Effects of COVID-19 event intensity on college students' health lifestyles: time perspective mediating model and its gender difference.

The pandemic of COVID-19 had not only led to healthy-damage behaviors, but also raised people's attention to health and generated health-promoting behaviors. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying how the perception of COVID-19 intensity affects health behaviors. The present study investigated the mediating effect of DBTP between event intensity and health behaviors and the moderating role of gender in this relation. Nine hundred and twenty-four Chinese college students (348 males and 576 females) completed a battery of self-report questionnaires, including COVID-19 Event Intensity Scale, Chinese version of Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) and Healthy Lifestyle Scale. Moderated mediation analysis was performed using conditional process analysis. The results showed that COVID-19 intensity had a positive predictive effect on college students' health behaviors. DBTP played a partial mediating role in the relationship between COVID-19 intensity and health behaviors for male and not female. In female group, COVID-19 intensity and DBTP was significantly linked with health behaviour; however, COVID-19 intensity and DBTP were not significantly linked. The findings indicated that COVID-19 intensity perceived by college students could increase their health behaviors, and intervention focus on BTP may contribute to health behaviors only in male. Practical implications were discussed in this academic research.

Follow-Up of 108 Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection Treated with Polyethylene Glycol-Conjugated Derivatives of Interferon-Alpha and Monitoring of Off-Treatment Virological Relapse.

BACKGROUND This single center study, which enrolled 108 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection treated with pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG-IFN-alpha), aimed to follow up and monitor off-treatment responses, including virological relapse, and analyze predictors of long-term efficacy of the PEG-IFN-alpha regimen. MATERIAL AND METHODS In total, 108 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B who had completed the PEG-IFN-alpha regimen and achieved virological suppression were enrolled. The patients were followed up for 5 years to monitor off-treatment responses. Twenty-eight relevant factors, including the history of antiviral therapy and HBeAg seroconversion, were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS The cumulative rates of virological suppression were 75.70%, 68.68%, 65.25%, 63.91%, and 63.91% at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years of the follow-up period, respectively. Compared with the rates of virological suppression, the cumulative rates of clinical suppression were 88.41%, 79.83%, 78.59%, 75.65%, and 75.65%, respectively, for the 5 years. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization at 24 weeks after off-therapy (relative risk [RR]=3.430, P=0.013) was a potential predictor for sustained virological suppression, and the history of anti-viral therapy (RR=0.164, P=0.004), quantitative value of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) at 48 weeks of anti-viral therapy (RR=2.697, P=0.039), and ALT normalization at 24 weeks after off-therapy (RR=5.467, P=0.004) were potential predictors for sustained clinical suppression. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggested that increased HBsAg levels at 48 weeks and normalization of ALT at 24 weeks after off-therapy might be predictive factors for long-term treatment efficacy.[color=red] [/color].

LncRNA NEAT1 aggravates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury by regulating the miR-98-5p/TLR4 axis.

Although long noncoding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) was reported to be associated with acute lung injury (ALI), its specific mechanism has not been well studied. Mouse and cell ALI models were constructed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cell viability was evaluated by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di- phenytetrazoliumromide assay. Cell death was evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase release (LDH) detection kit and flow cytometry. The levels of cytokines in lung tissues lysates were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of apoptosis-related markers was detected by Western blot. The relationship between NEAT1, miR-98-5p, and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was determined by bioinformatics prediction, luciferase reporter assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Rescue experiments were performed to determine the role of NEAT1/miR-98-5p/TLR4 in ALI. NEAT1 was significantly upregulated during ALI both in vitro and in vivo. NEAT1 knockdown efficiently attenuated LPS-induced ALI and reduced LPS-induced elevation of cytokines both in vitro and in vivo. NEAT1 negatively regulated miR-98-5p by directly sponging it, and TLR4 was a target of miR-98-5p. MiR-98-5p inhibition or TLR4 overexpression could obviously attenuate the protective effects of NEAT1 knockdown in LPS-treated A549 cells. Our study demonstrated that NEAT1 knockdown alleviated LPS-induced ALI by targeting the miR-98-5p/TLR4 axis.

