A new bacterial tRNA enhances antibiotic production in Streptomyces by circumventing inefficient wobble base-pairing.

We report the discovery and functional characterization of a new bacterial tRNA species. The tRNA-Asp-AUC, from a fast-growing desert streptomycete, decodes GAU codons. In the absence of queuosine tRNA anticodon modification in streptomycetes, the new tRNA circumvents inefficient wobble base-pairing during translation. The tRNA, which is constitutively expressed, greatly enhances synthesis of 4 different antibiotics in the model mesophilic species Streptomyces coelicolor, including the product of a so-called cryptic pathway, and increases yields of medically-important antibiotics in other species. This can be rationalised due to increased expression of both pleiotropic and pathway-specific transcriptional activators of antibiotic biosynthesis whose genes generally possess one or more GAT codons; the frequency of this codon in these gene sets is significantly higher than the average for streptomycete genes. In addition, the tRNA enhances production of cobalamin, a precursor of S-adenosyl methionine, itself an essential cofactor for synthesis of many antibiotics. The results establish a new paradigm of inefficient wobble base-pairing involving GAU codons as an evolved strategy to regulate gene expression and, in particular, antibiotic biosynthesis. Circumventing this by expression of the new cognate tRNA offers a generic strategy to increase antibiotic yields and to expand the repertoire of much-needed new bioactive metabolites produced by these valuable bacteria.

Molecular Identification of Acrossocheilus jishouensis (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) and Its Complete Mitochondrial Genome.

Molecular identification, such as DNA barcoding, is a useful tool that is widely applied in distinguishing species. To identify the cyprinid Acrossocheilus jishouensis, which was previously known to be restricted to only its type locality, we conducted molecular identification of this species based on 23 samples in five localities. Molecular identification based on the mitochondrial COI gene sequence showed that the morphologically similar samples from the five populations were all A. jishouensis, as the mean genetic distances between populations were very small (0.1-1.6%); thus, the distribution of this species was substantially expanded. The whole mitochondrial genome of one sample was also assembled, which was 16,594 bp in length and consisted of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and one control region. All PCGs began with ATG except the COI gene, which started with GTG; seven PCGs used the complete stop codon TAA, while four terminated in T(AA) and two ended with TAG. The overall base composition reflected a higher proportion of A+T than G+C and a positive AT-skew and negative GC-skew pattern except for the opposite in ND6. Phylogenetic relationships inferred using BI and ML methods revealed that both Acrossocheilus and Onychostoma were nonmonophyletic, which indicated that the traditional diagnoses between these two genera need to be assessed further. The results of this study not only expanded the known distribution ranges of A. jishouensis, but also provided a valuable data resource for future molecular and evolutionary studies of Acrossocheilus and other cyprinids in Barbinae.

Nocardioides: "Specialists" for Hard-to-Degrade Pollutants in the Environment.

Nocardioides, a genus belonging to Actinomycetes, can endure various low-nutrient conditions. It can degrade pollutants using multiple organic materials such as carbon and nitrogen sources. The characteristics and applications of Nocardioides are described in detail in this review, with emphasis on the degradation of several hard-to-degrade pollutants by using Nocardioides, including aromatic compounds, hydrocarbons, haloalkanes, nitrogen heterocycles, and polymeric polyesters. Nocardioides has unique advantages when it comes to hard-to-degrade pollutants. Compared to other strains, Nocardioides has a significantly higher degradation rate and requires less time to break down substances. This review can be a theoretical basis for developing Nocardioides as a microbial agent with significant commercial and application potential.

