Search

Abstract Background The impact of the gut microbiome on the initiation and intensity of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) prompted by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is widely acknowledged. Nevertheless, there is inconsistency in the gut microbial associations with irAEs reported across various studies. Methods We performed a comprehensive analysis leveraging a dataset that included published microbiome data (n = 317) and in-house generated data from 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenome samples of irAEs (n = 115). We utilized a machine learning-based approach, specifically the Random Forest (RF) algorithm, to construct a microbiome-based classifier capable of distinguishing between non-irAEs and irAEs. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive analysis, integrating transcriptome and metagenome profiling, to explore potential underlying mechanisms. Results We identified specific microbial species capable of distinguishing between patients experiencing irAEs and non-irAEs. The RF classifier, developed using 14 microbial features, demonstrated robust discriminatory power between non-irAEs and irAEs (AUC = 0.88). Moreover, the predictive score from our classifier exhibited significant discriminative capability for identifying non-irAEs in two independent cohorts. Our functional analysis revealed that the altered microbiome in non-irAEs was characterized by an increased menaquinone biosynthesis, accompanied by elevated expression of rate-limiting enzymes menH and menC. Targeted metabolomics analysis further highlighted a notably higher abundance of menaquinone in the serum of patients who did not develop irAEs compared to the irAEs group. Conclusions Our study underscores the potential of microbial biomarkers for predicting the onset of irAEs and highlights menaquinone, a metabolite derived from the microbiome community, as a possible selective therapeutic agent for modulating the occurrence of irAEs.

Abstract Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) in biology describes a process by which proteins form membraneless condensates within a cellular compartment when conditions are met, including the concentration and posttranslational modifications of the protein components, the condition of the aqueous solution (pH, ionic strength, pressure, and temperature), and the existence of assisting factors (such as RNAs or other proteins). In these supramolecular liquid droplet-like inclusion bodies, molecules are held together through weak intermolecular and/or intramolecular interactions. With the aid of LLPS, cells can assemble functional sub-units within a given cellular compartment by enriching or excluding specific factors, modulating cellular function, and rapidly responding to environmental or physiological cues. Hence, LLPS is emerging as an important means to regulate biology and physiology. Yet, excessive inclusion body formation by, for instance, higher-than-normal concentrations or mutant forms of the protein components could result in the conversion from dynamic liquid condensates into more rigid gel- or solid-like aggregates, leading to the disruption of the organelle’s function followed by the development of human disorders like neurodegenerative diseases. In summary, well-controlled formation and de-formation of LLPS is critical for normal biology and physiology from single cells to individual organisms, whereas abnormal LLPS is involved in the pathophysiology of human diseases. In turn, targeting these aggregates or their formation represents a promising approach in treating diseases driven by abnormal LLPS including those neurodegenerative diseases that lack effective therapies.

To investigate the synergistic effect of IAA and melatonin (MT) on three plants to alleviate the effects of salt damage on plants, we aim to determine the optimal concentrations of exogenous hormone treatments that improve salinity resistance for each species. In this experiment, three desert plants, Sarcozygium xanthoxylon, Nitraria tangutorum, and Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, which are common in Wuhai City, were used as plant materials. Two time periods (12 h,24 h) of exogenous hormone IAA (100 μmol/L) and exogenous melatonin concentration (0, 100, 200, 300 μmol/L) were used to treat the three desert plants in saline soil under different conditions of exogenous IAA and exogenous melatonin. The results indicate that under different concentrations of exogenous IAA and melatonin, the germination rate and vigor of the three desert plant species in saline-alkaline soil improved. However, as the concentration of melatonin increased, the germination rate and vigor of these desert plants were inhibited. Whereas, plant height, root length, leaf length, fresh weight, dry weight, and root vigor of the three desert plants were alleviated under different conditions of exogenous IAA and exogenous melatonin. under the action of two exogenous hormones, the low concentration of melatonin decreased their malondialdehyde content and increased their proline content. As melatonin levels increased, the activity of antioxidant enzymes also rose initially, followed by a subsequent decline. This study highlights the synergistic effects of two exogenous hormones on the critical role of cell osmomodulators and antioxidant enzyme activity in combating salinity damage in three desert plants.

Abstract The perturbations of the gut microbiota and metabolites are closely associated with the progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, inconsistent findings across studies impede a comprehensive understanding of their roles in IBD and their potential as reliable diagnostic biomarkers. To address this challenge, here we comprehensively analyze 9 metagenomic and 4 metabolomics cohorts of IBD from different populations. Through cross-cohort integrative analysis (CCIA), we identify a consistent characteristic of commensal gut microbiota. Especially, three bacteria, namely Asaccharobacter celatus, Gemmiger formicilis, and Erysipelatoclostridium ramosum, which are rarely reported in IBD. Metagenomic functional analysis reveals that essential gene of Two-component system pathway, linked to fecal calprotectin, are implicated in IBD. Metabolomics analysis shows 36 identified metabolites with significant differences, while the roles of these metabolites in IBD are still unknown. To further elucidate the relationship between gut microbiota and metabolites, we construct multi-omics biological correlation (MOBC) maps, which highlights gut microbial biotransformation deficiencies and significant alterations in aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Finally, we identify multi-omics biomarkers for IBD diagnosis, validated across multiple global cohorts (AUROC values ranging from 0.92 to 0.98). Our results offer valuable insights and a significant resource for developing mechanistic hypotheses on host-microbiome interactions in IBD.