Long noncoding RNA MEG3 play an important role in osteosarcoma development through sponging microRNAs.

More and more evidence indicate long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to indirectly regulate messenger RNAs (mRNAs) by acting as microRNA (miRNA) sponges, which represents a novel layer of gene regulation that plays a critical role in the development of cancers. However, functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of lncRNA-mediated ceRNAs network in osteosarcoma are still largely unknown. Here, we comprehensively compared the expression profiles of mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs between osteosarcoma and normal samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to elaborate related latent mechanisms. Two lncRNAs, ie, LINC01560 and MEG3, were identified to be aberrantly expressed. Importantly, MEG3 was considered as a promising diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with osteosarcoma according to the Kaplan-Meier analysis of another independent osteosarcoma data set from the Cancer Genome Atlas (P = 0.05). Eventually, we successfully established a dysregulated lncRNA-related ceRNA network, including one osteosarcoma-specific lncRNA, three miRNAs and four mRNAs. In conclusion, this study should be beneficial for improving our understanding of the lncRNA-mediated ceRNA regulatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma and providing it with novel candidate diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers.

Retracted: miR-145 modulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition and invasion by targeting ZEB2 in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a major event that drives cancer progression. Here we aim to investigate the role of microRNA, miR-145, in regulating EMT of the highly invasive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that miR-145 was downregulated in cancer tissue compared with that in adjacent normal tissue. NSCLC cell lines, namely H1299, PC7, and SPCA-1, also demonstrated miR-145 downregulation, which is correlated well with their invasive ability, assessed by the Matrigel invasion assay. miR-145 overexpression resulted in downregulation of N-cadherin, and downregulation of vimentin and E-cadherin, suggesting a decreased EMT activity. TargetScan analysis predicted that a binding site exists between miR-145 and an oncogene, ZEB2, which was verified using the dual-luciferase assay. Alteration of miR-145 expression also induced inverse effects on ZEB2 expression, and a negative correlation exists between ZEB2 and miR-145 in human tissues. ZEB2 and miR-145 also exerted antagonizing effects on the invasion of NSCLC cells. Therefore, miR-145 is an important molecule in NSCLC that regulates cancer EMT through targeting ZEB2.

Viscoelastic Conjugated Polymer Fluids.

The introduction of optoelectronic functions into viscoelastic polymers can yield highly sophisticated soft materials for biomedical devices and autonomous robotics. However, viscoelasticity and excellent optoelectronic properties are difficult to achieve because the presence of a large number of π-conjugated moieties drastically stiffens a polymer. Here, we report a variation of additive-free viscoelastic conjugated polymers (VE-CPs) at room temperature by using an intact π-conjugated backbone and bulky, yet flexible, alkyl side chains as "internal plasticizers." Some of these polymers exhibit gel- and elastomer-like rheological behaviors without cross-linking or entanglement. Furthermore, binary blends of these VE-CPs exhibit a never-seen-before dynamic miscibility with self-restorable and mechanically induced fluorescence color changes.

Overexpression of lncRNA HOXA11-AS promotes cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition by repressing miR-200b in non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have verified that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in many biological functions and play crucial roles in human cancers progression, the study aimed to detect the association between long non-coding RNA HOXA11-AS and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The lncRNA HOXA11-AS expression levels were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays in 78 paired of tumor tissue and adjacent normal tissue samples in NSCLC patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank test was used to examine the association between lncRNA HOXA11-AS expression and the over survival time in NSCLC patients. Transwell invasion assay was performed to detect the cell invasion ability. QRT-PCR and western-blot analysis detected the mRNA and protein expression of EMT related transcription factors ZEB1/ZEB2, Snail1/2 and EMT marker E-cadherin and N-cadherin in NSCLC cells. RIP and Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to analyze the association between lncRNA HOXA11-AS and miR-200b expression in NSCLC cells. RESULTS: The lncRNA HOXA11-AS expression levels were significantly higher in NSCLC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues and higher HOXA11-AS expression levels had a poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. Furthermore, knockdown of lncRNA HOXA11-AS in A549 and H1299 cells dramatically inhibited cell invasive abilities. Besides, the transcription levels and protein levels of EMT related transcription factors ZEB1/ZEB2, Snail1/2, and EMT maker N-cadherin were down-regulated after lncRNA HOXA11-AS was knocked down, but the mRNA and protein expression levels of EMT maker E-cadherin was increasing in A549 and H1299 cells. The mechanistic findings showed demonstrated that HOXA11-AS interacted with EZH2 and DNMT1 and recruited them to the miR-200b promoter regions to repress miR-200b expression in NSCLC cells, which promoted cell EMT in NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that up-regulation of lncRNA HOXA11-AS predicted a poor prognosis and lncRNA HOXA11-AS promoted cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by inhibiting miR-200b expression in NSCLC.

