Sulfonic Functionalized Polydopamine Coatings with pH-Independent Surface Charge for Optimizing Capillary Electrophoretic Separations.

Enhancing the pH-independence and controlling the magnitude of electroosmotic flow (EOF) are critical for highly efficient and reproducible capillary electrophoresis (CE) separations. Herein, we present a novel capillary modification method utilizing sulfonated periodate-induced polydopamine (SPD) coating to achieve pH-independent and highly reproducible cathodic EOF in CE. The SPD-coated capillaries were obtained through post-sulfonation treatment of periodate-induced PDA (PDA-SP) coatings adhered on the capillary inner surface. The successful immobilization of the SPD coating and the substantial grafting of sulfonic acid groups were confirmed by a series of characterization techniques. The excellent capability of PDA-SP@capillary in masking silanol groups and maintaining a highly robust EOF mobility was verified. Additionally, the parameters of sulfonation affecting the EOF mobilities were thoroughly examined. The obtained optimum SPD-coated column offered the anticipated highly pH-independent and high-strength cathodic EOF, which is essential for enhancing the CE separation performance and improving analysis efficiency. Consequently, the developed SPD-coated capillaries enabled successful high-efficiency separation of aromatic acids and nucleosides and rapid cyclodextrin-based chiral analysis of racemic drugs. Moreover, the SPD-coated columns exhibited a long lifetime and demonstrated good intra-day, inter-day, and column-to-column repeatability.

Homomesoporous Metal-Organic Framework for High-Performance Electrochromatographic Separation.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have exhibited tremendous potential in the area of separation science. However, most of the developed MOF-based stationary phases contained only microporous structures and suffer from limited separation performance. Herein, homomesoporous MOFs with excellent mass transfer capability and strong thermodynamic interactions are first explored as the novel stationary phase for high-performance capillary electrochromatographic separations. As a proof of concept, noninterpenetrated mesoMOF-1 with uniform mesopore sizes (22.5 × 26.1 Å) and good stability was facilely grown on the inner surface of capillaries and applied as a homomesoporous MOF coating-based stationary phase for high-efficiency electrochromatographic separation. Seven types of analytes with different molecular dimensions were all baseline separated on a mesoMOF-1 coated column with high theoretical plate numbers and excellent repeatability, exhibiting significantly improved separation selectivity and column efficiency in comparison to a microporous HKUST-1 coated column. The maximum column efficiencies of the mesoMOF-1 coated column for substituted benzenes and halobenzenes reached up to 1.4 × 105 plates/m, and its mass loadability was also much higher than that of the HKUST-1 coated column. In addition, based on the analysis of adsorption kinetics and chromatographic retention behaviors, the interaction and retention mechanisms of different molecular-weight analytes on mesoMOF-1 coated stationary phases were systematically explored and disclosed in detail. These results indicate that the homomesoporous MOF-based stationary phase can effectively balance the kinetic diffusion (mass transfer capability) and thermodynamic interactions (the strength of adsorption interaction), having great potential for high-performance chromatographic separation.

Clinical significances of hsa_circ_0067582 and hsa_circ_0005758 in gastric cancer tissues.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a special class of endogenous noncoding RNAs that have numerous biological functions in normal situation and diseases including cancers. However, the clinical significance of circRNAs in gastric cancer (GC) remains largely unknown. Here, we chose two representative circRNAs, hsa_circ_0067582 and hsa_circ_0005758, to investigate their clinical significance in GC patients. METHODS: Using real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), we explored the expression levels of hsa_circ_0067582 and hsa_circ_0005758 in tissues with different stages of gastric tumorigenesis. Then, the relationships between their expression levels and GC patients' clinicopathological factors were further investigated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were established for evaluating diagnostic values of hsa_circ_0067582 and hsa_circ_0005758. RESULTS: Compared with healthy control tissues, both hsa_circ_0067582 and hsa_circ_0005758 were significantly decreased in GC tissues. Besides, hsa_circ_0067582 expression was associated with GC patients' tissue CEA level (P <.001) and stages (P = .037); and hsa_circ_0005758 expression was relevant to tissue CEA level (P < .001) and perineural invasion (P = .048). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of hsa_circ_0067582 was up to 0.671. The cutoff value was set at 10.61, with which the sensitivity and specificity were 55.2% and 75.0%, respectively. Similar to hsa_circ_0005758, the AUC of hsa_circ_0005758 was 0.721. The cutoff value was set at 10.20, with which the sensitivity and specificity were 75.0% and 67.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results showed that both hsa_circ_0067582 and hsa_circ_0005758 may play an important role in gastric carcinogenesis; and they may be potential indicators for GC diagnosis.

