Arsenite adsorption and oxidation affected by soil humin: The significant role of persistent free radicals and reactive oxygen species.

Humin (HM), as the main component of soil organic matter, carries various reactive groups and plays a crucial regulatory role in the transformation of arsenic (As). However, current research on the redox pathway of As and its interactions with HM is relatively limited. This study aimed to explore the impact of different HM samples on the redox characteristics of As. The results showed that HM can not only adsorb arsenite [As(III)] but also oxidize As(III) into arsenate [As(V)]. However, once As(III) is adsorbed on the HM, it cannot undergo further oxidation. HMNM (extracted from peat soil) exhibited the highest adsorption capacity of As(III), with a maximum amount of 1.95 mg/kg. The functional groups of HM involved in As complexation were primarily phenolic hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. The adsorption capacity of HM samples for As(III) was consistent with their carboxyl group contents. The oxygen-containing functional groups and environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) on HM can directly oxidize As(Ⅲ) through electron transfer, or indirectly induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydroxyl radicals, to further oxidize As(Ⅲ). This study provides new insight into the transport and transformation process of As mediated by soil HM, and establishes a theoretical basis for As remediation.

Coupling dynamics of respiration, gas exchange, and Pseudomonas fluorescens growth on fresh-cut cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in passive modified atmosphere packing.

This study established microbial growth models for fresh-cut cucumber packaged with different O2 transmission rate (OTR) films. Biaxially oriented polyamide/low-density polyethylene (BOPA/LDPE) film (Ⅰ: OTR5, Ⅳ: OTR48) and polyethylene (PE) film (Ⅱ: OTR2058, Ⅲ: OTR3875) were used to construct a passive modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Mathematic models have been established to account for dynamic variations in the O2/CO2 concentration and their impacts on Pseudomonas fluorescens growth. The coupling models included: 1) respiration models of cucumber and P. fluorescens based on Michaëlis-Menten equation, 2) coupling gas exchange models based on Fick's law that contained models of P. fluorescens growth and respiration, 3) coupling microbial growth models contained respiration and gas exchange models. Coupling model with Baranyi function successfully fitted variations of O2/CO2 concentration and P. fluorescens growth in the two packaging. In addition, quality properties of packed fresh-cut cucumber were determined. The film Ⅳ (OTR48) as a high barrier film showed the highest inhibition of P. fluorescens growth, adequately retained its colour, firmness and total soluble solid (TSS) concentration in contrast to the PE films packaging. The constructed coupling models can be utilized for assessing the shelf life and microbial growth of fresh-cut vegetables with spoilage dominated by pseudomonads.

MicroRNA-196a-5p targeting LRP1B modulates phenotype of thyroid carcinoma cells.

INTRODUCTION: Thyroid cancer (TC) is a common endocrine malignancy, comprising nearly one-third of all head and neck malignancies worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in the malignant progression of multiple cancers; however, their contribution to thyroid diseases has not been fully explored. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study aimed to illustrate the regulatory mechanism of microRNA-196a-5p in TC progression and to investigate whether microRNA-196a-5p affects progression of TC cells by targeting low-density lipoprotein receptor-associated protein 1B (LRP1B). MicroRNA-196a-5p and LRP1B expression status in TC cells and normal human thyroid cells was detected by quantative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, scratch healing assay, and Transwell assay were also performed. RESULTS: The results showed that microRNA-196a-5p expression was up-regulated and LRP1B expression was down regulated in TC cells. In addition, the upregulation of microRNA-196a-5p facilitated progression of TC cells. Silencing microRNA-196a-5p led to the opposite results. Dual-luciferase reporter assay offered evidence for microRNA-196a-5p targeting LRP1B in TC. MicroRNA-196a-5p could target LRP1B to facilitate proliferation, invasion, and migration of TC cells. CONCLUSION: Overall, this study revealed that microRNA-196a-5p may be a cancer-promoting microRNA that plays an important role in TC progression.

