic-N, and had a good performance for inorganic nitrogen removal from sewage.