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Simple Summary: This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of oviduct regression in ducks. Single-cell transcriptome sequencing of magnum tissue from egg-laying and ceased-laying ducks revealed significant heterogeneity, particularly in protein secretion cells and ECM-producing fibroblasts. Egg-laying ducks exhibited more protein secretion cells, crucial for albumen deposition, and higher proportions of THY1+ and TIMP4+ fibroblasts compared to ceased-laying ducks. These findings imply a correlation between THY1 and TIMP4 expression in fibroblasts and oviduct activity during reproduction. The study provides valuable insights into reproductive tract degeneration and potential improvements in laying duck production efficiency. Duck egg production, like that of laying hens, follows a typical low–peak–low cycle, reflecting the dynamics of the reproductive system. Post-peak, some ducks undergo a cessation of egg laying, indicative of a regression process in the oviduct. Notably, the magnum, being the longest segment of the oviduct, plays a crucial role in protein secretion. Despite its significance, few studies have investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying oviduct regression in ducks that have ceased laying eggs. In this study, we conducted single-cell transcriptome sequencing on the magnum tissue of Shaoxing ducks at 467 days of age, utilizing the 10× Genomics platform. This approach allowed us to generate a detailed magnum transcriptome map of both egg-laying and ceased-laying ducks. We collected transcriptome data from 13,708 individual cells, which were then subjected to computational analysis, resulting in the identification of 27 distinct cell clusters. Marker genes were subsequently employed to categorize these clusters into specific cell types. Our analysis revealed notable heterogeneity in magnum cells between the egg-laying and ceased-laying ducks, primarily characterized by variations in cells involved in protein secretion and extracellular matrix (ECM)-producing fibroblasts. Specifically, cells engaged in protein secretion were predominantly observed in the egg-laying ducks, indicative of their role in functional albumen deposition within the magnum, a phenomenon not observed in the ceased-laying ducks. Moreover, the proportion of THY1+ cells within the ECM-producing fibroblasts was found to be significantly higher in the egg-laying ducks (59%) compared to the ceased-laying ducks (24%). Similarly, TIMP4+ fibroblasts constituted a greater proportion of the ECM-producing fibroblasts in the egg-laying ducks (83%) compared to the ceased-laying ducks (58%). These findings suggest a potential correlation between the expression of THY1 and TIMP4 in ECM-producing fibroblasts and oviduct activity during functional reproduction. Our study provides valuable single-cell insights that warrant further investigation into the biological implications of fibroblast subsets in the degeneration of the reproductive tract. Moreover, these insights hold promise for enhancing the production efficiency of laying ducks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Tumor-specific growth factor (TSGF) is an immune-related factor that offers good performance in the clinical management of human cancers. However, the role of serum TSGF in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been fully clarified. Methods: A total of 562 ESCC cases were collected in our study, with available information on preoperative serum levels of TSGF at diagnosis. Preoperative serum TSGF was detected using the rate method. We retrospectively analyzed its correlation with clinicopathological features of ESCC and survival. Results: The cut-off value of serum TSGF was determined to be 60.5 U/mL by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Serum TSGF was associated with gender (P < 0.001), tumor location (P = 0.022), tobacco use (P < 0.001), alcohol consumption (P < 0.001), lymph node involvement (P = 0.007), and TNM staging (P = 0.004). The survival analysis revealed that ESCC patients with high levels of serum TSGF had poorer prognosis than those with high TSGF (P = 0.006), especially for male ESCC cases (P = 0.001), under 60 year (P = 0.036), male middle location (P = 0.023), tobacco consumption (P = 0.004), G1 + G2 (P = 0.031), advanced T staging (P = 0.033), lymph node involvement (P = 0.003), TNM staging (P = 0.003). Univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that exposure to smoking and drinking, tumor grade, T staging, lymph node metastasis, TNM staging, and serum TSGF level were the prognosis-related factors of ESCC. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that smoking history, higher serum TSGF levels, and advanced T stage enhanced the risk of ESCC-related death. Conclusion: In brief, serum TSGF levels had in relation to malignant features of ESCC. It was positively correlated with survival but was identified as an independent risk factor for ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manipulating electronic structure of alloy‐based electrocatalysts can eagerly regulate its catalytic efficiency and corrosion resistance for water splitting and fundamentally understand the catalytic mechanisms for oxygen/hydrogen evolution reactions (OER/HER). Herein, the metallic Co‐assisted Co7Fe3 alloy heterojunction (Co7Fe3/Co) embeds in a 3D honeycomb‐like graphitic carbon is purposely constructed as a bifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting. As‐marked Co7Fe3/Co‐600 displays the excellent catalytic activities in alkaline media with low overpotentials of 200 mV for OER and 68 mV for HER at 10 mA cm−2. Theoretical calculations reveal the electronic redistribution after coupling Co with Co7Fe3, which likely forms the electron‐rich state over interfaces and the electron‐delocalized state at Co7Fe3 alloy. This process changes the d‐band center position of Co7Fe3/Co and optimizes the affinity of catalyst surface to intermediates, thus promoting the intrinsic OER/HER activities. For overall water splitting, the electrolyzer only requires a cell voltage of 1.50 V to achieve 10 mA cm−2 and dramatically retains 99.1% of original activity after 100 h of continuous operation. This work proposes an insight into modulation of electronic state in alloy/metal heterojunctions and explores a new path to construct more competitive electrocatalysts for overall water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alloy-based catalysts with high corrosion resistance and less self-aggregation are essential for oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER). Here, via an in situ growth strategy, NiCo alloy-inserted nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes were assembled on a three-dimensional hollow nanosphere (NiCo@NCNTs/HN) using dicyandiamide. NiCo@NCNTs/HN exhibited better ORR activity (half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.87 V) and stability (E1/2 shift of only −13 mV after 5000 cycles) than commercial Pt/C. NiCo@NCNTs/HN displayed a lower OER overpotential (330 mV) than RuO2 (390 mV). The NiCo@NCNTs/HN-assembled zinc–air battery exhibited high specific-capacity (847.01 mA h g−1) and cycling-stability (291 h). Synergies between NiCo alloys and NCNTs facilitated the charge transfer to promote 4e− ORR/OER kinetics. The carbon skeleton inhibited the corrosion of NiCo alloys from surface to subsurface, while inner cavities of CNTs confined particle growth and the aggregation of NiCo alloys to stabilize bifunctional activity. This provides a viable strategy for the design of alloy-based catalysts with confined grain-size and good structural/catalytic stabilities in oxygen electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmembrane protease serine 4 (TMPRSS4) is a cancer-associated protease associated with prognosis in various types of cancer. Mechanistically, TMPRSS4 mainly regulates malignant phenotypes, such as tumor invasion and metastasis, by either the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) program or promoting the proliferation of cancer cells. To date, TMPRSS4 and immune infiltration in thyroid carcinoma (TC) are largely unknown. Thus, this paper evaluated the expression of TMPRSS4 in tumor tissue through the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database, and Oncomine, and its correlation with clinical parameters by UALCAN databases. Furthermore, we analyzed its prognostic value from Kaplan-Meier Plotter database, and the relationship between TMPRSS4 and the abundance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in TC in TISIDB, screening potential immune targets to explore novel mechanisms for the clinical management of TC. Finally, we assessed the correlation between TMPRSS4 and some immune markers to uncover a potential immune-related biomarker in TC patients by TIMER2.0. The results revealed that TMPRSS4 was highly expressed in TC and was also associated with lymphatic metastasis, advanced stage, histological subtype, and favorable clinical outcome. The stratified analysis based on immune cell content showed that decreased TMPRSS4 had worse prognosis in CD8+ T cell-enriched TC patients. TMPRSS4 was positively correlated with tumor immune infiltration and the expression of gene markers of immune cells. Notably, its expression was lower in the lymphocyte-depleted subtype than in other immunosubtypes in TC. Moreover, TMPRSS4 was closely related to chemokines as well as their receptors and the immunosuppressive checkpoints CTLA-4, PD-1, and HLA-G. In conclusion, TMPRSS4 may act as a novel biomarker predicting prognosis and immune infiltration in TC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the efficacies between ultrasound-guided curettage combined with hysteroscopic electro-resection after injection of pituitrin and hysteroscopic electro-resection after methotrexate chemotherapy in the treatment of caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). 