Regioselective Multisite Atomic-Chlorine Passivation Enables Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Passivating defects using organic halide salts, especially chlorides, is an effective method to improve power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) arising from the stronger Pb-Cl bonding than Pb-I and Pb-Br bonding. However, Cl- anions with a small radius are prone to incorporation into the perovskite lattice that distorts the lead halide octahedron, degrading the photovoltaic performance. Here, we substitute atomic-Cl-containing organic molecules for widely used ionic-Cl salts, which not only retain the efficient passivation by Cl but also prevent the incorporation of Cl into the bulk lattice, benefiting from the strong covalent bonding between Cl atoms and organic frameworks. We find that only when the distance of Cl atoms in single molecules matches well with the distance of halide ions in perovskites can such a configuration maximize the defect passivation. We thereby optimize the molecular configuration to enable multiple Cl atoms in an optimal spatial position to maximize their binding with surface defects. The resulting PSCs achieve a certified PCE of 25.02%, among the highest PCEs for PSCs, and retain 90% of their initial PCE after 500 h of continuous operation.

Knockdown of YKL-40 inhibits angiogenesis through regulation of VEGF/VEGFR2 and ERK1/2 signaling in endometrial cancer.

Studies have demonstrated that small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting YKL-40 (siYKL-40) inhibits the proliferation, migration, invasion, and induces antiapoptotic abilities of endometrial cancer (EC) HEC-1A cells. However, its effect on angiogenesis is unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of YKL-40 in endometrial cancer and the related molecular mechanisms. YKL-40 was knocked down by transfection with siYKL-40 and the effects on angiogenesis, cell viability, and signaling pathways were investigated. The results showed that siYKL-40 inhibited VEGFA levels and tube formation in endothelial cells. Additionally, inhibition of YKL-40 decreased the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), phosphorylated vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (pVEGFR2), and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (pERK1/2). Furthermore, a nude mice xenograft model of EC showed that siYKL-40 inhibited tumor growth. Inhibition of YKL-40 led to suppression of angiogenesis and reduction of microvessel density through VEGF/VEGFR2 and ERK1/2 signaling in endometrial cancer cells. Taken together, this study demonstrated novel molecular mechanisms for role of YKL-40 in EC.

Effects of a Small Interfering RNA Targeting YKL-40 Gene on the Proliferation and Invasion of Endometrial Cancer HEC-1A Cells.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting YKL-40 on the proliferation and invasion of endometrial cancer (EC) HEC-1A cells. METHODS: We used an siRNA targeting a sequence in YKL-40 (si-YKL-40) to transfect HEC-1A cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay was performed to investigate the mRNA levels of YKL-40. MTT, migration, and invasion assays were performed to identify the effects of si-YKL-40 on the proliferation, migration, and invasive abilities of the HEC-1A cells. RESULTS: mRNA expression of YKL-40 was down-regulated in HEC-1A cells after transfection with si-YKL-40 (P < 0.05). The proliferation, migration, and invasive abilities of HEC-1A cells were inhibited by siRNA (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: YKL-40 targeting siRNA specifically blocks the activity of YKL-40 in human EC HEC-1A cells, resulting in tumor suppression. This indicates that YKL-40 might serve as a potential small molecule target in the treatment of EC.

The diagnostic and prognostic value of serum YKL-40 in endometrial cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum YKL-40 in endometrial cancer (EC). METHODS: Serum YKL-40 levels were detected and compared in 34 of the 50 cases with EC before surgery, in 22 of the 34 with EC after surgery, in 30 cases with uterine myoma, and in 30 healthy women as normal controls. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were adopted for diagnosis and calculation of area under each ROC curve in EC. The progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between YKL-40 positive and negative patients were compared in the follow-up. RESULTS: The mean pre-operative serum YKL-40 values were significantly higher than that in the uterine myoma cases and in the healthy women (P = 0.000). The mean post-operative serum YKL-40 in the 22 EC cases was significantly lower than pre-operative serum YKL-40 levels in these cases (P = 0.000). There were critical differences between the area under ROC curve for YKL-40 and CA125 (P = 0.053). The PFS and OS for the YKL-40-positive patients were significantly shorter than those for the YKL-40-negative patients. CONCLUSION: Preliminary investigations have shown that serum YKL-40 level may have a definite clinical value in the diagnosis and prognosis of EC.

[Microplastics in the stomach and intestine of pelagic squid: A case study of Dosidicus gigas in open sea of Peru]. / å¤§æ´‹æ€§å¤´è¶³ç±»èƒƒå’Œè‚ é“ä¸­çš„å¾®å¡‘æ–™­­ä»¥ç§˜é²å¤–海茎柔鱼为例.