3-dimensional analysis of hard- and soft-tissue symmetry in a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Facial symmetry severely affects appearance and function. Large numbers of patients seek orthodontic treatment to improve facial symmetry. However, the correlation between hard- and soft-tissue symmetry is still unclear. Our aim was to investigate the hard- and soft-tissue symmetry in subjects with different levels of menton deviation and sagittal skeletal classes with 3D digital analysis and to investigate the relationship between the entire and individual hard- and soft-tissues. METHODS: A total of 270 adults (135 males and 135 females) consisting of 45 subjects of each sex in each sagittal skeletal classification group. All subjects were further classified into relative symmetry (RS), moderate asymmetry (MA) and severe asymmetry (SA) groups based on the degree of menton deviation from the mid-sagittal plane (MSP). The 3D images were segmented into anatomical structures and mirrored across the MSP after establishing a coordinate system. Original and mirrored images were registered by a best-fit algorithm, and the corresponding root mean square (RMS) values and colormap were obtained. The Mann‒Whitney U test and Spearman correlation were conducted for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The RMS increased with greater deviations with regard to the deviation of the menton in most of anatomical structures. Asymmetry was represented in the same way regardless of sagittal skeletal pattern. The soft-tissue asymmetry had a significant correlation with dentition in the RS group (0.409), while in the SA group, it was related to the ramus (0.526) and corpus (0.417) in males and was related to the ramus in the MA (0.332) and SA (0.359) groups in females. CONCLUSIONS: The mirroring method combining CBCT and 3dMD provides a new approach for symmetry analysis. Asymmetry might not be influenced by sagittal skeletal patterns. Soft-tissue asymmetry might be reduced by improving the dentition in individuals with RS group, while among those with MA or SA, whose menton deviation was larger than 2 mm, orthognathic treatment should be considered.

Tuning C1 /C2 Selectivity of CO2 Electrochemical Reduction over in-Situ Evolved CuO/SnO2 Heterostructure.

Heterostructured oxides with versatile active sites, as a class of efficient catalysts for CO2 electrochemical reduction (CO2 ER), are prone to undergo structure reconstruction under working conditions, thus bringing challenges to understanding the reaction mechanism and rationally designing catalysts. Herein, we for the first time elucidate the structural reconstruction of CuO/SnO2 under electrochemical potentials and reveal the intrinsic relationship between CO2 ER product selectivity and the in situ evolved heterostructures. At -0.85 VRHE , the CuO/SnO2 evolves to Cu2 O/SnO2 with high selectivity to HCOOH (Faradaic efficiency of 54.81 %). Mostly interestingly, it is reconstructed to Cu/SnO2-x at -1.05 VRHE with significantly improved Faradaic efficiency to ethanol of 39.8 %. In situ Raman spectra and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the synergetic absorption of *COOH and *CHOCO intermediates at the interface of Cu/SnO2-x favors the formation of *CO and decreases the energy barrier of C-C coupling, leading to high selectivity to ethanol.

Pigment Characterization of the Giant-Colony-Forming Haptophyte Phaeocystis globosa in the Beibu Gulf Reveals Blooms of Different Origins.

The giant-colony-forming haptophyte Phaeocystis globosa has caused several large-scale blooms in the Beibu Gulf since 2011, but the distribution and dynamics of the blooms remained largely unknown. In this study, colonies of P. globosa, as well as membrane-concentrated phytoplankton samples, were collected during eight cruises in the Beibu Gulf from September 2016 to August 2017. Pigments were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The pigment 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin (hex-fuco), generally considered a diagnostic pigment for Phaeocystis, was not detected in P. globosa colonies in the Beibu Gulf, whereas 19'-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin (but-fuco) was found in all colony samples. Moreover, but-fuco in membrane-concentrated phytoplankton samples exhibited a similar distribution pattern to that of P. globosa colonies, suggesting that but-fuco provided the diagnostic pigment for bloom-forming P. globosa in the Beibu Gulf. Based on the distribution of but-fuco in different water masses in the region prior to the formation of intensive blooms, it is suggested that P. globosa blooms in the Beibu Gulf could originate from two different sources. IMPORTANCE Phaeocystis globosa has formed intensive blooms in the South China Sea and even around the world, causing huge social economic losses and environmental damage. However, little is known about the formation mechanism and dynamics of P. globosa blooms. 19'-Hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin (hex-fuco) is often used as the pigment proxy to estimate Phaeocystis biomass, while this is challenged by the giant-colony-forming P. globosa in the Beibu Gulf, which contains only 19'-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin (but-fuco) but not hex-fuco. Using but-fuco as a diagnostic pigment, we traced two different origins of P. globosa blooms in the Beibu Gulf. This study clarifies the development process of P. globosa blooms in the Beibu Gulf, which provides a basis for the early monitoring and prevention of the blooms.

