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Abstract Background The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) has been emphasized as a leading event of the pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis, while the exact mechanism of its activation is largely unknown. Furthermore, the novel non-invasive predictors of prognosis in cirrhotic patients warrant more exploration. miR-541 has been identified as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma and a regulator of fibrotic disease, such as lung fibrosis and renal fibrosis. However, its role in liver cirrhosis has not been reported. Methods Real-time PCR was used to detect miR-541 expression in the liver tissues and sera of liver cirrhosis patients and in the human LX-2. Gain- and loss-of-function assays were performed to evaluate the effects of miR-541 on the activation of LX-2. Bioinformatics analysis and a luciferase reporter assay were conducted to investigate the target gene of miR-541. Results miR-541 was downregulated in the tissues and sera of patients with liver cirrhosis, which was exacerbated by deteriorating disease severity. Importantly, the lower expression of miR-541 was associated with more episodes of complications including ascites and hepatic encephalopathy, a shorter overall lifespan, and decompensation-free survival. Moreover, multivariate Cox’s regression analysis verified lower serum miR-541 as an independent risk factor for liver-related death in cirrhotic patients (HR = 0.394; 95% CI: 0.164–0.947; P = 0.037). miR-541 was also decreased in LX-2 cells activated by TGF-β and the overexpression of miR-541 inhibited the proliferation, activation and hydroxyproline secretion of LX-2 cells. JAG2 is an important ligand of Notch signaling and was identified as a direct target gene of miR-541. The expression of JAG2 was upregulated in the liver tissues of cirrhotic patients and was inversely correlated with miR-541 levels. A rescue assay further confirmed that JAG2 was involved in the function of miR-541 when regulating LX-2 activation and Notch signaling. Conclusions Dysregulation of miR-541/JAG2 axis might be a as a new mechanism of liver fibrosis, and miR-541 could serve as a novel non-invasive biomarker and therapeutic targets for liver cirrhosis.

Utilization of low-cost, environmental-friendly microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) techniques in thermal recovery-processed oil reservoirs is potentially feasible. However, how exogenous microbes facilitate crude oil recovery in this deep biosphere, especially under mesophilic conditions, is scarcely investigated. In this study, a thermal treatment and a thermal recurrence were processed on crude oil collected from Daqing Oilfield, and then a 30-day incubation of the pretreated crude oil at 37 °C was operated with the addition of two locally isolated hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, Amycolicicoccus subflavus DQS3-9A1T and Dietzia sp. DQ12-45-1b, respectively. The pH, surface tension, hydrocarbon profiles, culture-dependent cell densities and taxonomies, and whole and active microbial community compositions were determined. It was found that both A. subflavus DQS3-9A1T and Dietzia sp. DQ12-45-1b successfully induced culture acidification, crude oil bioemulsification, and residual oil sub-fraction alteration, no matter whether the crude oil was thermally pretreated or not. Endogenous bacteria which could proliferate on double heated crude oil were very few. Compared with A. subflavus, Dietzia sp. was substantially more effective at inducing the proliferation of varied species in one-time heated crude oil. Meanwhile, the effects of Dietzia sp. on crude oil bioemulsification and hydrocarbon profile alteration were not significantly influenced by the ploidy increasing of NaCl contents (from 5 g/L to 50 g/L), but the reconstructed bacterial communities became very simple, in which the Dietzia genus was predominant. Our study provides useful information to understand MEOR trials on thermally processed oil reservoirs, and proves that this strategy could be operated by using the locally available hydrocarbon-degrading microbes in mesophilic conditions with different salinity degrees.

A novel series of N-methylpicolinamide-4-thiol derivatives were synthesized and evaluated on human cancer cell lines. Among them, compound 6p displayed potent and broad-spectrum anti-proliferative activities in vitro on some human cancer cell lines, even better than sorafenib. The advanced kinase inhibitory assays showed that compound 6p could selectively inhibit Aurora-B kinase. The biological results were rationalized by the molecular docking study, which indicated the stable interactions of 6p with the Aurora-B kinase.

There are two molecules in the asymmetric unit molecule of the title compound, C8H10ClN3O2. Intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds stabilize the molecular structure. There are no classical intermolecular hydrogen bonds in the crystal structure.

There are two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C22H21N3O4S. The central benzene ring makes dihedral angles of 74.28 (6) and 68.84 (6)° with the pyridine and 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl rings, respectively, in one molecule [86.66 (6) and 81.14 (6)° respectively, in the other]. Each of the molecules forms a centrosymmetric dimer with another molecule via pairs of intermolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds. These hydrogen bonds connect the N—H groups and the O atoms of the carbonyl groups next to the 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl rings. Additional intermolecular N—H...O interactions link the dimers in the crystal structure.

Abstract: Chalcopyrite-type CuInSe2 (CIS) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by Se powder, CuCl, and InCl3 as raw materials and water as solvent at room temperature based on the principles of simultaneous equilibrium. The size of nanoparticles ranges from 20 to 50nm in diameter. The crystalline structure and morphology of the CIS nanoparticles were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The CIS nanoparticles were further enhanced after heat treatment at 500°C for 2h. The CIS film was fabricated by a mixture of CIS nanoparticles and novolac resin with a weight percentage of 30% by spin coating. The photoelectrical properties of such CIS films were measured and the results show an incident light density of 7.63mWcm−2 with the bias voltage of 0.4V, and the current density could approach 4.10mA/cm2 giving an on/off switching ratio of 2.0. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of Chinese compound, Changlu Enema (CE), on immune ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice., Methods: Mice were randomly divided into the normal group, the model group, the CE high dose (CE-H) and low dose (CE-L) group and the salicylazosulfapyridine (SASP) group. All mice, except those in the normal group, were made into UC model by colonic mucosa protein immunization. After 21 days of medication, the changes of UC activity index and body weight in mice were observed, and the condition of colonic inflammation and histomorphological changes in colonic tissue were observed also., Results: UC activity index was lower and body weight was higher in the two CE groups than those in the model group respectively, showing significant difference (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); pathological examination showed the pathological changes and inflammatory response in colonic tissue were relieved significantly after treatment, and the improvement in the CE-H group was better than that in the SASP group., Conclusion: TCM compound CE is markedly effective in treating UC rats.