A high Fe content easily produces Fe-rich phases with a harmful morphology, resulting in a huge detrimental effect on the properties and recycling ability of Al-Si alloys. Therefore, finding ways to effectively transform Fe-rich phases to form a beneficial phase or shape is of great significance. Accordingly, Al-Si-based alloys with Fe contents ranging from 0.1 wt.% to 2.0 wt.% were modified by different Mn additions. Moreover, experiments combined with simulations were utilized to comprehensively analyze the mechanism of Mn on the morphology and microstructural evolution of Fe-rich phases from different perspectives. The current findings determine that adding different Fe contents changes the phase-transition reactions in alloys. Without Mn, and by increasing the Fe content from 0.1 wt.% to 2.0 wt.%, the Fe-rich phases gradually convert from a skeleton-shaped α-Al8Fe2Si (β-Al9Fe2Si2 with a fibrous (0.5 wt.%), needle-like (1.0 wt.%) and plate-like shape without curvatures (2.0 wt.%). The maximum length and mean aspect ratio increase from 12.01 μm to 655.66 μm and from 1.96 to 84.05, while the mean curvature decreases from 8.66 × 10−2 μm−1 to 8.25 × 10−4 μm−1. The addition of 0.35 wt.% Mn promotes a new Chinese-character and petal-shaped α-Al15(FeMn)3Si2, with an atomic ratio of Fe and Mn of 1:1 when the Fe content is lower than 0.5 wt.%, while it transforms to β-Al15(FeMn)3Si2 with an atomic ratio of 5:1, presenting as a refined plate-like shape with a certain curvature, as the Fe content increases to 2.0 wt.%. Mn alters the phase reactions and increases the threshold of the Fe content required for β-Al15(FeMn)3Si2, limiting the formation and growth of them simultaneously in time and space. The enrichment of Mn atoms and solute diffusion at the growth front of β-Al15(FeMn)3Si2, as well as the strong atomic-binding ability, can deflect the growth direction of β-Al15(FeMn)3Si2 for it to have a certain curvature. Additionally, the enriched Mn atoms easily form α-Al15(FeMn)3Si2 and cause the long β-Al15(FeMn)3Si2 to be broken and refined to further reduce the damages caused to the alloy’s performance. Ultimately, the maximum length and mean aspect ratio can be effectively reduced to 46.2% and 42.0%, respectively, while the mean curvature can be noticeably increased by 3.27 times with the addition of Mn.

Sjögren’s syndrome (SjS) is a systemic, highly diverse, and chronic autoimmune disease with a significant global prevalence. It is a complex condition that requires careful management and monitoring. Recent research indicates that epigenetic mechanisms contribute to the pathophysiology of SjS by modulating gene expression and genome stability. DNA methylation, a form of epigenetic modification, is the fundamental mechanism that modifies the expression of various genes by modifying the transcriptional availability of regulatory regions within the genome. In general, adding a methyl group to DNA is linked with the inhibition of genes because it changes the chromatin structure. DNA methylation changes the fate of multiple immune cells, such as it leads to the transition of naïve lymphocytes to effector lymphocytes. A lack of central epigenetic enzymes frequently results in abnormal immune activation. Alterations in epigenetic modifications within immune cells or salivary gland epithelial cells are frequently detected during the pathogenesis of SjS, representing a robust association with autoimmune responses. The analysis of genome methylation is a beneficial tool for establishing connections between epigenetic changes within different cell types and their association with SjS. In various studies related to SjS, most differentially methylated regions are in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) locus. Notably, the demethylation of various sites in the genome is often observed in SjS patients. The most strongly linked differentially methylated regions in SjS patients are found within genes regulated by type I interferon. This demethylation process is partly related to B-cell infiltration and disease progression. In addition, DNA demethylation of the runt-related transcription factor (RUNX1) gene, lymphotoxin-α (LTA), and myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA) is associated with SjS. It may assist the early diagnosis of SjS by serving as a potential biomarker. Therefore, this review offers a detailed insight into the function of DNA methylation in SjS and helps researchers to identify potential biomarkers in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic targets.

Abstract Multiparameter sensing such as vector magnetometry often involves complex setups due to various external fields needed in explicitly connecting one measured signal to one parameter. Here, we propose a paradigm of indirect encoding for vector atomic magnetometry based on machine learning. We encode the three-dimensional magnetic-field information in the set of four simultaneously acquired signals associated with the optical rotation of a laser beam traversing the atomic sample. The map between the recorded signals and the vectorial field information is established through a pre-trained deep neural network. We demonstrate experimentally a single-shot all optical vector atomic magnetometer, with a simple scalar-magnetometer design employing only one elliptically-polarized laser beam and no additional coils. Magnetic field amplitude sensitivities of about 100 $${{{{{{{\rm{fT}}}}}}}}/\sqrt{{{{{{{{\rm{Hz}}}}}}}}}$$ fT / Hz and angular sensitivities of about $$100 \sim 200\,\mu rad/\sqrt{{{{{{{{\rm{Hz}}}}}}}}}$$ 100 ~ 200 μ r a d / Hz (for a magnetic field of around 140 nT) are derived from the neural network. Our approach can reduce the complexity of the architecture of vector magnetometers, and may shed light on the general design of multiparameter sensing.

At present, heavy-metal-free quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) have shown great potential as a research hotspot in the field of optoelectronic devices. This article reviews the research on heavy-metal-free quantum dot (QD) materials and light-emitting diode (LED) devices. In the first section, we discussed the hazards of heavy-metal-containing quantum dots (QDs), such as environmental pollution and human health risks. Next, the main representatives of heavy-metal-free QDs were introduced, such as InP, ZnE (E=S, Se and Te), CuInS2, Ag2S, and so on. In the next section, we discussed the synthesis methods of heavy-metal-free QDs, including the hot injection (HI) method, the heat up (HU) method, the cation exchange (CE) method, the successful ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method, and so on. Finally, important progress in the development of heavy-metal-free QLEDs was summarized in three aspects (QD emitter layer, hole transport layer, and electron transport layer).

Objective: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to participate in various cancers via sponging miRNAs (microRNAs). However, their role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains elusive.Methods: The transcriptome data and corresponding clinical information of lung adenocarcinoma samples were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs), differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and differentially expressed genes (DEgenes) were identified and further used to constructed a circRNA-associated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. Real-Time qPCR analysis was conducted to examine gene expression at transcriptional level. The regulatory mechanisms of circRNA-miRNA-gene were validated by dual-luciferase reporter array and RNA pull-down assay. Cell growth, migration and invasion were evaluated by CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay and transwell assay, respectively.Results: Based on public microarray data, we systematically constructed a circRNA-associated ceRNA network including 11 DEcircRNAs, 8 DEmiRNAs and 49 DEgenes. Among the ceRNA network, we found that circ-0002727 was a key regulatory and was further confirmed to be upregulated in LUAD cancer cells. Subsequently, we found that silencing of circ-0002727 significantly suppressed the LUAD cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. Mechanistically, we showed that circ-0002727 could competitively bind miR-144-3p to enhance the KIF14 expression in LUAD cells. Rescue assays indicated that circ-0002727 could regulate LUAD cell proliferation through modulating miR-144-3p/KIF14 pathway. Besides, KIF14 expression level was positively correlated with TNM stage and metastasis, and patients with high KIF14 expression suffered poor prognosis.Conclusion: Taken together, our study revealed that circ-0002727 could act as a ceRNA to regulate LUAD progression via modulating miR-144-3p/KIF14 pathway, providing a potential therapeutic target for LUAD.