Paracoccus everestensis sp. nov., a novel bacterium with great antioxidant capacity isolated from the north slope of Mount Everest.

A bacterial strain, designated S8-55T, was isolated from moraine samples collected from the north slope of Mount Everest at an altitude of 5 500 m above sea level. The purpose of this study was to describe a novel species and its characteristics, through genome sequencing and analysis of the relationship between the members of the genus Paracoccus, and explore the antioxidant capacity of strain S8-55T. The polyphasic study confirmed the affiliation of strain S8-55T with the genus Paracoccus. Strain S8-55T was aerobic, Gram-negative and oxidase- and catalase positive. Cells were orange-pigmented, ellipsoid and had no spore formation, no flagella and no motility. Strain S8-55T grow at 10-37 °C, pH 7-11 and without NaCl. Ubiquinone 10 was its predominant respiratory menaquinone. The polar lipids of strain S8-55T were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, an unidentified phospholipid, an unidentified aminolipid and three unidentified lipids. Its major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c). The G+C content was 64.3 mol%. The phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA sequence showed that strain S8-55T was closely related to Paracoccus angustae E6T (97.9 %), Paracoccus aerius 011410T (97.9 %) and Paracoccus hibisci THG-T2.8T (97.8 %). The average nucleotide identity values among strain S8-55T and P. angustae CCTCC AB 2015056T, P. aerius KCTC 42845T and P. hibisci CCTCC AB 2016181T were 84.1, 84.5 and 76.3 %, respectively. The genome of strain S8-55T contained antioxidant genes such as oxyR, recD, katE, recD and rpoH. Based on its morphological, physiological and chemical taxonomic characteristics, strain S8-55T (=JCM 35 227T=GDMCC 1.3026T) should be classified as a novel species of the genus Paracoccus with the proposed name Paracoccus everestensis sp. nov.

Should associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy be applied to hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients with cirrhosis? A multi-center study.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) can be performed in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with cirrhosis. We explored the efficacy of ALPPS in HCC patients. METHODS: Data of 54 patients who underwent ALPPS between August 2014 and July 2020 at three centers were collected. Adverse factors affecting their prognosis were analyzed and subsequently compared with 184 patients who underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). RESULTS: Overall survival rates of the ALPPS group at 1, 3, and 5 years were 70.6%, 38.4%, and 31.7%, respectively; corresponding disease-free survival rates were 50.5%, 22.4%, and 19.2%, respectively. The ALPPS group had a significantly greater long-term survival rate than the TACE group (before propensity score matching, P < 0.001; after propensity score matching, P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that multifocal lesions (P = 0.018) and macroscopic vascular invasion (P = 0.001) were prognostic factors for HCC patients who underwent ALPPS. After the propensity score matching, the multifocal lesions (P = 0.031), macroscopic vascular invasion (P = 0.003), and treatment type (ALPPS/TACE) (P = 0.026) were the factors adversely affecting the prognosis of HCC patients. CONCLUSION: ALPPS was feasible in hepatitis B virus-related HCC patients with cirrhosis and resulted in better survival than TACE.

Synthesis of Fully Exposed Single-Atom-Layer Metal Clusters on 2D Ordered Mesoporous TiO2 Nanosheets.

A sulfhydryl monomicelles interfacial assembly strategy is presented for the synthesis of fully exposed single-atom-layer Pt clusters on 2D mesoporous TiO2 (SAL-Pt@mTiO2 ) nanosheets. This synthesis features the introduction of the sulfhydryl group in monomicelles to finely realize the controllable co-assembly process of Pt precursors within ordered mesostructures. The resultant SAL-Pt@mTiO2 shows uniform SAL Pt clusters (≈1.2 nm) anchored in ultrathin 2D nanosheets (≈7 nm) with a high surface area (139 m2 g-1 ), a large pore size (≈25 nm) and a high dispersion (≈99 %). Moreover, this strategy is universal for the synthesis of other SAL metal clusters (Pd and Au) on 2D mTiO2 with high exposure and accessibility. When used as a catalyst for hydrogenation of 4-nitrostyrene, the SAL-Pt@mTiO2 shows a high catalytic activity (TOF up to 2424 h-1 ), 100 % selectivity for 4-aminostyrene, good stability, and anti-resistance to thiourea poisoning under relatively mild conditions (25 °C, 10 bar).

