Interactions between methyl octabromo ether flame retardant and expanded polystyrene microplastics in the photoaging process.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) plastic is widely used because of its low density and lightweight properties, enabling it to float on water and increase its exposure to sunlight. In this study, we simulated the photoaging process of flame retardant-added EPS (FR-EPS) and common original EPS (OR-EPS) microplastic (MP) particles with and without methyl octabromoether flame retardant (MOBE) in the laboratory to explore the effect of MOBE on the photodegradation of EPS. Results showed that MOBE accelerated size reduction and surface hole formation on the particles, hastening the shedding and replacement of particle surfaces. FR-EPS particles exhibited a weight loss exceeding that of OR-EPS, reaching 40.85 ± 3.72% after 36 days of irradiation. Moreover, rapid physical peeling of the FR-EPS surface was accompanied by continuous chemical oxidation and fluctuations of the carbonyl index and O/C ratio. A diffusion model based on Fick's second law fitted well for the concentration of MOBE remaining in FR-EPS particles. MOBE's sensitivity to direct photochemical reactions inhibited the early-stage photoaging of EPS MP particles by competing for photons. However, MOBE as chromophores could absorb photons and produce •OH to promote the aging of EPS. Moreover, the capacity of EPS to absorb light energy also accelerated MOBE degradation. These findings suggested that the photoaging behavior of commercial EPS products containing flame retardants in the environment is quite different from that of pure EPS, indicating that additive-plastic interactions significantly alter MP fate and environmental risks.

Environmental Applications of Electromembrane Extraction: A Review.

Electromembrane extraction (EME) is a miniaturized extraction technique that has been widely used in recent years for the analysis and removal of pollutants in the environment. It is based on electrokinetic migration across a supported liquid membrane (SLM) under the influence of an external electrical field between two aqueous compartments. Based on the features of the SLM and the electrical field, EME offers quick extraction, effective sample clean-up, and good selectivity, and limits the amount of organic solvent used per sample to a few microliters. In this paper, the basic devices (membrane materials and types of organic solvents) and influencing factors of EME are first introduced, and the applications of EME in the analysis and removal of environmental inorganic ions and organic pollutants are systematically reviewed. An outlook on the future development of EME for environmental applications is also given.

NPTX1 inhibits pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and migration and enhances chemotherapy sensitivity by targeting RBM10.

Pancreatic cancer (PC), one of the deadliest diseases worldwide, has exhibited an increasing incidence rate in recent years. The present study aimed to explore the biological mechanism of PC. Therefore, the expression levels of neuronal pentraxin 1 (NPTX1) and RNA-binding protein 10 (RBM10) were detected in PC cell lines using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot analyses prior to or following NPTX1 and RBM10 overexpression. Additionally, the proliferative ability of PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells treated with or without gemcitabine (GEM) and cisplatin (DDP) was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Cell apoptosis and the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins were determined by TUNEL assay and western blot analysis, respectively. Furthermore, wound healing and Transwell assays were performed to measure the migration and invasion abilities of PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells. The interaction between RBM10 and NPTX1 mRNA was detected by RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Additionally, cells were treated with actinomycin D to verify the regulatory effect of RBM10 on NPTX1 expression. This effect was further confirmed by RT-qPCR analysis. The results showed that NPTX1 was downregulated in PC cell lines. In addition, NPTX1 overexpression inhibited the proliferation and promoted apoptosis in PC cells. The results from the wound healing and Transwell assays revealed that the migration and invasion abilities of PANC-1 and BxPC-3 cells were reduced following NPTX1 overexpression. However, treatment of NPTX1-overexpressing cells with GEM or DDP attenuated PC cell viability. In addition, the results of the RIP assay revealed that RBM10 could bind with NPTX1. Furthermore, RBM10 overexpression could regulate NPTX1 expression, as evidenced by actinomycin D experiments. Overall, the results of the present study suggested that NPTX1 could inhibit PC and enhance the sensitivity of PC cells to chemotherapy. Additionally, NPTX1 was found to interact with RBM10, indicating that NPTX1 could inhibit PC via targeting RBM10.

Soluble TREM-1, as a new ligand for the membrane receptor Robo2, promotes hepatic stellate cells activation and liver fibrosis.

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) exists in two forms: a transmembrane form and a soluble form (sTREM-1). The levels of sTREM-1 are elevated in supernatants of activated HSCs. However, the role of sTREM-1 in HSC activation and liver fibrosis remains undefined. Previous studies have primarily focused on the transmembrane form of TREM-1; we innovatively observed the function of sTREM-1 as a ligand in liver fibrosis and screened its receptor. Here, recombinant sTREM-1 was used as a stimulator which induced HSC activation and further aggravated liver fibrosis. Then, screening for sTREM-1 interacting membrane receptors was performed using pull-down assay followed by mass spectrometry, and the membrane receptor roundabout guidance receptor 2 (Robo2) was identified as a candidate receptor for sTREM-1. The interaction between sTREM-1 and Robo2 was verified by pull-down and immunofluorescence. The role of Robo2 on sTREM-1-induced HSC activation and its downstream signal pathways was assessed by knockdown of Robo2 in LX-2 cells. Furthermore, HSC-specific knockdown of Robo2 was achieved in a mouse model of liver fibrosis by using a recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector to confirm the role of the receptor, and we proved that Robo2 knockdown inhibited the activation of HSC and liver fibrosis, which also led to the inactivation of Smad2/3 and PI3K/Akt pathways in sTREM-1-induced HSC activation and liver fibrosis. In conclusion, sTREM-1 acts as a new ligand of Robo2; the binding of sTREM-1 to Robo2 initiates the activation of the downstream Smad2/3 and PI3K/Akt signalling pathways, thereby promoting HSC activation and liver fibrosis.