Hypersonic vehicles or engines usually employ complex thermal protecting shells. This sometimes brings multi-physics difficulties, e.g., thermal-aeroelastic problems like panel flutter etc. This paper aims to propose a novel optimization method versus thermal dynamic influence on panel vibration. A traditional panel structure was modelled and analyzed. After analyzing its dynamic characteristics of panel flutter, thermal effects were also included to propose thermal-aeroelastic analysis results of the present hypersonic panel. Then, a MMC (Moving Morphable Component) method was proposed to suggest dynamic optimization for such panel structures. The proposed method can provide arbitrary frequency control result in order to suggest a newly generated panel structure. Based on the optimal structures, dynamic analysis was presented again to verify the effectiveness of the optimization method. So aero-thermo-dynamic characteristics of the optimal panel structures could be investigated. It can be seen that the computational results presented significantly improved panel flutter results. The proposed dynamic optimization method can be employed for the design of panel structures versus high combustion temperatures or hypersonic aerodynamics.

Introduction: Triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) is widely used in the design of bone scaffolds due to its structural advantages. However, the current approach to designing bone scaffolds using TPMS structures is limited to a forward process from microstructure to mechanical properties. Developing an inverse bone scaffold design method based on the mechanical properties of bone structures is crucial.Methods: Using the machine learning and genetic algorithm, a new inverse design model was proposed in this research. The anisotropy of bone was matched by changing the number of cells in different directions. The finite element (FE) method was used to calculate the TPMS configuration and generate a back propagation neural network (BPNN) data set. Neural networks were used to establish the relationship between microstructural parameters and the elastic matrix of bone. This relationship was then used with regenerative genetic algorithm (RGA) in inverse design.Results: The accuracy of the BPNN-RGA model was confirmed by comparing the elasticity matrix of the inverse-designed structure with that of the actual bone. The results indicated that the average error was below 3.00% for three mechanical performance parameters as design targets, and approximately 5.00% for six design targets.Discussion: The present study demonstrated the potential of combining machine learning with traditional optimization method to inversely design anisotropic TPMS bone scaffolds with target mechanical properties. The BPNN-RGA model achieves higher design efficiency, compared to traditional optimization methods. The entire design process is easily controlled.

Background: Patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) are at increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity as compared with the general population. Objectives: A retrospective study on 349 Chinese patients with pSS was conducted to identify potential risk factors for cardiovascular events and develop a cardiovascular risk nomogram. Design: This is a retrospective observational study. Methods: The study included 349 patients who were diagnosed with pSS at Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, China from January 2010 to March 2022. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to select features for the cardiovascular risk model. The features selected in LASSO were used to build the cardiovascular risk model in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. C-index, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration plot, and decision curve analysis were used to assess the predictive model. Internal validation was performed by bootstrapping. Results: Sex, joint pain as an initial symptom, dry mouth, oral ulcers, dental caries, Raynaud’s phenomenon, fatigue, diabetes, elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level, and elevated systolic blood pressure were included in the nomogram for the prediction of cardiovascular risk. Our model had good discrimination (C-index: 0.824, 95% confidence interval: 0.712–0.936) and good calibration (C-index in the interval validation: 0.8). Decision curve analysis indicated that our nomogram demonstrated clinical usefulness for intervention in a cardiovascular disease possibility threshold of 3%. Conclusion: The cardiovascular risk nomogram incorporating sex, initial joint pain, dry mouth, oral ulcer, dental caries, Raynaud’s phenomenon, fatigue, diabetes, elevated TSH, and systolic blood pressure could be used in the prediction of cardiovascular risk in patients with pSS and the guidance of further treatment.

Summary: Genomic instability can promote inflammation and tumor development. Previous research revealed an unexpected layer of regulation of genomic instability by a cytoplasmic protein MYO10; however, the underlying mechanism remained unclear. Here, we report a protein stability-mediated mitotic regulation of MYO10 in controlling genome stability. We characterized a degron motif and phosphorylation residues in the degron that mediate β-TrCP1-dependent MYO10 degradation. The level of phosphorylated MYO10 protein transiently increases during mitosis, which is accompanied by a spatiotemporal cellular localization change first accumulating at the centrosome then at the midbody. Depletion of MYO10 or expression of MYO10 degron mutants, including those found in cancer patients, disrupts mitosis, increases genomic instability and inflammation, and promotes tumor growth; however, they also increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to Taxol. Our studies demonstrate a critical role of MYO10 in mitosis progression, through which it regulates genome stability, cancer growth, and cellular response to mitotic toxins.

Space-filling curves (SFCs) are commonly used in discrete global grid systems (DGGSs) and applied to efficient indices and queries of massive geospatial data. Although Hilbert curves have the best locality preservation and clustering properties among SFCs, they have two major problems when applied to a multiscale data index or query. (1) Poor clustering in multiscale space reduces the index efficiency, and (2) the complexity of the child-code calculation reduces the query efficiency. We propose a multiscale W-shaped Hilbert curve (W-Hilbert) with its coding and calculation methods to solve these problems. We conducted three comparative experiments with the existing multiscale U-shaped Hilbert curve (U-Hilbert). (1) W-Hilbert demonstrated more satisfactory clustering properties in the multiscale grid space than U-Hilbert. (2) The average child-code query efficiency of W-Hilbert was 2.84 times that of U-Hilbert. (3) For the spatial index and query of multiscale urban building data, the average spatial query efficiency of W-Hilbert was 52.22% higher than that of U-Hilbert. Overall, W-Hilbert is an effective method for massive geospatial data index and management.

