Impact of Gender-Role Attitudes and Mental Health on Hostile Sexism and Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Each year, tens of thousands of people worldwide choose to undergo cosmetic surgery in order to alter their appearance. In recent years, young people have gradually emerged to comprise the main driving force behind the increasing demand for cosmetic surgery. Previous studies have found that sexism may motivate young people to undergo such surgeries. However, few studies have been conducted to determine if this psychological mechanism influences the acceptance of cosmetic surgery among Chinese university students. METHODS: A total of 579 Chinese university students (280 girls and 299 boys, 17-20 years) volunteered to participate in the online survey. They completed a questionnaire containing the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, the Gender-Role Attitudes Questionnaire and the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale. We firstly evaluated the underlying factor structure of the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and exploring pattern of associations between the constructs was analyzed via path analysis. RESULTS: According to the findings, hostile sexism was associated with greater levels of acceptance toward cosmetic surgery. Moreover, gender-role attitudes mediated the link between hostile sexism and the acceptance of cosmetic surgery, and this mediation was positively influenced by general mental health. CONCLUSION: Our study contributes to a deeper understanding of Chinese university students' attitudes toward cosmetic surgery, hostile sexism may contribute to normalizing traditional gender stereotypes and encourage cosmetic surgery acceptability among Chinese university students. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

KLF5-mediated aquaporin 3 activated autophagy to facilitate cisplatin resistance of gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs limits the control of gastric cancer (GC) development. The study intended to probe into the mechanism of aquaporin 3 (AQP3) on the chemoresistance of GC. METHODS: Cisplatin (CDDP)-resistant cells were constructed. Parental AGS and HGC-27 cells and their respective CDDP-resistant cells were transfected with AQP3 overexpression plasmid, AQP3 short hairpin RNA (sh-AQP3) and sh-Kruppel-like factor 5 (shKLF5). The expressions of AQP3 and factors related to autophagy (LC3 I, LC3 II, Atg5, Beclin-1, p62)/epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT; E-cadherin and snail) were assessed by Western blot and qRT-PCR. Cell counting kit-8 assay was adopted to test cell viability and half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50) was determined. Transwell assay was used for the examination of cell migration and invasion. The regulatory relationship of AQP3 and KLF5 was tested by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and dual luciferase reporter assays. RESULTS: AQP3 was highly-expressed in GC cells and its level was even higher in CDDP-resistant GC cells. AQP3 silencing inhibited viability, autophagy and EMT in CDDP-resistant GC cells, while AQP3 overexpression had the opposite effect. KLF5 positively modulated AQP3 in GC cells resistant to CDDP. KLF5 knockdown reversed AQP3-induced autophagy, viability, migration, invasion and EMT in CDDP-resistant GC cells. CONCLUSION: KLF5-modulated AQP3 activated autophagy to facilitate the resistance of GC to CDDP.

Circular RNA circ_0008305 aggravates hepatocellular carcinoma growth through binding to miR-186 and inducing TMED2.

Dysregulation of circRNAs is reported to exert crucial roles in cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). So far, the function of circRNAs in HCC development remains poorly known. Currently, our data showed that circ_0008305 was highly elevated in HCC cell lines and 30 paired tissue samples of HCC. As evidenced, suppression of circ_0008305 repressed HCC cell growth significantly. Meanwhile, up-regulation of circ_0008305 significantly reduced HCC cell growth. Mechanistically, we displayed that circ_0008305 could bind with miR-186 by using bioinformatics analysis. miR-186 has been reported to be a crucial tumour oncogene in many cancers. In addition, we proved miR-186 was greatly decreased in HCC. The direct correlation between miR-186 and circ_0008305 was confirmed in our work. In addition, up-regulation of miR-186 obviously restrained HCC progression. Increased expression of transmembrane p24 trafficking protein 2 (TMED2) is significantly related to the unfavourable outcomes in cancer patients. At our present work, we proved that TMED2 could act as a direct target of miR-186. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that circ_0008305 up-regulated TMED2 expression by sponging miR-186, which resulted in significantly induced HCC progression in vitro and in vivo. These revealed the significant role of circ_0008305 in HCC progression, which might indicate a new perspective on circRNAs in HCC development.

Long noncoding RNA CA3-AS1 suppresses gastric cancer migration and invasion by sponging miR-93-5p and targeting BTG3.