Microplastic (MP) ingestion by marine animals has been well documented, but less being known about pelagic squid. Jumbo squid Dosidicus gigas supports the world's largest cephalopod fishery and plays an important ecological role in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. In this study, D. gigas taken from the open sea of the Peruvian Exclusive Economic Zone were selected as research objects. We estimated the abundance and characteristics of MPs in the stomach and intestine of D. gigas and investigated the differences between tissues and sexes. Similar abundance and characteristics of MPs were observed in the same tissue of females and males. However, the stomach had a higher abundance of MPs with larger size than the intestine, while the MP abundance by stomach wet weight was lower than that of the intestine. The MPs were predominantly fiber-shaped, with blue or black color. The most frequent polymers were high-density cellophane and polyacrylic acid. These polymers could sink into deeper sea layers and were available for D. gigas living there during the daytime. Our findings revealed the distribution pattern of MPs in the waters of the Peruvian fishing ground. This study could improve our understanding of the MP contamination level in pelagic squid, and have implications for evaluating the ecological effects of MP on cephalopods.

Exosomal lncRNA NEAT1 from cancer-associated fibroblasts facilitates endometrial cancer progression via miR-26a/b-5p-mediated STAT3/YKL-40 signaling pathway.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts cells (CAFs) confer a rapid growth and metastasis ability of endometrial cancer (EC) via exosomes-mediated cellular communication. Long non-coding RNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (lncRNA NEAT1) drives the malignant phenotypes of EC cells. However, the role of exosomal NEAT1 from CAFs in EC progression remains ambiguous, which needs to be investigated. In our study, NEAT1 and YKL-40 were up-regulated, while miR-26a/b-5p was down-regulated in EC tissues. Moreover, NEAT1 expression was increased in CAF-exosomes compared with that in NF-exosomes. In addition, the exosomal NEAT1 derived from CAFs could transfer to EC cells and promote YKL-40 expression. Further exploration showed that exosomal NEAT1 enhanced YKL-40 expression via regulating miR-26a/b-5p-STAT3 axis in EC cells. More importantly, exosomal NEAT1 accelerated in vivo tumor growth via miR-26a/b-5p-STAT3-YKL-40 axis. Taken together, our study reveals that exosomal NEAT1 from CAFs contributes to EC progression via miR-26a/b-5p-mediated STAT3/YKL-40 pathway, which indicates the therapeutic potential of exosomal NEAT1 for treating EC.

t-BuOK-catalysed alkylation of fluorene with alcohols: a highly green route to 9-monoalkylfluorene derivatives.

A simple, mild and efficient protocol was developed for the alkylation of fluorene with alcohols in the presence of t-BuOK as catalyst, affording the desired 9-monoalkylfluorenes with near quantitative yields in most cases.

[Value of serum progesterone for ectopic pregnancy in therapeutic effect monitoring].

OBJECTIVE: To study the value of serum progesterone in selecting the candidate patients with ectopic pregnancy (EP) for methotrexate (MTX) treatment and in monitoring the effect of the treatment. METHODS: Thirty-seven EP patients who were given single-dose intramuscular injection with 50 mg/m2 MTX were divided into success and failure groups according to the effect of the treatment. The serum progesterone concentrations in these patients were measured and compared between the 2 groups, and the receiver-operator curves (ROC) were used to determine the critical serum progesterone levels for assessing the effect of MTX treatment. The time consumed respectively by serum progesterone and beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (beta-hCG) decreasing to below normal level was also compared. RESULTS: The serum progesterone concentrations of the success group (7.93+/-2.02 ng/ml) were significantly lower than those of the failure group (14.53+/-1.72 ng/ml, P<0.05). The recommended critical level for assessing the effect of MTX treatment for EP patients was 11 ng/ml according to the ROC, and the time for serum progesterone decreasing to below normal level was significantly less than that for beta-hCG. CONCLUSION: Serum progesterone can be used as an index for selecting candidate EP patients for MTX treatment, and also as a good indicator for assessing the therapeutic effect after treatment.

