Long Noncoding RNA PSMB8-AS1 Mediates the Tobacco-Carcinogen-Induced Transformation of a Human Bronchial Epithelial Cell Line by Regulating Cell Cycle.

Lung cancer is the main cause of cancer deaths around the world. Nitrosamine 4-(methyl nitrosamine)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a tobacco-specific carcinogen of lung cancer. Abundant evidence implicates long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumorigenesis. Yet, the effects and mechanisms of lncRNAs in NNK-induced carcinogenesis are still unclear. In this study, we discovered that NNK-induced transformed Beas-2B cells (Beas-2B-NNK) showed increased cell migration and proliferation while decreasing rates of apoptosis. RNA sequencing and differentially expressed lncRNAs analyses showed that lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 was obviously upregulated. Interestingly, silencing the lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 in Beas-2B-NNK cells reduced cell proliferation and migration and produced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase along with a decrease in CDK1 expression. Conclusively, our results demonstrate that lncRNA PSMB8-AS1 could promote the malignant characteristics of Beas-2B-NNK cells by regulating CDK1 and affecting the cell cycle, suggesting that it may supply a new prospective epigenetic mechanism for lung cancer.

The degree of population aging and living carbon emissions: Evidence from China.

Population aging and global warming have become everyday concerns of all countries. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2003 to 2019, this paper uses the panel fixed effect model and two-stage least square method to analyze the effect of population aging on domestic energy carbon emissions of urban and rural residents. On this basis, the threshold regression model is introduced to explore the heterogeneity of the effect under different aging levels. The results show that (1) the progress of population aging at the overall level will significantly increase the level of carbon emissions from household energy consumption. At the regional level, the effect of population aging on carbon emissions from household energy consumption in rural areas is higher than in urban areas. (2) Population aging has a nonlinear effect on the carbon emissions of residential energy consumption. For urban areas, when the level of population aging crosses the threshold, its marginal impact on living carbon emissions in urban areas is further enhanced. In contrast, the opposite is true in rural areas. (3) Heterogeneity analysis results show that the impact of population aging on residential energy carbon emissions differs in different regions at the national and rural levels but does not show regional heterogeneity at the urban level.

Sorption of tetrabromobisphenol A onto microplastics: Behavior, mechanisms, and the effects of sorbent and environmental factors.

Microplastics (MPs) and halogenated organic pollutants coexist in ambient water and MPs tend to sorb organic pollutants from surrounding environments. Herein, a study on the sorption behavior of tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) onto four different MPs, namely, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was carried out. Effects of MPs properties and environmental factors, including the type, surface charge and pore volume as well as the ionic strength (Ca2+) and humic acid (HA) on the sorption of TBBPA were discussed. Results showed that the sorption of TBBPA onto the MPs could reached an equilibrium within 24 h, and the sorption capacities decreased in the following order -PVC (101.85 mg kg-1) >PS (78.95 mg kg-1) >PP (58.57 mg kg-1) >PE (49.43 mg kg-1). Adsorption kinetics data fitted by intraparticle diffusion model revealed both surface sorption and intraparticle diffusion contributed, in the interfacial diffusion stage approximately 11-29% of TBBPA slowly diffused onto the surface of the MPs, and finally, in the intraparticle diffusion stage. The increase of Ca2+ concentration could promote the sorption of TBBPA by PE, PP, and PS, but no significant alteration for PVC. For all the four MPs, HA was found to exert a negative effect on TBBPA sorption. The adsorption was mainly driven by hydrophobic partition and electrostatic interactions.

Inhibition of chromosomal region maintenance 1 suppresses the migration and invasion of glioma cells via inactivation of the STAT3/MMP2 signaling pathway.