Ultrahigh Adsorption Capacity and Kinetics of Vertically Oriented Mesoporous Coatings for Removal of Organic Pollutants.

Highly efficient removal of organic pollutants currently is a main worldwide concern in water treatment, and highly challenging. Here, vertically oriented mesoporous coatings (MCs) with tunable surface properties and pore sizes have been developed via the single-micelle directing assembly strategy, which show good adsorption performances toward a wide range of organic pollutants. The micelle size and structure can be precisely regulated by oil molecules based on their n-octanol/water partition coefficients (Log P) in the oil-water diphase assembly system, which are critical to the pore size and pore surface property of the MCs. The affinity and steric effects of the MCs can be on-demand adjusted, as a result, the MCs show a ultrahigh adsorption capacity (263 mg g-1 ), surface occupancy ratio (≈41.92%), and adsorption rate (≈10.85 mg g-1  min-1 ) for microcystin-LR, which is among the best performances up to date. The MCs also show an excellent universality to remove organic pollutants with different properties. Moreover, overcoming the challenges proposed by particulate absorbents, the MCs are stable and can be easily regenerated and reused without secondary contamination. This work paves a new route to the synthesis of high-quality MCs for water purification.

Dose-dependent effect of human milk on Bronchopulmonary dysplasia in very low birth weight infants.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Human milk has potential protective effects against bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). However, studies on the association between the dose of human milk and BPD in China are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the dose-dependent effects of human milk on BPD and other neonatal morbidities in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study of preterm infants was conducted on preterm infants of gestational age ≤ 34 weeks and birth weight < 1500 g admitted to the multicenter clinical research database for breastfeeding quality improvement in Jiangsu province. The multivariate analysis was performed to compare the effect outcomes of daily graded doses [1-24 mL/(kg · day), 25-49 mL/(kg · day), and ≥ 50 mL/(kg · day) of body weight] of human milk on neonatal outcomes throughout the first 4 weeks of life versus a reference group receiving no human milk. The models were adjusted for potential confounding variables. RESULTS: Of 964 included infants, 279 (28.9%) received exclusive preterm formula, 128 (13.3%) received 1-24 ml/(kg · day), 139 (14.4%) received 25-49 ml/(kg · day), and 418 (43.4%) received ≥50 ml/(kg · day) human milk for the first 4 weeks of life. Compared with infants receiving exclusive formula, those receiving the highest volume of human milk daily [≥50 mL/(kg · day)] had lower incidences of BPD [27.5% in ≥50 mL/(kg · day) vs 40.1% in 0 mL/(kg · day) human milk, P = 0.001)], moderate and severe BPD [8.9% in ≥50 mL/(kg · day) vs 16.1% in 0 mL/(kg · day), P = 0.004], necrotizing enterocolitis [NEC; 3.8% in ≥50 mL/(kg · day) vs 10.8% in 0 mL/(kg · day), P = 0.001], late-onset sepsis [LOS; 9.3% in ≥50 mL/(kg · day) vs 19.7% in 0 mL/(kg · day), P <0.01], and extrauterine growth retardation [EUGR; 38.5% in ≥50 mL/(kg · day) vs 57.6% in 0 mL/(kg · day), P <0.01)]. The logistic regression indicated that those receiving ≥50 ml/kg · day human milk had lower odds of BPD [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.453; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.309, 0.666], moderate and severe BPD (AOR 0.430; 95% CI: 0.249, 0.742), NEC (AOR 0.314; 95% CI: 0.162, 0. 607), LOS (AOR 0.420; 95% CI: 0.263, 0.673), and EUGR (AOR 0.685; 95% CI: 0.479, 0.979). CONCLUSIONS: A daily threshold amount of ≥50 ml/(kg · day) human milk in the first 4 weeks of life was associated with lower incidence of BPD as well as NEC, LOS, and EUGR in VLBW infants. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03453502 . Registration date: March 5, 2018. This study was retrospectively registered.

