Exosomal circ_0032704 confers sorafenib resistance to hepatocellular carcinoma and contributes to cancer malignant progression by modulating the miR-514a-3p/PD-L1 pathway.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the role of circ_0032704 in sorafenib-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The expression of circ_0032704, miR-514a-3p, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) mRNA was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The expression of multidrug resistant-related proteins, migration/invasion-related proteins, exosome-related proteins, and PD-L1 protein was detected by western blot. Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were assessed by EdU assay, wound healing assay, and transwell assay. The binding between miR-514a-3p and circ_0032704 or PD-L1 was verified by RIP assay, pull-down assay, and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Cell- or serum-derived exosomes were isolated and identified by TEM and NTA. Xenograft models were established to determine the effect of circ_0032704 on drug resistance in vivo. Results: Circ_0032704 was overexpressed in sorafenib-resistant HCC tissues and cells. Circ_0032704 knockdown reduced sorafenib resistance in HCC cells and inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of sorafenib-resistant HCC cells, while these effects were reversed by PD-L1 overexpression. We found that circ_0032704 positively regulated PD-L1 expression via targeting miR-514a-3p. Exosomes with circ_0032704 inhibition reduced sorafenib resistance in HCC cells and inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. Exosomes with circ_0032704 inhibition also inhibited tumor growth in vivo. The expression of circ_0032704 in exosomes was stable and possessed diagnostic value. Conclusion: Circ_0032704 enhanced sorafenib resistance in HCC and promoted the malignant development of sorafenib-resistant HCC. Circ_0032704 could be transported by exosomes, and exosomal circ_0032704 had diagnostic value.

All-light communication network for space-air-sea integrated interconnection.

Space-air-sea communication networks are of great interest to meet the demand for close and seamless connections between space, land, and ocean environments. Wireless light communication can expand network coverage from land to the sky and even the ocean while offering enhanced anti-interference capabilities. Here, we propose and establish an all-light communication network (ALCN) for space-air-sea integrated interconnection, which merges underwater blue light communication, wireless white light communication, solar-blind deep ultraviolet light communication and laser diode-based space communication. Ethernet switches and the Transmission Control Protocol are used for space-air-sea light interconnection. Experimental results show that the ALCN supports wired and wireless device access simultaneously. Bidirectional data transmission between network nodes is demonstrated, with a maximum packet loss ratio of 5.80% and a transmission delay below 74 ms. The proposed ALCN provides a promising scheme for future space-air-sea interconnections towards multiterminal, multiservice applications.

Vertical Cross-Alignments of 2D Semiconductors with Steered Internal Electric Field for Urea Electrooxidation via Balancing Intermediates Adsorption.

Single-component electrocatalysts generally lead to unbalanced adsorption of OH- and urea during urea oxidation reaction (UOR), thus obtaining low activity and selectivity especially when oxygen evolution reaction (OER) competes at high potentials (>1.5 V). Herein, a cross-alignment strategy of in situ vertically growing Ni(OH)2 nanosheets on 2D semiconductor g-C3N4 is reported to form a hetero-structured electrocatalyst. Various spectroscopy measurements including in situ experiments indicate the existence of enhanced internal electric field at the interfaces of vertical Ni(OH)2 and g-C3N4 nanosheets, favorable for balancing adsorption of reaction intermediates. This heterojunction electrocatalyst shows high-selectivity UOR compared to pure Ni(OH)2, even at high potentials (>1.5 V) and large current density. The computational results show the vertical heterojunction could steer the internal electric field to increase the adsorption of urea, thus efficiently avoiding poisoning of strongly adsorbed OH- on active sites. A membrane electrode assembly (MEA)-based electrolyzer with the heterojunction anode could operate at an industrial-level current density of 200 mA cm-2. This work paves an avenue for designing high-performance electrocatalysts by vertical cross-alignments of active components.

Divergence in regulatory mechanisms of GR-RBP genes in different plants under abiotic stress.

