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Abstract Background The Makorin ring finger protein 1 (MKRN1) gene, also called RNF61, is located on the long arm of chromosome 7 and is a member of the RING finger protein family. The E3 ubiquitin ligase MKRN1 is closely linked to tumour development, but the exact mechanism needs to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the specific mechanism and role of MKRN1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Methods MKRN1 expression in CRC was analysed using the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopaedia and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. Rectal tumour tissues were frozen to explore the MKRN1 expression in CRC and its clinical significance. The impact of MKRN1 on CRC cell proliferation and migration was observed using CCK8, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assays. A combination of MKRN1 quantitative proteomics, ubiquitination modification omics analysis, and a string of in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed the potential mechanisms by which MKRN1 regulates CRC metastasis. Results MKRN1 expression was significantly elevated in CRC tissues compared to paracancerous tissues and was positively linked with prognosis (P

Histones play crucial roles in both promoting and repressing gene expression, primarily regulated through post-translational modifications (PTMs) at specific amino acid residues. Histone PTMs, including methylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, phosphorylation, lactylation, butyrylation, and propionylation, act as important epigenetic markers. These modifications influence not only chromatin compaction but also gene expression. Their importance extends to the treatment and prevention of various human diseases, particularly cancer, due to their involvement in key cellular processes. Abnormal histone modifications and the enzymes responsible for these alterations often serve as critical drivers in tumor cell proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and stemness. This review introduces key histone PTMs and the enzymes responsible for these modifications, examining their impact on tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Furthermore, it explores therapeutic strategies targeting histone PTMs and offers recommendations for identifying new potential therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon and nitrogen are considered as candidate light elements present in planetary cores. However, there is limited understanding regarding the structure and physical properties of Fe‐C‐N alloys under extreme conditions. Here diamond anvil cell experiments were conducted, revealing the stability of hexagonal‐structured Fe7(N0.75C0.25)3 up to 120 GPa and 2100 K, without undergoing any structural transformation or dissociation. Notably, the thermal expansion coefficient and Grüneisen parameter of the alloy exhibit a collapse at 55–70 GPa. First‐principles calculations suggest that such anomaly is associated with the spin transition of iron within Fe7(N0.75C0.25)3. Our modeling indicates that the presence of ∼1.0 wt% carbon and nitrogen in liquid iron contributes to 9–12% of the density deficit of the Earth's outer core. The thermoelastic anomaly of the Fe‐C‐N alloy across the spin transition is likely to affect the density and seismic velocity profiles of (C,N)‐rich planetary cores, thereby influencing the dynamics of such cores. Plain Language Summary: A significant amount of light elements are believed to be present in the cores of Earth and other planets to explain the density difference between iron‐nickel alloys and geophysical observations. This study used experiments at high‐pressure and high‐temperature conditions and theoretical simulations to investigate a specific candidate phase of the core called Fe7(N0.75C0.25)3, which has a hexagonal structure, at high pressures similar to those in planetary cores. This phase did not undergo any major structural changes under the conditions investigated. However, its properties related to the thermoelastic behaviors showed significant changes between 55 and 70 GPa. Theoretical calculations indicate that this anomalous behavior is linked to the magnetic transition within h‐type Fe7(N0.75C0.25)3. These findings suggest that the characteristics of a planetary core would be altered in the transition region, leading to a more complex thermal evolution than previously believed. This study provides insights into the behavior of light elements in planetary cores and its implications for planetary dynamics. Key Points: The h‐type Fe7(N0.75C0.25)3 is stable to 120 GPa and 2100 K, but undergoes a pressure‐induced spin transitionSpin transition causes a significant reduction in γ0 and α0, and the thermal equation of state of h‐type non‐magnetic Fe7(C,N)3 is determinedThe density profile and seismic features of a planetary core could be altered across the spin transition, which may affect core dynamics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super-reduced phases (SRPs), such as silicon carbide (SiC) and metal silicides, have increasingly been reported in various geological environments. However, their origin remains controversial. SRP inclusions (e.g., metal silicides and metallic silicon (Si0)) within SiC are commonly believed to indicate a natural origin. Here, we