Association between variants in vitamin D-binding protein gene and vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women in china.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is extremely high in pregnant women worldwide. However, the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in vitamin D metabolic pathway genes and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration among Chinese pregnant women is seldom reported. The risk of adverse neonatal outcomes due to maternal vitamin D deficiency has not been well investigated. METHODS: A total of 815 pregnant women and 407 infants were enrolled in this study. Serum 25(OH)D concentration was detected. DNA was extracted from the maternal blood for genotyping genetic SNPs in vitamin D pathway. An XGBoost model was established based on SNPs combined with external variables. RESULTS: Mean serum 25(OH)D level was 15.67 ± 7.98 ng/mL among the pregnant women. Seventy-five percent of pregnant women had 25(OH)D deficiency in China. SNPs of GC (rs17467825, rs4588, rs2282679, rs2298850, and rs1155563) were significantly associated with maternal 25(OH)D concentration. The influence of variants of rs17467825, rs4588, rs2282679, and rs2298850 on maternal 25(OH)D might be modified by vitamin D supplementation and sunshine exposure. An XGBoost model was established for monitoring 25(OH)D status in pregnant women and provided clinical advice to reduce the risk of 25(OH)D deficiency. Mothers with 25(OH)D deficiency hinted a risk for macrosomia. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in China has been confirmed. A clinical model was established to guide pregnant women to supplement vitamin D according to genotype. Furthermore, we suggest the effect of maternal vitamin D status on the risk of macrosomia.

[An investigation of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in 13 hospitals of Jiangsu Province, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and the management on the treatment and follow-up of this disease in Jiangsu Province, China. METHODS: The neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia who were admitted to 13 hospitals in Jiangsu Province from January to December, 2018, were enrolled as subjects. A retrospective analysis was performed on their mediacal data and follow-up data. RESULTS: In 2018, 740 neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia were reported from the 13 hospitals in Jiangsu Province, accounting for 2.70% (740/27 386) of the total number of neonates admitted to the department of neonatology. Among these neonates, 620 (83.8%) had severe hyperbilirubinemia, 106 (14.3%) had extremely severe hyperbilirubinemia, and 14 (1.9%) had hazardous hyperbilirubinemia. Four neonates (0.5%) were diagnosed with acute bilirubin encephalopathy. A total of 484 neonates (65.4%) were readmitted due to severe hyperbilirubinemia after discharge from the delivery institution, with a median age of 7 days, among whom 214 (44.2%) were followed up for jaundice at the outpatient service before readmission, with a median age of 6 days at the first time of outpatient examination. During hospitalization, 211 neonates (28.5%) underwent cranial MRI examinations, among whom 85 (40.3%) had high T1WI signal in the bilateral basal ganglia and the globus pallidus; 238 neonates (32.2%) underwent brainstem auditory evoked potential examinations, among whom 14 (5.9%) passed only at one side and 7 (2.9%) failed at both sides. The 17 neonates with acute bilirubin encephalopathy or hazardous hyperbilirubinemia were followed up. Except one neonate was lost to follow-up, and there were no abnormal neurological symptoms in the other neonates. CONCLUSIONS: Neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia account for a relatively high proportion of the total number of neonates in the department of neonatology. Jaundice monitoring and management after discharge from delivery institutions need to be strengthened. For neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia, relevant examinations should be carried out more comprehensively during hospitalization and these neonates should be followed up comprehensively and systematically after discharge.

Cordycepin protects against ß-amyloid and ibotenic acid-induced hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neuronal hyperactivity.