The first mitogenomic phylogenetic framework of Dorcus sensu lato (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), with an emphasis on generic taxonomy in Eastern Asia.

BACKGROUND: Dorcus stag beetles in broad sense are one of the most diverse group in Lucanidae and important saproxylic insects playing a crucial role in nutrient recycling and forest biomonitoring. However, the dazzling morphological differentiations have caused numerous systematic confusion within the big genus, especially the puzzlingly generic taxonomy. So far, there is lack of molecular phylogenetic study to address the chaotic situation. In this study, we undertook mitochondrial genome sequencing of 42 representative species including 18 newly-sequenced ones from Eastern Asia and reconstructed the phylogenetic framework of stag beetles in Dorcus sensu lato for the first time. RESULTS: The mitogenome datasets of Dorcus species have indicated the variable mitogenomic lengths ranged from 15,785 to 19,813 bp. Each mitogenome contained 13 PCGs, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, and a control region, and all PCGs were under strong purifying selection (Ka/Ks < 1). Notably, we have identified the presence of a substantial intergenic spacer (IGS) between the trnAser (UCN) and NAD1 genes, with varying lengths ranging from 129 bp (in D. hansi) to 158 bp (in D. tityus). The mitogenomic phylogenetic analysis of 42 species showed that Eastern Asia Dorcus was monophyletic, and divided into eight clades with significant genetic distance. Four of them, Clade VIII, VII, VI and I are clustered by the representative species of Serrognathus Motschulsky, Kirchnerius Schenk, Falcicornis Séguy and Dorcus s.s. respectively, which supported their fully generic positions as the previous morphological study presented. The topology also showed the remaining clades were distinctly separated from the species of Dorcus sensu lato, which implied that each of them might demonstrate independent generic status. The Linnaeus nomenclatures were suggested as Eurydorcus Didier stat. res., Eurytrachellelus Didier stat. res., Hemisodorcus Thomson stat. res. and Velutinodorcus Maes stat. res. For Clade V, IV, III and II respectively. CONCLUSION: This study recognized the monophyly of Dorcus stag beetles and provided a framework for the molecular phylogeny of this group for the first time. The newly generated mitogenomic data serves as a valuable resource for future investigations on lucanid beetles. The generic relationship would facilitate the systematics of Dorcus stag beetles and thus be useful for exploring their evolutionary, ecological, and conservation aspects.

Effect of lecithin on the complexation between different botanically sourced starches and lauric acid.

This research investigated the effect of lecithin on the complexation of lauric acid with maize starch, potato starch, waxy maize starch, and high amylose maize starch. Rapid visco analysis showed that lecithin altered the setback pattern of potato starch-lauric acid and maize starch-lauric acid mixtures but not waxy maize starch-lauric acid. Further investigation, including differential scanning calorimetry, complex index, and X-ray diffraction, showed that lecithin enhanced the complexation of maize starch, potato starch, and high amylose maize starch with lauric acid. Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy revealed increasingly ordered structures formed in maize starch-lauric acid-lecithin, potato starch-lauric acid-lecithin, and high amylose maize starch-lauric acid-lecithin systems compared to corresponding binary systems. These highly ordered complexes of maize starch, potato starch, and high amylose maize starch also demonstrated greater resistance to in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis. Waxy maize starch complexation however remained unaffected by lecithin. The results of this study show that lecithin impacts complexation between fatty acids and native starches containing amylose, with the starch source being critical. Lecithin minimally impacted the complexation of low amylose starch and fatty acids.