The long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that are broadly expressed in various biological cells and function in regulating gene expression. However, the function of lncRNAs and the role of lncRNAs in gastric cancer remain to be determined. Herein, the function of lncRNA CA3-AS1 was investigated in gastric cancer. Firstly, we found that the expression level of CA3-AS1 was decreased in gastric cancer cell lines and tissues. Then, CA3-AS1 overexpression inhibited the gastric cancer cells migration and invasion and knockdown of CA3-AS1 enhanced the gastric cancer cells migration and invasion. Moreover, FISH assays and qPCR results revealed that CA3-AS1 was mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of gastric cancer cells. Then, the relationship between CA3-AS1 and miR-93-5p was explored. Luciferase reporter assays results showed that miR-93-5p was a direct target of CA3-AS1 in SGC-7901 and BCG-823. Furthermore, BTG3 was identified as a direct target gene of miR-93-5p. Restore experiments showed that CA3-AS1 upregulated the expression level of BTG3 and inhibited the gastric cancer cells invasion by sponging miR-93-5p. Finally, we found that CA3-AS1 inhibited the metastasis ability of gastric cancer cells in vivo. Above results suggested that CA3-AS1 acted as anti-oncogene in gastric cancer and might become a vital target for clinical treatment.

Dimensionality Modulates Electrical Conductivity in Compositionally Constant One-, Two-, and Three-Dimensional Frameworks.

We reveal here the construction of Ni-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and conjugated coordination polymers (CCPs) with different structural dimensionalities, including closely π-stacked 1D chains (Ni-1D), aggregated 2D layers (Ni-2D), and a 3D framework (Ni-3D), based on 2,3,5,6-tetraamino-1,4-hydroquinone (TAHQ) and its various oxidized forms. These materials have the same metal-ligand composition but exhibit distinct electronic properties caused by different dimensionalities and supramolecular interactions between SBUs, ligands, and structural motifs. The electrical conductivity of these materials spans nearly 8 orders of magnitude, approaching 0.3 S/cm.

Copper-Catalyzed Formal Dehydration Polymerization of Propargylic Alcohols via Cumulene Intermediates.

Here we report a copper-catalyzed formal dehydration polymerization of propargylic alcohols. Copper catalysis allows for efficient in situ generation of [n]cumulenes (n = 3, 5) by a soft deprotonation/ß-elimination pathway and subsequent polymerization via organocopper species. Alkyne polymers (Mn up to 36.2 kg/mol) were produced with high efficiency (up to 95% yield) and excellent functional group tolerance. One-pot synthesis of semiconducting head-to-head poly(phenylacetylene) was demonstrated through a polymerization-isomerization sequence.

Room-Temperature Quantitative Quantum Sensing of Lithium Ions with a Radical-Embedded Metal-Organic Framework.

Recent advancements in quantum sensing have sparked transformative detection technologies with high sensitivity, precision, and spatial resolution. Owing to their atomic-level tunability, molecular qubits and ensembles thereof are promising candidates for sensing chemical analytes. Here, we show quantum sensing of lithium ions in solution at room temperature with an ensemble of organic radicals integrated in a microporous metal-organic framework (MOF). The organic radicals exhibit electron spin coherence and microwave addressability at room temperature, thus behaving as qubits. The high surface area of the MOF promotes accessibility of the guest analytes to the organic qubits, enabling unambiguous identification of lithium ions and quantitative measurement of their concentration through relaxometric and hyperfine spectroscopic methods based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The sensing principle presented in this work is applicable to other metal ions with nonzero nuclear spin.

Synthesis of Polydiynes via an Unexpected Dimerization/Polymerization Sequence of C3 Propargylic Electrophiles.

Here, we describe the unexpected discovery of a Cu-catalyzed condensation polymerization reaction of propargylic electrophiles (CPPE) that transforms simple C3 building blocks into polydiynes of C6 repeating units. This reaction was achieved by a simple system composed of a copper acetylide initiator and an electron-rich phosphine ligand. Alkyne polymers (up to 33.8 kg/mol) were produced in good yields and exclusive regioselectivity with high functional group compatibility. Hydrogenation of the product afforded a new polyolefin-type backbone, while base-mediated isomerization led to a new type of dienyne-based electron-deficient conjugated polymer. Mechanistic studies revealed a new α-α selective Cu-catalyzed dimerization pathway of the C3 unit, followed by in situ organocopper-mediated chain-growth propagation. These insights not only provide an important understanding of the Cu-catalyzed CPPE of C3, C4, and C6 monomers in general but also lead to a significantly improved synthesis of polydiynes from simpler starting materials with handles for the incorporation of an α-end functional group.

