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Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. Cancer driver gene-mediated alterations in the tumor microenvironment are critical factors affecting the biological behavior of breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to identify the expression characteristics and prognostic value of cancer driver genes in breast cancer. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets are used as the training and test sets. Classified according to cancer and paracancerous tissues, we identified differentially expressed cancer driver genes. We further screened prognosis-associated genes, and candidate genes were submitted for the construction of a risk signature. Functional enrichment analysis and transcriptional regulatory networks were performed to search for possible mechanisms by which cancer driver genes affect breast cancer prognosis. Results: We identified more than 200 differentially expressed driver genes and 27 prognosis-related genes. High-risk group patients had a lower survival rate compared to the low-risk group (P<0.05), and risk signature showed high specificity and sensitivity in predicting the patient prognosis (AUC 0.790). Multivariate regression analysis suggested that risk scores can independently predict patient prognosis. Further, we found differences in PD-1 expression, immune score, and stromal score among different risk groups. Conclusion: Our study confirms the critical prognosis role of cancer driver genes in breast cancer. The cancer driver gene risk signature may provide a novel biomarker for clinical treatment strategy and survival prediction of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain 39 is an endophytic fungus which was isolated from Dioscorea nipponica Makino (DNM). After Strain 39 co-cultured with ethanol extract of DNM rhizomes for several days, the content of saponins in this culture mixture would be obviously increased. To analyze the mechanism of this microbial transformation, we used the differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR) method to compare the transcriptomes between Strain 39 cultured in normal PD medium and in PD medium which added ethanol extract of DNM rhizomes. We amplified 29 DDRT-PCR bands using 12 primer combinations of three anchored primers and five random primers, and six bands were re-amplified. Analysis of real-time PCR and sequence alignment showed that three clones were up-regulated in sample group: squalene epoxidase, squalene synthase, and catalase, one clone was expressed only in sample group. The possible roles and origins of the above genes were discussed, and the molecular mechanism of Strain 39 biotransformation was speculated. This study is the first report of the molecular biotransformation mechanism of saponins production by endophytic fungus of DNM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An organic–inorganic hybrid solar cell based on CdSe quantum dots (QDs) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) was fabricated. Its temperature-dependent photovoltaic behaviors, such as I–V characteristic curves and open circuit voltage (V oc) transient response, were measured. The photovoltaic behavior of this hybrid thin film device was similar with that of organic thin film solar cells, according to analysis results based on the equivalent circuit method. The exact carrier lifetime was remarkably different between under low-temperature region and under temperature above 197K. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present a high-dielectric polymer with a lateral fluorine group, and its dielectric constant exhibits larger than 20 at 1 kHz. This well-soluble polymer can solely stabilize blue phase liquid crystals (BPLCs) while reducing the operating voltage by 30% and increasing the Kerr constant by nearly 70.6%. The influence of the polymer's dielectric property on the operating voltage is investigated based on the potential distribution. The theoretical result predicts that the operation voltage can be further reduced by 50% when the dielectric constant of the chiral dopant is the same as the high-dielectric polymer. The potential application of high-dielectric materials for the improvement of BPLC devices is foreseeable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax ginseng is one of the oldest and most generally prescribed herbs in Eastern traditional medicine to treat diseases. Several studies had documented that ginseng leaves have anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties similar to those of ginseng root. The aim of this research was to forecast of the molecular mechanism of ginseng leaves on lung cancer by molecular docking and network pharmacology so as to decipher ginseng leaves' entire mechanism. The compounds associated with ginseng leaves were searched by TCMSP. TCMSP and Swiss Target Prediction databases were used to sort out the potential targets of the main chemical components. Targets were collected from OMIM, PharmGKB, TTD, DrugBank and GeneCards which related to immunity and lung cancer. Ginseng leaves exert its lung cancer suppressive function by regulating the several signaling proteins, such as JUN, STAT3, AKT1, TNF, MAPK1, TP53. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the immunoreaction against lung cancer by ginseng leaves might be related to response to lipopolysaccharide, response to oxidative stress, PI3K-Akt, MAPK and TNF pathway. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that hydrogen bonding was interaction's core forms. The results of CCK8 test and qRT-PCR showed that ginseng leaves inhibit cell proliferation and regulates AKT1 and P53 expression in A549. The present study clarifies the mechanism of Ginseng leaves against lung cancer and provides evidence to support its clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two distinct geological ages of molybdenite are determined at Sanchakou. • Decreased temperature and f O2 contributed to porphyry-style ore formation. • High grade copper was likely attributed to overprinting mineralization event. • Identification of an old deformation-related porphyry Cu deposit in Xinjiang is helpful for guiding ore exploration. The Sanchakou Cu deposit is located in the eastern section of the Dananhu arc belt in Eastern Tianshan, Xinjiang, and recorded multiple magmatic-mineralization events. The porphyry-style mineralization period produced disseminated, sulfide-dominant veined, and patchy sulfides containing chalcopyrite ± bornite ± carrolite ± molybdenite (Mol-1), which was associated with magnetite ± biotite ± chlorite ± sericite alteration in a suite of quartz diorite intrusions. The overprinting mineralization period contributed to minor Cu and Mo mineralization, featured by later disseminated molybdenite (Mol-2), chalcopyrite, and widespread low-temperature (<280 °C) vein-type stellerite assemblages. Two distinct geological ages of molybdenite (including Mol-1 and Mol-2) from Sanchakou have been determined in this study. The old 187Re/187Os isochron age for euhedral Mol-1 represents the timing of original porphyry-style mineralization (386 ± 16 Ma), in agreement with LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb age of dark diorite dykes (390 ± 11 Ma). The young 187Re/187Os age for fine-grained Mol-2 is interpreted to be a maximum age of sulfide formation or remobilization (364 ± 15 Ma), most likely associated with the emplacement of Late Devonian gneissic granite intrusions. Fluid inclusion microthermometry, mineralogy, and physicochemical calculations for the porphyry-type mineralization period (including four stages) at Sanchakou suggest that earlier magmatic fluids have evolved from high T (310–460 °C), high log f O2 (−22 to − 26), and alkaline condition during stage I to low T, low log f O2 (−3 4), and acidic condition during stage II. The decrease of oxygen fugacity caused by abundant deposition of magnetite in stage I produced large-scale Cu and Mo precipitation. Stage II to IV fluids have gradually decreasing temperatures and salinities, due to involvement of meteoric water that also facilitates the ore deposition. This result is consistent with the evolution of O isotope compositions of the fluids (δ18O fluids = − 9.3 to 4.3), further implying the significance of fluid mixing instead of fluid boiling that caused ore deposition. Locally high-grade copper concentrations at Sanchakou are likely attributed to the overprinting modification event on the original ore bodies. All of these observations indicate that the Paleozoic Sanchakou ore-forming system is similar to other deformed porphyry Cu systems in the Central Asian orogenic belt (CAOB) and worldwide. The Cu mineralization and modification event at Sanchakou is coincident with the second peak productivity in CAOB. We further suggest that the Paleozoic diorite complex and stellerite alteration can be as a significant exploration target for porphyry-style Cu mineralization in the Eastern Tianshan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: FR429 is an ellagitannin with a potential antitumor activity, isolated and purified from Polygonum capitatum Buch.-Ham.ex D.Don, which is a traditional Miao-nationality herbal medicine in Guizhou and Yunnan of China. Our preliminary result of pharmacology study has indicated that the antitumor activity of FR429. However, the metabolism of FR429 has not been reported yet. In this study, LC–ion trap-time of flight mass spectrometry (LC–IT-TOF/MS) was used to characterize unpredictable metabolites of FR429 biotransformed by intestinal bacteria in vitro. Total thirteen metabolites were detected and characterized via comparisons of their accurate molecular masses and fragment ions of each MS n stage with those of the parent drug, and four of them were also elucidated by NMR. The results demonstrated that FR429 could be transformed by intestinal bacteria in vitro, mainly via hydrolysis and reduction reaction. This work provided a basis for the further study on the biotansformation of FR429 in vivo. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study endeavored to investigate the variability of bacteria and fungi present during the fermentation process of the light-fragranced distilled liquor known as Fen liquor. To accomplish this, we used a combination of clone libraries of 16S rRNA genes, bar-coded pyrosequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS1), and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Fifteen families of bacteria and six families of fungi were detected. More than 91% of 16S rRNA gene sequences could be assigned to the family Lactobacillaceae, which were then classified to eight different operational taxonomic units (OTUs), based on a 3% cut-off. The most abundant OTU which contributed to 51% of the total 16S rRNA gene sequences was affiliated with Lactobacillus acetotolerans and had a significantly similar variation trend with the chemical constituents detected. Sixty percent of the fungal ITS1 region sequences were affiliated with the family Saccharomycetaceae. The most abundant OTU was very similar to Issatchenkia orientalis, which displayed notable similarities with respect to the change trends in both ethanol and organic acid contents. The sequences of the second most abundant OTU were closest to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an important species in the process of ethanol production. Furthermore, about one fourth of the ITS1 region sequences belonged to the family Saccharomycopsidaceae. Conversely, very few sequences could be grouped together with filamentous fungi. The results of qPCR showed that the content of bacteria was increased while that of fungi was more stable in the fermentation process. It is very important to simultaneously investigate bacterial and fungal variations in food-fermentation processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]