Chronic Hepatitis B in Women of Childbearing Age and Pregnant Women in China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Pregnant women and women of childbearing age were enrolled in our study and their knowledge about the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and chronic hepatitis B (CHB) was evaluated. A questionnaire was distributed to every woman in the cross-sectional study. The questionnaire was answered by all participants before they received health education and advice about HBV and CHB from the doctors visited. Data collected from all answers were analyzed using the χ2 test and logistic regression models. A total of 206 pregnant women and women of childbearing age with CHB infection were enrolled in the study during their first visit to the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University. Some women of childbearing age (40.8%) and pregnant women with CHB infection (30.6%) still believed HBV could be transmitted through diet and/or mosquito bites. Some women of childbearing age and pregnant women with CHB infection had limited knowledge of the prevention of HBV transmission (111 of 206, 53.9%). Women with higher levels of education had more knowledge about HBV (senior middle school, P = 0.02; university, P <0.01). The majority of participants were willing to take antiviral medicine to decrease the mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) rate of HBV. Some women of childbearing age and/or pregnant women with CHB infection have relatively limited knowledge about HBV or CHB. This situation contributes to the timeliness, or lack thereof, of these women with CHB to see a doctor and receive antiviral therapy. As a result, the morbidity and mortality of HBV-related complications could increase along with the rate of MTCT of HBV.

A water transfer printing method for contact lenses surface 2D MXene modification to resist bacterial infection and inflammation.

Contact lenses (CLs) are prone to adhesion and invasion by pollutants and pathogenic bacteria, leading to infection and inflammatory diseases. However, the functionalization of CL (biological functions such as anti-fouling, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory) and maintaining its transparency still face great challenges. In this work, as a member of the MXenes family, vanadium carbide (V2C) is modified onto CL via a water transfer printing method after the formation of a tightly arranged uniform film at the water surface under the action of the Marangoni effect. The coating interface is stable owing to the electrostatic forces. The V2C-modified CL (V2C@CL) maintains optical clarity while providing good biocompatibility, strong antioxidant properties, and anti-inflammatory activities. In vitro antibacterial experiments indicate that V2C@CL shows excellent performance in bacterial anti-adhesion, sterilization, and anti-biofilm formation. Last, V2C@CL displays notable advantages of bacteria elimination and inflammation removal in infectious keratitis treatment.

Effects of peanut oligopeptides on the pasting properties of potato starch and digestive characteristics of dry, flat potato starch noodles.

In this study, we developed dry, flat potato starch noodles with an ideal taste and low digestibility. Peanut oligopeptide and potato starch were combined to form dry, flat potato starch noodles containing different peanut oligopeptide contents using a steam-slice method. Adding 5 % and 10 % peanut oligopeptides maintained the dry, flat starch noodles' quality. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that dry, flat starch noodles containing peanut oligopeptides had more pores with pore sizes ranging from 0.30 µm to 2.00 µm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that peanut oligopeptide promoted the recrystallization of amylopectin during the retrogradation process after gelatinization, and the crystallinity of noodles ranged from 4.31 % (control noodles) to 18.24 % (noodles containing 10 % peanut oligopeptides). An in vitro simulated digestion test showed that the slowly digestible starch and resistant starch contents of noodles containing 10 % peanut oligopeptides were 18.24 % and 22.03 %-significantly higher than control starch noodles (14.88 % and 9.9 %, respectively). Therefore, when peanut oligopeptides were added to dry, flat starch noodles, it was a promising material for lowering blood sugar levels after meals.

Fabrication and characterization of low-fat Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by zein/phytic acid complex nanoparticles.

Pickering emulsion gels (PKEGs) are being explored as solid fat substitutes and delivery systems due to their semi-solid textures and high stabilities. However, these PKEGs have relatively high-fat content, which is undesirable for nutritional and cost reasons. Therefore, in this study, low-fat PKEGs (10 % oil content) were successfully fabricated using zein/phytic acid (ZPA) complex nanoparticles with zein to phytic acid mass ratio of 1:0.006. These nanoparticles have a mean diameter of around 161 nm and wettability of around 89°. The formation of PKEGs were confirmed by the results of dynamic rheology (G' > G″). Confocal laser scanning microscope showed that the complex nanoparticles formed a dense barrier on the surface of the oil droplets, which prevented the oil droplets against coalescence. The chemical stability of curcumin was greatly improved by encapsulation in the PKEGs. The low-fat PKEGs developed in this study may be effective delivery systems for hydrophobic bioactive substances.