Y-box binding protein 1 augments sorafenib resistance via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Sorafenib is the first-line treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1) is closely correlated with tumors and drug resistance. However, the relationship between YB-1 and sorafenib resistance and the underlying mechanism in HCC remain unknown. AIM: To explore the role and related mechanisms of YB-1 in mediating sorafenib resistance in HCC. METHODS: The protein expression levels of YB-1 were assessed in human HCC tissues and adjacent nontumor tissues. Next, we constructed YB-1 overexpression and knockdown hepatocarcinoma cell lines with lentiviruses and stimulated these cell lines with different concentrations of sorafenib. Then, we detected the proliferation and apoptosis in these cells by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling, flow cytometry and Western blotting assays. We also constructed a xenograft tumor model to explore the effect of YB-1 on the efficacy of sorafenib in vivo. Moreover, we studied and verified the specific molecular mechanism of YB-1 mediating sorafenib resistance in hepatoma cells by digital gene expression sequencing (DGE-seq). RESULTS: YB-1 protein levels were found to be higher in HCC tissues than in corresponding nontumor tissues. YB-1 suppressed the effect of sorafenib on cell proliferation and apoptosis. Consistently, the efficacy of sorafenib in vivo was enhanced after YB-1 was knocked down. Furthermore, KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of DGE-seq demonstrated that the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway was essential for the sorafenib resistance induced by YB-1. Subsequently, YB-1 interacted with two key proteins of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway (Akt1 and PIK3R1) as shown by searching the BioGRID and HitPredict websites. Finally, YB-1 suppressed the inactivation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway induced by sorafenib, and the blockade of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by LY294002 mitigated YB-1-induced sorafenib resistance. CONCLUSION: Overall, we concluded that YB-1 augments sorafenib resistance through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in HCC and suggest that YB-1 is a key drug resistance-related gene, which is of great significance for the application of sorafenib in advanced-stage HCC.

CT imaging changes of corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19): a multi-center study in Southwest China.

BACKGROUND: Since the first case of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection pneumonia was detected in Wuhan, China, a series of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 were found in Southwest China. The aim of this study was to describe the imaging manifestations of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection in southwest China. METHODS: In this retrospective study, data were collected from 131 patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from 3 Chinese hospitals. Their common clinical manifestations, as well as characteristics and evolvement features of chest CT images, were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 100 (76%) patients had a history of close contact with people living in Wuhan, Hubei. The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 included cough, fever. Most of the lesions identified in chest CT images were multiple lesions of bilateral lungs, lesions were more localized in the peripheral lung, 109 (83%) patients had more than two lobes involved, 20 (15%) patients presented with patchy ground glass opacities, patchy ground glass opacities and consolidation of lesions co-existing in 61 (47%) cases. Complications such as pleural thickening, hydrothorax, pericardial effusion, and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes were detected but only in rare cases. For the follow-up chest CT examinations (91 cases), We found 66 (73%) cases changed very quickly, with an average of 3.5 days, 25 cases (27%) presented absorbed lesions, progression was observed in 41 cases (46%), 25 (27%) cases showed no significant changes. CONCLUSION: Chest CT plays an important role in diagnosing COVID-19. The imaging pattern of multifocal peripheral ground glass or mixed consolidation is highly suspicious of COVID-19, that can quickly change over a short period of time.

Reduced white matter integrity in primary open-angle glaucoma: a DTI study using tract-based spatial statistics.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The present study was designed to map the alteration of white matter in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) by applying tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis. METHODS: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from MRI brain scans were collected from 15 POAG patients and 15 gender- and age-matched non-glaucoma controls using a SIEMENS Trio 3.0-Tesla scanner. For the white-matter analysis, DTI images were processed using FSL software (http://www.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/index.html). Fractional anisotropy (FA) between the POAG and control groups was compared by TBSS analysis corrected for multiple comparisons using threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE). RESULTS: Compared with non-glaucoma subjects, the occipital white matter in POAG patients had significantly lower FA values (p<0.05, corrected). CONCLUSION: The change in white-matter FA may indicate atrophy of the visual cortex that may be important in the diagnosis and treatment of POAG patients.

Voxel-based morphometry of the visual-related cortex in primary open angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To study changes in the morphometric characteristics of the whole brain visual-related cortex in various stages of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty POAG patients (nine early stage cases and 21 advanced-late stage cases) and 30 gender-, education-, and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Image data were obtained with a T1 weighted three-dimensional magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo sequence (T1WI 3D MP RAGE). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was used to assess regional differences in gray matter (GM) densities on T1WI 3D MP RAGE scans of patients versus controls. RESULTS: Compared with controls, brain regions with GM density changes were not found in the early stage of POAG patients but were found in the advanced-late stage of POAG patients. These changes with GM density reduction were mainly located in the bilateral primary visual cortex (BA17 and BA18), bilateral paracentral lobule (BA5), right precentral gyrus (BA6), right middle frontal gyrus (BA9), right inferior temporal gyrus (BA20), right angular gyrus (BA39), left praecuneus (BA7), left middle temporal gyrus (BA21), and superior temporal gyrus (BA22). Conversely, patients showed increased GM density in BA39 near the most damaged regions. In addition, in the advanced-late stage of POAG, some reduced GM density areas were related to binocular mean defect (MD) and disease duration (ranging from r = -0.761 to r = -0.458). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that there are different types of pathogenesis at different stages of POAG. Atrophy and degeneration of the visual-related cortex existed in the dorsal and ventral visual pathways in the advanced-late stage of POAG but were not found in the early stage of POAG using VBM. Such GM density changes are likely associated with the pathogenesis of POAG.