Chromosomal region maintenance 1 (CRM1) is associated with an adverse prognosis in glioma. We previously reported that CRM1 inhibition suppressed glioma cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we investigated the role of CRM1 in the migration and invasion of glioma cells. S109, a novel reversible selective inhibitor of CRM1, was used to treat Human glioma U87 and U251 cells. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated by wound-healing and transwell invasion assays. The results showed that S109 significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of U87 and U251 cells. However, mutation of Cys528 in CRM1 abolished the inhibitory activity of S109 in glioma cells. Furthermore, we found that S109 treatment decreased the expression level and activity of MMP2 and reduced the level of phosphorylated STAT3 but not total STAT3. Therefore, the inhibition of migration and invasion induced by S109 may be associated with the downregulation of MMP2 activity and expression, and inactivation of the STAT3 signaling pathway. These results support our previous conclusion that inhibition of CRM1 is an attractive strategy for the treatment of glioma.

Research on the coordination of fiscal structure and high-quality economic development: An empirical analysis with the example of Anhui province in China.

Based on the panel data of 16 cities in Anhui from 2010-2018, this paper measures the index system of fiscal structure and high-quality economic development in Anhui using the entropy weight method, and empirically analyzes the coordinated development level of fiscal structure and high-quality economic development in Anhui using coupled coordination degree model. The study finds that: (1) the overall structure of Anhui's fiscal expenditure is characterized by "service-oriented and investment-oriented", and there is a phenomenon that contradicts "Wagner Principle", and there are also spatial and temporal differences in Anhui's tax structure. (2) The level of high-quality development of Anhui economy shows a steady upward trend, but is still at a low level. (3) The level of coordinated development of fiscal structure and high-quality economic development is still low, and the overall situation is "on the verge of disorder" or "barely coordinated". (4) Regionally, the overall coordination of fiscal expenditure structure, tax structure, and high-quality economic development in southern Anhui shows a decreasing trend, while the overall coordination in central and northern Anhui shows an increasing trend, so that southern Anhui has been or will be surpassed by northern and middle Anhui, and the growth rate of middle Anhui is faster than that of northern Anhui.

Effects of thermal processing and temperature on the quality, protein oxidation, and structural characteristics of yak meat.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of processing on the quality, protein oxidation, and structural properties of yak meat. The cooking loss, Warner-Bratzler shear force, meat color, texture, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, total carbonyl content (TCC), total sulfhydryl content (TSC), and structural properties of yak meat under frying, drying, and boiling were measured. The results showed that the cooking loss rate, shear force, L* value, hardness, elasticity, and chewiness of yak meat increased (p < .05) and the a* value decreased (p < .05) with increasing central temperature after processing. Fried yak meat at 80°C had the lowest cooking loss rate of 42.21% and the lowest shear force of 50.86 N, which had better textural characteristics, followed by boiling, while the maximum cooking loss rate, hardness, and shear force were 1.40 times, 1.26 times, and 1.2 times that of frying, respectively. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance was obtained after decoction and peaked at 1.88 ± 0.04 mmol/mg at 60°C. The highest TCC and the lowest TSC were obtained for dried proteins at 80°C. In addition, as the central temperature increased, the helical structure in the protein secondary structure decreased, the disordered structure increased, the fluorescence intensity of myofibrillar proteins decreased, and protein degradation occurred. It was concluded that dried yak meat had the highest protein oxidation and the worst quality, while fried yak meat had the lowest protein oxidation and the best quality.

Laboratory Experiment and Application Evaluation of a Bio-Nano-depressurization and Injection-Increasing Composite System in Medium-Low Permeability Offshore Reservoirs.