60 patients with CSP admitted to our hospital were selected as the study subjects, and divided into observation group (n = 35) and control group (n = 25) in accordance with the therapeutic options. The observation group was treated with ultrasound-guided curettage combined with hysteroscopic electro-resection after injection of pituitrin, while the control group was treated with hysteroscopic electro-resection after methotrexate chemotherapy. The observation group was superior to the control group in the amount of intraoperative haemorrhage, in-hospital costs, and postoperative time to control vaginal haemorrhage, time to return to a normal serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) level. The observation group had a lower incidence rate of adverse reactions (5.71% vs. 28.00%, p <.05) and a higher first-attempt success rate for treatment (85.71% vs. 84.00%, p >.05) compared with the control group. Ultrasound-guided curettage combined with hysteroscopic electro-resection after injection of pituitrin, exhibiting a higher efficacy, can more effectively shorten the postoperative recovery, reduce adverse reactions, and improve the postoperative quality of life in patients with CSP. What is already known on this subject? Caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), a rare form of ectopic pregnancy where the fertilised egg is implanted in the muscle or fibrous tissue of the scar after a previous caesarean section (CS), is a long-term complication of CS that may be life-threatening for parturients. Some therapies have been used to treat CSP, such as uterine artery embolisation and uterine artery embolisation chemotherapy combined with curettage, but the potential adverse effects may affect the ovarian reserve and even affecting the fertility of patients. What do the results of this study add? This study showed that ultrasound-guided curettage combined with hysteroscopic electro-resection after injection of pituitrin, exhibiting a higher efficacy, can more effectively shorten the postoperative recovery, reduce adverse reactions, and improve the postoperative quality of life in patients with CSP. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The findings of this study may provide some references for the clinical practitioners and further research and may contribute to the treatment of CSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the clinical utility of tumor-specific growth factor (TSGF) and the soluble interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor (sIL-2R) as immune-related factors for predicting lymph node metastases (LNM) of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods. A total of 206 patients with PTC subjected to curative surgery were enrolled. All patients had complete medical records. Serum levels of TSGF were detected using Automatic Biochemistry Analyzer and the serum sIL-2R concentration was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship between the two indicators and the clinicopathological characteristics and assessed their effect on lymphatic metastasis in patients with PTC by logistic regression analysis. Results. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the determined cut-off value of serum TSGF and sIL-2R was 63.35 U/mL and 507 U/mL, respectively. Serum TSGF was associated with focality ( χ 2 = 4.97 , P = 0.026) and lymphatic metastasis ( χ 2 = 4.154 , P = 0.042), while serum sIL-2R was remarkably related to gender ( χ 2 = 4.464 , P = 0.035). Univariate logistic regression analysis indicated that age, tumor size, serum TSGF level, capsule invasion, and nodular goiter were the lymphatic metastasis-related factor of PTC. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that age > 45 years was a protective factor (OR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.206-0.777, P = 0.007). Conversely, larger tumor size (OR: 4.594, 95% CI: 2.127-9.921, P = 0.000), higher serum TSGF levels (OR: 1.888, 95% CI: 1.009-3.533, P = 0.047), and capsule invasion (OR: 1.939, 95% CI: 1.009-3.726, P = 0.047) were associated with an increased risk of LNM. Conclusion. Serum TSGF levels were identified as an independent factor for LNM in patients with PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemotherapy is a standard systemic treatment option for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Cisplatin has been used to treat TNBC, but frequently leads to cisplatin resistance in patients. The aim of our study was to investigate cisplatin-resistant mechanism in TNBC. To identify the potential genes and pathways relative to cisplatin resistance, GSE103115 data were analyzed by the Limma package and Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). TNBC data from TCGA, GSE76250 and GSE115275 datasets were used to calculate NDC80 expression. Immunohistochemistry detected NDC80 protein expression in TNBC tissues from patients before and after cisplatin treatment. After expose to cisplatin treatment, the viability and proliferation of TNBC cells were measured by CCK-8 and colony formation assays, respectively. NDC80 was regarded as a cisplatin-resistant gene because after cisplatin treatment NDC80 was downregulated in cisplatin-sensitive cells but was upregulated in cisplatin-resistant cells. NDC80 was over-expressed in TNBC tissues compared to normal tissues. Furthermore, NDC80 expression in TNBC patients was increased after cisplatin treatment. Cisplatin-sensitive TNBC patients showed lower NDC80 expression than cisplatin-resistant patients. Additionally, NDC80 expression was correlated with clinical stages, tumor size and chemotherapy of TNBC patients. Moreover, NDC80 overexpression promoted the viability and proliferation of TNBC cells and enhanced the cells resistance to cisplatin. The potential pathways relative to cisplatin resistance were obtained, such as p53 signaling pathway and Oxidative phosphorylation. These findings provide new insights for understanding the mechanism of cisplatin resistance in TNBC, and NDC80 may be a potential therapeutic target for TNBC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important elicitor, chitosan could activate the synthesis of lignin in many plants. However, no report is available on whether preharvest chitosan sprays affects the synthesis and deposition of lignin at wounds of harvested muskmelons. In the present study, the plants and fruit of muskmelons were multiple sprayed with 0.1% chitosan during fruit development. Here, we found that chitosan sprays increased the activities of 4-coumaric acid-coenzyme A ligase, cinnamyl-CoA reductase and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, and elevated the levels of p -coumaryl alcohol, coniferyl alcohol, sinapyl alcohol and lignin at wounds. Chitosan sprays enhanced H 2 O 2 level and peroxidase activity, and accelerated the deposition of lignin at wounds. Moreover, chitosan sprays resulted in a higher hardness and lower resilience, springiness and cohesiveness of the healing tissues. Taken together, preharvest chitosan sprays accelerated the deposition of lignin at wounds of muskmelons by activating lignin metabolism, and increasing H 2 O 2 content and peroxidase activity. • Preharvest chitosan sprays activated lignin synthesis of harvested muskmelons. • Chitosan sprays accelerated the deposition of lignin at wounds of fruit. • Chitosan sprays increased the hardness of healing tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, China has comprehensively carried out and implemented the "national fitness campaign." Sports have been integrated into everyone's daily life. As a place for cultivating talents, colleges and universities have also begun to reform the physical education teaching mode and cultivate a number of talents with strong competition ability, teaching ability, and adaptability to the society. With the deepening of the reform of physical education teaching mode in colleges and universities, some colleges and universities have introduced the theory of multiple intelligences. By analyzing the concept and content of the theory of multiple intelligences and comparing it with the traditional physical education teaching mode, it fully reflects the advantages of the theory of multiple intelligences in physical education teaching. This paper uses fuzzy mathematics and fuzzy set algorithm to build a teaching model based on the theory of multiple intelligences. Moreover, we study the innovative methods of college physical education teaching, take college physical basketball teaching as the research object, and analyze the students' sports technology, students' teaching practice ability, and students' thinking ability based on the theory of multiple intelligences. Experimental outcomes show that the teaching method guided by the theory of multiple intelligences was designed for the intelligent characteristics of the students in the experimental group, and the teachers and students communicated with each other during the teaching period, which significantly improved the students' thinking ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Co/Co 3 Fe 7 heterostructure is constructed by using an in-situ growth strategy. • NCNTs mitigates the corrosion of active sites to stabilize bifunctional activity. • Interfacial