The IVa subfamily of glycine-rich proteins (GRPs) comprises a group of glycine-rich RNA binding proteins referred to as GR-RBPa here. Previous studies have demonstrated functions of GR-RBPa proteins in regulating stress response in plants. However, the mechanisms responsible for the differential regulatory functions of GR-RBPa proteins in different plant species have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we identified and comprehensively studied a total of 34 GR-RBPa proteins from five plant species. Our analysis revealed that GR-RBPa proteins were further classified into two branches, with proteins in branch I being relatively more conserved than those in branch II. When subjected to identical stresses, these genes exhibited intensive and differential expression regulation in different plant species, corresponding to the enrichment of cis-acting regulatory elements involving in environmental and internal signaling in these genes. Unexpectedly, all GR-RBPa genes in branch I underwent intensive alternative splicing (AS) regulation, while almost all genes in branch II were only constitutively spliced, despite having more introns. This study highlights the complex and divergent regulations of a group of conserved RNA binding proteins in different plants when exposed to identical stress conditions. These species-specific regulations may have implications for stress responses and adaptations in different plant species.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the Starch Synthase Gene Family in Sweet Potato and Two of Its Closely Related Species.

The starch synthase (SS) plays important roles in regulating plant growth and development and responding to adversity stresses. Although the SS family has been studied in many crops, it has not been fully identified in sweet potato and its two related species. In the present study, eight SSs were identified from Ipomoea batatas (I. batata), Ipomoea trifida (I. trifida), and Ipomoea trlioba (I. trlioba), respectively. According to the phylogenetic relationships, they were divided into five subgroups. The protein properties, chromosomal location, phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, cis-elements in the promoter, and interaction network of these proteins were also analyzed; stress expression patterns were systematically analyzed; and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis was performed. Ipomoea batatas starch synthase (IbSSs) were highly expressed in tuber roots, especially Ipomoea batatas starch synthase 1 (IbSS1) and Ipomoea batatas starch synthase 6 (IbSS6), which may play an important role in root development and starch biosynthesis. At the same time, the SS genes respond to potassium deficiency, hormones, cold, heat, salt, and drought stress. This study offers fresh perspectives for enhancing knowledge about the roles of SSs and potential genes to enhance productivity, starch levels, and resistance to environmental stresses in sweet potatoes.

Association between sarcopenia-related markers and cholelithiasis: A prospective and Mendelian randomization study.

Cholelithiasis is a common digestive disease that drives a myriad of adverse complications. The correlation between sarcopenia and various digestive disorders has been extensively researched, whereas its association with cholelithiasis remains unreported. We aimed to investigate the association through prospective and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses and establish a quantitative score reflecting the impact of sarcopenia-related markers on cholelithiasis. The prospective study involved 448 627 participants from the UK Biobank. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to investigate the correlation between sarcopenia-related markers and cholelithiasis. To quantitatively assess cholelithiasis risk, the SARCHO score was derived from a multivariable Cox model. Bidirectional two-sample MR analysis was conducted to validate the causal association. A total of 16 738 individuals developed cholelithiasis during a median follow-up of 12 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) of cholelithiasis decreased stepwise over skeletal muscle index tertiles (highest tertile: reference; middle tertile: 1.23, p < .001; lowest tertile: 1.33, p < .001). The tertiles of grip strength showed a similar pattern. Individuals with slow walking pace had a higher risk of cholelithiasis compared to those with normal walking pace (HR 1.23; p < .001). Our SARCHO score better quantifies the risk of cholelithiasis. MR analysis showed a causal relationship between muscle mass and cholelithiasis (OR 0.81; p < .001). No causal effect of cholelithiasis on lean mass was observed. Prospective and MR analyses have consistently demonstrated an increased risk of cholelithiasis in individuals with decreased muscle mass. Additionally, SARCHO score further quantified the cholelithiasis occurrence risk. These findings provide compelling evidence for muscle strengthening in preventing cholelithiasis.

Survival Benefits of Ganoderma Lucidum in Early-stage Triple-negative Breast Cancer: A Real World Study.