The classical phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are heterodimers of p110 and p85. PIK3CA, the gene encoding the catalytic p110α subunit, is one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes in human cancers. Mutations have been observed to occur in hotspots in the helical domain or kinase domain. Tumors with these two types of PIK3CA mutations show overlapping yet distinct phenotypes; however, the underlying mechanisms driving these phenotypes remain unclear. In a recent publication [1], Hao et al. have revealed exciting findings indicating that the PI3K p85β regulatory subunit promotes cancer progression driven by PIK3CA helical-domain mutations. The authors found that p85β disassociates from the PI3K complex and translocates into the nucleus only in cancer cells bearing PIK3CA helical-domain mutations. Disrupting the nuclear localization of p85β suppresses tumor growth of cancer cells with PIK3CA helical-domain mutation in mice. Mechanistically, the authors have elegantly shown that nuclear p85β recruits the deubiquitinase USP7, which stabilizes the EZH1/2 histone methyltransferases and consequently enhances H3K27 trimethylation and the transcription of genes. Combining an EZH inhibitor with a PI3K inhibitor specifically resulted in regression of mouse xenograft tumors with PIK3CA helical-domain mutations. These findings illustrate a previously uncharacterized function of p85β in tumor development and suggest an effective approach to targeting tumors with PIK3CA helical-domain mutations.

DNA damage response (DDR) is a highly conserved genome surveillance mechanism that preserves cell viability in the presence of chemotherapeutic drugs. Hence, small molecules that inhibit DDR are expected to enhance the anti-cancer effect of chemotherapy. Through a recent chemical library screen, we identified shikonin as an inhibitor that strongly suppressed DDR activated by various chemotherapeutic drugs in cancer cell lines derived from different origins. Mechanistically, shikonin inhibited the activation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), and to a lesser degree ATM and RAD3-related (ATR), two master upstream regulators of the DDR signal, through inducing degradation of ATM and ATR-interacting protein (ATRIP), an obligate associating protein of ATR, respectively. As a result of DDR inhibition, shikonin enhanced the anti-cancer effect of chemotherapeutic drugs in both cell cultures and in mouse models. While degradation of ATRIP is proteasome dependent, that of ATM depends on caspase- and lysosome-, but not proteasome. Overexpression of ATM significantly mitigated DDR inhibition and cell death induced by shikonin and chemotherapeutic drugs. These novel findings reveal shikonin as a pan DDR inhibitor and identify ATM as a primary factor in determining the chemo sensitizing effect of shikonin. Our data may facilitate the development of shikonin and its derivatives as potential chemotherapy sensitizers through inducing ATM degradation.

The 53BP1 protein is well-known for its involvement in double-strand break (DSB) repair. Here the authors show 53BP1 undergoes significant liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) to play a role in heterochromatin maintenance and identify distinct domains/residues that function in DSB repair versus LLPS.

GaN-based micro-size light-emitting diodes (µLEDs) have a variety of attractive and distinctive advantages for display, visible-light communication (VLC), and other novel applications. The smaller size of LEDs affords them the benefits of enhanced current expansion, fewer self-heating effects, and higher current density bearing capacity. Low external quantum efficiency (EQE) resulting from non-radiative recombination and quantum confined stark effect (QCSE) is a serious barrier for application of µLEDs. In this work, the reasons for the poor EQE of µLEDs are reviewed, as are the optimization techniques for improving the EQE of µLEDs.

AlGaN-based deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (DUV LEDs) have great application prospects in sterilization, UV phototherapy, biological monitoring and other aspects. Due to their advantages of energy conservation, environmental protection and easy miniaturization realization, they have garnered much interest and been widely researched. However, compared with InGaN-based blue LEDs, the efficiency of AlGaN-based DUV LEDs is still very low. This paper first introduces the research background of DUV LEDs. Then, various methods to improve the efficiency of DUV LED devices are summarized from three aspects: internal quantum efficiency (IQE), light extraction efficiency (LEE) and wall-plug efficiency (WPE). Finally, the future development of efficient AlGaN-based DUV LEDs is proposed.

As the application of bone scaffolds becomes more and more widespread, the requirements for the high performance of bone scaffolds are also increasing. The stiffness and porosity of porous structures can be adjusted as needed, making them good candidates for repairing damaged bone tissues. However, the development of porous bone structures is limited by traditional manufacturing methods. Today, the development of additive manufacturing technology has made it very convenient to manufacture bionic porous bone structures as needed. In the present paper, the current state-of-the-art optimization techniques for designing the scaffolds and the settings of different optimization methods are introduced. Additionally, various design methods for bone scaffolds are reviewed. Furthermore, the challenges in designing high performance bone scaffolds and the future developments of bone scaffolds are also presented.

Background Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)‐related cell adhesion molecule 6 (CEACAM6) is a glycophosphoinositol‐anchored glycoprotein which mediates cell‐cell interactions. Here, we aimed to explore the specific functions and regulatory mechanisms of CEACAM6 on cisplatin (DDP) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods RNA sequencing was performed in the DDP‐resistant A549/DDP cell line and parental A549 cell line; miRNA expression profiling of the two cell lines was analyzed using GEO data (GSE43249). Gain‐ and loss‐of‐function experiments were used to investigate the biological function of CEACAM6 in vitro. The expression status and prognostic value of CEACAM6 in LUAD were verified using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Results CEACAM6 was first screened to be one of the most significantly upregulated genes in the DDP‐resistant A549/DDP cell line compared to the parental A549 cell line. Combined with computational prediction of candidate miRNAs that target CEACAM6, miR‐146a and miR‐26a were selected and verified by qPCR and luciferase reporter assay. The knockdown of CEACAM6 expression in A549/DDP cells inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and migration, decreased the IC50 values of DDP, and caused a significant downregulation of N‐cadherin, vimentin, Sox2, Oct4 and GTP‐RhoA and upregulation of E‐cadherin; while CEACAM6 overexpression in A549 cells resulted in the opposite effects. Of note, both miR‐146a and miR‐26a could counteract the biological effects of CEACAM6. Furthermore, CEACAM6 mRNA expression was significantly unregulated in DDP‐resistant LUAD tissues of TCGA database. Conclusions CEACAM6 promotes DDP resistance in LUAD by affecting the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype and stemness, which is post‐transcriptionally regulated by miR‐146a and miR‐26a.