Given the high injection pressure and insufficient injection volume in the offshore oilfield, Bohai Oilfield has developed a bio-nano-depressurization and injection-increasing composite system solution (bio-nano-injection-increasing solution) composed of bio-surfactants, hydrophobic nano-polysilicon particles, and dispersant additives. In response to the current problems, a new type of bio-nano-depressurization and injection enhancement technology has been studied, which has multiple functions such as nano-scale inhibition and wetting reversal. The new technology has the technical advantages of efficient decompression, long-term injection, and wide adaptation. However, there is still a lack of optimization schemes and application effect prediction methods, which hinder the further popularization and application of the bio-nano-composite system solution. To solve this problem, this paper takes Well A1 in the Bohai Sea as an example to optimize the injection volume, concentration, and speed of the bio-nano-augmentation fluid and evaluates the application effect by using the proposed well testing, water absorption index, and numerical simulation methods. The research results show that the bio-nano-injection fluid can effectively improve the reservoir permeability and reduce the injection pressure. The application effect evaluation method proposed is reliable and can provide some reference for similar depressurization and injection-increasing technologies.

Sestrin 2 Deficiency Exacerbates Noise-Induced Cochlear Injury Through Inhibiting ULK1/Parkin-Mediated Mitophagy.

Aims: Noise damage to auditory hair cells is associated with oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the possible effect of sestrin 2 (SESN2), an endogenous antioxidant protein, on noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and the underlying mechanisms. Results: We identified SESN2 as a protective factor against oxidative stress in NIHL through activation of Parkin-mediated mitophagy. Consistently, SESN2 expression was increased and mitophagy was induced during the early stage after a temporary threshold shift due to noise exposure or hydrogen peroxide(H2O2) stimulation; conversely, SESN2 deficiency blocked mitophagy and exacerbated acoustic trauma. Mechanistically, SESN2 interacted with Unc-51-like protein kinase 1(ULK1), promoting ULK1 protein-level stabilization by interfering with its proteasomal degradation. This stabilization is essential for mitophagy initiation, since restoring ULK1 expression in SESN2-silenced cells rescued mitophagy defects. Innovation and Conclusion: Our results provide novel insights regarding SESN2 as a therapeutic target against noise-induced cochlear injury, possibly through improved mitophagy. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 38, 115-136.

Ecological network analysis of China's societal metabolism.

Uncontrolled socioeconomic development has strong negative effects on the ecological environment, including pollution and the depletion and waste of natural resources. These serious consequences result from the high flows of materials and energy through a socioeconomic system produced by exchanges between the system and its surroundings, causing the disturbance of metabolic processes. In this paper, we developed an ecological network model for a societal system, and used China in 2006 as a case study to illustrate application of the model. We analyzed China's basic metabolic processes and used ecological network analysis to study the network relationships within the system. Basic components comprised the internal environment, five sectors (agriculture, exploitation, manufacturing, domestic, and recycling), and the external environment. We defined 21 pairs of ecological relationships in China's societal metabolic system (excluding self-mutualism within a component). Using utility and throughflow analysis, we found that exploitation, mutualism, and competition relationships accounted for 76.2, 14.3, and 9.5% of the total relationships, respectively. In our trophic level analysis, the components were divided into producers, consumers, and decomposers according to their positions in the system. Our analyses revealed ways to optimize the system's structure and adjust its functions, thereby promoting healthier socioeconomic development, and suggested ways to apply ecological network analysis in future socioeconomic research.

Estimation of the proteome affecting changes in tenderness of yak meat during storage by label-free mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Tenderness is the main quality of meat products. However, the meat tenderness formation is a complex biological process, and pathways and proteins that affect the tenderness of yak meat are unknown. METHODS: Label-free proteomics method was used to explore the effects of differentially expressed proteins on the tenderness of yak skeletal muscle (tenderloin) during post-mortem storage (0, 3, and 7 days) at 3 ± 1°C. RESULTS: The tenderness of yak skeletal muscle improved significantly during storage. A total of 91 differentially expressed proteins of yak skeletal muscle during post-mortem storage were identified by the following comparisons: day 3 versus 0, day 7 versus 0, and day 7 versus 3. NDUFS6, CYCS, COX6A2, LDB3, HSPB7, TPM4, TAGLN, COL1A1, LUM, MYH11, ACTC1, and MYOZ1 proteins showed a significant difference during yak skeletal muscle post-mortem storage. Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses revealed that the identified proteins were related to carbon metabolism, citrate cycle, glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, and RNA degradation. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study could provide proteomic insights into changes in yak skeletal muscle tenderness during storage and may be a valuable resource for future investigations.

