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Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) remains a huge challenge in clinical treatment due to tumor metastasis and recurrence. Stem cell‐like colon tumor‐repopulating cells (TRCs) are a subpopulation of cancer cells with highly tumorigenic and chemotherapy resistant properties. The core transcription factor c‐Myc is essential for maintaining cancer stem‐like cell phenotypes, yet its roles and regulatory mechanisms remain unclear in colon TRCs. We report that elevated c‐Myc protein supported formation and growth of TRC spheroids. The tumor suppressor DOC‐2/DAB2 interactive protein (DAB2IP) suppressed c‐Myc expression to inhibit TRC expansion and self‐renewal. Particularly, DAB2IP disrupted c‐Myc stability through glycogen synthase kinase 3β/protein phosphatase 2A‐B56α‐mediated phosphorylation and dephosphorylation cascade on c‐Myc protein, leading to its eventual degradation through the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway. The expression of DAB2IP was negatively correlated with c‐Myc in CRC specimens. Overall, our results improved mechanistic insight into how DAB2IP suppressed TRC growth and self‐renewal., We reported that elevated c‐Myc protein supported formation and growth of tumor‐repopulating cell (TRC) spheroids. The tumor suppressor DOC‐2/DAB2 interactive protein (DAB2IP) suppressed c‐Myc expression to inhibit TRC expansion and self‐renewal. Particularly, DAB2IP disrupted c‐Myc stability through glycogen synthase kinase 3β/protein phosphatase 2A‐B56α‐mediated phosphorylation and dephosphorylation cascade on c‐Myc protein, leading to its eventual degradation through the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway.

Background Ischemic colitis (IC) was investigated to be associated with dyslipidemia and subcutaneous adipose tissue. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with ischemic diseases such as coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke. But there is a paucity of data regarding the association between NAFLD and IC. NAFLD may be associated with the treatment and prognosis of IC. We investigated risk factors and characteristics associated with NAFLD in patients with IC. Methods Patients with IC (NAFLD: 34 and controls: 81) from Zhongnan Hospital were investigated retrospectively from January 2012 to December 2018. Clinical data were compared by chi-square tests or independent samples T-tests. Binary logistic regressions and Kaplan-Meier analysis were performed to evaluate risk factors and prognosis, respectively. Results NAFLD was diagnosed in 28.19% patients with IC. In the logistic regression analysis, hypertension [odds ratio (OR) 3.523; P = 0.019], elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (OR 6.278; P = 0.048), elevated triglyceride (OR 4.667; P = 0.003) and increased weight (OR 1.055; P = 0.039) were risk factors of NAFLD in patients with IC. Patients with NAFLD were more likely to require the vasodilators (P = 0.011) and get a relapse of IC (P = 0.011). Conclusion NAFLD was found in 28.19% of patients with IC. Hypertension, increased weight, elevated ALT and triglyceride are independent predictors of NAFLD in patients with IC. NAFLD in patients with IC is associated with a greater probability of requiring for the vasodilators. NAFLD in IC and period of bowel rest are risk factors for the recurrence of IC.

In this paper, we report a simple, low-cost, facile fabrication of single α-MoO3 Microbelt/β-Ni(OH)2 heterostructure. The heterostructure consisting of α-MoO3 microbelt and β-Ni(OH)2 nanosheets is grown using aqueous method. The device based on the α-MoO3 microbelt/β-Ni(OH)2 heterostructure shows the fast switching characteristics with broad spectrum detection. The ultraviolet response is due to the β-Ni(OH)2 layer, and the visible light detection can be attributed to the existence of substantial gap states in the α-MoO3 microbelt, which can produce light response in the visible region. The results will provide a new way for fabrication of high-performance broad spectral detection device.