Abstract Background Evidence suggests that altered DNA methylation plays a causative role in the occurrence, progression and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). Thus, methylated-differentially expressed genes (MDEGs) could potentially serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in GC. Methods Four genomics profiling datasets were used to identify MDEGs. Gene Ontology enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis were used to explore the biological roles of MDEGs in GC. Univariate Cox and LASSO analysis were used to identify survival-related MDEGs and to construct a MDEGs-based signature. The prognostic performance was evaluated in two independent cohorts. Results We identified a total of 255 MDEGs, including 192 hypermethylation-low expression and 63 Hypomethylation-high expression genes. The univariate Cox regression analysis showed that 83 MDEGs were associated with overall survival. Further we constructed an eight-MDEGs signature that was independent predictive of prognosis in the training cohort. By applying the eight-MDEGs signature, patients in the training cohort could be categorized into high-risk or low-risk subgroup with significantly different overall survival (HR = 2.62, 95% CI 1.71–4.02, P

Abstract Background Epigenetic alterations are involved in various aspects of colorectal carcinogenesis. N 6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications of RNAs are emerging as a new layer of epigenetic regulation. As the most abundant chemical modification of eukaryotic mRNA, m6A is essential for the regulation of mRNA stability, splicing, and translation. Alterations of m6A regulatory genes play important roles in the pathogenesis of a variety of human diseases. However, whether this mRNA modification participates in the glucose metabolism of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains uncharacterized. Methods Transcriptome-sequencing and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were performed to evaluate the correlation between m6A modifications and glucose metabolism in CRC. Mass spectrometric metabolomics analysis, in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of METTL3 on CRC glycolysis and tumorigenesis. RNA MeRIP-sequencing, immunoprecipitation and RNA stability assay were used to explore the molecular mechanism of METTL3 in CRC. Results A strong correlation between METTL3 and 18F-FDG uptake was observed in CRC patients from Xuzhou Central Hospital. METTL3 induced-CRC tumorigenesis depends on cell glycolysis in multiple CRC models. Mechanistically, METTL3 directly interacted with the 5′/3’UTR regions of HK2, and the 3’UTR region of SLC2A1 (GLUT1), then further stabilized these two genes and activated the glycolysis pathway. M6A-mediated HK2 and SLC2A1 (GLUT1) stabilization relied on the m6A reader IGF2BP2 or IGF2BP2/3, respectively. Conclusions METTL3 is a functional and clinical oncogene in CRC. METTL3 stabilizes HK2 and SLC2A1 (GLUT1) expression in CRC through an m6A-IGF2BP2/3- dependent mechanism. Targeting METTL3 and its pathway offer alternative rational therapeutic targets in CRC patients with high glucose metabolism.

AMP-activated alpha 1 catalytic subunit (PRKAA1) is one of the subunits of the mammalian 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) playing an important role in maintaining intracellular energy metabolism and associating with the risk of gastric cancer (GC). This paper aims to uncover the influences of PRKAA1 on the tumorigenesis of GC, as well as the underlying mechanisms. We found that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection markedly increased p-NF-κBp50 and NF-κBp50 expression, along with the PRKAA1 expression, which was inhibited by NF-κBp50 knockdown. NF-κBp50 and PRKAA1 expression were lower in non-tumor gastric tissues compared with that in GC tumor tissues. Up-regulation of PRKAA1 expression was correlated with poor survival in GC patients. MKN-45 and BGC-823 cells stably knockdown of PRKAA1 were transplanted into nude mice and observed the decreased cell metastasis in the lungs. PRKAA1 knockdown in GC cells showed significant decreases in the cell invasion and migration and inhibited MMP-2 expression and NF-κB activation, whereas PRKAA1 involved in NF-κBp50 mediated GC cell invasion and migration. In conclusion, our findings suggest the involvement of NF-κBp50 in the regulation of PRKAA1 in GC tumorigenesis.

Zinc finger and BTB domain containing 20 (ZBTB20), a sequence-specific transcriptional repressor, has been found to be involved in tumorigenesis. However, its role(s) in gastric cancer and the molecular mechanisms involved are poorly investigated. Here, our data demonstrated that ZBTB20 expression was markedly upregulated in gastric cancer cell lines infected with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and in gastric cancer tumor samples. Loss- and gain-of-function studies showed that ZBTB20 promoted cell proliferation, invasion and migration of gastric cancer cell lines. Mechanistically, the phosphorylation of NF-κBp65 and expression and activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were increased, while IκBα expression was decreased by ZBTB20 in gastric cancer cells. We further revealed that IκBα overexpression significantly inhibited NF-κB signaling as well as cell migration, invasion and proliferation in gastric cancer cell lines induced by ZBTB20 overexpression. Therefore, our findings emphasize an important role for ZBTB20 in controlling gastric cancer development, which is helpful to identify potential therapeutic targets for its treatment.

HOXA11, which is a member of the homeobox (HOX) gene family, and its natural antisense transcript (NAT) HOXA11-AS have been reported to be closely related to the development of lung cancer. We aimed to investigate their specific roles in cisplatin (DDP) resistance in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). First, we found that HOXA11 is hypermethylated and significantly downregulated in a DDP-resistant A549 cell line (A549/DDP) and LUAD tissues, while the HOXA11-AS expression level is elevated. Although HOXA11 and HOXA11-AS mRNA overlap in the 5ʹ-untranslated region (5ʹ UTR) and share two CpG islands, DNA methylation only regulates the expression of HOXA11. Then, we found that HOXA11 and HOXA11-AS have an inverse interaction by transfecting their siRNAs and overexpression vectors into A549 and A549/DDP cells. A dual-luciferase reporter assay further confirmed that the overlapping 5ʹUTR is essential for the bidirectional regulation between HOXA11 and HOXA11-AS. Functional analysis showed that knockdown of HOXA11 expression in A549 cells induced DDP resistance and activated Akt/β-catenin signaling, while overexpression of HOXA11 in A549/DDP cells increased DDP sensitivity and inhibited Akt/β-catenin signaling. Moreover, HOXA11-AS knockdown in A549 cells increased DDP sensitivity and inhibited Akt/β-catenin signaling, while the overexpression of HOXA11-AS in A549/DDP cells induced DDP resistance and activated Akt/β-catenin signaling. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the inverse interaction between HOXA11 and HOXA11-AS promotes DDP resistance in LUAD.