Attenuated African swine fever virus through serial passaging of viruses in cell culture: a brief review on the knowledge gathered during 60 years of research.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly pathogenic double-stranded DNA virus. It affects various breeds of pigs, causing serious economic losses and health threats because of its rapid spread and high pathogenicity and infectivity. This situation is not helped by the lack of a validated vaccine or effective therapies. Since the 1960s, different strains of ASFV have been subjected to serial passage in a variety of cell lines. The attenuated ASFV strains obtained through serial passage are not only candidates for ASF vaccine research, but also are useful to study the molecular genetic characteristics and pathogenic mechanism of the virus. This review summarizes related studies on the attenuated strains of ASFV acquired through cell passage over the last 60 years, with the aim of providing inspiration for the rational design of vaccines in future.

Toxic effects and primary source of the aged micro-sized artificial turf fragments and rubber particles: Comparative studies on laboratory photoaging and actual field sampling.

Numerous micro-sized artificial turf fragments (MATF) and rubber particles (MRP) are generated and accumulated during the use of the artificial playing field. However, attention has rarely been paid to the potential toxic effects of MATF and MRP on sportsmen. In this study, the active components and chemical composition of aged MATF and MRP derived from laboratory photoaging and actual field sampling were detected, and their effects on cytotoxicity were examined correspondingly. Laboratory photoaging significantly increased environmental persistent free radicals (EPFRs), reactive oxygen species (ROS) abundances and oxidative potential (OP) levels on MATF and MRP, but they have limited cytotoxicity. Unfortunately, in the actual field, aged MATF and MRP with higher heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contents exhibited markedly higher cytotoxicity with the survival rate of cells of 78 % and 26 % (p < 0.05), although they had lower EPFRs and ROS yields. Correlation analysis revealed that the cell viability was closely linked to heavy metals of MATF (p < 0.05), and to organic hydroperoxide (OHP), PAHs and heavy metals of MRP (p < 0.05). By systematically considering the above results, heavy metals and PAHs enriched on MATF and MRP from the surrounding environment played the important role in the cytotoxicity, which was different from conventional perspectives. Our findings demonstrate that MATF and MRP associated with an artificial turf field contain potent mixtures of pollutants and can, therefore, be relevant yet underestimated factors contributing to the health risks.

Solvent-Free Synthesis of MgO-Modified Biochars for Phosphorus Removal from Wastewater.

Adsorption is an efficient technology for removing phosphorus from wastewater to control eutrophication. In this work, MgO-modified biochars were synthesized by a solvent-free ball milling method and used to remove phosphorus. The MgO-modified biochars had specific surface areas 20.50-212.65 m2 g-1 and pore volume 0.024-0.567 cm3 g-1. The as-prepared 2MgO/BC-450-0.5 had phosphorus adsorption capacities of 171.54 mg g-1 at 25 °C and could remove 100% of phosphorus from livestock wastewater containing 39.51 mg L-1 phosphorus. The kinetic and isotherms studied show that the pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 0.999) and Langmuir models (R2 = 0.982) could describe the adoption process well. The thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption of phosphorus on the MgO-modified biochars adsorbent was spontaneous and endothermic. The effect of pH, FTIR spectra and XPS spectra studies indicated that the phosphorus adsorption includes a protonation process, electrostatic attraction and precipitation process. This study provides a new strategy for biochar modification via a facile mechanochemical method.

Domain size control in all-polymer solar cells.

In all polymer solar cells (all-PSCs), the domain size is critical for device performance. In highly crystalline polymer blends, however, precisely adjusting the domain size remains a significant challenge because of the simultaneous crystallization of both components. Herein, a strategy that promotes acceptor and donor to crystallize separately was proposed. Take PBDB-T/N2200 blends for instance; the solution state and confined crystallization were combined, which induced the crystallization of N2200, and PBDB-T occurred during the film-forming process and at thermal annealing stage. This separated crystallization process lowers the driving force of phase separation without affecting the degree of crystallinity of the blends. Thus, an interpenetrating network with high crystallinity and proper domain size was obtained, which boosted the power conversion efficiency to 7.59%. Importantly, the relation between pre-aggregation and domain size was established, which may be a guide to precisely adjust the active layer's domain size in all-PSCs.