Aims: To compare the efficacy of pemafibrate (PF) and fenofibrate (FF) in treating dyslipidemia. Methods: A comprehensive search was performed on the public database to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which compared the effects of PF and FF treatment in lipid parameters among patients with dyslipidemia. Mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled for continuous outcomes, whereas odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were calculated for dichotomous outcomes. Results: Three RCTs were included with a total of 744 patients (PF=547 and FF=197). Compared with the FF group (100mg/day), PF group (0.05 to 0.4mg/day) had a better effect on reducing triglycerides (TGs) (MD, -8.66; 95%CI, -10.91 to -6.41), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C, MD, -12.19; 95%CI, -15.37 to - 9.01), remnant lipoprotein cholesterol (MD, -13.16; 95%CI, -17.62 to -8.69), apolipoprotein-B48 (ApoB48, MD, -12.74; 95%CI, -17.71 to -7.76) and ApoCIII (MD, -6.25; 95%CI, -11.85 to -0.64). Although a slightly LDL-Cincreasing effect was found in PF-treated group (MD, 3.10; 95%CI, -0.12 to 6.09), the levels of HDL-C (MD, 3.59; 95%CI, 1.65 to 5.53) and ApoAI (MD, 1.60; 95%CI, 0.38 to 2.82) were significantly increased in the PF group. However, no significant difference was found in the level of total cholesterol (MD, 0.01; 95%CI, -1.37 to - 1.39), non-HDL-C (MD, -0.06; 95%CI, -1.75 to 1.63), ApoB (MD, 0.39; 95%CI, -1.37 to 2.15) and ApoAII (MD, 3.31; 95%CI, -1.66 to 8.29) between the two groups. In addition, the incidence of total adverse events (OR, 0.68; 95%CI, 0.53 to 0.86) and adverse drug reactions (OR, 0.36; 95%CI, 0.24 to 0.54) was lower in the PF group than that in the FF group. Conclusions: Pemafibrate tends to have better efficacy in treating dyslipidemia than fenofibrate.

DNA contains the genetic information for the synthesis of proteins and RNA, and it is an indispensable substance in living organisms. DNA-binding proteins are an enzyme, which can bind with DNA to produce complex proteins, and play an important role in the functions of a variety of biological molecules. With the continuous development of deep learning, the introduction of deep learning into DNA-binding proteins for prediction is conducive to improving the speed and accuracy of DNA-binding protein recognition. In this study, the features and structures of proteins were used to obtain their representations through graph convolutional networks. A protein prediction model based on graph convolutional network and contact map was proposed. The method had some advantages by testing various indexes of PDB14189 and PDB2272 on the benchmark dataset.

Gut microbiota-derived metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) has recently been shown to promote inflammation in peripheral tissues and the central nervous system (CNS), contributing to the pathogenesis of various human diseases. Here, we examined whether the presence of high levels of circulating TMAO would influence central and peripheral inflammation and inflammatory hyperalgesia in a carrageenan (CG)-induced rat model of inflammation. Rats were treated with vehicle or TMAO in drinking water. After 2 weeks of treatment, rats received intraplantar injection of saline or CG into the hind paw. Acute nociception was unaltered in TMAO-treated rats that had elevated plasma TMAO. Following CG injection, TMAO-treated rats were significantly more sensitive to thermal and mechanical stimulation of the inflamed paw and displayed greater paw edema. Molecular studies revealed that CG injection induced increases in recruitment of neutrophils/macrophages in the paw and activation of microglia in the spinal cord, along with increased activation of nuclear factor (NF)-kB and production of proinflammatory mediators in both vehicle-treated rats and TMAO-treated rats. However, the increases in the above parameters were more pronounced in TMAO-treated rats. Moreover, TMAO treatment decreased protein levels of anti-inflammatory mediator regulator of G protein signaling (RGS)-10 in both saline-injected rats and CG-injected rats. These findings suggest that the presence of high levels of circulating TMAO downregulates anti-inflammatory mediator RGS10 in both peripheral tissues and the CNS, which may increase the susceptibility to inflammatory challenge-induced NF-kB activity, leading to greater increase in production of inflammatory mediators and consequent exacerbation of peripheral inflammation and inflammatory hyperalgesia.

The main symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are respiratory manifestations, while some confirmed patients developed gastrointestinal symptoms or even initially presented digestive symptoms. The link between pneumonia and gastrointestinal symptoms caused by severe acute respiratory symptoms coronavirus 2 focused our attention on the concept of 'gut-lung axis'. In this review, we discuss the inevitability and possible mechanisms of the occurrence of intestinal symptoms or intestinal dysfunction in COVID-19 from the perspective of the gut-lung axis, as well as the influence of the imbalance of intestinal homeostasis on the respiratory symptoms of COVID-19. The interaction between lung and intestine might lead to a vicious cycle of pulmonary and intestinal inflammation which may be a potential factor leading to the death of patients with COVID-19.