Expression of HLA-I, CD8, and CD4 and Their Clinical Significance in Cervical Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The local tissue immune status may play a role in the progression of cervical cancer. The aim of our study is to examine the expression of HLA-I, CD8 and CD4 in various cervical diseases and investigate their association with cervical cancer. METHODS: We chose the tissues of cervical cancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), chronic cervicitis and peri-cancer tissues, and then detected the expression of HLA-I, CD8 and CD4 using SP immunohistochemistry. The associations of the expression of HLA-I, CD8 and CD4 with the clinicopathologic profiles of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS: The percentage of positive tissue staining of HLA class I antigen in cervical cancer, CIN, chronic cervicitis and peri-cancer tissues were 40%, 95%, 100.0% and 100.0%, respectively. And the percentage of CD8 in various tissues was 35%, 95%, 100% and 100.0%, respectively. The positive tissue staining percentage of CD4 in the tissues above was 45%, 80%, 100% and 100%, respectively. The percentage of positive tissue staining of HLA-I, CD8 and CD4 were significantly lower in tissues of cervical cancer when compared with other tissues (P < 0.01). No correlation between positive tissue staining of HLA-I, CD8, and CD4 and clinicopathologic profiles was observed (P > 0.05). A positive correlation was found between HLA-I and CD8 expression (Spearman's correlation rs = 0.913, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of HLA-I, CD8 and CD4 are down-regulated or deleted in CIN and cervical cancer, and they may play important roles in the development and progression of CIN and cervical cancer.

[Prokaryotic expression and purification of human papillomavirus type 11 L2E7 fusion protein vaccine and its immunnogenicity].

OBJECTIVE: To construct the Escherichia coli (E. coli) prokaryotic expression system pET9aHPV11L2E7, purify the fusion protein L2E7 and study the immunnogenicity of the protein. METHODS: The HPV11 L2, E7 coding region was amplified from condyloma acuminata tissue specimen by PCR. The recombinant plazmid pET9aHPV11L2E7 was established and sequenced. Fusion protein L2E7 (553 amino acids) was expressed in host strain BL21 (DE3plus) by IPTG inducing and identified by using SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Then L2E7 protein purified with CM column was inoculated to Balb/c mice and its cell-mediated and humoral immunnogenicity was assessed by IFN-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The E. coli prokaryotic expression system pET9aHPV11L2E7 was established and the purified fusion protein L2E7 was obtained successfully. The mice in vivo experiment indicated that the purified protein L2E7 could induce HPV11E7 specific cell-mediated immune responses and high level HPV L2E7 antibody was detected in serum. CONCLUSION: The purified fusion protein L2E7 could induce specific cell-mediated and humoral immune responses. It can be used as a candidate of genital wart immune therapeutic vaccine.

[Construction of recombinant vaccina virus of HPV16 and its antitumor effect].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Cervical cancer is tightly related with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), among which HPV16 is most common. This study was to construct HPV16 L1, L2, E67 coexpression non-replication vaccina virus, and explore its immunization effects. METHODS: HPV16 major capsid protein L1/L2 genes and HPV16 early E6/E7 genes were inserted into a vaccina virus expression vector to construct recombinant vaccina virus NTVJE67CKL1L2 by homologous recombination; the recombinant virus was identified by DNA hybridization and Western blot. C57BL/6 mice were immunized by NTVJE67CKL1L2; specific antibodies and specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) were detected. Immune protective effects of NTVJE67CKL1L2 on the mice were evaluated by challenges of TC-1 tumor cells. RESULTS: HPV16 L1/L2/E6/E7 genes were integrated into vaccina virus DNA; Western blot confirmed that full-length L1/L2/E67 proteins were co-expressed in chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells infected with the recombinant virus. NTVJE67CKL1L2 elicited specific antibodies against HPV16 L1/L2/E6/E7 and generated TC-1 cell-specific CTLs in mice. Mice boosted with NTVJE67CKL1L2 could tolerate the challenge of 1x10(4) TC-1 cells. CONCLUSION: NTVJE67CKL1L2 can be taken as a candidate of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine for HPV-associated tumors and their precursor lesions.

[Construction and identification of non-replication recombinant vaccinia virus co-expressing human papillomavirus type 16 L1/L2/E6/E7 proteins].

OBJECTIVE: To generate a human papillomavirus (HPV16) prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine candidate for cervical cancer. METHODS: HPV16 major capsid protein L1 gene/minor capsid protein L2 gene and HPV16 early E6/E7 genes were inserted into a vaccinia virus expression vector. A strain of non-recombinant vaccinia virus containing the sequences was obtained through a homologous recombination and identified. RESULTS: DNA hybridization confirmed that the HPV16L1/L2/E6/E7 genes were integrated into vaccinia virus DNA. Western Blot result showed that full-length L1/L2/E6/E7 proteins were co-expressed in CEF cells infected with the recombinant virus. CONCLUSION: NTVJE6E7CKL1L2 could be taken as a candidate of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine for HPV-associated tumors and their precancerous transformations.