identified an unusual SRP assemblage (SiC, (Fe,Ni)Si2, and Si0) in situ in an H5-type Jingshan ordinary chondrite. Simultaneously, our analysis showed that the SiC abrasives contain (Fe,Ni)Si2 and Si0 inclusions. Other inclusions in the artificial SiC were similar to those in natural SiC (moissanite) reported in reference data, including diverse metal silicides (e.g., FeSi, FeSi2, Fe3Si7, and Fe5Si3), as well as a light rare earth element-enriched SiO phase and Fe-Mn-Cr alloys. These inclusions were produced by the in situ reduction of silica and the interaction between Si-containing coke and hot metals during the synthesis of the SiC abrasives. The results demonstrate that the SRP assemblage in the Jingshan chondrite originates from abrasive contamination and that the SRP inclusions (with a low content of Ca, Al, Ti, and Zr) cannot be used as a conclusive indicator for natural SiC. Additionally, the morphologies, biaxiality, and polytypes (determined by Raman spectroscopy) of SiC abrasives bear resemblance to those reported for natural SiC, and caution must be exercised when identifying the origin of SRP in samples processed by conventional methods using SiC abrasives. At the end of this paper, we propose more direct and reliable methods for distinguishing between natural and synthetic SiC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to multiple metals is recognized as a common and real scenario in daily life. However, limited prospective studies have assessed associations between multiple metals exposure and hypertension. Methods: In total, 2625 adults in a local area on the Yangtze River were investigated at baseline from 2014 to 2015 and followed up in 2019. We measured baseline urine levels of 22 metals and used multivariate logistic analysis and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to explore associations between multiple metals exposure and the risk of hypertension. Results: A total of 385 individuals (29.6%) were diagnosed with hypertension. Five metals (cadmium, copper, magnesium, molybdenum and zinc) were positively associated with hypertension in single-metal models. Cadmium and zinc remained significantly positive associations after adjusting for these five metals, with the odds ratio (OR) in the highest quartiles of 1.49 (95% CI: 1.01, 2.21; p-trend = 0.05) and 1.60 (95% CI: 1.08, 2.38; p-trend = 0.02), respectively. BKMR analysis showed a significant joint effect of multiple metals on hypertension when the concentrations of five metals were at or above their 55th percentile compared with their median values. A potential interaction between cadmium and zinc in increasing the risk of hypertension was observed with the ORint of 1.41 (95%CI: 1.05, 1.89). Conclusions: We identified the joint effect of multiple metals on hypertension and observed a significant interaction between cadmium and zinc. Further cohort studies are needed to clarify the health effects of multiple metals exposure in a larger population.

The rapid development of the battery industry has brought about a large amount of waste battery pollution. How to realize the high-value utilization of waste batteries is an urgent problem to be solved. Herein, cobalt and titanium compounds (LTCO) were firstly recovered from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) using the carbon thermal reduction approach, and plasmonic attapulgite/Co(Ti)Ox (H-ATP/Co(Ti)Ox) nanocomposites were prepared by the microwave hydrothermal technique. H-ATP had a large specific surface area and enough active sites to capture CO2 molecules. The biochar not only reduced the spinel phase of waste LIBs into metal oxides including Co3O4 and TiO2 but also increased the separation and transmission of the carriers, thereby accelerating the adsorption and reduction of CO2. In addition, H-ATP/Co(Ti)Ox exhibited a localized surface plasmon resonance effect (LSPR) in the visible to near-infrared region and released high-energy hot electrons, enhancing the surface temperature of the catalyst and further improving the catalytic reduction of CO2 with a high CO yield of 14.7 μmol·g−1·h−1. The current work demonstrates the potential for CO2 reduction by taking advantage of natural mineral and spent batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferromagnesite (Mg, Fe)CO3 with 20 mol% iron is a potential host mineral for carbon transport and storage in the Earth mantle. The high-pressure behavior of synthetic ferromagnesite (Mg0.81Fe0.19)CO3 up to 53 GPa was investigated by synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The iron bearing carbonate underwent spin transition at around 44–46 GPa accompanied by a volume collapse of 1.8%, which also demonstrated a variation in the dνi/dP slope of the Raman modes. The pressure-volume data was fitted by a third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state (BM-EoS) for the high spin phase. The best-fit K0 = 108(1) GPa and K0′ = 4.2(1). Combining the dνi/dP and the K0, the mode Grüneisen parameters of each vibrational mode (T, L, ν4 and ν1) were calculated. The effects of iron concentration on the Mg1−xFexCO3 system related to high-pressure compressibility and vibrational properties are discussed. These results expand the knowledge of the physical properties of carbonates and provide insights to the potential deep carbon host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]