interactions activate electron transfer/redistribution to boost activity. • A small potential difference (0.62 V) obtains a superior charge/discharge capacity. • Zn-air battery shows high power density (165 mW cm−2) and cycling stability (300 h). In oxygen electrocatalysis, how to rationally design low-cost catalysts with reasonable structure and long-term stability is a crucial issue. Here, an in-situ growth strategy is used to construct a shaped structure encapsulating a uniformly-dispersed Co/Co 3 Fe 7 heterojunction in nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (Co/Co 3 Fe 7 @NCNTs). Hollow CoFe layered-double-hydroxide prisms act as sacrifices for in-situ growth of Co/Co 3 Fe 7 nanoparticles, which also catalyze the growth of bamboo-like NCNTs. Tubular structure not only accelerates the charge transfer through the interactions between Co and Co 3 Fe 7 , but also limits the aggregation of the particles, thereby promoting the 4e- oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) kinetics and stabilizing the bifunctional activity. Co/Co 3 Fe 7 @NCNTs-800 (pyrolyzed at 800 °C) shows exceptional ORR activity (half-wave potential of 0.89 V) and methanol tolerance. Meanwhile, Co/Co 3 Fe 7 @NCNTs-800 shows a small OER overpotential of 280 mV, which increases by only 9 mV after 1000 cyclic voltammetry (CV) cycles. The outstanding bifunctionality (potential gap of 0.62 V) is ascribed to the electronic structure modulation at the Co/Co 3 Fe 7 heterointerface. Notably, it also has a high performance as an air–cathode for rechargeable zinc-air battery, showing high power density (165 mW cm−2) and specific capacity (770.5 m Ah kg−1). This work provides a new reference for promoting the development of alloy catalysts with heterogeneous interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofluids with high thermal conductivity coefficient are introduced to the thermal management system of power battery packs for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles. Two typical cooling structures of cylindrical and square battery packs are described, and their flow models are established. By similarity transformations, the nonlinear system of partial differential equations is reduced and then solved numerically by the shooting method. The heat transfer properties of three types of nanofluids, that is, CuO‐EG, Al2O3‐EG, TiO2‐EG, are analyzed in detail. It is found that CuO‐EG nanofluid is the best coolant for the cylindrical battery pack, whereas Al2O3‐EG nanofluid is the best choice for square battery pack cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fe 2 N/CoFe 2 O 4 heterostructure is constructed by using an in-situ nucleation strategy. • Interfacial interactions mitigate corrosion of active sites to stabilize activity. • Dispersive interfacial Fe sites afford rapid electronic transfer and reconfiguration. • Small potential difference (ΔE = 0.634 V) obtains a superior charge/discharge capacity. • Fe 2 N/CoFe 2 O 4 -based ZABs shows high power density (225 mW cm−2) and stability (280 h). Interface engineering can regulate electronic structure of transition-metal nitrides to promote their electrocatalytic activities. However, design of iron nitride (Fe 2 N)-based electrocatalytic interface with desirable properties is still challenging. Here, an in-situ nucleation strategy is developed to construct the highly-dispersed Fe 2 N/spinal (CoFe 2 O 4) heterojunctions to optimize the electro-conductivity and activity. The heterostructure exhibits robust activities towards ORR (half-wave potential, 0.903 V) and OER (overpotential, 300 mV). Interfacial interactions between Fe 2 N and CoFe 2 O 4 mitigate the corrosion (leaching) and severe agglomeration of active components in harsh environments to stabilize the electrocatalytic activity, maintaining the integrity of heterostructure and the sustainable exposure of active sites. Theorical calculations confirm the feasibility of incorporating Fe 2 N into basal plane of spinal lattice (Fe 2 N (0 0 2) and CoFe 2 O 4 (4 0 0) is well matched). Modulated electronic state optimizes the adsorption/desorption strength of O-intermediates on the interfacial Fe-sites (the main active sites) of Fe 2 N/CoFe 2 O 4 for both ORR and OER. Strong coupling of Fe 2 N and CoFe 2 O 4 bolsters the charge-transfer across the interfaces to substantially accelerate the ORR/OER kinetics. Notably, by vital of a small potential-gap (0.634 V), it displays excellent power-density (225 mW cm−2) and cycling-stability (280 h) in zinc-air battery. This work enriches the understanding of electronic structure modulation of hetero-structured nitride/spinel-based electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keratin 19 (KRT19) is a type I cytokeratin that serves an important role in multiple types of cancer; however, little is known regarding its role in thyroid cancer. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the role of KRT19 in thyroid cancer. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas database, the expression and clinical significance of KRT19 in thyroid cancer tissues were investigated. The effect of KRT19 in thyroid cancer cell lines was also investigated in vitro. The results demonstrated that KRT19 expression was higher in thyroid cancer when compared with normal thyroid tissues, and was associated with lymph node metastasis, tumor stage and tumor-node-metastasis stage. Knockdown of KRT19 inhibited the proliferation and migration of thyroid cancer cell lines. In addition, increased KRT19 expression was observed only in tumors harboring the B-Raf Proto-Oncogene, Serine/Threonine Kinase (BRAF)V600E mutation, and BRAFV600E overexpression induced KRT19 expression. Furthermore, KRT19 exerted its phenotype via promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In conclusion, the results of the current study suggest that BRAFV600E-induced KRT19 expression may promote thyroid cancer metastasis via EMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cattaneo-Christov heat flux is first utilized to explore the heat transfer characteristics of Marangoni boundary layer flow in a copper-water nanofluid. The Marangoni boundary layer flow is driven by exponential temperature. Five different types of nanoparticle shapes including sphere, hexahedron, tetrahedron, column and lamina are considered for the copper-water nanofluid. The nonlinear system of partial differential equations is reduced by similarity transformations and then solved numerically by the shooting method. It is found that sphere nanoparticle has better heat transfer enhancement than other nanoparticle shapes and both the temperature and the thickness of the thermal boundary layer are lower for the Cattaneo-Christov heat flux model than the classical Fourier's law of heat conduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the effect of variable viscosity and the phenomenon of flow separation, the MHD Cu/Ag-Water nanofluids through a permeable wedge are investigated. The governing equations of flow and energy are reduced by similarity transformations and then solved numerically by the shooting method. It is found that dual solutions exist for negative pressure gradient. Compared with the Ag-Water nanofluid, the flow separation occurs later for injection, while it occurs earlier for suction in the Cu-Water nanofluid. The outcomes also specify that suction and small variable viscosity parameters delay the separation for the two nanofluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to understand the diagnostic value of serum tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), cancer antigen 125 (CA125), cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3), and tissue polypeptide-specific antigen (TPS) in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). A total of 164 metastatic breast cancer patients in Shanxi Cancer Hospital were recruited between February 2016 and July 2016. 200 breast cancer patients without metastasis in the same period were randomly selected as the control group. The general characteristics, immunohistochemical, and pathological results were investigated between the two groups, and tumor markers were determined. There were statistical differences in the concentration and the positive rates of CEA, CA19-9, CA125, CA15-3, and TPS between the MBC and control group ( P < 0.05). The highest sensitivity was in CEA and the highest specificity was in CA125 for the diagnosis of MBC when using a single tumor marker at 56.7% and 97.0%, respectively. In addition, two tumor markers were used for the diagnosis of MBC and the CEA and TPS combination had the highest diagnostic sensitivity with 78.7%, while the CA15-3 and CA125 combination had the highest specificity of 91.5%. Analysis of tumor markers of 164 MBC found that there were statistical differences in the positive rates of CEA and CA15-3 between bone metastases and other metastases ( χ 2 = 6.00, P = 0.014; χ 2 = 7.32, P = 0.007, respectively). The sensitivity and specificity values of the CEA and CA15-3 combination in the diagnosis of bone metastases were 77.1% and 45.8%, respectively. The positive rate of TPS in the lung metastases group was lower than in other metastases ( χ 2 = 8.06, P = 0.005).There were significant differences in the positive rates of CA15-3 and TPS between liver metastases and other metastases ( χ 2 = 15.42, P < 0.001; χ 2 = 9.72, P = 0.002, respectively). The sensitivity and specificity of the CA15-3 and TPS combination in the diagnosis of liver metastases were 92.3% and 45.6%, respectively, and the positive rate of CEA in triple-negative metastatic breast