Atomically precise single-crystal structures of electrically conducting 2D metal-organic frameworks.

Electrically conducting 2D metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted considerable interest, as their hexagonal 2D lattices mimic graphite and other 2D van der Waals stacked materials. However, understanding their intrinsic properties remains a challenge because their crystals are too small or of too poor quality for crystal structure determination. Here, we report atomically precise structures of a family of 2D π-conjugated MOFs derived from large single crystals of sizes up to 200 µm, allowing atomic-resolution analysis by a battery of high-resolution diffraction techniques. A designed ligand core rebalances the in-plane and out-of-plane interactions that define anisotropic crystal growth. We report two crystal structure types exhibiting analogous 2D honeycomb-like sheets but distinct packing modes and pore contents. Single-crystal electrical transport measurements distinctively demonstrate anisotropic transport normal and parallel to the π-conjugated sheets, revealing a clear correlation between absolute conductivity and the nature of the metal cation and 2D sheet packing motif.

Structural, Thermodynamic, and Transport Properties of the Small-Gap Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Kagomé Materials Cu3(hexaiminobenzene)2 and Ni3(hexaiminobenzene)2.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide exceptional chemical tunability and have recently been demonstrated to exhibit electrical conductivity and related functional electronic properties. The kagomé lattice is a fruitful source of novel physical states of matter, including the quantum spin liquid (in insulators) and Dirac fermions (in metals). Small-bandgap kagomé materials have the potential to bridge quantum spin liquid states and exhibit phenomena such as superconductivity but remain exceptionally rare. Here we report a structural, thermodynamic, and transport study of the two-dimensional kagomé metal-organic frameworks Ni3(HIB)2 and Cu3(HIB)2 (HIB = hexaiminobenzene). Magnetization measurements yield Curie constants of 0.989 emu K (mol Ni)-1 Oe-1 and 0.371 emu K (mol Cu)-1 Oe-1, respectively, close to the values expected for ideal S = 1 Ni2+ and S = 1/2 Cu2+. Weiss temperatures of -10.6 and -14.3 K indicate net weak mean field antiferromagnetic interactions between ions. Electrical transport measurements reveal that both materials are semiconducting, with gaps (Eg) of 22.2 and 103 meV, respectively. Specific heat measurements reveal a large T-linear contribution γ of 148(4) mJ mol-fu-1 K-2 in Ni3(HIB)2 with only a gradual upturn below ∼5 K and no evidence of a phase transition to an ordered state down to 0.1 K. Cu3(HIB)2 also lacks evidence of a phase transition above 0.1 K, with a substantial, field-dependent, magnetic contribution below ∼5 K. Despite them being superficially in agreement with the expectations of magnetic frustration and spin liquid physics, we ascribe these observations to the stacking faults found from a detailed analysis of synchrotron X-ray diffraction data. At the same time, our results demonstrate that these MOFs exhibit localized magnetism with simultaneous proximity to a metallic state, thus opening up opportunities to explore the connection between the insulating and metallic ground states of kagomé materials in a highly tunable chemical platform.

High-Capacitance Pseudocapacitors from Li+ Ion Intercalation in Nonporous, Electrically Conductive 2D Coordination Polymers.

Electrochemical capacitors (ECs) have emerged as reliable and fast-charging electrochemical energy storage devices that offer high power densities. Their use is still limited, nevertheless, by their relatively low energy density. Because high specific surface area and electrical conductivity are widely seen as key metrics for improving the energy density and overall performance of ECs, materials that have excellent electrical conductivities but are otherwise nonporous, such as coordination polymers (CPs), are often overlooked. Here, we report a new nonporous CP, Ni3(benzenehexathiolate) (Ni3BHT), which exhibits high electrical conductivity of over 500 S/m. When used as an electrode, Ni3BHT delivers excellent specific capacitances of 245 F/g and 426 F/cm3 in nonaqueous electrolytes. Structural and electrochemical studies relate the favorable performance to pseudocapacitive intercalation of Li+ ions between the 2D layers of Ni3BHT, a charge-storage mechanism that has thus far been documented only in inorganic materials such as TiO2, Nb2O5, and MXenes. This first demonstration of pseudocapacitive ion intercalation in nonporous CPs, a class of materials comprising thousands of members with distinct structures and compositions, provides important motivation for exploring this vast family of materials for nontraditional, high-energy pseudocapacitors.

