Search

Simple Summary: In this study, we ask whether the invasive Datura stramonium bring about effects on native plants in three different habitats, including farmland, wasteland and roadside. Studying the invaded and uninvaded areas in these habitats, we found that the invasion of D. stramonium brought about corresponding effects on the functional traits of native plants and the stoichiometric characteristics of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. These findings imply that invasion by D. stramonium has a great effect on the local ecosystem, and it has a high ability to capture resources. D. stramonium can improve its own competitiveness by enhancing invasiveness by changing the functional traits of native plants and the stoichiometric characteristics of soil C, N and P, which may be the reason for its invasive success. Datura stramonium is an invasive herb of the family Solanaceae from Mexico and has been invading seriously in China. The effects of invasive plants on the functional traits of native plants and the stoichiometric characteristics of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in different habitats were explored by taking the invasive plant D. stramonium and coexisting native plants as the research object. The species, quantity and height of plants in sample plots in farmland, wasteland and roadside habitats were investigated and the specific leaf area (SLA), leaf carbon content (C), nitrogen content (N), carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N), construction cost (CCmass) and stoichiometric characteristics of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were analyzed. The results showed that compared with the noninvaded area, the species and quantity of native plants decreased in the invaded area, and SLA and leaf N showed a decreasing trend. The plant height of native plants in the invaded area of the farmland and wasteland decreased by 23.19% and 15.26%, respectively, while the height of native plants along the roadside increased by 95.91%. The leaf C:N ratio of native plants in the invaded area along the roadside significantly increased by 54.07%. The plant height and leaf N of D. stramonium in the three habitats were higher than those of the native plants. The soil N in the invaded area of the three habitats increased, with the soil N in the farmland increasing by 21.05%, in the wasteland increasing by 9.82% and along the roadside significantly increasing by 46.85%. The soil carbon-to-phosphorus ratio (C:P) in the three habitats showed an increasing trend. The soil C:P ratio in the farmland increased by 62.45%, in the wasteland it increased by 11.91% and along the roadside it significantly increased by 71.14%. These results showed that invasion by D. stramonium has a great effect on the local ecosystem, and it has a high ability to capture resources. D. stramonium can improve its own competitiveness by enhancing invasiveness by changing the functional traits of native plants and the stoichiometric characteristics of soil C, N and P, which may be the reason for its invasive success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of our study was to identify key biomarkers of glomeruli in focal glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and analyze their relationship with the infiltration of immune cells. The expression profiles (GSE108109 and GSE200828) were obtained from the GEO database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were filtered and analyzed by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). MCODE module was constructed. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to obtain the core gene modules. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was applied to identify key genes. ROC curves were employed to explore their diagnostic accuracy. Transcription factor prediction of the key biomarkers was performed using the Cytoscape plugin IRegulon. The analysis of the infiltration of 28 immune cells and their correlation with the key biomarkers were performed. A total of 1474 DEGs were identified. Their functions were mostly related to immune-related diseases and signaling pathways. MCODE identified five modules. The turquoise module of WGCNA had significant relevance to the glomerulus in FSGS. TGFB1 and NOTCH1 were identified as potential key glomerular biomarkers in FSGS. Eighteen transcription factors were obtained from the two hub genes. Immune infiltration showed significant correlations with T cells. The results of immune cell infiltration and their relationship with key biomarkers implied that NOTCH1 and TGFB1 were enhanced in immune-related pathways. TGFB1 and NOTCH1 may be strongly correlated with the pathogenesis of the glomerulus in FSGS and are new candidate key biomarkers. T-cell infiltration plays an essential role in the FSGS lesion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of serious ash accumulation at the lower part of flat box filter cartridges is an important limitation for the improvement of ash cleaning efficiency in this kind of filter. To solve the above-mentioned problem, the type of slotted blowing hole impacting the performance of the ash removing under the same ash cleaning area was studied. In the present work, a total of four types of slotted blowing holes with different length were designed. The influence of blowing distance and blowing pressure on dust removal performance were investigated. Numerical simulation was conducted to demonstrate the mechanism of the dust removal process. An industrial coating test was also carried out to investigate and verify the actual ash cleaning performance under the optimal conditions as obtained from the above investigations. The results showed that: (1) the performance of dust cleaning produced by a three-slit blowhole was better than that by a four-slit blowhole; (2) 0.2 MPa was determined to be the optimal blowing pressure, which meets the requirement of ash cleaning; (3) 20 mm was selected as the optimal blowing distance, as this was the distance at which the surface side wall pressure at the non-positive-to-blow hole area was obviously increased, indicating that the whole performance of ash cleaning could be improved. The results obtained in this study are of great significance for improving the efficiency of dust removal in the use of flat box filters, promoting the development of dust removal technology, protection of environment, and reduction of human health damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an important chronic disease, is one of the major causes of high mortality and creates a substantial financial burden worldwide. The various immune cells in the liver, including macrophages, NK cells, dendritic cells, and the neutrophils involved in the innate immune response, trigger inflammation after recognizing the damage signaled from infection or injured cells and tissues. The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is a critical molecule that binds to the cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) generated by the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) to initiate the innate immune response against infection. Previous studies have demonstrated that the cGAS-STING pathway plays a critical role in inflammatory, auto-immune, and anti-viral immune responses. Recently, studies have focused on the role of STING in liver diseases, the results implying that alterations in its activity may be involved in the pathogenesis of liver disorders. Here, we summarize the function of STING in the development of NAFLD and present the current inhibitors and agonists targeting STING. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) is widely used as a developer and etchant in the thin-film transistor liquid crystal display industry, which is the main component of developer wastewater with low C/N ratio. This study investigated TMAH degradation by combined anaerobic/integrated fixed film activated sludge (A/IFAS) process, especially for nitrogen removal. Effects of process condition on the TMAH degradation were studied, including dissolved oxygen concentration in IFAS reactor and the temperature of anaerobic reactor. Especially, the nitrogen removal was studied through the monitoring of intermediate products during TMAH biodegradation. The results indicated that lower the anaerobic treatment temperature can provide more available organic matters to enhance the denitrification in the subsequent IFAS reactor. Less oxygen supply in the IFAS reactor contributed to simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. Removal efficiency of total organic carbon and total nitrogen was up to 95.8% and 80.7%, when the temperature of anaerobic treatment was controlled at 30 °C with the DO kept at 0.7 mg/L. It indicated that A/IFAS process was efficient in carbon and nitrogen removal for TMAH degradation. The results also confirmed intermediate products of TMAH biodegradation can be used as the electron donor during denitrification, including trimethylamine, dimethylamine and methylamine. Illumina MiSeq sequencing showed that Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum contribute to nitrogen removal. Compared to sludge flocs in IFAS reactor, richer community and higher microbial diversity were observed in the biofilm. [Display omitted] • Anaerobic/IFAS process was established for TMAH degradation. • Low anaerobic temperature and DO enhanced nitrogen removal. • TMAH degradation intermediates were more accessible for denitrification. • Biofilm had richer community and higher microbial diversity than sludge floc in IFAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) is predominantly expressed in immune cells, including macrophages, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, and T cells, functioning as a pattern recognition receptor. STING activation upon detecting cytosolic DNA released from damaged cells initiates downstream pathways, leading to the production of inflammatory cytokines such as IFNs, IL-6, and TNF-α. Dysregulated STING activation has been implicated in inflammatory and metabolic diseases. Ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/RI) is common in stroke, acute myocardial infarction, organ transplantation, and surgeries for certain end-stage diseases. Recent studies suggest that STING could be a novel therapeutic target for I/RI treatment. In this review, we provide a concise overview of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway's general functions and summarize STING's role in I/RI across various organs, including the heart, liver, kidney, and lung. Moreover, we explore potential therapeutic approaches for I/RI by targeting STING. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate monitoring of crop drought thresholds at different growth periods is crucial for drought monitoring. In this study, the canopy temperature (Tc) of winter wheat ('Weilong 169' variety) during the three main growth periods was extracted from high-resolution thermal and multispectral images taken by a complete unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system. Canopy-air temperature difference (ΔT) and statistic Crop Water Stress Index (CWSIsi) indicators were constructed based on Tc. Combined experiment data from the field and drought thresholds for the ΔT and CWSIsi indicators for different drought levels at three main growth periods were monitored. The results showed a strong correlation between the Tc extracted using the NDVI-OTSU method and ground-truth temperature, with an R2 value of 0.94. The CWSIsi was more stable than the ΔT index in monitoring the drought level affecting winter wheat. The threshold ranges of the CWSIsi for different drought levels of winter wheat at three main growth periods were as follows: the jointing–heading period, where the threshold ranges for normal, mild drought, moderate drought, and severe drought are <0.30, 0.30–0.42, 0.42–0.48, and >0.48, respectively; the heading–filling period, where the threshold ranges for normal, and mild, moderate, and severe drought are <0.33, 0.33–0.47, 0.44–0.53, and >0.53, respectively; and the filling–maturation period, where the threshold ranges for normal, mild drought, moderate drought, and severe drought are <0.41, 0.41–0.54, 0.54–0.59, and >0.59, respectively. The UAV thermal threshold method system can improve the accuracy of crop drought monitoring and has considerable potential in crop drought disaster identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess reactivity of Minocycline (MNC) towards ozone and determine the effects of ozone dose, pH value, and water matrix on MNC degradation as well as to characterize N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation from MNC ozonation. The MNC initial concentration of the solution was set in the range of 2-20 mg/L to investigate NDMA formation during MNC ozonation. Four ozone doses (22.5, 37.2, 58.0, and 74.4 mg/min) were tested to study the effect of ozone dose. For the evaluation of effects of pH value, pH was adjusted from 5 to 9 in the presence of phosphate buffer. MNC ozonation experiments were also conducted in natural water to assess the influence of water matirx. The influence of the typical component of natural water was also investigated with the addition of HA and NaHCO3 solution. Results indicated that ozone was effective in MNC removal. Consequently, NDMA and dimethylamine (DMA) were generated from MNC oxidation. Increasing pH value enhanced MNC removal but led to greater NDMA generation. Water matrices, such as HCO3− and humic acid, affected MNC degradation. Conversely, more NDMA accumulated due to the inhibition of NDMA oxidation by oxidant consumption. Though ⋅OH can enhance MNC degradation, ozone molecules were heavily involved in NDMA production. Seven transformation products were identified. However, only DMA and the unidentified tertiary amine containing DMA group contributed to NDMA formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is an emerging disinfection by-product which is formed during water disinfection in the presence of amine-based precursors. Ranitidine, as one kind of amine-based pharmaceuticals, has been identified as NDMA precursor with high NDMA molar conversion during chloramination. This study focused on the characterization of NDMA formation during ozonation of ranitidine. Influences of operational variables (ozone dose, pH value) and water matrix on NDMA generation as well as ranitidine degradation were evaluated. The results indicate high reactivity of ranitidine with ozone. Dimethylamine (DMA) and NDMA were generated due to ranitidine oxidation. High pH value caused more NDMA accumulation. NDMA formation was inhibited under acid conditions (pH ≤ 5) mainly due to the protonation of amines. Water matrix such as HCO 3 − and humic acid impacted NDMA generation due to OH scavenging. Compared with OH, ozone molecules dominated the productions of DMA and NDMA. However, OH was a critical factor in NDMA degradation. Transformation products of ranitidine during ozonation were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Among these products, just DMA and N,N-dimethylformamide could contribute to NDMA formation due to the DMA group in the molecular structures. The NDMA formation pathway from ranitidine ozonation was also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease that commonly affects the kidney. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology is a powerful tool for characterizing individual cells and elucidating biological mechanisms at the cellular level. The purpose of this study was to identify the mechanism underlying kidney injury in SLE using scRNA-seq technology. Methods: scRNA-seq data of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in SLE were retrieved from the GEO database, followed by batch effect elimination, dimensionality reduction, cluster analysis, cell annotation and enrichment analysis. A model of SLE was developed in NZB/WF1 mice. Effects of anti-CD45RB antibody on the SLE-induced kidney injury were evaluated, and we measured the distribution of regulatory T cells and B cells in mouse spleen and kidney tissues, levels of kidney function-related indexes, deposition of IgG and C3 in the glomeruli, and the levels of inflammatory cytokines. CD45RB was a specific marker gene of B cell clusters and had influence on the B cells. anti-CD45RB antibody treatment induced regulatory B cells and consequently arrested the kidney injury caused by SLE. In addition, depletion of regulatory T cells was found to partially undermine the alleviatory effect of anti-CD45RB antibody on SLE-induced kidney injury. Collectively, our data suggest that anti-CD45RB antibody can prevent the SLE-induced kidney injury, pointing to anti-CD45RB antibody as a potential therapeutic strategy in kidney injury-related disease. • CD45R is a specific marker gene of B cell clusters. • Anti-CD45R antibody reduces kidney injury in SLE. • Anti-CD45R antibody induces regulatory B cell production to reduce kidney injury in SLE. • Anti-CD45R antibody combined with anti-CD20 antibodies is superior in renoprotective effects. • This study provides novel markers for the treatment of kidney injury in SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aimed to reveal the roles of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and immune-relevant genes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Expression profiling dataset GSE65391 consisted of 72 healthy blood samples and 924 SLE blood samples was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Differentially expressed RNAs (DERs) in SLE samples were identified using the Limma package. Immune-relevant DERs were uncovered after assessing the immune cell infiltration types of different samples. Modules significantly related to the disease were extracted via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), followed by module–trait analysis. LncRNA–mRNA co-expression network was constructed for DERs in immune-relevant modules. Genes related to SLE were further revealed via the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). Validation assay was conducted by another independent expression profiling dataset, GSE46907 (consisted of 5 healthy blood samples and 5 SLE blood samples) and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of 15 healthy blood samples and 15 SLE blood samples. A total of 606 DERs, including 19 lncRNAs and 587 mRNAs, were identified. Obvious differences were observed in the proportions of 20 immune cell types, and 378 immune-relevant DERs were revealed. Genes in the lncRNA–mRNA co-expression network were significantly enriched in primary immunodeficiency, hematopoietic cell lineage, B cell receptor signaling pathway, SLE (up-regulated FCGR3A , down-regulated CD40LG , up-regulated HIST1H2BE , down-regulated human leukocyte antigen [HLA]-DOA , down-regulated HLA-DOB , up-regulated HIST1H3D , and up-regulated HIST1H2BC), and intestinal immune network for IgA production. SLE-related gene, CD40LG , retrieved from CTD has co-expression interactions with seven differentially expressed lncRNAs (HCG27 , LINC02555 , LINC02210 , DHRS4-AS1 , MIR600HG , DANCR , and LINC01278). CD40LG and HLA-DOA , were observed down-regulated, and FCGR3A , and HIST1H2BE were up-regulated in validation dataset GES46907. Moreover, CD40LG was validated to be down-regulated using qRT-PCR. Our results provide new insight in understanding the pathogenesis of SLE and might be helpful for developing new therapeutic approaches of SLE by modulating immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a disinfection byproduct, the detection of N -nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in aquatic environments across the globe has caused widespread concern due to its potential carcinogenicity. In this study, the possibility of NDMA formation from chlorpheniramine ozonation was investigated. The influencing factors including the initial chlorpheniramine concentration, ozone dose, pH, and water matrix were quantified. Furthermore, the mechanisms for chlorpheniramine transformation and NDMA formation were explored. Our results demonstrate that ozonation is effective in removing chlorpheniramine. Generation of dimethylamine (DMA) and NDMA was observed during chlorpheniramine ozonation. Higher initial chlorpheniramine concentration and ozone dose resulted in higher production of NDMA. Acidic conditions (pH ≤ 5) did not facilitate the production of NDMA. Ozone molecules played a dominant role in chlorpheniramine degradation, and influenced DMA release and NDMA formation. DMA and NDMA generations as well as their degradations were mainly attributed to hydroxyl radicals ( OH) produced by ozone decomposition. Water matrix properties such as HCO 3 − and humic acid affected DMA and NDMA generation due to OH competition. The degradation intermediates of chlorpheniramine were identified, among which only the intermediates with a DMA group were attributable to NDMA formation. A possible pathway for NDMA formation from chlorpheniramine ozonation is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tempering lubricant wastewater (TLW) is alkaline oily wastewater produced in the cold rolling process of steel, which has multiple contaminants in high concentration including complex organic components, oil, and surfactants. And the ratio of BOD/COD was only around 0.1. This study evaluated the performance of the combined anaerobic/aerobic (A/O) batch reactors for treating real TLW under different organic load rates (OLRs). The results of 140 days monitoring indicated that A/O process was effective to TLW treatment, the removal efficiencies of TOC and total nitrogen (TN) reached 86.2% and 81.5% when OLR was 5 g-COD/L/d. It was also found that OLR had much effect on the microorganism's distribution in the anaerobic reactor. The abundance of Firmicutes increasing at higher OLR (over 5 g-COD/L/d) caused volatile fatty acids accumulation during anaerobic treatment and then inhibited TLW degradation, especially for TOC removal. Based on the sludge characters and microbial community analyses, aerobic granule sludge formed in aerobic reactor contributed to TN removal by simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. Functional genes were also detected through real-time quantitative PCR analysis. [Display omitted] • Anaerobic/aerobic process is efficient for tempering lubricant wastewater treatment. • TOC and TN removal rates can reach 86.2% and 81.5%. • Aerobic granule sludge formed in aerobic reactor contributed to TN removal. • Organic load rates impacted the microbial community in the anaerobic reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mg is helpful to reduce the activation energy and improve the reaction performance. • The enhancement of (CH 3 COO) 2 Mg is better than that of MgCl 2 during CLG process. • High Mg content will cause agglomeration by forming MgSiO 3 around the particles. • The agglomeration behavior of (CH 3 COO) 2 Mg-AH is less serious than that of MgCl 2 -AH. • The optimum temperature and S/B are 850℃ and 3 during the CLG on 6% (CH 3 COO) 2 Mg-AH. Mg is one of the most abundant trace elements in biomass, which plays a contradictory role in biomass conversion. However, the evolution behavior and mechanism of Mg in biomass chemical looping gasification (CLG) are still unclear. In this paper, the comprehensive influence of Mg on the CLG performance is investigated under different Mg-type solutions, Mg contents, temperatures and ratios of steam/biomass (S/B). The results show that Mg added on pickling rice husk (AH) can promote CLG reaction, but cause more agglomeration by forming MgSiO 3 around particles at high Mg content. Moreover, the CLG performance of (CH 3 COO) 2 Mg-AH is better than that of MgCl 2 -AH. Compared with pickling rice husk, the gasification efficiency, gas yield and carbon conversion efficiency of 6% (CH 3 COO) 2 Mg-AH are increased by 28.15%, 33.77% and 26.20%, respectively. Meanwhile, the smaller particle size, grain size and agglomeration degree are achieved in the CLG on (CH 3 COO) 2 Mg-AH. Furthermore, Mg-addition will reduce the activation energy in CLG process. Compared with rice husk, the activation energy of 6% (CH 3 COO) 2 Mg-AH decreases by 21.88% in pyrolysis stage and 61.90% in gasification stage. In addition, the activation energy of (CH 3 COO) 2 Mg-AH is lower than that of MgCl 2 -AH, especially the gasification stage (20.89%). With the increase of temperature and S/B, the CLG performance increases first and then decreases. The highest gasification efficiency of 70.26% and gas yield of 0.72 Nm3/kg are achieved under the optimal temperature of 850℃ and S/B of 3 during the CLG on 6% (CH 3 COO) 2 Mg-AH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of cobalt ions doped NaTaO3photocatalysts are prepared. XRD patterns confirmed the doping of cobalt ions lead to NaTaO3cell expansion. UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra clearly displayed the red-shift in the series of cobalt doped NaTaO3catalysts, indicating a decrease in the band gap of NaTaO3caused by the substitution of Co2+ions at Ta5+site. The red-shift increased with the increase of cobalt doping concentration in NaTaO3. Density functional calculations revealed that the narrowed band gap originated from an impurity level formed via cobalt ions replace tantalum ions in the NaTaO3lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Polyethylenimine (PEI) can perfectly condense with DNA and sufficiently transfer genes, but its high toxicity limits its application. Here, complex micelles are prepared as low-toxicity gene vectors by self-assembly of two block copolymers in aqueous solution. The complex micelles consist of a biodegradable poly(lactide- co-glycolide) (PLGA) core and a mixed poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)/PEI shell. The ZNF580 gene plasmid (pEGFP-ZNF580), which has the ability of enhancing the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells, is encapsulated into the complex micelles. Using dynamic light scattering, the degradation behavior of the micelles is investigated in vitro. The hydrodynamic size and zeta potential of blank and DNA-loaded micelles are feasible to cellular uptake and gene transfection. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay shows that the cytotoxicity of the complex micelles is very low when the PEG/PEI ratio is 3/1. The DNA-loaded micelles are found to be able to enhance the proliferation of endothelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), as a new disinfection byproduct, is a potential carcinogen. In this study, we focused on the role of ozone in NDMA degradation. We characterized the removal efficiency, influencing factors and degradation mechanism. Our results demonstrated that ozonation was an efficient process for NDMA degradation. The removal efficiency was affected by initial NDMA concentration; higher NDMA dosing required higher ozone utilization. NDMA oxidation was favored at high ozone dosage and high pH. NDMA ozonation under various pH as well as hydroxyl radical ( OH) inhibition experiments verified that OH generated from ozone dominated NDMA oxidation. The main products of NDMA ozonation were methylamine (MA), dimethylamine (DMA), nitromethane (NM) and ammonium (AM). Their yields changed with the amount of ozone provided. A NDMA ozonation mechanism was proposed. It is suggested that NDMA degradation is induced by OH attacking through any of four pathways, with oxygen involving in the oxidation process. MA generation was due to OH attacking on amine nitrogen and methyl group. DMA formation was related to OH attacking on nitrosyl nitrogen via a parallel pathway. We speculate that supersaturated dissolved oxygen by ozone decomposition is responsible for NM generation by further oxidation of MA and DMA. AM formation may be favored due to MA degradation under OH exposure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in innate antiviral immunity, but little is known about the impact of antiviral therapy on the frequency of NK cell subsets. To this aim, we performed this longitudinal study to examine the dynamic changes of the frequency of different subsets of NK cells in CHB patients after initiation of tenofovir or adefovir therapy. We found that NK cell numbers and subset distribution differ between CHB patients and normal subjects; furthermore, the association was found between ALT level and CD158b+ NK cell in HBV patients. In tenofovir group, the frequency of NK cells increased during the treatment accompanied by downregulated expression of NKG2A and KIR2DL3. In adefovir group, NK cell numbers did not differ during the treatment, but also accompanied by downregulated expression of NKG2A and KIR2DL3. Our results demonstrate that treatment with tenofovir leads to viral load reduction, and correlated with NK cell frequencies in peripheral blood of chronic hepatitis B virus infection. In addition, treatments with both tenofovir and adefovir in chronic HBV infected patients induce a decrease of the frequency of inhibitory receptor+ NK cells, which may account for the partial restoration of the function of NK cells in peripheral blood following treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study was designed to examine the interaction of an anthracycline disaccharide, 4′-O-(β-L-oleandrosyl) daunorubicin (DNR–D2), with calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) by UV–vis in combination with fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular modeling techniques under physiological conditions (Britton–Robinson buffer solutions, pH 7.4). By the analysis of UV–vis and fluorescence spectrum, it was observed that the binding mode between DNR–D2 and ctDNA might be intercalation, and fluorescence quenching mechanism of DNR–D2 by ctDNA was a static quenching type. Upon binding to ctDNA, the anthraquinone chromophore of DNR–D2 could slide into the C–G rich region of ctDNA. Hydrogen bonding forces may play an essential role in the binding of DNR–D2 to ctDNA. Furthermore, the results obtained from computational modeling corroborated the experimental results obtained from spectroscopic investigations. These studies are valuable for a better understanding the datailed mode of DNR–D2–DNA interaction, which should be important in deeper insight into the therapeutic efficiency of DNR–D2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