A Pilot Urinary Proteome Study Reveals Widespread Influences of Circadian Rhythm Disruption by Sleep Deprivation.

It is widely accepted that circadian rhythm disruption caused short- or long-term adverse effects on health. Although many previous studies have focused on exploration of the molecular mechanisms, there is no rapid, convenient, and non-invasive method to reveal the influence on health after circadian rhythm disruption. Here, we performed a high-resolution mass spectrometry-based data-independent acquisition (DIA) quantitative urinary proteomic approach in order to explore whether urine could reveal stress changes to those brought about by circadian rhythm disruption after sleep deprivation. After sleep deprivation, the subjects showed a significant increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with routine sleep. More than 2000 proteins were quantified and they contained specific proteins for various organs throughout the body. And a total of 177 significantly up-regulated proteins and 68 significantly down-regulated proteins were obtained after sleep deprivation. These differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were associated with multiple organs and pathways, which reflected widespread influences of sleep deprivation. Besides, machine learning identified a panel of five DEPs (CD300A, SCAMP3, TXN2, EFEMP1, and MYH11) that can effectively discriminate circadian rhythm disruption. Taken together, our results validate the value of urinary proteome in predicting and diagnosing the changes by circadian rhythm disruption.

Efficient preparation of cellulose nanocrystals with a high yield through simultaneous acidolysis with a heat-moisture treatment.

This study developed a novel method for the facile and efficient preparation of the cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) by using a simultaneous collaborative process combining sulfuric acid hydrolysis and heat-moisture treatment. In this work, we significantly reduced acid dosage compared to conventional acid solution hydrolysis methods to prepare CNCs. The weight of diluted sulfuric acid is no more than 25% on dry basis weight of microcrystalline cellulose. In a relatively short time (2 h), the yield could reach 93.68%, which is higher than the existing methods. The obtained CNCs displayed a normal rod-like shape (100 nm) and unusual spherical shape (10 nm) and showed high relative crystallinity ranged from 70.92% to 81.13%. The combination of acidolysis and heat-moisture treatment may be an economical and effective method for large-scale production of CNCs and provides a new method for preparing short CNCs, which can be used in membrane strengthening and food packages.

Formation of protein corona on interaction of pepsin with chitin nanowhiskers in simulated gastric fluid.

Protein corona (PC) usually changes the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles (NPs) and determines their ultimate fate in the physiological environment. As NPs are widely used in food, it is important to obtain a deep understanding of PC formation in the gastrointestinal fluid. Herein, we explored the adsorption of pepsin to chitin nanowhiskers (CNWs) and their interactions in simulated gastric fluid. Results suggest that the binding of pepsin reduced the surface potential of CNWs from 22.4 ± 0.15 to 12.9 ± 0.51 mV and caused their aggregation. CNWs quenched the fluorescence of pepsin and induced slightly changes in its secondary structure containing a reduction in the ß-sheet content (∼ 3%) and an increase in the random coils (∼ 2%). The isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) data suggested that the interaction forces between CNWs and pepsin were mainly hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces.

Properties of curcumin-loaded zein-tea saponin nanoparticles prepared by antisolvent co-precipitation and precipitation.

The properties of nutraceutical-loaded biopolymer nanoparticles fabricated by antisolvent co-precipitation (ASCP) and precipitation (ASP) were compared. Curcumin-loaded zein-tea saponin nanoparticles were fabricated using both methods and then their structural and physicochemical properties were characterized. The diameter of the nanoparticles prepared by ASCP were smaller (120-130 nm) than those prepared by ASP (140-160 nm). The encapsulation efficiency of the ASCP-nanoparticles (80.0%) was higher than the ASP-ones (71.0%) at a zein-to-curcumin mass ratio of 3:1, which was also higher than previous studies. The storage and light stability of curcumin was higher in zein-saponin nanoparticles than in zein nanoparticles. All nanoparticles had good water dispersibility after freeze-drying and rehydration. This study shows that nanoparticles produced by antisolvent co-precipitation have superior properties to those produced by antisolvent precipitation. The co-precipitation method leads to a higher encapsulation efficiency, smaller particle size, and greater storage stability, which may be advantageous for some applications.