Abstract Seedpod, the nonedible portion of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.), was reported to be rich in polyphenols. The objective of this study was to investigate the major bioactive polyphenols of the lotus seedpods. The total polyphenol content (TPC) from ethanol extract of lotus seedpod (PELS) was found to be 34.23 μg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/mg extract. Four polyphenolic compounds were identified in the PELS, comprised of one flavan‐3‐ol (catechin) and three flavonoids (kaemferol, quercetin and hyperoside). In vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative properties of the PELS were evaluated. PELS exhibited 89.38%, 99.82%, 68.25%, and 95.82% scavenging activities against 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide, hydroxyl, and 2,2ʹazinobis‐3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS) radicals, respectively, at 1.6 mg/ml. The Fe3+ reducing power of PELS was 0.605 at 0.32 mg/ml, which is comparable to glutathione (GSH). The PELS showed 31.79% metal chelating capacity and 87.79% inhibition of linoleic acid auto‐oxidation at 1.6 mg/ml. PELS showed cytotoxicity toward HepG2 and LNcap cell lines in vitro with IC50 values at 44.59 and 11.50 μg/ml, respectively. The findings of this study provide evidences that the inedible lotus seedpod could be a source for natural antioxidants and anticancer agents.

The chemokine ligand C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 11 (CXCL11) is involved in the progression of various cancers, but its biological roles in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain confused. Therefore, the prognostic value and underlying mechanism of CXCL11 in CRC were preliminarily evaluated. Three independent datasets were used for mRNA-related analysis: one dataset from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, n = 451) and two single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO): GSE146771 and GSE132465. In addition, a colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) patient cohort (the Yijishan Hospital cohort, YJSHC, n = 108) was utilized for analysis of cell infiltration by immunohistochemistry. We determined the distribution of CXCL11 in tumor tissue across all TCGA cancers and found that CXCL11 expression was significantly upregulated in both COAD and rectal adenocarcinoma (READ). However, the upregulation of CXCL11 mRNA was associated with a better prognosis in COAD, but not in READ. Within the YJSHC, the patients with a high abundance of intratumoral CXCL11+ cells had prolonged survival (p = 0.001). Furthermore, we found that the high CXCL11 expression group had a higher proportion of antitumor immune cells, and a lower proportion of protumor immune cells. Additionally, we discovered the changes of gene expression and enriched immune pathway network mediated by CXCL11. Interestingly, both cytotoxic genes (IFNG, GZMA, GZMB, GZMK, GZMM, and PRF1) and immunosuppressive molecules, including PD-L1, were positively correlated with CXCL11 expression. CXCL11, which promoted antitumor immunity to benefit survival, was identified as an independent prognostic biomarker in patients with COAD.

Shikonin is a natural naphthoquinone compound and has demonstrated potent anti-cancer activities; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remained elusive. Here we report that Shikonin inhibited the growth of a wide range of human cancer cell lines, illustrating a broad anticancer effect. Mechanistically, we show that Shikonin arrested the cell cycle at the G2/M phase, inhibited the ERK-dependent cell growth signal, and induced cell death in both P53 wild type and mutant cancer cells, which collectively contributed to the growth inhibitory effect of Shikonin. A pan-apoptosis inhibitor largely suppressed Shikonin-induced cell death, suggesting an important role of apoptosis in this process. Intriguingly, Shikonin also activated autophagy and inhibition of autophagy by depleting critical autophagic genes further increased Shikonin-induced cell death, indicating a protective role of autophagy. In uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects of Shikonin, we found that Shikonin induced a robust upregulation of P21 independent of the P53 status, upregulated autophagy genes, as well as inhibited expression of genes required for cell growth. Using mouse tumor models, we confirmed the strong anticancer effect of Shikonin in vivo. Together, our data reveal a broad range of pharmacological functions of Shikonin, involving simultaneous growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, autophagy activation and apoptosis induction through regulating expression of critical genes involved in these pathways. Our study may facilitate the development of Shikonin in cancer therapy as a single agent or in combination with other anticancer therapies.

BackgroundEpithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a major process in the initiation of tumor metastasis, where cancer cells lose sessile epithelial potential and gain mesenchymal phenotype. Large-scale cell identity shifts are often orchestrated on an epigenetic level and the interplay between epigenetic factors and EMT progression was still largely unknown. In this study, we tried to identify candidate epigenetic factors that involved in EMT progression.MethodsColorectal cancer (CRC) cells were transfected with an arrayed shRNA library targeting 384 genes involved in epigenetic modification. Candidate genes were identified by real-time PCR. Western blot, RNA-seq and gene set enrichment analysis were conducted to confirm the suppressive role of ALKBH4 in EMT. The clinical relevance of ALKBH4 in CRC was investigated in two independent Renji Cohorts and a microarray dataset (GSE21510) from GEO database. In vitro transwell assay and in vivo metastatic tumor model were performed to explore the biological function of ALKBH4 in the metastasis of CRC. Co-IP (Co-Immunoprecipitation) and ChIP (Chromatin Immunoprecipitation) assays were employed to uncover the mechanism.ResultsWe screened for candidate epigenetic factors that affected EMT process and identified ALKBH4 as a candidate EMT suppressor gene, which was significantly downregulated in CRC patients. Decreased level of ALKBH4 was associated with metastasis and predicted poor prognosis of CRC patients. Follow-up functional experiments illustrated overexpression of ALKBH4 inhibited the invasion ability of CRC cells in vitro, as well as their metastatic capability in vivo. Mechanistically, CO-IP and ChIP assays indicated that ALKBH4 competitively bound WDR5 (a key component of histone methyltransferase complex) and decreased H3K4me3 histone modification on the target genes including MIR21.ConclusionsThis study illustrated that ALKBH4 may function as a novel metastasis suppressor of CRC, and inhibits H3K4me3 modification through binding WDR5 during EMT.

By employing ordinary Portland cement as a matrix and PZT-5H piezoelectric ceramic as the functional body, 1-3 and 2-2 cement-based piezoelectric composites were prepared. Quasi-static compression tests were performed along with dynamic impact loading tests to study the electro-mechanical response characteristics of 1-3 and 2-2 cement-based piezoelectric composites. The research results show that both composites exhibit strain rate effects under quasi-static compression and dynamic impact loading since they are strain-rate sensitive materials. The sensitivity of the two composites has a non-linear mutation point: in the quasi-static state, the sensitivity of 1-3 and 2-2 composites is 157 and 169 pC/N, respectively; in the dynamic state, the respective sensitivity is 323 and 296 pC/N. Although the sensitivity difference is not significant, the linear range of the 2-2 composite is 24.8% and 61.3% larger than that of the 1-3 composite under quasi-static compression and dynamic impact loading, respectively. Accordingly, the 2-2 composite exhibits certain advantages as a sensor material, irrespective of whether it is subjected to quasi-static or dynamic loading.