One of the most commonly utilized techniques for microstructure determination of polyolefins is quantitative 13C NMR, but it generally requires long experiment times and large amounts of samples to achieve reliable quantification for its low sensitivity. In this context, we report the use of two-dimensional (2D) 1H–13C heteronuclear single-quantum correlation (HSQC) spectroscopy to rapidly determine the microstructure of a typical linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), poly(ethylene- co -1-hexene) at triads. Moreover, the 2D HSQC with non-uniform sampling (NUS) enable the reduction of experiment time from more than 23 h to several minutes with composition accuracy higher than 99.5%. The methodology is robust, and it can find wide-spread applications in areas where a quantitative analysis of polymers is necessary. For the first time, 2D 1H–13C HSQC with Non-uniform sampling (NUS) was used for the quantitative microstructure determination of polyolefins, which not only enabled the reduction of experiment time from more than 23 h to less than 1 h, but also achieved accuracy higher than 99.5% regarding to the composition and triads content of the poly(ethylene-co-1-hexene). [Display omitted] • 2D HSQC is used for rapid quantitative microstructure determination of the typical LLDPE. • High accuracy can be achieved within several minutes. • This is the first example of the use of 2D NMR/NUS for determination of poly(ethylene-co-1-hexene). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venlafaxine, a representative antidepressant, has been detected frequently in aquatic environments. The treatment of venlafaxine by free chlorine (NaOCl) and chlorine dioxide (ClO 2) was investigated in this study. The effects of operational variables and the water matrix on venlafaxine degradation were evaluated. The transformation pathways of venlafaxine were also studied. The results indicated that venlafaxine was removed efficiently during disinfection processes, especially when reacted with ClO 2. A higher dosage of disinfectant and mildly alkaline conditions (pH 9) enhanced the degradation of venlafaxine. The reactions were impacted when the tests were conducted in real water matrices, especially in secondary effluent. The presence of chloride and low concentrations of fulvic acid enhanced venlafaxine decomposition. The presence of Br− also accelerated the reaction between venlafaxine and NaOCl. However, NO 2 − inhibited venlafaxine removal in both disinfection processes. Six intermediates were identified during venlafaxine degradation by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the main reactions included dehydration and demethylation. [Display omitted] • Venlafaxine was removed efficiently both by NaOCl and ClO 2. • Venlafaxine chlorination fits pseudo-first-order reaction kinetic. • Low concentration of fulvic acid and Cl− improved venlafaxine removal. • Main reaction mechanism included dehydration and demethylation. • ClO 2 is a proper disinfectant for venlafaxine decomposing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

M2-like tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) have been demonstrated to promote the growth of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). However, the underlying mechanism of M2-like TAMs in ATC remains unclear. Thus, in the present study, the role and mechanism of M2-like TAMs in ATC were investigated. M2-like TAMs were induced by treatment with PMA, plus IL-4 and IL-13, and identified by flow cytometry. Transwell and sphere formation assays were applied to assess the invasion and stemness of ATC cells. The expression levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and IGF-2 were examined by ELISA and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Proteins related to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), stemness and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway were examined via western blotting. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expression of the M2-like TAM markers CD68 and CD206 in ATC tissues and thyroid adenoma tissues. It was found that treatment with PMA plus IL-4 and IL-13 successfully induced M2-like TAMs. Following co-culture with M2-like TAMs, the invasive ability and stemness of ATC cells were significantly increased. The expression levels of the EMT-related markers N-cadherin and Vimentin, the stemness-related markers Oct4, Sox2 and CD133, and the insulin receptor (IR)-A/IGF1 receptor (IGF1R) were markedly upregulated, whereas E-cadherin expression was significantly decreased. In addition, the production of IGF-1 and IGF-2 was significantly increased. Of note, exogenous IGF-1/IGF-2 promoted the invasion and stemness of C643 cells, whereas blocking IGF-1 and IGF-2 inhibited metastasis and stemness by repressing IR-A/IGF-1R-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling in the co-culture system. IHC results showed that the expression of CD68 and CD206 was obviously increased in ATC tissues. To conclude, M2-like TAMs accelerated the metastasis and increased the stemness of ATC cells, and the underlying mechanism may be related to the section of IGF by M2-like TAMs, which activates the IR-A/IGF1R-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxaliplatin (L‐OHP), a third‐generation platinum‐based anti‐tumor drug, finds widespread application in the first‐line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Despite its efficacy, the drug's usage is curtailed by a litany of side effects, with L‐OHP‐induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) being the most debilitating. This condition can be classified into varying degrees of severity. Employing serum metabolomics, a high‐sensitivity, high‐throughput technique, holds promise as a method to identify biomarkers for clinical assessment and monitoring of OIPN patients across different severity levels. In our study, we analyzed serum metabolites in patients with different OIPN levels using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐high resolution mass spectrometry. By employing statistical analyses and pathway enrichment studies, we aimed to identify potential biomarkers and metabolic pathways. Our findings characterized the serum metabolic profiles of patients with varying OIPN levels. Notably, pathway analysis revealed a significant correlation with lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and energy metabolism. Multivariate statistical analysis and receiver operator characteristic curve evaluation pointed to anhalamine and glycochenodeoxycholic acid as potential biomarkers for OIPN C and A, which suggest that serum metabolomics may serve as a potent tool for exploring the metabolic status of patients suffering from diverse diseases and for discovering novel biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiCoO 2 is still the most extensively used cathode material in Li-ion battery for portable electronics currently. The increasing usage of electronics has resulted in the growing discard of LiCoO 2 with the stream of its spent battery. Current recycling approaches for LiCoO 2 from spent batteries are dominantly based on hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy, which usually require multiple complicated steps and involve the use of high temperature or harmful chemicals, like acids and alkalis. There remains an urgent need for green and simple processes. Here we report a single step approach based on suspension electrolysis to directly recycle LiCoO 2 in one reactor at atmospheric condition without any usage of acid and alkalis. The electrolyte of the suspension electrolysis system is only comprised of NH 4 HCO 3 , NH 4 2 SO 3 and NaF. The reaction system of LiCoO 2 leaching in the anode region and simultaneously re-synthesizing in the cathode region in the electrochemical system is established. Mechanism analysis indicates that NH 4 + only serves as a provider for complexing agent of NH 3 and is virtually not consumed. This work provides potentially meaningful strategies for recovering LiCoO 2 in a shorter procedure and an environmentally friendly manner. ga1 • LiCoO 2 is recovered by NH 4 HCO 3 –(NH 4) 2 SO 3 suspension electrolysis system. • Cobalt is leached out from LiCoO 2 in valence of + 3. • Metallic impurities impact negatively on recycling of LiCoO 2. • Further research on demonstrating the process mechanisms is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetramethylammonium Hydroxide (TMAH) is widely used as a developer in the thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) industry, which is a corrosive alkaline and neuronal toxic compound. In this study, the performances of combined hydrolysis acidification-aerobic and anaerobic batch reactors for synthetic TMAH wastewater treatment were evaluated. It also investigated the real TMAH wastewater treatment in the anaerobic batch reactor. The batch tests focused on the removal efficiencies and intermediate products of TMAH biodegradation during different processes. Furthermore, microbial community structures were identified. The long-term monitoring of 380 days results demonstrated that TMAH degraded can be stably achieved by hydrolysis acidification-aerobic and anaerobic processes, and the total organic carbon removal efficiencies were both higher than 91%. The pretreatment by hydrolysis acidification process could avoid the inhibition of high concentration TMAH on subsequent aerobic treatment. Main intermediate products during the hydrolysis acidification-aerobic and anaerobic treatments included trimethylamine, dimethylamine, monomethylamine, which can be degraded easily by biotreatment. Consequently, nearly 70% organic nitrogen in the influent TMAH transferred to ammonium or nitrate, while the mineralization of intermediates caused methane and carbon dioxide generation. The study also proposed TMAH degradation pathways by different processes based on the intermediate's identification. Analysis of 16s rRNA gene sequencing revealed that mixed microbe contributed in TMAH degradation. At the phylum level, proteobacteria and bacteroidetes were abundant in all the reactors. Besides, patescibateria , cloacimonetes and acidobacteria were dominant in anaerobic reactors as well. This study suggests that traditional combined or single activated sludge processes could be used for TMAH-containing wastewater treatment. Especially, anaerobic