BACKGROUND: Ganoderma lucidum extracts are widely used as adjuvants in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) in China. However, its clinical value in TNBC remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the clinical effect of Ganoderma lucidum spore powder (GLSP) on prognosis in patients with early-stage TNBC in this study. METHODS: A total of 388 patients who were diagnosed with TNBC at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from February 2012 to December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was applied to balance baseline data. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used to evaluate the relationship between GLSP and prognosis. RESULTS: Of the 388 patients, 72 (18.6%) patients took GLSP. After PSM, 208 patients were selected for analysis, including 71 (34.1%) patients who took the powder. The median followup period was 51 months. The patients who took GLSP (the treatment group) and those who did not take GLSP (the control group) were similar in most clinico-pathological features before being matched. However, the proportion of patients who received breast-conserving surgery in the treatment group was higher (27.8% vs. 16.1%; p =0.021) than in the control group. No significant difference was found in the baseline data between the two groups for the matched cohort (all p >0.05). Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis showed that patients taking GLSP benefited from improved overall survival (OS) (HR=0.159, p = 0.002) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR=0.232, p = 0.005) before being matched. The main result of the survival analysis after matching was similar to that described above. Patients in the treatment group achieved both greater OS and DFS benefits than patients in the control group (all p < 0.05). In stratified analysis according to TNM stages, after adjusting for the significant prognostic factors, multivariate analysis revealed that the treatment group had better OS than the control group for patients in stages II and III (HR=0.172, p =0.004). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this real-world propensity-score-matched study suggest that GLSP can improve OS and DFS in early-stage TNBC patients. A higher OS was observed for patients taking GLSP, particularly in stage II and stage III.

Pyrvinium Pamoate Induces Cell Apoptosis and Autophagy in Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: In earlier research, we demonstrated that pyrvinium pamoate (PP) can effectively inhibit the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. In the current study, we further explore the possibility of PP, as a potential therapeutic drug in the treatment of CRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hoechst 33258 staining, immunofluorescence, and western blotting were used to further investigate the connection between PP and CRC cell apoptosis and autophagy. RESULTS: We found that PP promoted apoptosis and autophagy of CRC cells. At the protein level, the expression of proteins related to the PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway exhibited a negative correlation with the dosage of PP. PP may therefore induce apoptosis and autophagy by inhibiting the PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Our in vitro experiments demonstrated that PP could inhibit the progression of colorectal cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and autophagy. The detailed mechanism needs further investigation.

Abietane diterpenoids with anti-neuroinflammation activity from Rosmarinus officinalis.

A total of 12 abietane diterpenoids were isolated and identified from Rosmarinus officinalis in which 6 ones were undescribed compounds. Their structures were illuminated by the HRESIMS, NMR, and ECD methods and named as rosmarinusin Q-V (1-6). It worthy mentioned that rosmarinusin Q was a novel abietane diterpenoid with 6/6/5 skeleton whose C ring was an α,ß-unsaturated five-element ketone. All the compounds and four compounds (13-16) reported in our previous paper were evaluated their anti-neuroinflammatory activities on the LPS-induced BV2 cells. Compounds 5, 8, 9, 11, and 15 displayed significant anti-neuroinflammatory activity at the concentration of 10, 20, and 40 µM respectively. These results confirmed that R. officinalis contained abundant abietane diterpenoids and these compounds showed potential values of anti-neuroinflammation which could be developed as neuroprotective agents for the treatment of nerve damage caused by inflammation.

Integrated Pharmaco-Bioinformatics Approaches and Experimental Verification To Explore the Effect of Britanin on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent global liver disorder, posing substantial health risks. Britanin, a bioactive sesquiterpene lactone extracted from Inula japonica, has demonstrated antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, and hepatoprotective attributes. Nonetheless, the precise impact of Britanin on NAFLD and the intricate biological mechanisms underpinning this interaction remain unexplored. We integrated computer-aided methods to unearth shared biological targets and signaling pathways associated with both Britanin and NAFLD. A network was constructed by compiling putative targets associated with Britanin and NAFLD, followed by a stringent screening of key targets and mechanisms through protein-protein interaction analysis along with GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. Molecular docking was integrated as an evaluation tool, culminating in the identification of HO-1 as the pivotal therapeutic target, showcasing a satisfactory binding affinity. The primary mechanism was ascribed to biological processes and pathways linked to oxidative stress, as evidenced by the outcomes of enrichment analyses. Of these, the AMPK/SREBP1c pathway assumed centrality in this mechanism. Furthermore, in vivo experiments substantiated that Britanin effectively curtailed NAFLD development by ameliorating liver injury, modulating hyperlipidemia and hepatic lipid accumulation, and alleviating oxidative stress and apoptosis. In summary, this study demonstrates the potential of Britanin as a promising therapeutic drug against NAFLD.

Multi-omics analysis of disulfidptosis regulators and therapeutic potential reveals glycogen synthase 1 as a disulfidptosis triggering target for triple-negative breast cancer.

