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The levels of platelet-related inflammation indicators and sarcopenia have been reported to affect the survival of patients with cancer. To evaluate the prognostic influence of platelet count (PLT), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic immune inflammation index (SII), and SII combined with sarcopenia on the survival of patients with gastric cancer (GC).A total of 1133 patients with GC (812 male and 321 female, average age: 59.43 years) were evaluated. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were used to determine the best cutoff values of PLT, PLR, and SII, and univariate and multivariate Cox risk regression models were used to evaluate whether SII is an independent predictor of overall survival (OS). The prognostic SS (SII-sarcopenia) was established based on SII and sarcopenia. Finally, a comprehensive analysis of the prognostic SS was performed.SII had the strongest prognostic effect. The SII and OS of patients with GC were in an inverted U-shape (adjusted HR = 1.07; 95% CI 0.97-1.19; adjusted P = 0.179). In patients with SII 1800, SII was negatively correlated with OS (adjusted HR = 0.57; 95% CI 0.29-1.12; adjusted P = 0.102), however, there is no statistical difference. Interestingly, a high SS was associated with a poorer prognosis. The higher the SS score was, the worse the OS (P 0.001).SII is an independent prognostic indicator of GC, and high SII is related to poor prognosis. A higher SS score had worse survival. Thus, the prognostic SS is a reliable predictor of OS in patients with GC.

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) via exposure to pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) is with high mortality and there is no effective treatment in clinics. Bear bile powder (BBP) is a famous traditional animal drug for curing a variety of hepatobiliary diseases such as cholestasis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Here, we aim to evaluate the protective effect of BBP against HSOS induced by senecionine, a highly hepatotoxic PA compound. Our results showed that BBP treatment protected mice from senecionine-induced HSOS dose-dependently, which was evident by improved liver histology including reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells and collagen positive cells, alleviated intrahepatic hemorrhage and hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells, as well as decreased conventional serum liver function indicators. In addition, BBP treatment lowered matrix metalloproteinase 9 and pyrrole-protein adducts, two well-known markers positively associated with the severity of PA-induced HSOS. Further investigation showed that BBP treatment prevents the development of liver fibrosis by decreasing transforming growth factor beta and downstream fibrotic molecules. BBP treatment also alleviated senecionine-induced liver inflammation and lowered the pro-inflammatory cytokines, in which tauroursodeoxycholic acid played an important role. What's more, BBP treatment also decreased the accumulation of hydrophobic bile acids, such as cholic acid, taurocholic acid, glycocholic acid, as well. We concluded that BBP attenuates senecionine-induced HSOS in mice by repairing the bile acids homeostasis, preventing liver fibrosis, and alleviating liver inflammation. Our present study helps to pave the way to therapeutic approaches of the treatment of PA-induced liver injury in clinics.

The excited-state double proton transfer (ES-DPT) properties of 1,5-dihydroxyanthraquinone (1,5-DHAQ) in various solvents were investigated using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and the DFT/TDDFT method. The steady-state fluorescence spectra in toluene, tetrahydrofuran (THF) and acetonitrile (ACN) solvents presented that the solvent polarity has an effect on the position of the ESDPT fluorescence emission peak for the 1,5-DHAQ system. Transient absorption spectra show that the increasing polarity of the solvent accelerates the rate of excited state dynamics. Calculated potential energy curves analysis further verified the experimental results. The ESDPT barrier decreases gradually with the increase of solvent polarity from toluene, THF to ACN solvent. It is convinced that the increase of solvent polarity can promote the occurrence of the ESDPT dynamic processes for the 1,5-DHAQ system. This work clarifies the mechanism of the influence of solvent polarity on the ESDPT process of 1,5-DHAQ, which provides novel ideas for design and synthesis of new hydroxyanthraquinone derivatives.

Background Catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) is one of the main treatment methods for acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT), which has the characteristics of long treatment time and large dosage of thrombolytic drugs. In the absence of good monitoring methods, problems such as low thrombolytic efficiency and high risk of bleeding are easy to occur. Objective To evaluate the value of D-dimer (D-D) and fibrinogen (FIB) testing as a thrombolysis-monitoring method during CDT for acute DVT. Methods Twenty patients with acute DVT were divided into group A and group B. During CDT, the D-D and FIB testing every 8 h were used in group A, and the venography and FIB testing every 24 h in group B. The thrombolysis rate, thrombolysis time, urokinase dosage, and X-ray radiation dose were compared. Results The thrombolysis rate in group A was significantly higher than that in group B ( p < 0.05), but the number of venography and radiation dose were significantly lower than those in group B ( p < 0.05). Conclusion D-D and FIB testing can improve the thrombolysis rate, reduce the risk of bleeding, and decrease the number of angiograms and X-ray radiation dose during CDT.