process may be favored over other processes. Image 1 • Hydrolytic acidification-aerobic and anaerobic processes can degrade TMAH completely. • TOC removal rate was above 95% in the real TMAH wastewater by anaerobic process. • NH 4 + and NO 3 − were the main product in hydrolytic acidification-aerobic process. • Proteobacteria and bacteroidetes were abundant in all reactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Agglomeration is affected by OC preparation of methods, carriers and Al:Fe ratios. • Co-precipitation method has better dispersion and lower agglomeration degree. • The carrier plays a role in dispersing active metals and supporting the OC structure. • Fe content will influence the active sites and the metal-carrier interaction. • Excessive Fe content causes serious agglomeration and lower performance. Iron-based oxygen carrier (OC) plays a crucial role in biomass chemical looping gasification (BCLG) to produce high quality syngas. However, a significant challenge during BCLG is the OC deactivation due to agglomeration, which is an urgent problem to be solved. In this study, the agglomeration behavior of iron-based OC preparation during the application for BCLG was obtained under the investigation of different preparation methods, carriers and ratios of active metal to carrier. The results revealed that preparation method affected the dispersion, crystal structure and stability of OC, thereby affecting the agglomeration. Among four preparation methods, the OC prepared by co-precipitation method achieved a 58.57 % lower agglomeration degree and 38.38 % smaller particle size than that of mechanical mixing method. Moreover, the carrier played a role in structural support and lattice oxygen transport, affecting crystalline structure and the agglomeration. Among four carriers, the OC prepared with Al 2 O 3 carrier exhibited 36.18 % lower agglomeration degree and 25.15 % smaller particle size than that of CeO 2 carrier. In addition, higher Fe content would weaken the metal-carrier interaction and reduce the structural stability of OC, causing serious agglomeration. With the decrease of Al:Fe molar ratio, the average particle size and agglomeration degree of spent OC increased by 43.56 % and 78.26 %, respectively. With the increase of cycles, the average particle size and agglomeration degree of spent OC increased gradually, while the reaction performance decreased obviously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the effect and underlying mechanism of zoledronic acid (ZA) on the incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) tumorigenesis. Human mononuclear cells THP-1 were differentiated into M2-like tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) by incubation with PMA followed by additional incubation of IL-4 and IL-13. TC cells TPC-1 and IHH4 were co-cultured with M2-like TAMs. Identification of M2-like TAMs markers were determined by immunohistochemistry or flow cytometry. Cell proliferation, stemness and migration/invasion ability were measured by colony, sphere formation assay and transwell assay, respectively. The expression levels of cell stemness, EMT and Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related factors were verified by qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence. A subcutaneous tumor model was established in nude mice to examine the in vivo effects of ZA. M2-like TAMs were enriched in TC tissues, and they promoted the colony/sphere formation, accompanied with a down-regulated expression in E-cadherin and an up-regulated expression in N-cadherin, Vimentin and other stemness-associated markers (CD133, Oct4, c-Myc) in TC cells. The effects were suppressed when ZA co-treatment was given, because ZA inhibited the polarization of M2-like TAMs and β-catenin entry into the nucleus. Moreover, in agreement with in vitro data, ZA also limited subcutaneous tumor formation and macrophage enrichment in nude mice. ZA suppressed M2-like TAMs induced TC cell proliferation, stemness and metastasis through inhibiting M2-like TAMs polarization and Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which sheds light on the mechanisms of TC and provides avenues for the development of clinical therapy to TC. • M2-like TAMs are enriched in human TC tissues, and promotes TC cells proliferation, migration, invasion and stemness. • ZA weakens the progression of TC cells by inhibition M2-like TAMs. • ZA inhibits β-catenin entry into the nucleus and activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathways induced by M2-like TAMs. • ZA reduces subcutaneous tumor formation and macrophage enrichment in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical looping steam methane reforming (CL-SMR) is one of the most potential methods for large-scale syngas production. As the key to CL-SMR, the development of oxygen carrier (OC) is typically limited by the factors of CH 4 conversion, H 2 selectivity and resistance to carbon deposition. However, the nonuniform distribution of metals in OC leads to unstable conversion rate and severe carbon deposition due to metal stacking effects. Therefore, the layer double hydroxides (LDHs) were introduced into OC preparation to achieve uniform metal distribution and solve the above problems. Moreover, different enhanced OCs derived from LDHs precursors were prepared to investigate the effects of divalent metal, Ni/Fe (N/I), Methane/OCs (M/O) and reaction temperature, as well as the adaptability and performance of CL-SMR. The results showed that uniformly dispersed Ni–Fe–Al OC possessed promising CH 4 conversion of 94.32%, H 2 selectivity of 72.61%, CO selectivity of 77.46%, stability of syngas production with H 2 /CO ratio of 2 and low carbon deposition of 5.28%. Further, the increase of N/I from 0.5:2.5 to 2.5:0.5 caused an increase in CH 4 conversion, H 2 selectivity and CO selectivity by 95.04%, 598.82% and 68.19%, respectively. However, the highest N/I ratio led to severe carbon deposition (17.57%) in the Ni 2.5 Fe 0.5 Al OC. Furthermore, Ni–Fe–Al OC with uniformly dispersed active metal exhibited a good stability and suitability in wide-range of M/O and temperature. In addition, H 2 selectivity gradually improved with the increase of M/O, but higher M/O of 1.2 resulted in higher carbon deposition (7.99%). Further, the increase of temperature was beneficial to the OC performance, but excessive temperature (950 °C) led to OC sintering. Moreover, this Ni 2 FeAl OC maintained good catalytic ability and lattice oxygen stability after long-term reaction. [Display omitted] • Metals of LDHs derived oxygen carriers are dispersed at the molecular level. • Molecularly dispersed Ni–Fe–Al oxygen carriers show good CL-SMR performance. • Ni 2 FeAl oxygen carrier shows good suitability in wide-range of M/O and temperature. • Higher N/I ratio can lead to more carbon deposition in the oxygen carriers. • Excessive temperature can lead to severe sintering of the oxygen carrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an important cause of avoidable childhood visual impairment, and the increase in number and survival of premature infants may inflate its burden globally. We aimed to comprehensively assess the trends and inequalities in the burden of ROP-related visual impairment and to identify improvement gaps to facilitate appropriate actions in neonatal care systems. We obtained ROP data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. We employed joinpoint regression analysis to assess the trends of the burden of ROP-related visual impairment, measured by age-standardised prevalence rates, health equity analysis methods to evaluate cross-country burden inequalities, and data envelopment and stochastic frontier analyses to identify improvement gaps based on the development status, i.e., sociodemographic index (SDI). Between 1990 and 2019, the age-standardised prevalence rates of ROP-related visual impairment significantly increased worldwide (average annual percentage change: 0.23 [95% confidence interval, 0.21–0.26] among males and 0.26 [0.25–0.27] among females), primarily in developed regions. Although significant SDI-related cross-country inequalities were identified, these reduced over time (slope index of inequality: -57.74 [-66.22 to -49.25] in 1990 to -29.68 [-38.39 to -20.97] in 2019; health concentration index: -0.11 [-0.13 to -0.09] in 1990 to -0.07 [-0.09 to -0.06] in 2019). Notably, some less-developed countries exhibited superior performance despite limited resources, whereas others with a higher SDI delivered lagging performance. Conclusion: The global burden of ROP-related visual impairment has steadily increased between 1990 and 2019, with disproportionate burden concentration among less-developed countries, requiring appropriate preventive and intervention measures. What is Known: • Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an important cause of avoidable childhood visual impairment. • The prevalence of ROP is anticipated to increase due to the growing number of extremely premature infants. What is New: • The prevalence of ROP-related visual impairment has increased worldwide, primarily in developed regions, with declining but persisting cross-country inequalities. • The increasing burden of ROP-related visual impairment should be considered as part of global and national health agendas, requiring interventions with proven efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly prescribed antidepressant, citalopram, as one of newly emerging pollutants, has been frequently detected in the aquatic environment. Citalopram oxidation was examined during sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) chlorination processes since conventional wastewater treatment plants cannot remove citalopram effectively. Citalopram has been demonstrated to form N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) during chlorination in our previous study. Further investigation on NDMA formation kinetics was conducted in the present study. Influences of operational variables (disinfectant dose, pH value) and water matrix on citalopram degradation, as well as NDMA generation, were evaluated. The results indicated high reactivity of citalopram with NaOCl and ClO2. NDMA formation included two stages during CIT oxidation, which were linear related with reaction time. NaOCl was more beneficial to remove CIT, but it caused more NDMA formation. Increasing disinfectant dosage promoted citalopram removal and NDMA formation. However, no consistent correlation was found between citalopram removal and pH. Contrary to the situation of citalopram removal, NDMA generation was enhanced when citalopram was present in actual water matrices, especially in secondary effluent. DMA, as an intermediate of citalopram chlorination, contributed to NDMA formation, but not the only way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing evidence has explained the critical role of endogenous peptides in cancers, however, the peptidomic profile and function involved in endometrial carcinoma (EC) is still unknown. Here we aim to characterize the differentially expressed peptides with the potential involved in EC tumorigenesis and progression. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis (LC-MS/MS) was employed to compare the differentiated peptides using EC samples, followed with bioinformatics analysis including GO, KEGG enrichment analysis and functional studies, i.e., Cell counting kit 8 assay, transwell and wound healing assay to investigate the biological functions of these peptides. The related mRNA and protein levels of cell migration and invasion were selectively assessed by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. A total of 383 peptides derived from 153 precursor proteins were identified, among which 12 were differentially expressed and corresponded to 8 precursor proteins. Bioinformatics analysis indicated they could play an important role in EC, in particular peptide IQGITKPAIR derived from the precursor protein Histone H4 can significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of EC cells through regulating the markers associated with Wnt/β-catenin/EMT signaling strategy. Our study provided better understanding of EC tumorigenesis and progression from the perspective of peptidomic analysis and may offer potential therapeutic candidates targeting EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Paeoniflorin is reported to possess numerous pharmacological activities. Paeoniflorin and glycyrrhizin are always used together for the treatment of disease in China clinics; however, the drug–drug interaction between glycyrrhizin and paeoniflorin is still unknown. Objective: This study investigates the effects of glycyrrhizin on the pharmacokinetics of paeoniflorin in rats. Materials and methods: The pharmacokinetics of orally administered paeoniflorin (20 mg/kg) with or without glycyrrhizin pre-treatment (at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 7 days) were investigated in male Sprague–Dawley rats using LC-MS/MS. Additionally, Caco-2 cell transwell model and rat liver microsome incubation experiments were also conducted to investigate its potential mechanism. Results: The results showed that when the rats were pre-treated with glycyrrhizin, the Cmax of paeoniflorin decreased from 59.57 ± 10.24 to 45.36 ± 8.61 ng/mL, and AUC0-inf also decreased from 282.02 ± 35.06 to 202.29 ± 28.28 μg·h/L. The t1/2 value of paeoniflorin decreased from 8.48 ± 2.01 to 5.88 ± 1.15 h (p < 0.05). The Caco-2 cell transwell experiments indicated that glycyrrhizin could increase the efflux ratio of paeoniflorin from 2.71 to 3.52, and the rat liver microsome incubation experiments showed that glycyrrhizin could significantly increase its intrinsic clearance rate from 53.7 ± 4.6 to 85.6 ± 7.1 μL/min/mg protein. Conclusions: These results indicated that glycyrrhizin could affect the pharmacokinetics of paeoniflorin, and it might work through decreasing the absorption of paeoniflorin by inducing the activity of P-gp or through increasing the clearance rate in rat liver by inducing the activity of CYP450 enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the second leading cause of gynecological cancer‐related death in women worldwide. N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal modification in eukaryotic RNA. Human insulin‐like growth factor 2 mRNA‐binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2), an m6A reader, can enhance mRNA stability and promote translation by recognizing m6A modifications. Its tumor‐promoting effects have been demonstrated in several cancers. However, the roles of m6A modification and IGF2BP2 in OC remain unclear. Here, by using methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing, we demonstrated that there is widespread dysregulation of m6A modification in OC tissues. The m6A modification and the mRNA and protein levels of IGF2BP2 were significantly elevated in OC. Overexpression of IGF2BP2 facilitated OC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and accelerated tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. While IGF2BP2‐knockdown showed the opposite effect. Mechanistically, we identified cytoskeleton‐associated protein 2‐like (CKAP2L) as a target of IGF2BP2. IGF2BP2 promoted CKAP2L translation dependent on m6A modification, rather than affecting mRNA and protein stability. Overexpression of CKAP2L rescued the tumor‐suppressive effect of IGF2BP2 knockdown in OC cells. In conclusion, this study revealed the potential role of IGF2BP2 in tumor progression, at least partially via promoting the translation of CKAP2L in an m6A‐dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the risk factors of second primary malignant tumor (SPMT) in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) and establish a competing risk nomogram to predict the probability of SPMT occurrence. Methods: We retrieved data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for patients diagnosed with DTC between 2000 and 2019. The Fine and Gray subdistribution hazard model was employed to identify SPMT risk factors in the training set and develop a competing risk nomogram. Model evaluation was performed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: A total of 112,257 eligible patients were included in the study and randomized into a training set (n = 112,256) and a validation set (n = 33,678). The cumulative incidence rate of SPMT was 15% (n = 9528). Age, sex, race, tumor multifocality, and TNM stage were independent risk factors of SPMT. The calibration plots showed good agreement between the predicted and observed SPMT risks. The 10-year AUCs of the calibration plots were 70.2 (68.7–71.6) in the training set and 70.2 (68.7–71.5) in the validation set. Moreover, DCA showed that our proposed model resulted in higher net benefits within a defined range of risk thresholds. The cumulative incidence rate of SPMT differed among risk groups, classified according to nomogram risk scores. Conclusion: The competing risk nomogram developed in this study exhibits high performance in predicting the occurrence of SPMT in patients with DTC. These findings may help clinicians identify patients at distinct levels of risk of SPMT and develop corresponding clinical management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of C‐type natriuretic peptide (CNP) in the regulation of cardiac function in humans remains to be established as previous investigations have been confined to animal model systems. Here, we used well‐characterized engineered cardiac tissues (ECTs) generated from human stem cell‐derived cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts to study the acute effects of CNP on contractility. Application of CNP elicited a positive inotropic response as evidenced by increases in maximum twitch amplitude, maximum contraction slope and maximum calcium amplitude. This inotropic response was accompanied by a positive lusitropic response as demonstrated by reductions in time from peak contraction to 90% of relaxation and time from peak calcium transient to 90% of decay that paralleled increases in maximum contraction decay slope and maximum calcium decay slope. To establish translatability, CNP‐induced changes in contractility were also assessed in rat ex vivo (isolated heart) and in vivo models. Here, the effects on force kinetics observed in ECTs mirrored those observed in both the ex vivo and in vivo model systems, whereas the increase in maximal force generation with CNP application was only detected in ECTs. In conclusion, CNP induces a positive inotropic and lusitropic response in ECTs, thus supporting an important role for CNP in the regulation of human cardiac function. The high degree of translatability between ECTs, ex vivo and in vivo models further supports a regulatory role for CNP and expands the current understanding of the translational value of human ECTs. New Findings: What is the central question of this study?What are the acute responses to C‐type natriuretic peptide (CNP) in human‐engineered cardiac tissues (ECTs) on cardiac function and how well do they translate to matched concentrations in animal ex vivo and in vivo models?What is the main finding and its importance?Acute stimulation of ECTs with CNP induced positive lusitropic and inotropic effects on cardiac contractility, which closely reflected the changes observed in rat ex vivo and in vivo cardiac models. These findings support an important role for CNP in the regulation of human cardiac function and highlight the translational value of ECTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most dams in China have been operating for a long time and are products of the economic and technical limitations at the time of construction. Due to decades of aging engineering and ancillary problems, these reservoirs pose great threats to the safety of local people and the development of the surrounding economy. In this study, the surface deformation information for the Banqiao Reservoir is monitored with the small baseline subset–synthetic aperture radar interferometry (SBAS-InSAR) method using 80 Sentinel-1A images acquired from 3 January 2020 to 20 August 2022. Additionally, ground measurements from the BeiDou ground-based deformation monitoring stations were collected to validate the InSAR results. Based on the InSAR results, the spatiotemporal deformation features of the dam were