Background Due to the high morbidity and poor clinical outcomes, early predictive and prognostic biomarker identification is desiderated in colorectal cancer (CRC). As a homologue of the Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) gene, the role of Neogenin-1 (NEO1) in CRC remained unveiled. This study was designed to probe into the effects and potential function of NEO1 in CRC. Methods Online databases, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting were used to evaluate NEO1 expression in colorectal cancer tissues. Survival analysis was performed to predict the prognosis of CRC patients based on NEO1 expression level. Then, cell proliferation was detected by colony formation and Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8) assays. CRC cell migration and invasion were examined by transwell assays. Finally, we utilized the Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) and GSEA to dig the potential mechanisms of NEO1 in CRC. Results Oncomine database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database showed that NEO1 was down-regulated in CRC. Further results validated that NEO1 mRNA and protein expression were both significantly lower in CRC tumor tissues than in the adjacent tissues in our clinical samples. NEO1 expression was decreased with the progression of CRC. Survival and other clinical characteristic analyses exhibited that low NEO1 expression was related with poor prognosis. A gain-of-function study showed that overexpression of NEO1 restrained proliferation, migration and invasion of CRC cells while a loss-of-function showed the opposite effects. Finally, functional pathway enrichment analysis revealed that NEO1 low expression samples were enriched in inflammation-related signaling pathways, EMT and angiogenesis. Conclusion A tumor suppressor gene NEO1 was identified and verified to be correlated with the prognosis and progression of CRC, which could serve as a prognostic biomarker for CRC patients.

Novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lies behind the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There is a growing understanding of SARS-CoV-2 in virology, epidemiology, and clinical management strategies. However, no anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug or vaccine has been officially approved due to the absence of adequate evidence. Scientists are racing to develop a treatment for COVID-19. Recent studies have revealed many attractive therapeutic options, even if some of them remain to be further confirmed in rigorous preclinical models and clinical trials., Novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lies behind the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There is a growing understanding of SARS-CoV-2 in virology, epidemiology, and clinical management strategies. However, no anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug or vaccine has been officially approved due to the absence of adequate evidence. Scientists are racing to develop a treatment for COVID-19. Recent studies have revealed many attractive therapeutic options, even if some of them remain to be further confirmed in rigorous preclinical models and clinical trials. In this minireview, we aim to summarize the updated potential approaches against SARS-CoV-2. We emphasize that further efforts are warranted to develop the safest and most effective approach.

The knowledge of DNA-binding proteins would help to understand the functions of proteins better in cellular biological processes. Research on the prediction of DNA-binding proteins can promote the research of drug proteins and computer acidified drugs. In recent years, methods based on machine learning are usually used to predict proteins. Although great predicted performance can be achieved via current methods, researchers still need to invest more research in terms of the improvement of predicted performance. In this study, the prediction of DNA-binding proteins is studied from the perspective of evolutionary information and the support vector machine method. One machine learning model for predicting DNA-binding proteins based on evolutionary features by using Chou’s 5-step rule is put forward. The results show that great predicted performance is obtained on benchmark dataset PDB1075 and independent dataset PDB186, achieving the accuracy of 86.05% and 75.30%, respectively. Thus, the method proposed is comparable to a certain degree, and it may work even better than other methods to some extent.

Objective The majority of original studies showed that unintended pregnancy is related to adverse obstetric outcomes, however, up to now, the influence of unintended pregnancy on the risk of developing postpartum depression (PPD) remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the association between unintended pregnancy and the risk of developing PPD by conducting a meta-analysis of cohort and case-control studies. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched up to December 31, 2019 to identify relevant studies evaluating the association between unintended pregnancy and PPD. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan software and Stata software. Potential heterogeneity source was explored by subgroup and sensitivity analyses, and potential publication bias was tested using Begg's funnel plots and Begg's linear regression test. Results A total of thirty studies involving 65,454 participants were included in our meta-analysis. Overall, women who get pregnant unintendedly compared with those who are intending to be pregnant were at a significantly higher risk of developing PPD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.35–1.74; P Conclusions Unintended pregnancy is significantly associated with the risk of developing PPD. These findings highlight the necessity of screening for pregnancy intention and integrating family planning and personalized mental health services into primary healthcare to promote maternal mental health.

The outbreak of a novel coronavirus has triggered a new revolution in scientific research and technology, and the whole world order has been disturbed. The automation capability of a country can not only meet the efficient production needs of its people, but also reflect its national strength. More and more automation needs have been stimulated, and the global development focus has also shifted to Asia. Automation technology will be effectively combined with the real economy, and intelligence can better improve people's living standards, which can also improve the country's ability to resist major risks and the integration computing and integration innovation level of big data in various fields. In this paper, several points are discussed on the application and development of automation technology after novel coronavirus outbreaks.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the advanced stage of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is emerging as a leading cause of progressive liver fibrosis and end-stage liver disease. Liver macrophages, mainly composed of Kupffer cells (KCs) and monocyte-derived macrophages (MoMFs), play a vital role in NASH progression and regression. Recent advances suggest that cell–cell communication is a fundamental feature of hepatic microenvironment. The reprogramming of cell–cell signaling between macrophages and surrounding cells contributes to the pathogenesis of NASH. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of NASH regarding the composition of liver macrophages and their communication with surrounding cells, which are composed of hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and other immune cells. We also discuss the potential therapeutic strategies based on the level of macrophages.