Interaction of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) with microplastics-sediment (MPs-S) complexes: A comparison between binary and simple systems.

The presence of microplastics (MPs) and the associated organic pollutants in the aquatic environment has attracted growing concern in recent years. MPs could compete with chemicals for adsorption sites on the surface of sediment, affecting the sorption processes of pollutants on sediment. However, few studies focused on the binary system of microplastics-sediment (MPs-S), which appear much common in aquatic environment. Herein, we investigated the interactions between a continuously used flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and four MPs-S complexes (PVC-S, PE-S, PP-S and PS-S). The equilibrium adsorption capacities were 17.1, 15.6, 15.4, and 14.0 mg/kg for PVC-S, PS-S, PE-S, and PP-S, respectively. Kinetics suggest that adsorption behavior of TBBPA was fitted by pseudo-second-order model. Co-adsorption of TBBPA in binary systems were much lower than the sum of each simple system, which may be due to the mutually occupied adsorption sites. Higher ionic strength and lower dissolved organic matter strengthened the sorption of TBBPA onto MPs-S complexes. The enhanced sorption capacities for TBBPA were observed with elevated proportion and small particle size of MPs in the MPs-S complexes. This study contributes to the knowledge on the impact of MPs in partitioning of organic pollutants in-between solid and aqueous phases in the aquatic environment.

Research on Characterization Technology and Field Test of Biological Nano-oil Displacement in Offshore Medium- and Low-Permeability Reservoirs.

At present, the water displacement recovery in some medium- and low-permeability reservoirs that cannot be injected and produced in offshore oil fields because of small pores and complex structures is less than 18%. This amount is far lower than 25-40%, which is obtained after water displacement and chemical displacement in medium- and high-permeability reservoirs. Given the current situation of water injection in offshore medium- and low-permeability reservoirs, a new green and environmentally friendly nano-oil displacement technology must be urgently developed to improve the sweep coefficient and oil displacement efficiency of injected water. In this study, the experimental laboratory investigation of a biological nano-oil displacement system suitable for medium- and low-permeability reservoirs is performed. The oil displacement effects, such as changing interfacial tension, viscosity reduction, and oil flushing ability, are also evaluated. The partial differential mathematical model of multicomponent isothermal multiphase seepage is deduced, the mechanism of biological nano-oil displacement technology is finely characterized, and a set of numerical simulation optimization charts of the biological nano-oil displacement process parameters is established. Results show that the biological nano-oil displacement system has adsorption characteristics in porous media, effective miscibility with crude oil, and a minimum contact angle reaching 14.3°. Its interfacial tension can be reduced to the 10-3 level, the viscosity reduction efficiency can reach more than 90%, and the oil washing efficiency can reach more than 70%. Compared with the conventional water and chemical displacement systems, the displacement system in this study has a good oil rock flushing effect and improves oil recovery by 15%. When the injection-production ratio is comprehensively considered, the recommended injection cycle is 6000 ppm. The field test of the biological nano-oil displacement system has been completed, with a validity period of 1 year and a cumulative oil increase of 1.2 × 104 m3, which is still effective. This study provides environmentally friendly solutions for the new chemical displacement of offshore medium- and low-permeability reservoirs. The established process parameter optimization chart has important guiding relevance for the optimization of technical schemes and improvement of the oil increase effect in chemical displacement.

Proteomics discovery of protein biomarkers linked to yak meat tenderness as determined by label-free mass spectrometry.