MicroRNA-873-5p suppresses cell malignant behaviors of thyroid cancer via targeting CXCL5 and regulating P53 pathway.

We aimed to examine the roles of microRNA-873-5p and CXCL5 in thyroid cancer (TC) cells. qRT-PCR was adopted to measure the expression levels of CXCL5 mRNA and microRNA-873-5p in TC cells, and western blot was adopted to evaluate the CXCL5 protein expression level. Bioinformatics analysis was done to predict the upstream gene of CXCL5. Dual-luciferase assay was applied to validate the binding relationship of CXCL5 and the upstream regulatory gene. Cell experiments were done to detect the effects of microRNA-873-5p targeting CXCL5 on malignant progression of cancer cells. Western blot was adopted to demonstrate the phosphorylation level of P53 pathway related-proteins. CXCL5 was upregulated in TC cells and tissues. The results of in vitro assays displayed that CXCL5 downregulation dramatically suppressed the malignant behaviors of TC cells. MicroRNA-873-5p suppressed CXCL5 expression, but the suppressive effect of microRNA-873-5p on TC cells was abolished through CXCL5 overexpression. Additionally, microRNA-873-5p could mediate p53 pathway and thereby inhibit the malignant behaviors of TC cells through targeting CXCL5. In summary, we proved that microRNA-873-5p repressed the malignant behaviors of TC cells through targeting CXCL5 and P53 pathway, indicating that microRNA-873-5p can be a biomarker for TC.

MiR-221-3p Facilitates Thyroid Cancer Cell Proliferation and Inhibit Apoptosis by Targeting FOXP2 Through Hedgehog Pathway.

Thyroid cancer (TC) is most often found in the endocrine system, the incidence of which has been on a continuous increase in recent years. For a better treatment of it, it becomes a pressing matter to further delve into the mechanism of TC onset and progression. FOXP2 is lowly expressed in diverse cancer, which has a deep connection with malignant progression of tumors. However, in TC, studies about this gene are exceedingly limited. In this study, FOXP2 was discovered to be lowly expressed in TC tissues based on the analysis of TCGA database. This finding was further confirmed by the qRT-PCR that FOXP2 was lowly expressed in TC cell lines. The results of a series of cell function assays demonstrated that overexpressed FOXP2 could hamper TC cell proliferation and stemness, facilitate apoptosis, and arrest the cell cycle. For a deep exploration of its mechanism, we mined its upstream factor miR-221-3p with the aid of starBase and mirDIP databases. The dual-luciferase reporter assay was employed to verify the binding relationship between miR-221-3p and FOXP2. Besides, we also discovered the HEDGEHOG pathway existing downstream of FOXP2 by gene set enrichment analysis. Based on these findings, we also performed a rescue experiment, the result of which indicated that the overexpression of FOXP2 was able to reverse the effects of overexpressed miR-221-3p in several cell activities including proliferation, sphere-formation, apoptosis, and cell cycle. Besides, it could also have an impact on the expression of HEDGEHOG pathway-related proteins influenced by overexpressed miR-221-3p. Our study provided the new insights into the mechanism by which miR-221-3p functions in the development of TC.

Constructing a thyroid cancer prognostic risk model based on CD8+ T cell associated genes.