Why conductivity is not always king - physical properties governing the capacitance of 2D metal-organic framework-based EDLC supercapacitor electrodes: a Ni3(HITP)2 case study.

We report a systematic study on the variation of the physical properties of Ni3(HITP)2 (HITP = 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexaiminotriphenylene) in the context of their influence on the capacitive behavior of this material in supercapacitor electrodes prepared using the neat MOF. We find that, for this representative material, the sample morphology has a greater impact on the measured electrode performance than differences in bulk electrical conductivity.

M2 macrophages contribute to cell proliferation and migration of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a kind of malignant tumor that severely threatens women's lives and health worldwide. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have been reported to mediate tumor progression, while the mechanism still needs further identification. In this study, we found that M2 macrophages promoted increased cell proliferation and migration as well as reduced expression of interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) and increased the expression of miR-1587 in breast cancer cells. Overexpression of IRF7 or miR-1587 knockdown reversed M2 macrophage-induced cell proliferation and migration as well as tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, miR-1587 targeted the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of IRF7 mRNA to regulate its protein expression leading to tumor progression. Collectively, this study revealed that the miR-1587/IRF7 axis mediates M2 macrophage-induced breast cancer progression, and this sheds light on further clinical therapy for breast cancer by targeting TAMs as well as the miR-1587/IRF7 axis.

Research progress on the protective effects of licorice-derived 18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid against liver injury.

The first description of the medical use of licorice appeared in "Shennong Bencao Jing", one of the well-known Chinese herbal medicine classic books dated back to 220-280 AD. As one of the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal medicine, licorice is known as "Guo Lao", meaning "a national treasure" in China. Modern pharmacological investigations have confirmed that licorice possesses a number of biological activities, such as antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, immune regulation, and liver protection. 18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid is one of the most extensively studied active integrants of licorice. Here, we provide an overview of the protective effects of 18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid against various acute and chronic liver diseases observed in experimental models, and summarize its pharmacological effects and potential toxic/side effects at higher doses. We also make additional comments on the important areas that may warrant further research to support appropriate clinical applications of 18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid and avoid potential risks.

Dual-Ion Intercalation and High Volumetric Capacitance in a Two-Dimensional Non-Porous Coordination Polymer.

Intercalation is a promising ion-sorption mechanism for enhancing the energy density of electrochemical capacitors (ECs) because it offers enhanced access to the electrochemical surface area. It requires a rapid transport of ions in and out of a host material, and it must occur without phase transformations. Materials that fulfil these requirements are rare; those that do intercalate almost exclusively cations. Herein, we show that Ni3 (benzenehexathiol) (Ni3 BHT), a non-porous two-dimensional (2D) layered coordination polymer (CP), intercalates both cations and anions with a variety of charges. Whereas cation intercalation is pseudocapacitive, anions intercalate in a purely capacitive fashion. The excellent EC performance of Ni3 BHT provides a general basis for investigating similar dual-ion intercalation mechanisms in the large family of non-porous 2D CPs.

Continuous Electrical Conductivity Variation in M3(Hexaiminotriphenylene)2 (M = Co, Ni, Cu) MOF Alloys.

We report on the continuous fine-scale tuning of band gaps over 0.4 eV and of the electrical conductivity of over 4 orders of magnitude in a series of highly crystalline binary alloys of two-dimensional electrically conducting metal-organic frameworks M3(HITP)2 (M = Co, Ni, Cu; HITP = 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexaiminotriphenylene). The isostructurality in the M3(HITP)2 series permits the direct synthesis of binary alloys (MxM'3-x)(HITP)2 (MM' = CuNi, CoNi, and CoCu) with metal compositions precisely controlled by precursor ratios. We attribute the continuous tuning of both band gaps and electrical conductivity to changes in free-carrier concentrations and to subtle differences in the interlayer displacement or spacing, both of which are defined by metal substitution. The activation energy of (CoxNi3-x)(HITP)2 alloys scales inversely with an increasing Ni percentage, confirming thermally activated bulk transport.

Organic Semiconducting Alloys with Tunable Energy Levels.