analyzed in detail. The results show that the deformation in most areas, including the dam in the study area, is relatively stable, and the regional deformation velocity of the Banqiao Reservoir dam and other hydraulic engineering facilities varies between −1 mm/y and −4 mm/y. The Ru River area has a relatively obvious subsidence trend, and the maximum subsidence velocity reaches 30 mm/y. The InSAR monitoring results are consistent with the change trend in the BeiDou ground-based deformation measurement results. The monitoring results for the reservoir dam area provide a reference for local sustainable development and geological disaster prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to study the combustion kinetics of heavy tar from continuous pyrolysis of camellia shell. TG-DSC was used for combustion study with heating rates of 10, 20, and 30 °C/min, temperatures from 26 to 800 °C, and air flowrate of 100 mL/min. Results showed that the combustion process, with three stages, includes low-boiling components volatilization, light components decomposition and combustion, and heavy components and char combustion. The correlation among heating rate, maximum mass loss rate and mass loss ratio and the combustion behaviors at each stage with different heating rates were analyzed. The activation energy and frequency factor of each stage were obtained by Friedman and Ozawa methods. The reaction mechanisms are the random nucleation and growth, and the kinetic parameters were obtained by fitting experiment data with theoretical models. The mechanisms and kinetic parameters obtained could be used to describe the heavy tar combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: What are the main findings? 819 mm2 of nozzle area leads to the best deashing performance. 0.3 MPa of jet pressure leads to the best deashing uniformity. What is the implication of the main finding? Bigger nozzle area causes bigger on-positive nozzle pressure. 819 mm2, 0.3 MPa and 20 mm were optimized to get the best deashing performance. The difference of deashing performance between the areas of positive-to-blowing holes and that of non-positive-to-blowing holes is an important problem that causes a non-uniform deashing performance to a flat box filter cartridge, which limits the improvement of raising the ash cleaning efficiency to this kind of filter. In order to solve the above problems, the influence of blowing pressure, blowing distance and blowing hole area on cleaning performance was studied. Industrial coating test was also carried out to investigate and verify the actual ash cleaning performance under the optimal conditions obtained from the above investigations. Finally, the design method of the size of the slotted blowing hole was optimized. The results showed that at 0.3 MPa of the pulse pressure, the cleaning performance can meet the cleaning requirements and the best cleaning uniformity can be obtained. With the increase in slot-type nozzle area, the pressure at the areas facing the non-positive nozzles increased significantly, and thus the overall cleaning uniformity increased. The slot-type nozzle area of 273, 546 and 819 mm2 had the best cleaning effects at the jet distances of 40, 20~40 and 20 mm, respectively. The findings of this study are of great significance and can provide theoretical and experimental reference for important parameters selection of the flat cartridges filter in industrial application to improve the efficiency of dust removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One effective treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis is to inhibit osteoclasts and subsequent bone resorption. In our study, we demonstrated that acacetin, a flavone with potential therapeutic effects in infections, cancers, and several metabolic disorders, inhibited osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption in vitro. For improving the efficacy of acacetin in vivo, we developed an acid-sensitive bone-targeting delivery system composed of an acid-sensitive linker (N-ε-maleimidocaproic acid hydrazide, EMCH) for ensuring an effective release of acacetin at the site of action and a hydrophilic aspartic acid hexapeptide ((Asp)6, D6) as the effective bone targeting agent. Our results revealed that Acacetin-EMCH-D6 specifically bound to the bone surface once administrated in vivo, prolonged the retention time in bone and released acacetin at the osteoclastic bone resorption sites where the acidity is higher. We further demonstrated that, in ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis mice, treatment with Acacetin-EMCH-D6 inhibited osteoclast formation and increased trabecular bone mass. On the contrary, neither acacetin nor EMCH-D6 with the same dosage alone showed significant anti-osteoporosis effects in vivo. Mechanistically, targeted delivery of acacetin to the bone resorption sites by Acacetin-EMCH-D6 inhibited autophagy through activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in osteoclasts, while the activation of autophagy by rapamycin partially reversed the inhibitory effects of acacetin in vitro and in vivo. In summary, our study, for the first time, showed that the acid-sensitive bone-targeting delivery system carrying acacetin was effective for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Thus, targeted delivery of acacetin using Acacetin-EMCH-D6 to bone resorption sites is a promising therapy for osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit size is an important fruit quality trait that influences the production and commodity values of loquats (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.). The Small Auxin Upregulated RNA (SAUR) gene family has proven to play a vital role in the fruit development of many plant species. However, it has not been comprehensively studied in a genome-wide manner in loquats, and its role in regulating fruit size remains unknown. In this study, we identified 95 EjSAUR genes in the loquat genome. Tandem duplication and segmental duplication contributed to the expansion of this gene family in loquats. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the SAURs from Arabidopsis, rice, and loquat into nine clusters. By analyzing the transcriptome profiles in different tissues and at different fruit developmental stages and comparing two sister lines with contrasting fruit sizes, as well as by functional predictions, a candidate gene (EjSAUR22) highly expressed in expanding fruits was selected for further functional investigation. A combination of Indoleacetic acid (IAA) treatment and virus-induced gene silencing revealed that EjSAUR22 was not only responsive to auxin, but also played a role in regulating cell size and fruit expansion. The findings from our study provide a solid foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling fruit size in loquats, and also provide potential targets for manipulation of fruit size to accelerate loquat breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acute lung injury (ALI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Amygdalin is derived from the bitter apricot kernel, an efficacious Chinese herbal medicine. Although amygdalin is used by many cancer patients as an antitumor agent, there is no report about the effect of amygdalin on acute lung injury. Here we explored the protective effect of amygdalin on ALI using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine model by detecting the lung wet/dry ratio, the myeloperoxidase (MPO) in lung tissues, inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), inflammatory cytokines production, as well as NLRP3 and NF-κB signaling pathways. The results showed that amygdalin significantly reduced LPS-induced infiltration of inflammatory cells and the production of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the BALF. The activity of MPO and lung wet/dry ratio were also attenuated by amygdalin. Furthermore, the western blotting analysis showed that amygdalin remarkably inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB and NLRP3 activation. These findings indicate that amygdalin has a protective effect on LPS-induced ALI in mice. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NF-κB and NLRP3 signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of our study was to investigate microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in CD44+ ovarian cancer stem cells (ovarian CSCs). Methods: In this study, we enriched CD44+ ovarian CSCs using magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS). A combination of real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot and sphere formation assays was used to demonstrate stem cell-like properties. RNA sequencing was used to detect the miRNA expression profiles in CD44+ ovarian CSCs. Transient transfection, qRT-PCR, western blot and sphere formation assays were further used to test the function of miR-181a-2-3p. Results: We found that CD44+ ovarian CSCs showed enhanced sphere formation and expression of stemness-associated genes (NANOG, OCT4, SOX2) compared to ovarian cancer cells. The RNA sequencing results showed that the miRNA expression profiles of CD44+ ovarian CSCs were different from those of ovarian cancer cells. GO and KEGG pathway analyses indicated that these miRNAs regulate stem cell-like properties in CD44+ ovarian CSCs. In addition, miR-181a-2-3p negatively regulates the stem cell-like properties of CD44+ ovarian CSCs by targeting EGR1. Conclusion: Our data suggest that miRNAs play important roles in regulating the stem cell-like properties of CD44+ ovarian CSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to examine the interaction of 4′- O-(a-L-Cladinosyl) daunorubicin (DNR-D5), a disaccharide anthracycline with calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) by UV/Vis in combination with fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular modeling techniques under physiological conditions (Britton-Robinson buffer solutions, pH = 7.4). By the analysis of UV/Vis spectrum, it was observed that upon binding to ctDNA the anthraquinone chromophore of DNR-D5 could slide into the base pairs. Moreover, the large binding constant indicated DNR-D5 had a high affinity