Thyroid cancer (TC) is a common and curable endocrine tumor occurring in the head and neck characterized by a low mortality rate compared to other malignancies. In this study, the immune microenvironment of TC was investigated to identify biomarkers. The mRNA and clinical data available in this study were accessed from The Cancer Genome Atlas-Thyroid Cancer (TCGA-THCA) dataset. Differences in immune infiltration levels of TC and normal samples were assessed by CIBERSORT. Thyroid cancer samples were classified into high- and low-abundance groups according to the median abundance of immune cell infiltration, and CD8+ T cells were notably correlated with the survival status. Differential expression analysis was conducted on CD8+ T cells to obtain immune-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Subsequently, a prognostic risk model was established through Cox regression analysis. According to the median risk score, samples in the training set and validation set were assigned to high- and low-risk groups. The survival and ROC curves demonstrated that the model possesses favorable prognostic prediction ability. Furthermore, the results of gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated differences between the high- and low-risk groups in terms of ECM receptor interaction and transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) signaling pathways. The tumor microenvironment of TC samples was evaluated by ESTIMATE, which showed that stromal scores were higher in the high-risk group. Finally, simple-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) was performed on TC samples. The results indicated a higher infiltration level of NK cells in the low-risk group, as well as a lower level in the high-risk group. In terms of immune function-related gene sets, genes related to APC co-inhibition, cytolytic activity, HLA and T cell co-inhibition were observed to present higher expression levels in the low-risk group. In general, this study built a 6-gene prognostic risk assessment model based on CD8+ T cells through bioinformatics analysis, which is expected to be a reference for clinicians to judge the prognosis of TC patients.

Construction and Evaluation of a Tumor Mutation Burden-Related Prognostic Signature for Thyroid Carcinoma.

Thyroid carcinoma is a type of prevalent cancer. Its prognostic evaluation depends on clinicopathological features. However, such conventional methods are deficient. Based on mRNA, single nucleotide variants (SNV), and clinical information of thyroid carcinoma from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, this study statistically analyzed mutational signature of patients with this disease. Missense mutation and SNV are the most common variant classification and variant type, respectively. Next, tumor mutation burden (TMB) of sample was calculated. Survival status of high/low TMB groups was analyzed, as well as the relationship between TMB and clinicopathological features. Results revealed that patients with high TMB had poor survival status, and TMB was related to several clinicopathological features. Through analysis on DEGs in high/low TMB groups, 381 DEGs were obtained. They were found to be mainly enriched in muscle tissue development through enrichment analysis. Then, through Cox regression analysis, a 5-gene prognostic signature was established, which was then evaluated through survival curves and receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curves. The result showed that the signature was able to effectively predict patient's prognosis and to serve as an independent prognostic risk factor. Finally, through Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) on high/low-risk groups, DEGs were found to be mainly enriched in signaling pathways related to DNA repair. Overall, based on the TCGA-THCA dataset, we constructed a 5-gene prognostic signature through a trail of bioinformatics analysis.

Androgen Maintains Intestinal Homeostasis by Inhibiting BMP Signaling via Intestinal Stromal Cells.

Research shows a higher incidence of colorectal cancer in men. However, the molecular mechanisms for this gender disparity remain unknown. We report the roles of androgen in proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells via targeting of the androgen receptor (AR) on intestinal stromal cells by negatively regulating BMP signaling. Orchidectomy (ORX) or the AR antagonist promotes expansion of intestinal epithelium but suppresses intestinal stem cell (ISC) proliferation. Conversely, the AR agonist inhibits ISC differentiation but augments proliferation in ovariectomized mice. Mechanistically, activation of the AR increases expression of BMP antagonists but lowers expression of BMP4 and Wnt antagonists in primary stromal cells, which promotes intestinal organoid growth. Interestingly, the BMP pathway inhibitor LDN-193189 reverses the ORX-induced effects. Our results highlight that stromal cells constitute the intestinal stem cell niche and provide a possible explanation for higher incidence rates of colorectal cancer in men.

Efficacy of shoulder arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of rotator cuff injury: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study will investigate the efficacy and safety of shoulder arthroscopic surgery (SAS) for patients with rotator cuff injury (RCI). METHODS: We will systematically search for randomized controlled trials in the electronic databases of PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. All above databases will be searched from their beginning to March 1, 2020 without language restrictions. Two reviewers will independently scan retrieved records, evaluate study quality and extract data. If possible, we will synthesize the data and conduct a meta-analysis by RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: This systematic review will summarize the most recent evidence to explore the efficacy and safety of SAS for patients with RCI. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will help to provide a genuine understanding of perspective from a scientific basis on the efficacy and safety of SAS for patients with RCI. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42020170009.