In this work, spherical flower-shaped composite carbonyl iron powder@MnO2 (CIP@MnO2) with CIP as the core and ultrathin MnO2 nanosheets as the shell was successfully prepared by a simple redox reaction to improve oxidation resistance and electromagnetic wave absorption properties. The microwave-absorbing properties of CIP@MnO2 composites with different filling ratios (mass fractions of 20%, 40%, and 60% after mixing with paraffin) were tested and analyzed. The experimental results show that compared with pure CIP, the CIP@MnO2 composites have smaller minimum reflection loss and a wider effective absorption bandwidth than CIP (RL < −20 dB). The sample filled with 40 wt% has the best comprehensive performance, the minimum reflection loss is −63.87 dB at 6.32 GHz, and the effective absorption bandwidth (RL < −20 dB) reaches 7.28 GHz in the range of 5.92 GHz–9.28 GHz and 11.2 GHz–15.12 GHz, which covers most C and X bands. Such excellent microwave absorption performance of the spherical flower-like CIP@MnO2 composites is attributed to the combined effect of multiple beneficial components and the electromagnetic attenuation ability generated by the special spherical flower-like structure. Furthermore, this spherical flower-like core–shell shape aids in the creation of discontinuous networks, which improve microwave incidence dispersion, polarize more interfacial charges, and allow electromagnetic wave absorption. In theory, this research could lead to a simple and efficient process for producing spherical flower-shaped CIP@MnO2 composites with high absorption, a wide band, and oxidation resistance for a wide range of applications.

Abstract Background Autogamy in cultivated tomato varieties is a derived trait from wild type tomato plants, which are mostly allogamous. However, environmental stresses can cause morphological defects in tomato flowers and hinder autogamy. Under elevated temperatures, tomato plants usually exhibit the phenotype of stigma exsertion, with severely hindered self-pollination and fruit setting, whereas the inherent mechanism of stigma exsertion have been hitherto unknown. Numerous small RNAs (sRNAs) have been shown to play significant roles in plant development and stress responses, however, none of them have been studied with respect to stamen and pistil development under high-temperature conditions. We investigated the associations between stigma exsertion and small RNAs using high-throughput sequencing technology and molecular biology approaches. Results Sixteen sRNA libraries of Micro-Tom were constructed from plants stamen and pistil samples and sequenced after 2 d and 12 d of exposure to heat stress, respectively, from which a total of 110 known and 84 novel miRNAs were identified. Under heat stress conditions, 34 known and 35 novel miRNAs were differentially expressed in stamens, and 20 known and 10 novel miRNAs were differentially expressed in pistils. GO and KEGG pathway analysis showed that the predicted target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were significantly enriched in metabolic pathways in both stamen and pistil libraries. Potential miRNA-target cleavage cascades that correlated with the regulation of stigma exsertion under heat stress conditions were found and validated through qRT-PCR and RLM-5′ RACE. Conclusion Overall, a global spectrum of known and novel miRNAs involved in tomato stigma exsertion and induced by high temperatures were identified using high-throughput sequencing and molecular biology approaches, laying a foundation for revealing the miRNA-mediated regulatory network involved in the development of tomato stamens and pistils under high-temperature conditions.

Carbon nanospheres with a high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area were fabricated via the pyrolysis of polyacrylonitrile–poly(methyl methacrylate) (PAN–PMMA) core–shell nanoparticles. Firstly, PAN–PMMA nanoparticles at high concentration and low surfactant content were controllably synthesized by a two-stage azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN)-initiated semicontinuous emulsion polymerization. The carbon nanospheres were obtained after the PAN core domain was converted into carbon and the PMMA shell was sacrificed via the subsequent heat treatment steps. The thickness of the PMMA shell can be easily adjusted by changing the feeding volume ratio (FVR) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) to acrylonitrile (AN). At an FVR of 1.6, the coarse PAN cores were completely buried in the PMMA shells, and the surface of the obtained PAN–PMMA nanoparticles became smooth. The thick PMMA shell can inhibit the adhesion between carbon nanospheres caused by cyclization reactions during heat treatment. The carbon nanospheres with a diameter of 35–65 nm and a high BET specific surface area of 612.8 m2/g were obtained from the PAN–PMMA nanoparticles synthesized at an FVR of 1.6. The carbon nanospheres exhibited a large adsorption capacity of 190.0 mg/g for methylene blue, thus making them excellent adsorbents for the removal of organic pollutants from water.

A numerical analysis method for wind-induced response of structures is presented which is based on the pseudo-excitation method to significantly reduce the computational complexity while preserving accuracy. Original pseudo-excitation method was developed suitable for adoption by combining an effective computational fluid dynamic method which can be used to replace wind tunnel tests when finding important aerodynamic parameters. Two problems investigated are gust responses of a composite wing and buffeting vibration responses of the Tsing Ma Bridge. Atmospheric turbulence effects are modeled by either k–ω shear stress transport or detached eddy simulation. The power spectral responses and variances of the wing are computed by employing the Dryden atmospheric turbulence spectrum and the computed values of the local stress standard deviation of the Tsing Ma Bridge are compared with experimental values. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method can provide highly efficient numerical analysis of two kinds of wind-induced responses of structures and hence has significant benefits for wind-induced vibration engineering.

Long non-coding RNA small ubiquitin-like modifier 1 pseudogene 3 (SUMO1P3) is located on chromosome 1q23.2, and has been suggested to serve as oncogenic lncRNA in many kinds of human malignancy. The role of SUMO1P3 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was still unknown. In our study, we analyzed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and observed SUMO1P3 expression was increased in both lung squamous cell carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma. Then, we confirmed that SUMO1P3 expression was significantly increased in NSCLC cancer tissues and cell lines. Meanwhile, the expression levels of SUMO1P3 expression in metastatic lymph node specimens were strikingly elevated in comparison to primary NSCLC tissue specimens. Then, we found high SUMO1P3 expression was correlated with late clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and poor differentiated degree. In the survival analysis of TCGA, we observed that SUMO1P3 expression had no association with overall survival and disease free survival in NSCLC patients. There was a statistically negative correlation between SUMO1P3 expression and miR-136 expression in NSCLC tissues. Moreover, miR-136 directly bound to SUMO1P3, and SUMO1P3 negatively regulated miR-136 expression in NSCLC cells. Furthermore, SUMO1P3 promoted NSCLC cell migration and invasion via regulating miR-136. In conclusion, SUMO1P3 functions as metastasis-associated lncRNA in NSCLC.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Buddleja officinalis Maxim eye drops on morphology and apoptosis in lacrimal glands of the experimental dry eye rabbit model. A total of thirty-six male rabbits were divided into six study groups, consisting of the control group and the dry eye rabbit model group (without any treatment), the dry eye rabbit model group treated with testosterone, and the dry eye rabbit model group treated with different concentrations of Buddleja officinalis Maxim eye drops (1.0 mg/ml, 1.5 mg/ml and 3.0 mg/ml). The lacrimal glands were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. Buddleja officinalis Maxim eye drops can improve the morphological structure of the lacrimal gland in the dry eye model of castrated rabbits. The average optical density values of PI3K, Akt, and caspase-9 protein in the lacrimal gland tissue of the 3 mg/ml Buddleja officinalis Maxim eye drops group were significantly different from those in the model group (P0.05). Buddleja officinalis Maxim eye drops can improve the morphological structure of the lacrimal gland in the dry eye model of castrated rabbits.