Disruption of disulfide homeostasis during biological processes can have fatal consequences. Excess disulfides induce cell death in a novel manner, termed as "disulfidptosis." However, the specific mechanism of disulfidptosis has not yet been elucidated. To determine the cancer types sensitive to disulfidptosis and outline the corresponding treatment strategies, we firstly investigated the crucial functions of disulfidptosis regulators pan-cancer at multi-omics levels. We found that different tumor types expressed dysregulated levels of disulfidptosis regulators, most of which had an impact on tumor prognosis. Moreover, we calculated the disulfidptosis activity score in tumors and validated it using multiple independent datasets. Additionally, we found that disulfidptosis activity was correlated with classic biological processes and pathways in various cancers. Disulfidptosis activity was also associated with tumor immune characteristics and could predict immunotherapy outcomes. Notably, the disulfidptosis regulator, glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1), was identified as a promising target for triple-negative breast cancer and validated via in vitro and in vivo experiments. In conclusion, our study elucidated the complex molecular phenotypes and clinicopathological correlations of disulfidptosis regulators in tumors, laying a solid foundation for the development of disulfidptosis-targeting strategies for cancer treatment.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the Lateral Organ Boundaries Domain (LBD) Gene Family in Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas).

The LBD family is a plant-specific transcription factor family that plays an important role in a variety of biological processes. However, the function of IbLBD genes in sweet potato remains unclear. In this study, we identified a total of 53 IbLBD genes in sweet potato. Genetic structure showed that most of the IbLBD genes contained only two exons. Following the phylogenetic investigation, the IbLBD gene family was separated into Class I (45 members) and Class II (8) members. Both classes of proteins contained relatively conservative Motif1 and Motif2 domains. The chromosomal locations, gene duplications, promoters, PPI network, and GO annotation of the sweet potato LBD genes were also investigated. Furthermore, gene expression profiling and real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that the expression of 12 IbLBD genes altered in six separate tissues and under various abiotic stresses. The IbLBD genes belonging to Class I were mostly expressed in the primary root, the pencil root, and the leaves of sweet potatoes, while the genes belonging to Class II were primarily expressed in the various sweet potato roots. The IbLBD genes belonging to Class I were mostly expressed in the primary root, the pencil root, and the leaves of sweet potatoes, while the genes belonging to Class II were primarily expressed in the fibrous root, pencil root, and tuber root.

Association between fatty liver index and controlled attenuation parameters as markers of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and bone mineral density: observational and two-sample Mendelian randomization studies.

Previously observational studies did not draw a clear conclusion on the association between fatty liver diseases and bone mineral density (BMD). Our large-scale studies revealed that MAFLD and hepatic steatosis had no causal effect on BMD, while some metabolic factors were correlated with BMD. The findings have important implications for the relationship between fatty liver diseases and BMD, and may help direct the clinical management of MAFLD patients who experience osteoporosis and osteopenia. PURPOSE: Liver and bone are active endocrine organs with several metabolic functions. However, the link between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and bone mineral density (BMD) is contradictory. METHODS: Using the UK Biobank and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset, we investigated the association between MAFLD, steatosis, and BMD in the observational analysis. We performed genome-wide association analysis to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with MAFLD. Large-scale two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analyses examined the potential causal relationship between MAFLD, hepatic steatosis, or major comorbid metabolic factors, and BMD. RESULTS: After adjusting for demographic factors and body mass index, logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between MAFLD and reduced heel BMD. However, this association disappeared after adjusting for additional metabolic factors. MAFLD was not associated with total body, femur neck, and lumbar BMD in the NHANES dataset. Magnetic resonance imaging-measured steatosis did not show significant associations with reduced total body, femur neck, and lumbar BMD in multivariate analysis. TSMR analyses indicated that MAFLD and hepatic steatosis were not associated with BMD. Among all MAFLD-related comorbid factors, overweight and type 2 diabetes showed a causal relationship with increased BMD, while waist circumference and hyperlipidemia had the opposite effect. CONCLUSION: No causal effect of MAFLD and hepatic steatosis on BMD was observed in this study, while some metabolic factors were correlated with BMD. This has important implications for understanding the relationship between fatty liver disease and BMD, which may help direct the clinical management of MAFLD patients with osteoporosis.