Continuous band structure tuning, e.g., doping with different atoms, is one of the most important features of inorganic semiconductors. However, this can hardly be realized in organic semicondutors. Here, we report the first example of fine-tuning organic semiconductor band structures by alloying structurally similar derivatives into one single phase. By incorporating halogen atoms on different positions of the backbone, BDOPV derivatives with complementary intramolecular or intermolecular charge distributions were obtained. To maximize the Coloumbic attractive interactions and minimize repulsive interactions, they form antiparallel cofacial stacking in monocomponent or in alloy single crystals, resulting in efficient π orbital overlap. Benefiting from self-assembly induced solid state "olefin metathesis" reaction, it was observed, for the first time, that three BDOPV derivatives cocrystallized in one single crystal. Molecules with different energy levels serve like the dopants in inorganic semiconductors. Consequently, as the total number of halogen atoms increased, highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels of the alloy single crystals decreased monotonously in the range from -5.94 to -6.96 eV and -4.19 to -4.48 eV, respectively.

Reversible Metalation and Catalysis with a Scorpionate-like Metallo-ligand in a Metal-Organic Framework.

The installation of metallo-ligands in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is an effective means to create site-isolated metal centers toward single-site heterogeneous catalysis. Although trispyrazolyborate (Tp) and tripyrazolylmethane (Tpm) form one of the most iconic classes of homogeneous catalysts, neither has been used as a metallo-ligand for the generation of MOFs thus far. Here, we show that upon in situ metalation with CuI, a tricarboxylated Tpm ligand reacts with ZrOCl2 to generate a new MOF exhibiting neutral scorpionate-like chelating sites. These sites undergo for facile demetalation and remetalation with retention of crystallinity and porosity. When remetalated with CuI, the MOF exhibits spectroscopic features and catalytic activity for olefin cyclopropanation reactions that are similar to the molecular [Cu(CH3CN)Tpm*]PF6 complex (Tpm* = tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methane). These results demonstrate the inclusion of Tp or Tpm metallo-ligands in a MOF for the first time and provide a blueprint for immobilizing Tpm* catalysts in a spatially isolated and well-defined environment.

Krüppel-Like Factor 4 Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Metastasis by Down-Regulating Caveolin-1 Expression.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), a member of the KLF family of zinc finger transcription factors, has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene in a variety of tumors. However, the molecular mechanisms by which KLF4 inhibits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in pancreatic cancer remain unclear. METHODS: KLF4 expression in pancreatic cancer was analyzed using public datasets (Oncomine and The Cancer Genome Atlas). The expression of KLF4, caveolin-1 (Cav-1), E-cadherin, and vimentin, and their correlations with clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in pancreatic cancer tissues. The biological functions and underlying mechanisms of KLF4 expression on EMT and metastasis were also investigated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Public datasets showed that KLF4 expression was significantly decreased in pancreatic cancer and correlated with the depth of invasion and disease stage. The expression of KLF4, Cav-1, E-cadherin, and vimentin protein in pancreatic cancer tissues was closely associated with pathological grade, disease stage, and metastasis. KLF4 expression was also positively correlated with E-cadherin expression and negatively correlated with vimentin expression, whereas Cav-1 expression was negatively associated with E-cadherin expression and positively correlated with vimentin expression. Knockdown of KLF4 expression promoted EMT and facilitated pancreatic cancer cell growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. In addition, immunohistochemistry (IHC) results indicated that KLF4 expression was negatively correlated with Cav-1 expression. Furthermore, down-regulating KLF4 expression increased Cav-1 and vimentin expression and decreased E-cadherin expression. Mechanistically, KLF4 could transcriptionally inhibit Cav-1 expression by binding directly to the promoter domain of Cav-1. CONCLUSIONS: KLF4 inhibits pancreatic cancer EMT and metastasis by down-regulating Cav-1 expression, suggesting that the KLF4/Cav-1 signaling pathway may be a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target.

Post-stroke depression as a predictor of caregivers burden of acute ischemic stroke patients in China.

Our aim was to explore the independent attribution of Post-stroke depression (PSD) to caregiver burden of acute ischemic stroke patients. A cross-sectional survey was performed with 271 acute ischemic stroke patients in the Huai-He Hospital and First People's Hospital of Kaifeng City in China. PSD was assessed by Self-rating Depressive Scale, and caregiver burden was assessed by Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview. Clustered logistic regression was applied to identify the impact of PSD on caregiver burden. As results, female patients, normal muscle strength and PSD were associated with caregiver burden. PSD correlated with an independent influence of 17.2% on the risk of caregiver burden, The independent influence of PSD on caregiver burden was smaller than that of social-demographics of caregivers and clinical factors of stroke patients This study suggests that PSD may have a modest influence on caregiver burden.