Tenderness is one of the most important qualities in meat. A proteomic approach is a suitable way to ensure meat tenderness. Thirty-six tenderloin samples from yak were classified as exhibiting high (n = 12) or low (n = 12) tenderness and were evaluated using label-free proteomics for the identification of the proteins and pathways most influential in tenderness variability. Between the two groups, proteomic changes were mainly caused by 33 differentially expressed proteins as displayed in reference patterns in heat maps. The expression of ENO2, SUCLG2, ETFDH, PGM1, TNNT3, TNNT1, HSDL2, GPI, ALAD, and COL1A1 proteins was very different between yak meats with high and low tenderness, and therefore, they are candidate biomarkers of yak meat tenderness. Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses revealed that the identified proteins are related to pentose phosphate, glycolysis, the citrate cycle, fatty acid metabolism, and the calcium signaling pathway.

Extraction and characterization of collagens from yak rumen smooth muscle.

This study reports an effective method using enzymatic methods to extract collagen from yak rumen smooth muscle. The enzymatic extraction methods were optimized by response surface methodology. Additionally, the properties of the extracted collagen were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS). The results showed that the optimal conditions were as follows: the pepsin addition was 0.95%, the enzymatic hydrolysis time was 21 hr, and the solid-to-solvent ratio was 1:11. Under these conditions, the collagen extraction rate could reach 3.62/100 g. The results of FT-IR revealed that the amide A, amide B, amide I, amide II, and amide III bands of the collagen appeared at 3,293.18, 3,068.18, 1654.94, 1,540.58, and 1,236.58 cm-1 , respectively. The MS identified seven types of collagen, which were type I, type III, type IV, type V, type VI, type VIII, and type XII. The results demonstrated that the enzymatic method can extract collagen from yak rumen smooth muscle with a considerably high yield and can preserve the intact structure of the collagen.

Effects of proteome changes on the tenderness of yak rumen smooth muscle during postmortem storage based on the label-free mass spectrometry.

A label-free proteomics method was used to explore the effects of differentially expressed proteins on the tenderness of yak rumen smooth muscle during postmortem storage (0, 3 and 7 days) at 3 ±â€¯1 °C. The tenderness improved significantly during storage. A total of 212 differentially expressed proteins were identified by the following comparisons: Day 3 vs.0, day 7 vs.0, and day 7 vs.3. Twenty-eight proteins were correlated with the WBSF of yak rumen smooth muscle. Calpastatin, ADP/ATP translocase 1, zyxin, LMOD1 protein, tropomyosin α-3 chain, thrombospondin-4 and UQCRC1 protein are highly related to smooth muscle tenderness, and thus, they are candidates indicators of yak rumen smooth muscle tenderness during storage. Furthermore, bioinformatics analyses revealed that the identified proteins were related to focal adhesion, vascular smooth muscle contraction, cardiac muscle contraction and necroptosis. The present results could provide proteomic insights into changes in yak rumen smooth muscle tenderness during storage and may be a valuable resource for future investigations.

The third-generation EGFR inhibitor AZD9291 overcomes primary resistance by continuously blocking ERK signaling in glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a fatal brain tumor, lacking effective treatment. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is recognized as an attractive target for GBM treatment. However, GBMs have very poor responses to the first- and second-generation EGFR inhibitors. The third-generation EGFR-targeted drug, AZD9291, is a novel and irreversible inhibitor. It is noteworthy that AZD9291 shows excellent blood-brain barrier penetration and has potential for the treatment of brain tumors. METHODS: In this study, we evaluated the anti-tumor activity and effectiveness of AZD9291 in a preclinical GBM model. RESULTS: AZD9291 showed dose-responsive growth inhibitory activity against six GBM cell lines. Importantly, AZD9291 inhibited GBM cell proliferation > 10 times more efficiently than the first-generation EGFR inhibitors. AZD9291 induced GBM cell cycle arrest and significantly inhibited colony formation, migration, and invasion of GBM cells. In an orthotopic GBM model, AZD9291 treatment significantly inhibited tumor survival and prolonged animal survival. The underlying anti-GBM mechanism of AZD9291 was shown to be different from that of the first-generation EGFR inhibitors. In contrast to erlotinib, AZD9291 continuously and efficiently inhibited the EGFR/ERK signaling in GBM cells. CONCLUSION: AZD9291 demonstrated an efficient preclinical activity in GBM in vitro and in vivo models. AZD9291 has been approved for the treatment of lung cancer with good safety and tolerability. Our results support the possibility of conducting clinical trials of anti-GBM therapy using AZD9291.