Cordycepin exerts neuroprotective effects against excitotoxic neuronal death. However, its direct electrophysiological evidence in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the electrophysiological mechanisms underlying the protective effect of cordycepin against the excitotoxic neuronal insult in AD using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. ß-Amyloid (Aß) and ibotenic acid (IBO)-induced injury model in cultured hippocampal neurons was used for the purpose. The results revealed that cordycepin significantly delayed Aß + IBO-induced excessive neuronal membrane depolarization. It increased the onset time/latency, extended the duration, and reduced the slope in both slow and rapid depolarization. Additionally, cordycepin reversed the neuronal hyperactivity in Aß + IBO-induced evoked action potential (AP) firing, including increase in repetitive firing frequency, shortening of evoked AP latency, decrease in the amplitude of fast afterhyperpolarization, and increase in membrane depolarization. Further, the suppressive effect of cordycepin against Aß + IBO-induced excessive neuronal membrane depolarization and neuronal hyperactivity was blocked by DPCPX (8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine, an adenosine A1 receptor-specific blocker). Collectively, these results revealed the suppressive effect of cordycepin against the Aß + IBO-induced excitotoxic neuronal insult by attenuating excessive neuronal activity and membrane depolarization, and the mechanism through the activation of A1R is strongly recommended, thus highlighting the therapeutic potential of cordycepin in AD.

[Effect of extensively hydrolyzed formula on growth and development of infants with very/extremely low birth weight].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of extensively hydrolyzed formula on the growth and development in very low birth weight (VLBW) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. METHODS: A total of 375 VLBW or ELBW infants were enrolled and divided into an observation group (187 infants) and a control group (188 infants) using a random number table. The infants in the observation group were given extensively hydrolyzed formula, and when the amount of extensively hydrolyzed formula reached 10 mL/time, it was changed to the standard formula for preterm infants. The infants in the control group were given standard formula for preterm infants. Both groups were fed for 4 consecutive weeks and were compared in terms of incidence rate of feeding intolerance, time to establish full enteral feeding, time to complete meconium excretion, number of spontaneous bowel movements, growth and development, motilin level at 4 and 10 days after feeding, and incidence rate of infection. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the observation group had a lower rate of feeding intolerance (P<0.05), a shorter duration to full enteral feeding and time to complete meconium excretion (P<0.05), a higher mean number of daily spontaneous bowel movements (P<0.05), higher body weight (1 793±317 g vs 1 621±138 g; P<0.05), head circumference (30.5±1.1 cm vs 30.0±1.6 cm; P<0.05), and body length (43.9±1.2 cm vs 42.1±2.0 cm; P<0.05), a higher motilin level at 4 and 10 days after feeding (P<0.05), and a significantly lower infection rate (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Extensively hydrolyzed formula can increase motilin level, improve gastrointestinal feeding tolerance, promote early growth and development, and reduce the incidence of infection in VLBW and ELBW infants.

miR-543 is up-regulated in gefitinib-resistant non-small cell lung cancer and promotes cell proliferation and invasion via phosphatase and tensin homolog.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the pathogenesis of many types of cancers by negatively regulating gene expression at posttranscriptional level. Here, we identified that miR-543 is up-regulated in gefitinib-resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients comparing gefitinib-sensitive ones. It promotes NSCLC cell proliferation by negatively regulates its target gene PTEN. In NSCLC cell lines, CCK-8 proliferation assay indicated that the cell proliferation is promoted by miR-543 mimics. Transwell assay showed that miR-543 mimics promotes the invasion and migration of NSCLC cells. Luciferase assays confirmed that miR-543 directly binds to the 3'untranslated region of PTEN, and western blotting showed that miR-543 suppresses the expression of PTEN at the protein level. This study indicates that miR-543 promotes proliferation and invasion of NSCLC cell lines by PTEN. The miR-543 may represent a potential therapeutic target for gefitinib-resistant NSCLC intervention.

General strategy to synthesize uniform mesoporous TiO2/graphene/mesoporous TiO2 sandwich-like nanosheets for highly reversible lithium storage.