cancer is lower than in other subtypes ( χ 2 = 4.80, P = 0.028). Therefore, serum CEA, CA19-9, CA125, CA15-3, and TPS can be used in the diagnosis of MBC, and different combinations of tumor markers have varying diagnostic value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several biological processes as well as infectious agents, physiological or environmental stress, and perturbed antioxidant response can promote oxidative stress. Oxidative stress usually happens when cells are exposed to more electrically charged reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as HO or O . ROS are well known for being both beneficial and deleterious. Recent studies have indicated that ROS are deleterious to cells, leading to programmed cell death (PCD) at high concentrations. At low concentrations, however, ROS can act as signaling molecules in a variety of cellular processes. In this review, we present an update of our current understanding of the role and regulation of reactive oxygen species in various viral infections, cellular signaling pathways and immune responses. We then discuss how the antioxidant defense system acts as an antiviral effector to limit cell damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome slow kinetics of oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER), the development of bifunctional electrocatalysts remains a huge challenge. FeCo alloy as an active-species usually suffers from its poor catalytic stability by easy corrosion. Here, we synthesize a core (FeCo)-shell (carbon) alloy anchored on nitrogen-doped porous carbon-nanosheets (FeCo/NUCSs) via a self-growth strategy. FeCo/NUCSs (140 m2 g−1) exhibits promising half-wave potential (E 1/2 =0.89 V) and methanol tolerance for ORR. Prussian blue analog-derived carbon shell protects binary active-sites (Fe-N x /Co-N x) on FeCo core to stabilize ORR activity. FeCo/NUCSs also displays a higher OER activity (overpotential of 300 mV) than RuO 2 , due to generation of highly-active FeOOH/CoOOH species on FeCo alloys as indicated by in situ X-ray diffraction. Assembled Zn-air battery (ZAB) exhibits promising open-circuit voltage of 1.51 V, specific capacity of 791.86 mA h g−1, and durability (102 h). This novel bimetallic alloy-based catalyst provides an interesting option for design of durable oxygen-electrocatalysts for ZAB. [Display omitted] • A bifunctional FeCo alloy catalyst is obtained by using in-situ self-growth strategy. • Carbon shell protects the Fe-N x /Co-N x sites on FeCo core to stabilize ORR activity. • β-FeOOH/γ-CoOOH intermediates detected by in situ XRD can promote the OER kinetics. • The potential difference from ORR to OER (ΔE) is as excellent as 0.64 V. • The assembled Zn-air battery exhibits good rechargeability and durability (102 h). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a major inflammatory disease worldwide. We previously demonstrated that licorice residue flavones (LFs) showed satisfactory efficacy in the treatment of UC. Therefore, research into the ingredients of LFs may lead to the discovery of novel anti-UC targets. In the current study, we separated licoflavone B (LB) from LFs and administered it to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-exposed C57BL/6 mice for 14 days. Our results demonstrated that high dose LB (120 mg/kg) significantly prevented DSS-induced weight loss, disease activity index (DAI) increase, histological damage, and colonic inflammation, indicating that LB has ameliorative effects on UC. We also investigated the composition of the intestinal barrier and microflora in an attempt to explore the mechanisms of LB against UC. As a result, we found that LB preserved the integrity of the colonic barrier by inhibiting colonic cell apoptosis and protecting the expression of occludin, claudin-1, and ZO-1. Moreover, LB reshaped the microflora composition by suppressing harmful bacteria (Enterococcus et al.) and boosting beneficial microorganisms (Bacteroides et al.). Further molecular exploration implied that LB exerted anti-UC activity through blocking the MAPK pathway. Here, we explored anti-UC activity of LB for the first time and clarified its mechanisms. These results will provide valuable clues for the discovery of novel anti-UC agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research aims to characterize the differences in clinical features and prognostic factors between younger and older breast cancer (BC) patients in China. Methods: All patients who were recently diagnosed with BC between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016 at Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital were recruited. We collected the epidemiological and clinical data as well as the follow-up information. Results: Out of the 1968 BC patients who met the criteria for analysis, 227 (11.53%) were under 40 years of age with a median age of 34 years at diagnosis. All patients were classified into the age < 40, age 40–59, and age ≥ 60 groups. There were significant differences in the histology, tumor size, T stage, grade, and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) levels among the three groups (all P < 0.05). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 86.34%, 89.58%, and 84.84% for the age < 40, age 40–59, and age ≥ 60 groups, respectively. The TNM stage was the only predictor of clinical outcome in all BC patients. The prognostic value of intrinsic subtypes for OS was different among the three groups. Conclusion: Our study helped identify an age-related prognostic indicator of adverse events in BC patients and showed that young women with BC exhibited more aggressive clinical and pathological features. Our findings may facilitate clinical management and therapeutic interventions in young BC patients, especially in young women with a history of exposure to risk factors and age < 40 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thyroid function is widely considered a lipid metabolism regulator. However, studies on lipid metabolism in pregnant women with low free thyroxine (FT4) levels are limited and inconclusive. Furthermore, the association between maternal FT4 deficiency and adverse lipid metabolic parameters is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate this association and the effects of levothyroxine (L-T4) treatment on these metabolic indicators. Methods: This retrospective study included 164 patients with isolated hypothyroidism (IH) (FT4 levels below the 5th percentile with normal thyroid stimulating hormone levels according to the gestational-specific reference range) and 407 euthyroidism patients (control group who had regular antenatal examinations at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China) between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. Patients with IH were divided into levothyroxine (L-treatment group, n = 77) and dietary iodine supplement treatment groups (dietary treatment group, n=87) according to the hospital’s treatment policy and clinical experience. The intervention lasted for at least 8 weeks. Metabolic indicators, including thyroid function and lipid parameters, were collected at least twice before and after the intervention. Other data collected included maternal age, history of abortion, prepregnancy BMI, and gestational weight gain (Fig. 1). Results: Compared with the control group, Patients with IH had a higher degree of dyslipidemia, reflected in elevated total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and apolipoprotein B (Apo B) levels. In IH patients, an inverse correlation was found between FT4 and TG levels, which remained after adjusting for prepregnancy BMI. The L-treatment group demonstrated a significantly slower rate of hypercholesterolemia progression during pregnancy than the dietary treatment group. In addition, there was a relationship between the therapeutic effect and the degree of disease, with the main factors being FT4, TSH and TG levels prior to starting treatment. Conclusions: Low FT4 levels were associated with elevated blood lipid levels. Serum FT4 and lipid levels in patients could be improved by medical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO short rods with large yield have been synthesized by a simple chemical solution deposition method at a low temperature of 80°C. Polymethyl methacrylate was used as the structure-directing agent in the formation of the rod-like ZnO crystals. X-ray powder diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the obtained product. The results showed that the as-prepared ZnO crystals were rod-like, which have fairly uniform diameter of around 0.5 ∼ 2 μm and length of 4 ∼ 6 μm. A possible formation mechanism of the ZnO rods has been considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Imidazolium salts, most of which are room temperature ionic liquids (ILs), have been introduced as effective and tunable cocatalysts in the copolymerization of CO2 with epoxides catalyzed by (salen)CrIIICl complex for the first time. Effects of imidazolium salts with different alkyl chains as well as with different anions on the copolymerization were investigated. The results showed that the copolymerization was influenced obviously by the property of anion. In addition, the cation of imidazolium salts with longer alkyl chain length such as n-dodecyl (TOF, 242.5h−1, carbonate linkages>99%) displays better activities and selectivity in the copolymerization as compared with N-MeIm (TOF, 72.5h−1, carbonate linkages 94%). These results are instructive for further design of task-specific ILs as effective cocatalysts to improve the copolymerization of CO2 with