Ecological relationship analysis of the urban metabolic system of Beijing, China.

Cities can be modelled as giant organisms, with their own metabolic processes, and can therefore be studied using the same tools used for biological metabolic systems. The complicated distribution of compartments within these systems and the functional relationships among them define the system's network structure. Taking Beijing as an example, we divided the city's internal system into metabolic compartments, then used ecological network analysis to calculate a comprehensive utility matrix for the flows between compartments within Beijing's metabolic system from 1998 to 2007 and to identify the corresponding functional relationships among the system's compartments. Our results show how ecological network analysis, utility analysis, and relationship analysis can be used to discover the implied ecological relationships within a metabolic system, thereby providing insights into the system's internal metabolic processes. Such analyses provide scientific support for urban ecological management.

[Effects of high magneto-gravitational environment on calcium/calmodulin signal of MG63 osteoblast-like cells].

AIM: To investigate the effects of high magneto-gravitational environment on Ca(2+);]/calmodulin (CaM) signal of MG63 osteoblast-like cells. METHODS: A special designed large gradient high magnetic field could produce three different high magneto-gravitational environments including µg (12 T), 1 g (16 T) and 2 g (12 T). The effects of high magneto-gravitational environments on intracellular free Ca(2+);] concentration ([Ca(2+);](i);) and protein expression including calmodulin (CaM), myosin light chain kinases (MLCK) and phosphorylated Ca(2+);]/CaM dependent protein kinase II(pCaMKII) were measured by Fluo-3/AM or Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: When compared with control group, an increase of [Ca(2+);](i); of MG63 was caused by strong magnetic field; Compared to 2 g, µg decreased [Ca(2+);](i); of MG63. The protein expression of CaM and pCaMKIIof MG63 cells was decreased by simulated weightlessness. CONCLUSION: [Ca(2+);](i); of MG63 cells was increased by strong magnetic field; simulated weightlessness inhibited Ca(2+);/CaM signaling of MG63 cells.

[Roles of autocrine soluble fibronectin on the maintenance of cell shape of osteosarcoma MG-63 cells].

AIM: To investigate the roles of autocrine soluble FN of MG-63 cells in cell shape maintaining. METHODS: Human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells (1 × 10(4); cells/cm(2);) were routinely cultured in MEM medium+10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for 24 h and then the medium was replaced by fresh medium(the group without autocrine soluble FN), conditional medium of collected after 24 h of MG-63 cells (the group containing autocrine soluble FN ) and fresh medium with 20 microg/mL FN( the group with plasma FN) after 24 h, and the cell morphology was observed using phase contrast microscope; The concentrations of soluble FN in fresh and conditional medium were detected; Microfilament and insoluble FN changes of MG-63 cells were investigated. RESULTS: The concentration of soluble FN in conditional medium is much higher than that in the fresh medium (P<0.01). Fresh medium will result in the cell shape changing from spindle to round for 0.5 h. The cell began to spread for 1 h, and the cell shape recovered for 2 h; Conditioned medium has no significant effects on cell shape. Addition of FN (20 mg/L) to fresh medium could inhibit the cell shape change induced by fresh medium. Microfilament and insoluble FN were disorganized by fresh medium. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that autocrine soluble FN of osteosarcoma MG-63 cells may be involved in cell shape maintaining.