with ctDNA. At the same time, fluorescence spectra suggested that the quenching mechanism of the interaction of DNR-D5 to ctDNA was a static quenching type. The binding constants between DNR-D5 and ctDNA were calculated based on fluorescence quenching data at different temperatures. The negative ∆G implied that the binding process was spontaneous, and negative ∆H and negative ΔS suggested that hydrogen bonding force most likely played a major role in the binding of DNR-D5 to ctDNA. Moreover, the results obtained from molecular docking corroborate the experimental results obtained from spectroscopic investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel redox system, potassium ditelluratocuprate(III) (DTC)–chitosan, was employed to initiate the graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto chitosan in alkali medium. The effects of reaction variables, such as the initiator concentration, ratio of monomer to chitosan, the pH value, as well as reaction temperature and time were investigated, and the grafting conditions were optimized. Graft copolymers with both high grafting efficiency (>90%) and percentage of grafting were obtained, and the rate of polymerization is higher, which indicated that the DTC–chitosan redox system is an efficient initiator for this graft copolymerization. The structures and the thermal property of chitosan and chitosan–g–PMMA were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), X‐ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). A mechanism is proposed to explain the generation of radicals and the initiation. The graft copolymer was used as the compatibilizer in blends of terpolyamide and chitosan. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs indicated that the graft copolymer improved the compatibility of the blend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A portable therapeutic nitric oxide generator is designed for diabetic foot ulcers. • This generator produces NO safely and stably with user friendly interface. • This generator allows for the real-time, high-precision monitoring of NO and NO 2. • This generator accelerates the wound healing in mice with diabetes. • This generator accelerates the wound healing in preliminary clinical trials. Nitric oxide (NO) therapy has emerged as a promising intervention for diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), though the application of this short-lived gas molecule presents substantial challenges. Direct delivery to the wound site and maintaining optimal NO concentrations are particularly difficult. Contemporary NO-based therapeutic strategies, while innovative, grapple with significant limitations. NO-donor based releasing materials are hindered by issues concerning biocompatibility, safety, and cost-effectiveness. In clinical practice, external NO therapy is still largely dependent on industrial NO gas cylinders, which is also problematic due to their size, lack of precision in monitoring, and limitations regarding gas sourcing. To overcome these obstacles, we have developed a novel portable on-demand therapeutic nitric oxide generation apparatus, referred to as the NO jet healing device (NJHD). This device is designed to produce NO safely and stably through a simple sodium nitrite/citric acid reaction. The integration of phase change sensor sampling technology allows for the real-time, high-precision monitoring of NO and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) concentrations, thereby ensuring the safety and reliability of clinical treatments. The therapeutic effectiveness of the NJHD has been assessed in both animal experiments and preliminary clinical trials involving DFU patients. Results have shown that NJHD treatment significantly accelerates the wound healing process, promoting angiogenesis, modulating inflammation, and enhancing collagen deposition at the wound site without causing adverse events in patients. These findings position the NJHD as an innovative medical technology with broad clinical applicability and significant future potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In chemical looping gasification (CLG), as one of the most commonly used oxygen carrier (OC), agglomeration is one of the most crucial triggers of Fe 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 OC deactivation. However, the formation mechanism of agglomeration is not clear due to the complexity of the interaction between biomass and OC. In this study, we investigated agglomeration process of Fe 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 OC in CLG from two dimensions of time and space. The results showed that in the time dimension, after ten cycles, the DT (deformation temperature) of the spent OC decreased by 5.39%, showing melting point was lower after cycles. Meanwhile, it caused the significant increase of the average particle size (59.73%) and the agglomeration degree (120.13%), indicating more severe agglomeration. Further, it led an obvious decrease in the CLG performance of efficiencies and gas yield. In the space dimension, when agglomeration occurred, low melting point K and Na compounds would first melt on the OC surface to form the K–Na inner layer (KAlSi 2 O 6 and NaAlSiO 4). As the reaction continued, high melting point Ca and Mg compounds would also be adhered to the surface of inner layer to form the Ca–Mg outer layer (CaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 and Mg 4 Al 10 Si 2 O 23), resulting in the continuous increase of OC particle size. In addition, more molten substances of KAlSi 2 O 6 and NaAlSiO 4 would lead to more adhesion between the OC particles. [Display omitted] • The molten layer on the OC surface thickened as the number of cycles increased. • The agglomeration of OC could be divided into the inner and outer layer. • K and Na compounds would first melt on the OC surface to form the K–Na inner layer. • Ca and Mg compounds would be adhered to form the Ca–Mg outer layer. • More molten substances would lead to more adhesion between the OC particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkali metals and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs) are the most abundant trace elements in biomass, which will provide different effects of catalytic or inhibitory at different time during chemical looping gasification (CLG). However, the role of AAEMs in the catalysis or agglomeration at different time remains unclear in biomass CLG. In this study, the promotion and agglomeration effects of AAEMs on CLG performance is studied under different time and different AAEMs. The results show that K plays a major role in promoting CLG before 20 min and inhibiting CLG at 30 min. Moreover, K promotes the conversion from Fe3+ to Fe2+ and the earlier existence of more FeAl 2 O 4 and Fe 2 Al 4 Si 5 O 18 , causing obvious agglomeration. Na and Mg provide obvious catalytic and promotional effects after the excitation. Further, more FeO is converted from Fe3+ at 3–8 min in Na-AH, leading to the earlier formation of Fe 2 Al 4 Si 5 O 18 and agglomeration between particles. Ca obviously promotes the whole CLG process. Furthermore, Ca helps to promote the conversion of Fe 2 O 3 to Fe 3 O 4 , but delay the conversion to FeO and a slower generation of FeAl 2 O 4 , resulting in less adhesion and obvious inhibition of agglomeration. Mg slightly slows down the conversion of Fe 2 O 3 to Fe 3 O 4 , but earlier generates FeO with a lower strength than other samples, leading to low FeAl 2 O 4 and slight agglomeration. In addition, the effect of Mg on reducing agglomeration is weaker than that of Ca, but better than that of K and Na. The comprehensive effects of AAEMs in biomass on promotion and agglomeration of chemical looping gasification at different time. [Display omitted] • K plays a major role in promoting CLG before 20 min and inhibiting CLG at 30 min. • Na and Mg provide obvious catalytic and promotional effects after the excitation. • Na promotes more FeO production, earlier formation of Fe 2 Al 4 Si 5 O 18 and agglomeration. • Ca provides obvious promotion on the whole CLG with less adhesion and agglomeration. • Effect of Mg on reducing agglomeration is weaker than Ca, but better than K and Na. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the most prominent natural threats to grassland productivity, although the magnitude of this threat is uncertain due to the different drought-levels. However, drought-productivity dynamics has not yet received much attention. It is necessary to establish the method to evaluate quantitatively the effect of different drought-levels on grassland productivity. To better understand the impact of different drought-levels on productivity dynamics, an assessment method to assess the quantitative effects of different drought-levels on grassland productivity was proposed based-on long-term observation data, standardized precipitation index (SPI) and Biome-BGC process model. Based-on assessment indicator of net primary productivity (NPP), NPP loss caused by moderate, severe and extreme drought was dramatically different in grasslands with a significant exponential change with gradient of different drought-levels. Furthermore, NPP loss variation in different grassland types under the same drought level was significantly different. Besides, the effect of drought on NPP gradually decreased by an exponential relationship in desert, typical and meadow steppe. However, the percentage of NPP loss in desert, typical and meadow steppe reduced by 20.5%, 13.1% and 17.5% with U-shaped, respectively. Meanwhile, our results can offer scientific basis to improve assessment impact of extreme climate events used by ecosystem model and data, and cope with carbon cycling management and climate change. • A new method of Net Primary Productivity Loss under Different Drought Levels was proposed in Different Grassland Ecosystems. • NPP loss significantly increased along a gradient of the increasing drought-levels with good exponential relationship. • NPP loss variation in different grassland types under the same drought level was noticeable. • Differential effects of drought on NPP in same grassland types were also found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]