epoxides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method has been developed for the determination of 3 chloroacetanilide herbicides in both fresh and seawater samples. The extracted sample was analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (GC–MS), and parameters affecting SPME operation including fibre type, sample pH, sample temperature, mixing speed and extraction time have been evaluated and optimized. The amount of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and the salt content both affected SPME extraction efficiency, but the presence of other competitive extractants such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the matrix showed no insignificance interference. The limit of detection (LOD) for acetochlor, metolachlor and butachlor were 1.2, 1.6 and 2.7ngL−1, respectively. The recoveries for the herbicides ranged from 79 to 102%, and the linear dynamic range was from 10 to 1000ngL−1. The developed method has been used to monitor herbicides contaminations in coastal water samples collected around Laizhou bay and Jiaozhou bay in Shandong peninsula, China. The concentrations of acetochlor and metolachlor ranged from undetectable to 78.5ngL−1 and undetectable to 35.6ngL−1, respectively. Butachlor was not observed but in only one sample and the concentration is lower than the limit of quantification (LOQ). The concentrations of the three herbicides in this study are low compared to most of the other places reported. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The extent of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) contamination in coastal waters around LaiZhou Bay and JiaoZhou Bay in Shandong Peninsula, northern China, was investigated. The areas around the two bays are both densely populated, thrived with intensive agriculture and industrial activities. Multi-techniques including GC–MS, GC–μECD coupled with chemical peak confirmation and strict QC procedures were used for the quantitative determination of 15 OCPs including alpha, beta, gamma and delta isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), heptachlor, aldrin, endosulfan, p,p′-DDE, dieldrin, endrin, p,p′-DDD, o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDT and methoxychlor. The survey results show that contaminations by OCP residues remain widespread in the areas, but the averaged concentration levels are all below the regulatory limits, e.g., CMC limits (acute criterion values) specified in US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and China national standards. Average concentration of OCPs in water samples were from undetectable to 3. 8ngl−1 in LaiZhou Bay and from 0. 1 to 3. 9ngl−1 in JiaoZhou Bay, respectively. A comparison between the current and historical data shows a rapidly decreasing trend of OCPs over the past twenty years in the study areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As one of the most abundant predators of insects in terrestrial ecosystems, spiders have long received much attention from agricultural scientists and ecologists. Do spiders have a certain controlling effect on the main insect pests of concern in farmland ecosystems? Answering this question requires us to fully understand the prey spectrum of spiders. Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) has been successfully employed to analyze spider prey spectra. However, the high sequencing costs make it difficult to analyze the prey spectrum of various spider species with large samples in a given farmland ecosystem. We performed a comparative analysis of the prey spectra of Ovia alboannulata (Araneae, Lycosidae) using NGS with individual and mixed DNA samples to demonstrate which treatment was better for determining the spider prey spectra in the field. We collected spider individuals from tea plantations, and two treatments were then carried out: (1) The DNA was extracted from the spiders individually and then sequenced separately (DESISS) and (2) the DNA was extracted from the spiders individually and then mixed and sequenced (DESIMS). The results showed that the number of prey families obtained by the DESISS treatment was approximately twice that obtained by the DESIMS treatment. Therefore, the DESIMS treatment greatly underestimated the prey composition of the spiders, although its sequencing costs were obviously lower. However, the relative abundance of prey sequences detected in the two treatments was slightly different only at the family level. Therefore, we concluded that if our purpose were to obtain the most accurate prey spectrum of the spiders, the DESISS treatment would be the best choice. However, if our purpose were to obtain only the relative abundance of prey sequences of the spiders, the DESIMS treatment would also be an option. The present study provides an important reference for choosing applicable methods to analyze the prey spectra and food web compositions of animal in ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) can cause respiratory infections in animals that often lead to heavy losses for breeding industry. Ban-Qin-Fei-Re-Qing oral liquid (BQ), a Chinese herbal compound, has been used to treat infectious bronchitis (IB). This research aimed to assess the antiviral effect of BQ against IBV and elucidate the underlying mechanisms through bioinformatics analysis. The experiments designed in this study investigated how BQ inhibits IBV propagation in chicken embryos and enhances protective effects on chicken embryos. The findings indicated that, in comparison to the model group (untreated), the BQ-treated groups exhibited a significant protective effect on IBV-infected chicken embryos. Moreover, the groups administered medium or high doses of BQ demonstrated a superior protective effect compared to the group treated with a lower dose. In addition, even at a low dose (2.5 mL/L), BQ successfully treated IB in chickens. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses revealed that the differentially expressed genes were enriched in antiviral pathways, such as the JAK/STAT and type I interferon signaling pathways. In conclusion, the current study demonstrated that BQ has antiviral activity and plays an antiviral role through the combined action of multiple antiviral pathways. These findings could lead to future research on identifying drugs to prevent and treat IB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ureaplasma spp. are associated with various infectious diseases in females, but there is still limited evidence regarding whether they are related to nonspecific cervicitis. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) assay for the detection and quantification of Ureaplasma spp. in cervical swabs.Methods: A total of 267 non-specific cervicitis (NSC) patients and 195 asymptomatic females were included in this study. We produced standard curves for Ureaplasma spp. to evaluate the analytical performance of the ddPCR assay. Then, we detected and quantified the bacterial load of Ureaplasma spp. in cervical swabs.Results: The prevalences of U. parvum were 37.8% (101/267) and 29.7% (58/195),  U. urealyticum were 9.0% (24/267) and 8.7% (17/195) in the NSC group and control group, respectively. In addition, the median copy number of U. parvum was 2.5 × 104 copies/ml (n = 101) in the NSC group and 9.2 × 103 copies/ml (n = 58) in the control group. The U. parvum load in the NSC group was significantly higher than that in the asymptomatic individuals (P < 0.001). whereas the median load of U. urealyticum was 8.4 × 103 copies/ml (n = 24) and 1.4 × 103 (n = 17) copies/ml in the two groups, respectively, , the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.450).Conclusions: Our study is the first to develop a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) method for the detection and quantification of Ureaplasma spp. in clinical samples, and the method has excellent analytical performance and a wide range of clinical application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heroin users are vulnerable and represent a highly-infected reservoir for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This study investigated HCV prevalence and genotypes distribution among heroin users who received methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) in Jiangsu.Methods: From June to December in 2016, a total of 534 patients among nine MMT clinics in six regions of Jiangsu were enrolled, with their demographic characteristics collected and serum samples tested for HCV antibody. 395 samples were seropositive and furthered to RNA extraction. HCV NS5B region fragments were amplified and subsequently sequenced.Results: Among HCV seropositive samples, 240 were characterized by NS5B partial sequences and classified into four genotypes (GPs) and eight subtypes. HCV GP3 predominated and accounted for 66.3%, followed by GP1 (27.5%), GP6 (4.2%) and GP2 (2.1%). HCV subtypes 3b (41.7%) and 3a (24.6%) were the most common subtypes. None of the demographic characteristics showed a significant difference when comparing with HCV genotypes. The geographic feature shown GPs in six regions were the same, but the frequency of subtypes exhibited regional divergence. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that 3b had become a local endemic in Jiangsu.Conclusion: The distribution of HCV subtypes among heroin users in Jiangsu province was complex. The data could provide more precise estimates for HCV prevalence and genotype distribution as well as heroin users of Jiangsu province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreasing bioaccessible antibiotics, heavy metals, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil by adsorption is an attractive, but unrealized, approach for ARG risk reduction. This approach has the potential to reduce the (co)selection pressure from antibiotics and heavy metals on bacteria and ARG horizontal gene transformation to pathogens. Here, a wet-state silicon-rich biochar/ferrihydrite composite (SiC–Fe(W)) synthesized by loading ferrihydrite onto rice straw-derived biochar was examined for i) adsorption of oxytetracycline and Cu2+ to reduce (co)selection pressure and ii) adsorption of extracellular antibiotic resistance plasmid pBR322 (containing tet A and bla TEM-1) to inhibit ARG transformation. SiC–Fe(W) gained the adsorption priority of biochar (for Cu2+) and wet-state ferrihydrite (for oxytetracycline and pBR322) and showed adsorptive enhancement (for Cu2+ and oxytetracycline) from a more wrinkled and exposed surface from biochar silica-dispersed ferrihydrite and a more negatively charged biochar, and the adsorption capacity for SiC–Fe(W) was 17–135 times that of soil. Correspondingly, 10 g/kg SiC–Fe(W) amendment increased the soil adsorption coefficient K d by 31%–1417% and reduced the selection pressure from dissolved oxytetracycline, co-selection pressure from dissolved Cu2+, and transformation frequency of pBR322 (assessed with Escherichia coli). The development of Fe–O–Si bonds on silicon-rich biochar in alkaline enhanced ferrihydrite stability and adsorption capacity (for oxytetracycline), presenting a new potential strategy of biochar/ferrihydrite composite synthesis for adsorptive inhibition of ARG proliferation and transformation in ARG pollution control. [Display omitted] • SiC–Fe(W) containing silica-stabilized and high-surface ferrihydrite and sichar was synthesized. • SiC–Fe(W) held adsorption capacity exceeding biochar and wet-state ferrihydrite for Cu2+ and oxytetracycline. • Adsorptive inhibition of ARG proliferation and transmission in soil was realized by SiC–Fe(W). • SiC–Fe(W) promoted the persistence of soil sorption enhancement towards oxytetracycline and ARG in dry-wet cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Co, N co‑doped CNTs with in-situ anchored NiFe alloys are used as an oxygen catalyst. • Well-formed tubular Co-N@CNTs offers enough binding sites for anchoring NiFe alloys. • The Co-N x -C species on Co-N@CNTs can provide effective active sites to stabilize ORR. • In situ formed NiOOH/FeOOH from NiFe alloy are favored as active species for OER. • Synergistic effects between NiFe alloys and Co-N x -C species improve ORR/OER activity. Transition metal alloys have emerged as promising catalysts for oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) because of their intermetallic synergy and tunable redox properties. However, for alloy nanoparticles, it is quite challenging to suppress the self-aggregation and promote the bifunctional activity. Anchoring alloys in heteroatoms-doped carbon matrix with excellent electro-conductibility is a powerful strategy to form strongly-coupled alloy-carbon nanohybrids. Here, highly-dispersed NiFe alloys are evenly in-situ anchored on the surface of Co, N co-doped carbon nanotubes (NiFe/Co-N@CNTs) via a gravity-guided chemical vapor deposition and self-assembly strategy. Stably-structured NiFe/Co-N@CNTs possesses a tubular skeleton with diameters of 80–100 nm and a hydrophilic surface. For ORR, half-wave potential of NiFe/Co-N@CNTs (0.87 V vs RHE) is higher than that of Pt/C (0.85 V). Strong synergies between NiFe alloys and Co-N x species facilitate the charge transfer on one-dimensional conductive structure to boost the 4e- ORR kinetics. For OER, NiFe/Co-N@CNTs has a lower overpotential (300 mV) than RuO 2 (400 mV) at 10 mA cm−2 due to in-situ formation of highly-active NiOOH/FeOOH species (as indicated by in-situ X-ray diffraction) at the catalytic sites on NiFe alloy. Rechargeable Zn-air battery (ZAB) with NiFe/Co-N@CNTs-based air–cathode exhibits promising open-circuit potential (1.52 V) and charge–discharge cycling stability (350 h). This alloy-carbon integrating strategy is meaningful for promoting dispersion, activity and stability of non-noble metal alloys for oxygen electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) with a Pt-like d-band electron structure exhibits certain activities for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR/OER) in alkaline solutions, but it is questioned due to its poor OER stability. Combining Mo2C with transition metals alloy is a feasible way to stabilize its electrochemical activity. Herein, CoFe-Prussian blue analogues are used as a precursor to compound with graphitic carbon nitride and Mo6+ to synthesize FeCo alloy and Mo2C co-encapsulated N-doped carbon (NG-CoFe/Mo2C). The morphology of NG-CoFe/Mo2C (800 °C) shows that CoFe/Mo2C heterojunctions are well wrapped by N-doped graphitic carbon. Carbon coating not only inhibits growth and agglomeration of Mo2C/CoFe, but also enhances corrosion resistance of NG-CoFe/Mo2C. NG-CoFe/Mo2C (800 °C) exhibits an excellent half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.880 V) for ORR. It also obtains a lower OER overpotential (325 mV) than RuO2 due to the formation of active species (CoOOH/β-FeOOH, as indicated by in-situ X-ray diffraction tests). E1/2 shifts only 6 mV after 5000 ORR cycles, while overpotential for OER increases only 19 mV after 1000 cycles. ORR/OER performances of NG-CoFe/Mo2C (800 °C) are close to or better than those of many recently reported catalysts. It provides an interfacial engineering strategy to enhance the intrinsic activity and stability of carbides modified by transition-metals alloy for oxygen electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the late phase of production, ducks untimely cease laying, leading to a lower feed conversion. Liver plays a vital role in the synthesis and transport of yolk materials during egg formation in birds. However, the molecular mechanism of liver in ceased-laying duck is far from clear, higher resolution and deeper analysis is needed. Sing-cell RNA-sequencing of 10 × Genomics platform can help to map the liver single cell gene expression atlas of Shaoxing duck and provide new insights into the liver between egg-laying and ceased-laying ducks. Results: About 20,000 single cells were profiled and 22 clusters were identified. All the clusters were identified as 6 cell types. The dominant cell type is hepatocyte, accounted for about 60% of all the cells. Of note, the heterogeneity of cells between egg-laying duck and ceased-laying duck mainly occurred in hepatocytes. Cells of cluster 3 and 12 were the unique hepatocyte states of egg-laying ducks, while cells of cluster 0 and 15 were the unique hepatocyte states of ceased-laying ducks. The expression mode of yolk precursor transporters, lipid metabolizing enzymes and fibrinogens were different in hepatocytes between egg-laying duck and ceased-laying duck. APOV1, VTG2, VTG1, APOB, RBP, VTDB and SCD might be activated in egg-laying ducks, while APOA1, APOA4, APOC3, FGB and FGG might be activated in ceased-laying ducks. Conclusions: Our study further proofs that APOV1 and APOB play key roles in egg production, rather than APOA1 and APOA4. It is also the first to detect a correlation between the higher expression of APOC3, FGB, FGG and ceased-laying in duck. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palbociclib is the first CDK4/6 inhibitor approved by FDA and has been studied in many types of cancer. However, some studies showed that it could induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cancer cells. To test the effect of palbociclib on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, we treated NSCLC cells with different concentrations of palbociclib and detected its effects via MTT, migration and invasion assays, and apoptosis test. Further RNA sequencing was performed in the cells treated with 2 μM palbociclib or control. And Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), and protein-protein interaction network (PPI) were analyzed to explore the mechanism of palbociclib. The results showed that palbociclib significantly inhibited the growth of NSCLC cells and promoted apoptosis of cells, however, enhanced the migration and invasion abilities of cancer cells. RNA sequencing showed that cell cycle, inflammation-/immunity-related signaling, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and cell senescence pathways were involved in the process, and CCL5 was one of the significantly differential genes affected by palbociclib. Further experiments showed that blocking CCL5-related pathways could reverse the malignant phenotype induced by palbociclib. Our results revealed that palbociclib-induced invasion and migration might be due to senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) rather than EMT and suggested that SASP could act as a potential target to potentiate the antitumor effects of palbociclib in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. We evaluated both direct and indirect hepatic fibrosis markers in obese children and their relationship with intrahepatic fat (IHF) content. We also aimed to investigate the possible roles of IHF and fibrosis markers in metabolic syndrome (MS). Methods. 