[Research progress on the construction and applications of metal-organic frameworks in chromatographic stationary phases].

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous crystalline materials composed of metal centers or clusters assembled with organic ligands. These materials possess excellent properties, such as large surface areas, high porosities, uniform pore sizes, and diverse structures. Thus, MOFs have been widely applied in various fields, including catalysis, adsorption, sensing, sample pretreatment, and chromatographic separation. The applications of MOFs as stationary phases for chromatographic separation and analysis have attracted considerable attention from the research community in recent years. Compared with traditional chromatographic stationary phases, such as mesoporous silica, nanoparticles, and porous layers, MOFs possess flexible and tunable pore sizes and structures, thereby enabling precise control over their intermolecular interactions. Furthermore, the wide range of functional ligands and topologies of MOFs could potentially facilitate the separation and analysis of complex samples. These unique advantages render MOFs highly suitable for constructing novel chromatographic stationary phases.This article focuses primarily on the construction methods of MOFs as chromatographic stationary phases, and provides an overview of the latest research advancements in their applications in several chromatographic separation techniques such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), and capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The existing methods for the preparation and construction of MOFs-based chromatographic stationary phases are classified and evaluated. The construction methods for MOFs as stationary phases for HPLC mainly include filling, precursor-doped polymerization, and post-modification. The construction methods for MOFs as stationary phases for GC predominantly include in situ growth, static coating, and dynamic coating. The stationary phases for CEC can be categorized into packed columns, monolithic columns, and open-tubular columns. Compared with monolithic and packed columns, open-tubular CEC (OT-CEC) offers numerous advantages, including a more flexible and convenient preparation method, enhanced compatibility with various separation media, and higher separation efficiency. Consequently, OT-CEC has emerged as an important method for investigating the preparation of stationary phases for CEC. Several methods such as physical adsorption, covalent attachment, and electrostatic interactions have been developed for the preparation and modification of MOFs-based CEC stationary phases, and extensive studies have been conducted to optimize the performance and applications of MOFs in OT-CEC. However, the existing methods for constructing MOFs-based chromatographic stationary phases present certain limitations. Therefore, the selection of the appropriate MOFs, optimization of their preparation methods, and examination of their performance in different separation modes have become the focus of intensive research.This review also summarizes the different analytical targets (e. g., chiral small molecules, biomacromolecules, and nonchiral molecules) and corresponding separation effects achieved using various MOFs-based chromatographic stationary phases. Finally, future studies focusing on the development of MOFs as chromatographic separation media are discussed. Overall, this review provides a valuable reference for the rational construction and practical applications of advanced MOFs-based chromatographic stationary phases.

Association of Serum Apolipoprotein A5 Concentration with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Ningbo, China.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic disease characterized by the excessive accumulation of hepatocyte fat and steatosis in the absence of alcohol or any other clear contributing factors to liver injury. NAFLD has been confirmed to be closely associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. Genetic polymorphism studies have shown the relations between the apolipoprotein A5 gene (APOA5) and NAFLD. However, the association between the serum ApoA5 level and NAFLD remains unclear. Between September 2018 and August 2019, adults who attended the hospital-based health checkup center were enrolled in this study. Anthropometric examination, laboratory investigations on fasting blood, and abdominal ultrasonography were performed. The serum ApoA5 level was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A total of 517 eligible participants (317 females and 200 males) were involved in this study, with a mean age of 54.7 ± 16.7 years. The mean ApoA5 concentration was 28.8 ± 4.7 µg/ml, among which the males had higher concentration levels than females (29.3 ± 4.5 vs. 28.5 ± 4.7 µg/mL, P=0.04). Serum ApoA5 level was not significantly correlated with NAFLD or metabolic profiles. However, the prevalence rate of hypertriglyceridemia (triglyceride ≥ 1.7 mmol/L) showed a significant inverted "U"-shaped trend in individuals with the serum ApoA5 level of quartile one to quartile four after adjusting the confounding factors. Moreover, individuals with higher serum ApoA5 levels were also more likely to suffer from hyperglycemia. The ApoA5 levels and the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia are in an inverted "U-shaped" correlation, but there is no significant difference between ApoA5 levels, NAFLD, and metabolic syndrome.