Genome-wide identification and expression analyses of CYP450 genes in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.).

BACKGROUND: Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP450s) play a crucial role in various biochemical reactions involved in the synthesis of antioxidants, pigments, structural polymers, and defense-related compounds in plants. As sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) holds significant economic importance, a comprehensive analysis of CYP450 genes in this plant species can offer valuable insights into the evolutionary relationships and functional characteristics of these genes. RESULTS: In this study, we successfully identified and categorized 95 CYP450 genes from the sweet potato genome into 5 families and 31 subfamilies. The predicted subcellular localization results indicate that CYP450s are distributed in the cell membrane system. The promoter region of the IbCYP450 genes contains various cis-acting elements related to plant hormones and stress responses. In addition, ten conserved motifs (Motif1-Motif10) have been identified in the IbCYP450 family proteins, with 5 genes lacking introns and only one exon. We observed extensive duplication events within the CYP450 gene family, which may account for its expansion. The gene duplication analysis results showed the presence of 15 pairs of genes with tandem repeats. Interaction network analysis reveals that IbCYP450 families can interact with multiple target genes and there are protein-protein interactions within the family. Transcription factor interaction analysis suggests that IbCYP450 families interact with multiple transcription factors. Furthermore, gene expression analysis revealed tissue-specific expression patterns of CYP450 genes in sweet potatoes, as well as their response to abiotic stress and plant hormones. Notably, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR) analysis indicated the involvement of CYP450 genes in the defense response against nonbiological stresses in sweet potatoes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide a foundation for further investigations aiming to elucidate the biological functions of CYP450 genes in sweet potatoes.

Accelerating electrosynthesis of ammonia from nitrates using coupled NiO/Cu nanocomposites.

Herein, we report a nanocomposite electrocatalyst with coupled Cu and NiO, showing a high Faraday efficiency of 97% and excellent ammonia production rate (450 mg h-1 cm-2) for nitrate reduction. In situ UV-vis spectroscopic studies confirmed that the synergy between NiO and Cu could avoid NO2- enrichment and promote tandem nitrate reduction to ammonia synthesis.

Circ0060467 sponges miR-6805 to promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression through regulating AIFM2 and GPX4 expression.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a subset of non-coding RNAs implicated in the regulation of diverse biological processes, including tumorigenesis. However, the expression and functional implications of circ0060467 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain elusive. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of circ0060467 in modulating the progression of HCC. METHODS: Differentially expressed circRNAs in HCC tissues were identified through circRNA microarray assays. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays revealed the upregulation of circ0060467 in both HCC cell lines and tissues. Various assays were conducted to investigate the roles of circ0060467 in HCC progression. Additionally, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays and luciferase assays were carried out to assess the interactions between circ0060467, microRNA-6085 (miR-6085), apoptosis-inducing factor mitochondria-associated 2 (AIFM2), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) in HCC. RESULTS: Microarray and qRT-PCR analyses demonstrated a marked elevation of circ0060467 in HCC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of circ0060467 suppressed HCC cell proliferation. Luciferase reporter and RIP assays confirmed the binding of circ0060467, AIFM2, and GPX4 to miR-6805. Subsequent experiments revealed that circ0060467 competes with AIFM2 and GPX4, thereby inhibiting cancer cell ferroptosis by binding to miR-6085 and promoting hepatocellular carcinoma progression. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, circ0060467 modulates the levels of AIFM2 and GPX4, crucial regulators of tumor cell ferroptosis, by acting as a sponge for miR-6085 in HCC. Thus, circ0060467 may represent a novel diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for HCC.

Lower creatinine to cystatin C ratio is associated with an increased risk of MASLD: A cross-sectional and prospective study of 368,634 UK Biobank participants.