189 obese children were divided into simple obese (SOB), simple steatosis (SS), and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) groups according to their IHF and blood alanine transaminase (ALT) levels. They were also scored for the MS components. IHF was assessed as a continuous variable by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). In addition, 30 nonobese children were enrolled as controls and their direct hepatic fibrosis markers and IHF were assessed. Results. Age was related to IHF, NFS, and FIB-4. Both NFS and APRI were related to IHF more significantly than the direct markers. In the estimation of liver function impairment, indirect markers had greater AUROC than direct markers. In MS, IHF and all the fibrosis markers showed similar AUROC. Conclusions. Both direct and indirect markers played a valuable role in evaluating MS. Indirect markers were more effective in distinguishing fatty hepatitis. Age is an important factor underlying hepatic steatosis and fibrosis even in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gandan oral liquid (GOL) is a mixture of crude extracts from licorice and Radix isatidis. Clinically, it has been widely used in the treatment of exudative pneumonia (EP) in animals. But the molecular mechanism of these effects is unclear. Therefore, antibacterial activity and therapeutic effect were tested in vitro and in vivo. Exudative pneumonia was established with the intraperitoneal injection of LPS, followed by continuous intranasal inoculation of Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP). After that, Gandan oral liquid, acetylcysteine, and levofloxacin were given through the intragastric route for five days, and clinical symptoms were observed and counted. The bacterial content of alveolar lavage fluid was determined, hematology analysis was performed, and lung histology examination was performed. Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression levels of AQP3, AQP5, and MUC5AC in lung tissues. ELISA kit was used to detect serum and BALF cytokines levels. The results showed that GOL (242 mg/mL) had no antibacterial activity on Klebsiella pneumonia (KP), and the effect was significantly worse than levofloxacin. However, the therapeutic test in vivo of the rat model of bacterial EP showed different results. After treatment, GOL administration ameliorated EP and increased the expression of mucoprotein -5AC (MUC5AC), and GOL promoted water secretion of the respiratory tract by increasing the expression of aquaporin-5 (AQP5) and decreasing the levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β). Conclusion. GOL accelerates the water secretion of respiratory tract, inhibits the inflammatory response, induces removal of bacteria of respiratory tract via the AQPs/MUC pathway, and ultimately ameliorates EP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CoTe 2 -NiTe 2 heterojunction embedded inside and outside the mesoporous walls of nitrogen-doped carbon nanoboxes via a straightforward ZIF67-involved etching-anchoring-tellurization strategy (H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs). The establishment of CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 heterojunction can effectively modulate the electronic reconfiguration at the interface, optimize the reaction pathways, and lower the energy barriers, thus affording an excellent electrocatalytic bifunctionality toward ORR and OER. [Display omitted] • CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 embedded in N-doped carbon nanoboxes are constructed. • The heterojunctions cause the spontaneous charge redistribution at the interfaces. • The H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs creates abundant active sites and mass transfer pathways. • Due to synergistic effect, ORR and OER activities are significantly increased. • The Zn-air battery delivers high energy output and excellent cyclability. Interface engineering has been recognized as one of the most promising strategies for tuning the catalytic properties of catalysts. However, building well-defined nanointerfaces for efficient oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) remains a challenge. Herein, a hollow heterostructure composed of highly-dispersed CoTe 2 inside the mesoporous walls of nitrogen-doped carbon nanoboxes and uniformly-dispersed NiTe 2 outside the mesoporous walls (H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs) is designed via a ZIF67-involved etching-anchoring-tellurization strategy. Promising half-wave potential of 0.86 V and overpotential of 320 mV at 10 mA cm−2 are obtained by H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs. The excellent ORR/OER activity of H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs is ascribed to the synergistic coupling based on nanointerfaces between CoTe 2 and NiTe 2. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the nanointerface-based electronic coupling between CoTe 2 and NiTe 2 facilitates the charge transfer between two components and generates abundant catalytically active sites at the heterointerface, thereby significantly promoting the ORR/OER activities. This work provides the design principles for transitional bimetallic tellurides as bifunctional electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The orphan nuclear receptor TR4 (human testicular receptor 4 or NR2C2) plays a pivotal role in a variety of biological and metabolic processes. With no known ligand and few known target genes, the mode of TR4 function was unclear. Results: We report the first genome-wide identification and characterization of TR4 in vivo binding. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq), we identified TR4 binding sites in 4 different human cell types and found that the majority of target genes were shared among different cells. TR4 target genes are involved in fundamental biological processes such as RNA metabolism and protein translation. In addition, we found that a subset of TR4 target genes exerts cell-type specific functions. Analysis of the TR4 binding sites revealed that less than 30% of the peaks from any of the cell types contained the DR1 motif previously derived from in vitro studies, suggesting that TR4 may be recruited to the genome via interaction with other proteins. A bioinformatics analysis of the TR4 binding sites predicted a cis regulatory module involving TR4 and ETS transcription factors. To test this prediction, we performed ChIP-seq for the ETS factor ELK4 and found that 30% of TR4 binding sites were also bound by ELK4. Motif analysis of the sites bound by both factors revealed a lack of the DR1 element, suggesting that TR4 binding at a subset of sites is facilitated through the ETS transcription factor ELK4. Further studies will be required to investigate the functional interdependence of these two factors. Conclusions: Our data suggest that TR4 plays a pivotal role in fundamental biological processes across different cell types. In addition, the identification of cell type specific TR4 binding sites enables future studies of the pathways underlying TR4 action and its possible role in metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In present study, hollow ZnO microspheres with interior diameter of about 10μm were synthesized by a facile solution method using PMMA microspheres as template. The hollow microspheres are built by layers of nanoparticles with high crystallinity. The shell thicknesses are found to be about 100nm. Based on the experimental results of XRD, SEM, TEM and XPS measurements, a possible formation mechanism for the hollow ZnO microspheres was discussed. As-synthesized hollow ZnO microspheres exhibit novel absorption band in the region of ultraviolet. Band gap of the hollow ZnO microsphere was calculated to be 3.53 based on its UV–visible absorption spectrum. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Novel nut-like zinc oxide crystal has been prepared by a low temperature hydrothermal method with the presence of Cu2+ ion. It seemed that the ultrasonic pretreatment was the key factor during the preparation process. SEM observations revealed that the as-prepared ZnO crystal exhibited nut shape showing well-defined crystallographic facets. The cross-section of the ZnO crystal was hexagonal of about 800nm–1μm in diameter, and the aspect ratio was a little smaller than 1:1. The room temperature photoluminescence behavior of the nut-like zinc oxide crystal was much stronger than the reference samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Preharvest chitosan sprays promoted wound healing and reduced disease development. • Chitosan induced suberin poly phenolic deposition at wound sites during healing. • Chitosan sprays activated phenylpropanoid pathway at wound sites during healing. Suberin poly phenolic is an important component of healing tissue. We aimed to develop a new method to accelerate wound healing of harvested muskmelons. In this study, the plants and fruits of muskmelons were sprayed with 0.1 % chitosan four times during fruit development to evaluate the effect of chitosan treatment on wound healing of harvested muskmelons. The results showed that preharvest chitosan sprays reduced the weight loss and disease index of harvested muskmelons during healing. Chitosan sprays also accelerated the deposition of suberin poly phenolic at wound sites of harvested muskmelons during healing. The treatment increased the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and cinnamate-4-hydroxylase, and promoted the accumulation of cinnamic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, p -coumaric acid, total phenols and flavonoids at wound sites. We suggest that preharvest chitosan sprays activated phenylpropanoid metabolism, promoted the deposition of suberin poly phenolic at wound sites of harvested muskmelons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A reliable and rapid method based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV) and positive ion electrospray-time of flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF/MS) has been developed for the characterization and quantification of solanesol in extracts of tobacco leaves from different sources. The solanesol was extracted from tobacco leaf via saponification and ultrasonic-assist extraction, and the extraction conditions were optimized. The HPLC conditions are as following: Hypersil C4 (4.6mm×150mm, 5μm) column, acetonitrile and water as mobile phase, flow-rate is 0.8ml/min, detection length of UV is 202nm, injection volume is 10μl. The results indicated that the developed HPLC method is simple, sensitive and reliable for the determination of solanesol in tobacco leaves with a linear dynamic range of 3.65–4672ng, a detection limit of 1.83ng, and an average recovery of 98.7%. The method has been applied to analyze and compare different tobacco samples. The results show that the solanesol content in samples of different geographic locations varies widely from 0.20 to 1.50%. When different parts of the tobacco plant are compared, the top parts of the leaves are more abundant in solanesol content than those of lower parts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is the most common cause of acquired heart disease among children in developed countries, in which the resulting coronary artery (CA) abnormalities cause myocardial ischemia, infarction, and death. Prompt diagnosis was essential, and supplemental information should be used to assist the diagnosis when classical clinical criteria are incomplete. The elevated levels of serum transaminases in most KD patients are mild. Herein, a case of atypical KD child with severely elevated transaminase was reported.Case Presentation: A child with clinical manifestations of fever, high C-reactive protein (CRP) and severely elevated transaminases was reported. The treatment effect of antibiotic and liver-protecting drugs was not satisfactory. A bilateral diffuse dilation of the CA was detected on echocardiography on day 5 of the illness; thus, atypical KD was diagnosed. Elevated transaminases declined rapidly to normal after the treatment of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). A 1-month follow-up revealed that CA returned to normal, and 2-month, 6-months, and 1-year follow-up revealed the child was in good general health.Conclusions: This case highlighted that atypical KD clinical symptoms were diverse, and severely elevated transaminases might provide a clue to healthcare providers for the diagnosis and management of atypical KD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HCV screening depends mainly on a one-assay anti-HCV testing strategy that is subject to an increased false-positive rate in low-prevalence populations. In this study, a two-assay anti-HCV testing strategy was applied to screen HCV infection in two groups, labelled group one (76,442 people) and group two (18,415 people), using Elecsys electrochemiluminescence (ECL) and an Architect chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA), respectively. Each anti-HCV-reactive serum was retested with the other assay. A recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) and HCV RNA testing were performed to confirm anti-HCV positivity or active HCV infection. In group one, 516 specimens were reactive in the ECL screening, of which CMIA retesting showed that 363 (70.3%) were anti-HCV reactive (327 positive, 30 indeterminate, 6 negative by RIBA; 191 HCV RNA positive), but 153 (29.7%) were not anti-HCV reactive (4 positive, 29 indeterminate, 120 negative by RIBA; none HCV RNA positive). The two-assay strategy significantly improved the positive predictive value (PPV, 64.1% & 90.1%, P < 0.05). In group two, 87 serum specimens were reactive according to CMIA screening. ECL showed that 56 (70.3%) were anti-HCV reactive (47 positive, 8 indeterminate, 1 negative by RIBA; 29 HCV RNA positive) and 31 (29.7%) were anti-HCV non-reactive (25 negative, 5 indeterminate, 1 positive by RIBA; none HCV RNA positive). Again, the PPV was significantly increased (55.2% & 83.9%, P < 0.05). Compared with a one-assay testing strategy, the two-assay testing strategy may significantly reduce false positives in anti-HCV testing and identify inactive HCV infection in low-seroprevalence populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A large number of unique recombinant forms have been found in China in recent years. This study aimed to report on a cluster of novel HIV-1 recombinants. Methods: We constructed phylogenetic trees using the maximum likelihood (ML) method with 1,000 bootstrap replicates in IQ-TREE 1.6.8 software and determined recombination break points using SimPlot 3.5.1. Results: Overall, 9 near-full-length genome (NFLG) sequences were reported in this study, including 1 circulation recombinant form (CRF)01_AE NFLG sequence and 8 highly similar novel HIV-1 second-generation recombinants composed of CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC (CRF105_0107) isolated from a cluster HIV-positive male subjects infected among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Nanjing, eastern China. The phylogenetic analysis of NFLG showed 1 sequence named "nj16" to have at least 11 breakpoints inner virus and 7 other sequences to have at least 10 breakpoints inner virus. Our findings further showed as follows: first, this is the first time that a cluster of novel CRF105_0107 HIV-1 strains were identified among MSM in Nanjing, Jiangsu. Second, the Chinese "4a" cluster of CRF01_AE which mainly circulating in northern China has spread in Jiangsu for more than 15 years. Third, HIV-1 recombination events were active in Nanjing city, and novel recombinants could spread rapidly through some small-scale transmission networks. Conclusion: The continued emergence of novel recombinant HIV-1 strains in Nanjing suggests dynamics and complexity in the HIV epidemic among MSM in Jiangsu province. Further investigations and molecular epidemiological research should be taken to monitor and understand transmission networks among MSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CoP NPs encapsulated in porous walls of hollow nanobox are wrapped by carbon layer. • Porous hollow structure creates abundant active sites and mass transfer pathways. • N atom elevates electron delocalization degree of Co atom to boost ORR/OER activity. • Coated carbon-layer protects CoP from fast corrosion to gain high ORR/OER stability. • The assembled Zn-air battery exhibits high power density and rechargeability (132 h). Catalysts with high activity and corrosion-resistance are desirable for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR/OER) in rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, via an etching-phosphating-annealing strategy, CoP is in situ formed in hollow carbon-nanobox, both of which are wrapped by a thin nitrogen-doped carbon layer (CoP/HNBs@NCL). Tannic acid etches ZIF-67 nanobox to release Co2+ and 2-methylimidazole to generate hollow structure. As-marked CoP/HNBs@NCL-2 (271.9 m2 g−1) exhibits robust activities towards ORR (half-wave potential of 0.88 V) and OER (overpotential of 0.36 V), which outperforms many non-precious metal catalysts due to the strong interactions between CoP and N-species and the smooth mass transfer via the porous hollow structure. Even at high potentials (OER), HNBs@NCL framework can still relieve the leaching of Co species (leaching ratio of 15.5 % after 6 h) to obtain high corrosion resistance and stability. Theoretical calculations reveal that N atoms enhance the electron delocalization degree of Co sites in CoP to lower energy barriers and balance adsorption free-energies of O-intermediates to enhance oxygen electrocatalysis. Notably, ZAB with CoP/HNBs@NCL-2 air-electrode exhibits high peak power density (139.8 mW cm−2) and charge–discharge cycling stability (132 h). This work presents a reliable protocol to design hollow electrocatalysts with desirable bifunctional activity and stability for ZABs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing nonprecious-metal catalysts for oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) in Zinc-air battery (ZAB) by structural regulation is crucial, but balance between stable structure and efficient mass transfer is still ambiguous. Here, hollow bimetallic sulfide nanocages with anchored N-doped carbon-quantum-dots are synthesized using a selective-etching method (Ni-Fe-S/NCQDs). The marked Ni-Fe-S/3NCQDs exhibits a promising half-wave potential of 0.85 V (E 1/2 , ORR) and an excellent overpotential of 0.295 V at 10 mA cm−2 (OER). Ni-Fe-S/3NCQDs has a negative E 1/2 shift of only 12.8 mV after 5000 cycles (ORR) and a current-density decline of only 7.05 % after 20 h tests (OER). Ni-Fe-S/3NCQDs with porous-hollow structure (478.35 m2 g−1) facilitates mass transfer and exposure of active-sites. Ni/Fe oxyhydroxides (in-situ X-ray diffraction) contributes to excellent OER activity/stability. ZAB with Ni-Fe-S/3NCQDs can be repeatedly charged and discharged for 240 h at 10 mA cm−2. It provides a new strategy for constructing open-hollow structure to improve ORR/OER performances. [Display omitted] • NCQDs-anchored bimetallic sulfide nanocages with hollow structure are prepared. • Synergies between Ni-Fe-S and N-species boosts electron transfer to promote 4e- ORR. • Interaction between NiOOH and γ-FeOOH (in situ formed) promotes O 2 generation (OER). • Porous hollow interior creates numerous active interfaces and mass transfer pathways. • NCQDs on the nanocage surface protect active species to stabilize ORR/OER activity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]