Thin MgO nanostructure layer was grown on a-plane GaN film in this study using low temperature aqueous method. The thin MgO layer showed uniform sheet-like morphology. Meanwhile, ultraviolet (UV) photoconductive detector based on MgO/a-GaN heterostructure was fabricated by simple way. The obtained detector displayed excellent UV sensing properties. Results showed that the thin MgO nanostructure layer can effectively decrease the dark current and passivate the surface defects. The facile method will provide a new route to adopt nanostructures for applications in enhancing the performance of GaN-based UV detector.

Colon cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been shown to be responsible for the recurrence and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). As a crucial microenvironmental factor, extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness is known to affect the stemness of CSCs. Recently, fibrin deposition in the stroma of CRC was demonstrated to be responsible for tumor development. In this study, we used salmon fibrin gel to provide a 3D ECM for colon cancer cells and investigated its effects on cell growth as well as the underlying mechanisms. Compared with stiff 420 Pascal (Pa) and 1 050 Pa gels, 90 Pa soft fibrin gel was most efficient at isolating and enriching tumor colonies. The size and number of colony formation negatively correlated with gel stiffness. Specifically, these tumor colonies exhibited efficient tumorigenicity, upregulated stem cell markers, and had anti-chemotherapeutic properties and were thus named tumor-repopulating cells (TRCs). More importantly, the self-renewal molecule Nanog was sharply induced in 3D-cultured colon TRCs; further, Nanog siRNA significantly inhibited colony formation, suggesting the indispensable role of Nanog in TRC growth. A subsequent mechanistic study illustrated that Nanog expression could be modulated through fibrin gel stiffness-induced DAB2IP/PI3K/FOXA1 signaling in colon TRCs.

Isoflurane, a commonly used inhalation anesthetic, may induce neurocognitive deficits, especially in elderly patients after surgery. Recent study demonstrated that isoflurane caused endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and subsequent neuronal apoptosis in the brain, contributing to cognitive deficits. Taurine, a major intracellular free amino acid, has been shown to inhibit ER stress and neuronal apoptosis in several neurological disorders. Here, we examined whether taurine can prevent isoflurane-induced ER stress and cognitive impairment in aged rats. Thirty minutes prior to a 4-h 1.3 % isoflurane exposure, aged rats were treated with vehicle or taurine at low, middle and high doses. Aged rats without any treatment served as control. The brains were harvested 6 h after isoflurane exposure for molecular measurements, and behavioral study was performed 2 weeks later. Compared with control, isoflurane increased expression of hippocampal ER stress biomarkers including glucose-regulated protein 78, phosphorylated (P-) inositol-requiring enzyme 1, P-eukaryotic initiation factor 2-α (EIF2α), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF-4), cleaved ATF-6 and C/EBP homologous protein, along with activation of apoptosis pathways as indicated by decreased B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2)/BCL2-associated X protein, increased expressions of cytochrome-c and cleaved caspase-3. Taurine pretreatment dose-dependently inhibited isoflurane-induced increase in expression of ER stress biomarkers except for P-EIF2α and ATF-4, and reversed isoflurane-induced changes in apoptosis-related proteins. Moreover, isoflurane caused spatial working memory deficits in aged rats, which were prevented by taurine pretreatment. The results indicate that taurine pretreatment prevents anesthetic isoflurane-induced cognitive impairment by inhibiting ER stress-mediated activation of apoptosis pathways in the hippocampus in aged rats.