Cyanobacteria-based self-oxygenated photodynamic therapy for anaerobic infection treatment and tissue repair.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an important technique to deal with drug-resistant bacterial infections in the post-antibiotic era. However, the hypoxic environment in intractable infections such as refractory keratitis and periodontitis, makes PDT more difficult. In this work, spontaneous oxygen-producing cyanobacteria were used as the carrier of photosensitizer (Ce6), and ultrasmall Cu5.4O nanoparticles (Cu5.4O USNPs) with catalase activity for infection and inflammation elimination and rapid tissue repair (CeCycn-Cu5.4O). The loading of Ce6 and Cu5.4O USNPs onto cyanobacteria surface were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, nano particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscopy. In vitro sterilization and biofilm removal experiments demonstrated that the restriction of hypoxic environment to PDT was significantly alleviated due to the oxygen production of cyanobacteria. Under laser irradiation, the close transfer of energy photons to oxygen produced by cyanobacteria reduced more than 90% of Ce6 dosages (660 nm, 200 mW/cm2, 2 min). It is worth mentioning that both rapid sterilization through PDT and long-term oxidized free radicals elimination were achieved by adjusting the ratio of Ce6 and Cu5.4O USNPs. Both periodontitis and refractory keratitis animal models proved the excellent self-oxygenation enhanced antibacterial property and promotion of tissue repair.

Repeat laboratory testing of SARS-CoV-2 is necessary to diagnose COVID-19.

The pandemic of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 is ravaging the world. Diagnosis and isolation of persons who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 is very important medical emergency to contain the epidemic of COVID-19. To date, the diagnosis of COVID-19 is mainly depending on positive quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) results for SARS-CoV-2. In the present study, we reported that two cases with uncommon symptoms from a family cluster were ultimately diagnosed as COVID-19 after more than twice of collecting samples and qRT-PCR tests were done. It is easily to miss diagnosis of COVID-19 especially for patients with uncommon symptoms. More attention should be paid to observe the clinical characteristics of it and invent more accurate and convenient methods to detect SARS-CoV-2 as soon as possible.

Research on Mechanism of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Activating Endoplasmic Reticulum and Prompting Apoptosis of Liver Cells Through Mediation of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α/Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 (TNF-α/TNFR1) Pathway.

The aim of this study was to assess mechanism of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO-NPs) in activating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and prompting apoptosis of liver cells through mediating the TNF-α/TNFR1 pathway. The SPIO-NPs were prepared and identified, and HegG2 cells were cultivated in vitro, and their apoptosis was detected. The specific pathogen-free (SPF)-grade rats were divided into several groups; which included blank group, low concentration group, high concentration group and control group. The enzymatic activity of Caspase-3 in liver tissue was tested, and expressions of Caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, TNF-α, p-TNFR1, IRE1α, and eIF2α were tested. The size of prepared SPIO-NPs was 7.5 nm and there was no coagulation. There was good dispersity and electric potential, and appearance was stable. The apoptotic rate in the high concentration group was notably higher than in the other groups. There was notable inflammatory cell infiltration in the high concentration group, where quantity of apoptosis was highest. The quantity of apoptosis and fluorocyte in the high concentration group were notably higher than in the other groups. Moreover, there were over expressions of Caspase-3, Bax, Caspase-3, p-TNFR1, IRE1α, and eIF2α in the high concentration group while the expression of TNF-α was lowest. The apoptosis of HegG2 cells was prompted by SPIO-NPs, and quantity of apoptosis was increased with increased adopted concentration. The active expression of p-TNFR1, IRE1α, and eIF2α could be prompted to reduce the expression of TNF-α and increase the expression of Caspase-3 and Bax for prompting the apoptosis.