Sacrifiers-promoted photocatalysis is a useful way to achieve high efficiency photoreduction and photocatalytic hydrogen production for photocatalysts of weak reductive power such as TiO2. Herein we report a new method to fabricate a unique dyadic hybrid consisting of closely compacted crystalline (anatase) and titanium glycerolate (TiG)-derived organic group-retained amorphous nanoparticles to validate adsorption-stored sacrifiers-promoted photocatalysis instead of using sacrifiers in bulk solution. It was found that ascorbic acid (AA)-modified TiG prepared at a small fraction of glycerol, characterized by peculiar cocoon/open nanocontainer-type morphologies, varieties of oxygen containing groups, and remarkably high specific surface area, is suitable for precursing such hybrids. AA can change crystallization processes and particle morphologies by terminating chain linkages in TiG structure, which increases porosity and brings about visible light responsive photocatalysis for the dyadic hybrid. Benefiting from good adsorption affinity to organic sacrifiers, the sacrifier-prestored hybrid can catalyze significantly enhanced photoreduction with good reproducibility toward dye molecules via the synergy of sacrifier enrichment and photocatalysis. AA modified TiG also exhibits good self-reducibility enabling pre-loading of highly dispersed and localized platinum nanoparticles, and the resulted dyadic hybrid facilitates photocatalytic hydrogen production of extremely higher turn-off frequency and better impurities interference-resistivity compared to the P25-based commercial catalyst.

Objective The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate whether the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics plus metronidazole improves short-term outcomes in neonates with gastric perforation. Methods Medical records of neonatal gastric perforation were reviewed from January 2016 to December 2021 at Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. A total of 86 neonates were identified, of which 23 were excluded (12 abandoned before surgery, 11 abandoned after surgery within 1 week). Of the remaining 63 neonates, 15 were treated with metronidazole (group M), while 48 were not (group N). Group M was further matched with group N1 (n = 15, without metronidazole) based on birth weight (P = 0.006) and group N1 (P = 0.005). Group M had significantly higher rate of feeding after birth (P = 0.04) and lower rate of prenatal hormone exposure (P = 0.004) compared to group N. Procalcitonin and blood sodium levels were significantly higher in group M than in group N (P = 0.014 and P = 0.004) and group N1 (P = 0.005 and P = 0.036). Elevated C-reactive protein was significantly different in group M and group N1 (P = 0.020). The incidence rate of surgical site infection (SSI) in group M was higher than in group N (P = 0.046), while there was no significant difference in the incidence rate between group M and group N1 (P > 0.05). Conclusions Our study suggests that the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics plus metronidazole may not improve short-term outcomes after surgery in newborns with gastric perforation. Future prospective randomized controlled studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to further investigate the optimal antibiotic regimen for the treatment of neonatal gastric perforation.

Objectives Nepenthes belongs to the monotypic family Nepenthaceae, one of the largest carnivorous plant families. Nepenthes species show impressive adaptive radiation and suffer from being overexploited in nature. Nepenthes mirabilis is the most widely distributed species and the only Nepenthes species that is naturally distributed within China. Herein, we reported the genome and transcriptome assemblies of N. mirabilis. The assemblies will be useful resources for comparative genomics, to understand the adaptation and conservation of carnivorous species. Data description This work produced ~ 139.5 Gb N. mirabilis whole genome sequencing reads using leaf tissues, and ~ 21.7 Gb and ~ 27.9 Gb of raw RNA-seq reads for its leaves and flowers, respectively. Transcriptome assembly obtained 339,802 transcripts, in which 79,758 open reading frames (ORFs) were identified. Function analysis indicated that these ORFs were mainly associated with proteolysis and DNA integration. The assembled genome was 691,409,685 bp with 159,555 contigs/scaffolds and an N50 of 10,307 bp. The BUSCO assessment of the assembled genome and transcriptome indicated 91.1% and 93.7% completeness, respectively. A total of 42,961 genes were predicted in the genome identified, coding for 45,461 proteins. The predicted genes were annotated using multiple databases, facilitating future functional analyses of them. This is the first genome report on the Nepenthaceae family.