Biological roles and potential clinical values of circular RNAs in gastrointestinal malignancies.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a class of endogenous RNA molecules, are produced by alternative splicing of precursor RNA and are covalently linked at the 5' and 3' ends. Recent studies have revealed that dysregulated circRNAs are closely related to the occurrence and progression of gastrointestinal malignancies. Accumulating evidence indicates that circRNAs, including circPVT1, circLARP4, circ-SFMBT2, cir-ITCH, circRNA_100782, circ_100395, circ-DONSON, hsa_circ_0001368, circNRIP1, circFAT1(e2), circCCDC66, circSMARCA5, circ-ZNF652, and circ_0030235 play important roles in the proliferation, differentiation, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells through a variety of mechanisms, such as acting as microRNA sponges, interacting with RNA-binding proteins, regulating gene transcription and alternative splicing, and being translated into proteins. With the characteristics of high abundance, high stability, extensive functions, and certain tissue-, time- and disease-specific expressions, circRNAs are expected to provide novel perspectives for the diagnoses and treatments of gastrointestinal malignancies.

Clinical significance of hsa_circ_0000419 in gastric cancer screening and prognosis estimation.

Gastric cancer (GC) is an aggressive malignancy that seriously threatens human health. Accumulating studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) can be used as diagnostic biomarkers and promising therapeutic targets with significant clinical implications. However, the roles of circRNAs in GC remain largely elusive. In this study, hsa_circ_0000419 levels in GC cell lines, tissues and plasma were detected, and their clinicopathological correlation was analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Kaplan-Meier survival curve were established for its clinical values evaluation. Potential biological functions were further predicted and annotated by bioinformatics analysis. Hsa_circ_0000419 levels were significantly decreased in GC cell lines, cancer tissues and plasma from GC patients. GC tissues hsa_circ_0000419 levels were associated with cell differentiation, Borrmann type, overall survival and disease-free survival, whereas plasma hsa_circ_0000419 were significantly correlated with tumor stage, lymphatic and distal metastasis, venous and perineural invasion. Plasma hsa_circ_0000419 exists in exosomes and maintain good stability. Bioinformatics analysis showed that hsa_circ_0000419 involved in gastric tumorigenesis and progression via its interaction with microRNAs. Collectively, our study suggests that hsa_circ_0000419 is a novel biomarker for GC screening as well as an important indicator for prognostic estimation of patients with advanced GC.

Hsa_circ_0065149 is an Indicator for Early Gastric Cancer Screening and Prognosis Prediction.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are an endogenous RNAs with a covalently closed cyclic structure. They have emerged recently as key regulators in the development and progression of human cancers. However, the clinical values of most circRNAs in gastric cancer (GC) are unknown. Hsa_circ_0065149, one of the dysregulated circRNAs in gastric carcinogenesis detected by circRNA microarray, was chose as a targeted circRNA in this study. We firstly enlarged sample size and identified the level changes of hsa_circ_0065149 among four stages of gastric tumorigenesis from healthy gastric mucosa, gastritis, intestinal metaplasia to GC. Then, the potential relationship between hsa_circ_0065149 expression levels and GC patients' clinicopathological factors was investigated. Moreover, the clinical significance of hsa_circ_0065149 in plasma exosomes and gastric juice were explored. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Kaplan-Meier survival curve were constructed to evaluate diagnostic and prognostic values. Finally, bioinformatics analysis was performed to excavate the potential functions of hsa_circ_0065149. Hsa_circ_0065149 expression was only significantly down-regulated in gastric cancer, not changed among healthy gastric mucosa and gastritis intestinal metaplasia. Low hsa_circ_0065149 expression levels in GC tissues were significantly associated with tumor diameter (P = 0.034) and perineural invasion (P = 0.037). GC patients with low hsa_circ_0065149 levels had a much longer overall survival than those in high group (P = 0.020). More important, hsa_circ_0065149 levels were significantly decreased in plasma exosomes of early GC patients. As a screening biomarker for early GC, hsa_circ_0065149 in plasma exosomes has higher sensitivity and specificity than traditional clinical biomarkers. Bioinformatics analysis suggest that the abnormal expression of hsa_circ_0065149 may play an important role during gastric carcinogenesis. Those results indicate that hsa_circ_0065149 in exosmoes is an indicator for early GC screening and prognosis prediction.