Obesity is a risk factor for several pain syndromes and is associated with increased pain sensitivity. Evidence suggests that obesity causes the downregulation of peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor (PPAR)α in the spinal cord, contributing to augmented peripheral edema and inflammatory hyperalgesia. Ursolic acid (UA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid carboxylic acid, has been shown to upregulate PPARα in the peripheral tissues of obese animals. The present study hypothesized that UA prevents augmented peripheral inflammation and inflammatory hyperalgesia in obesity by restoring downregulated spinal PPARα. The present study demonstrated that Sprague‑Dawley rats fed a high‑fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks developed obesity and metabolic disorder. Following carrageenan injection, the HFD rats exhibited increased thermal hyperalgesia and paw edema, compared with the rats fed a low‑fat diet. Molecular investigations revealed that the HFD rats exhibited decreased PPARα activity, and exaggerated expression of inflammatory mediators and nuclear factor‑kB activity in the spinal cord in response to carrageenan. Oral administration of UA ameliorated obesity and metabolic disorder, and prevented increased thermal hyperalgesia and paw edema in the HFD rats. Additionally, UA normalized PPARα activity and inhibited the exaggerated spinal cord inflammatory response to carrageenan. Although the knockdown of spinal PPARα with small interfering RNA following the administration of UA did not alter obesity or metabolic parameters, it eradicated the beneficial effects of UA on thermal hyperalgesia and paw edema, and reversed the spinal cord inflammatory response. These results suggested that the systemic administration of UA inhibited the exaggerated spinal cord inflammatory response to peripheral inflammatory stimulation in HFD‑induced obesity by restoring downregulated spinal PPARα, preventing peripheral inflammation and inflammatory hyperalgesia. UA may be a potential therapeutic option for the prevention of increased inflammatory pain in obese patients.

A high-performance p-GaN/NiO nanostructures/n-GaN ultraviolet (UV) sandwich structure photodetector was fabricated that was composed of NiO nanostructures grown on n-GaN and a p-GaN film layer. The device based on the GaN p-GaN/NiO nanostructures/n-GaN sandwich structure showed a high responsivity and fast response. This study provides a method to fabricate high-response UV photodetectors for GaN-based materials by combining them with metal oxide nanostructures.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), characterized by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), is associated with endothelial dysfunction. The prevalence of OSA is linked to an epidemic of obesity. CIH has recently been reported to cause endothelial dysfunction in diet-induced obese animals by exaggerating oxidative stress and inflammation, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. PPAR-γ, a ligand-inducible transcription factor that exerts anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, is down-regulated in the peripheral tissues in diet-induce obesity. We tested the hypothesis that down-regulation of vascular PPAR-γ in diet-induced obesity enhances inflammation and oxidative stress in response to CIH, resulting in endothelial dysfunction. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed either a high-fat diet (HFD) or a low-fat diet (LFD) and simultaneously exposed to CIH or intermittent air for 6 weeks. An additional HFD group received a combination of CIH and PPAR-γ agonist pioglitazone for 6 weeks. Endothelial-dependent vasodilation was impaired only in HFD group exposed to CIH, compared with other groups, but was restored by concomitant pioglitazone treatment. Molecular studies revealed that vascular PPAR-γ expression and activity were reduced in HFD groups, compared with LFD groups, but were reversed by pioglitazone treatment. In addition, CIH elevated vascular expression of NADPH oxidase 4 and dihydroethidium fluorescence, and increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in both LFD and HFD groups, but these increases was significantly greater in HFD group, along with decreased vascular eNOS activity. Pioglitazone treatment of HFD group prevented CIH-induced changes in above molecular markers. The results suggest that HFD-induced obesity down-regulates vascular PPAR-γ, which results in exaggerated oxidative stress and inflammation in response to CIH, contributing to endothelial dysfunction. This finding may provide new insights into the mechanisms by which OSA induces endothelial dysfunction and other cardiovascular disease in patients with obesity.

A self-powered ultraviolet (UV) photodetector (PD) based two-dimensional NiO nanostructure and GaN film was fabricated using a low-temperature aqueous method. The heterostructure exhibited a prominent performance for UV detection response with self-powered properties. The results showed the NiO nanosheet/GaN heterojunction structure can simultaneously enhance the surface area and promote the charge transport. Furthermore, it provides a facile route for the growth of a NiO nanosheet/GaN heterostructure for low cost UV detector applications at remarkably low temperatures.

In this paper, a facile and cost effective hydrothermal method was employed to fabricate high performance ZnO/β-Ga2O3 core-shell heterostructures. A highly sensitive ultraviolet (UV) sensor was fabricated based on vertically aligned β-Ga2O3 decorated ZnO core-shell nanorod arrays (NRs). The ZnO/β-Ga2O3 heterostructures showed an excellent improvement in UV response characteristics comparing with bare ZnO NRs. It can be attributed to the lower interface barrier and larger surface area-to-volume ratio for the ZnO/β-Ga2O3 heterostructures. Meanwhile, a higher concentration of surface oxygen vacancies has been observed in ZnO/β-Ga2O3 heterostructures, which helps to increase the charge separation efficiency for the UV detector. The results suggested that the ZnO/β-Ga2O3 core-shell heterostructure should be suitable for practical applications of UV photodetectors.