Uniform oxide deposition on graphene to form a sandwich-like configuration is a well-known challenge mainly due to their large lattice mismatches and poor affinities. Herein, we report a general strategy to synthesize uniform mesoporous TiO2/graphene/mesoporous TiO2 sandwich-like nanosheets (denoted as G@mTiO2), which cannot be achieved by conventional one-pot synthetic methods. We show that by rational control of hydrolysis and condensation of Ti precursors in a slow way, GO sheets can be conformably coated by amorphous TiO2 shells, which then can be facilely transformed into the well-defined G@mTiO2 nanosheets by annealing. This amorphous-to-crystalline strategy conveniently allows bypassing strain fields that would inevitably arise if direct growth of mesoporous anatase shells on graphene. As distinct from the most common structures of graphene-based composites (mixed, wrapped, or anchored models), the resultant materials display a uniform sandwich-like configuration: few-layer graphene conformably encapsulated by mesoporous TiO2 shells. This new G@mTiO2 nanosheet exhibits ultrathin nature (∼34 nm), small size and high crystalline nanocrystals (∼6 nm), high surface areas (∼252 m(2)/g) and uniform mesopores (∼3.4 nm). We further show that the thickness of mesoporous TiO2 shells can be facilely adjusted as desired by controlling the ammonia content, and this facile strategy can be easily extended to design other oxide/graphene/oxide sandwich-like materials. More importantly, we showcase the benefits of the resultant G@mTiO2 nanosheets as anodes in lithium ion batteries: they deliver an extra high capacity, an excellent high-rate capability, and long cycle life.

Regeneration of commercial selective catalyst reduction catalysts deactivated by Pb and other inorganic elements.

The regeneration of commercial SCR (Selective Catalyst Reduction) catalysts deactivated by Pb and other elements was studied. The deactivated catalyst samples were prepared by chemical impregnation with mixed solution containing K2SO4, Na2SO4, CaSO4, Pb(NO3)2 and NH4H2PO4. A novel method combining Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA-2Na) and H2SO4 solution (viz. catalysts treated by dilute EDTA-2Na and H2SO4 solution in sequence) was used to recover the activity of deactivated samples, and the effect was compared with single H2SO4, oxalic acid, acetic acid, EDTA or HNO3 solutions. The surface structure, acidity and reducibility of samples were characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), H2-temperature programmed section (H2-TPR), NH3-temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD) and in situ DRIFTS. Impurities caused a decrease of specific surface area and surface reducibility, as well as Brønsted acid sites, and therefore led to severe deactivation of the SCR catalyst. The use of an acid solution alone possibly eliminated the impurities on the deactivated catalyst to some extent, and also increased the specific surface area and Brønsted acid sites and promoted the surface reducibility, thus recovered the activity partially. The combination of EDTA-2Na and H2SO4 could remove most of the impurities and improve the activity significantly. The removal of Pb should be an important factor for regeneration. Due to a high removal rate for Pb and other impurities, the combination of EDTA-2Na and H2SO4 solutions provided the best efficiency.

[Relationship between placental inflammation and fetal inflammatory response syndrome and brain injury in preterm infants].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) and fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) and brain injury in preterm infants. METHODS: One hundred and three singleton infants with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) (gestation ages of less than 34 weeks) were enrolled. All the placentas were submitted for pathological evaluation. Umbilical cord blood interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) levels were measured with liquid chip. All preterm infants accepted brain imaging examinations. Based on the placental pathological examination and umbilical cord blood level of IL-6, the 103 infants were classified into HCA⁻ FIRS⁻, HCA⁺ FIRS⁻, and HCA⁺ FIRS⁺ groups. RESULTS: The incidences of HCA, FIRS, and brain injury were 53.4%, 20.4% and 38.8% respectively. The prevalence of brain injury in HCA⁻ FIRS⁻, HCA⁺ FIRS⁻, and HCA⁺ FIRS⁺ cases was 21%, 41%, and 76% respectively (P<0.01). The grade 2 and grade 3 of placental inflammation and the inflammation at stage 2 and stage 3 increased the risk of brain injury. The cord blood levels of IL-8, TNF-α, and G-CSF in the HCA⁺ FIRS⁺ group were significantly higher than in the other two groups, and the levels of the above parameters in the HCA⁺ FIRS⁻ were higher than in the HCA⁻ FIRS⁻ group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Placental inflammation and FIRS are associated with brain injury in preterm infants. Preterm infants exposed to severe placental inflammation have an increased risk of brain injury. Cord blood IL-8, TNF-α and G-CSF may be involved in the process of brain injury in preterm infants with placental inflammation and FIRS.