Supplementary Figure 3 - PDF file 63K, Supplementary Fig.S3. Overexpression of PHLPP1 or PHLPP2 abrogated the miR-224-mediated regulation of of the cell-cycle regulators

Supplementary Figure 2 - PDF file 68K, Supplementary Fig.S2. Inhibition of miR-224 changes the expression of cell cycle regulators

Supplementary Data - PDF file155K, Supplementary data, including Supplementary methods, Supplementary figure legends, and Supplementary Tables

Purpose: To investigate the clinicopathologic significance, role, and mechanism of action of microRNA-224 (miR-224) in colorectal cancer.Experimental Design: Real-time PCR was used to quantify miR-224 expression. The association of miR-224 with the clinicopathologic features and survival was evaluated in 110 colorectal cancer patients. The role of miR-224 in colorectal cancer was investigated using in vitro and in vivo assays. Luciferase reporter assays were conducted to confirm target gene associations.Results: miR-224 was overexpressed in colorectal cancer. High-level expression of miR-224 was significantly associated with an aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis. Overexpression of miR-224 promoted colorectal cancer cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Specifically, miR-224 accelerated the G1–S phase transition through activation of AKT/FOXO3a signaling, downregulation of p21Cip1 and p27Kip1, and upregulation of cyclin D1. Moreover, both PH domain leucine-rich-repeats protein phosphatase 1 (PHLPP1) and PHLPP2, antagonists of PI3K/AKT signaling, were confirmed as bona fide targets of miR-224. miR-224 directly targeted the 3′-untranslated regions of the PHLPP1 and PHLPP2 mRNAs and repressed their expression.Conclusion: This study reveals functional and mechanistic links between miRNA-224 and the tumor suppressors PHLPP1 and PHLPP2 in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. miR-224 not only plays important roles in the regulation of cell proliferation and tumor growth in colorectal cancer, but also has potential as a prognostic marker or therapeutic target for colorectal cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 19(17); 4662–72. ©2013 AACR.

Supplementary Figure 4 - PDF file 157K, Supplementary Fig.S4. Correlations between miR-224 and PHLPP1 and PHLPP2 expression in clinical CRC tissue samples

Supplementary Figure 1 - PDF file 138K, Supplementary Fig.S1. miR-224 promotes human CRC cell growth and proliferation

Human RNA binding protein Musashi-1 (MSI1) plays a critical role in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) by binding to various host RNA transcripts. The canonical MSI1 binding site (MBS), A/GU(1-3)AG single-strand motif, is present in many RNA virus genomes, but only Zika virus (ZIKV) genome has been demonstrated to bind MSI1. Herein, we identified the AUAG motif and the AGAA tetraloop in the Xrn1-resistant RNA 2 (xrRNA2) as the canonical and non-canonical MBS, respectively, and both are crucial for ZIKV neurotropism. More importantly, the unique AGNN-type tetraloop is evolutionally conserved, and distinguishes ZIKV from other known viruses with putative MBSs. Integrated structural analysis showed that MSI1 binds to the AUAG motif and AGAA tetraloop of ZIKV in a bipartite fashion. Thus, our results not only identified an unusual viral RNA structure responsible for MSI recognition, but also revealed a role for the highly structured xrRNA in controlling viral neurotropism.

Rhodobacter (Rba.) capsulatus has been a favored model for studies of all aspects of bacterial photosynthesis. This purple phototroph contains PufX, a polypeptide crucial for dimerization of the light-harvesting 1–reaction center (LH1–RC) complex, but lacks protein-U, a U-shaped polypeptide in the LH1–RC of its close relative Rba. sphaeroides. Here we present a cryo-EM structure of the Rba. capsulatus LH1–RC purified by DEAE chromatography. The crescent-shaped LH1–RC exhibits a compact structure containing only 10 LH1 αβ-subunits. Four αβ-subunits corresponding to those adjacent to protein-U in Rba. sphaeroides were absent. PufX in Rba. capsulatus exhibits a unique conformation in its N-terminus that self-associates with amino acids in its own transmembrane domain and interacts with nearby polypeptides, preventing it from interacting with proteins in other complexes and forming dimeric structures. These features are discussed in relation to the minimal requirements for the formation of LH1–RC monomers and dimers, the spectroscopic behavior of both the LH1 and RC, and the bioenergetics of energy transfer from LH1 to the RC.

Pattern recognition receptor (PRR) is a kind of sensor which is mainly expressed on the surface of innate immune cells. It can recognize pathogen related molecular patterns (PAMPs) or damage related molecular patterns (DAMPs). The innate immune system uses pattern recognition receptors to recognize pathogenic microorganisms in periodontal tissues and transmit signals to downstream pathways in time, thus triggering immune responses and then eliminating them. PRR has many family members, including toll like receptor family (TLRs), C-type lectin receptor family (CLRs), retinoic acid induced gene I (RIG-I) like receptor family (RLRs) and nucleotide binding oligomer domain (NOD) like receptor family (NLRs). Among them, RLRs are cytoplasmic receptors that recognize dsRNA from RNA viruses and have little association with chronic periodontitis. In this paper, the classification and structure of TLRs, CLRs, NLRs and the role of signal transduction pathway in chronic periodontitis are reviewed. In order to enrich the pathogenesis of periodontitis, provide new ideas for the treatment and prevention of chronic periodontitis.