Deep-sea fungi have become a new arsenal for the discovery of leading compounds. Here five new ophiobolins 1–5, together with six known analogues 6–11, obtained from a deep-sea derived fungus WHU0154. Their structures were determined by analyses of IR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR spectra, along with experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analysis. Pharmacological studies showed that compounds 4 and 6 exhibited obvious inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Mechanical study revealed that compound 6 could inhibit the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) level in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, compounds 6, 9, and 10 could significantly inhibit the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX 2) in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) analyses revealed that the aldehyde group at C-21 and the α, β-unsaturated ketone functionality at A ring in ophiobolins were vital for their anti-inflammatory effects. Together, the results demonstrated that ophiobolins, especially for compound 6, exhibited strong anti-inflammatory effects and shed light on the discovery of ophiobolins as new anti-inflammatory agents.

Fe3O4 decorated graphene was synthesized for electromagnetic wave absorption via a facile one-pot hydrothermal approach. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared nanomaterials were systematically investigated. The graphene oxide (GO) was reduced and Fe3O4 nanoparticles were evenly decorated on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets. The average particle size of Fe3O4 nanoparticles is about 15.3 nm. The as-prepared rGO-Fe3O4 nanocomposites exhibited a good microwave absorption performance because of the combination of graphene and magnetic Fe3O4. When the thicknesses are 1.6 mm and 6.5 mm, the reflection loss (RL) values are up to −34.4 dB and −37.5 dB, respectively. The effective bandwidths are 3.8 and 1.9 GHz.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) in monolayer form have attracted a great deal of attention for electronic and optical applications. Compared to mechanical exfoliation and chemical synthesis, laser thinning is a novel and unique “on-demand” approach to fabricate monolayers or pattern desired shapes with high controllability and reproducibility. Its successful demonstration motivates a further exploration of the dynamic behaviour of this local thinning process. Here, we present an in-situ study of void formation by laser irradiation with the assistance of temporal Raman evolution. In the analysis of time-dependent Raman intensity, an empirical formula relating void size to laser power and exposure time is established. Void in thinner MoS2 flakes grows faster than in thicker ones as a result of reduced sublimation temperature in the two-dimensional (2D) materials. Our study provides useful insights into the laser-thinning dynamics of 2D TMDCs and guidelines for an effective control over the void formation.

This article presents a formulation of the time-fractional generalized Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation using the Euler-Lagrange variational technique in the Riemann-Liouville derivative sense. It finds an approximate solitary wave solution, and shows that He's variational iteration method is an efficient technique in finding the solution.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) demonstrate great potential in numerous applications. However, these applications require a precise control of layer thickness at the atomic scale. In this work, we present an in-situ study of the self-limiting oxidation process in MoTe2 by ozone (O3) treatment. A precise layer-by-layer control of MoTe2 flakes can be achieved via multiple cycles of oxidation and wet etching. The thinned MoTe2 flakes exhibit comparable optical properties and film quality to the pristine exfoliated ones. Besides, an additional p-type doping is observed after O3 oxidation. Such a p-doping effect converts the device properties of MoTe2 from electron-dominated to hole-dominated ambipolar characteristics.

A facile and environmentally friendly method is proposed to prepare reduced graphene oxide⁻nickel (RGO⁻Ni) nanocomposites using γ-ray irradiation. Graphene oxide (GO) and Ni2+ are reduced by the electrons which originated from the gamma radiolysis of H2O. The structure and morphology of the obtained RGO⁻Ni nanocomposites were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The results show that Ni nanoparticles were dispersed uniformly on the surface of the RGO nanosheets. As expected, the combination of RGO nanosheets and Ni nanoparticles improved the electromagnetic wave absorption because of the better impedance matching. RGO⁻Ni nanocomposites exhibited efficient electromagnetic wave absorption performance. The minimum reflection loss (RL) of RGO⁻Ni reached −24.8 dB, and the highest effective absorption bandwidth was up to 6.9 GHz (RL < −10 dB) with a layer thickness of 9 mm.

Background and objective DNA methylation is one of the mechanisms of epigenetics. Allelic loss located on chromosome 3p happen frequently and early in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study is to detect the promoter methylation status of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) located on chromosome 3p in NSCLC and to evaluate its correlation with clinicopathological features. Methods A total of 78 paired NSCLC specimens and their adjacent normal tissues were collected in the study. Promoter methylation status was determined by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). DLEC1 gene expression was determined by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results Aberrant methylation frequency of DLEC1, RASSF1A, hMLH1, RARβ and FHIT genes detected in 78 NSCLC tissues were 41.03%, 39.74%, 30.77% and 16.67%, respectively, which were all significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues. However, FHIT gene was not detected methylation in both cancerous and non-cancerous tissues. DLEC1 hypermethylation was associated with advanced stage (P=0.011) and lymph metastasis (P=0.019), while RASSF1A, RARβ, hMLH1 and mean methylation index (MI) were not correlated with any clinicopathological parameters. Moreover, DLEC1 gene downregulation was detected in 56.41% (44/78) NSCLC tissues and correlated with promoter hypermethylation. Conclusion Frequent hypermethylation of TSGs located on chromosome 3p was a common event contributing to NSCLC pathogenesis and DLEC1 methylation was closely correlated with loss of expression.