OBJECTIVE: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects many populations, and screening out the high-risk populations at an early stage is a challenge. As a sarcopenia index, the relationship between creatinine to cystatin C ratio (CCR) and MASLD remains unclear. This cross-sectional, prospective study aimed to explore the relationship between CCR and MASLD. Design Firstly, explored the correlation between CCR and MASLD in cross-sectional analyses. Then excluded the population with baseeline diagnosis of MASLD and analyzed the association with baseline CCR levels and the onset of MASLD in the population with available follow-up data. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) to evaluate the association between CCR levels and MASLD. PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS: This study included 368,634 participants from the UK Biobank for cross-sectional and prospective analyses. The demographic characteristics and laboratory measurements of all participants were obtained from the UK Biobank. MASLD was diagnosed according to the multi-society consensus nomenclature. Hepatic steatosis was defined as FLI  ≥60. RESULTS: We grouped the study participants according to CCR tertiles. In cross-sectional analyses, participants in CCR tertile 1 had the highest MASLD risk (OR: 1.070, 95% CI: 1.053-1.088, p < .001). And the similar association was observed in the prospective analyses (CCR tertile 1 OR: 1.340, 95% CI: 1.077-1.660, p = .009; CCR tertile 2 OR: 1.217, 95% CI: 1.021-1.450, p = .029, respectively). After stratification by gender, the significant association between CCR and the onset of MASLD was only observed in males (CCR tertile 1 OR: 1.639, 95% CI: 1.160-2.317, p = .005; CCR tertile 2 OR: 1.322, 95% CI: 1.073-1.628, p = .005, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that lower CCR was significantly associated with higher risk of MASLD, based on which predictive models can be developed to screen populations at high risk of developing MASLD.

A novel axis of circKIF4A-miR-637-STAT3 promotes brain metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer.

Among patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), distant metastasis is the leading cause of death. Our previous studies have shown that TNBC progression is greatly facilitated by circKIF4A, but uncertainty remains regarding its role in TNBC brain metastasis and the molecular mechanism. In this study, we found notable upregulation of circKIF4A in TNBC cell lines and brain metastases. Inhibition of circKIF4A impaired the ability of TNBC to proliferate, migrate, and cause brain metastasis. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed that circKIF4A competed for binding to miR-637 with STAT3 3' UTR. Western blot analysis revealed that inhibition of circKIF4A decreased STAT3 and p62 expression, while increased the LC3B-II/LC3B-I ratio and the expression of Beclin, indicating that downregulation of circKIF4A induced autophagy by competing with STAT3 for binding to miR-637. By employing a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism, the circKIF4A-miR-637-STAT3 axis coordinates brain metastasis in TNBC. circKIF4A can therefore be used as a prognostic biomarker for brain metastasis in TNBC and as a therapeutic target.

Collinear optical links based on a GaN-integrated chip for fiber-optic acoustic detection.

This Letter reports a collinear optical interconnect architecture for acoustic sensing via a monolithic integrated GaN optoelectronic chip. The chip is designed with a ring-shaped photodiode (PD) surrounding a light-emitting diode (LED) of a spectral range from 420-530 nm. The axisymmetric structure helps the coaxial propagation of light transmission and reception. By placing this multiple-quantum wells (MQW)-based device and a piece of aluminum-coated polyethylene terephthalate (Al/PET) film on fiber ends, an ultra-compact acoustic sensing system is built. The sound vibrations can be simply detected by direct measurement of the diaphragm deformation-induced power change. An average signal noise ratio (SNR) of 40 dB and a maximum sensitivity of 82 mV/Pa are obtained when the acoustic vibration frequency changes from 400 Hz to 3.2 kHz. This work provides a feasible solution to miniaturize the sensing system footprint and reduce the cost.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Malate Dehydrogenase Gene Family in Sweet Potato and Its Two Diploid Relatives.

Malate dehydrogenase (MDH; EC 1.1.1.37) plays a vital role in plant growth and development as well as abiotic stress responses, and it is widely present in plants. However, the MDH family genes have not been explored in sweet potato. In this study, nine, ten, and ten MDH genes in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and its two diploid wild relatives, Ipomoea trifida and Ipomoea triloba, respectively, were identified. These MDH genes were unevenly distributed on seven different chromosomes among the three species. The gene duplications and nucleotide substitution analysis (Ka/Ks) revealed that the MDH genes went through segmental duplications during their evolution under purifying selection. A phylogenetic and conserved structure divided these MDH genes into five subgroups. An expression analysis indicated that the MDH genes were omni-presently expressed in distinct tissues and responded to various abiotic stresses. A transcription factor prediction analysis proved that Dof, MADS-box, and MYB were the main transcription factors of sweet potato MDH genes. These findings provide molecular features of the MDH family in sweet potato and its two diploid wild relatives, which further supports functional characterizations.